Music Imperative to Painting

Almost always when I paint, I listen to music either from my Ipod, my computer or from Pandora radio. I have broken down my music into different playlists on my Ipod and listen to them depending upon the mood I am in and what I am painting. My lists break into: Mellow Tunes, Oldies, Instrumental, Gregorian Chant, Party, Dinner Party, Classical, and Jazz. On Pandora, I have Michele McLaughlin, Oldies, George Winston, James Taylor, Squirrel Nut Zippers, John Mayer and Gotan Project to name only a few. Without music, I'm not sure what painting for me would be all about. It helps me get to that "no mind" place very quickly, especially with some tunes that I have listened to over and over again through the years. I really should keep trying to branch out a little more and Pandora helps quite a bit with suggesting new songs and musicians. More often than not, it really must be something so good that I will stop painting, walk over to my computer and take a note of who the musician or group is. So, for your listening enjoyment, my Top Ten Favorites...
10. Kenny Loggins-I like his old stuff when he was with Jim Messina
9.   Michael Buble-Yeah, I know...can't help it though
8.  Joni Mitchell-this is inbedded in my brain from college
7.  James Taylor-fell in love to this music, got my heart broken to this music and will always love it.
6.  Nat King Coleand Ray Charles-classics
5.  Frank Sinatra-how can you not love this guy?
4.  Norah Jones-miss mellow
3.  Benedictine Monks Chant-sometimes you just have to get serious
2. John Mellencamp, John Mayer and Van Morrison...had to put these guys together so I didn't have more    than 10!
1. Gotan Project-this and a number of classical guitarists

The small pastel above is an oldie drawn from a small farmhouse by a lake outside of Garmisch.

Drawing Like a Child Is a Gift We Lose

The Girl Scouts that came to visit the gallery did a lovely thing. They sent me wonderful, lovely, exuberant pictures  they drew in order to thank me for speaking with them.  The thanks are all mine. Leslie and I looked at these incredible drawings and could only grin from ear to ear and talk about how free and loose these paintings were. They have a place of honor at Blue Skies on a big wall in the break room where all of the other artists can enjoy them and be inspired. They ARE inspiring!

How do we lose that abandon and freshness in our own work? Why do we fall into painting ruts and fail to force ourselves to try new things?

What is it that we allow to get in the way and keep us from working with new eyes?

What is it that makes us afraid so that we run from what is really inside?

I don't have the answer to any of this, but I know that somewhere along the way, we often get "squashed" and it's very hard to recover from that. I learned a lot from these darling girls, and it is that one can never be too encouraging, too loving, too enthusiastic when working with the hopes and dreams of the very young.

On Being Authentic

I read a lot of other artist's blogs and various musings. There are those that talk all about technique and never reveal anything about themselves and there are those artists that are all about location for plein aire, struggles with bugs and light and wind. Sometimes I read about how physically hard it is to stand in front of a large canvas and move paint around for hours. I know that one. Often the reads are about lack of sales, lack of money, lack of inspiration. I have learned a great deal.
But being an authentic artist is something that I don't often read about.  Defining "authentic" as it relates to artwork means different things to different artists, of course. For me, it means being honest with your talents, your strengths and weakness, and above all, being honest with yourself. Understanding  your own motivation for why you do what you do, how you do it and how you authentically tap into your own creativity is a hard thing. All too often, I find that artists are full of bravado and ego, mostly to hide the underlying fear underneath. Fear of failure and fear of ridicule being the biggest I can think of.  Artists seem to like to talk about art (and this is okay...) but when it takes the place of doing, it is dangerous. All of these things crowd the mind, interfere with the work and keep one from being real. It's struggle being real. Telling it like it is, standing by what you know to be true and looking at your art and yourself with real standards and integrity is a challenge.
Painting something, writing something, composing something and then throwing it out into the world to be seen is a painful thing. That old man rejection is only waiting to seize it all and destroy what little pride you have left. But if you have been authentic and honest about what and how you are creating, the hurt that comes from rejection is only bitter for a short while. The salve for this kind of wound is in knowing that at least you have been authentic and honest and true. No one can ever take this away from you and there is solace in that. And of course, there is always Conan to remember, "That which does not kill us, makes us strong."  Stay real.

What Does It Mean to be an Artist?

I have the privilege of speaking to a troop of Girl Scouts that are coming for a visit to the gallery next week. I have been thinking quite a bit about what to tell these young girls about what being an artist means and what I do. 
Do I tell them that the job of an artist requires working hard, just as any job does? Do I tell them that the more they learn about being an artist and going to school to learn as much as they can about art is beneficial? Do I tell them that like any other job, you don't always get to do what you want and that there difficult times as well as great times?  How practical do I get without making being an artist sound boring with some of the mundane things that have to be done vs. the excitement of art shows and selling your work? All of the above? I surely would like some input and would love to hear from other artists about this. If there is only one thing that you had to convey to a group of young Girl Scouts about the occupation of being an artist, what would it be?

The painting above is a watercolor. Years ago, I worked solely in watercolor and struggled mightily with it. The lovely transparent, loose, spontaneous washes were always elusive to me. I have seen many a water colorist try to paint opaquely with watercolors, and in my humble opinion, it misses the point entirely with this medium. This watercolor is not for sale, but sits in my home over my bed to try to keep me humble and to remind me of how I failed at this medium.

Smithfield Farmland is ready for planting...

Spring just came so early this year that I think that it has taken everyone by surprise. I can't believe that the azaleas are almost done! There is a field not far from where I live that pass often on my morning walk and although I changed it a bit (as I often do) to suit my needs, it is ready to plant. The color of the field in the painting is actually a little more green, but for the life of me, I don't know how to correct this without altering many of the other colors. Photos of artwork are hard to keep accurate and I try, so if you want to see some of my stuff up close, you can come to Blue Skies Gallery in Hampton. It is right across from the Air and Space Museum. You can visit the Museum, grab a nice lunch at any of the nearby restaurants and then check out the Gallery. A nice thing to do on the weekend. This painting is 24x48 on a gallery wrapped canvas.

Summer Ideas...

The weather has been fabulous and it won't be long before sitting at the beach on the weekend will be on everyone's mind. This painting is 24x48 and is titled "We have all day..."  I am dropping off my work for the Norfolk Academy Art show tomorrow. The opening is scheduled for the 28th of April from 6-8. It's always a lovely time and a beautiful school, so think about coming to the opening and checking out the art.

60 Minutes Follow Up To "Yes...but is it art?"

On Sunday Morley Safter had a segment on 60 Minutes that was a follow up to a previous show called, "Yes...but is it art?" To briefly summarize, Safer explored various art dealers and art works that were being featured in the Art Basel Miami Beach Show. Quite interesting. The numbers being paid for artwork went into the hundereds of thousands. One piece that was an installation of various ropes tied into knots reached well into these stupendous prices.
Shocking that so many were there to drop so much money on art that was for investment purposes, prestige to own the lastest hot artist's work and to spend, spend, spend. It was hard to watch...
I have had many, many conversations with different kinds of artists over the years, most of whom struggle trying to make ends meet and then have enough left over for canvas and paints. I think that they would have found this display equally disheartening.  Almost all of them could outdraw and outpaint 90% of what I saw shown on 60 Minutes.
What is disturbing is to know that The Emperor's New Clothes still has an effect and that people will buy almost anything if they have enough money to waste and think that the value of something is in how much it costs. I think these same people would also love to regale you with stories about how much their cars, jewelry, homes and other luxury items are worth. Ho-hum...
I'm with Morley on this one. I could see his little smile as one of the agents "talked" about a piece of work hanging on the wall and used vocabulary that seemed to be utter nonsense. Yet, others standing around seemed to lap this up and agree with her pearls of wisdom.
The market will bear what it will and there will always be unrecognized artists among us that will never know success. If someone wants to hang a wad of tied knots into the corner of their 2.5 billion dollar home, then go for it. The Emperor will always need something new to wear and those followers are happy to be sucked into a fantasy that is speculative and often tasteless.
I have said before that if a piece of art speaks to you, then you should buy it. What is a tangle of ropes that you paid hundred of thousands for saying to and about you today?

Simple is not so Simple

I call this painting, House Simple. Trying to do less, not more has been a challenge for me. It seems that with each painting, I keep trying to give myself just a little nudge and push to try something that makes things harder, not easier. In fact, painting with these clean lines is difficult because one wrong choice or stroke and ping! it's wrong.
I have also come to the conclusion that these recent paintings have been helping me feel that a sense of peace is attainable on canvas and this satisfies me...at least for now.
24x48.

The Artist and ADD

I try not to be too controversial in my blog, not because I don't like controversy, but rather would like to keep things simple and not have to deal with angering or upsetting someone out there. So here goes...
I am NOT, I repeat an expert on ADD, so I can only speak for myself and with a bit of levity.
Many of the artists that I know, myself included, joke often about having Art ADD, which is a specific kind of wonderful malady. We talk about jumping from one creative thought to another and how it is hard to control and our desire is to do it ALL...RIGHT NOW! Pastels, watercolors, acrylics, oils, to frame or not to frame, small vs. big, (No, do all sizes...) what kind of palettes to explore, let's paint outside; no, let's set up a still life; better yet-get a model; clothing on or off?...and this happens on an almost daily basis. So you see the challenge.
Being creative is an ability to let your mind almost explode and run freely through all possibilities without hindrance. But at some point, one must sit down, make a decision and focus and then execute. Different artists have different challenges at any point along this continuum. So often artists can't get out of this "possibilities mode" that it paralyzes them and they simply do nothing. I know writers that block, musicians that can't compose and cooks that stopped baking. What then?
I know that for me, I have many sketchbooks, slips of papers with ideas, notes and articles lying all about my studio. I try to capture things as I dream them up and then go back later to see if any of my ideas have merit. I have had to make myself do this in order to function and to be productive on a regular basis. Computers and the Internet complicate matters. They take up an inordinate amount of time, and for someone who could wander around looking at fabulous art all day, it's hard to be disciplined. So I only spend limited time online and try not to get too hooked into so much of the stuff that is out there. I try to set aside time in my calendar where I balance my boring stuff (ordering supplies, framing, cleaning, filing, etc.) with painting. Also, I try to balance my painting with small work, huge stuff, plein air, abstracts and other mediums. I think that this approach, for me, keeps me interested, keeps me disciplined and keeps my skills sharp for my students. Each artist has to find their own way. All of the books out there have prescriptions for numerous ways to do art, but you have to decide for yourself. No one can tell you how to do it. Your sucess in terms of becoming a better artist, your sales, and your accomplishments will tell the tale of whether you are on the right track or not. Still, after all the talk, the ideas and the fun, the artist has to close the door to the studio and squirt out the paint and get it on the canvas. At least, I do.
It was a beautiful morning and I slipped out for some plein air for an hour or so. This is the view from Smithfield Station looking at Windsor Castle Park in Smithfield. 6x8.

Path to the Beach

Got a thing for paths. Funny how as you get older, all the old adages somehow make more sense and ring true. Yes, we are all on a path, and not one of us knows where it will end or how. Yes, it's all about the journey and hopefully, it is a good one. Enjoy the view as you go because surely it will end too quickly. This is a gallery wrapped canvas and 24x48.

Shadows By a Farmhouse

Shadows have always fascinated me and this oil painting surely brings it in to focus. I think in this new series of paintings I have been working on, my desire is to continue to edit, refine and simplify as much as I can has been surprisingly difficult. Things are beginning to morph more and more into abstraction as I try to make some sense or have some control over the canvas. It has been very challenging to paint this way and to do less instead of more. One small, wrong, stroke can put things off and has to be corrected. A value that is off just a bit has to be fixed. I am enjoying this process though and have 3 more paintings that I am working on that are somewhat similar to this that I will share soon.

The Idea of Home

     I have been working on several new paintings that are exploring the idea of what "home" means. I am working on 4 paintings simultaneously and shifting them around as they dry. These new paintings all have a common theme about "home" and what it means to me. This painting above just recently sold, and is titled "Going Home" It too represents for me the idea of having a place to return to at the end of the day. I know what "home" should be and is often not, but my paintings, I hope, evoke a sense of peace and of finally "being there".

Artists Meeting for Lunch

On Wednesday, about nine local artists met for lunch at the Charles Taylor Art Center. The only purpose was to talk, share some thoughts and ideas and just be together. It's always nice to be with other artists who are truly out there, working on selling their work, entering shows and are all challenged by this economy. One of the things that I had to say after we talked about various things that we could do as a group to promote our art, was that when all is said and done, the artist has to evaluate carefully which projects to become involved in and which to stay away from. I think that people often forget the hours it takes working alone in a studio painting. Solitary as this may be, it all still comes down to you and the canvas and your concept. You can't take someone else along on your journey, although there are many "hangers on" that may try to go with you. Painting is not a group activity, although one may paint while others are painting as well as in a group or shared studio activity. As Ranier Maria Rilke says, "It's good to be solitary, because solitude is difficult."
These tulips jut sold at the Nansemond Suffolk Academy show last week. I sold 2 large painting and one smaller 8x10, so I'm happy.

The Secret Life of an Artist

I was at a party recently and talking with a very successful television producer. She commented about how fortunate it was for me to be an artist and to get to paint all day and "do what you want." When I told her that my job wasn't that much different from hers and that we shared many of the same woes, she didn't get it. I do respect and like this woman, but I think that she, like many others think that artists lounge around all day daubing paint on canvas when the mood strikes.  Nothing could be farther from the truth, although I do know a number of artists that have the lounging around all day thing down pretty good. Like any other endeavor, painting requires work and discipline, something that is often missing in those that like to call themselves artists. They often work only "when the mood strikes" and largely would rather grouse about lack of sales than actually do any painting.  My friend doesn't know the amount of time spent sketching, ordering supplies, framing, entering shows, doing computer work, cleaning art supplies, reading and studying, and a dozen other sometimes upleasant tasks we must do. It isn't all painting, although I wish that it were. By the time an art buyer sees a painting it is finished, possibly framed and ready for sale.  They don't know how many hours went in to the painting, whether or not this is the 1st or 6th rendition or how much agonizing and thought went into the work. Being an artist is not for the faint of heart, the wanna be or the lazy. You have to show up each and every day and work. You can choose at work to make it fun or not, but work it must be. There are no rules or hurdles or qualifications for one to call themselves an artist. You put paint down on a canvas and POOF! you are now an artist. You sell one painting and BINGO! there you are! 
It still stumps me to this day that there are a number of "artists" out there that simply cannot draw. I have heard, "Oh, I don't draw that..." or "I just want to paint, not take drawing lessons," or better yet, " I just copy from pictures and magazines, so I don't need to know how to draw..." How about, "I never understood perspective..." or "What two colors make green again?" All this from "artists".
Like any other unregulated business, it's "Buyer Beware". Yes, buy what you love, but remember to look carefully first.

Charlottesville Road Oil Painting

I have a number of great pictures taken from the Charlottesville area and this painting is from one I took last year. Finally got around to finishing it. It's 12x16 and I'm still thinking about what kind of frame I want for it.

Crazy Chicken

I know, I know...Chickens are trite. But there are two things that I can't seem to help myself with...they make me smile and people buy them. What can I say...? This guy is one of a pair and they will be in these wonderful, custom frames made for me at Hampton  Roads Wholesalers and will really make them look the way I want. Haven't finished the companion yet, but will post when I do. Oil on linen panel, 19.5x25.

The Remains of the Day

   This small, 8x10 oil painting, makes me smile. It is from an image sent to me by a friend from his phone. He had spent the day with two of his grandchildren and they had eaten this fruit that had been carved so carefully. If I know him, he probably made the fruit dance and sing a la Mr. Bean for entertainment purposes.

Suffolk Lake Oil Painting

I finally finished this painting the other day. I was at Jennifer and Keller's house which has an unbelievable view. She told me the name of the lake and I have completely drawn a blank. I will find out. It's 24x30.

Lots of Painting Going On...Merry Christmas!

I have been working on paintings for the Nansemond Suffolk Academy show that will be coming up right after Christmas. I will be having some medical stuff done that will keep me out of the loop for awhile, so I have been trying to plan ahead. All kinds of painting going on and getting ready for the holidays as well. Without further yaking, I'm just going to upload this stuff and let you look. This one is called Long Shadows and is 24x36 on a gallery wrapped canvas.

Christmas and the Artist

   I wonder with the Christmas season upon us, whether people really consider purchasing artwork for gifts?  Paintings and how they make one feel is such a personal matter...how could someone take the leap and hope that a painting would affect another the way they see it? It's a huge leap.
  But here we are and I did, in fact, specifically paint some very small (4x6) oils for this very purpose. Moderately priced at only 100 dollars each, I have been fortunate enough to have sold a few thus far. Was my intent to market them for the holiday shopping season a sell out? Maybe...but I, like many other artists, find that no matter what you are working on, a commission for example, or some other work, have way back in my brain, the thought of," how sellable is this work?", "how marketable can this thing be?", "would I want to hang it on my own walls? "   Not everything I paint is sellable. Not everything I paint is good. I have to do alot of weeding and editing. I throw alot of stuff away. Thank goodness I don't throw away as much as I used to. Maybe that means I am getting better, at least I hope so, because for me, that is what it is all about.
   I know artists that think that everything they create is sacred and worthy of praise. Not so for me. I periodically go through a big, flat box that sits on the floor of my studio and pitch stuff in the trash, paint over it or just give it away.

  I hope that more of my stuff continues to sell over the next three weeks until Christmas. These paintings are small and easy to wrap and give...Still have a few left at Blue Skies Gallery in Hampton.

So Much to be Thankful For

I painted this for my sister. The young girl in the center is my mother. We figure that she must have been around 10 years old and living in Pittsburgh at the time the sepia photograph I worked from was taken. We don't know who the other two women are, but I think that they are relatives that knew my grandmother when she lived in Pittsburgh. I remember my mom laughing at this picture and telling us that this photo was taken by a fellow making his living on the street by snapping pictures of people as they passed by. The hats, expecially the weird one on the woman in yellow, were really something. I thought about changing the hat to make it fit better, but decided to stick with what was shown in the photo. Trying to decide what colors to use was difficult as the photo was in sepia and I could only guess. A pale, peachy pink was my choice for mom as this was one of her favorite colors. Their awkwardness  makes me feel as if they really didn't want their photo taken, but posed just to be polite. The mystery of what it was all about will probably be lost forever. So, I'm thankful for having something tangible to remember my mother with and the ability to preserve it anew in a painting for someone else.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Huge Lemons

Who doesn't like a little lemon? Except these are HUGE...36x36, gallery wrapped canvas.

Art Openings this Weekend

Out and About Norfolk Plein Air Event opens this weekend at Waterside in Norfolk. 40 Artists from the mid-Atlantic are painting for two days in the city of Norfolk and their works (mine too...) will be displayed at a wet painting sale Saturday night. Each artist can display 3 pieces, so that should be around 120 paintings fresh off the easel! The evening starts at 7 pm, everyone is invited and 15.00 at the door gets you food and drink and lots of great art. If you buy, your admission price is refunded against the price of the painting. Hope you can make it.
Also, on Sunday, the Charles Taylor Center for the Arts in Hampton opens with the Miniature Works Invitational. All work is very small and this includes 3-dimensional pieces. I have seen some of the pieces when I dropped my stuff off and I must say this is a pretty incredible show. The show opens at 2pm with a reception that is always full of good food and lots of interesting conversation to go along with the art.
I will be painting all day again today, and hope that the wind dies down a bit from yesterday. The light was glorious, which was a relief from the rains that poured on Tuesday. Also, I am no longer showing my work at Olde Towne Art in Portsmouth, but  Blue Skies Gallery in Hampton has a number of my pieces which can also be seen at http://www.blueskiesart.com/ .
And my last thought for today...Thank you so much for the many phone calls and well wishers for all the stuff that has happened recently! It means alot and I am grateful for all of the encouragement and advice I have received!

Jazz Man at Reunion

This is a painting of one of the musicians that played at my recent high school reunion.  The stuff they played was fantastic and brought back many memories of the oldies we all listened to as kids. Ugh...40 years ago! Contact me if you are interested in this painting for more details. 500.00

Beautiful and Lovely Gets My Vote

Over the past few years since returning from Germany, I have met a ton of artists here in Tidewater. They are as diverse as their artwork. There seems to be a common thread though, or perhaps a "dividing line" that I keep running into. There are artists that want to paint in your face, social commentary into their work. In my view, this is a good thing because making people think about things in a new and different light is important. Then there are artists that only want to paint the simple, everyday stuff in which they see beauty and wonder. I think that both are valid and I choose not to elevate one kind of art over another. I also believe that the subject matter is not so important, but rather the relationship of the artist to the work and then the viewer to the art is the real crux of what it is all about. It often makes me sad to hear the mumblings of how "trite" a lovely landscape can be or how "gross" an "in your face" painting is. Artists can be very competitive and for some reason, there is a belief that criticizing what others choose to paint somehow elevates their own work. In the end, as I have said before, the work speaks for itself. Qualities like composition, movement, color, drawing ability, and execution, to name a few, are the things that make a piece of art successful or not. There is plenty of room for all of this and the bickering and judgement has to stop. For an artist, it is all about choices and here, we surely mimic life. One makes a million choices with each stroke of the brush and at any point, it can turn and lead you in the wrong direction or to exciting, cool places. It's an adventure that I personally love and feel grateful that I have been allowed the opportunity to pursue this painting thing each and every day.
Surely, my work falls into the "trite" catagory, as viewed by some. I'm okay with this because I agree wholeheartedly with Renior when he writes...
"A picture should be something that is pleasant, joyful and pretty; there are enough unpleasant things in life to dissuade us from producing still others."

Pierre-August Renior
The onions above are only 3x3 inches and one of my paintings that will be at the Charles Taylor Miniature Invitational Show 2011 opening Oct 23rd from 2-5pm.