2nd Place Award

My relocation to The Villages in Florida offers a variety of new art adventures. The Villages is home to what looks like several 100 artists from painters to sculptures, wood makers, fiber and many other media. It's really unbelieveable!

The artist group Villages Art League recently sponsored an exhibition "Inspired by the Masters". As the name indicates, artists research historical paintings created by any of the great master painters of the past and then use one as an inspiration to create their own.

I selected Edward Henry Potthast, an American Impressionist who was known for his beach scenes featuring people at leisure. Several weeks ago my wife and I had visited Daytona Beach and I snapped several photos of people walking the beach and kids playing in the sand. This is the reference photo I used for my inspiration.

I created an oil painting on 18x24 canvas. The piece was awarded 2nd place from the 32 entries.

139 and Counting

For some dumb reason I walked into a closet I have downstairs and wondered how many paintings I had in there. So I started counting. These are paintings/drawings I've completed over the last 12 years.

10 years is about the amount of time I got "back into" my art. During 2000 when I lived in Grand Rapids, MI I took a class on figure drawing. It was fun. Then I found a local arts group called Grand Valley Artists, GVA. This was more fun, and I met some very well known national artists; Jim Markel PSA, Larry Blovets, and a few more. It got me back into art, something I had given up during the previous 10 years as I pursued a career and got married.

So around the house I went. And in the end...not counting a drawer full of smaller canvases and my "paper" box of sketches and pastel works: 139 pieces. I was kind of shocked. I've also got, without going to my inventory list, another 40 pieces at galleries and two dentist offices.

139 and still counting. I need to have a show, even if it's my own private show just to look at how far I've come as an artist. Maybe I'll do that. Stay tuned.

Portraiture Art- Adrianne Drawing

This is the beginning stage of my new portrait painting of my daughter, Adrianne. Many hours are spent drawing and refining the head. The painting part is fairly straight forward if the drawing is accurate. Drawing is done in charcoal in preparation for the oil work to follow.

Portraiture and other artwork

I've been working on a new portrait of my daughter. This is the biggest portrait painting I've tackled to date; 40x30 in oil. I've also been contacted by a local animal cruelty prevention group asking me to donate time for a pet portraiture during an upcoming event. Sounds like fun and I said yes. Even offered to paint the portrait on site during the event. Also have a chance to put some artwork up in the local public TV Channel 10/36 auction. They have a separate fine artwork area where locals can actually view paintings, portraits, etc. Hope to hear more on this event soon.

Just finished a new abstract acrylic, with hopes of doing two more before the next Art Crawl, March 3rd.

JD

My nieces' first child JD. Born with special needs, hoping this will be a nice xmas present ordered up by Dad.