Open Canvas 2013

So long between posts. So what? Art. Created live at Open Canvas. All I could manage is a quick video showing what I did. Enjoy.

Painting Live at Open Canvas 2012

Last night was another awesome opportunity for me to paint for my 6th year at Open Canvas. Organized by Jeff Kursel with art scholarships to MIAD, this year the date was wedged into a Thanksgiving weekend. It's such a classy act with tons of original art being created before your eyes. What a concept for the viewing public. A charitable event where 80 or so local Milwaukee area artists paint live and all the work goes up for silent auction during the evening. Lots of food, fun, people and ART.  I heard pre-sale tickets were down 20% but it sure looked like a nice size, good looking crowd was in attendance again; maybe 500-600?

2012 has been the year of the abstract for me. For some reason, I've stumbled upon some inspirational artists on YouTube and found other in art magazines. So it only seemed appropriate I do an abstract for this event. It did sell, not where I hoped, but this year has been tough for 2D sales everywhere for a lot of people. I liked what I did and had fun doing it, so nothing else matters.

Sketchbook 1

Over the years, I've filled several sketchbooks. If I was an art student I would fall short: Always be drawing and sketching was what I remember. But alas, now I'm more mature with a fuller schedule, and an art career that is mainly just a hobby. But, I still sketch and love to draw. Here are a couple of my doodles.

Tux, my cat. Charcoal on vellum.

 Some super hero. Pen

Male portrait, pen

Blues musicians. Pencil. While at Bluesfest 2010 Wisconsin

 RIU Palace resort. Riveria Maya, Mexico. pencil. This was paradise.

Poolside at The Venitian, Las Vegas. Pencil. It was 100* that day.

Images from the past

I came across a bunch of digital images from art that I've sold or given away over the years.

 Big Bend Plein Air- SOLD

 Red Sky at Night- SOLD

 Fall on the River- Oil

 Nala- RIP. A commission for my Uncle Tom

 Mid Summer- Pastel

 15 Minutes to Sundown- Oil (all palette knife)

 Bridge at Kettle Moraine Park- Oil

Winner- Downer Avenue Plein Air Event, 2007- Oil

Sweat & Oil Paint

Today is supposed to be the hottest day of the year here in SE Wisconsin...105*. So I ventured out early (8:30am) to paint. I've started wearing latex gloves and as I got going, I noticed moisture on my palette. I quickly discovered it was sweat dripping out from the inside of my painting hand glove! It was hot, and I had to constantly be aware of the sweat and wipe often. I was set up out of the hatch of my car so it offered some shade, but it was still a cooker. Sun worked its way around to affect my panel by the end...next up is a good plein air umbrella. Either way, things turned out well and I know there's a little "special medium" worked into the oils for this painting- "Hot as Hell on Hwy H"; 12x16 Oil

Schmid Influenced

During my workshop with Tom Nachriener, we discussed Richard Schmid. One of my fellow students also brought her Landscapes book by Schmid. What a stunning set of images! I decided to purchase his Alla Prima book, since I felt my work was "better" if I tried to finish it quickly. This typically means in less than 2-7 days for me.

Shown here is a studio piece I just completed using some of the broken brushstrokes and direct painting methodology Richard describes. 18x24 Oil- Peninsula State Park.

Winter Path- 16x20 Oil

Hiked out to a local nature center a couple weeks back. Attempted to complete this plein air but the oil paint wasn't cooperating due to the cold. I scrapped the 8x10 I started on and worked from the photos I took while I stood there. Sun was getting low and cast some nice shadows across the path, with the only tracks being mine.

Winston Portrait- Phase 2, Step 4

Step 4: Verdaccio

So this is way out of my league, but worth a try. The Verdaccio technique is underpainting in green. While Ivory Black and yellow is an option (along with many other combinations) I went with Chrome Oxide Green, mixed with Ivory and Lead White. Lead White seems to dry faster than my usual Titanium. Below shows two verdaccio glazes and a first layer background in Burnt Umber.

Winston Portrait- Phase 2

Step 3: Continue lead white glazes, added initial eye color.

The process is slower than I am accustomed to. I'm using a galkyd medium, though I don't know what Gottlieb uses. Everything is shiny vs matte. I can push back the eye colors in a later glaze.

Slow start

I just finished my first piece of 2010; abstract acrylic. I'll get the photo up shortly. I've got a portrait of my daughter on the easel, where it's been on and off for two weeks. It's a bit intimidating...the biggest canvas I've ever worked on...and a 3/4 figure with hands, which is always a bit tougher. I have to get over the thought if I screw it up it's a bust. Fact is I can just gesso it and start over.

Hope to get some paint down soon.

New Year. New Art Goals

So here we go again. Last year turned out to be a good year for me and my artwork. I was the highest gross sales exhibiting artist at the gallery I'm in. That was for original work off the wall sold. Another guy who sells portraits exclusively by commission, I know did better.

That's one of my goals this year: do more commissioned portraits. Kids and pets have to be the ticket. So I'm starting a big piece of my daughter and will be hitting some vet clinics to see if I can hang examples. Another friend of mine sells organic pet foods at the big chains and said he'd hand out flyers. So I've got to get some marketing going or it's going to be another pipe dream.

Have to finish my eBook on teaching kids via after-school program I've been running. That could really be a good revenue stream...but again, I'll never know unless I get it done and put in online for sale.

Sold more artwork last year than any other year in my life. Would like to increase that amount by 500%....which would put me in the 10k range. Surely not enough to live on, but helps supplement my other habits; like fishing and boating.

Open Canvas 2009

Open Canvas was held this past Saturday. This was my third consecutive year. I'd say there were more people and reasonable bids placed on most artwork. This event is coordinated by Jeff Kursel, in conjunction with MIAD and Eisner Art Museum, with auction proceeds going to these two organizations.

I plotted and planned for weeks trying to decide what to do. When I got there I still didn't know what I'd end up with. So I finally decided to do the unreasonable: paint TWO pieces. So, starting at 4pm and finishing by 10, I cranked out two acrylics; one Milwaukee streetscape and the other, abstract. FUN and exhilerating! Plus I managed to "sell" both; one for $1000 and the other for $300. Based on what I saw for final bids, my combined pieces placed me in the top 5 artists. I'll take that and hope to be back next year. Thanks Jeff and everyone who came down!

Kahn knock-off

I was looking through an old magazine I have and came across art from Wolf Kahn. Man, this guy is good. Inspired me to create this...