What inspires you?

Did I say I love baseball? Here is a painting I did for my son, who's as big of a fan as I am, if not bigger. Baseball and my children, among the many things in this world that inspire me!

Art for Monday

I've been spending all my normal painting time freelancing for an ad agency outside of Baltimore these days, so I'm posting an art project from a few years back. One of my favorite drawing techniques is white colored pencil on black illustration board. Here is one I did of an alleyway in Italy. And no, I've never been there. I wish!

Just a Painting of a Bird?

Those well acquainted with me know better. Although I love to see cardinals flying around my house here in Maryland (I never saw a single one on the west coast), my painting has more to do with the approaching baseball season and my other passion, the St. Louis Cardinals. Art and baseball, what a combination. While I usually listen to music while I paint (see my playlist at left), once the season is underway I have the Cardinals broadcasts on whenever possible.

Fresh off the Easel

I'm really thinking that I should get rid of all my large canvases. Painting smaller has been so rewarding. I'm really satisfied with this 12"x12", and it only took me two sessions to complete. Plus, this is one of my favorite places in the whole world -- the Beartooth Highway near the Montana/Wyoming border.

"Beartooth Highway Memories" 12"x12", oil on canvas.

Painting with Figures

Here are some previous paintings I've done with figures in them. My first (first in a long time, I should say) life drawing/painting session is tomorrow, so I wanted to post these before they started. I've always enjoyed drawing the human form, but painting it has long been something I conveniently tend to avoid. This is something I'm committed to work through.

Saturday's Painting

I was pretty sure the sun would come out for my plein air session today, but no such luck. Painting without direct sunlight does force one to pay closer attention to values and color temperature, so I made the most of it.

Smaller Paintings

I'm loving the freedom of working smaller. It's so easy to get lost in the details of a larger painting, whereas in a smaller painting you can focus on shapes and color. This one is called "Tide Pools" and is 6" x 8".

Landscapes

I have spent most of the last few years painting landscapes like the one above, entitled "River Wide". However, in the interest of not becoming stagnant, I'm planning on spending some time working from live models again down at the Howard County Art Center. I have a painting in the works now that features figures in it, and it is clear that I need to brush up on my anatomy and skin color schemes.

Today's Painting

Here is a painting I finished in the studio today, but was started a couple of months ago onsite at Lake Fairfax. The composition on this one interested me enough to keep going on it. I'm glad I did!

"Remaining leaves", 11" x 14" oils on canvas.

More Paint!

I have a habit of relying too much on my medium (in most cases, linseed oil) and not using enough paint. I'm not sure if it's because I'm cheap or what, but I'm finding that I need to apply more layers of paint later and end up using about the same amount as I would have had I just been more liberal in the first place. My good friend Mark David Larsen always says to apply paint as if you're a millionaire. I can't say that I've fully adopted that mantra, but I'm certainly trying.

Today's painting is one I did of our family dog for my daughter, entitled "Chloe".

On the Menu Today: Introspection

Doing graphic art professionally and having just returned from a week long business trip, I'm reflecting today on the difference between the two types of art I create. The names alone would give great differentiation between fine and graphic art, but even beyond that there is the distinction between creating art for one's own needs and for someone or something else's bottom line. I must admit that I enjoy both, but still find the fine art side much more intimidating. Maybe I can attribute that to the fact that when I paint it's coming from a place that's real inside of me, a place of vulnerability. Graphic art, although still created by me, more often than not is stripped away of the vulnerability as a result of it's very nature. I am not creating it for me, my own worst critic.

Today's painting is "Peninsula Park", watercolor on paper.