Here is the beginning of a new painting. After fixing the pencil drawing with ink, I covered the surface with broad color areas. The goal of this initial layer is to cover the entire surface with local colors. The drawing took several days but I did the laying-in in a single day. Next, I’ll rework the entire surface strengthening…
I am reading two books just now: Darwin, Portrait of a Genius by Paul Johnson, and Guide to Aesthetics by Benedetto Croce. I’ve always enjoyed Johnson’s work and this book is no exception. My only complaint is that it’s too short. Croce is primarily a philosopher of aesthetics. Both highly recommended.
It’s a great day on Lake Erie. The air is crisp, cool, and sun-drenched. Waves pound the beach throwing up plumes of white froth.
Waves pound our beach
You know when your paint surface gets too slick and oil starts to bead? There are several remedies. Rubbing an onion over the surface works but has issues–obviously. A better method is to use denatured alcohol. A light application over the surface cures this problem instantly. Make sure to not overdo it. Too much alcohol…
The Betty Jane launched for the season. We were late getting her into the water this year but we’re ready to go now.
The Betty Jane launched for the season
Here are two unfinished small paintings. I enjoy painting the full-length figure in the smaller format. In the portrait the contrast between the dark head and the light sky, seat, and shirt caught my eye. What I like about the homemade glass palette you can see in the photo is that it’s easy to clean. A safety…
Here’s work from today and yesterday. Yesterday I finished the under-painting for the smaller work titled Woman on E. 10th Near Tompkins Square. I met the woman during my last visit to New York in November. I was rambling around my old stomping grounds and she was kind enough to let me photograph her. It’s 30″ x…
Memorial Day.
This past year we lost my father-in-law Wayne Kaniper. Every new holiday without him is melancholy (he died in November). I hold faithfully in memory both my brothers–Tim and Keith–along with my father and mother, my grand parents, and many others.
I remember one particularly heated conversation about art. I was 19 and preparing for my first trip to New York city. My companion, a musician, and I were walking along a Midwestern city street gesticulating to one another, carried away by the force of our ideas.
Here is the beginning of a brand new painting. The underpainting was applied in two sessions. The 36″ x 48″ painting is titled Heated Discussion. As usual the pencil drawing was fixed with ink before paint was applied. The underpainting is thin enough to see the drawing through it. The lower painting, The Antique Shop,…
Mother’s Day. The weather is perfect. We worked on the boat–The Betty Jane–yesterday and today. Painting was light this morning but I did get a session in with The Call. First time I’ve worked on it in a little while. I used the last of my old roll of canvas stretching three large ones yesterday. Earlier this…
It’s a beautiful day today. The weather is fine and it’s Mother’s Day.
Kathleen, my darling, it’s been 24 wonderful years. I love you as much now as I did then–more.
Happy Mother’s Day to my mother-in-law Rose. You have always been the mother-in-law every man wants: kind, supportive, and good-hearted.
Happy Mother’s Day to my mother Betty Jane. It’s impossible to believe you’ve been gone 34 years. In my heart you’ve never been gone for a single instant. Not a day goes that I don’t think about you.
I added RGH to my oil paint brand reference. RGH has supplanted Winsor Newton as my preferred mid-range brand. My second order from RGH arrived–again, shipped immediately–and the cold-pressed linseed flake white is very good. The outstanding quality along with competitive pricing makes this new brand a winner. Oh, they also included a free jar of permanent yellow.
I didn’t know Philip Pearlstein long enough for him to be a true mentor, but even so he made a powerful and long-lasting impression on me. During the 80’s Philip was on the staff of Brooklyn College. His presence was the main reason Brooklyn College’s graduate fine arts department was ranked #2 in the country behind only…
Here is another painting from the cycle of large paintings ( this one is 42″ x 56″) that I am doing. The drawing was finished yesterday and it took yesterday and today to finish the initial under-painting. Following my usual practice, the detailed drawing–pencil over a raw umber ground–took several days. After fixing the drawing…