Summer 2014

Just finished this oil Christmas present.  It was shown to the owner, but I needed to do some adjusting to the figure and brought out more of the sand area in for foreground.

24"x 48" Oil on stretched canvas

Here's the finished piece. The model?.....my Grandson Nevan!  He spent several weeks in Florida with his Grandpa Tom this past Summer.  A real treat to experience the ocean.

A Father's Love

15.5"x 22"  Soft Pastel on Wallis paper

Here's a bond that is sooooooo precious!  When my daughter shared with me the photo taken of Clint and my new grandson Aden, I knew right away that I wanted to paint this moment using pastels.

Aden is only a few days old here.  I'm pretty sure this picture was taken while they were still at the hospital.....probably getting ready to go home.  He's 7 months old now and just a bundle of Joy!

I've been blessed with kids that embrace the electronic age......have GREAT camera/phones and get that "kodak" moment when I'm not around.  Thankfully, then share them either on Facebook or by gifting me with photobooks.  I'm a happy camper :D

"Phoebe"

click image to enlarge

Oil - 48"x 24"

I really had fun with this piece.  Colors are actually brighter then what is shown here.  This was the best I could do with the photo I took before delivering this to my son & daughter-in-law tonight.  I applied the last few strokes of paint this afternoon.  Talk about a last minute Christmas gift. (it was actually started  a month ago.)

Just for a change, I decided to not cover the entire area of toned canvas and let it be the "background" in this work.  The only exception was to add a few strokes showing the shadow play on the sidewalk where Phoebe was standing.  I intentionally left detail out of her hands, dress, and feet as well.   I guess this would be called....a "sketch" instead of a finished painting.

'tis the season.......

Here are 4 individual 3"x3" stretched canvases painted with acrylics.  It seems every year I create mini paintings by either using oils or acrylics and give as gifts or sell as stocking stuffers.

I have a collection of snowmen and they've been my models over and over the past 2 years.  

This year, I've added magnet strips to the back of these paintings.  New title.."Refrigerator Art"!

Enjoy!

Painting at the Parlor Art Studio

Here's an overview of how the studio looked today while Jessica, Connie, and I painted at the Herman Greef House.  This is the parlor room transformed! 

The paintings on the walls are original to the home.  The girl portrait was a recent donation to the Bentonsport Improvement Association and is of a family member of the last postmaster of Bentonsport.  

The studio is a "work-in-progress" in that easels will change and I'm building a small platform to put the winged back chair on for days we have a model to sit for us.  The platform will be something easy to dismantle for storage when not in use.

For workshop/classes where we all do a small still life study, I'll have a folding 6ft. table that can be set up in the center of the room.  This should allow for up to 5 people to sit and work comfortably on projects.

Here's the first oil study for the day......and.......

here's the second oil I worked on this afternoon.

Practice! Practice! Practice!

"Ripe, Ready to Eat!"

Here's the set up.......

Here's the finished piece on the easel.  Sorry.....I didn't take pictures at different stages this time.

finished painting..... Oil on 12x12 Gallery stretched Canvas.

No painting today :(  I have to make a delivery trip with my daughter to the northern part of the state.  We'll see what happens tomorrow.  I'm ready to finish several projects that have been lingering for a month now.  All work and no play......but wait......I LOVE what I do for work :D.

Ah.....another Pear painting/

6x6 soft pastel on primed board.

I can't help it....I paint pears when I don't have time to paint anything else.  I love the shape, the shadow casts.....what can I say.

I have noticed....I'm craving "brighter" stronger hue in my work.  I don't know if that's the influence of the beautiful fall we've had this year in Southern Iowa,  time of year or what.  My daughter says it's because my eyes are changing.  Hmmmmmm ...food for thought I guess!