Daily Painting Practice - Playing Right Field

I am sorry for not posting all last week. I have been a bit more than under the weather and it has taken me a while to be able to sit and paint again. The good news is while I was inside fighting some strange biological bug, the weather has been beautiful for dandelions. Wet and warm and then cool nights. These plants grow so fast. I don't think this one was even an inch tall last week.
I came up with this idea when I went on one of my ..."step outside you might feel better in the sun" moments. My walk consisted of 10 steps outside. The idea was great...but I wasn't. The painting would have to wait another day.
I feel much better now and so what else should I do but paint the first sign of spring.

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Playing Right Field
original by Peter Yesis
8"x10"
oil on canvas board

Anyone who has played baseball as a child or any parent who has young children who are learning to play baseball will understand the title. So little happens in right field in minor league baseball. Kids that are stuck out there get bored really fast and always find other things to do. Like picking dandelions. I remember coaching years ago and I had a young girl playing right field for me. She was so busy picking a dandelion bouquet she failed to notice the ball rolling past her. When the shouting of all the other kids finally got her attention, the bouquet was carefully laid down on her glove before she ran after the ball..... She probably grew up to be an artist.

Daily Painting Practice - Lemon

This could be the start of another baseball painting. Isn't there an expression in baseball about throwing lemons?
What I like about these next two photos is that it shows how the texture was built by values and by trying to keep the opaque paint thick and the shadows thin. (maybe it didn't quite work that way)...at least I was thinking about it.

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Lemon
original by Peter Yesis
6"x6"
oil on canvas board

I love the texture in this little painting. It was hard to come up with a good title when the only thing to look at is the lemon.

Some good news to share. This weekend I was picked up by my third gallery. (The Heller Art Images gallery) right here in Omaha agreed to represent me. I am thrilled to have representation in this fine gallery, especially since it is in my hometown. They took 6 paintings! This is so exciting because I have a lot of ideas for painting Omaha city-scapes and this gives me a chance to display them in a place that people will recognize the subjects. Now all I need to do is produce ,produce produce...of course quality, quality, quality is the guide.

Daily Painting Practice - Lemon Lime

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Lemon Lime
original by Peter Yesis
8"x10"
oil on canvas board

Another quick and fun painting to reward myself for a good painting day. Actually maybe not so quick. About two hours. I deliberately bought the lemon and lime when I went food shopping last week just for a daily painting. One problem when combining food shopping with still life prop buying.... the budget goes out the window if I get carried away. I was tempted to buy a dozen radishes , pomegranates, watermelon, strawberries, organic carrots with the greens still on them and so on. Of course buying them all at once is even a bigger mistake. They always rot before I get a chance to paint them. This just happened with the Easter Lily I bought last week. The blooms feel off yesterday. Now I have to plant it and wait until next year for another chance.

Daily Painting Practice - Apple Jar

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Apple Jar
original by Peter Yesis
8"x10"
oil on canvas board

Fast and fun could have been the name of this one because that's how I painted it. I rearranged my schedule ...again. I need to get 3 larger studio painting completed for a juried show by the end of May. The paintings are rather busy with some rich textures so I need to spend my days knuckling down. I 'll reward myself at night by doing a daily painting. Maybe I should change the blog name to Nightly Painting Practice for a while?

Daily Painting Practice - Van Gogh's Dog

I was going to start complaining about the weather. It is snowing again. Yesterday was wet and cold. But I thought of my guy Vincent Van Gogh. He painted beautiful things in miserable conditions. No central heat , no air conditioning, no color corrected electric lights, not to mention no food and no money. No wonder the guy got the blues.
Then I started thinking, I know just what he needed.... a dog! I have a great studio companion named Tasha. She gets me up when I sit too long, gets me out to play and generally keeps me company in the studio day and night.

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Van Gogh's Dog
original by Peter Yesis
6"x6"
oil on canvas board
SOLD

I imagine Van Gogh's life might have been a little better if he had a dog. Did he even paint a dog, I wonder? Anyway, as usual when I think about Vincent I tend to have fun and try and paint like him..... Not imitation, just inspiration. I wonder if he would enjoy hearing that?

Daily Painting Practice - Hand Plane

I have been wanting to do another daily practice painting with my old tools. I have not painted this old hand plane for a while. I think the last time I did a tool painting was (in 2006). Of course, I don't use these tools I just have them as props.
Fellow artist (Matt Miller) paints tools often, ( I think better than anyone) plus he injects a great sense of humor into the compositions.

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Hand Plane
original by Peter Yesis
5"x7"
oil on canvas board
SOLD

There is something about painting rust that I find interesting. (Maybe that's why all of my tools have so much of it?). Tuscany has it's warm colors, Ireland has it's green, Paris has it's light, Wyoming has the big sky....... My studio in Omaha has it's rust.... You paint what you got.

Daily Painting Practice - Strike Three

OK, OK, I know, another baseball you ask? I'm having fun. These baseball paintings are a blast to paint and compose with. I have so many ideas for them I may do one a week. This is my third painting in the series so finding a title was easy.
This painting has a strange story behind it. Baseball announcers have always used colorful expressions and witticisms to keep the game interesting. They talk almost none stop for the entire game so the best ones can get very verbally creative. Bob Uecker is probably the funniest play -by play announcer I have heard. You have seen him in the movies Major League and Major League 2.

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Strike Three
original by Peter Yesis
8"x10"
oil on canvas board

I grew up listening to Phil Rizzuto call the games for the New York Yankees. His famous expression every time a home run was hit was "Holy Cow". I don't know where I heard the expression that inspired this piece, " Strike three- Ring the Bell". It probably was only said one time in the history of baseball by some unknown broadcaster trying his best to come up with something clever to say during a slow game, but it stuck in my head

I placed the ball on top of the bell in the middle of the box to represent the middle of the strike zone.

Daily Painting Practice - Late Afternoon

I started this with the old paint that was left on the palette. I think the limited number of colors helped me get off to a good start. I really liked the gray muted feel at this point.
Then I went right for the brilliant color of the apple. What a risk taker! ( Thank God it worked)
The green splash on the apple really helps to give the viewer's eyes a place to rest. I should have named it Rest Stop.

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Late Afternoon
original by Peter Yesis
8"x10"
oil on canvas board
SOLD

This morning my wife and I took a tour of several garden supply stores. Of course we only went to...look. (And came back with some broccoli, oregano, pansies and a white Easter lily).
So, I spent the rest of the morning getting my hands dirty on the garden planting the broccoli. There is nothing like sinking your hands in warm soil. Last week I put the spinach seeds in and the peas went in yesterday, so we are off to a good start. After gardening it felt good to just sit down in the studio and do a quick painting practice piece. By the time I finished it was late afternoon....I missed lunch.....That apple isn't going to last long.

Daily Painting Practice - Benson Backyard

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Benson Backyard
original by Peter Yesis
6"x6"
oil on canvas board

Spring has finally arrived here in Omaha. The temperature today was 66 sunny degrees. The trees are starting to bud and the grass is just starting to wake up. Even our daffodils are popping up. As I took a walk the other day, I spotted this view between a few houses in my neighborhood. The yellow grass of winter is about to disappear.

Daily Painting Practice - Yesterday's Snack

OK, maybe I didn't exercise for an hour ( see yesterday's post) It was more like twenty minutes. Today is a new day and besides it is 60 degrees and sunny today not 40 and raining.... I know, what a weak excuse.
I thought in keeping with my new schedule and to show myself I can be disciplined and consistent. Today's painting should show a connection with yesterday. So, I am painting yesterday's diet part two.

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Yesterday's Snack
original by Peter Yesis
8"x10"
oil on canvas board
SOLD

As soon as I post this I swear I'm out the door for an hour of brisk walking and exercise.... then a new snack when I get home.

Daily Painting Practice - An Apple a Day

My demo and talk at the Bellevue Artists Association went very well Tuesday night. I counted about 20-23 people. It was a lot of fun and I met some wonderful folks. I did forget my camera. Sorry no pictures. Thanks to artist (Kathy Jureck) for inviting me. I basically did the same painting as my practice one the other day. Only difference was I had about 1/2 hour to do it. Can you say "speed painting!"
I started another new schedule for myself. I desperately need to exercise and eat better. (more discipline wouldn't hurt)...So my new regimen is to do my Daily Practice Painting then exercise for an hour,(huh) then work on my studio pieces...... what are the chances I'll keep this up for more than a day? Maybe I should start a new blog... Daily Exercise and Eating Right Practice.

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An Apple A Day
original by Peter Yesis
8"x10"
oil on canvas board
SOLD

To start the new discipline off on the right foot I painted my snack for the day. See, I've already started...I took a bite.