Daily Painting Practice

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits - Day 29 1/2

2009-07-13T22:41:00.005-06:00

I wanted to do something special and fun with the last painting in this series. I had this idea of including a few of my art heroes in the painting with me.

The first step was to get the thought transferred to paper. This sounds easy, but I always have a difficult time with this step. I get the idea in my head picture perfect ( at least I think it is) until I go to sketch.... then reality takes over and the sketches barely make sense to anyone but me. It's good practice to do these anyway because it helps you visualize problems with the idea.

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The Last Self Portrait and a Few Friends
Day 29 1/2
work in progress
11"x14"
oil on masonite

Quite an improvement from the sketches right? If you don't recognize the boys they are, from left to right, Rembrandt, Rockwell,Homer and Whistler. And of course me and the tea cup.

You really need to break down the process into small steps to get the idea to this point. Here's a few of the steps :
1. First, I start taking lots and lots of photos of just me in different poses. This triggers a few ideas for the composition and lighting.

2. Decide which artists to include from the dozens of favorites. Don't worry about hurting their feelings if they don't make the final four. A few I selected but ended up not using included Van Gogh, Edwin Tarbell, Andrew Wyeth and Cecilia Beaux. It would have been nice to include a woman artist. But time and effort and space knocked them all out of the picture.

3. I sketched myself and the studio pieces first on tracing paper then sketched each figure on separate pieces of tracing paper so I could move them around. It would be easier in Photoshop but I am not fluent in photo editing.

4.Once the figures are placed transfer them all to the final surface and start painting. I am starting with a burnt umber under painting.

I'll post the final stages at some later point. Now I'm ready to paint something other than me. I hoped you enjoyed the series.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits - Day 29

2009-07-11T21:21:00.002-06:00

Face the Music
Self Portrait Day 29
10"x10"
pencil on paper

It's almost over! Having only two more self portraits to do in this series, I thought, that I had not tried in the previous 28 attempts to do a profile. After completing this one I realized I might be wrong. Day 3 or 8 or day 16 could actually be considered profiles... But this one was the only one I did on purpose. I hope you like it.

I have one more self portrait left in me. After that, I don't think I will look in the mirror for a long time.

Daily Painting Practice - self portrait day 28

2009-07-07T22:14:00.007-06:00

This past fourth of July weekend we went on a mini vacation with my son and daughter-in-law to the wine country of Eastern Missouri. The landscape there is just beautiful. Since I was the designated driver, I hung outside the tasting rooms of the vineyards a lot and took photos or painted. Here's one scene I couldn't pass up. The bee hives caught my eye so I parked my self safely to the side ( or so I thought) and started painting.
These were very active hives and I was fine until.... You see that car approaching just over my shoulder? Bees don't like cars. Specifically the exhaust trail which lead them straight to me. Just after the car went by, out came a rather upset little bee who either was an art critic or was just angry because the car interrupted her fly way. Anyway, two seconds after this photo was taken Ms. Bee came after me and stung me right on the tip of my nose! Ouch!
I did the ritual get me out of here dance. High stepping and swinging my arms like a crazy person, trying to swat the darn thing away. I frantically threw everything into my backpack and jumped in the car. Luckily for me, my always be prepared for any situation/wife had her pair of tweezers and got the stinger out. She also happened to have baking soda ( don't ask) which takes the pain of the sting away.

This is as far as I got with the painting. You can still see the grass stuck in the paint.

Artist's Hands
Self portrait No.28
8"x10"
oil on canvas board

I received some great news just prior to the weekend. I have a new gallery representing my work. I am so happy to say that the( desChamps Gallery) in Lambertville , New Jersey is now showing my paintings. This is exciting because I grew up in N.J. and lived in Hunterdon County for a while as well.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits - Day 27

2009-06-30T21:12:00.003-06:00

click on the image to enlarge the painting

The Artist's Hands
Self Portrait - Day 27
8"x10"
oil on masonite

My director of new ideas/wife suggested I paint my hands as a self portrait. She says, and I agree, that a person's hands can tell as much about a person as their face.

Posing just the hands for a painting requires a bit of trial and error. The trick is to not make it look like the arms were chopped off the body like a piece of butchered meat. I wanted to experiment with the idea before actually doing a painting but as I played around , this composition stuck with me.

It is in a very rough stage. Not close to being finished. But I like the pose. I started on a dark pre-toned board. So I was painting the lights out of the darks. This was a lot of fun. I may explore this idea a lot more in the future.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits - Day 26

2009-06-29T20:00:00.003-06:00

The Emerging Artist at Work
Self Portrait Day 26
9"x14"
oil on gessoed cardboard

I have this wonderful chair in the back of my studio that I use to sit back and review the progress of my paintings. It is a magic chair. It has the power to cast a sleeping spell on me anytime night or day. Of course if the stereo is playing something sweet and the tea has just been made. I'm gone.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits - Day 25

2009-06-25T08:56:00.004-06:00

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Picking Strawberries with Grandpa
Self Portrait - day 25
9"x12"
oil on canvas board

Does this count as a self portrait? I think it does. Besides, I couldn't resist painting him helping me pick the strawberries. He was a very selective harvester, only selecting the largest berries... and of course he had to have one in each hand. He ate them like they were apples. Soon after these few strawberries were devoured his shirt was redesigned with berry juice.

Daily Painting Practice- 30 self Portraits - Day 24

2009-06-17T22:48:00.006-06:00

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Studio Chores
Self Portrait Day 24
5"x7" oil on canvas board

Sorry about the small size of the image but my photo editor has decided to quit working...either that or it is punishing me for not posting as much as I should. This is what I do in the studio when not posting.... not really, but I needed to paint something. I have a few ideas left to get me through to the goal of 30. However, as you can see, I am running out of gas....

Daily Painting Practice - 30 self portraits in 47 days and counting

2009-06-07T13:10:00.007-06:00

Just another rainy day in the studio. I made my semi annual trek to the art store to re-supply. I usually take two big shopping days per year re-supplying the studio, with occasional side trips for special purchases. This August in addition to teaching a daily painting workshop at the Joslyn Art Museum, I will be doing a once a week, for 4weeks, plein air pastel class at the Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha for the Joslyn.
As you are well aware, I am not a natural plein air painter... add pastel into the equation and I am really out of the comfort zone. However, nothing is gained by not trying new things.

The photo above is me sitting in the studio trying to come up with a way to make my own sanded panels for pastel. I found a recipe for Marble dust and gesso ( here). I'm trying it out on everything. Canvas boards, mat boards and watercolor paper. I'll let you know how it works.
You can tell I'm faking it because there's no paint on the brush. This was going to be my self portrait today but I decided against it. I placed this old...unfinished... painting of a dog out on the easel because it matched my shirt.
I have a bad habit of mixing paint on top of previous mixed paint on my palette. This can make the colors all start to look the same gray color or like mud. Instead of progress photos of random stages of the painting, I thought I would show you stages where I made myself stop and clean the palette. The practice of cleaning off your palette and getting new fresh color is one I learned (again) at a painting demo at the OPA show last month.

This was stage one. Underpainting blocked in. Wipe off the palette, get up wash your hands, put on another music CD.
This is stage two. Half-tones developed ready to think and add details.... wipe of palette, put out fresh paint if needed, get up wash hands, make some tea.

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Sitting Back
Self Portrait - Day 23
9"x12"
oil on canvas board

Stage 3- sit back and enjoy!
Doing so many self portraits gives you an opportunity to examine yourself and to see yourself in new ways. Here's one view I would never see of myself.... "Where did that bald spot on the back of my head come from?"

Sometimes I get discouraged and need to sit back from a painting. That's just the time my director of studio morale /wife always manages to plant a kiss in that spot.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits in more than 30 Days

2009-06-02T21:35:00.006-06:00

Here I am, staring at myself again. That's not a mirror that's my computer screen. I like drawing from the computer because I can edit the photos, enlarge them and turn the color off and keep it black and white. I am doing this one with an old quill pen and some india ink.
Rembrandt did more self portraits than any artist I know of. He didn't use a computer or photographs, just a mirror. . He was all about practice and experimentation. I wonder if this was before or after washing his hair?
Another favorite artist and superb draftsman, Albrecht Durer. I wonder if he was thinking, " Nothing to draw today, might as well try another self portrait...". He did this at about age 23.

I often think of the conditions they painted under. No camera, no Blick Art supply store down the road, no computer, no Borders Book stores to sit in for hours to look at all the art magazines. They just had pen and paper and a mirror.

Click on the drawing to enlarge the image

Here's Looking at You Kid
Self Portrait - Day 22
pen and really old India Ink on paper

I haven't used a quill pen and india ink for 30 years.... Wait a minute! I think I was using this same bottle of ink back in art school.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self portraits in roughly 30 Days - Day 21

2009-05-31T14:41:00.002-06:00

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Keep Your Chin Up
Self Portrait - Day 21
5"x7"
oil on canvas board

Can you tell I am getting rather tired of painting myself.... "Who thought of this exercise anyway?" I'm getting near the end and boy am I ready to try other subjects. Only 9 more...I don't think I can make it....I'll have to keep my chin up and get through it otherwise the last nine will look like this one.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self portraits in roughly 30 Days - Day 20

2009-05-28T21:37:00.003-06:00

My grandson at his first day in preschool, and he and his Mom are learning and growing through the change that this brings. It started me thinking how marvelous kids are with the changes life brings them. I think they come pre-assembled with all the talent they need for turning work into fun and learning into challenging adventures. As I sat in the studio trying to come up with another self portrait and getting annoyed at the idea,
I thought of him.

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Grandpa
Self portrait - Day 20
8"x10"
oil on mat board

When was the last time you painted like a kid? Just let yourself pick the paint color like a toddler picks the colors from a crayon box. What Joy! .... I'm ready for finger paints!

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits in roughly 30 Days - Day 19

2009-05-26T22:56:00.006-06:00

More progress shots of the Northern Woods painting. This shot gives you an idea of the size of the canvas. Slow going but steady progress is the best way forward, I suppose. I find when I am not sure of how I should attempt to paint something I either fiddle with it with a tiny brush or I go too dark or too thick too fast with a big brush. There is no in between for fearful painters.
The important thing is to not give up and not to rush any area of the painting. I have a long way to go but I can see the light at the end of the canvas.
This is a 5"x7" experimental portrait study. I only used 3 colors. White, Ultra Marine Blue and Burnt Sienna. The limited palette reminded me of Wyeth's work.... The comparison stops there.

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Self Portrait - Day 19
5"x7"
oil on canvas board

I also used the palette knife just for fun, to apply the white. This was not the most successful painting but it was a great learning experience. You should never be afraid to try things that are outside your comfort zone. What's the worst that can happen? If it doesn't look like you ... say it was a painting of your cousin.

Daily Painting Practice- 30 Self Portraits in roughly 30 Days - Day 18

2009-05-24T22:20:00.004-06:00

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Self Portrait - Day 18
8"x10"
oil on canvas board

Here's my latest reason for not painting or posting for a few days. We had a lot of company over the weekend. That's it. I know it's a lame excuse but it's the only one I have.... Well maybe not the only one.

I could say all the muscles in my body were in rebellion from the work we did outside over the last two days, but that sounds so wimpy.

Thanks go to our friend Mary, she gets the credit for suggesting this composition. She always sees me wearing my glasses on top of my head. This portrait is how I typically wear my glasses when I need to see something up close. It is also the way I paint 80% of the time. That way when I look a a subject it is blurry and I don't get distracted by the details. I only put my glasses on when I need to see things in focus or when I am ready to add the final touches ... I guess getting older has it's benefits.

Daily Painting Practice- 30 Self Portraits in roughly 30 Days - Day 17

2009-05-21T20:56:00.002-06:00

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Self Portrait - Day 17
11"x16"
Ball Point Pen on Paper

When I was in High School the sketching media of choice was the ball point pen. Of course back then my subject matter was limited to sports figures. This was back before newspapers had color photographs. The New York Daily News had a great sports page that often had pen and ink figures and portraits. I can't remember the artist's name but that was my first exposure to portrait drawing. My art was born from the back pages of the Sports section in the New York Daily News and the (Jon Nagy TV program). I am old.

Daily Painting Practice- 30 Self Portraits in roughly 30 Days - Day 16

2009-05-20T21:56:00.002-06:00

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Midnight Raider
Self Portrait - Day 16
9"x12"
oil on canvas board

Just over the half way mark of the 30 day 30 self portraits exercise and I don't think I have lost any weight. I should probably grab a sandwich and think about my next composition.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 self portraits in roughly 30 Days

2009-05-18T22:29:00.005-06:00

I decided to officially rename this exercise "30 Self Portraits in Roughly 30 Days" because I missed another day. Who knows, by the time I am finished I might be up to 30 self portraits in a few weeks more than 30 days.

I did manage to photograph a few preliminary stages.
I had some high expectations of this one at this stage but then I ran out of time, energy and desire to do more.

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Speak No Evil
Self Portrait Day 15
8"x10"
oil on masonite

We are half way through the 30 days and today is a good lesson in dealing with the frustration of not always being able to meet your own expectations. It's important to keep in mind the good things about this type of painting practice. Sometimes you get real gems and other times it's nothing but struggle and a quick search for the nearest trash bin. Keep going, and remember even Rembrandt had some real losers. In the end you will have 30 paintings and I bet at least a few that are keepers.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits in 30 Days - Day 14

2009-05-16T22:46:00.004-06:00

I think I should rename this series 30 Self Portraits in About 30 Days, since I missed another day. I don't want to be sued for false blogging.
The painting of the North Woods is coming along nicely. I worked on the water and the trees a bit more. Still lots to do.

I have rationalized not sending anything into the Northern Art Competition this year. I told myself since I have never heard or seen of the art show before, maybe it would be better to visit it before I send in an entry. It always helps to have a reason handy when you miss a deadline.

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Hear No Evil
Self Portrait Day 14
8"x10"
oil on masonite

My modern interpretation to the second part of the proverb "See no Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil".
By now you are probably asking yourself, "Doesn't this guy wear anything but flannel shirts?"
The answer is not if I can help it.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits in 30 Days - Day 13

2009-05-14T21:07:00.005-06:00

The work continues on my Northern Woods painting. Unfortunately I don't think I will make my deadline for the show with this one. I would rather have a good painting than a rushed painting.

I am continuing to move toward the foreground (still with the first pass) adding some indications of stones and leaves but no serious detail yet.
I am sharpening some objects and adding warmer tones now. The foreground needs to feel up close and you should feel the atmosphere between you and the background. The distance should be controlled with soft edges, color temperature ( cool grays) and thinner muted paint.
I admit I did have some help with the colors. Red was his favorite. But yellow and green were also added. He actually worked on the canvas choosing his placement for each brush stroke. It helps when there is another artist in the studio.

(The little painting over our hands is the plein air study I did in Santa Fe two weeks ago. That may end up a larger painting one day.)

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See No Evil
Self Portrait Day 13
8"x10"
oil on masonite

I have no idea where I first heard the maxim "See no Evil, Hear no Evil, Speak no Evil" It was probably in a cartoon I watched as a kid. ( I got most of my culture and history from comic books and cartoons ). The original version also included "Do no Evil"

My guess, it was probably what early Nara period (from AD 710 to 794) Japanese parents told their teenagers... "Don't look at that, don't listen to that, don't say that" and last "Don't do that"!

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits in 30 days - Day 12

2009-05-13T07:52:00.006-06:00

I missed a day, I know, so shoot me. I don't have an excuse but I do have a deadline this week. There is another art competition in Northern Wisconsin I want to enter. It is in July and the entries are due this Friday. So I have two days left to complete a painting , photograph it and email my entry.

I love the North Woods, I have done (two paintings) thanks to ours friends Carol and Peter who introduced us to the beauty at their cabin. There is such a wondrous life force or energy in those woods. This scene was from one of our visits.

I am working very hard to keep the beginning painting as muted as possible. Limiting my palette to warm and cool gray at this point.

Here I am starting to add the cool blues and greens. Still trying to keep the background thin and muted. No rich colors yet.
It is already beginning to show some mood with just a few accent darks and lights. I have a long way to go before Friday's deadline. I'll keep you posted with more progress tomorrow .

click on the painting to enlarge the image

View from the canvas
Self portrait No. 12
10"x14"
watercolor and pencil

I don't try many watercolors..,. this is why. It is a very frustrating medium for me. Of course, if I spent as much time practicing with them as I have with oils I might actually enjoy them more.
This pose strikes my funny bone. It reminds me of those Hollywood black and white publicity photos actors send to fans and casting directors.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits in 30 days - Day 11

2009-05-11T21:46:00.007-06:00

It is good to know that I am not the only artist who would do a self portrait that doesn't show the artist on his/her best day.( Edvard Munch) did a few self portraits too. This one is titled, "After Influenza." What a great subject for a painting!
Of course his most famous painting is " The Scream" not a self portrait but based on a personal experience.

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The Other Scream
Self Portrait - Day11
6"x6"
oil on canvas board

Here's my version. It comes from my personal experience of trying to think of more self portrait compositions.
I used the palette knife for this one. It helped to release a lot of emotion.... now I need a cup of tea.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits in 30 Days - Day 10

2009-05-10T22:25:00.004-06:00

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Late Night in Santa Fe
Self Portrait day 10
8"x10"
oil on canvas board

This is what travel and staying up late does to me when I have an early morning wake up. This is the mirror from the bed and breakfast I stayed at in Santa Fe last week. The sunny design on the mirror is completely lost on the less than sunny face in the mirror.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits in 30 Days - Day 9

2009-05-09T21:00:00.008-06:00

Another day another attempt. I am working over an old painting I started 12 or more years ago when I lived in West Virginia.
First I sketch out the pose with charcoal. I am working from a photo on my computer.
One thing I learned from the demonstration I watched in Santa Fe was if the light side is cool the shadows will be warm. So I am trying to map that out at this stage. Hopefully I will remember throughout the painting process.
The eyes gave me so much trouble. But I had a lot of help from a couple of friends (Peter and Carol you were great!) who watched the whole practice painting session. It was a lot a fun painting and explaining what I was trying to do. They really had a lot of good suggestions. My son and daughter also gave me some tips. So this one is a real group painting.

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Self Portrait No. 9
8"x10"
oil on canvas board

I actually like the stage before this one better. Sometimes you just have to know when to quit.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits in 30 Days - Day 8

2009-05-08T19:45:00.004-06:00

click on the sketch to enlarge the image

Self Portrait Day 8
9"x12"
pencil on paper

Very busy today. We had my daughter's graduation from college and lots of friends and family staying over. So, I only had time for a quick pencil sketch.

It is a funny thing, I think I am saving a lot of time by sketching, but I end up almost spending the same amount of time as when I paint. This is a great exercise at staying loose though. I highly recommend it. Don't think about anything looking finished just sketch and stop.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits in 30 Days - Day 7

2009-05-07T20:02:00.003-06:00

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Early Riser
Self Portrait - Day 7
9"x12"
oil on canvas board

Yesterday's post showed how I usually dress to start work. But sometimes I don't get much farther than... in my bathrobe and pajamas.

Daily Painting Practice - 30 Self Portraits in 30 Days - Day 6

2009-05-06T12:04:00.008-06:00

Day 6 and I still have some different ideas to try. My creative well isn't dry yet. I have taken an old piece of mat board and coated it with Liquin. I figured it might help seal the cardboard. It did make the gray darker but I am not sure it sealed much of anything. Don't ask me why I thought this experiment would be worth trying. After the Liquin was dry I outlined my drawing with Liquin and paint.
I am not using any turps or medium from this point on. In fact, in the beginning I try to keep the brush as dry as possible with as little paint on it as possible and scrub on the dry paint.
As the painting progresses keep applying thicker paint but only using thicker wet paint in the center. Save the best creamy paint for the face.

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Ready for Work
Self Portrait Day 6
8"x14"
oil on mat board

This is how I start my day, in my socks with a cup of tea and a few brushes ready to try something new.