Mahatma Gandhi

This is a continuing series of people that I am interested in. Gandhi, like Lincoln and all others was very human with issues that they dealt with in their own ways. For me, the sum of their achievements far surpasses the failings that scrutiny can uncover. So, Gandhi is another person that gives me hope for the future of human kind. His influence continues through the generations and that is why I have tried to capture some of the mystery, the man that was Gandhi...


A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.
~Gandhi

Ruth Bell

Well I'm continuing to paint people. This one is my mother-in-law, Ruth. I'll add to this post later.

Joan

I have the extreme pleasure of working with some of the most talented and intelligent people. One them is Joan, as sensitive bright, soft-spoken a women as I have ever known.

Revisiting the Portrait

Dana Messier
Portraiture is a staple of people for as long as there has been history. There are formal, mood, sexy, work, family - the list goes on. These are character renderings at a basic level.

How do I Paint?

Sounds like a setup for a joke - and sometimes it is. However, I am asked by other artists and I answer this way…
I am a curious person and like the challenge of something new. I enjoy painting alla prima - all in one session.  Wet-in-wet, three hours max, as in a studio session. Summer is a slow - read pretty much non-existent time for group studios. I also paint, think about it, let it dry, go on to another painting or what ever; come back and paint more. In this case, I have been brushing on walnut oil so that the surface is wet and I can work my pigments back in that way. Seems to work well, so I don’t often use retouch varnish or a mixture. Bonus; walnut oil is eatable! It also does a decent job of cleaning brushes - I just don’t eat it after I do. The pure walnut oil that is strained I can purchase from the art store, or I can get a nice large container from the nearby health food store. Like I said - its eatable.

Grill’n

I find little use for painting if I don’t occasionally add what I refer to as content to my work. More specifically, some current observations and experimenting with new symbols. For example, I use the skyscraper - well, not so new - the first was built in 1885 and was 10 stories high. Technology - phones, ipods, music players, cars, appliances seem to change; and do; on a monthly basis. Now there's some room for me to add contemporary and interesting objects for me to explore.

So, this rant brings me around to Grill’n, a way of posing for pictures, usually in groups of 2 or more. It’s an anti-portrait, totally apposed to the recognizable snapshot most of us expect. I like this painting - it is capturing an essence of modern life that I think will continue, a dissatisfaction with the status quo. Ah, the youth - the new - a rejection of me, the old - it's simply too natural. These girls - no women - no men/boys - age group - don't even see me; I am invisible to them. Out with the old; in with the new!
Grilli'n.


As this is a ‘portrait’, it creates a lot of problems for the painter; (that would be me), it needs to resemble the person(s) portrayed - but boy, does it tell a story!

"Three Daughters of Widows"

This is another of the current series of content paintings. I do not consider this a ‘dark’ painting at all, but rather a ‘true’ painting. As Thomas Jefferson wrote; “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants alike”. As a warrior I can understand the words. As a son, friend, husband, as one who left behind family and friends to pursue duty - regardless of how you view duty to country there is still the emptiness, as someone left waiting, the constant concern toward someone in a danger zone. This painting is dedicated to those left waiting; those left with memories; and the following generations affected. These women's father each served the full measure for their families, community and country.

This painting is based on a photo I took of my wife, Cathy Bell, her sister Barbie (Bell) Burnett, and Hazel Bagwell, at Arlington Cemetery, Virginia.

“Monumental Failure of Common Sense”

I have been berated for not having blogged in a long time. I have some valid excuses, but not so much now. I have a few paintings that are finished except for some touch-up work and drying time. As soon as they can be photographed I will display them here. You will be the first, I promise.

One work is tentatively named, “Monumental Failure of Common Sense” and is another of my ‘content’ paintings. Plus another 2, “Three Daughters of Widows” and “Grill’in”. Actually, these three paintings are all ‘content’ paintings. I do works in series you see…

The “Monumental Failure of Common Sense” painting is a dark work, and I suspect it will not be popular. It started out with the three figures in a rather flat, open setting where I thought that was where it would remain. Not a chance. It begged me for darkness and clutter and modeling and… a topical setting. The lack of clothes is symbolic rather than literal - the figures are neuter-like, so as to demonstrate or empathize what is missing or lacking. The cell phone (or device) is one of my additions for current technology and/or collective mind set. Even (especially) with the 3 figures there is emptiness; blocky buildings with some few warm lights from which these 3 are wandering the pavement. So, there it is - my rant, as I am writing this after finishing the piece - there is really no way to re-capture what contributed or avoid romanticizing into something thoughtful.

This is a data cloud of my blog spot - very interesting. A data clould is a method of visualizing words into a design form. Clever, huh? I used "Wordle" located here: http://www.wordle.net/ You can go here and create your own based on your blog.
You've seen them. Those tag clouds in the right-hand column of Web sites with jumbled type of varying weight, color and size indicating the relative usage of words. Tag clouds are a relatively new design field known as "information visualization," an offshoot of graphic design devoted to the clear display of complex information. Cool -

The Veteran's Wall

The Viet Nam veteran's wall has come to Wickham Park, Melbourne, Florida again this year. This is a yearly event which now fittingly salutes all veterans of any conflict. Whatever a person may feel about the inevitability of war or the propensity of humans for war - these are my comrades; my brothers and sisters - heres to you.
This is an unfinished work at this point, I just wanted to display it as a sort of tribute. A tribute to the families of solders at home always wondering if their loved ones are safe - that they are coming home. Oil/canvas 30" (76. cm) x 72" (183 cm)

And Now For Something Entirely Different...

Well - this is a stretch... I think that taking chances and responding to opportunities are good for me. I do that enough. There has been a call for entries locally by the Brevard Museum the exhibit is titled "Take Out" - the point is that I, as the artist must use a 'take out' container in the piece. Fine; so here it is - a framed canvas with the take-out container and a wire person emerging from it. The working title is: 'To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything!'. Wish me luck on this one.
The dates of this show are: Dates: 5/9/2009 to 7/5/2009.

Former President

I warned you - I seem to be drawn to painting in series. The thing is - portraiture is really difficult and time consuming! I mean really. I must have redone these two paintings 10 or twelve times. For me if I'm going to do a portrait of a recognizable person, it really better look like them. With the choice of the President's Lincoln and Obama there are two distinct problems beyond the obvious. With President Lincoln I could not find a photo other than black & white - reasonable since the color photo had not been perfected. In the case of President Obama I had no lack of reference photos - that was a problem for me. I haven't had the pleasure of seeing the man, much less meeting him - so what happened when I went through photos of Barak was the vast differences in facial color they represented. Astounding. Lots of color, best guess.

Mr. President

OK, I declare this painting finished. The biggest change in in the background - I just didn't like the previous version - looked to me to be just too contrite. Really in competition with the face, not what I wanted. I like a 'static' background, something that is just there and not something that challenges the viewer or distracts. I wanted color and I used it.

The President

I have been consistently practicing painting portraits. I tricked family into posing for me until they wised up - so I’ve broadened my subjects to include - well - famous people and now presidents. How unique. Regardless here is another - the present president: Barack Obama. Trust me on this - I don’t know the man, therefore I’m looking at pictures and video in order to get an idea of the complexion, tones that are the person. It is not finished as I look at this and see things that can change, but I wanted to display it now. That and larger paintings take longer to complete - wow what a revelation. I’ll bet I’m the first to write that down ;-)

Potted Plant

Here is something a little different for me. This is a pen & ink drawing which a used colored pencils to fill in the color. What brought this on? I just purchased a packet of Loofa seeds. The thought crossed my mind to draw the (hopefully) resulting plants in a series. Sounds wierd enough to be one of my projects.

School in the Woods

I'm going to add another painting today as it is related to the previous in the "Florida Tech" series. This painting is of the reproduction of the first school house built in Melbourne, Florida. This little red school house sits among the palms and live oaks of the 'wetlands' gardens at Florida Tech. Beautiful area visited - well - by the likes of me for one. It is a favorite of mine, a relatively quiet place of native Florida plants and trails that meander throughout. It is low lying ground and hense refered to as 'wetlands'. A good number of birds and other animals call this area home.
8" x 10" oil on canvas

Standing Tall

"Standing Tall" I have done a number of paintings, yes, another series of paintings - this go-around of the campus of Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida. As I understand it, this wonderful clock tower is a gift of the Chinese to Florida Tech. It stands proudly next to "Panther Plaza" on the main campus here in Florida.
8" x 10" oil on canvas.

Palm Burst

Living in Florida there are a lot of palm trees, Sago, Queen, lots of palms. It's easy to over look them or beyond them. When I started this one it was just another study just so I could keep painting every day - but part way through it just struck me as pretty and graceful as fireworks in the sky - hence - Palm burst. The support color I made red and some shows through, I like it.

8 x 10" oil/canvas

More *Live* Drawings

I love these live drawings and I promise not to inflict too many of them on your sensibilities in the future. I simply don't know what will come of any one of them - one may start with great promise only to fail in my opinion, while another may succeed beyond expectation. No re-draws or extended time to capture - just get it down now.
These drawings are from a number of locations, a jazz band, a batter, catcher and umpire in women's softball, a woman at a Winter Park, Florida outside restaurant.

Fools Rush In...

Oil/panel 8" x 12"
This may seem a departure from my usual painting. However, this is only different for my blog content, I have an entire collection on my web site for 'primitive metaphors' as I call them. I try to paint everyday to support my knowledge and increase my skills in visual art - I also attempt to create personal art that for me takes more effort - or certainly 'different' efforts in order to accomplish. This painting is, however related to "Beauty and the Beast", displayed earlier in the blog. Content art is just hard work, but when finished tends to give me a heightened sense of achievement. It can also be an excellent area for experimentation where I can 'let it fly' without a thought for any acceptance but my own. Works for me.

*Live* Drawing

I really love the challenge of *Live drawing* versus *Life drawing*, which I am involved as well. I draw a distinction between the two because I strongly feel they are two distinct modes of expression. Life drawing includes - involves the model, which without, any work I do depends. My drawings are only as good or bad as the comfort level, competence of the model which I truely depend. Here with *Life drawing* I am simply observing and trying to record sketches of people in the everyday mode. Just being themselves. My wife claims that I observe so intensely and so focused that I am bound to be confronted - can't say that I have ever been... So, I hang with her or anyone whom knows me just for such an occasion. 

Introspection

Continuing the figurative series is one based on one of my life studies drawings. These are really tough for me as my drawings are predominately line drawings, but memory has served me well so far. Caucasian people have  a narrow range of color, meaning for me a lack of color and a narrow range of tone which is the difficulty for me - and more difficult to capture accurately on film for the web...

I have enjoyed these larger pieces, however they take longer to accomplish -so please be patient with me at times.

Oil on canvas 24 x 36"

A Maudlin Moment, plus roses

"A Maudlin Moment, plus roses"

16 x 16" oil/canvas

I have been busy in the studio this last two weeks. Maybe the determination to add a few more paintings to the previous year - or, better, maybe a precursor to an active year in 2009. Regardless, it feels good to be in the studio so much. I have started another series of paintings, this time figures and portraits. I do feel there is a big difference between to two, however I, for convenience have 'lumped' the two together.

I have posted the preliminary drawing along with the finished painting. I had intended to take more pictures of the progress, however that didn't happen. So, at least you can get an idea of how I start off a new piece. I used an over-all tone or wash  of cadmium red medium and then started drawing with asphaltum with  Liguin . I like the asphaltum as it is a warm color, I think gaining in popularity - certainly for me with figurative work. It is a very warm brown. The Liguin, is a dryer so that I can get on with the painting very quickly after finishing the drawing. I do a fairly detailed line drawing and fill in the principle shadow areas before I start with color. I decided early on that I wanted to have a purple based background, so I went ahead and blocked that in. From there it was a large mix of flesh color and off I went. For various parts of the body I use in combinations, some more, some less in order to adjust the tones and values with color: Titanium White, cad yellow lt, yellow ochre, cad red med., transparent brown, viridian. In order to create some of the indistinct edges I worked the flesh tones with the purple surrounding. I ended up dividing the 'large' flesh color into three main tones, light, medium, and dark, then further adjusted the values as needed.

The single rose pedal beside the figure was an afterthought. This is based on a life drawing session where in the painting I added the roses for interest. The single pedal gives the painting a certain emotional touch - don't you think?