My Art Journal- The Gil Gallery

Impressionist portraits

2011-03-13T16:47:00.001-04:00

These are a series of portraits I have done predominately of people I know and am familiar with. When the markets and economy as whole plunged in 2008, I faced a diminishing market, to be polite. Portraits have always been a specific work driven form at best in the 2000s’ Should I adapt - how? should i become campy and trendy? Just not my way.

I simply started painting smaller - 8 x 10 in (20.32 x 25.4 cm) for my own state of mind practice and to keep working. No expectations, just friends and acquaintances I would take pictures with my iPhoto and if they were of interest I would paint them in a rather expressionist method. This for me is several steps away from a “formal” portrait where the colors a muted, the transitions are subtle and the focus is specific to that portrait. I have come to enjoy these greatly - example of the portrait dating back to the Venus of Willendorf forward includes many exaggerations of the human body that have enticed and has esthetically pleased people from the beginning of time. It would not be true to say that I don’t treasure the realism achieved by master artists because I seek them out as mentors of what is.

These are some of my pieces which may have saved my life.

-Gil

Jeffery & Tiffany Bishop

2010-12-19T12:53:00.000-05:00

Jeffery & Tiffany Bishop

Veteran’s Day - "Back To The World"

2010-11-11T11:53:00.001-05:00

When engaged in the minute by hour struggle, as warriors we dared not think about the “World” from where we came.

Later - much later, I came to realize the duress, the struggle for people left behind to carry on as normal, carrying that gnawing fear of imminent harm; parents, friends, girlfriends, wife's, children, husbands. Their sincere attempts at relating to a different person that may have come back whole or in-part, but not whole. This is my acknowledgement of that sacrifice given by circumstance and resulting in trepidation by those waiting. For all time.

Rik

2010-08-03T13:03:00.003-04:00

This is a portrait of my brother-in-law Rik, he stayed with us for some time and, well, nobody is safe from my portraiture. This is just another example. Straight forward very light even washed out palate, I think I broke some rules here. It was interesting and I think I like the result.

* My World *

2010-07-22T11:56:00.000-04:00

Well, I’ve gone and done it... pictures of my refuge, sanatorium, art space, really a shed. Sure takes the romantic artist scenario by the ears. But it’s my space and I get work done - nice music too.

That is a thick sheet of glass I use for paints, I think it was a glass cutting board at one time. It is thick enough for me to feel secure in mixing scraping in order to clean up and generally sturdy enough not to take the wear.

So I lay out the colors that I feel I am most likely to use for a painting and then add colors as I go along. I don’t necessarily use a “minimal palate” nor an extended one. For the impressionist portraits that I have been doing recently

Vasari paints: Cadmium red medium, viridian, cobalt blue, cadmium yellow light, transparent brown, zinc white, Peralba titanium white, Gamblin buff titanium, alizarin permanent, raw umber.

The World

2010-05-31T09:21:00.000-04:00

Today is Memorial Day and I have here displayed just a small portion of a painting that I have been working on way too long. Maybe I am lazy or maybe it is too important - even elemental to me and therefore most difficult to depict even for myself. This is for my brothers and me ,but there two adjoining sections (not displayed) that are an acknowledgment - a tribute, to those waiting for us to return. I cannot know or imagine the emotions and thoughts bearing down on the families, friends, lovers, veterans, people while we were absorbed in surviving; struggling to get back to the *World*.

Ian

2010-05-15T13:30:00.003-04:00

Ian insisted in taking his hair down from the more ‘business-like’ ponytail and this is how I painted his portrait. Whether it is coding, origami or music, Ian excels. He has simply a fascinating and broad curiosity and intelligence which could be quite intimidating. What comes through for me is his humor, skill and love of family. My honor to be able to be allowed paint him.

synchronization

2010-05-09T17:50:00.002-04:00

It's neat to successfully capture the recognizable image of another person - or animal for that matter. This is a portrait of another kind, it still a portrait - just a little different. We all know the standard measurements to a face, adult, child, male, female. As you look into a glass a broken glass or type carnival mirror there is still a face, a portrait. We have at times seen contorted and grill'in and perplexed , happy, sad delirious faces. All I think portraits that are worthy of capturing, maybe more-so.
So... watch the birdie ... smile!

What good are old phonebooks?

2010-04-28T16:53:00.000-04:00

For me they are a resource, no please don’t send me your phonebooks, let me explain.

When painting in oil, I will often use two brushes of the same basic tone/color, such as a flesh or facial color. One is for the lighter mix and the other is for the darker mix. From these two I can use the same brush to paint a range using light without having to clean my brush constantly. What’s the phonebook for - call a shrink? Calm down - I’m getting to the point here.

The phonebook is for wiping off paint from my brush prior to selecting or mixing a slight variation to my “light” mix. Works very well for me and I just flip the page for another clean page - excellent! When I feel that the brush might be getting “muddy” I then wash it in solvent, walnut oil or some such, then use the phonebook again to take most of the pigment and solvent off and away I go. A time saver, I like that.

Stevie

2010-04-04T12:09:00.003-04:00

I'm continuing to do portraits of people at work; with students - and just about anyone else I can capture on the iPhone and then paint them in a 8 x 10 format.

It just keeps me busy between other paintings that I have going, and I think that they will make an interesting collage when I put them together. Portraiture is always about the individual, I want to make these works about the shared attributes.

I'm assured that her name is based on Stevie Nicks just to put that question to rest.
Stevie is a person that I work with at Florida Tech.
If you send me a picture I might paint you too. Please send digital pictures to my e-mail : gec@mac.com

Brush Recovery

2010-04-04T11:34:00.003-04:00

This doesn't happen very often. However sometimes I am really eager to clean up after a painting session. There i am - I've left my brushes in a container and inevitably at the bottom the bristles are distorted into various shapes that they were never intended. Total loss?

Not hardly. In order to recover this brush what I use a brush aid called Brush Shaper by Mona Lisa. I have no connection with Mona Lisa whatsoever.

From here I clean the brush as I normally would, dip the brush in the brush shaper and then reshape the brush as best I can. I just want all of the hairs together, if the general shape is still twisted - that's ok - the next step deals with that.

To correct ant twisting or bending I then put it into my paper clamp and in this case use the unprinted side of a business card in order to reshape the brush back to useable. This procedure seems to work out extremely well for me. Save that brush - it wasn't the brushes' fault!

My Best Friend

2010-02-21T18:10:00.001-05:00

I have known Stewart my entire life and I am old. We grew up in the same neighborhood of Bethesda Maryland when Washington D.C. was a 'small' town - hard to believe now. People knew each other and regardless of political party our parents had sincere discussions and partied together always and had great respect and intermingled without issue. How times have changed, they would not recognize the situation. Regardless Stewart and I have remained friends throughout the years and have grown together regardless of the changes. This is a salute to my BEST friend - Stewart. I cannot properly express my dependance nor love that I owe this human being.

Mahatma Gandhi

2009-12-13T11:28:00.003-05:00

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

2009-12-13T11:13:00.003-05:00

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

Joan

2009-09-13T15:04:00.007-04:00

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

2009-09-04T06:50:00.002-04:00

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?

2009-08-21T15:49:00.000-04:00

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

2009-08-16T11:25:00.013-04:00

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"

2009-08-08T19:26:00.011-04:00

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”

2009-07-30T14:42:00.001-04:00

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.

2009-05-10T09:27:00.005-04:00

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

2009-04-25T09:10:00.006-04:00

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...

2009-04-16T08:41:00.005-04:00

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

2009-04-05T11:01:00.005-04:00

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

2009-04-05T10:47:00.005-04:00

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

2009-03-25T09:50:00.003-04:00

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

2009-03-21T15:06:00.006-04:00

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

2009-02-28T10:51:00.004-05:00

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

2009-02-28T10:46:00.004-05:00

"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

2009-02-16T17:43:00.004-05:00

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

2009-02-10T19:14:00.005-05:00

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...

2009-02-06T09:18:00.008-05:00

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

2009-01-25T10:05:00.006-05:00

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

2009-01-19T15:21:00.008-05:00

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

2009-01-03T11:18:00.009-05:00

"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?

'Beauty and the Beast' 14x18" oil/canvas

2008-12-29T09:58:00.009-05:00

I still have some minor changes that I want to make - however, I am basically pleased with this piece, and I am ready to move on to the next. The name: 'Beauty and the Beast' and the figure pose I wanted to invoke (lead) the topic to - well for me a 'King Kong' type pose along with the theme of that story. Not exactly new, but it works for me. What maybe you expected symbols such as horses or apples or ...? Maybe I could name or sub-title this 'extraordinary lengths to acquire perceived beauty'. I think I will leave it as is.

'Beauty and the Beast' preliminary drawing

2008-12-29T09:26:00.005-05:00

Here is a preliminary drawing that I have had in the back of my mind for awhile now. It is what I might refer to as a content piece as it is not quite representational as many of my daily painting projects are. I don't mean to say that I am completing a painting a day - no - those people are amazing in their dedication, diligence and abilities. I mean that I paint every day and then other times less. I like the idea of adding language and other symbols to my paintings, sort of updating the symbols to a current collection. Certainly there are many symbolic additions to paintings throughout history - so I'm doing nothing particularly radical here. Just my attempt at exploring the place of these visuals in my current paintings as I observe; reflect, explore.
It's a lousy drawing - but the idea was what I was after.

brush maintenance

2008-12-26T12:02:00.009-05:00

Well I didn't wait for the new years in order to clean up my studio. What a mess - even for me. No pictures please, too gross. But I did it. In addition in my housekeeping I organized my oil paints - man, but I have a lot of paint. Especially as I was 'resupplied' over Christmas. I put them in piles organized initially as reds, blues, yellows, browns, grays/whites/black, greens. I put them in separate drawers in order to keep integrity and as I need one for painting I go to the drawer and pick out the one that I feel I need to use up first. Great plan - see how it works out in practice.

Next is a tip I picked up for brush maintenance - this for my flats, filberts, brights in order to keep a shape and edge on them.

I wash them and shape them in an expected manner, then I use a piece of clean (no printing on the side touching the brush hairs) cardboard. I would use most any kind paper as long as it is clean. I fold the paper over into a wedge, place the brush hairs in the fold and secure the two, and apply pressure with a paper clip. Nice. Shapes the hairs nicely, with a good to excellent quality brush I now have a well tapered and shaped brush ready for my next painting.

'frog left' 10 x 8" oil/canvas

2008-12-24T09:01:00.008-05:00

Continuing with my 'Florida landscapes' series of paintings is this wetlands painting of a frog in his natural setting.

(SOLD)

'Mr. Gill' 8 x 10" oil/canvas

2008-12-21T10:59:00.010-05:00

I did this rather quick portrait of my brother-in-law from a photo taken while they were at the house. It was more fun than work to do. The first background bothered me, so I went back and changed it. This painting really occurred rather fast, maybe three total hours to work it out. Pretty straight forward - get the likeness correct in a profile, and done.

(SOLD)

'under the Spanish moss' 8x10" oil/canvas

2008-12-21T10:30:00.009-05:00

I tend to do paintings in a series - paper bags, animals, Florida landscapes. What next? Certainly there are many possibilities waiting for me in any of the previous series.

Here is another of the Florida series, a live oak draped with Spanish Moss in an atypical sub-tropical 'wooded' setting. Again I like the sun light streaming through the thickets onto selected spots dappling the open ground.

I have been experimenting with the overall tint(s) that I use prior to starting a a painting. With this one I used a tint of cadmium red light overall with little variation to the basic tone of this red, allowing the raw color to show through in selected places in order to lend a warming feel to the vegetation versus cool bright sunlit areas. I was tempted to cover further the areas that shown through strongly, however, I think the admonition so often offered of 'just enough, and no more' prevailed. The temptation passed, I took a break only to come back and declare this picture finished. This painting stands or falls on it's own from now on.

Sabal Palmetto Palms 8 x 10" oil/canvas

2008-12-13T14:52:00.004-05:00

"Sabal Palmetto Palms" 8 x 10" Oil/canvas

I have started another set of related paintings - this time around is a series of Florida, well, mostly landscapes. I have been painting some animals of Florida and I haven't decided whether that would be part of the landscape series or if they will stand as there own set. I just paint - it would be fine with me to have someone else group them, if possible.

I like these landscapes as they do remind me of the outdoors when I look at them. I drawn the settings that I like and usually paint them in my studio referring to my drawings and sometimes photos that I have taken. These are from winter and it does get relatively cold, making colors more muted than in warmer times of the year. Also, it is dryer and so the grasses tend to be more toward orange. I warmed it up by using cadmium red throughout the deep shadow areas and then various shades of olive drab for the foliage. Olive drab actually has surprised me with the range of foliage green that it supports. Add a yellow and you have a bright live green, add white and the background color is set. Oh, and I ussually add some violet to the clouds as I want the 'shaded' side away from the sun to be darker and warmer than the cool side facing toward the sun.

'Top of the Food Chain' 8x10" oil/canvas

2008-11-25T12:39:00.011-05:00

One of the benefactors of the mangrove 'swamps' are the sharks roaming the oceans, seas and tributaries. These animals are simply beautiful to watch and are actually quite shy.

The cold blues really fits the specter of these animals as they migrate the water. This is a symphony of cold color, so rare a situation that looks and is natural for a painting. Of course the reds and yellows of colors are progressively missing in the water as they are filtered out the deeper one goes, leaving the deep, rich blues and progressively muted; first reds and then yellows.

Oil on canvas 8 x 10 inches.

Floridian Scenery 8 x 10" oil/canvas

2008-11-21T11:38:00.011-05:00

This is a brackish water area in Dana, Florida - north of Miami. These mangrove thickets are the hatcheries for fish, birds, reptiles, and all manner of wildlife and game. They are always just broiling with activity at all times and of course the water reflects the great colors of the sky down here.

Because these mangrove areas are brackish, the color of the water and the colors of the sky differ in the foreground. The water is murky - full of sediment; a soup of algae, small organisms, fish, insects, reptiles and *stuff*. The water just does not reflect in all areas the color of the sky. It's really a fun challenge to create the impression of this great creator of water life.

Juried Exhibition - redux

2008-11-19T10:51:00.003-05:00

ArtView 2008 Juried Exhibition

The piece that I submitted to the ArtView 2008 Juried Exhibition was again a number of my paper bag series - and again "Skyscraper" was on display November 11, 2008, at Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. I'm doomed to have this piece as my "15 minutes" of display. So, my goal is to create something more notable. Worthy.

I've been busy lately, painting, drawing and traveling. Washington D.C. is definitely a destination for the arts.

Brevard Art Museum’s 2008 Juried Exhibition

2008-07-26T19:23:00.004-04:00

The piece that I submitted to the Brevard Art Museum’s 2008 Juried Exhibition was one of my paper bag series - it is named "Skyscraper" and will be on display from July 18 to September 12, 2008, at the Brevard museum in Melbourne, Florida. So ya'll jump on a plane and visit. :-) The quality of the artists and the art is really amazing. There is truly creative art being created on the Space Coast. I feel really honored to be displayed in this show.

This is a subtle little painting, measuring 12" x 12", an oil painting on canvas. It is painted all in browns, except the bag label in red - barely visible - seemingly as if done as monochromatic, yet we know that brown is inclusive of all reflective color.

At one level this painting represents a simple container, the skyscraper is a container as well.

Live Drawing to Painting

2008-07-13T12:23:00.006-04:00

I really enjoy drawing live, on the spot drawings, and I've recently experimented with turning them into paintings. After all, whatever challenged or attracted me to the subject in the first place just might be worthy of further investigation. Maybe.

My daughter, Madison plays -now - college softball. If you have some knowledge of the game, then you understand that a large part of our formative years were spent in High school ball and the rest of the year travel ball, which would take us throughout three States and many, many weekends. It's actually a great game - and somewhere along the way I started drawing the games. Way difficult on any number of levels, but every once in a while something decent turned up on my drawing pad. Included is the original drawing and also the resulting oil on masonite painting. 6 x 6

I noticed that when you click on the painting for a larger view - you get a larger view - waaay larger, almost to the molecular level - lol.

Painting in the Round

2008-06-22T13:36:00.004-04:00

Well she did it again... my wife that is, she purchased for me a series of six round canvases from three inches up to 12 inches. I'm staring to go through catalogs in order to foreshadow the next shape coming my way.

I started with this one, the ten inch round. There just seems to me to be some real opportunities to look and paint something a little different. After all our vision is somewhat circular if you include peripheral vision. Focus is usually specific to a point in front - but - division of focus by thirds isn't as firm a rule in a circular canvas.

Simple and It Works

2008-06-20T16:28:00.003-04:00

I like things that are simple and that work. But, as a painter you might gain from my happy accident. I was over talking with a friend, not too long ago and he is a furniture re-finisher. Really great work, but it’s also messy as any an occupation as I’ve witnessed. He uses a mixture that includes diesel (fuel) and stand oil and always another oil such as walnut, depending on the color of the wood and the effect. He uses this mixture as a finish to the wood. It really brings out the grain in a way that is simply amazing. Oh, but the mess. Well, he uses this “SimpleGreen” stuff in a green bottle that really seemed to clean the area and whatever he used it on of grease and oil.

Painting is what I do - clean-up is pretty much a chore that follows painting, and not the least of which is cleaning my brushes. I don’t use many brushes, but I really like finishing off quickly. It works really well. I wipe off as much paint as reasonable, then use SimpleGreen to take the oil out of my brushes, finally I still use an oil soap that replaces some of the elasticity of my natural hair brushes, but works just as well with synthetics. Works for me.

Really - I, nor anyone I know have any affiliation whatsoever with this product.

Wow

2008-06-17T12:49:00.006-04:00

"Congratulations! Your work has been selected for the Brevard Art Museum’s 2008 Juried Exhibition to be on display from July 18 – September 12, 2008"...

I submitted three paintings about a month ago and yesterday I recieved an email accepting one of them. I'm pretty jazzed about the whole thing. My wife suggested that I make the effort - thank you.

It really has been a interesting experience. First there is CaFÉ Call for Entries web site in order to directly upload high-resolution digital images of artwork for jury presentation. I needed the assistance of my good friend, Keven Roberts, who owns Intimate Images photography, here in Melbourne, Fl for the high-rez digital photos. After that it was straight forward process to enter.

I've had great fun in the art community and this will put me into contact with a whole group of people that support the arts.

I'm pretty excited.

New Painting - New Comparison

2008-06-07T14:10:00.005-04:00

Florida Wetlands - 6 x 6
This is a painting of the Florida wetlands as the title states. I really enjoy the long vistas and the wildlife that packs these areas - not that you might notice from the "long view" such as this painting represents. These areas are the very nurseries for a great number of species that toward the top of the natural hierarchy are represented by fish, birds - yes insects, all manner of plants, reptiles, and alligators.

I thought that I would compare a digital picture with minor adjustments with a digital scan.
Digital Photo

Scan

Even though I took some care - there is a substantial difference between the two. And I am ignoring the differences in the monitor that you may be using.
So, you can get an idea of a painting on the web, mush the same as looking in a book - even a high quality one, but it is best to see the actual painting.

Luckily, there is a location that has agreed to display some of my paintings - it is:

"From The Heart"
1428 Highland Ave.
Melbourne, Florida, 32935
Opening Fall of 2008, if you are in the area, please drop by and take a look.

Really Small Painting...

2008-06-05T19:12:00.005-04:00

Row House III 3"x 3" Oil/canvas
This is a very small painting that happened by a happy accident. I have wanted to paint a number of small paintings in order to keep me painting consistantly. I am thinking six inches by six and above. I was given package of six canvas supports that are three inches x three inches. Well, for whipping out small compositions - these canvases are really fun. I displayed the painting, about the size of the the actual six x six, because I really like the painterly look of the brush work. I was actually counting brush strokes on this one... Actually that was not very difficult for me to count.

Florida Tech Panther Statue

2008-06-01T08:50:00.004-04:00

Fla. Tech Panther statue in Melbourne,FLA.
This is a 6 inch X 6 inch oil painting that I did recently. A very highly shined marble base and angular panther statue against a background of Florida vegetation. I like the color combinations of this painting. I took some liberties with the panther color itself in order to contrast it and the background - my apologies to the sculptor.

I'm Cheap

2008-05-17T18:46:00.004-04:00

Palette

I must be cheap as I save the paint that I use from one painting to tint the canvas of another painting - or two, or three. When I finish painting, I scrape the paint from my palette into a container and add turps in order to keep it useable. The sum of my colors are a neutral grey which I use to tint the canvas of subsequent canvases. Hey, I don't like a white support - Just doesn't work for me. Neutral grey is OK for me at most times, others I like another color in the background. I'm a divided Artist.

I like to experiment

2008-05-12T05:38:00.005-04:00

I like to experiment.
During the course of a recent portrait I took a picture as the project got underway, then another somewhere near the midway point, and finally the finished work. It was not well thought out and not a through job. But... looking back at them there are some interesting things going on. At the time I was too caught up in the painting and so missed an opportunity to "document". I think that the best solution for me might be to find a camera that periodically takes pictures - or gee, scrap the whole idea.

Regardless - I started this painting with a pencil sketch in order to establish the features quickly. More often, now I just put a background color overall, such as a medium grey (50% grey). Then I will use a faster drying color in order to draw in paint the basic features as well as rough in the shadow areas. As I said - usually - I pretty much violated my own operating habits in order to return back to pencil drawing followed by paint. Bad boy!

Somewhere at the mid-way point. Well, looking at this, you can see that - just about everything changed - maybe except the basic positioning.

And finally, the finished and framed portrait.

I Love Life Drawing...

2008-05-02T09:20:00.004-04:00

I mean, I really love *live* drawing - I try to get to those studios as often as time allows. The spontaneity, the accidents of form and line, and sometimes color - very stimulating for me. Great challenge. As if that's not enough, I draw in public - public life drawing, if you will. Sports - simply impossible to feel that I am doing justice to the subject or idea. I find that i have to capture the moment first in a flash to my memory and then when the moment is over to be able continue to commit it to paper. Geee...

These are a couple of scribblings that are at least an approximation of the moment.

Concentration...

2008-03-12T11:17:00.003-04:00

I sometimes go with my wife to the Seminole Hardrock in Tampa. Yes, it is a casino operated by the Seminole indian tribe, but that's not really me point. She goes off to do her thing, and I, being a miserable gambler (I might as well hand my money to the nearest Seminole...) find that it is a great setting for drawing. The entire room is very open to viewing and the people have such variety, and they are concentrating on the lights and sounds, and the operation of the machine in front of them to be concerned with the observer me. Pretty cool. It's a target rich environment for the people watching artist!

Thank you time & space. Thank you materials, thank you subjects. Thank you frustration. I never have enough time, the angle is never right... I'm never in the right position. I return to the immediacy of this exercise always...

Off to the country...

2007-09-14T13:47:00.000-04:00

I traveled to Nashville, Tennessee this last week - the air travel was "uneventful" - just the way I like it :) It doesn't really matter where I go as I carry my sketch book with me and I enjoy drawing from the life scenes around me. The downtown area of Nashville on Broadway and some of the streets that intersect Broadway are clustered all manner of restaurants, souvenir shops - but there are also closely packed establishments with arguably the best of Country (folk) music for public consumption that is available anywhere. Lot's of excitement and energy.

One of the performers that we enjoyed was a quite personable singer/song writer by the name of Dave Cox. The bands worked for tips only. That meant that tip containers were front and center, and the more adventurous musicians venturing out into the audiences for contributions. All the music was truly impressive.

My Art Journal- The Gil Gallery

Impressionist portraits

Jeffery & Tiffany Bishop

Veteran’s Day - "Back To The World"

Rik

* My World *

The *World*

Ian

synchronization

What good are old phonebooks?

Stevie

Brush Recovery

My Best Friend

Mahatma Gandhi

Ruth Bell

Joan

Revisiting the Portrait

How do I Paint?

Grill’n

"Three Daughters of Widows"

“Monumental Failure of Common Sense”

The Veteran's Wall

And Now For Something Entirely Different...

Former President

Mr. President

The President

Potted Plant

School in the Woods

Standing Tall

Palm Burst

More *Live* Drawings

Fools Rush In...

*Live* Drawing

Introspection

A Maudlin Moment, plus roses

'Beauty and the Beast' 14x18" oil/canvas

'Beauty and the Beast' preliminary drawing

brush maintenance

'frog left' 10 x 8" oil/canvas

'Mr. Gill' 8 x 10" oil/canvas

'under the Spanish moss' 8x10" oil/canvas

Sabal Palmetto Palms 8 x 10" oil/canvas

'Top of the Food Chain' 8x10" oil/canvas

Floridian Scenery 8 x 10" oil/canvas

Juried Exhibition - redux

Brevard Art Museum’s 2008 Juried Exhibition

Live Drawing to Painting

Painting in the Round

Simple and It Works

Wow

New Painting - New Comparison

Really Small Painting...

Florida Tech Panther Statue

I'm Cheap

I like to experiment

I Love Life Drawing...

Concentration...

Off to the country...

The World

More Live Drawings

Live Drawing