It is not necessarily those lands which are the most fertile or most favored climate that seem to me the happiest, but those in which a long stroke of adaptation between man and his environment has brought out the best qualities of both.

                                T. S. Elliot

Before I comment on the painting above I would like to mention an on-line practice community I have recently joined.  Developed by Paul Foxton this site (creativetriggers.com) provides an excellent way to not only improve one's drawing techniques but to make drawing a daily habit.  In Paul's words Creative Triggers offers an "effective way to practice regularly and a structure to learn within."  I highly recommend you check it out.

This little painting above is still a work in progress.  I am still trying to concentrate on getting some really darks into my work.  The dark greenery surrounding the lighthouse really provides a wonderful contrast with the literally "light" house.  My goal now is to tighten up some of the lines in the structure while leaving the sky and landscape brushwork loose.  Even with such a cloudy sky I also want to convey a feeling of peace and serenity to this isolated space.  To me it seems the light house is so at home with its surroundings that it actually feels as if it grew there!

A loving person lives in a loving world.  A hostile person lives in a hostile world: everyone you meet is your mirror.

             Ken Keyes, Jr.

Shadow and light ~ something I have decided to try and focus on more and more in my work.  I love the dramatic look dark shadows bring to any painting.  Recently I was able to visit the Louvre and see some of Caravaggio's original pieces.  His use of darks and lights make each of his paintings a theatrical production!  This small painting above was inspired by his technique.  It was truly an exercise in restraint. 

Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness.  It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.

                                                Helen Keller

My instructor at the Crealde Art School (www.mycfcf.org) helped me to visualize this painting as a family ~ the older large pot, two grown pots, and the baby pot out front and center.  There is always a new way to look at things!  The dark shadows in the photograph really gave depth to the composition so I emphasized them even more in my painting.  Because of the subtle colors in the painting I tried to keep the light a bit subdued as it reflects off the pots.  Much to my delight upon completion it was accepted at the juried student art show now in progress at the school. 

Would that life were like the shadow cast by a wall or a tree, but it is like the shadow of a bird in flight.
                       The Talmud 
                                                      
        Another morning working on these pots and I am thinking they are almost done.  Of course, there is some varnishing to be applied as the dark colors have dried very matte.  It's hard not to over do the highlights on a painting like this.  To make them any brighter, I think, would take away from the overall subdued color scheme I was aiming for. 

How important are the visual arts in our society?  I feel strongly that the visual arts are of vast and incalculable importance.  Of course I could be prejudiced.  I am a visual art.

                                          Kermit the Frog

Although this painting is not finished I thought I would take a few minutes and post some "in progress" photographs.  I am finding this one to be quite challenging as far as the shadowing goes.  The photograph I am working from is almost a monotone as it was taken with a strong flash eliminating practically all the shadows.  At any rate there is quite a bit of modeling left to do on the pots and more deepening of the shadows behind them.  Couldn't resist the Kermit quote!

Beauty is unbearable, drives us to despair, offering us for a minute the glimpse of an eternity that we should like to stretch out over the whole of time.

                                                                    Albert Camus

Well, it is 2013 and a lot has been going on.  First of all the three paintings above are the ones I completed for my course at the Crealde Art School in Orlando.  While, of course, I think they could all three use a little tweaking it is almost time for another course to begin so I have been busy picking out subject matter for three more oils.  I like my paintings to have a bit of drama in them and I find strong contrasts help to bring that about.  One of the photos I have picked for the next session is mainly shades of brown so we will see how that works.

Another interesting project I have been working on is a drawing challenge started by Paul Foxton, an artist living outside of London.  I subscribe to Paul's emails which arrive sporadically with wonderful thoughts and lessons on the art of drawing.  Paul has managed to corral about 180 of his followers from around the world to join in a 30 day regular practice event.  We each are encouraged to draw every day and then post about how we are doing.  Today was day 10 and so far, so good.  I grab my sketch book every morning after I check the news and work on a few exercises.  It has been a lot of fun so far to keep up with people from places as far away as Australia, South Africa, and Scandinavia. 

Finally, I am working on a few pieces I hope to submit to the Orlando Museum of Art as a part of their First Thursday Member's Exhibit.  While strongly cautioned not to advertise that any work that is accepted is not to be misrepresented as work that is part of any other exhibit of the Orlando Museum of Art other than the Member's Exhibit, just to be accepted will be fine with me!

 

The flower is the poetry of reproduction.  It is the example of the eternal seductiveness of life.

                                                      Jean Giraudoux

      This painting has taken a long time to evolve.  I have a wonderful new teacher who suggested the shadow in the upper right hand corner.  What a nice dramatic touch!  I had a difficult time deciding on the value for the purple flowers in the front.  The photograph I was working from didn't have much depth at all and I really wanted the smaller flowers to really come out of the picture.  This may need a little more tweeking but for now I am setting it aside.