19/40 Painting of 40 Consecutive Days of a Paintng a Day - Mrs. Mendon

Mrs. Mendon
6" x 7"
Watercolor on Paper
$50

Today was the big Graduation Party for my son, an all day affair.
Yet, I did manage to do this watercolor painting of Mrs. Mendon.
I truly enjoy the expressive line and fluidity of the painted forms.

18/40 of the the 40 Consecutive Painting Day Challenge - Schoetz Park

Schoetz Park
7.75" x 5"
Watercolor on Paper
$50

Slight overcast day at the pond at Schoetz.

Painting 17/40 of 40 Consecutive Painting a Day Challenge - Pear #1

Pear # 1
6" x 6"
Oil on Panel
$65
Pear in light box.

Painting 16/40 of 40 Consecutive Days of Painting a Day - Jeff

Jeff
7 3/4" x 6"
Watercolor on Paper
$50

Neighbor Jeff
works with concrete and is an Upper Michigan native.

15/40 Painting a Day for 40 Consecutive Days - Mr Mendon

Mr. Mendon
10" x 12"
Watercolor and Ink
not for sale

This is my neighbor. He is a remarkable guy, weathered with construction work and many years of raising a family.

I love gray paintings. I like messy lines for drawings of gruff no nonsense workers. This is not a "pretty picture of a pretty face." I like the abstract beauty of the lines and the washes. I feel like I have captured his spirit in the spontaneity of the line.


Now back to my other life that weaves into my art life.
Here we go! The next few days shall be very busy, with traveling to pick up Grandma up north and graduation preparation.

It is just too uncanny. I have a call for arranging an exhibition on the east side in a gallery spot, a journalist, Bonnie North, offered to pose for a moody window portrait, a slew of new listings for the Griffin Gallery website. and a request from a high school friend for a reunion visit all this week. Oh, when it rains it pours. How I wish I could divide myself up and do it all at once. But not possible. It will get done but not this week.
But I will get it done.
Now for tonight, I am going to work with my son on his display poster of "his Life" thus far. It should have been done yesterday, but who is keeping track. :)

Painting 14/40 Consecutive Painting a Day - Nectarine # 1

Nectarine #1
8" x 5 3/4"
Watercolor on Paper
$75

This is a nectarine in my light box with folded cloth.
The nectarine is very sweet so I am glad I am done painting it so now I can eat it.

Enjoy!

2009 Caleb's Graduation Insert

Click on the blurry image below to read the text.

This is one of the inserts created for the invitations.
This one I created with the note for parents. Caleb created some other inserts with other favorite verses for his friends and family.

Painting 13/40 of 40 Consecutive Painting a Day Challenge - Banana # 1

Banana # 1
6 " x 7 3/4"
Watercolor on Paper
$75

This obviously is a banana. I woke very early this morning. I painted a banana placed securing inside a box with a soft cloth. I also cut a hole in the box then shot a spot light into the box unto the banana. I would do a watercolor wash and then let it dry while I went around the house cleaning up from yesterday's block party. Then when the wash was dry I would lay in a another color and let it dry while I went back to putting my house back together.

I was pleased with the banana, especially the part that connects to the stalk. The entire banana is quite nice. As I am planning on doing people and didn't have any in my pocket at the time, I thought the folds in the fabric would be good practice at forming shapes as well.

Doing the fabric is quite a puzzle. Most problematic is not mixing up the folds. I want to do more folds.

If you would like to purchase the banana let me know.

Today I will be creating a poster for my son's Graduation next Saturday.

Painting 12/40 of 40 Consecutive Painting a Day Challenge - Katie

Katie
5 3/4" x 8"
watercolor on paper with ink
$50

Today, I co-hosted a block party with my neighbor Ryan. It was quite a day with all the preparation. Nevertheless I as everybody was chatting I brought out my watercolors and ink.
Then I painted a young girl named Katie at the party.
I want to continue to do a few more watercolor portrait paintings, then I want to do an oil painting of a person, with the color, tone and light in the previous "My Bedroom" painting.

This week is going to be a challenge on several fronts. I am preparing for my son's graduation from high school party next Saturday:making food, ordering the tents, setting up chairs and tables and creating a poster of his last 18 years from old photos. Plus gallery work and meetings in addition to MY Painting a Day Challenge of 40 consecutive days of painting must be done.

I am interested in painting more people, If you would like to volunteer, just let me know.

Painting 11/40 of the 40 Consecutive Painting a Day Challenge - Fence Post

Fence Post
6 1/4" x 7 1/4"
Oil on panel
$75

View during sunrise near Mineral Point, Wisconsin

There is nothing I like better than the smell of the earth and the sounds of birds and the rustle of the wind in the early morning.
I can touch the earth as it is, unpackaged.

Cynics in Art

I am deleting the Cynics discussion from this blog, Art Thoughts with Judith Reidy, and moving it to the FAST discussion board where the question originated.
Excuse me for the inconvenient post.

Thanks,

J

Painting 10/40 of the 40 Consecutive Painting a Day Challenge - My Bedroom Window

My Bedroom Window
5" x 7"
oil on wrapped canvas
$75

This is a change of pace for me. Needless to say I have been burning the midnight oil in order to complete the sundry tasks I have to do plus do my painting a day.

This morning I arose early did some household stuff, ran for 27 minutes, ate breakfast and found myself exhausted. So since I had been up since about 5 am, I thought I could squeeze in an hour and half nap before nine.
While taking a snooze the phone rang several times waking me. As I lay on the bed, I became fascinated with the soft light in the room and the shadows. I started with a drawing on the canvas which I glazed over with some acrylic medium to hold the drawing and size the canvas. While that dried I walked over to the library and returned some materials and picked up a Facebook friend suggested video, "The Secret of Roan Inish" then I returned home and began to paint in my bedroom. (after I covered the bed with a protective cover.
So I actually painted this painting in bed.

I really like the bedpost near the middle and all the other verticals and angles of this painting. But what was of main interest was the light and the soft glow it created on the walls and the bedpost.

If you are interested in acquiring this painting for your own contact me.
My bedroom is a great room for a nap AND for painting.

Painting 9/40 of the 40 Consecutive Day Painting Challenge - Uphill Country Road

Uphill Country Road
7 1/4" x 6 1/4"
Oil on Panel
$75

This is a country road near Mineral Point, Wisconsin in early morning.

For those who have been keeping up with the 40 day challenge, I am really coming into some "challenging" days ahead. I have a "Block Party" that I am co- hosting this coming Saturday, May 30, and a Graduation Party for my son the following Saturday, June 6.

Its going to be interesting going.

Painting 8/40 of Painting a Day Challenge for 40 Consecutive Days - Out of the Haze

Out of the Haze
5 1/4" x 7 1/4"
OIl on Panel
$75
Temporary Photo

This scene was from around Breezewood, Pennsylvania
Again I painted this in late evening, and had difficulty with glare. I will rephotograph this tomorrow.

Its about 11:21 pm.

Garden on a Grid

Garden on a Grid

I just want to share with you my Square Foot Garden.

Its a garden on the grid.
About the only thing in my life that is contained.
You see pepper and tomatoe plants, but not the carrot, lettuce, zuchini, bean, marigold, zinna and hollyhock seeds that were just planted.

The art is for eating later this year.

Revised Painting 7/40 from the the 40 Consecutive Painting a Day Challenge - My Backyard II

My Backyard II
7 1/4" x 5 1/4"
oil on panel
$75
contact the artist

Yesterday, I painted a view from my back yard. I painted rather thickly. I never had the problem photographing a piece like a did with this one.
I was dealing with a lot of glare. Because the sun had set when I finished it, I had to use light in my home, rather than diffused natural light from the outside. So today, I tried rephotographing it without success. Then I started painting from my imagination.

It was great fun.
Yet I still need to paint Painting 8/40 for today.

If you click on the painting you will see a blowup with all the texture and brush strokes.

Painting 7/40 from the the 40 Consecutive Painting a Day Challenge - My Backyard

My Backyard
7 1/4" x 5 1/4"
oil on panel
not available
temporary photo

Today I painted a view from my back yard. I painted rather thickly. I never had the problem photographing a piece like a did with this one.
I was dealing with a lot of glare. Because the sun had set when I finished it, I had to use light in my home, rather than diffused natural light from the outside.

Tomorrow I will rephotograph it, if is not raining.

Painting a Day 6/40 - Road to Nowhere

Road to Nowhere
5 1/4" x 7 1/4"
oil on panel
$75

This painting taken from my trip to Ireland in 2007, brings to mind for me one of my favorite features of the topography of the region.
In this area the land with its bony rocky out croppings, gave way to a barren furrows worn away by time.

For further information contact the artist.

Painting No 5/40 of the Painting a Day 40 Day Challenge - Fred Bell with Eye Slits, Land West of Monches Farm, Fred Bell Concentrating

Fred Bell with Eye Slits
7 3/4" x 6"
Watercolor
$45
to purchase contact the artist

Land West of Monches Farm
7 1/4" x 5 1/4"
Watercolor
$45
to purchase contact the artist

Fred Bell Concentrating
6" x 7 3/4"
Watercolor
$45
to purchase contact the artist

Today was a fun day, the 5th day of the 40 day Painting a Day Challenge.
A friend of mine and fellow painter Fred Bell and I went out to Monches Farm near Colgate Wisconsin to a attend a Plein Air painting day organized by the Wisconsin Plein Air Painters Association WIPAPAP this Saturday,

May 23rd: Monches Perennial Farm!

see WIPAPA's blog posting here
It was an Ireland looking morning with a gentle mist.
We saw at least 15 Plein Air painters scattered around the grounds hidden under umbrellas and plastic sheets covering them and their work.
Even though Fred and I got a late start, arriving later than the others, we found a covered potting house with open sides from which we painted, protected from the drizzle.
Currently reading the Letter of Vincent Van Gogh, I decided to draw with ink and do washes in watercolor on paper soaked in a bath of water. I felt I was keeping in the spirit of the wet day.
I have been thinking of doing these figurative pieces of my art friends for sometime.
So here you have it, the famous "Fred Bell with Eye Slits".
When Fred went wandering off, I worked on a landscape piece of a scene to the west. I liked working in watercolor because I felt it captured the rain. However, because of the moisture in the air the pieces were slow in drying, creating a very lovely fluid effect.
The last painting of "Fred Concentrating" is indicative of his focus while painting.

Fred and I enjoy painting together from time to time.
If you go to Fred's blog site you can see the painting he made today.

What do you think of our projects for a day?
They were a delightful change of pace.

Painting 4/40 of the 40 Day Painting Challenge

At Dawn
8" x 6"
Oil on Panel
$75.00
for Purchase contact the artist

I actually had done a large pastel of this scene and made this minature from it. It is a view of sunrise from Franklin, WI Crystal Ridge Sky Hill.

Why do you contact me about what you think?

Painting A Day 3/40 Abandoned Home

Abandoned Home
6" X 8"
oil on panel
$75
to Purchase contact Artist

This lonely old structure was lay empty on the side of the road in Malin Head on Inishowen Pennisula of Donegal of the Republic of Ireland.

I remember walking through it on the worn floor and looking at the ashen fireplace. thinking people lived in here, ate their meals, slept, made love and maybe placed flowers on the widow sill.
Yet now it was empty....abandoned perhaps because of fire in the chimney or in their hearts.

What secrets do these silent walls have to tell?

This is painting 3 of 40 in the 40 consecutive day challenge.

Painting a Day 2/40 "Misty Reflections"

Misty Reflections
6" x 8"
Oil on Panel
$75
to purchase contact artist

This is my second 2/40 painting a day effort in my 4o consecutive day challenge.
This imagery was taken from memory and drawings of the pond near Whitnall Park just west of South 92nd Street, on College Avenue. The scene is very early morning when the mist is still heavy over the hills looking north.

How about this?

My First Paint a Day

Road Uphill at Malin Head
5.75" x 5.75"
oil on board
$75
contact the artist for sale

This is the first in a series of daily paintings that I am doing. As part of a commitment to doing a painting a day for the next 40 days, I have planned to do these completed studies in preparation for larger pieces. Each day I intend to spend a portion of my painting time with the intent of making one completed painting. The balance of the work day will be in painting a larger piece and or in other art related tasks.

This painting was done from a photo and memory of my trip to Ireland. The steely sky and wet roads marked the area, along with the white stone homes along the way.

What do you think?

Road Trip to DC Journal Entry 1

Yesterday, Monday, we woke at 3am and left by 4:30 for a trip to DC. Traveling from Wisconsin, through Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio we arrived at Breezewood, Pennsylvania for the evening.

After a good nights sleep, I awoke without an alarm at about 5 am, dressed and stole away with the car and my camera to the surrounding countryside of hills, valleys and winding roads blanketed in patches of clouds.

MISTS of every sort surrounded me. From the ridge, I could see mists in the valleys below and in the mountains above.

I could drive with a clear view and in a moment find myself entering the gauzy air of sunlit fog until I could barely see though a thick blanket of cloud until again light glowed ahead as I traveled around a turn down the road and up a hill reintroduced to the sun.

Tree limbs criss-crossed my path caging me into a wooden web silent but for the brook below and the twitter of birds awaking the morning.

For someone fascinated with mists, I thought that while on this earth this was nearly like dying and going to heaven.

In a Moment

I initially wrote this poem last week and finished it today.

Though many of you have commented about the beautiful thoughts in my poems, which I appreciate, I do not want to give you an unbalanced picture.

Mothers are human... that is not paragons of virtue as some greeting cards would indicate.

In a Moment

In a moment
By discord, sweetness is broken
Words like arrows pierced
Defeated heart
Deflated
Weak knees
Sick feelings inside
Thwarted desire
to heal
to reach out
the broken.

there...
left

on the ledge
alone
No
fullness
just
skin and bone
bitter.

BUT
I forgot
...loved
I am.
...nevertheless

His and Her LOve Together

I wrote this little poem on May 1, May Day, Earth Day or Labor Day (Mexico)

This time of year, I love to dig in the dirt. I love to let my fingers touch the earth and press my hands into the soil and smell the wet dust, the beginning of life again. In a few weeks in May everything will be green....so I wrote a poem.

His and Her LOve Together

It is simple
I am here

because of love

He loved her, my mom
She loved him, my dad.

Their love gave birth.
their self-less-ness
did not snuff me out.
their courage in the face of unknown
kept me alive
Floundering in a sea of objectionable options
they stumbled together flat on their faces
Yet their service in the face of frustration
nurtured my growth
God's love came to him and to her
He drew on God's love as did she
Then his love strengthened her love
and
Her love came alongside his love
Together their love gave to me
Together their love
will never
give
up

I forgot

I am here
because of love
Her and His love
Their love as one

For Mother and Fathers the Day is one vision of persevering love forever beautiful

"And these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.... "
1 Corinthians 13

What is love in an impolitic world?
One to another simple service one to another
quiet, simple kindness in the face of maneuverings on Wall Street or Darfur
a handshake
a cup of cold water
though cynics sneer
It is simple
I am here
because of love
courage in LOve

Note: He, She, Her Him They're Their together as one and yet uniquely distinct choosing to sacrifice part of self for love larger than self
For fruit sweeter than the flower.

In memory of
Alvin Hanson, my mothers dear friend, just died a week ago.
He had been spending his final days with his daughter in New York state.

Separation

My daughters are gone
They walked away with long legs

When they came with short spindly legs
that kicked randomly
they could not support themselves.

For food they wailed
I was at their beckon call
I was their arms and legs
Wails satisfied
My arms wrapped them up
I lulled them to sleep

Following another busy night,
in
the middle of the day
thoughts scattered
as my eyes burned
Another night
to soothe their little bodies
I bathed them
each
evening
in
tepid
water
Rubbed warm lotion
on their spindly arms and legs

I wiped their tears and held them near my breast
Their arms and legs grew

They don't recall
The random kicking
The wails
The wrapping of my arms
Lulled to sleep
The middle of the day
The warm baths
The lotion

Only tears
so they walked away with long legs.

April 2009

There are two common misnomers about Monet. The first is that, as an Impressionist, Monet's paintings were done spontaneously. In fact, Monet studied his subjects intently, planned his paintings, and worked hard to achieve his results. He often painted a series of the same subject to capture the changing effects of the light, swapping canvases as the day progressed.

The second is that all of Monet's his paintings were done on location. In fact, many were painted or finished back in his studio. Monet is quoted as saying: "Whether my cathedral views, my views of London and other canvases are painted from life or not is nobody's business and of no importance whatsoever." ¹

^see

Palettes and Techniques of the Impressionist Masters: Claude Monet