Art at Your Door: Bird Nest, June 16

June 26:  The birds successfully took flight.  I didn't see them doing their flight training, but a guest here saw the mom with one of the new babies flying close by.  Success and now I have my front door back...all is well.

June 16: More on the birds nesting on my front door wreath:

 Mom and Dad are doing a great job and the babies are growing up nicely.  Someone did come through the front door the other day, so the nest and chicks swung into the house.  I can't imagine what the kiddos thought about their world moving on hinges like that!

Newsletter, June 2012

Here is my monthly newsletter for June, 2012
For the newsletter this month, I've added two pastels and a large new oil.  These new works are a bit more abstracted and I do like the results.  The two pastels have inspired me to do large oil versions and I hope to have the completed results in next month's newsletter.

July 21-22, I'll be doing a formal painting and pastel workshop in the Denver metro.

more.....

Video: Pierre - Auguste Renoir

This is unique, silent footage of the great Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919).  He is seen at home, working on a canvas, smoking, talking and thoroughly enjoying himself.

His hands were severely crippled with rheumatoid arthritis.
Uploaded to youtube by Nick Wallace Smith.

New Oil: Golden Moment Against the Reds, 48 x 48 inches

Golden Moment Against the Reds
Oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches

I worked up this composition from a small oil I did some months ago.  In this large version there is much more depth and power throughout.

After going through a lot of permutations, I came back to this simple arrangement that allows the best interplay of the reds, yellows and contrasts of the trees.  This oil has been in the studio for a couple of months and it underwent a lot of painting sessions, but the work remained fresh and kept its subtle power.

I'm assembling the progressive photos of this oil into a little presentation that illustrates how this painting came together.  I'll post it here in the next few days.

Note:  I'll be teaching my oil and pastel workshop on the Strategies for Making Fine Art in Denver, Sat-Sun, July 21-22  Complete info

Video: Degas on film, early 20th Century

This is unique footage of the great Post Impressionist painter Edgar Degas (1834-1917) as an old man walking in a Paris street early in the Twentieth Century.

This footage was uploaded by Nick Wallace Smith on Mar 22, 2011. Nick remarks, "I'm amazed the film was shot - he seems to have been almost ambushed."

At this time, Degas was suffering from eyesight problems and as often the case, he was wary of being photographed.

The music is by the composer Eric Satie....one of my favorites.

Art at Your Door: Bird Nest, June 10

The chicks have hatched!

The bird parents are not bird brains after all.  Four days ago, we had a major hail storm with 3-4 inches of sustained hail for an hour.  There was 3-4 inches of hail here! Since this nest is the the front door wreath and under the protected front door porch, the parents and chicks were undisturbed, short of the crazy lighting show.

Looks like these chicks will all be named Einstein after their parents.  More photos soon.

In the studio: June 6, 2012

In the studio June 6, 2012

On the easel is a 3x5 foot canvas coming from the pastel at the right. I'm two sessions in and this oil is coming along nicely. I say nicely because I'm not getting fussy, so I'm not bogged down and overly concerned about small, frustrating details. My concerns right now are the overall shapes, color and contrasts of the oil.  I'm going to continue to add power by any means and go for a dramatic painting that simply expresses the flow of color and light across the canvas.

At the bottom left on the floor is a 2x4 oil of red trees. Behind that are two finished canvases in frames. It's the red zone back there.

Little did I know that after this photo was taken, the lovely rain outside turned into an hour long hailstorm, leaving 3-4 inches on hail everywhere.  What an amazing racket!

By the way, for those of you following the birds nesting on my front door wreath, they are fine and looking like bird geniuses for nesting under the front door overhang.  Baby bird photos will be coming when the eggs hatch.

Perhaps you would like to attend my upcoming oil and pastel workshop:
Making it Fine Art
A two-day workshop in Denver, Sat-Sun, July 21-22.
Two-day workshop: $225. per person  Complete info
Also, there are plans for a 2012 Summer or Fall Houston, TX workshop as well.  Please inquire