Sing it out

I am happy with this. I am especially happy with the tail feathers, but I wish I was a better artist to have captured the softness of the chest and the face without losing the crispness. (Does that make sense?)

Again, credit to Dave Slaughter's beautiful photo which can be found over on wetcanvas.com in their library. I am posting this over there soon and thanking him.

On another note:

I love having a blog. I love that you all have blogs. I love seeing everyone's fabulous art and thoughts. On that note, when my friend Marcus Finch arrives - which he will eventually - please check out his blog and wonderful art.
Ha ha, Marcus, got you!


Oil on canvas 8x10
Sung to the tune of "Sing it out" by Switchfoot. If you want to hear the song in a lovely pure form with just lyrics go to YouTube and check out it out
Sing It Out by Switchfoot [[with lyrics]]

Cheers and God's peace.
ks
Post Note: Sold at an Auction for LRCC (Lutheran Retreats, Camps and Conferences)

Sing it out wip 1 & 2

Wip #2 

                                                                         Wip #1

The grisaille start of something I've almost completed. Oil on canvas 8x10. Bird photo image courtesy of Dave Slaughter from what he posted on Wetcanvas' Library.  (They have wonderful stock photos to choose from)
ks

Pansy Duo

I'm calling this finished (unless later on I decide it needs.... something. Hmm. We'll see.)

Went yesterday to the Los Angeles Art Show at the convention center with a friend. This is the third year we've gone together and we agreed this year was better than the last, although my fav year was the first year I went to four years ago.  That year I stood in front of Steven Skollar's HUGH robot painting and wondered if I'd ever be able to paint something as wonderful. It was about the coolest painting I've ever seen. If I ever become a multimillionaire I'm gonna track it down and hound the people who own it until they sell it to me. Then I'll have to expand a wall in order to have a place big enough to hang it on. Oh (hand over forehead), the trials and tribulations of the rich and not so famous.
Anywhoo, this year's show was filled with lovely pieces of deliciousness. To stand in front of pieces by Rob Liberace, Julio Reyes, Daniel Sprick, Daniel Adel, Ron Hicks, and Kate Sammons. Heaven! (Well, my idea of heaven!)
Cheers and God's peace,
ks

Pansy wip and Donato Giancola's DVD

Hi all,

Wanted to do a real quick alla prima study and, of course, couldn't let it go at that. Just had to go back at it even though my subjects died. Didn't take a photo of them when I should have. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. So, I started this in the Jane Jones patented method (it's not really patented, I'm just goshin' wid ya) whereas Jane paints the entire background first, then blocks in the subject completely over that and if its bright flowers, she under-paints their area with white so the colors really pop.
OK, so that's my wip of my start.
More importantly, I'm so excited! I just purchased Donato Giancola's latest instructional DVD, the painting of Joan of Arc. I have long desired his DVD of "The Mechanic" but, quite honestly, couldn't find any reviews on it so I held off. This time around I figured its his second DVD, I believe its longer than the first, and I thought the price sounded reasonably - I paid $55 with tax and shipping. A splurge. He does realistic fantasy work and I remember seeing his painting of the stormy shipwreck, man and mermaid a few years back and just studying it for hours. So I've got my fingers crossed.
Cheers
ks
Post Note: If you are on the fence about buying Donato's DVD - DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND BUY IT! He is so charismatic and so informative. I found myself looking at the screen as if he was speaking to me alone. Amazing! I wish I lived close enough to partake in one of his real-life classes. I can't say enough good things!

Breakfast is served

Hi all,
Happy New Year.
This is the second to last painting I did for 2011. I am quite happy with it overall. (9x12 oil on canvas)

I love when I learn something that I already knew that I didn't know I knew (you know what I mean, don't you?)

From Robert Glenn’s Twice Weekly Letter from the Painter’s Keys site:

Artist: "You're boring me."

Painting: "I'm sorry."

Artist: "You're too fiddly."

Painting: "You could solidify me here with a dash of colour."

Artist: "Good idea. Also, that little thing is not standing in front of that other thing."

Painting: "That should be no trouble to fix."

Artist: "But you still look jumpy and out of whack."

Painting: "See what I'm like in black and white."

Artist: "And now you're lacking in warmth and colour surprise."

Painting: "What about giving me a swipe of really orange sunset behind everything?"

Artist: "Okay. I'll do it."

Painting: "I love it when you are so positive and just sock it to me."

And Artist Daily recommended shrinking the painting you are working on:

I don't mean literally shrink it, but if you take a photo of your painting and reduce it to thumbnail size and it still holds together compositionally, you've got a good piece on your hands.

 I smacked my head when I read both of these things yet I knew them, didn't I? Live and learn once again, eh?

Ok, be good and kind and God's peace

KS