On a new Demo and finish

11 x 14 oil on linen

 I painted a demo for my Thursday night portrait class. I chose my friend John Downs as my subject because he is balding and the student can  learn from seeing the ball of the crown of his head. The student must learn to make the head feel like its turning around the light.

 We use a very simple palette. The colors. .... Titanium White , Naples Yellow , Yellow Ochre , Cad Red Light , Alizarin Crimson , and  Ivory Black.

 I got so into it that I kept on painting after they left. My cell phone rang around 10pm. Jana asked me if I was coming home soon. I said... glad you called. I lost track of time.

 I came in early just to kinda finish it off. It's not done as I need to clean up some areas such as the hands. But I like the mood.

On A New Year and Lessons Learned 1 year at the Gallery.....

The Murph  24 x 30 oil on linen

 Well... I'm back at it after a short vacation from blogging and frankly, I've been very busy painting and doing Gallery Stuff and today I've been itching to dive back in and post whats been happening lately and what I have learned after having the Ordaz Gallery open for a little over a year.

 I will demonstrate what I have learned about clients and people from my recent experience at the Waterhouse Gallery in Santa Barbara Ca. As I was walking with my 2 boys Isaac and David, we stumbled across a little alcove and saw a sign that said that the Waterhouse Gallery represents some of the top talent in representational painting. There was a nice painting at the top of the sign and it caught my eye and I said to myself ... well ... let's see just how good these artists are in this fine establishment.

 Sure enough , the art was outstanding. We saw original art by the likes of Frank Serrano , Jennifer MacChristian, Craig Nelson , Aldo Balding and on and on. I usually am pretty demonstrative when I like something and I was telling my boys how much I liked certain pieces. We were in there for about 5 minutes before the sour puss looking lady behind the mohogoney desk looked up and asked if I was an artist ( that's gallery code for.... if you are then I have an excuse not to pay attention to you because there will probably not be a sale here ).By the way, this is a small gallery where she could see us at every turn.  I answered yes and she gave me one of those dismissive looks and proceeded to look at her computer screen . After another five minutes we left with a good impression of the art but a bad impression of the Gallery and the frumpy woman behind the desk. Why Frank?

Michael Kent Murphy with his portrait

 If you have ever read Dale Carnegie's book " How to make Friends and Influence People" that gal, in a down economy, broke every rule in sales ( and I'm here to tell you ) and connecting to the client. For one, I have learned the hard way that every one that comes into the Gallery is the most important person in the world at that moment. What the queen at Waterhouse projected was " I'm more important than you". Here are the mistakes ..... She failed to greet the customer , failed to smile and appear pleasant , continued to work at her desk communicating that what she was doing was more important than the customer , failed to say goodbye or show any interest in SELLING or PROMOTING the work of the artists.

 Now you may say. Frank , cmon , why should she waste her time with you. You know you were not in there to buy anything. Well let me tell you. See the lady in the picture above with the horse. She came into the Gallery the other day and bought my big painting " Lighting Approaches". She came to the gallery because her friend , who was an artist , had come into the gallery months before and we had talked and gotten to know each other. If I had taken the attitude that ...This person is an artist , there is no way she is going to buy something so I have the right to give her the minimum of time and respect I would have never made this sale. It was all because her artist friend liked me and she wanted her friend to see my paintings while she was visiting during the holidays. As it turns out ... she is ordering plenty more paintings from me. Lesson here .... you don't know where the sale is gonna come from so treat everyone like you would like to be treated. Your reputation is at stake. Remember... People talk. Your art is one thing... but your attitude can really turn people off.

 The upshot is that doors are opening really wide for me right now. I have plenty of work as a result of just being friendly with my customers. I've learned to follow up with an email asking .... How did your husband or wife like the painting? Here is one response....

  "Hi Frank --

Yes, He really liked the painting. He couldn't believe it when he opened his gift...thought it was super cool and unique. Thanks for doing such a great job. People who come over also comment on how great the painting looks. I hope to send more people your way."

I've learned that the short note is a powerful tool that says... You are Valuable to me.

 I have also learned to talk about THEM when they come in and to get their names right away. That way I am not talking to strangers anymore.

 I have also learned as my Mentor Don Rowlett has told me. you gotta cultivate the soil and plant the seeds and in due time you will pick the fruit. I have found that to be 100% true. There have been clients who have come in several times into the Gallery and have then decided to purchase a painting or commission a painting. I treat  them with a warm style each time they come in , regardless if they are interested at that time in buying a painting. My reputation is at stake. I want every person who walks into the Gallery to have a great experience.

A group of sons for a surprise present ... if you know who these boys are, don't say anything to their mother. Secret!

 Also , doing these little 5x7 portraits have added many new clients who would like to buy more expensive paintings but for reasons that the economy has produced just feel that anything over a hundred dollars is asking a bit much.  Now .... more people own an " Ordaz" and the word is getting around.

 Pictured above is Pedro. He and his brother have each purchased a painting from me. We have come to be friends and Pedro performed for one of my Holiday gatherings.

 A couple of weekends ago , I was in L.A. to photograph a couple for a portrait and to photograph some horses and children for some more artwork. We spent time with my bud Tim Solliday and we visited the Old Mill in San Marino where the California Art Club was exhibiting a group show of small paintings. The art was outstanding!

 Pictured above are some Frank Serrano paintings. Soon after we landed at Peter Adam's Legacy Gallery and it was like ol times again. I even signed up and became an official member of The California Art Club. That evening, Peter, Tim , Silvio Silvestri and I enjoyed a raucous evening of BBQ'd ribs at a great joint in Pasadena.

 Then tragedy. My nikon camera bit the dust. It was a blessing though. My new Nikon d5100 is a dream. Then off again to photograph another portrait client in Tiburon Ca..... whew....

 Oh ya .... I'm teaching again at the Gallery. 3 classes....too much fun and some really talented students.

 Then if that is not enough.... I'm having our men's bible study at the Gallery every Wednesday evening at 7. Come on down. It's a salty and light group....

blessings ..... more to come on what I have learned about making sales .....

On blessing others through portraits

5x7 Chobie's Attitude

Well... I finally hit the wall today. Thursday was a constant stream of people coming in and buying or ordering. I took the time to think of what my parents would like from us and I settled on a portrait of each of their grandchildren Isaac and David. David is pictured above in his usual defiant pose when he is asked to do something. It's not what a client would ask to be painted , but I feel this kind of pose truly reflects a side that the sitter possesses that people immediately recognize as being a dominant part of their personality. I want to hear... Yeah ... that's David ( Chobie ).

 I have been thoroughly BLESSED this Christmas season with orders of portraits. But it's not the orders that has blessed us but the reaction that I am getting from my clients. I painted a portrait of a client's wife. He gave me a photo taken of her in 1968 where she is sporting a beehive style hairdo. The photo was faded and I had to adjust the colors . I could tell that he trusted me to do a good job but he still demonstrated hesitation. Some clients you just have to hold their hand through the process. You HAVE to make them feel comfortable and that the end result will come out okay. I do this by painting a small preliminary color sketch for them to approve. When it came time for him to pick up the painting, he was besides himself with joy. He was proudly holding the painting and remarking out loud.. Frank, You really captured my wife. My sweetheart. Wow. This went on for some time as he said he could not believe how well I pulled off the assignment. I forgot to photograph the final effort. But watching him walk out of the Gallery overjoyed just made it all worthwhile. That was more reward than the money. You can really touch someone with a painting that can be enjoyed for as long at it adores a wall.

5x7 Mia

 Then there was Jerry's reaction to the 2 grandchildren I painted for him. He just was ecstatic about how I painted his sweet little Mia. He was tearing up. He's going around telling and showing the paintings to friends and clients. Its great word of mouth.

 I could go on how clients have truly blessed me this Christmas Season with how appreciative they are with the work I have done for them. But it would be too self indulgent. It already is ... so pardon me. But there is a reason for this....

 I have learned it so much better to give of yourself and your gifting to others. You honor God by doing what you do best for others is truly a wonderful adventure. You have no idea how one good small act will ripple across the sea of a person's life.



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ON getting ready for Saturday's Open Gallery/Studio

5x7 oil on linen panel " Karen Granada"

 Well..... it's been awhile but it has been go go go since the Tiburon Arts and Crafts Fair. As usual , we had a good time and both FX and I had a good go of it. I sold a total of 7 paintings and the enthusiasm level was much appreciated at this end.

 So far , the $75 - 5x7  oil portraits are keeping me busy with the public. It's an affordable price for the season around these parts and I have 11 orders to date besides the "promised" orders. What has occured with some of my visitors is that they initially are drawn in by the price but after we talk about what they want , they have decided to order larger sized portraits. So far so good.

 You still have time to send me a jpeg of your special someone. It's a limited time deal for this Christmas season.

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This Saturday from 3pm to 9pm the Gallery/Studio will be open for visitors to peruse the wonderful sampling of paintingst from the various artists at my Gallery. I will be painting a portrait during the event..... The artists featured include Maria Sylvester , Udo Shroeder , Chris Hopkins and Thomas Fluharty. Also on display will be goards by Kathleen Sailor and Ukranian eggs by Teresa Harbert. Refreshments will be served with Holiday cheer.

843 Lincoln Way Auburn Ca 95603  ..... google map it!

..... Pandora likes this month .....  Fitz and the Tantrums  ..... Madeleine Peyroux

On going to the Annual Arts and Crafts Fair in Tiburon Ca

Fog Blankets Tiburon 11x14 Pastel

 Today I drive down to the Bay area and reconnect with FX and all the good folks in Tiburon at their annual Arts and Crafts Fair. I really have a good time down there and besides displaying my paintings at the Art & Garden Center at 841 Tiburon Boulevard I always hit Sams for a fine beer and their amazing calamari. I can't wait.

 The pastel above is from FX's front yard looking towards Sausalito. The fog rolls over the hill and during sunrise creates a fairy tale like shroud that mesmerizes the senses. It really is magic. I haven't done a pastel in a while and since I had purchased 2 glass frames in July at Aaron Bros annual penny sale ( buy one frame and get the next for a penny ) a pastel fit the bill.

Halley 11x14 oil on Panel

 I wanted to paint a sample for an 11 x 14 portrait. I used my neice Halley ( she's only 14 in the photo) for a painting where I experimented with gold metallic oil paint. I really looks cool in person.

The Arts and Crafts sale is Saturday from 10 to 4pm. I hope to see you there! I will have about 12 paintings on exhibit .

ON finally finishing The Traveler

The Traveler 30 x 40 oil on canvas

 Well, It's about time I finished The Traveler . There were areas of his dredlocks that needed a little bit of extra love.

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Again .... I will be in Tiburon Ca . this Saturday for the annual Arts and Crafts Faire. Small oil paintings will be on sale!




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On painting Jacqueline

5 x 7 oil portrait on linen panel

 My first victim for my 5 x 7 oil portrait was Jacqueline. She wanted me to paint it while she posed. I was hesitant at first in that I don't think I have painted a portrait this small. I told her , for the price , how about if she posed for an hour. She agreed and I would say this portrait took a little over an hour. She was a great sitter and conversationalist . She should be. She is a practicing clinical therapist.

On getting ready for ThanksGiving

Jana painting in progress

 Frankly, I was tired looking at that old post but I've been really busy at the Gallery. I sold 4 paintings during the tour and had a client put a down payment on 2 portraits as well as a follow up call  from various others for 4 more portraits of varying sizes. So I've been running on fumes.

 I've starting a little holiday deal where for $75 I will paint a 5 x 7 head and shoulders portrait. It keeps the cash flowing and it does not take that much time. All you have to do if you are interested , is just send me a jpeg and you can have your very own original Ordaz portrait for the Holidays.

 I wanted to take Saturday off but a client called and wanted a rush job ready by Monday. I felt like Al Pacino in the 3rd GodFather movie..." Every time I try to get out ... they pull me back in" . Check this out. Nothing ... I mean nothing ever really works to script. The client calls ... I'm still in bed at 11am. Frank he sez ... I need this job right away. Can I come over to the Gallery? Hey I sez ... I still am warm under the sheets. I'm taking the day off. Frank he sez .. I need this by Monday . Can we meet at the Gallery in an hour. Hey ...How about at 2 . He agrees. I'm at the gallery at 2. I get a call at 2:15. Frank.. I was driving my classic Auburn sedan to see you but I'm presently stuck on the side of the freeway. I still want to meet. Can we do it at 6:30. So what seemed like a early stint at the cave turned into about 4 hrs where I would have to think of something to do. So I started adding some glazes to Jana's portrait. That painting will be my labor of love for who knows how long. So ... it's it's now about 4:30 and I call the Murph. What are you doinG? Come on over and we can have a beer. The Murph shows up and sez... hey ... we are having a little party at my place ... come on over and crash our hut for a bit. So off I go and the food is delightful . There are all these 20 somethings cooking all these finger foods and they are friends of my hosts daughter. Most of them are middle eastern and soon I am in a semi heated discussion with 2 Palestinians. It's just too good. Hey I sez ... I was there in the West Bank ... and as far as I'm concerned ... all you guys are crazy. Of course that never goes over well and I have learned to say something inane such as ... "when someone figures it all out they will figure it out". huh? So by 6:30 I am back at the Gallery and we go over the assignment and I'm back home by 8. I discover a gem of a movie on Netflix called " The Groomsmen" ... a big five stars from me. Jay Mohr steals the show. It's a classic dude flick with 5 irish catholic friends getting together for their friends wedding. If you don't like hearing the f-Bomb then this film is not for you. Forget about it. Jana liked it. A much needed feel good movie!

So I'm here at the Gallery procrastinating and entering this post where instead I should be getting the project done so that I could go home and relax and watch the 49er game. I fall asleep by halftime so It's my way of getting a bit of shut eye.

 Jana's already planning for the Big Thanks and I'll be rounding up the Legget in Reno and bringing him to the hut to cook the wild beast. It's our big family event.

 David goes into Shriners again this Monday for a 3 hr . walking scan . They are analyzing his walk and where he compensates. They will be placing sensors ... just like in animation ... all over his body. He's kinda getting into the high tech end of it.

Okay ... back to work.....

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So you like Pandora Radio ... me too .... my Favorites right now ...

Brian Eno .... This channel will put you to sleep... pure ambient ... like the music you hear when you are given a legitimate massage

Chris Botti ... good mellow romantic saturday morning chill

Cake ... Wanna listen to what the 20 somethings are into .... then this channel is for you

Pat Metheny  .... need I say more?

Good Painting Mellow channels include .... Carla Bruni  , Chet Baker , Keith Jarrett

Phil Wickham .... good Christian channel that's not your typical bubble gum k-Love

Check out Eldar...... Bee Bob Piano



blessings .....

On New Paintings and Open Studio this Friday to Sunday

Meet the Birches 16 x 20 oil on linen

  My Studio - slash - Gallery will be open to coincide with the Placer Arts Studio Tour this Friday , Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 6 pm. I've done the tour  4 years in a row and this year I decided to go it alone. We'll see if it is a success or a mistake. Wine will be served ( a no no if you are on the tour ... it's an insurance thing I hear ) at the Gallery as well as the usual goodies.

 I will be busy painting and demonstrating my "Technique " for anyone and anything breathing. It will all be good. Credit cards accepted . So good to have PayPal!

 After I finished the painting of the Birches , which reminded me of an Old Couple , I wanted to paint a subject where it was all about color. I was looking to focus on a feeling of lavender and green. The aim was to limit as much as possible any unnecessary detail. In order to achieve this I had to limit my time frame. If I spent too much time , knowing myself all too well , I would start looking at all the details and rendering the nuances. That being the case , I limited this 16 x 20 image to 3 hours. I had too much fun . There is always a strong urge and compulsion to go back in and start to render the form more. But it was a good exercise and last night a man walked into the Gallery and watched me paint this and said that he really liked the colors. Bingo!


 I'll be finishing up on a painting that I have been working on and off for a while now during the open studio. Its a 30 x 40 .

Painting in progress  Sardine Lake Butte  30 x 40

 Come on down. Friday .... We will have our Veterans Day Parade on Lincoln Way. So if you plan to come on Friday , you won't be able to park on the street until after 1 pm. Hey ... hang out and salute our Vets. They deserve it!

Open Friday  , Saturday and Sunday  10 to 6pm  Refreshments served with a smile

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On Painting across the Street

 This is the view across the street. Ted's house is on the left and he is my direct neighbor. The light is pretty flat and frankly flat lighting always gives me a tough time . So I just aim for patterns of color. Just imagine an abstract and you won't have too hard of a time figuring out the center of interest.

 I dropped my Nikon camera a while back and it seems that I can't get the auto focus to work really well. It's a bummer.

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 This is the next in the series. These are my 2 birch trees in my front yard. One is kinda leaning away from the other. It might be a male female issue. Who knows. Anyway , the light during this time is fun to paint. My house is right behind the 2 trees. The painting aboove is a 5 x 7 color sketch. It's always a good idea to work out the color arrangement ahead of time. I plan to go very expressive with my paint strokes , so this sketch acts as a conductor of where I want to go.

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 Ever done a painting and at the moment you thought it was pretty good and then the next day you scratch your bald head and shout out to whoever is listening ... What was I thinking? Well, this next painting is one of those. But I post it here for curiosity sake. I think its okay .... I was trying new things and a new ground. The horse was so black that when he was sprayed down with the hose , he appeared blue! The rope was neon red and the hose was a complimentary green aqua. It was hard to resist the combination.

9 x 12

On painting " Daddy's Home "

Daddy's Home  11 x 14 oil on linen panel

 When I turn the corner to get to my house, the evening light on my neighbors home just takes my breadth away. I think of Maxfield Parrrish and the rich color palette that he was famous for . I look forward each evening to see how the the cast shadows create a sense of drama against a golden light. When I see my neighbors truck parked there , it reminded me of when I was a boy and after a wild afternoon of bicycling all over town I would approach my home and if I would see a a truck in our driveway it meant that dad was home. And it possibly meant that I was in trouble.

blessings

 Its Halloween. I think more people are afraid of the current financial mess than scary tricksters dressed up in goblin couture. So I will be handing out tooth decaying sweets to little tots coming by Downtown Auburn for our annual Merchant Halloween Treat Fest. Above is my little David doing his best to scare the gills off my neck.

On Lightning Approaches

Lightning Approaches 24 x 48 oil on canvas

A recent completed painting available at the Ordaz Gallery. Price available at OrdazArt.Com


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 Had too much fun groovin to Grits. I love the lyrics to they all fall down ... here is a sample...

I've compiled this alongside with bone
So you can file this under for the opposing a nihilist
Doubt what you know nothing about reactionary
Belief in the scripture's fulfillment are contrary
To popular belief
Hellbound in a basket
Sucking on their teeth
Wound up in a casket
At close, you froze
Already chose the doors you go trough
The life you chose to lead
Determines the place you go to

To the naked, untrained eye
Who can't see time fly by
Revolving on a carousel
Living life like a modern day fairytale
Slow mo', urgent message gets a no-go
What fo'

Can't nobody tell you
Everything is lovey dovey
Till your plans fall through

They all fall down
They all fall down
They all fall down
They all fall

On finishing up The Traveler

The Traveler 30 x 40 oil on Canvas
Click on the image for a better critical view

The Traveler HAS to be finished by Monday in order to enter it in the Smithsonian's portrait competition. So finally , I took a good photograph of my progress. I fit in time painting on it while working on money making illustrations. Frustrating but necessary.

blessings

comments? Constructive critique?

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So what's keeping me from working on the Traveler? A painting for LifeWay of David and Goliath. They require a tight drawing so that the editors can all review the staging. Then its off to the reces after approval. I don't show too much of my illustration work here .... but this is an exception.

close up on a 24 x 30 illustration assignment

 Our friend Christina walked into the Gallery yesterday while I was painting this. Notice that I now use my iPad as my source to paint from.

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 Today I am groovin on Grits. These Christian Hipsters really get me swishing the brush.

On painting a loved one ....

11 x 14 oil on linen

 This painting is the fifth painting where someone has a loved one who has passed away and they have asked me to paint a portrait with the photos that they have available. More and more I hear that they wish they had taken more. There was not a single photo that they gave me that did not have someone else in the shot.

 They wanted a painting that they could display at the Memorial service and I was given the challenge to paint this portrait today. The Memorial is next week. So here is a bout 6 hours of work. She had pretty yellow teeth and I asked them if they wanted me to adjust them a bit. They said no. We all want to see her as she was. My kind of client.

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 So here is the skinny on how I arrive on skin color ESPECIALLY from a flat photo.

 Mix yellow ochre and Cad Red light to arrive at the general skin color. Some folks are pinker than others. Get as close as you can then mix a string of batches using that mixture by adding white. Okay. So far so good . Now here is the tricky part. Use burnt umber as your black . Why? Flash photos tend to project a whitish cool light. If you look closely at the subjects face , you will see that the shadows will tend to go warm. Thus ... we use the burnt umber to go darker as well as keeping our tones warm. Then , where needed  , usually below the cheeks , use the ever trusty Veridian to modify the warm skin tone color. Then , towards the end .... add the touches of pink with Alizarin Crimson. Leave this potent cool red towards the end.

There ... its that easy .... with a little bit of practice.... ;v)

blessings

On the Potter and Clay #8

9 x 12 oil on linen board

  The Potter now applies some red food dye to color his bowl.





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I will be posting a painting adventure you can take with me in France . Searching for pieces for the web ad .... I came across a piece that I had painted on location over at the Empire Mine. Here it is .... probably done in 2006...''

On a Mondrian Horse

11 x 14 oil on panel

 There will be a couple more paintings to finish off the Potter and Clay series. So instead of losing my momentum , I've posted a small 11 x 14 painting I did the other day after checking out the Staff Horse Expo at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley last month. I took over 500 photos of these magnificent working beasts.

 I saw this staff horse looking out regally at the gawkers around him and as I framed the shot it reminded me of Mondrian's painting compositions. I pushed the colors on the drab colored stable and had some fun with this oil painting. Check out the hair cut on the Horse. He was a horse with attitude.

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 On a personal note . Say a little big prayer for my son David. His life has been a physical challenge. He has epilepsy and the slight cerebral palsy he had in his leg has gotten worse where he tends to fall alot these days. We are taking him again to Shriners as the medication that was given him to loosen his tendens has not worked .  A cast may be in the order . We don't know. But his spirit is up but there are times when he curses his leg. He is a fighter .

blessings to you and yours

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On the Potter and Clay #7

5 x 7 oil on linen board

The Potter fashions the clay into a form that is designed by his imagination and skill.

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$100 + tax and shipping , signed on the lower left

On the Potter and Clay #6

5 x 7 oil on linen board

 The potter is starting to widen the top of the vase and the final form is taking shape. In the Book of Jeremiah in the Old Testament Scripture , God speaks to the prophet Jeremiah and tells him to observe the Potter as he molds the clay into a vessel of his design.


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$100 + tax and shipping




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 This is the next gesture pose in the series. You can get an idea how these small compositions are laid out and then painted. I try to keep the strokes as simple as possible with the minimim amount of blending. My approach is to have the patches of colored strokes create the appearance of structure and light.

On the Potter and Clay #5

5 x 7 oil on linen board

On the Potter and Clay #4

5 x 7 oil on linen board #4

 The Potter reaches for Water which will make the shaping of the vessel smoother and more manageable. The potter is in complete control of the design and purpose of his creation.

$100 + tax and shipping

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and I finally did something right about Rosie's portrait..... I finished it the way I felt described her instead of your typical Ordaz portrait....

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On the Potter and Clay #3

5 x 7 oil on linen board

 The Pot is starting to take shape .

$100 + tax and shipping

On the Potter and Clay #2

5 x7 oil on linen board

 The Potter was actually throwing the clay in front of a black background. The first painting was definitely influenced by the facts of the surroundings. But now, having gotten the first piece out of my system , I am free to explore diferent color arrangements.

On the Potter and the Clay

5x7 on Linen Board

 The Potter and the Clay is the start of a series of small paintings that will show the development of a beautiful pot from the Ministry of Potter's Field. Then when I feel that I have sensed the spirit of the process of turning a lump of clay into a pot I will then proceed to paint a  36 x 48 painting that will be donated to the ministry. Hopefully these small sketches will help me fund this enterprise.

$100 + shipping

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Smilin Jana 5x7  oil on linen board