John Gack

I could not help myself and I did a portrait session with my neighbor John Gack. Great model and thoughtful conversationalist. I had a good time John! John is an Architect .

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The Perilous Crossing

Dear Reader,

Do you ever have dreams where people are chasing you and you are running in slow motion? Or how about dreams where everything around you seems to be collapsing and falling apart and almost being gored by a yak? Well, I haven't had those kind of dreams in a long time but I do remember having them. I guess I was subliminally thinking about this painted illustration as I prepare to take my cargo ( family ) across the left coast. I wonder what adventures will be in store for us? Luckily everywhere we will be staying has WiFi so we will at least be connected. I mean, as an American, we do have our standards...unlike those wood plank bridges in China.

How would you liked to have been a fly on a beer mug at the White House ( no pun intended ) yesterday at the Booze Summit ? The funniest bit of commentary about this was on the Daily Show where John Stewart interviewed The Senior Black Correspondent Larry Wilmore. If he looks familiar he was the guy who taught sensitivity training in one of the funniest episodes of
THE OFFICE. You can see the episode for free on Hulu.com . Its Tuesday's episode.

I need a vacation , I'm starting to get a wee bit cynical ....hey bartender , give me one of those cold ones on tap...........adios caballeros



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Reader Mail 1.2

Halloween at ILM Frank and Chris Evans

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Dear Reader,

From time to time I receive an email from a viewer of this Blog. It's very rewarding to get feedback in a personal way. I don't have a counter on this Blog so there are times I feel I am just talking to myself and displaying my narcissism. So I will post some inquiries ....

post removed



also Mick asked on a Post...

Was that Frank Ordaz I saw in the credits at the end of "Goonies" for matte painting? Yes it was. You actually wait around and read the credits? I'm usually snoring by that time. What were the scenes you produced? I Painted the Well scenes . I also worked on the Pirate Ship inside the cave. I think that was one of the last movies I worked on. Of course Howard the Duck did me in. The real story behind that disaster will one day be told.




Hi Frank,

Just want to say how much I enjoy reading your blog. I'm 45 and only started painting about 15 months ago. I'm learning so much from reading your thoughts and processes. Thanks. I appreciate it.

I just found your Gospel series. Really nice. I know this may sound presumptious, but I believe God has given me this gift of painting so that I may bless our family. My wife started a Christian based home for battered women and their children recently. She and I both work regular jobs also. But she needs to devote all her time to the women and their children. So, I am believing God will provide through my art. I'm currently part of a show in a nearby gallery and have sold 9 paintings in two weeks. It's a start!

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with those of us who are learning. I hope to someday be able to take one of your workshops.




Hey Frank,
Me again, writing from Kandern, Germany. I was reading over your blog and I have to say I agree with you on many things regarding art. It is great to see your commitment to quality in art- I've always been a fan of Bezalel, the artist who was chosen by God to build the ark of the covenant. I believe that the best artwork is done by those who are empowered by God's Spirit to do it well, and that he finds pleasure in quality art.
All this to say I encourage you in your artwork. I think Francis Shaffer would agree that Christian artists should be leading the field. I picked up a paint brush and watercolors last summer for the first time and I've tried slopping oil paint onto canvas here and there, but it's frustrating not knowing what in the world I'm doing. My dream would be to some day actually take art classes, perhaps after my kids are grown up and I'm too old to see past my nose.
So, keep on producing the great artwork, and influencing those in your field for Christ through quality work and professional integrity. I plan on following your blog for as long as you keep it, and some day it would be a pleasure to meet you in person, as my home is California and we stay there every other summer or so.

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I am tying up some loose ends here before I embark on our West Coast Vacation. I have learned a couple things about vacations so that I don't end up strangling a bored teenager. At this stage of our lives, Jana and I just pick a destination that our boys will enjoy. We will have plenty of time, when they are gone, to do our thing. So we are hitting Santa Cruz, Monterey , Santa Barbara, Newport Beach...all the places where there will be water and girls and plenty of parental supervision ( drat for them ) . Also, I usually rent a car . That way, we don't worry about all the miles and dirt and abuse the car will take. Its a big load off my mind.

There is a lady in Pasadena that put together a show at the Pasadena Art Museum on my mentor Sam Hyde Harris. Her name is Maureen St. Gaudens and if that name rings a bell its because she is the grand daughter of the famous American sculptor Augustus St. Gaudens. She just published a book on Sam. We plan to get together and she will let me see his paintings from the Harris Estate. Hopefully, I will be able to sneak a few galleries in but I am not counting on it.

Also, I posted a while back about a friend of mine that epitomizes the Art Bohemian spirit. His name was Tezeus. Well, the other day my buddy Tim Solliday was at Vromans Bookstore in Pasadena and he overheard an excited voice carrying on with a man in checkout about Art. He was fascinated by the direction of the conversation and thought he recognized the voice, IT WAS TEZEUS. Well, I now have his address and I hope to get together with him after 25 years from our last visit. So much has happened and he is as Rasta as ever. Like a dummy I did not label the post so I can't link it off hand. Found it!!! Tezeus post

If you know of any cool happenings ( not in the art sense ) around So Cal next week by all means let me know.


Right now...I'm groovin on Chet Baker on trumpet. The video that accompanies this video is of early LA Ca. and all these cars send me back when my dad and uncles drove such vehicles


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Face of New Mexico , Ralph Rodriguez Jr

Greetings Reader,

I am in the process of doing another full portrait of my Uncle Ralph Rodriguez. He holds a very tender spot in my heart. He is a survivor of the Bataan Death March in the Philipines at the srart of WWII. He was held at Cabanatuan for 3 years before his fellow prisoners were rescued by Army Rangers in a daring raid that displayed the boldness of Ranger Robert Prince. The experiences of these Ghost Soldiers was recently retold in a Hollywood Movie . He was interviewed for Tom Brokaw's book the Greatest Generation.

He has a very strong life force and is about 96 years old and as strong as ever. He still maintains a very positive attitude about life and keeps himself busy even at his age. He , along with a group of others, started the group " Ex-Prisoners of War". He has met every President since Eisenhower.

He still lives in the adobe style house he built in Albuequerque New Mexico and he is a constant reminder to me that with time the human spirit can rise above any challenge and come out even stronger during the process. I will never know and feel what he has seen and heard, but he is a living example of patriotic fortitude.

oil on panel the view is from the 2nd story deck of his home looking out towards the Sandia Mountains. He flies an American Flag outside his front porch every day.

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As A TeenAger

Argh

As a Teenager

Disrespectful
Ambivalent
Self Serving
Spontaneous
Reckless
Feckless
Fearless
Restless
Bored
Moody
Dramatic

Misunderstood
Tempted
Tested
Rejected
Opinionated

STILL LOVED

Argh

As a Teenager

As a Child

Ahhh.
To be as a child
Carefree
Un Tormented
Cared For
Delighted
Free as Music
Time is Not
WhimsyFull
Loved
Feed and Full
Tucked in
Prayed for
Shoes on Demand
Rides for Free
Ahhh
To be as a child

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click on the image to see a fairly large blowup. Most people say I paint photographically. But when they look at the painting closeup, they realize that I'm a poser.


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The Cost of Vigilance

Dear Reader,

There was a time when I shot from the hip so to speak. I was so focused on Art and career that I had no clue what was happening around me. In fact, as I look back , I entered the job market at a time of recession in the early 80's. I had no idea that I was supposed to be fearful and concerned about my future. Thank God I did not own a TV or I would have accepted calamity. Such is the vigor and folly of youth. Charge on brave soul and conquer. Seek out the quest of your youth and carve out your name on the tree of life.

If you look carefully at the painting that I did a couple of years ago that I eventually overworked and destroyed ;7( this is the only copy ) you will immediately sense the confrontation between the wolf and the shepherd. But if you look closer towards the center of the painting you will see a single lamb innocent of the peril. In fact, the lamb, which is staring intently at the shepherd , may think the man is crazy and out of his mind as he waves his arms and yells aloud. The lamb is caught in the middle. If he moves away from the shepherd he will unwittingly be in striking distance of the wolf and his life will have ended. But if the lamb reacts to the shepherds voice he will be spared.

Those who are of a western cultural education will easily understand the allegory and from whence it comes. There was a book written called " The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy " and it outlined knowledge that an educated American or Westerner for that matter should possess. Take for instance calling someone a Good Samaritan. If you were born in America in the 50's or 60's you still had the religious upbringing to know what that meant. Take these phrases that have become a part of our national shorthand......turning water into wine...walking on water....eating the forbidden fruit.....being a "Judas".....turning swords into plowshares...antichrist....babel.....brother's keeper....burning bush.....go the extra mile......Golden Rule....the handwriting on the wall......Heaven and Hell......know the truth and the truth will set you free.........and on and on to a Wolf in Sheeps Clothing.

At the risk of offending some of you, I smell a rat at the current rush to socialize our current national health care. I will leave you with this thought. As the current legislation stands today , our esteemed legislators EXEMPT themselves and ALL federal employees from the health care they want you and me to accept.

Be care full of what you pray for ... you just might get it...have a great weekend and as is my custom a song.....





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How to Judge of a Picture

Dear Reader,

Last fall I was in a used bookstore in a quaint little town called Nevada City , Ca. While in such bookstores I usually head to the art section hoping to find some discarded jewel that has slipped the notice or value of the disposer. The title of this small book caught my eye as the phrase construction seemed so odd and still seems odd. How to Judge of a Picture. Written in 1889, the blurb below the tile read..." Familiar Talks in the Gallery with Uncritical Lovers of Art". Well, I read that and the hook was in my cheek. The price was right and I bought it.

Reading the Preface ( I love reading prefaces as the writer pretty much tells you if he is going to waste your time ) this line caught my interest....

At an exhibition of the oft-referred-to Morgan Collection ( I assume that is JP Morgan )I was unexpectedly called upon to play the pedagogue to two young people who wanted to know what there was in " those homely peasant faces of Millet" that people liked so much, and why the landscapes of Corot were considered such very superior art when they were " not half finished".

The same kind of question was asked to me by my young pastor as he asked me...What makes good art and how can you tell if one painting is better than another? And again last Sunday I was asked by a student...where do I go to learn about art and what makes art good? I referred her to my Blog...I mean...come on now.

John C. Van Dyke went on to say...

Of those that visit the galleries during the art season not one in ten is able to tell a good picture from a bad one. They neither know how nor what to look at nor have they any STANDARD of judgement except that of their own individual fancy, which is oftener wrong than right.

There is confusion but only because artists and art critics have been having a war amongst themselves. Observe the following. One can only tell the difference or quality of anything by way of comparing it to another. Would you rather have a ferrari or a ford camero? Would you rather have vinyl flooring or mahogony planks. Is there a difference in quality between wines? Can you tell a good wine from a bad wine? Does one have to be educated about the quality? I would say some education is needed for things not so obvious. Please permit me to use these utilitarian examples because by them we can gain a wider appreciation how knowledge will give us a standard of comparison. What makes a Lexus better than the standard issue Toyota. It's best to ask a mechanic for things hidden from sight from the casual driver. They will tell you that the materials and construction are of a better quality. The brakes, engine, headlights, stereo system, paint job, leather seats etc etc etc are all constructed to a higher standard . In fact the wood interior in the Lexus is actually real wood. I feels great to the touch.

Therefore, it seems to me there are things hidden or intrinsic in a painting , that are not readily appreciated unless a viewer understands the framework. It is in these hidden things to the casual viewer that the author of this little curious book attempts to clarify.

more........soon


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The Wood Gatherer Bastien LePage 1848-1884

Greetings Dear Reader,

Today I write about a painting that speaks deeply to me. I first encountered this painting by Jules Bastien-LePage at the Milwaukee Art Museum. I was so struck by its simple yet powerful composition. My eyes met the gaze of the man who was walking towards me from inside the painting . It was if he wanted to communicate something important, immediate to me. Why did it have this affect on me? Was he carefree as the child at one time? Was he working so that the child could be free to rhapsodize amongst the beauty of the Forest? Was he missing the beauty of Nature as an adult and wishing he could be lost in the attraction of the wildflowers? There was so much here to philosophically harvest.

I happened to be with a friend of mine who is now a professor of Art at a Lutheran College. He admired the painting but was affected most by the Rothko which was on exhibit. We had a mild disagreement as to the validity and importance of the Rothko painting but in any event the painting moved him as deeply as the LePage moved me. Why?

He sent me a postcard with the Gatherer on the front and this is what he said...

Frank. Visited the Milwaukee Museum yesterday. Said hello to the Rothko for you ( and the Bougereau ). This painting makes one ponder-Am I the carefree youth or the burdened old man? Either way, I'm walking in the Woods , huh. Enjoy the youth of your boys, my friend. Paul


What strikes me most about narrative allegorical Art is that the viewer's imaginitive and emotional passions are engaged and challenged. Something is being said that must be resolved if we dare to engage the proposition. I liken Narrative Art to music with words. Once words are added to melody, the meaning of the song is clearer and an idea is fleshed out for the listener. I liken Abstract Art to Music without words. Just as valid but open to various interpretations as there are no words to communicate thought.

But not all critics were enamored with the power of LePage. I have several old Art History books in my collection. In " A History of Painting" by Haldane MacFall ( 1914? ) attempts to chronicle the movements of Art by Country and Race. A curious but frequent habit at this time. The several volume account is note worthy as the preface is written by Frank Brangwyn considered by many at this time to be a giant amongst his peers. In the following passage the author dimisses Bastien-Lepage out of hand.

"Born at Damvillers, the son of a farmer , Bastien-LePage came out of the glamour of Millet. Bastien-LePage wrought his art out of doors without the genius and epic gifts of Millet....unfortunetly LePage led the way for the wide practice of photographic painting, not only in his own country , but in England.

But before the torch was born to further heights, it looked like being quenched in a shallow stream of photographic Realism through Bastien LePage. "

If we fast forward today , what would this Victorian critic think of the Photo Realism of a Ralph Goings or Richard Estes? A new tool was introduced and the writer missed what was being communicated by the method used by the artist.

A painting can stop us in our tracks and remind us about what is most important. As we toil, I hope we don't forget to enjoy the flowers around us.

What was I thinking?

Greetings Comrade,

" On Being Frank" will sometimes dive into the dangerous salty waters of politics. Since I write this Blog as a hobby and not as an Ebay enterprise, the possibility of offending someone and affecting a sale is far from my mind. Here in my neighborhood its hard to top a saying yelled out by our crazy couple...who were at it again on Sunday ( don't they know its the Lord's Day ) . Its goes like this ..." What was I thinking when I married you...What was I thinking? " . Well here in the states some of the local hoi poloi are thinking just that when they voted in the current administration. There is another saying that is popular and it goes like this...Be careful what you pray for...you just might get it".

I don't find it striking that change was needed. In fact, change is a part of our internal DNA. We are embedded with a ticker that says Change is the Natural Order of the Universe in our bodies as well as outside our bodies. Look at the Global Warming scare mongerers. They decided to use a linguistic frame that states the OBVIOUS...Climate Change. But I digress.

Here in the states we have let the Lawyers like former Sen.John Edwards ( who ran for President and made his fortune SUEING DOCTORS ) affect the cost of Health Care. Prices have skyrocketed. We the People in actuality cover the cost of Doctor's Malpractice insurance and the Bad Pharmaceutical Companys jack their prices to cover their rears for the next lawyer who will sue when Johnny gets diarrhea from taking a pill from his Mom's medicine cabinet. We are imploding. And I have not even mentioned all the illegals...like some of my relatives...who get free health care here in California. Do you actually think they will stop coming? A smart friend of mine actually told me with a straight face that Obama will solve that problem. Are you kidding me? Have you drank the Kool Aid? ( for my overseas friends..thats a reference to a host of cult followers who committed suicide following the orders of Jim Jones back in the late 70's ). Statistically patients with Cancer die off faster in Canada and England in large part because of the waiting time for treatment.

I wish De Tocqueville's Democracy in America were taken to heart by every American. One thing that he said that still resonates today is that he warned that once the People discover that they can redistribute wealth through their elected representatives then America would cease to be a prosperous idealistic country. America would be groups of self interest blocks voting in their agenda. We here believe that the PEOPLE can govern themselves. Take for instance this example. Here in the States ANYONE with the capital and motivation can start a TV station or a radio station. We say,,,Go for it. NOT SO in France. The government in France takes a PATERNAL position and all media is state run in order to PROTECT the citizenry. Now think about that. We are in the process of handing over our Freedoms to the likes of Nancy Pelosi. This is madness.

America...do you actually believe that the Government can do a better job than the private sector? Don't you realize that Medicare ( government elderly care ) is underfunded? Where will the money come from. Right now...you and I are paying higher costs on our premiums to cover Medicares shortfall payments to Doctors. Once we all get on the rationed government system..askyourself.....who will make up the shortfall?

As far as President's claim that you will be able to keep your existing coverage...read this

"the House bill does not outright outlaw private individual health insurance, but it does effectively regulate it out of existence. The House bill does allow private insurance to be sold, but only “Exchange-participating health benefits plans.” In order to qualify as an ?Exchange-participating health benefits plan,? all health insurance plans must conform to a slew of new regulations, including community rating and guaranteed issue. These will all send the cost of private individual health insurance skyrocketing. Furthermore, all these new regulations would not apply just to individual insurance plans, but to all insurance plans. So the House bill will also drive up the cost of your existing employer coverage as well. Until, of course, it becomes so expensive that your company makes the perfectly economical decision to dump you into the government plan."

I was prompted to write this as I am reading David McCullough's book John Adams. John Adams said something very poignant.....I learn War and Politics so that my children may learn Philosophy and Mathematics. They in turn must learn Commerce and Agriculture so that their children may learn Poetry and Art. And so it goes. I am an artist, but as a citizen I see us going down the wrong path with the approval and consent of the chattering class. Am I just supposed to post pretty pictures?

So I ask. Where will Canadians go to get better Health Care as soon as America follows their model ?.....to answer that may I offer the following humorous but poignant docudrama....

For in the sleep of Death what Dreams may come 1.2

Mary Bullock wrote a tender account about a soldier's misplaced grave and I am also posting our morning plein air at the Auburn Cemetery. The small sketch was a 2hr process. Its another 100 + day and we are definitely heading out to the American River this afternoon.

Oh Frank - what a wonderful post. I love painting cemeteries, visiting cemeteries and researching the lives of those buried there.
There are so many poingnat stories to discover in the tombstones - these people who once walked the earth, who once lived and loved and cried. Up here in Maine, the little graveyards can be found on hills, forests, fields. Most long forgotten - but to research those lives really touches your heart. There is the tiny graveyard in a little town that contains the tombstone that reads "The Stranger's Grave". The story behind it - During the Civil War, the body of a union soldier was sent back home to he grieving mother. When she opend the casket, to her horror it did not contain her beloved son, but the body of a young confederate soldier. She had the young man buried in her son's grave - the town ladies raised the money for the tombstone and tenderly tended the grave for years. Why? because, in the mother's words - "Perhaps there is a bereived southern mother who is caring for my son's body too." In time her son's body was located and sent back to her. She had him buried beside the confederate boy. For all she knew the enemy soldier could have been the very one that killed her boy - but in death all was forgiven. As the years passed, "The Stranger's Grave" is carefully cared for and every Memorial Day when Flags are placed on graves - this one receives a Confederate Flag - so he will never be forgotten. This story never fails to bring tears to my eyes.

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Hamlet stirs the imagination and the heart to this day with his troubled struggle with Death. I don't know of anybody who truly welcomes death unless you are like my friend who is 96 and who feels that she has lived a good life and now the quality of life is so disabling and limiting that Death is a welcome Peace.

So many "Famous" people have died this year that it causes me to pause and consider how I live my life. As my buddy Silvio and I were driving up to the Sierras last week we had a long time to talk about so many subjects. I enjoy discussing topics with him as he is learned with a PH.D. He mentioned something that attracts my attention all the more violently today. His professor spoke that we should live each day as if we were staring at our tombstone. Tomorrow, my workshop will be having our last class at the Auburn Cemetery. How appropo to be around those who have lived and passed on. What is their story?

I never truly considered Death until my second son almost died at birth. His life was almost snuffed out before it got started. I was reminded of Job as he was stricken with the news of the Death of his children. He famously said...God gives and God takes away...blessed be the name of the LORD. How could he feel this way? His wife felt that he should curse his God for he was abandoned. He was alone to face his unspeakable grief. Soon after he was in misery with unbearable boils. Whether you are a literalist or a Bultmann mythisist...the reality and pain of Death is universal...why did Jesus cry?

I am doing this difficult post as a 50 year old man who has lived a little. I have seen how those that are averse to risk ( death ) never truly live. They are kept safe in their cocoon in a world of fear. Security and Safety are purchased to ward off the inevitable and to protect themselves from future harm. From cradle to Grave goes the saying...please take care of me. I once heard an interesting story told by an 80 year old man that had been in several wars and had survived some of the most bloodiest battles and had performed some of the most dangerous assignments. He was asked if he was afraid of dying. He immediately answered the questioner that he had settled in his mind that God had set a date for him to pass on and that there was nothing he could do about it. Therefore, being afraid of anything was redundant. If it was his time it was his time. He volunteered for the most dangerous assignments.

It is for that reason that the artist has a duty and often times is inspired to speak about the human condition. The power of Dicken’s Christmas Carol rings true regardless of Social temperment. If we were shown our life would we be ashamed or would we be hopeful? It is hard to say when all standards in our Post Modern culture is up for grabs. But one thing is for sure. Each man or women touches other lives. We make impressions on the people we meet like our shoes make on sand. What will it be? I want my life to count and as I have been given charge of two precocious boys, I hope and pray that they will tell their children that their Dad was a Godly man and it was his hope and desire to leave behind him a trail of blessings....as Hamlet would say..Soft you Now....

100 degrees in Auburn

6 x 11 oil on linen board


Boy was it hot. I hope this painting cools things out a bit.

FX portrait layin.... 1.2 , 1.3

Connie wrote...

So no mixing or blending on the canvas, right? Just lay down tones and leave them alone. No "correcting" allowed? Ach!


Well I am glad you asked. Do your mixing using complements ON YOUR PALETTE NEXT TO EACH OTHER THEN LAY THEM ON THE CANVAS and leave it alone. I am not sadistic after all. ;7)

I am adding the flowers and this is as far as I am going to take this so you can see the color swatches next to each other.

Notice how I worked with cool WARMS on the background to complement the cools of the hydrangeas and vase.




1.2... I am adding this exercise for my workshop class but I think it might help some of you who are struggling with lights and darks. Instead of mixing a color for a background and a color for a foreground try mixing small shapes of color in the RIGHT value and lay them next to each other and DON"T change them. Pretty soon you will see if you are separating your lights and darks. These are my initial layins for a small little pochade of a Hydrangea still life. This will open up a new world of understanding color temperature , value , chroma , and color key.

It will be hard at first, but don't give up. Pretty soon you will find your self seeing color MASSES and then the fun starts......









Greetings Artistadores,

I am convinced that people are curious HOW something ...anything is done. How do you change a tire? How did you pull that rabbit out of that hat? How do you make eggs over easy without breaking the yolk? What are the secrets of meeting girls ?...my young son is already asking me that question. And that one takes a lifetime to understand but I do tell him that girls will give you certain signals ( hints ) and it is up to us to decipher, decode, unearth the communique. But I digress into perilless swampy waters.....

I have started portraits in so many ways that I have lost track of all the methods. But one thing is consistent and that is the initial value layin. As you can see that I layin very specific areas of mass that display a strong value plane. I am not overly concerned with blending at this stage. I want bold fresh color that communicates either SHADE or LIGHT.

Keep it simple before you go into details. That is so important if you are starting out as a portrait painter. In fact, there are artists who just add a bit more to my initial layin and they are finished with it. Thats cool too. In fact this 12 x 18 portrait was painted in about 6 hours. I could put in more time and render the detailing on his shirt to a photo realistic quality but I am not after that LOOK. I want to see brush strokes. AND very IMPORTANTLY since I am putting together a Portrait portfolio...what I show is what the client will expect from his or her portrait. So if I paint clothes with alot of detail...they will expect that. So what they see from me is what they will get.


What is it about certain songs that resonate so deeply within us that tears well up and we are presented with an encounter of the sublime . A musical Epiphany. Here is Andrea Bocelli performing one of my favorite songs.



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FX Portrait

oil on linen panel.

click on the image to enlarge


Greetings All,

I am still in the process of putting together a portrait portfolio and some of my samples will be friends and family. I am doing a combination of live poses and photo sessions when I am not able or the model is not able to pose live.

My great buddy FX is a forward looking visionary. He is always inventing something or designing something. His hopeful look into the future is how I see him.

Tomorrow I will post the initial layin. You will see how important it is to separate your lights and darks from the outset.

_____

Word

Sometimes a picture is worth more than a thousand well intentioned words.

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Shoot Yourself

Greetings All,

Today's post brings me again to photographing models. It is one of my great delights to find a good character model. A good model, when they exhibit the features you are looking for really makes your job so much easier. But there are times , alla Norman Rockwell, where photographing yourself to get the crazy looks and stares is also necessary at times and convenient especially when you are under the gun and need a quick turnaround.

I worked on this illustration several months ago and I tried something a little different this time. I modeled up the figures first and made my background match my models. Normally I establish my background first and then add my figures. As always, I paint a small color sketch to give me a direction and guide. Since I am pathologically absent minded , I will even jot down the colors I used in the sketch.

Unlike some other illustrators, maybe to my detriment, I do a very minimal sketch. I am just not the kind of personality that works well with painting precise outlines and coloring them in. This is not a put down. Its more that I want to achieve a loose/tight painterly effect and I want to be able to DRAW with my brush. Its great when you can get an Art Director ( like Ernie ) who understands the process and works with you on getting the image right to satisfy the very literal editorial staff. They have their job to do and we have our jobs to do and hopefully we come together with a product that satisfies all parties involved.

I also like making up characters using myself as a spring board. Adding beards and hair, or lack thereof, is all part of the fun as far as I'm concerned.

Sunflower Demo 1.2

Greetings again Artistadores ,

If you ever see a 1.2 or 1.3 , it means I have updated the post somewhere. In this case the last photo of the painting was too red and I corrected the background in Photoshop. It is still a little cooler in the original but I think this still works......

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Monday means I teach my workshop and I started this demo in class.. Its a 9 x 12 oil of some beautiful sunflowers that Jana bought at our local farmers market. A whole bunch for $5. You can't beat that price.

I talked about seeing the patterns in the darks against the lights and printed a black and white of the photo reference. Its really difficult to paint any still life at my workshop location as we are in an Art Store and the flourescent lights are coming from all directions creating multiple shadows and light sources. But you can get a good exposure if you photograph a still life with indirect light.

One thing I would like to point out if you struggle with seeing color and getting your values right is that you MUST keep your lights and your half tones and your darks separated and clear. Most importantly is keeping them separated when you start. I started the demo and pretty much painted the entire piece with a #8 flat bristle brush only to show the students that detail came last. What I see reoccuring again and again is the student seeing way too much detail in the shaded masses and having lights in the shade almost as bright as those in the light areas. Keeping your values in their proper place and plane takes practice but it can be achieved. Some students get frustrated because they honestly FEEL that there are areas in the shade that are as light as those in the areas receiving light.

Ask your self one question. What are the values like surrounding the area that I think is lighter? Most of the time, if not all of the time, the surrounding values are darker and by CONSTRAST make the area in question lighter. Check it out. Its true.

If your painting is getting that spotty look try asking yourself if you have clearly separated your light masses from your shaded masses and 9 times out of ten you might be able to make some suitable correction. Remember, most of getting the color and value right is comparing one color note next to another and so one. Make sure from the start that you are relaxed and fully concentrating on getting your initial color notes right.


Finally, I made the details with a brand new Isabey Badger Hair brush #8 which is half the size of a #8 bristle. If you have never tried the Isabey brand may I implore you not to be cheap on a good brush. It does make a BIG difference to have GOOD TOOLS. I like the Langenickel brand but the last few badger hairs that I bought showed that I either got some poorly manufactured quality controlled items or the brand has been sold to a faster and cheaper Wall Street type. My last 2 brushes had hairs just falling off at record pace.

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Step by step portrait videos still on the cutting room floor...so much work so little time....I'm on your job Ernie!

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Can I Dance

The first contest I ever entered was a dance contest when I was 11. It was on of those parks and recreation events where a whole group of exhibitionists got on the ampitheatre bandstand and danced to the TWIST. Then the MC would put his hand over your head and if the mob or your relatives liked you they would applaud. The performer with the loudest applause would win 2 dollars. I danced my heart out to get that 2 dollars and I WON! I can still see my dad laugh as I girrated and contorted my hips and feet to the Chubby Checkers tune.

I love dancing and Jana and I went out with friends to Constable Jacks in Newcastle to listen and dance to a funky blues band Friday night . Jana was laughing at me as I just let her rip when they played a song with reference to James Brown. Yeah he was crazy but man did that brother have Soul and could he dance. I still have'nt shown Jana all my dance moves as she just might die laughing.

Anyway...here is a CLASSIC dance demo from the man himself.....the Godfather of Soul...JAMES BROWN

Auburn Chrome

Greetings Car enthusiasts and chrome worshippers,

Every second Friday of the Summer Months brings Hot Rod and Classic Car Buffs to Auburn,s Cruise night. Fellow Travelers of steel and hot rubber rockets descend on our tiny main street to gawk , stare and covet these fabulous driving machines. Its all good wholesome fun and its a great way to meet your neighbors. Usually there is a Ventures tribute band performing but for reasons unknown, maybe recession cutbacks, no live surf tunes were blaring and sending us back to those Happy Days.

I am always impressed by those artists who have a knack and the patience to render all the chrome on grills and fenders. Some artists just revel on all the reflections. I have to say I wish I had the patience to try one hot reflected chrome painting...who knows...maybe somewhere down the line. At least I now have enough chrome reference to last me a life time.

So, for your listening pleasure may I present a classic cut of the Ventures performing " Wipe Out" . Scroll to the bottom of this post to view.







The owner started up the engine on this bad boy and thrilled the crowd with a show of pure western civ's occupation of burning petro gas just for the fun of it.







I just love that emblem.

Sierra Buttes Adventure or following the Ghost of Edgar Payne

Greetings Dear Reader,

Silvio and I drove up to the Sierra Buttes on Wednesday morning and we camped overnight at Sardine Lake which has a majestic view of the Sierra Buttes. Campers have been coming here for years and there is a 2 year waiting list for one of the cozy cabins by the lakes edge. You are sent back in time as the lodge looks like it was built around the time of Teddy Roosevelt.

Typically I made all the rookie mistakes. I forgot my sleeping bag and foam roll and I had to borrow Silvio's old farted up sleeping bag and sleep on the hardest ground imaginable. But that's okay. Here out West, in the Land of Edgar Payne, we accept and feast on the ruggedness of our terrain. We are no Bucks County, Cape Cod, Hudson River Foo Foo Quiche eating Plein Air painters sipping our Madierra while we paint. Being almost run over by a mountain biker , being bitten by mammoth sized mosquitos , or acting like a spotter for a mountain Lion appetizer is all part of the package here. Give me the Land of William Wendt, Maynard Dixon , Edgar Payne , Elmer Bischoff and I am a happy camper...sorry Stape......

Mistake #2 actually turned out to be a blessing. I forgot my regular glasses and instead wore my transitions. My transitions turn everything grey red . So.....I painted the entire time without my glasses on which kept me from looking at all the details and instead concentrate on the light and color keys before me. When I came home I added some detailing. I also tested out my new Soltec Easel. So far so good.

The painting above is a 9 x 12 painted around 10 o'clock. I plan to add a fishing boat in the foreground. I was mezmerized by the whitish light of the sun at this altitude and all the grey color on the face of the Butte.





We went back to the field that was covered in snow in March. The light on the Buttes was truly magical.




This plein Air was painted around 7 in the morning as the light was moving from the yellowish to whitish yellowish key. I had a blast painting as Silvio and I were the only ones out here and we had Salsa Music blasting from his Truck speakers. It was wild and kept the wildlife away.




A little 5 x 7 pochade from our campsite




Another 5 x 7 pochade from our camp




Sunset over the Buttes. As you can see, I just indicated the tree on the left side. I indicated a color note and concentrated on the Butte Face. I still need alot of practice capturing the fleeting light. Very hard.




Feast on that view dear reader! Thank God for this Beauty!!!!!!!



So long for now...Get off your Butts and check out the Buttes . ( Amazing how one letter can change the meaning of a word! )

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Chelsea

Chelsea posed for a alla prima portrait session after I photographed her for an illustration assignment . She was a great sitter and interesting conversationalist. Its not every day I can talk about Kirkegaard and have a poser engage me in a discussion about Christian Existentialism...

click on the image to enlarge and see all the mistakes....


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Jeremy Project is in the Can

Greetings All,

Painting Jeremy's Alla Prima portrait was alot of fun. I remember the days when painting portraits, or just about painting anything was a huge struggle and challenge. There are still challenges, but at least I can concentrate more on the subject matter and less on the technical part. For those starting out, if you stick with it , painting in oils will get to be natural ...but it takes plenty of practice.

I will go over the steps and show the step by step video. I will have 2 postings next week and they will be the Mr. X step by step as well as the Jeremy step by step.....

Jeremy is about 6'7" so I think I subconsciously stretched him out a bit to show that he has a higher vanishing point than most humans....

Happy 4th off July and don't drink and draw...you might fall off the chair!

ALso..After I saw the YouTube Carter vs Redman SaxOff I just had to download a Joshua Redman CD. I am now listening to Joshua Redman's " Elastic". It grooves with funk , soul, jazz licks...


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Half Full Jeremy

Here is the Jeremy Portrait so far. I have gone a bit unorthodox by not indicating and painting the eyes first. Here's why.

1. Jeremy is blind like me. Therefore his shortsighted glasses really shrink his eyes so they are not really good for measuring and getting good proportions. Also, he is probably wearing transitions so there is a tint to his glasses and I will work wet into wet when I come to his eyes.
2. There is more blue in the key light but it is not showing up on the pic. I will adjust the colors better later as color is what I am going for. I love the lavenders and magenta around the nose and mouth.
3. I will describe the process better as I finish and post. Go for the masses!

1. Also it seems to me that the photo has a bit of fish eye distortion which is making his chin appear pretty big...or else the Jman is a steroid enthusiast....
2. The Palette...Titanium White , Yellow Ochre, Cad Red Light, A. Crimson, Cobalt Blue, Venetian Red ( awesome for the cools ) , Burnt Sienna, Viridian and a touch of Windsor Green for the deep green to mix with Alizarin to get a nice Black.
3. Layin of the hair with a #10 flat...its the only way to get the Alla Prima look and energy into the hair.

The Cast

Greetings All,

Before I start on Jeremy's portrait today I just wanted to post some pics from my art teachers atelier. Ted Lukits called it the Lukits Academy. As you can see from the pictures the students could choose from a variety of plaster casts to either draw or paint. The drawings were usually approached using graphite pencils and stumps.

But one thing that Lukits did that was new and different was that he painted some of the busts in a flesh like manner. He had contacts in the Film Industry and he was able to get plaster casts of movie stars. One that you might recognize was a cast of Erroll Flynn. He painted his flesh tones pretty accurately as I remember.

The B&W photo was recently added on his website recently and it should be reversed. I also still have all my anatomy notes from his lessons on the figure from a real skeleton.

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Who Da Best

I'm a big Jazz fan and this YouTuber shows a tenor Sax Face Off between James Carter and Joshua Redman. Both very talented players. I have 2 James Carter CD's...so you know who I'm routing for...ya gotta see this even if you don't like Jazz. Yah gotta see the way this one ends....fa shizzle

The Jeremy Elder Project

Greetings All,

One of the pleasures of starting a Blog is meeting fellow artists walking towards the same goal on the same highway. Pictured above is Jeremy Elder, who at least must get some award for adding himself as a follower on so many Blogs. I can't tell you how many Blogs that I stumble upon and lurk around and as I look at the followers list he will invariably be there! He may be a federal agent...quien sabe? He's watching you.

Anyway as way of instruction I will be painting his portrait from this photo. If you want...you can give it try as well.

First off, before you start, notice the perspective lines of the eyes versus the direction of the mouth. What do you see? The eye level is very close to the mouth. See those things ( on a technical level ) before you start.

Send me a photo of your mug and I will add you on the list for demos....

ps. That T-shirt is almost too clever for it's own good....



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