Thursday Night @ S12

AFTER

18 x 24 oil on canvas

 I arrived at S12 just in time to sit below the standing painters and get a front row seat. This view has been painted by so many good figure painters , I almost felt like moving as the comparisons are unavoidable. I'm thinking of painters such as John Asaro, Jeremy Lipking , Robert Lemler ,  Jacob Collins et al..... anyway ... undaunted but almost deterred I pressed on and decided to play with the colors and an overall color composition playing off the synchopation of the reds against the couch and figure. It was our usual 3 hour pose with breaks and I feel that I need at least another hour to finish it off  as I was concentrating more on the overall effect rather attention to getting the figure right... especially around the face and knees and feet and couch ... heck ... the WHOLE ENCHILADA!

 One of my fellow painters offered to buy it and I guess that makes me feel that it was coming along..... but as the artist , the completed image of the painting in my head is not quite transcribed on the canvas. The model knows me and she allowed me to photograph her. Stop me if you think I will mess it up .....

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______ Random Musings .....

 Sometime choices can be hard and technology can settle the doubt. It football season again and all is right in the world ... at least in non consequential things. I ALMOST stayed home to watch the season opener featuring the Saints vs the Vikings. But with TVO and can watch and be in the parade at the same time.... welll almost.

 So here I am painting a nude and my cell phone rings. Its Don Hatfield , obviously bored , calling in while driving to the Masters Workshop in San Diego. Its that big workshop with the likes of Lipking , Dan Gerhart , Richard Schmidt et al. Don's excited and is giving me this rambling play by play of all the BIG BOYS that he plans to get tips from. I listen and paint while he goes on an ... I'm so happy for him ... only if he shares those tips and secrets with me ..... ;v)

 The local architect Michael Kent Murphy for some reason likes me and really wants the Gallery to succeed. He's been coming in from time to time and giving me some really good advice about making the Gallery more inviting. As he is getting to know me better he is being more liberal with his critiques. Finally the other day he walked in and told me that my wall was really boring and did not display the energy and excitement of my work. In so many words he said it sucked. I was planning to change it ... but his guidance was  a real eye opener. He said, as an architect you have to know the function of that room. The front room really does not function as a Gallery , as the back room does, so why not make it more inviting by giving it a more active Studio look and feel and put up as many images of my work on the wall and get them off the floor. Make a giant montage he says...

 It was a good direction as several groups came in yesterday and were able to see the range of my abilities and madness. I even SOLD a painting. Its the presentation Frank that can close the deal .....

I'm adding more paintings to the wall and it at least gets peoples attention. I hear a constant comment though .... I like your work but I think you have a gift for portraits... do more of that..... its hard when you want to paint it all!


---------also

 I continue to enter the FineArtViews Online Monthly Painting Competition.
So far I have only Finaled once .... but that's better than no times. The competition pits some season veterans against emerging artists such as myself against some Sunday Painters. The competition is often very good at the top and for the MOST part the judges selections have been okay although some picks have really got me scratching my head.

 This is my entry this month as well as another that I will enter later in the month..... my inspiration usually comes when I spot something happening that really resonates with my spirit. This was a moment where I caught my boy reading the word ... I said stop and hold that pose 'til I get my camera .... he hates posing ....