On Edgar's Pond

 My friend was fly fishing in Edgar Payne's back yard so to speak around Bishop Ca. I did a composite from 2 photographs.

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Well ... Next Friday Sept 24 is the Official Opening of my Gallery. I will be the sole owner starting in October and I am thinking about changing the name of the Gallery to Auburn Arts. I thought about Frank's Art Gallery but the acronym might be a bit challenging. Is it scary ... you bet ... but I'm a big believer in Faith in God and confidence in your abilities, even in the era of a Recession.

 If you are in the area we will will be having our Gala this coming Friday from 6 to 9 Pm. Come meet Maria Sylvester , Connie McLennan and Frank Ordaz.

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Also , tomorrow features the return of the Funk Box Derby in Auburn on Lincoln Way. The big Gala Pancake Breakfast and Block Party will be right in front of my Gallery .... come on in!!!!!!

Finalist in FASO Competition

Well..... its fun to place once in awhile.... I would like to thank the judges and the warm beer is in the mail! My sense is that these tags are meant for the side bar.....

Winner

Finalist

   
   
   
   

BoldBrush


Painting Contest

August 2010

Sponsor:

FineArtViews

Art Marketing Newsletter

FAV 15%

Finalist

   
   
   
   

BoldBrush


Painting Contest

August 2010

Sponsor:

FineArtViews

Art Marketing Newsletter

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 .....

f

______ 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 ....

Moses and the Burning Bush

A current narrative illustration I am going to paint. The color sketch will be added next. Look for updates.

A Man named Pearl

 Below is the story of Pearl.... A man who had a vision and became an artist who shared that vision with his community. A truly inspired documentary and I saw it on the Ovation channel the other day. His story gives one hope that we can triumph against all odds if we are determined never to give in to negative thoughts and actions directed against us...... a must see! Below is just a snippet of the hour long documentary....

Our Northern Exposure

 When Jana and I were first married, we were hooked on a TV show called " Northern Exposure". We watched each week faithfully as characters in the show collided like pin balls into each others quirky worldview. There was the New York Doctor, the philosphical DJ, the Native American Mystic , the retired NASA astronaut , Maggie the feminist pilot , and the towns old bar owner and his quirky young bride. And that is only a sampling of the characters from the show that I can remember.

 

 But here in Auburn, the cast of characters that I have met and will soon meet are every bit as interesting and quirky as that show. Let's take for instance ChuckYeager , he lives right up the road with his young bride. His partner and WW2 ace "Bud" Anderson lives in the area and I plan to paint him soon. The guys at the barber shop across the street cut his hair . Then there is Dr. Fox the local retired dentist who also sculpted these massive Native American concrete statues on his business property. He's about 80 and is legend around here. Then there is Doug Van Howd. He is the big dog around town . He was Ronald Reagan's unofficial White House artist. He scuplted horses and then cast them in bronze so that Reagan could give them as gifts to dignitaries. His million dollar studio is here in Auburn.

Doug Van Howd and one of his massive bronze sculptures

 Also, take for instance the owner of the building that I rent. The owner's name is Vi Wrigley. She was married at one time to an heir of the Wrigley Gum fortune. Add to that some of the people that I have already painted who make Auburn an interesting place to live. My next subject will be our local architect Michael Kent Murphy. His creative efforts have really added to the unique artistic look and feel of Auburn. He is also a painter and collector of Oriental Rugs. And I have not even mentioned the myriad of shop owners , artists and craftsmen and blacksmiths who have been here since Gold Rush days. .... and then there is the story of Griffith Griffith who came from Wales during the Gold Rush and is buried at our Auburn Cemetery. Oh.... for such a small town we have our own radio station KHigh where on Friday nights we get to hear live play by play of our very own Placer High Hillmen. You can meet the whole town at a Hillman Football Game. Auburn  .... I love this town!

There is a richness in getting to know and hear the stories from people around town. They drop in and settle and add their own rich dish to this cassarole of stories.



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Al ... Mountain Man

 This is a small sketch portrait of Al. I see him shuffling along the streets around Auburn almost every day. He is very skinny and usually has a cigarette in his hand. Me thinks he is an alchoholic but when I spoke to him yesterday he seemed lucid and alert  . I asked him to come by the studio this morning around 9  and he agreed. I arrived on time but Al was no where to be seen. So instead of just waiting around I decided to start a little color sketch from a photo that I took of him yesterday. He is quite a character and is very animated when he spins his yarns of the past. There are many ol gold miners around these parts and Al was panning for gold around Colfax when he was just a boy. He decided to be a " gold miner" full time after he completed his service for the Navy.  Well... I wanted o hear more about his mining days around Auburn , but I guess that will have to wait for another time. He is your classic mountain man that you see around here from time to time. The long unkempt beard is a badge of affiliation for this gang.

 He sludged into the Gallery about an hour late and apologized profusely. I told him that it was okay and that maybe on Saturday we would give it another try. He said okay.....