On finishing Jana's portrait

 I started this painting about 3 years ago , I think . It took me a bit of thought to figure out what I wanted to add towards the bottom of the frame. The flowers from our garden seemed and felt right moving across  from right to left. I think the shadow side of her face is a wee bit dark and I plan to lighten that area a bit.

 Allison asked ...How did you go about working on an older painting? I ask because I have a "ghost" in my studio I'd like to work on. Oil.


 Allison , I have kinda gotten back to my roots so to speak. My old art teacher Theodore Lukits talked about how it was important to have several paintings going on at once. That way if you felt you needed a break or if you lost interest or were stuck with how to proceed ( which was the case with Jana's painting ) you could keep your energy level going by jumping on to another painting.... but in the back of your mind you were letting the paintings ferment in your mind and heart. Then when you addressed the painting again, you could " attack" it so to speak with the same enthusiasm and energy that made you want to paint it in  the first place. I have 3 paintings going on at the same time and I saw a video of Gottfreid Helnwein paint several paintings all at the same time and he had castors on his taboret so that he could move his gear from one painting to the next. He reminded me of what Lukits said and it feels right to me as well as intelectually giving your brain a vacation from said roadblock.


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On looking back

 I was looking for some reference for a project and I stumbled upon some old advertising illustrations that I had painted years ago. I can't believe I painted all those veins on those plants.

On Painting at Box R Ranch

 Its hard to back into the swing of things after you spend 5 great days painting and talking art at the Box R Ranch in Ashland Ore. These are 2 portraits that I did the second day after bombing with 2 other painting attempts the first day. I will post more soon ....

ALERT Several of you have either emailed me or spoken to me that you are unable to comment on this Blog. For some reason my site has been down and quirky recently. The management is trying to get to the bottom of this. Thanks for your patience. ;v)

Update .... The teachers for next years conference will be Thomas Blackshear and Frank Ordaz ( me ) .

Very Serious Melanie

 

I painted this last year and I was given a copy.

On to Box R Ranch

Box R Cadillac , 9x12 oil on linen. Available at the Event. $350

 Its Sunday morning after a drenching High School Graduation event at our Placer Football field. Everyone was soaked but the teenagers did not seem to mind. Its great to be young and blissful. My son Isaac finally graduated! I guess that makes me a proaud papa!

Isaac and Frank

 I talked to Mick McGinty this morning and he is leaving Phoenix on his way to the Ordaz Hacienda. The MickMan should touch down around 10 o'clock tonight. Then tomorrow we paint around Auburn if the weather lets up. If not , we are off to Sacramento's newly renovated Crocker Art Museum which has some of the best samplings of early California Paintings. William Wendt , Granville Redmond , Edgar Payne , Guy Rose etc. etc etc. Then we travel on to Ashland Ore on Tuesday to catch the gang up at the Box R Ranch for dinner and then the party begins on Wednesday. If you have not signed up for this event..... wellllllll .... you are definitely missing out!

closeup of an Edgar Payne Seascape .... awesomeness!!!!!!!!!

 

 Checkin in for the further adventures of Mick and Frank. We paint. We love . We abide ......



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On a demo at Springfield , Rocklin Ca

 Yesterday, I painted this portrait demo at Springfield . Its one of those gated communities designed to keep rabble like me out. It was overcast and rainy and I brought a photo just in case the room I was to paint in was not condusive to a good outcome. I had this sixth sense and I was right. It was real cramped quarters and instead of painting from a model I just painted from a photo of a friend of mine. More and more , there is always one little old lady that asks ... when are you going to fix that eye or finish that ear or ...blah blah blah and true to form I was not dissapointed. There she was , ol silver haired one asking ... when will you make that eye correct ?... when I feel like it I told her  ..... she got me back at the end as she said upon looking at my painting .... " It looks better from back there " .... you gotta have a thick skin in this business ....  I felt like saying ... You looked better 60 years ago lady ..... but I bit my lip    ....... on balance it was a good group and I felt welcomed . Thanks for inviting me Ken ! ;v)

 That went down on Wednesday. Now here is the REST of the story. I was supposed to do a demo for this same group 3 months ago. At that time I was really involved with all the busy work connected with my Father In Law's Memorial Service. I can't tell you how scattered and absentminded I was at that time. There were so many new things to do and it was overwhelming at times. After the service came and went I treated myself to a great super burrito at El Portal in Auburn. There I am in little Mexico looking at a soccer match when my phone rings. Are you on your way Frank? Who is this I ask? I'm the president of the Springfield Art Group and you are supposed to do a demo at 1. Its 1 right now. Are you on your way? What? ..... In my mind I can't believe I TOTALLY spaced this event. Its not like me. I profusely apologize and tell them if they still want me I will wave my fee. I really didn't think they would want me there but they decided to reschedule me. ..... fast forward to Wednesday and I demo'd for free . But I sure gave them a good time .... in fact  .... I asked in a flippant manner  . " There is usually someone in the audience who always badgers me and asks " When will you finish that ear or finish that eye etc etc etc ?" Will that person in the audience please identify themselves so we know who you are ..... and true to form ... the gal who made those comments raised her hand and said she was the one. I have to give her credit for self awareness. Fast forward to yesterday and someone from the group called me and said even though I had waived the fee they had decided to pay me. I guess putting on a good show works on the guilt gene!



blessings,

Frank



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Box R Ranch is right around the corner.



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