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