I usually spend two or three weeks on every painting I do. Furthermore, most of them are portraits. Today I just wanted to zone out and enjoy myself. I asked my wife to set up a still life for me to paint. I sat down and did this in two or three hours. It was lots of fun. I wasn’t worried about what anyone thought about it. It wasn’t a commission or for a show. It was just for me to relax and have fun. I think artists should do that once in a while.
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Last year my wife encouraged me to do an annual self-portrait. Rembrandt and Kahlo did it, so she thought I should, also. My first annual self portrait can be seen on my January 2, 2012 post. I wanted to have a different view and lighting this time.
I love doing portraits. I’ve already gotten my first commission this year and hope to have many more.
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I’ve always loved the story of Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem. Artists have always shown her riding the back of a donkey. As I’ve thought about it, I have imagined them on a dry, dusty road. The area is somewhat barren. The sun is hot, and Mary is very uncomfortable with her pregnancy. She has to stop — Joseph holds her as she suffers contractions. To me, this seems more likely than the paintings of the renaissance. This is my version.
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This is a portrait of my wife. I decided to do it on the spur of the moment. I had her pose several different ways, but liked this one the best. I was interested in the back light coming through her hair and the shadow of her face. I didn’t want to do a straight-on portrait, so I had her tilt her head a little bit and look slightly to the left.
I absolutely LOVE doing portraits. They are so much fun!
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This painting is at the Cataract Falls State Recreation Area in Indiana. I wanted to do a painting of the covered bridge there, but found the wildflowers more interesting. I still got the bridge, but it is the background and the flowers are the main subject. I have used atmospheric perspective to give depth to the picture. The flowers are on top, making them look the closest. They are also more detailed and sharp and have brighter colors than the bridge or the trees behind them. The flow of the stems is as important as the blossoms. There is contrast between the yellow petals and the red barn, as well as the stems against the dark background.
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My wife and I stopped to visit the amazing West Baden Springs Hotel in southern Indiana. It’s very famous. It was built in 1902 and is known for it’s vast domed atrium. The dome was the largest in the world from 1902 until 1913. We were overwhelmed by the majesty of the place — I can’t even describe it. Not only is there the high dome, but the floor is inlaid tile.
While we were in there I heard some really cool music. I wanted to contact the hotel to see what CD they were playing so I could purchase it. I was surprised as I looked around to see the music was being played live by a trio. This painting represents them. The element that is the most important is “foreshortening.” It is a kind of perspective. The woman’s legs and the neck of the guitar are painted very short to create the illusion that they are receding from the front to the inner point.
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Sometimes I’m very emotional when I do a painting. The woman I painted this for asked me to do it. It was based on a photo of her and her husband. Two days after the picture was taken, her husband passed away unexpectedly.
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