Still Life With Apples and Cup

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Whenever I do a still life I light it from the side so I will have shadow and light. I draw in the scene, making sure that the items are placed in a pleasing manner. I do not begin with the specific objects in mind, but first I find the darkest and lightest parts of the scene and painting those areas. The values of everything else are always between those two. Next I look for shapes of colors or value, rather than “painting the apples.” I paint each individual shape I see, such as the light green shape “on the left” and the deep red shape “on the right” etc., proceeding like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. It all evolves nicely with a beautiful dimension. You can almost reach in and grab everything in the picture.

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Visiting

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Visiting is the great American pastime. In fact, it is the great European pastime. I’ve tried to portray people of different ages, sizes and beauty. After all, we’re all different looking. I have atmospheric perspective – the people in the front are clearer and sharper, while the woman sitting further back is somewhat less detailed. The brick wall is more detailed than the background which is faded. There is linear perspective. The sidewalk is wider at the front than it is further back. The lines of the brickwork do the same thing. Both of these techniques give a feeling of depth. You can walk into the picture and stop to visit the people there.

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My Art Students

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I teach art classes at the Southside Art League in Greenwood, Indiana. I have a number of very fine students, ranging in age from 30-85 years old. I am very proud of all of them. Several have received prestigious honors, and most have been in juried art shows. I have tried to teach my method of looking for shapes and values, rather than thinking of the whole object or subject. They will look for shapes of shadows, of colors, of values, and paint them in individually. It comes together like a jigsaw puzzle, and it looks great. It is a much simpler method than is used by most schools of thought.

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Pandora

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This is a commission I did for Penny. It is her dog, Pandora. Pandora is a special long haired breed of German Shepherd. She is Penny’s baby. She likes to sit on top of the table to see what’s going on outside.

I had a dog once when I was first married. I loved it like it was a member of the family. Eventually it got sick and I had to take it to be put to sleep. She  looked up at me as I carried her in with  a questioning stare. When I drove home and saw her food dish on the ground, I broke down and cried. I could never own a dog again. I’m glad Penny has Pandora.

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Saturday Morning

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I’ve been a fishing fanatic for many years. I learned how to catch trout in the Rocky Mountains. When I moved to Indiana, I had to learn a whole new technique. Instead of trout, it has been bass, bluegills and crappies. Luckily, my good friend, Joe, took me out and showed me how it was done in the midwest. I painted this for him.

This scene is actually from Lake Pisgah in central Indiana. If you go to a fishing spot early on Saturday, you’ll always find the fanatics out, casting their lines. The trees and sky reflect in the water, as well as the boat. This gives the water that “wet” look.

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Madison Sunrise

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The Ohio River is the boundary between Indiana and Kentucky. One of the most historic towns along that stretch is Madison, Indiana. It has a lot of very historic mansions and buildings. My wife and I stayed in a hotel overlooking the town. When we got up in the morning, this was the view out of our window. The big hills in the background are actuallly the bluffs of Kentucky across the river. The colors are faded because they are further away, and there is mist coming up from the river. The buildings in the foreground are a bold yellowish color, giving the feeling of the strong, early morning sunrise. It is autumn, as you can tell from the leaves. There is atmospheric perspective because the closer buildings are painted bigger and more detail, while those in the background fade and the detail is much less apparent.

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Skyline

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I love cityscapes. This one is of Indianapolis, Indiana. I was on the top of a parking structure early on a summer morning. It is facing south. The sunlight is coming from the east, or the left hand side of the picture and shines on the buildings with a warm, yellowish tone. You can tell the shadow side. On the building to the far right the windows reflect the color of the sky. This usually happens when something is in the shade.

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It’s Like Building a House

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A lot of people are frustrated because they can’t all of a sudden do a great representational painting. I try to tell them that they need to develop their drawing skills, after all, painting is drawing with a brush. Then I try to convince them that it is a process like building a house – first, you do the framing. The framing in art would be learning to draw, such as the picture on the left. Next, you hang the sheetrock – learning to do shading and working with value like the picture in the middle (by the way, he’s sure ugly. My wife married him though.) Lastly, the building is finished with the paint, brickwork, carpeting, etc. – see the portrait on the right done in oil. The first two steps have to be taken to achieve the last one.

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