A Lot Happening

Hello everyone,

I have many things/changes happening... We went to France for a couple weeks in August. Spent my birthday in Champagne region tasting fabulous wines & eating great food! (It was good). Retired from my job at the University and started a new job, moved to Rochester  (full-time). My job is with Home Depot and the hours are really good, 5:00am - 1:30pm, Monday - Friday. (Today was my second full day) Now hoping to get more artwork done during the free hours (once I get use to getting up at 4:00 am).

This is one of the photos I took in France. I'm planning to do something with this one in Mosaic.

What I've been up to...

Well, I should be working on my botanical watercolor painting for the up coming ASBA conference, but I can't seem to stop working on these glass pieces.
I have finished my other stained glass window and still have another one to finish putting together. I can now do that thanks to our process lab, man who can do& fix anything guy. He got my old zinc all shinning better than new. Now I can put it together without having to buy new. (Thanks Brad!)

Here is the stained glass window:

My other project that has really got me going is a mosaic piece that I have been working on the past couple weeks. I work on it before I go to work and after dinner at night. It is SOOOOO contagious! Here is a photo of the piece in process:

This is stained glass on a hardwood panel. The design is inspired by the arts & crafts movement. I just LOVE the designs from the period!

More to talk about...

Well, I realize it has been awhile since I posted and I have another painting to get out there. I think I have posted all my "pears", so how about a pumpkin. I really liked this little guy and had plans to paint him several times until I found him getting "kinds bad" one day not long ago. Anyway...
This is another alla prima work, painted with the timer set for one hour. But this time I used a brush. (i think you can tell the difference.

Back to the Art.

I have been working on my artwork, mostly Stained Glass. I have been reading and doing research for my next projects. I have a painting I'd like to post, another alla prima.

I guess I'll stay with the "pear" theme for now. There are just a couple more in this series then we're off on a different subject. This painting is oil on canvas panel worked with a pallet knife. I tend to get better color separation with a knife than using a brush. Just mix, pick up the color and lay in it.

Have found a couple of exhibits I'm going to submit work to, completely new outlets for me and I have my proposal completed for an Artist Residency. Keep you fingers crossed for that one, I have been going to apply for years and decided; Just do it!

I have a new GRANDSON!

We have been blessed again with our third grand child... a new Grandson, his name is Liam John and he is now 5 days old. He is the first born to my son Mike & "daughter" Heather.
Such a sweet boy and I know they will be great parents!

In this photo he is just 6 hours old. 

Another cool day in the midwest.

I have another painting I want to share today... being I am in the pear mode I guess I'll show you a "couple". I think they were having an intimate conversation.
I am just about finished with my "grape" window. I'll post that one once I get it complete.

And... I found a window I had started cutting out 10 years ago. Can you believe it I'm going to finish that one next.

What a WET Weekend!

And it was COLD too! I did get some work done towards my next project and I'm looking forward to the weekend so I can get started. I'll keep you posted on the progress of my next endeavor.
But in the mean time here is another one of my alla prima paintings.

I really liked this pear. It seemed to have it's own personality and it tasted good too. Hope you like it. 

Oil on canvas panel, 6 x 8 inches

Here it is!

I have finally got my son's stained glass window done & installed in their home, AND IT LOOKS GREAT!

This 23 x 72 inch leaded window has been quite a project but all in all it was well worth the effort. A collaboration of three generations went into completing this job, my Dad, myself and my son. Good Job team!

Let me know what you think and I'm available for commission work.

Another Alla Prima

I have another painting to post...alla prima. I think we'll do pears for a couple days.

Hope all you Mothers out there had as good of a Mothers Day as I did. My eldest son, Willie, took me to a movie, along with buying popcorn & beers. Then the youngest, Mike, had us over for steaks and we watched another movie. It was the best Moms Day yet. Thanks you guys!

Yesterday I dropped off my tulip painting for the art exhibit at the Bakken. Opens on Thursday. Lots of talented artist and their work will be up until August. The day of running around Minneapolis went like "clock work". It was a great day!

Back to internet...

When we go to our home in Rochester, usually over the weekends we don't have internet there yet, so...I have to wait to do all the "connected" stuff until we get back to Menomonie. Kinda stinks, but we will be connected there soon. Had a good weekend and got more things organized. We have one more week of school and then it will be summer break, with just regular work in the gallery.

Today I am posting another alla prima, all of these were done with the timer set at one hour.
Oil on canvas panel, 6 x 8 inches. "Ode to lemon".
Hope you have a fabulous day! The sun is FINALLY out here today.

Another painting...Germany/ Poland.

I best get back to posting some paintings... My intention is to find a GOOD inspiring workshop and get back to painting. I have to quit with the excuses and just get started. Especially that I have one of the two stained glass windows put together that I have been meaning to finish for the last couple years. Back to painting>>>

This painting was done in a class last year, worked from a photo I took when we were in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. We traveled there with our friends, Ken & Eva, to go back and locate Eva's childhood home. It was a cool damp morning and this hazy hillside was just down the road from the homestead that is still there. She had not seen it since 1944, when her family was forced to leave in the middle of the night during the war. It is actually now part of Poland, but was German back when she still lived there. We had a great trip exploring and visiting her relatives that still live in Germany.
Oil on Canvas, 20 x 16 inches.

Better late than never...

Here is the photo of the stained glass window I have for my son. It's pretty cool that my dad, who just turned 84, helped me put the final side on this window last weekend. So there have been three generations of our family that have worked to complete this "big guy". Once we get installed I will post another finished product photo, but for now here is what I've been doing...

 Left side detail

 Over view shot.

Center section detail. It's hard to get a good photo from a goofy angle while it is still on the bench.

Sorry for the delay

Sorry there has been no posts for a while...Family commitments have taken over my life for the moment. Stay tuned though I have been working on a couple of things.

One of which is the HUGE Stained Glass Window (6 x 2 foot) I am putting together for my son. My dad and I worked all day on Sunday and it is now all leaded. Whew, What a relief that is! Now it's just soldering it and getting to "my boy". I'll take some photos of it and show you how it turns out.

Once that is off the bench I plan to start a mosaic and get back painting again.

HAPPY SPRING!

Had a bit of a scare but all is GOOD!

I have been dealing with a continual headache for about two months, but thanks to the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN and their "super-duper MRI team" they found nothing unusual in this brain of mine, only some strange thoughts possibly floating around in there. Thanks also to my Neurologist, Dr. Drubach, for giving me such good news.

I am now striving to get back to the activities I love and being creative with paint & glass is a BIG STEP towards this.
Thank God it's Spring and that I am going to be around to enjoy it.
My family & friends have been very supportive and I want them to know how much this means to me and love to all of  you.

Thanks Again and let's get on with LIFE!!!

Happy Spring!

Productive weekend...

The weekend turned out a bit different than I had planned but it was still productive. I have a basic start on the mosaic...not too far though.

But, did find out I have artwork juried into an exhibit for the Minnesota School of Botanical Art. This exhibit will run from May 17 - August 11, 2012 at the Bakken Museum in south Minneapolis. My selected piece is one of my heirloom tulip paintings "Duc van Tol Red & Yellow 1595" There is an  image in a previous blog postings, but I'll make it easy and here it is again.

Spring in the Mid-West...

I don't know about you but I need another installment of the spring tulips. They just don't last long enough for me.

These beauties are Duc D'Orange 1875 


The flowers are larger that yesterdays Du Tol Red & Yellow and every bit as beautiful.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll post more of my artwork in the next couple days. We are going to start a small mosaic on the weekend. I can hardly wait to get started!

Something a bit different...

Today I'm going to give you something a bit different...
I have a photos of my heirloom tulips, these tulips are the oldest bulbs I have in my tulip garden. These "babies" were first propagated in 1595, Can you imagine! I started out with 5 bulbs two years ago and now they have had babies and there are 12. I know, it is a bit weird to get so excited about a tulip, but think about it. This short lived springtime bloom cause a whole country to go crazy back in 1636-1637. The price of a single tulip bulb sold for more than 10 time the annual wage of a craftsman.
During this period, painting were commissioned featuring tulips because the bulbs were so cost prohibitive that only the very wealthy could afford the luxury of them in their garden.

Here are, Tulipa DuTol Red & Yellow 1595

Here is Today...

Well, today was another day of work, walk the dog, eat dinner, and now it's 10:00 PM. It was a good day though as I got calls from an old friend and my brother. And tomorrow will be another day like this one. I have another painting to post for today and this weekend I am going to start a new mosaic. Pretty excited about this.
"Lemon and Lime Halved" 8 x 10, oil on canvas board.

Back to Work.

I'm back to work after a good weekend. Saturday I gave a talk about framer & framing to the Great River Chapter of the ASBA, (American Society of Botanical Artists), of which I am a member. The talk went well and then I spent the night with my sister in Minneapolis. All in all it was a good time. Then last night we went to a concert by Anoushka Shankar, it was Fabulous! If you ever get a chance to see her perform, take advantage of the opportunity!

I have decided what my next botanical painting is going to be of, Holly Hocks, at least this is the plan. My new studio is almost set and I'm getting the "itch" to paint again. Thanks God! I also found the pattern I am planning for my mosaic "tile", this will be started over the weekend. (More on this later)

For now I have another painting to post... it will transition from B&W to color now. These are the same two cups used in my last posting, but a tad larger, this is 8 x 10, oil on canvas board.

Let me know what you think...I'd love to hear your opinions.

Life in B&W

Hi again...

Was going to get this posted earlier but the day slipped away. I have another B&W still-life for today. The small cup in this study belongs to my grand-daughter. It's the one she drinks her hot chocolate from in the winter.

Had some good news today...a botanical piece I had painted last fall was accepted to the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden Florilegium. It will become part of the permanent collection belonging to the garden and the city of Minneapolis. It's a great project to be a part of and I will paint a second specimen this year.

Lunch Time...

Hi All,

The question is can I eat and blog at the same time? I guess the answer is "Yes".

Here is another B/W alla prima that I'd like to share with you. The size is 6 x 8, oil on board.

I like doing value studies and find they really do help when working on the color version.

Hope all of you are enjoying the beautiful weather, at least we are having above normal temps and spring early here in the upper mid-west. The grass is greening and the tulips are starting to push out of the ground. I CAN'T WAIT to see their smiling faces again!

Vacation is over...

The vacation is over and now it is time to get back to everything. I took photos of some of my oil works that are a bit more recent or that I feel a special connection with. I am going to start with a couple black & whites, before I move into the colored ones.

Here goes...

This was a value-study done a couple years ago. Mix the correct value...lay it in...no messing with it once the paint is laid down. Pretty fun and I think successful.

6 x 8 inches, oil on canvas panel.

Better do another one...

I think I have another painting I should post. Didn't get one posted yesterday, was just too much going on. We are in the process of selling our house and there are LOTS of things to do to get ready and my supplies are either here or there (our other house).

This tomato is another of my alla prima series. I like the freshness of working like this, making every stroke count, and I seem to get better results by working with a knife.

again: 6 x 8, oil on panel

My next installment

Here is the next painting I will share with you...

This painting was done alla prima, doesn't really have a formal title, got any ideas?

6 x 8 inches, oil on panel

I'm Back...

The weekend is over and today I have spent the entire day painting (walls), packing, and organizing my studio. It will be awhile before I can get back to doing what I REALLY want to do, paint!

But at least I have some paintings I am able to post. Here goes:

This is my favorite apple. "Braeburn" 6 x 6 inches, oil on panel.

More tomorrow, have a good one.

The Weekend is "almost" here...

Well the weekend has almost begun and we will be headed out of town...going to see a friend in the starring role of a play down in Lanesboro, MN. Should be a good-time!

I also need to get some of my newer work photographed, will try to work on that this week.

This small painting was part of an exhibit at the Minneapolis Art Institute, it now hangs in my kitchen.

"Still-life, bread & jam" oil on panel, 6 x 6 inches.

Hope you have a good weekend.

The next installment

Well, I have covered my botanical watercolors and the pastel collection, now I should move on to my favorite (at least for now) oils... My paintings are most always done from life, I think I get better results than working from a photo. I think you can begin to see a trend here. I love the natural forms.

This painting was done a while ago, 2008

"Twists of Fall" oil on canvas, 12 x 28 inches. I liked these delicate weed and the interesting twists & turns they have.

Let's Leap Day...

"Peach Parrot" pastel on paper with natural pigments, 8 x 10 inches.

Well, as I promised I will give an insight as to the process used to develop my pastel drawings. Here is a excerpt from my process statement:

This body of work focuses on the spring wakening of the Tulip.

This spring‐flowering bulbous perennial caused frenzy during the 1630’s, known as “Tulipomania”.

My artwork is a tribute to the fortunes won and lost during this unusual time.

I prepare my paper surfaces through a series of complex steps and timing is crucial. The paper is placed outdoors in pre‐spring, covered with a mixture of snow and natural pigments. As the temperatures warm and the snows melt, the pigments and water stain the papers, creating interesting patterns. I then collect the sheets and draw the exotic blooms using soft pastels. I place the paper back out in the elements so that nature has the final hand in developing the work.

I Love Tulips...

If you haven't already guessed I LOVE TULIPS! I have painted them in all different styles and don't think I will ever tire of their beauty. The only bad thing about them is that they don't last long enough in the Spring. The have an incredible history, come in hundreds of colors and varieties and are said to be the flower that actually drove men crazy!

"Yellow Tulips" pastel on paper with natural pigments, 14 x 18 inches.

Tomorrow I will let you in on my process and thoughts behind it. You might be surprised.

Back at the grind...

Today I'm back at it...but yesterday I found the GREATEST discovery at a local second hand store. I got 9 Fiesta ware cups & saucers in all different colors. I can hardly wait to use them for my still-life paintings, combining them with fruit & veggies and other objects. My grandmother had the whole set for her "everyday" dishes, my younger sister inherited the set (the "Rat"). So when I saw all the beautiful colors of these cups & saucers, I thought of my grandma and her wonderful kitchen. This group will have so many stories to tell, so stay tuned.

I have two paintings I NEED to post today so lets see, which ones should they be...

I am trying to think in a chronological order. How about my pastels, this is a different "breed of cat".

"Double White" pastel on paper with natural pigments, 12 x 16 inches.

Life creeps in...

Well, just as it always does...life creeped in, grabbed me and held on tight. These things that take up time and get in our way from doing what we REALLY want to do, like painting or posting. The intentions are ALWAYS good. Plus, we are getting our home ready to sell. You know cleaning, packing, sorting and painting (walls).

Anyway, excuses over I am posting three paintings that make up for the days I missed & today.

Here is another body of work I have been doing for the past 6 years or so. Botanical subjects with watercolor on paper & calfskin vellum.

This painting is my first attempt. "Nasturtium" watercolor on paper, 11 x 14 inches.

posting #2...

This watercolor on paper "Thoughts of Spring" or "Tulipa Princess Margaret Rose" is part of my heirloom tulip collection. This painting was juried into an ASBA show at the Phoenix Art Museum in 2009.

Post #3...(this one will get me back on track) today's post.

This painting is more recent and again part of my tulip collection. These little beauties were originally propagated in 1595! I got the bulbs from Hortus Bulborum and they now are growing in MY tulip garden. "Tulipa Du Tol Red/Yellow 1595" watercolor on vellum, 8.5 x 13.5 inches.

A Good Day

Today has been a good day thus far...I'm happy to say "very productive at work". Now we'll see how tonight goes as I have plans to clean out my basement studio/work space. The job has been started, but the task must continue tonight. This painting was done in the same "vein" as the one I posted yesterday. Last November I donated this piece to the Lanesboro Arts Center for their annual fund raiser, "Swingsation". If you haven't attended it is a great time, with LOTS of beautiful artwork and other fun items to bid on.

"As days pass..." Oil on panel. 20 x 20 inches. (It's all about the shadows)

As Good a Day as Any...

Today seems like as good a day as any to start posting on this blog. Let's try to put one of my paintings on here.

This painting is one of my first that I considered painted well. It is now hanging in my son & daughter-in-law's home.

"Remember When" Oil on paper, 36 x 36 inches.

So far so good...

I have been procrastinating like a pro but have finally gotten this blog set... Now I just need to figure out how it all works so I can make it look all "pretty" like all those others I have seen.

I look forward to sharing my life through my art and my art through my life.