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Friday, March 30, 2012

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!

Thursday, March 29, 2012

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

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

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.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

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.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

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.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

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!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

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.


Wednesday, March 7, 2012

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

Monday, March 5, 2012

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.

Friday, March 2, 2012

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.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

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.