Artist Stew and Other Mental Activities

Bright Bangs

5"x7"

oil on canvas

The last donkey painting for a little while.  I am making stew.  Well, not really the kind you eat, but rather I have all sorts of things stewing around in my head.  Subjects to paint, how to paint them, the good, the bad, and yep, even the ugly.  Stewing on what works, what doesn't work, and how I can paint what I want to paint, the way I want to paint it.  That's a lot of stew!  But I think all this percolating, stewing, interior mental work is necessary to eventually understand what makes each artist unique, and able to have their own say as artists.  So, back to the mental kitchen....

Donkeys and More Donkeys

Donkey Lunch

oil on 3"x5" panel

#51

Finished another tiny donkey painting.  Painted a portrait during class today.....hmmmm....doubt you will be seeing that, unless it gets a total makeover, soon!

Fell Off The Wagon, Climbing Back On Again

Follow The Light

oil on 6"x6" panel

#50

I seem to have fell off the painting wagon for the last couple of months.  I was painting, but not keeping such a good schedule as I had been.  Ah well, such is life, c'estla vie.  I am continueing to paint a lot of tiny donkey paintings for The Art Center in Orange, but now am headed back into the thick of it with Ron Boehmer's class starting tomorrow.  Helmets on, paint brushes ready..... go!

Painting in You Head

Lookin' At Ya

3"x5" oil on panel

$35

I think many artists paint in their heads.  They think about what it is they want to paint, and maybe even see the future painting in their heads.  I do.  I had a dream one time about how to re-do a painting I was having trouble with.  I woke in the morning, did what I saw in my dream, and the painting sold almost immediately.  I know, it doesn't always work that way, and many times what is in our heads is not what appears on the canvas, panel, paper.  Lately I am trying to keep things simple in my head, but what appears on the canvas is not what I am thinking of....yet.  It just needs to simmer, and brew in my mind for a while until I'm ready to really understand and put it into practice.  

“If you do not ask the right questions, you do not get the right answers. A question asked in the right way often points to its own answer. ... Only the inquiring mind solves problems.”  -  Edward Hodnett

Plein Air/Plein Eire

Near The Blue Wagon

16x20 oil on canvas

available, framed, through ArtQuiver.com

This painting is a plein air painting I did last year.  It was featured for the very first "Artist's Eye on Ireland" on the Irish Fireside website.  Take a look.  Irish Fireside is a wonderful website, with some great podcasts to listen to also.  For anyone interested in Ireland.

#48 - It Takes Two

It Takes Two

oil on 4"x4" panel

$35

I have been way behind on posting paintings.  Party due to the holiday season, and partly due to procrastination.  But I am getting back on track.  I had several tiny oil paintings at a gallery over the holidays.  They let me know that all the donkey paintings sold, and they wanted more.  Nice!  So, here come several more tiny donkey paintings.  Happy New Year to everyone, and thank you for following my artistic journey in 2010.  Now on to 2011!