Barrel art!

It's time for me to again paint a barrel for the Paris ArtWalk later this year. I decided to paint one image instead of two. Two seems right since you can only see one side at a time, but I want to put a stronger emphasis on just one image this year. I have had the barrels in the papers and advertisements before and I'm always a little bugged that one one image is shown, and sometimes it's not the one I'd have chose. I'm using an image that Robin posed for. I've been meaning to use her for a painting, she's a great model. Her is the drawing I've started, but I have adjusted her arm and chin since this picture was taken. Hopefully I'll get a lot this weekend.

Yahoo Arch

I made some adjustments for this one, titled Yahoo Arch. I darkened the inside of the Arch and brightened the outside. I also added some ice that had fell from the ice sickles onto the ground. And I played with the light effects on the inside from the opening above. I think I'm done. Oh, I also added some sticks and rocks. If you ever go to Southern Kentucky, visit this place, it's really neat.

Yahoo Arch

I don't often do pure landscape paintings, but this is one. It's of a very special rock arch we found in the Big South Fork. I want to be known as a Kentucky Painter and I do try and document specific Kentucky places in my art. I was challenged once by a critic as to why I don't paint close ups of the models in my paintings( I do, just not as often as she wanted I guess). I told her that the models were not the only subjects in the art, but the places too. I hike a lot and I'm always looking for new places I want to paint. I've never seen an Arch like this one and knew I had to paint it. I have more to do, but this is what I've got so far.

Glories of the Garden Exhibit...2012

From 2 to 4 pm Sunday March 4th, there is a reception at the Visitor Center at the UK Arboretum. My painting Resting will be one of the artworks showing. All are invited to stop by, but I probably won't be there until 3:00 or so. There will be food and stuff.

Feather and Lace

Here is what I've done last for this piece. It needed more contrast in the the leaves and grass so I put that in. I added some highlights to her hair and redirected her eyes to look right at you. I had to work on that one a bit. I worked a little more on her face and hands. I put up two pics of this one so everyone could see it better. A lot of work went into this one.

Feather and Lace

Here is a detail from the newest piece, Feather and Lace. Can't decide if I'm done or not, I might give it a break for a few days and come back to it and decide. Sometimes, that's necessary to a good perspective. As far as the title goes, there are two feather and Queen Ann's Lace behind her. And it's a catchy title. It's hard to come up with those.

Drawing Practise

Drawing and paintings uses different brain muscles, so I have been trying to keep my drawing muscles exercised lately by drawing pictures from newspapers, magazines and whatever I can find that seems interesting. The other day I was drawing some pictures from UK's college newspaper, The Kernel. Two quick sketches of John Calipari and one of the basketball players, and a more detailed drawing of a lady softball player. I never post my practices so here is one.