Pamela Wilson, I'm a fan

I found this Artists in Collector Magazine. I think this is my new favorite current Artist, Pamela Wilson. Dark, funny, SteamPunk, and twisted, I love her subject matter. Check out her stuff on Google, it's wild!

Masking Tape!!!!!!!!!

I used some masking tape to block off Malissa so I could paint the grass around her. In the last pic you can see the result, plus a little work on everything else. I also added some trees in the background too. I've painted this hill several times, I'm getting to know it well.

Spirit Guide

I did this years ago, but never exhibited because while the model is real, the Cougar I stool from a photo in a book. Which is a no no. I was taught you should be original and use your own images. I believe that too. I had art and Graphic Design classes which were nothing more than people stealing images off the web and slightly manipulating them in Photoshop. I see that as hack. Theft with no imagination. But I wanted to work out this thought and had no access to a Mountain Lion. Now that I know Wolf Run in Nicholasville has them, I may try this idea again sometime, with a real Lion! I jay have trouble finding a model who will model with one though. Oh, and this is a color pencil piece titled Spirit Guide.

Boss, the frame. The frame! Hope you get the Fantasy Island reference.

I never got around to showing this piece framed. It may not be the best pic of the frame, but I couldn't cut out Julie. She's such a clown. It's a nice thick Black frame with some Gold trim. I'd like to thank my bosses, Mike and Letha, for letting me build it at the shop. I made the easel years ago, but it works really good.

Big Sky!

Well, you can see what I did with the earlier drawing. The last couple of Field Paintings has been hard, I hope this one will go really good. It feels good right now.

Back to the fields

This is for the next painting. A drawing of Malissa. I was going to stay in the woods for a bit but I decided to go back to the fields again. I was really pleased with Malissa's posed once I looked at it again so I'm going to do it.

Rejection

I added some things to this painting. You can see the Turkey feather I added near her hand and I darkened up the leaves a little. I also framed it, but I'll put that pic on later. I want to talk about rejection for a moment though. I took this piece, and two others yesterday to a venue hoping that I could sell art through them one day. A good friend of mine set this meeting up for me. She really tried. When her boss seen my work, I thought he was going to yawn. He wasn't too rude...but a little. There are people who love my art, and those who don't. Without a doubt, he fell into the later. But to be completely fair, it was his store, he had every right to not like my art.  Not everyone would, not everyone should. But my friend tried to champion me the entire time, she was awesome. As I drove away, I felt pretty crappy. Plus I just got off work and had to wait on a guy with no interest once so ever. But then I had to remind myself of all the places I have sold at like the Loudon House, Kentucky Theater, Common Grounds, Christ Church Cathedral, Goods Foods, Broadway Clay, The Hub, Ebay, Etsy, and others. And I've sold multiple pieces at all these places. It's your successes you have to remind yourself of when you run into rejection. I guess what I'm saying is that I pulled myself out of the pity party pretty quick. But when you are dealing with someone eles's art, music or what ever, be mindful even if you don;t like it, because that art is someone's Soul. Don't dump on it. Or yawn at it. Now I'm going to work on my next painting. Good night all! 

Field Drawing

I don't have a photo of the current painting, but I have this drawing I worked on 2 weekends ago. Malissa wanted to venture around Shaker Town a bit so I sat on some rocks and drew this tree by a stream. I usually set in my living room working on a drawing for hours before I paint it. This was just me out in the field drawing for about an hour. I used to do this a lot, but it's been a long time. I have to work fast to get all the information on paper. Not my best field drawing but it is the best I've done in a long time. If you want to feel closer to nature, draw it. Even with a bad drawing, that level of observation pulls you in to the landscape. Try it sometime.

Early Sunday Morning

Since I fell behind in my posting last week, I thought I'd put on a bonus post of CliffsArt History. I forget the actual size, but this was a close to 3 x 2 foot Color Pencil Drawing that sold at the Lexington art league. I try to stay positive on here but the way the Art League now show Found Art Shows and Political Art shows, people like me have been edged out. They used to have open member shows, which I liked because the theme was vague and easy to get into. I also sold pretty often. Then they quit and started having very particular themes. Narrow themes. I've talked to others who felt the same way. I talked to those at the Art League who said, "sorry you feel that way". Found Art, how much money have they made from a can and a rusty nail? At least I usually sold there, and they would take their share. Maybe they have changed their evil ways, I gave up and haven't checked back in aboot a year or so. I hope so. So I have to ask, please support a local Artist and if not, at least support someone who supports local Artists. Not grant funded art shows that don't need art sales to make money. There, I said it. Thanks! 

Facebook!? Come on!

Wow, Facebook is really acting weirder and weirder. I tried to post a minute ago but there was a floating box that said, "..post something on your Timeline Line Now", and I couldn't get to my real timeline box even though I could see it behind the unwanted box. I decided to play along and post in the floating box in front of my time line box but couldn't add photos. I went back to my Home page and when I came back to the CliffsArt page the floating box was gone. Facebook, stop screwing around, we are using your product and looking at your adds. There. Now, here is where I am with this new painting. We have been working to get a house on the market to sell, so I've had less time to paint, but I get some paint time in where I can. I got to add the Yahoo Falls and the tree. If you go there and see it, it's like a magical tree all by itself there under the rock shelter. I have to work on the figure a bit more, but I'm basically done I think. I'll post another before I'm done.

Yahoo Falls

Here's is where I am right now. This is a smaller painting so I've made lots of progress. This is another painting of the Yahoo Falls. The highest falls in Kentucky. I haven't added the water in yet. It's a neat place aboot 20 minutes away from the Cumberland falls. It's a good place to see, the hike from the parking lot isn't bad either. Everyone take care and have fun!