Dreams

I took a break from painting years ago. When I came back to it I stared with this one. It sold, but I forget where. When I stopped painting, I had just got denied from entering a show I really wanted to be in. A lot of Painters get turned away from certain shows. A lot of good ones, and a lot of successful ones. It's part of the business. I was so discouraged I just quit. After about 6 months and hiking made me want to paint. Me and Malissa hung out with this model, who I always enjoy painting, and finally I was back at it.  Soon, this painting sold. So I learned I may never reach the level of sales I have dreamt to. But then again I might. But I learned I'm a Painter and it's what I'm drawn to do, so I will continue, whatever happens and just go with the flow. It's in me blood and there is no walking away. Maybe that's the key to understand your life's Dreams.

Stages

Not done yet, but here are three stages of this current work and a method for make twice as more flowers in a shorter time. I always tried to apply this technique when writing sentences for a teacher after getting in trouble, but I couldn't really make it work. It works here though! I actually used three pencils at the same time for a while.

Just a couple of pics from the new piece. Here is the drawing and you can see what I've done with the field. I've done a lot since this pic was taken yesterday, it's coming pretty good. A lot of people claim Color Pencil is slow, but I'm everyone's opposite ( as usual). I work much faster in Color Pencil. This is a 32x17 inch piece and I just started on this Saturday night. I just love the Color Pencil.

New piece

Here is the beginning of my next piece. I trace my drawing onto a Black matboard and then touched up the traced drawing while looking at the original. Not a good picture but you can see the process.

Catching up!

Ok, I played catch up on this one. It came together quite nicely. I'm not done yet, but for the most part I am. I was eager to work with the light in this, especially with the trees to the right and the light in Britney's hair. A few more set downs and it should be done. Oh, and this was scene at Anglin Falls.

Cliffsart History

I haven't had a chance to paint much the last couple of days so here are two Cliffsart history pieces. I did these Color Pencil pieces of the Natural Bridge and Balanced Rock. Both are great places to hike but it's a little tricky in the snow. I remember I was jumpy because I had bruised ribs from another fall I took on ice earlier that year. Probably 2008 or so. 

Here we are.

I worked on this one last night. It's another scene from the Anglin Falls It's funny that the landscape there is so neat, I've only painted the Falls once or twice. I should also add that I sold Shawnee Run and it is now off to a new home in New Hampshire. To an Art Collector with good taste of course

I'm back!

After getting ready for the big show at the church, I had to lay off and take a break. I was really getting back in the mood to paint, but then I hurt my foot really bad Friday afternoon and was down until this afternoon. I'm better now, but I came away with a few drawings for future paintings. This is the first one I did and the first I'll use. I haven't drawn in over a month, I'm glad my skill seems about the same.

Ebay

I'm starting Ebay again......http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Shadows-of-Sunset-/161288062538?pt=Art_Paintings&hash=item258d84864ahttp://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Shadows-of-Sunset-/161288062538?pt=Art_Paintings&hash=item258d84864a

and this one too http://www.ebay.com/itm/161288049623http://www.ebay.com/itm/161288049623

Midnight Forest

A piece of CliffsArt history. Midnight Forest, one of my first interweb sales. 2003 maybe? You can see my shoody Photshop work I did back then. It was a round piece.

New work-still working

I'm getting close to done. I had to really brighten the background and darken the fore ground to get the setting sun light close to right. The exhibit opening went well the other night. That was the most people I ever had at once. It was hard to deal with that many people for three hours, but I'm glad to do it. I had a few people who said they would buy a piece, but it looks like one will actually come through. More news on that later if it works out. It's nice to get the compliments and praise, which I had a lot of, but it's hard to be that social for that long. Thanks to those who came out but especially Mary, who traded insults and sharp verbals barbs with me for most of the time and kept me with it. She's a dear friend, but you might think we hate each other if you heard us talk. It's just our way. It's was also great to have Malissa, Tina and Jesse out too.

Here I go again (Not like Whitesnake)

If anybody is doing Gallery Hop tomorrow, stop by the First Presbyterian Church on Market Street and see my Art. If you have a very rich Art collecting friend who likes paintings of womens in woods, please send them my way :) You may recognize this one, I wanted to do it again, but with a Landscape orientation. It's also much smaller. 16 x 20 inches. I started this months ago but got side tracked so I thought I'd finish it. I'm already thinking ahead to the frame I'll put it in. It's a good thing I build frames for a living, it's the kind of thing I actually like to think about.

The Media!

                                               Haunting Waters is also in this show




Trying to spread the word to art fans. Here is my listing at Kentucky.com for the upcoming Gallery Hop. http://calendar.kentucky.com/lexington_ky/events/show/370201072-artwork-of-cliff-sullivan

Memory

I haven't shown this piece in a long time but I pulled it out for the show downtown. It's a large Color Pencil piece and still my favorite work. I titled it Memory.

Natural Beauty

Natural Beauty, one of the paintings that will be downtown during the next Gallery Hop. I' delivered about 13 pieces last week. I even pulled out some oldies like this one. More info coming soon.

Among the Giants

I'm taking a break after preparing the show downtown for the next Gallery Hop so I'm posting a bit of Cliffsart history. This piece is Among the Giants and it may have been my first internet sale. I did this when I was leaving my Space Art phase and had a great photo shoot with a good friend and model Brianna. That shoot changed the way I would paint and set me on a new path I've really enjoyed. This was one of the first paintings from that shoot and I haven't thought about it in a long time. I think it sold to someone in Texas.

Framed!

I titled this one Snowy Stream. I know, names are really hard. I built the frame Saturday. It's a large one, it's 40 x 30 inches and the first image I worked from that I didn't take myself. Well, at least since art school 12 years ago. Probably longer than that, since I was extremely opposed to working from images on the internet. I should really say first year of art school. I saw lots of students manipulating images from the webs and that used to drive me crazy. But, some of them may be full time wealthy Graphic Designers now, who knows. This will be in the next Gallery Hop at the First Presbyterian Church at market street along with other works of mine. I'll post those pics later, but I have a solo show there. Everyone take care and have fun!

Sales in Danville KY

I found out that both Light and Mercer County Reflection sold last week in Danville. Both are small paintings, but I wish I could have some more like Mercer County Reflection.  When me and the model did the photo shoot, the stream wasn't getting a lot of sunlight and most of the pictures didn't come out so well, but I did have enough light to do Mercer County Reflections(The round one). Glad someone is enjoy them both.

More Frames!

These are some frames I built for my upcoming show downtown in the next Gallery Hop. I bought this pine wood at Menard's in Indianapolis for a really good price. I usually wouldn't use pine for a frame but it was pretty wood and you don't say no to $3.00 and some change for 10 feet. It's pretty light too.

Snow!

Snow! But I'm not done yet.

Snow time like Show time!

I've been gearing up for a show in the next Gallery Hop, so I've been running around touching up different paintings, but here is where I am with this one. I'm really happy with the rocks Malissa is standing on. Those may be me best rocks yet. I have to pop in some more trees then I'll be ready for the snow. Stay warm everyone!

The Scout

I haven't had much painting time this week so it's another Cliffsart history moment. I was really happy with this painting, The Scout, I did in 2008 or so. I sold it through eBay to a lady in Alaska. The shipping cost deeply ate into the sale, which is why I don't do E bay anymore. But it was really neat to have some of my work in Florida, Alaska, Washington, Texas and a few other states. I sold some on Elsy too, but once again, the shipping cost. I wish I had a business mind.

Hunter of the Valley

Cliffsart history tonight. This is one of my favorites. Hunter of the Valley. I read Great Horned Owls killed Red Tail Hawks, Racoons, Cats , Dogs, and sometimes even Eagles, of course while attacking them at night when they don't see well. But I was amazed on how tough this bird is. I also read they specialize in eating Skunks, the smell don't bother them like other Predators. I dreamed this up and painted it. It's about 2 foot round. I did it around 2006 and still really like it.

Drawing

Here is the drawing for the next painting. I believe there shall be some snow in it in honor of all the snow we have had this Winter. I've painted some snow but not a lot so it should be interesting. And if you are oot and aboot fer tomorrow's Gallery Hop, stop by Christ Church Cathedral on market Street and see my painting February Fields. It's looks much better in real life than in the photographs.

Pesky grass!

Here is a little more work on this new piece. I got some glare from the sun, it looks better than this. I added some trees and work on the shawl. I'm still working on that pesky grass, but I think I'm close to finishing this one. That's good because I have a drawing for the next painting lined up.

Febuary Feilds

This piece, February Fields, will be in the next Gallery Hop at Christ Church Cathedral downtown, this February 21st. I saw they were looking for Winter pieces, and I had this one. I kind of think of this as a look of a different Winter. This one has been very cold and snowy. I imagine most of the work there will involve snow. But as you can see in the pic, there was no snow, but instead burning bright grass there at Shaker town. Maybe it's Johnson Grass, I'm not sure. It's really pretty this time of year though. That's much I do know. Malissa posed for this around this time last year when we had a warm day. Hopefully we'll have some warm days soon.

Fences and fields!

I've added a little more detail. I worked on the fields, buildings and fences. Sounds like I'm a Farmer! The shaw and shirt look good, but the field continues to be the biggest pain. That's ok though, all play and no work makes a crappy painting....sometimes.

Grass!

I'm still working on that field. After several passes, I'm starting to get it. That's a lot of grass! I also blended the sky a little more. I can't wait to do more work on her though.

I found out that By The Stream will appear in this years upcoming Glories of the Garden exhibit at the UK Arboretum. I'm glad to see that it made it in, I'll post more about the show dates later

Reaching for the Unseen II

A CliffsArt History pic. This was Reaching for the Unseen II. It sold at Common Grounds here in Lexington years ago. It's a Color Pencil piece. Years ago, when painting, I would think about God, The Universe, Spirit Worlds, all the big stuff. I would use drawings from my Nude Drawing Classes for the subjects. Spiritual crazy Metaphysical Paintings. After a couple of years I wanted to focus more on Realism, and it was more challenging. But now I'm thinking of going more Cosmic again. We'll see.

So cold out side, and inside.

Here's a little bit of progress. Honestly, it's been so cold I've stayed under the blankets watching tv most of the week. The hardest part will be to make the grasses look right. In the photo, they are dead, it's Febuary, the grasses are bundled and laying on the ground. I jumped into how I do grasses when they are alive. I realized this when I finished this. How to paint a field of bundled, dead, laying grasses? Painting is a puzzle. I'll figure it out though.

Hello

Here is the first two steps, drawing on the canvas and the painting. The sky is really neat in the photo, but I want to take my time and get it right. This is the first layer, I'm going to let it dry. Acrylics dry fast, but they sometimes need time to dry too. The grass is interestingly Green, considering that this is a Winter scene.

Cliff's Art History

A moment in Cliff's Art History. I painted this back in 2002, or 2003 and was the first Painting I ever sold in the Glories of the Garden exhibit in the UK Arboretum. Not based on any real thing, it was just an interpretation of the Evening Sky. I remember I got the good news in an email, it was one of the first paintings I've ever sold. It was a good size too, 2x4 feet. I forgot I put in the Big Dipper!

Drawing

I'm finishing the current painting but went on and drew a pose for the next painting. I'm pretty excited to start it, it has fields, wind, buildings, trees, fences and Malissa. Oh my!

I've filled out a little more in the shadows of the Painting. I also added some more light coming through  the leaves. I should be done with this one in the next couple of days. It gives me something to do while it's one degree outside. Stay warm everyone.

Blocking in

I've done some more on this painting. After working in Color Pencil for a while it feels good to get back in Paint. In this photo I've mostly just blocked in some areas with Paint. Everything is kind of lose, but I'll tighten it up next and try to make it more realistic. I'll keep some lose elements, maybe in the leaves on the trees.