Featured on: Chris Beck Blog

Hi everyone! This must be my lucky week! I am being highlighted on Chris Beck's blog. I see that I already have a few new followers and I would like to say a collective welcome to my blog! I'm sure that I will be equally interested in checking out all of your paintings as well. So for those of you that have not discovered the above links to Chris's blogs, do so and you will be pleased.

All you have to do is 'click' on the title to this post.

"Venetian Gold" in Splash 11

The new edition of "Splash 11-New Directions" is out on the bookshelves! My painting "Venetian Gold" made it into this book because of the new direction that my paintings are taking recently.

The quote by Anais Nin is one that I supplied keeping in theme with the book. The quote reads:

...."and the day came when the risk it took to remain all tight in the bud became more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

This is so true in many areas of life. We don't care for change but in order to grow and blossom, you have to move forward even when it seems painful and scary to do so. I recently went through a scary time of uncertainty, not knowing what was going to happen in my life, but you have to trust the universe to help you out along with yourself. I'm happy to be a part of this wonderful book and I feel that the design and layout of this one is the classiest in the series. Check it out yourselves.

Discover & Download

"Discover & Download" is finished! Accept for a few "twikings" here and there. This painting shows a snapshot in time back to 2007 to Times Square in New York City. This was the year that I won the Gold Metal from the American Watercolor Society. Many photos were taken of the city at that time. What drew me to this one was the abstract design. Each window which shows reflections of the city or the times we live in had a contained abstract design which made a whole composition of abstraction. I wanted to show the energy of the city in this painting.

For the most part, it is finished but I might just make a few small, subtle changes.

International Artist Magazine is Out!

The April/May edition is out with my painting on page 13. Along with the painting is an artist statement about my inspiration, design strategy and working process. And of course, contact info. I am happy to be going international with my art especially when I see that I have people following my blog from across continents. Spring is here!

Progress

As you can see, I am developing reflections of the city in the windows. Lots of detail and I am pleased with the progress. I have developed the MTV images in the bottom row of windows.

Start of a new painting

I have started a new painting. This one is from a scene in Times Square in New York City. Between myself and a friend, we took several pictures all over the city in two recent trips there.

As you can see, it is appearing to be the building in Times Square that displays the "Lion King" advertisement. I have a habit of taking on complex paintings with detail and this will not be short of plenty of eye candy. Its the composition that will give it its sense of activity and size. Possibly you will get an idea of how I work. I did the initial drawing with my reference coming from the above mentioned photos all around the city. From there, I am laying in washes of color, starting with the main focal point of the Lion King sign. I then move on to some of the graphics shown in the windows below—gradually building up tones. I make a color chart for myself of the watercolors that I have in my collection and spend time picking out the palette of colors that I want for this scene. My paintings are time consuming, but the results are to my liking.

Latest News Bulletin! Made it into International Artist Magazine!

I just received word that my painting "Going Green" is going to be published in International Artist Magazine April/May issue. It is part of their flowers and Gardens competition. Now I have to get busy and write some info about the painting i.e. inspiration.

The Series

Here so far is the series of glass watercolor studies that I have completed.

Glass Reflections III

After spending more time on my digital work and not enough time on my watercolor painting, I have completed number 3 in my series of glass studies watercolor paintings. This is one of a Murano glass bowl by Fratelli Tasi in Venice and of Paper Nautilus shells that I happen to be lucky enough to have in my collection of interesting objects. They are rare finds in that, they rarely wash up on beaches because they are delicate shells that crumble before being able to do so. If I have my facts correct, they are shells from baby octopus. They are related to the Nautilus shell family.

I happen to get my hands on them from an acquaintance who received them from a friend living in South Africa and saw them on the beach and sent them through the mail to him. He didn't know what to do with them and asked me, the artist, if I would want them. Of Course!

I love the play of light on glass that is why I have done a series called Glass Reflections. They are abstract in nature but yet representational. Any comments on my latest addition is welcome.

Followers of my Blog

For those of you that follow my blog, I apologize for no new watercolor entries since June of this year. My focus and attention has been on my training as a multimedia artist. If you click on the link to the Digital By Design website, you will see the work that I have been doing. But enough about that. This blog is dedicated to the art of watercolor painting. I have a work in progress going on right now and it is close to completion. I will post as soon as it is done. I do not want to rush it even though I want to keep a steady pace with my fine art.

There will be news to follow as I am being published in "Splash 11-New Directions" coming out next year. Promise to post something new soon.

Going Green

The painting that I have been posting on my blog in stages is finished. There might be some slight twiking here or there but will be minimal. You have to know when to quit. I find that after I finish a piece, I can't really see it anymore. I have to get away from it. This was one of my largest paintings that I have ever done. You learn something with each one. I believe I will call this one, "Going Green".

Progress

Slowly but surely, this painting is coming around. More of the background is developed and the seeds are becoming more detailed. Also, I am intending to create a more blended affect up at the top which will travel through to the large background area above the hydranga. That will be my last section to do on this painting. This painting is large, 30x40, as the hydranga itself is almost the size of my head plus a small another one so if that gives any idea of scale, is why it is taking some time. But so far, I am pleased with the results.

TWSA Show

Well I am back from Kenosha and the TWSA show. Some very interesting and good art and some that were a matter of taste. This is me with my painting. The gallery was first rate along with the placement of the paintings. While I was there, it was rainy and cold. For June, this seems strange. So much for global warming.




The highlight of my night was getting to meet John Salminen. We sat together for dinner and had some interesting talks. For those of you reading my blog who don't know John Salminen, I will post a link to his website under interesting websites on the right. You will see why he is a prominent and leading watercolor artist of our day. For those of you who do know, know that I was lucky to have had the opportunity to talk with him.

I also saw the works of of Cheng-Khee Chee up close. He also attended the dinner. It was good to see Judy Morris again and hopefully we will run into each other again. I will also have a link to their sites as well.

Progression

Before I go off to the TWSA show in Kenosha, I wanted to post my progress on the "Going Green" painting. I'm starting to develop my dark green in the background and layering in the seeded eucalyptus.

Latest WIP

I am working on a "going green" painting. This is just the start of a rather large watercolor. The flower is a Hydranga. Just starting and documenting as I go.

The American Museum of Natural History

On my trip to NYC, I met up with an artist friend that works as a staff artist at The American Museum of Natural History. I got a behind the scenes tour at the museum of where the exhibits and dioramas are worked on. All extremely interesting. What was an interesting connection was how similar materials are used in the creation of show cars for the auto industry. Animals are carved out of dense foam, clay armatures are created and fiberglass molds are used. There is an area where airbrushing is used and areas of casting certain parts.

Check out my link to Joi Bittle-Knights website to see some of her extraordinary work.

Accepted into TWSA

Just heard word last week that my painting Reflections 1 will be part of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America show for 2009! TWSA has strict regulations when it comes to paint materials and technique. Such as, this show is strictly for artists who work in transparent watercolors only. No opaque, no acrylic, strictly transparency. I really favor this idea because when it comes to "watercolor societies", it was my impression (before I became involved) that that was what they were all about. For most of the others, you can use acrylic, tempera, casein or a mix of several just as long as the paint base can be diluted with water. And you can also use yupo paper or canvas panels made for watercolor along with of course watercolor paper. But to me, if you are going to do something on canvas to have it look like an oil painting, why do you want a watercolor to look like a transparent oil painting?

I am a purist. All my paintings have been done with transparent watercolor. That is what I like about watercolor. For this society in particular, even painting somewhat opaquely will not be accepted. My painting is simple, but it does show the transparency of the medium and I believe that is why it was chosen.

The show is going to be held at the Kenosha Public Museum in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The opening is June 6, 2009. Judy Morris, who in my book. is one of the best watercolor artist around has been included in the 2008 edition of "Who's Who of American Women"," Who's Who in the World 2000", and" Who's Who in the recent addition of Who's Who in America". Wow! That is a lot of Who's Who!

Study in Glass

Here is "Glass Study 2". The second in my intended series on glass. These objects were placed on a mirror so as to achieve a lot of reflections. The material that is swirling around the glass objects was a gauzy, unique scarf purchased while in New York at one of the top museums there. I find that the museum stores carry some very interesting scarfs with interesting and different patterns that I use in a lot of my watercolors. In this case, it has added an abstract background.

I like using light to achieve different feelings and effects. I believe now that after many years of painting with my favorite medium of watercolor that I am starting to achieve just that.

"Cinema Paradiso"

I've included in my videos this week, scenes and music from the Italian film "Cinema Paradiso". It is a good movie. Has sub-titles but did win an academy award at the Cannes, film festival. I would recommend watching this movie this summer.

New York City-Art Trip

I have been meaning to write about my recent trip to New York which took place at the end of June. Posted down below are some pictures taken which I am sharing for a time. The trip was especially interesting for me as I got to meet some living, breathing, and working artist living in the city. I visited the studio of Greg Kwiatek, and of Gene Binder who owns a gallery in Marfa, Texas. I also met with some exceptionally good artists living in Long Island City. Hi to Nick and Joi.

I traveled with a special friend, an art collector, a supporter of the arts who made it possible to put into contact with these people. Every step of the way on this art path has lead to some very interesting times and experiences and people as I am now continuing to grow and change.

In my interesting links column there is a live webcam from Greenwich Village. Live from the Big Apple