And if your heart has the capacity to love more (safely, of course) then spread some love around. Because if Pelican and Panda can figure it out, so can we. Now, I'm heading out to sea in The Malarkey. Want to join me? About the art: This painting is the first in a series inspired by Lear's poem. Beginning with an old acrylic abstract painting on paper covered with a thin coat of gesso (the underpainting adds a lovely texture to this piece), then roughing in the central figures with thinned paint and a wide brush. Working next from the outside in, using the background paint to refine the figure shapes. A long drying time. Then the details of the faces, boat shape and sail. Many subsequent thinned layers to create shadows and dimension. Another coat for the background, using a rubber wedge to create motion in the sea by draaaaaagging the paint around. Alternating darks and lights until the saturation reached my satisfaction, then another long drying time followed by a coat of varnish.
The November Reader Giveaway continues the social experiment of a Questions Exchange - five questions each (thee and me!) asked and answered. Leave a comment on any blog post this. month to be automatically entered (and thanks to reader Trina T. for this suggestion!) The first winner is artist/photographer/teacher/podcaster/blogger and friend Carl Stoveland. And WOW did we ever have FUN! I'll publish segments of our hour-long interview over the next several weeks, as there are many treasures to be revealed! But first off, here's a little introduction from each of us, just to give a little taste of what's coming.
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About the art: I have not had a playdate with the AI bot in a bit, and I do believe it is missing me (if AI bots can be trusted, which, trust me, they cannot) so off I went on a malarkey caper in imaginging mashups of things and characters. And OH-HO do I ever have an inspiration folder now! The point of which is launching myself out of my art box and onto the playground. And so, beginning with a gesso'd wood panel, I covered it in a wash of hot pink. An underpainting which only survived in snippets, but inspired me to run off the deep end of the jungle gym and put a tiger and some donuts on it. A lightly drawn form, a few circles, then the first layer of background paint. Once dry, I worked from the mouth outward, adding successively thicker layers until the I reached the desired intensity of color. More layers for the background, more layers for donuts. The "sprinkles" achieved with the end of a chopstick dipped in various colors and pressed into the paint. Finally, a layer of varnish to gloss up the place. This guy makes me chuckle every time I walk past him. :)
I admit to being curious, dear readers! If you were a monster, which one would you be?
About the art: beginning with a piece of oil paper gesso'd in white, I roughed in the central figures with a wet brush and thinned oil paint. A coat of loose background paint followed, cutting in to the figures to further refine the shapes. A long drying time. Armed with inspiration images by Robert McGinness to inform the color palette and style, I worked from the inside-out and top-down on the figures. Many layers of thinned paint, resisting the urge to make things realistic, embracing the abstraction of background and merging forms. Ending with the red tie and another layer on the background. And voila! A mod werewolf and his damsel, who are great company in the studio. It's the final week for the October Reader Giveaway! You could win a "Question Exchange" with me - five questions of your choice (some from me, some from you) in whatever format you wish - email, text, voice message, Zoom, whatever! Let's get to know each other a little better. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on any blog post this month. And as always, thanks so much for participating. :)
There is a sense of growing cameraderie and collaboration in the world; a rising tide of raised voices and elevated engagement which is building community and connection. From this tide hope hops and dances the jig! So I will unleash my unruly rabbits upon the world and let them insert a bit of "uh oh" in all who ought to be wary. Pretty sure I have a rabbit outfit that will be perfect for the next protest. About the art: beginning with a sheet of watercolor paper gesso'd in white, I sketched a rough outline of the rabbit with a small brush laden with thinned oil paint. As I had several pieces going at once, I next painting the first layer of the background color, cutting into the figure to refine its proportions. Then a nice long drying time. I worked the figure from the details outward - eyes, ears, nose and mouth, then body and feet and the unexplainable platform he sits upon. Another coat of paint on the background and then the ear fluffs - wet into wet to leave them trailing off into the wind. Something new is happening for the Reader Giveaway this month! One lucky commentor will win a "Question Exchange" - five questions each (the winner and me) asked an answered via email, text, phone or Zoom! To enter, simply subscribe, read and comment. The winner will be announced right here in the blog on November 3.
About the art: I'm continuing my exploration of incorporating the wood panel color and texture into paintings. It feels very exciting to me ! For this one I began with a sketch and created a stencil to mask off the figure shape. I taped the top and bottom and then put on a smooth coat of black gesso, preserving the wood for Santa's figure. Then some painstaking pen and ink for all of the line work, and a tiny Posca Pen in white for the highlights. Though a figure of this size and detail might seem tedious, it is actually quite meditative. It requires full presence to be in control of every line - no mind wandering when using pen and ink on wood! I'm delighted with this one - grinning every time I walk past it. :) The May Reader Giveaway continues! Please leave a comment on any blog post this month to be automatically entered. The winner will be selected at random at the end of the month, and will receive a piece of original art in the mail - FREE! Thanks to everyone who reads and comments...you provide valuable feedback, insights and confirmation that I am not a voice alone in the wilderness of the internet! Hooray for all of you! Thanks a million! xo
Congratulations to Charlynn T.! Wonder Mike chose your name at random as winner of the March Reader Giveaway! Thank you to everyone who commented - your participation, feedback, community and encouragement are a bright light in a wild world! Thanks hugely! A new contest begins next month.
Because I think, perhaps, we might need a host of rascally highwaymen (and highwaywomen) to band together and take on the world soon. To fight for the squirrels, the rabbits, the owls and the cats. To brave unthinkable odds along the roadways in the darkness, finding goodness and love and light. I know just the dude to get it started. :) Congratulations to Todd and to Dotty! Wonder Mike chose your names as winners of the February Reader Giveaway! Thanks a bunch for reading and commenting. Send your mailing address to [email protected] and your free art will be in the mail right away! And thank you to everyone who participated this month, and to all of the new subscribers and readers from Bluesky!
A new giveaway begins one week from today. Leave a comment on any blog post during the month of March to be automatically entered. One (or more) lucky commenters will win a piece of original art - free!
Ross talked to squirrels and rabbits. I do, too (and crows, and hummingbirds). There is good science behind the importance of getting out and experiencing a bit of awe in the world: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/awe-wonder-walk-improve-health_uk_676fd08ce4b02a171f25b1cb. Awe can be inspired by nature, by music and (of course) by art. Which may be a good thing to focus on in 2025. Awe as an antidote to wonkiness in the wide world? Well, it's a start anyway. I'd love to hear where you find awe - leave a comment below! One (or more) lucky commenters this month will win a piece of original art - free! About the art: this rabbit (the first in a series of lagomorphs) was inspired by the works of Möbius and Diebenkorn. Beginning with a rough sketch in thinned oil paint and slowly adding layers of color. Keeping a basic geometry to the background and adding texture with chopsticks, butcher paper and a squeegee. Allowing edges to be soft and hard, and letting the texture on the rabbit build up to pull him forward in the piece. Some very thinned paint for the dripping on his shirt front and a long, long drying time. I can't help but grin when I look at him. :) Congratulations to Trina T.! Wonder Mike chose your name at random as winner of the December Reader Giveaway! Send your mailing address to [email protected] and your prize will be in the post! And thanks to everyone who participated. Your comments are a great gift to me and to other blog readers.
A new contest begins today! Leave a comment on any post in January to be entered.
About the art: this piece is a paint over of an existing work, which always lends extra depth and interest to the overall effect. For this one, many layers of walnut oil-thinned paint of various colors for the border and background, then drawing through those layers with a small rubber wedge to reveal some of the underpainting and create a faux border. The crow itself is made of many layers of blues and blacks applied with a wet, thin brush in long strokes, letting the paint lay like "feathers". Lots of drying time on this majestic bird. The November Reader Giveaway continues! Leave a comment (or more than one) on any blog post this month to enter. The winner (or winners) will be announced on November 25, right here in the blog. Hooray!
 Don't Expect This To Be Scientifically Plausible - LISTEN to the blog by clicking the DOWNLOAD link below "Don't Expect This To Be Scientifically Plausible" oil on cradled wood panel, 24 x 12 x 1.5 inches. This item is unframed but ready to hang. (click on the image to purchase) Yes, don’t expect this novella to be scientifically plausible. It’s not. It’s a totally absurd, tongue-in-cheek mishmash of the most popular time travel tropes, juggled with admirable deftness and self-awareness by the angry old man in the center of the story. Time travel serves here only as a literary vehicle for funny and sharp critique of our human foibles and vices and prejudices. And if we can get an adorable, feathered, man-eating dinosaur as a bonus, all the better. - RE-ENCHANTMENTOFTHEWORLD.BLOG
About the art: oh, you may have guessed the AI bot loves rabbits. It is fully willing and able to imagine rabbits in every possible scenario, style and genre of art. Ask it for an angry rabbit at the end of the world, and you'll get dozens of grin-inducing inspiration images. This piece is all about that black rabbit and the vivid sky. Soft paint layers here on gesso'd wood panel. I kept the setting very neutral and understated, with the color focus behind the rabbit and within his eyes and nostrils. A hint of tiny utility lines running through the sky and resisting the desire to overly define the structures was key to shining the spotlight on the rabbit. I can't look at this piece without chuckling a bit. Sometimes embracing the absurd is just the thing to soothe the spirit. It is the final week to enter the September Reader Giveaway! Leave a comment (or more than one) this month to enter. The winner will be announced right here on September 30th.
Thank you to everyone who reads, comments and shares this blog space and the art within it. Giving away a portion of what I create is my way of showing my deep gratitude for all of you, dear readers! Thank you hugely! |
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