Surrealism

Time to Dali

When we think of surrealism, we think about Salvador Dali.  Although he was not one of the first artist to create surrealistic work, he is one of the best know surrealists.  Here are several examples of surrealism that I created along with my students.  Eyes and human forms of course will remind you of Dali.

Eye See, 7 x 7 oil on board

Sky Eye, 16 x 20 oil on canvas

Life Drawing

 Drawing Session at LGA

Saturday November the 11th I was lucky enough to have about six hours to draw from a live model.  I started out with a three two minute warm up, a four minute warm up and a eight minute warm up.  I felt very rusty at first.   I concluded the rest of the morning by completing a charcoal drawing of the model which I have included below and I am relatively pleased with this drawing.   During the afternoon I concentrated on a pastel drawing.  The LGA members are dedicated and very talented in their  paintings from life, I wish you could see them, they were wonderful. 

    

Warm-up Sketches 

Charcoal Drawing on Textured Board

Pastel Drawing on Textured Board

New Abstracts

Working With Movement

I have been interested in the female form and dancers over the past several years, and see geishas and dancers in my abstract work, often emphasising them in my paintings.  I have included one of these below.

Princessa, 10 x 10 acrylic and lacquer on board

When Creating the following works for the faculty show my intention was to create the same sort of dancers by working with movement first.  I am pleased with the effort.

Zen Dancer, 18 x 24 Acrylic on Canvas

Wind Dancer Triptych- Painting 1, 15 x 22 Acrylic on Watercolor Board

Wind Dancer Triptych- Painting 2, 15 x 22 Acrylic on Watercolor Board

Wind Dancer Triptych- Painting 3, 15 x 22 Acrylic on Watercolor Board

Hi Chi Dancer,18 x 24 Acrylic on Canvas

Acrylic On Watercolor Paper

Abstracts



    

Abstract Dyptich #1, 2 11 x 15 acrylic on Watercolor Paper

     

Abstract Dyptich #2, 2 11 x 15 acrylic on Watercolor Paper

    

 

Collage

More Fun With Collage

Last spring my students and I created a number of collages that I found interesting and of course, fun.  We are at it again and I look forward to seeing all of their creations.  Here is my finished piece created in the spring from this assignment.

Navajo Girl, 11 x 14 Collage on Canvas

I am hoping to finish three more of these by the end of the semester and am working on  two more text collage works which I will add below when finished.  I  really liked the way the tree turned out.

 

Life is Short, 11 x 14 Collage on Canvas

Texture

Actual and Simulated Texture

These two studies are examples created with my design students using actual and simulated texture of the same subject matter, leaves.  The first uses acrylic mediums to help create the texture and the second is created using only a flat board.

Fall Leaf Study #1, acrylic mediums and acrylic on 6 x 6 board

Fall Leaf Study #2, acrylic on 6 x 6 board



In the Style Of Others

Knowing Where You Fit In

When I first began painting I spent a lot of time listening to others discuss which artist and artwork   I should look up because my work was in their style.   This is  good and can also be a trap.  I believe that we should take some time to develop our own style, but should not make art in a vacuum.  It should not hurt any of us to look at as many art styles and art works as possible, and at times make works that are in their style.  The next paintings were completed along with my students in the style of other artists works.



In the Style of O'Keeffe, 5 x 5 oil on board

In the Style of van Gogh, 5 x 5 oil on board



Granbury Art Show

2012 LGAA Fall Show Accepted Pieces

I was especially pleased to be accepted and place in the Juried Granbury fall show (click fall show).  I  believe that you will enjoy seeing the work  online as much as much as I did in person.  My painting below received an honorable mention.

"Three for Tea" • 15 x 22 • watermedia

Art and Architecture

Life As We Know It

Old Adobe House, 8 x 10 oil on board

All of us are familiar with architecture, we see a lot of buildings every day of our lives.  Yet, many of us fear adding these same images to our paintings.  Why?  Because if you are wrong, everyone knows it.  This is the very reason why we need to embrace the architectural form and make it our friend.  The first two studies were done with my students.

Artists Mill, 6 x 12 oil on board

The next two studies were comopleted just for fun.  I expecially like the barn painting, don't you?

Uncle George Greenley's Barn, 11 x 14 oil on canvas

Twilight at Cloudcroft, 12 x 16 oil on canvas

A Little Bit of Color

Color Wheel Studies

One of the ways to begin to understand color is to create designs and even paintings which require you to manipulate color in very specific ways.  The next several paintings are designs based on the 12 colors of the color wheel using tints and tones with  monochromatic, analogous,  and complementary color schemes.

Color Wheel Design, Acrylic on Paper

FW Color Designs #1, Acrylic on Museum Board

FW Color Designs #2, Acrylic on Museum Board

The next two paintings are based on all 12 colors of the color wheel using tints and tones but in a regular painting format.

Geisha with Sun and Rain, 15 x 22 Watercolor on Paper

Piggy and Rhino Play Dress-up, 17 x 23 Acrylic on Paper

The next three works are based on analogus, complementary  and split complementary color schemes.

FW Blues 1212, 6 x 6 acrylic on wood

Sun Geisha #2010, Watercolor on paper

 Geisha of the Cool Afternoon, 15 x 22 Tempera on Paper

A Little Bit of Oil

Beginning Oil Painting Demonstrations

The following paintings were created as demonstrations for beginning painting students in oil.

FW Compliment O1208, Oil on 6 x 6 Gessoed Board

FW Compliment O1209, Oil on 6 x 6 Gessoed Board

FW Landscape O1210, Oil on 6 x 12 Gessoed Board

FW Pallet Knife Landscape O1211,Oil on 6 x 12 Gessoed Board 

Acrylic is Golden

Examples and Demonstrations in Acrylic

This year my students are working by quantity, a painting a class period.  There are four exceptions, where they have four large works to break up the schedule.  These first paintings were  demonstrationsfrom the first week of class.

FW Abstract Series 1201, 6 x 6 acrylic on wood

FW Abstract  Tree Series 1202,  6 x 12 acrylic on wood 

The next group of painting demonstrations were created for painting two students for the first month of the semester.

FW Abstract  Tree Series 1203,  6 x 18 acrylic on canvas

FW Abstract  Tree Series 1203,  6 x 18 acrylic on canvas

FW Faux Batik Series 1204, Acrylic on rice paper

FW Faux Batik Series 1205, Acrylic on watercolor paper

FW Faux Batik Series 1206, Acrylic on watercolor paper

FW Faux Batic Series 1207, Acrylic on watercolor paper