This is a larger piece that I am currently working on, 48" x 72" (how do you like my easel, I made it myself). I've done my drawing using acrylic paint and now that I have a couple of oil paintings under my belt, am proceeding with same. It is somewhat of a daunting task, but nonetheless exciting. There's no substitute for the impact of a larger piece and this one represents a trip to Portugal and will hang in our entrance if all goes well. This street in Lisbon is quite famous (Ruo Augusto) and leads into the Triumphal Arch. There are so many amazing sights and sites in that country that I would highly recommend it as a vacation destination. I took this picture and then in the drawing stage encountered some issues. I punched up Lisbon in Google pictures and virtually found the same shots and was able to make sense of a couple of things. I'll post some updates as I go. Suggestions are gratefully welcomed as I git it on with this monster. I haven't worked out colors or how loosely I want to proceed yet. But that's me, fly by the seat of your pants Vern. I should do a small color sketch...ah we'll see.

Incognito

Karin decided to take us out of our comfort zones this week and have us sketch and paint this weeks challenge upside down. With eyebrows raised initially , I dove in and have to say, the drawing went very quickly and pretty darn accurately. Great tip and a ton of fun. When I thought I was pretty much done painting, I flipped it over and started to clean it up a little. I must admit though, ten minutes turned into sixty in the interest of producing a better result. 6 1/2" x 8" oil on masonite

The painting of the Koi Fish in my blog header is one where I borrowed heavily from a painting done by a brilliant artist named Gabor Nagy. It is 6' x 3' as is his, but my done in acrylics does not quite have the same magical movement or brilliance of colour of the original which was done in oils. I added lily pads in an effort to distance mine from his. I learned a lot from doing this piece, and as the saying goes, imitation is the highest form of flattery.This painting will never be sold or leave my family's possession.

What the....?

Well I thought I would give myself a challenge this weekend with my new oils. (not the best photo of the painting) They are amazing. I had resisted using them because of odors, toxicity concerns etc. I was told to try odorless solvent (TALTINE) and must admit, I am noticing some irritation in my sinuses. I don't know if it's the solvent or the paints. My "studio" is a reasonable size, but in the winter it is tough to keep the windows open. Any suggestions or thoughts on this? I'd really appreciate any input, as I'd like to get started properly with this new medium. As near as I can reckon, this is about my 63rd painting. When I first started, an accomplished art professional that helped me along was Nick Bjelajac. He suggested that I might get to where I'd like to be as an artist after I'd completed about 200 paintings. Now that I've been re-inspired, this has become a real goal. It is a genuine thrill for me to declare ... 

12" x 12" 

oil on masonite.

Three To Go

Karin Jurick keeps coming up with cool photos for the weekly challenge. This is my second attempt with water mixable oils on a 8" x 6 1/2" masonite panel. Yesterday I bought my first set of traditional oils and I'm ready to roll. I'll still use the acrylics, but I've always longed to try painting with the same medium as used by most of the artists I admire. The water mixables are good, but mine are kind of dried up. Bought them and never used them, because I didn't like the way they worked initially. Thanks to some of the utube demos, I got a chance to see some artists at work and decided to give them another try. Internet school, gotta love it.