ART SHOW

Texture is so compelling. I MUST paint it as much as possible. It's fun and fascinating. And it's found everywhere.

Andrew Wyeth's paintings, especially his egg tempera masterpieces, display incredible textures. He, of course, spends hours/days/weeks/months perfecting and practicing one small feature of a future painting before attempting the finished work. He's raised the level of the true meaning of 'practice makes perfect!' And his diligence has been recognized internationally and rewarded. He is a master.

This roofscape with its angles and geometric shapes (and all that texture) begged me to paint it. I'm tempted to put something alive in it - a trite pigeon? Whatever I think of seems too predictable. Any ideas?

This painting will be shown next month in an art show which I'm sponsoring to show off work done by artists in all of my current art classes.

The show will open in Cincinnati's Sharon Woods Park on Feb. 16, with an artist's reception on Sunday, Feb. 17 from 1 to 4. Everyone's are invited. We will be open from 10 to 5 from Feb.15 through the following Sunday, Feb.24. With more than 30 artists displaying their work, it will be quite a show. Most of the paintings will be for sale. If you're in the area, please stop in, enjoy the artwork, and say 'hi.'

"TIME GOES BY" Transparent Watercolor on 140#CP Arches 18 x 25"

DRY BRUSH WATERCOLOR

Once, a gallery owner kindly told me to stick with one recognizable style in order to further my art career. His advice was sound, but ... There are just too many excellent ways to express feelings when painting, too many wonderful, awesome, beautiful things to paint, and not enough lifetime left to paint it all. So I continue to paint what I want to paint in whatever 'style' I want to paint it in. Diversity is a lot more fun than sticking to a specific formula for me. And the Art Career? I figure Success is measured in more than one way.

The technique shown in this painting is called "Dry Brush." Andrew Wyeth is the master of dry brush, and Joseph Boehler uses it superbly, too. I seldom paint this way, but once I'm into the painting, I hate for it to end. The paint was applied with almost no moisture added and built up by crosshatching to develop depth of value, color, and texture. Because there's no water to spread the paint around, it takes many, many, many hours to complete a painting like this. The richness and depth can't be achieved any other way.
"WELL KEPT SECRETS" on Bristol Board 10 x 14"