Night and Day

Night

 

Day

Pottery painting on 12 inch diameter plates.

Vishal and I recently went to a pottery painting store in Portsmouth NH. This was the first time we ever tried painting on pottery and it was very different than any other medium I had tried before. The "raw" colors look nothing like they do after the pottery has been fired, so there is a lot of guess work involved!

The theme we chose was "Night and Day" - with Vishal painting the "Night" and me doing the "Day". It was a fun experience, and I will definitely try it again. Maybe next time around we'll do something more abstract :-)

Here Comes the Sun

Acrylic on board. 48"x24" NFS

This painting is, in many ways, different from any I have done recently.

First, I rarely paint with the final location of the artwork in mind. But this one was done with the intention of displaying above our friends’ family room fireplace. It is supposed to be a house-warming gift for our close friends who recently became the proud owners of a charming house in Westford, MA.

Second, this is my largest painting so far, and one of the quickest ones too (for the size). I used large brushes and strokes – a technique I am still learning – and completed it in about 6 hours.

And lastly, this painting was done in acrylic; a medium I have used after a very long time. Although I prefer to work with oils, I used acrylics because I wanted the paint to dry quickly. This was a gift and I was on a deadline!

I hope our friends enjoy the painting.

The Brass Container

Oil on canvas paper. Approx 11"x8"

A quick study in metal and reflection.

Soaking the Sun

Oil on canvas board. Framed. Approx 18"x12"

Here's a not-so-great photograph of another of my class paintings. People ask me what sort of birds they are. I am no bird watcher, but my best guess would be pigeons.

In general, I would like to improve the quality of my painting photos. I have certainly not perfected that art yet. Any tips/ideas?

The Morning After Halloween - 1

Oil on canvas. Approx 12"x12"

Painted this over the weekend. The blue witch's hat is in reality black. But because of the bad lighting in my basement (read studio), I saw it blue and painted it even bluer. I have the option of leaving it this way, or changing it to black -  still undecided on what I want to do.

The Milk Container

Conte on colored paper. Approx 12"x10"

This is a drawing I did in class today.

By the Lake

Oil on 3/8" board. Framed. Approx 24"x24"

While I set up and start sharing some fresh pieces, here's another old one I did in a class earlier this year. This is my first painting on a board. When I painted it, I had no idea that boards need to be sealed with gesso (or some such sealant) first so they don't absorb every bit of oil you put on them. It was a very difficult surface to paint on for me, not only because it was unsealed, it was also the largest painting I had undertaken so far.

I do remember liking the hard smooth surface of a board though, as opposed to the bouncy textured surface of a stretched canvas. I should work more on boards - sealed boards that is.