#334 - Ms. Super Star

6" x 6"  oil on hardboard  $85

Ms. Super Star was working a concession stand at the Back Porch Music On the Lawn Concert Series at the American Tobacco Campus. She wasn't up on stage but kept striking poses for the camera anyway. The least I could so was to put her in paint.

#333 - The Last Beignet

6" x 6"   oil on hardbord   Sold

This painting (commissioned by my cousin) was made from a photograph I took, the last time we were together in New Orleans having coffee and beignets. I hope it's not really the last real beignet I ever have. No one makes them quite like the Cafe Du Monde.

#332 - Pooped-Out Pups

18" x 18"   oil on hardbord   Sold

This was my biggest commissioned piece yet. The size was kind of daunting for me at first but I really liked the way it turned out (and most importantly so did the client). To keep up with my broad brush stroke technique I went out and bought the biggest brushes that I could swing at this puppy (no pun). It was lots of fun and I look forward to the next one. Never met a dog I didn't want to paint and these two tired cuties were no exception.

Side note for myself: It was surprising how much simpler and how much better (stronger) the composition became once I took out the background behind the pups and substituted a simple supporting color to help pull it all together and focus on the subject. Also, now this newly created color palette helped give it all a bit of an americana kind of feel that I'm digging. I think the framer keyed into this because I really like the frame he chose for it:

P.S. (or S.P. for Shameless Plug) I've always got time for another so don't be afraid to ask me about a commission folks. :)

#331 - Kind Kia

12" x 12"   oil on canvas   Sold

This is a commissioned piece of a sweet miniature pincher named Kia. Once upon a time I had a minpin and although she wasn't as kind as kia, I loved her very much anyway. All dogs go to heaven and so I like to imagine she's getting plenty to eat in her pampered afterlife.

I've done a few checkered backgrounds in the past and I'm really enjoying doing them again (+ per client request)

Again, apologies for the small photo, but next week I'll have my fancy photo apparatus up again.

#330 - Serendipity Path

5" x 7"  oil on hardboard   Sold

I was just about to write that I wish every path was like this (frozen in time), as if it would be great to know how light and dark the path is and exactly where it leads. But would it be great? Why do we remember the past but not the future? Is that just the real nature of time or is that the only way that we can experience time (and our lives)? What if forgetting the future was simply an evolutionary selection for humans? Perhaps at one point humans could, but those humans died out because knowing the future simply isn't as bearable. What place would hope and serendipity have in a set future? It would be like reading a book when you already know what will happen. It's just not as interesting.
So, on second thought, I'll take not knowing. I'll choose hope, serendipity, and faith that you are where you are supposed to be and that you are going where you are supposed to go.
It's a more interesting story (and path), don't you think?

#329 - Aquaman (Bill)

9" x 12"   oil on canvas   Sold

And this was number 2 of 2 portraits commissioned of a handsome couple in Maui Hawaii. Since I called the first one Superman, this second one just had to be called Aquaman. Once again, Congratulations on the new home, Bill and Niko. :)

Again...please forgive me for not getting a better photo (glare), but my fancy photo setup is out of commission for the time being. I'll fix it soon I hope.

#328 - Superman (Niko)

9" x 12"   oil on canvas   Sold

This painting was 1 of 2 portraits commissioned of a handsome couple in Maui Hawaii. I called this one Superman because he looks like the man of steal to me. He has a great chiseled square jaw that seems to echo the structure of the old ironwork building around him. Niko and his partner Bill (who's portrait I named Aquaman, which I'll post tomorrow) just bought a new home together. Congratulations guys. :)

Please forgive me for not getting a better photo (glare), but my fancy photo setup is out of commission for the time being. I'll fix it soon I hope.

#327 - Playful Peabo

6" x 6"   oil on hardboard   Sold

This painting was for a commission of an uber cute little puppy named Peabo. It was fun because I also enjoyed doing the checked backgrounds that I use for some of my paintings (though I'm a fan of the flat color backgrounds as well).

Forgive me for not having a better photo but my fancy photo taking setup is out of commission for the time being.

More commission paintings on the way. Next up are people (not pooch) portraits.
:)

P.S. (or S.P. for Shameless Plug) I've always got time for another so don't be afraid to ask me about a commission folks.

Painting Thumbnail Generator = Fixed

Sweet Jebus Feet!!
Finally fixed my painting thumbnail generator (turns out my link to the .js javascript file was broken). So anyhoo, now my pages full O' thumbnail generated goodness should be working again (e.g. my first 120 all paintings, sold paintings and available paintings). Please give me a shout out if it's not working for you (or you see any other problems)!

In other news, I've got a bunch of commissions I'm working on right now that I'll post up real soon (BTW-I've always got time for more so don't be afraid to ask me about a commission folks).
:)

#326 - Hal

5" x 7"   oil on hardboard   Sold

This was a portrait of a friend's father that I really enjoyed painting. It's a real joy playing with the temperature changes in the human face. I think I'd like to do some more of these.

#325 - Mr. McCap's Morning

6" x 6"   oil on hardboard   Sold

This is my favorite painting in quite awhile. I don't know if the digital version was able to capture the colors right but I know I hit the color key as I look at the real painting in front of me. This is the color truth of that morning light as it fell on this guy and his cap.

#324 - Red Bellied Bandit

6" x 6"  oil on hardboard  Sold

The name says it all. Looks like he's wearing a mask around his eyes, which I imagine protects his secret identity while he's out looking for worms.

#323 - Backroad Shed

5" x 7"  oil on hardboard  Sold

It's strange how relative color is, especially local color. The shed on the road out back behind my place is lavender, like nice-old-lady lavender type lavender. But near the end of the day, the sun pokes through some trees and hits it on just one side with such warm light that it becomes pink and yellow.  At the same time, the other sides are lit only by the fading ambient blue sky, so they become colder and darker. What a big contrast because of the change in light.  So now it feels kinda weird to simply say "This is a lavender shed". It is still on a backroad though. Light can't change that.

#322 - Retro Chair

2.5"x 3.5"(ACEO)  oil on artboard  $40

I couldn't resist painting the colors of this retro chair. This chair wouldn't go in my place, but sure was fun to paint though. :)

#321 - Red Roof Shed

8" x 8"  oil on hardboard   Sold

I'm starting to get my workshop together which is nice because when I decide a painting needs to be a certain size, I can just go cut the size I need. Because of the big strokes I wanted to fit into this painting I wanted it to be a bit larger than my usual 6" x 6" size. The extra space was fun to play with and I really like the way this one turned out. :)

#320 - Orange Slice Belgian

2.5"x 3.5"(ACEO) oil on artboard  Sold

If the painting god came down and told me I could only paint only one subject, this would be it: Light shining through a drink. I never get tired of it and I'm always captivated by the sight if it. If there's a bar in heaven I imagine every drink that angels order would have light shining through it like this. Ideally they would also be as tasty as this particular belgian beer. Conversely, bars in hell serve wormwood stout through which no light has ever passed.

#319 - Smiling Sata

5"x 7"  oil on masonite  Sold

This is my friend Greg's handsome dog Sata commissioned as a birthday gift to him by his sweet lady Laura.

I'm very happy with how it came out. I love the way that dogs always look like the are smiling when their mouths are open just a bit. It's the face of love and it reminds me of a quote (from an unknown source):

"Be the person that your dog thinks you are."

Updated Template

You know your blogger template is old when you can't add newer widgets because your old template is "not supported". Anyhoo, I updated to a newer one and then changed it a bit to suite my taste. I'd love any constructive feedback you have to give. Let me know what you think. :)

#318 - Sid’s Siesta

6"x 6"  oil on masonite  Sold

This is number two of two commissioned paintings for my Uncle Mike. This is Sid, beloved kitty of Mike's daughter Susan.

edit: forgive me if I confused you by mixing up the painting/posting names yesterday. Got it straight now. Yesterday was #317 - Obedient Oliver. Today is #318 - Sid’s Siesta.

#317 - Obedient Oliver

6"x 6"  oil on masonite  Sold

This is one of two commissioned paintings for my Uncle Mike. This is Oliver, beloved pooch of Mike's son Steve.

edit: Whoops! I accidentally mixed up the name of the next painting onto this one. "Sid" is the next one (another pet painting). This one is "Obedient Oliver" (notice the I changed the post heading, but it's still painting number #317). This is another good argument for dummies like me: Number your paintings and your always be able to reference them no matter what your title. :P

__________________

“You're late.” -Frodo Baggin
“A wizard is never late. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.” -Gandalf the Grey

Happy New Year! Wait…what? You say I’m over a month late on that? That’s just like me to be late, but as I like to think, it’s never too late to start a new day (or a new year). So, I’ll just call this day (Feb 8th) the start of my new year.

I know I haven’t been posting lately but I have been painting and so I’ve got bunch to post up (animals, landscapes, still life etc). I’ve also got a new painting setup that is pretty eccentric but works great for me. Hopefully I can get around to sharing that soon also. In short, I'm back in production.

#316 - House of the Autumn Sun

5"x 7"  oil on masonite  Sold

Fall is almost over here in Durham. It was lovely. I painted this from a photo I took in the evening when the leaves were just starting to turn.