Last of this season smalls... I think. This is painted with a new paint from Mark Carder. Geneva Paints. I enjoy these little things. So small that its hard to detail and show volume. It has been a great exercise. I'll get back to them soon enough but I have some largish painting that I've been itching to do for a while. I'm going to get back into watercolors and starting a Outdoor Painting group for the spring.
A couple of pear paintings
The 94417 is the code used for these Read Pears at checkout. This is another in my take on 'kitchen art'. Quick sketchy. This was paint from life and to about 4 hours including set-up, prep and paint. Someone has suggested that these two fruits are having a conversation. I wonder what they're talking about.
Before this pear went into a salad I had to give it a painting. I like pears because they come in so many varieties, colors and shapes. The fit right into my idea of 'kitchen art'.
Out of My Gourd
I can't seem to stop this kitchen art thing. This little squash came out of our garden this year. All lumpy and bumpy. This is still officially a work in progress. I'll wait a few days before I call it finished. The old box it's sitting on has become my favorite platform. This single overhead light set up is really revealing in it's simplicity.
Yanni's Little Apples
I've started a series of 'Wild Apples' paintings. The one is almost done just waiting for a little glazing. The idea came from Yanni's giving me a few of his tiny unmanaged Macintosh apples. I was intrigued with the little mis-shapen things. I decided to eat one ,after much carving found it was great. I looked at them and saw another piece of 'Kitchen Art'. Then I realized the there were hundred of apple trees within just a few miles of my house. I've run around and gathered and was giving a bunch of untamed apples. Northern Spy, Macintosh, Cortland, Green Delicious and a couple of undetermined fruit. I am in the process of photographing all of them, I can't possibly paint them all while they are still fresh, for a series of paintings on panel. 6 x 6, 6 x 8, 8 x 8 and 8 x 10s. Maybe even a few watercolors.
Stay tuned.
It's been a long time. Finally Duncan.
It was a summer to forget. Projects failed, Just enough health issues to slow me down and the damn heat. Next year air-conditioning.
This is the first painting finished in a while. It's of our 2 year old Decoverly Setter Duncan. 13x20 oil on linen. It's painted with a new paint from Geneva Fine Art . Geneva Paint are colors balanced to the limited palette of Mark Carder and manufactured to the quality and consistency that he teaches. The paints are great. They take a little getting used to as that they a thinner and longer drying the I would prefer. But the color makes up for most of their shortcomings.
This painting of Duncan was done in about 4 hours. I was able to achieve the looseness because of Geneva Paints. At first I was fuming but as it came together I was happy.
Saying goodbye to The Red Barn.
Another of my little creations has found a new home. soon he will be in a dark box rumbling done route 81 in the back of a brown UPS truck on the way to the collector. I'll miss you Red Barn.
This was the first oil I did in my new studio a couple of years ago. We had just finished building the house and the studio was piled with stuff. I slowly carved a space and a path, set up my old easel and painted the scene of my little red tractor barn. The barn still stands though it racking seriously and the roof took a big beating last winter. This fall I'll shore up the roof and support the racking. But I'm afford it's about time to build a new tractor barn. It would cost more to repair than to build a new bigger one. I used the interior of the barn for my recent painting The Barn Clock.
Barn Clock added to available paintings
I've made a few changes on the Barn Clock Painting. Its dried and it has a coat of GamVar varnish.
http://jimkingston.com/wetpaint/2015/2/12/barn-clock-is-finally-done-almost
What a great painting
What can I say. I thought I had seen most of his stuff but wow this is great.
Edward Hopper (American, American Realism, 1882-1967): Untitled (Rocks and Sea), 1916-1919. Oil on wood. Whitney Museum...
Posted by I Require Art on Tuesday, June 23, 2015
An experiment in Pear futures
I have just put this little painting on action at DailyPaintWorks http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/400561
I am lowering the prices of many of my paintings!
Many of the prices on my recent oil and acrylic paintings are being lowered by 1/2 or more. It's time to make room for more and different pieces. Many of the changes are done and by Friday all will be online listed under Available paintings. Four new paintings will be added into the pile. I hope this moves you to consider purchasing one. If the price still seems too high make an reasonable offer.
This and several others will be listed soon. They are being varnished and will be ready to ship next week.
A cheesy little painting
Here's a new little kitchen art painting of a Blue Stilton wedge. I like this cheese so much I painted it. The paint I used is the new Geneva Artists' Oil Colors by Mark Carder. It's a thinner consistency oil. Sort of like you might under-paint with but the pigment is so dense that the coverage is excellent. Just perfect for these little food paintings I'm doing. I has a long dry time so you can keep you painting and palette 'open' for a week or more!
This is an iPhone photo so the quality is negh. I haven't painted in a month being busy with a new oversized puppy and endless spring chores that will last til winter. I felt good pushing some paint around..
Spring madness? Or just madness?
I haven't posted for a few weeks. The winter snow and ice laid so heavy on me that when it finally melted my brain exploded. I am just now putting it back together. There was the impending fishing season and all the gear and whatnots to be cleaned and organized. then the new dog. Yes another dog. If you're keeping count that's 3 yes 3 Devorerly Kennels English Setters. The new guy's name is Duncan. A year and a half old Blue Belton. He's somewhere around 75 ibs maybe less. Still a puppy and very sweet but also strong. Having three boys is also a bit of an issue. We are working everything out though. I can't wait to paint his picture.
Of course there is the standard mind numbing events going on. Sick cars. Studio Tour failure. Spring cleaning and putting in a small garden. Every tire on every thing that has tires being flat and the inflator being dead.
There is fun on the horizon. Mark Carder has finally released his Geneva oil paints. My set of his special limited palette colors are on the way. I drifting the Delaware with guide Jerry Hadden on May 11th, I got elected to the board of the Wayne County Artis Alliance I don't know if thats good or bad). And we got a couple of seed catalogs in the mail.
Next up on the easel.
I have to reworks three paintings. and re-stretch one of them. Big nuisance stuff but the painting wouldn't be right otherwise.
The maker movement... Who is a 'maker'?
Lets start this rant with Wikipedia's definition of the Maker movement.
"Maker culture
The maker culture is a contemporary culture or subculture representing a technology-based extension of DIY culture[citation needed]. Typical interests enjoyed by the maker culture include engineering-oriented pursuits such as electronics, robotics, 3-D printing, and the use of CNC tools, as well as more traditional activities such as metalworking, woodworking, and traditional arts and crafts. The subculture stresses a cut-and-paste approach to standardized hobbyist technologies, and encourages cookbook re-use of designs published on websites and maker-oriented publications.[1] There is a strong focus on using and learning practical skills and applying them to reference designs[citation needed]."...
For the complete wiki definition;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maker_culture
Why am I asking this? A couple of months ago a local artist called themselves a "maker". This artist is digitally illiterate. Not a bad thing just IIWII. Having made a living most of my life as a technology based commercial artist I let it pass. This week a group of artists I'm loosely connected to online stated labeling themselves as 'makers'. It started me thinking of how words and terms get co-opted for seemed marketing advantage. Digital creation techniques like 3-D printing which is the current high buzz thing is the prime example. 3-D printing which require some serious geeking skills, like 3-d modeling and the ability to trouble shoot digital and hardware issues.
So how do watercolor artists now define themselves in the 'maker' space? Because their work is presented digitally online? Or that they make giclee prints? The nerd in me says no no no. The old ad guy in me says maybe its worth a try. The skeptic in me says 'Whoa you're going to get lost in a market space that is terrier than arts and craft!"
Positioning oneself in fine art and craft market space is hard enough. To cloud the already foggy niche space you occupy seems unwise marketing.
Ok, so the reason this comes up now really is that I have just begun finishing a new 'original digital print' for my summer studio tour season. It is an extension of the 3-D modeling and Photoshop work I've been doing for the last 20 years. I includes to of my main interests and focuses. Computers, and trout fishing. Is this 'maker' work or is it art. A bit of both maybe but I think its art.
Some delicious kitchen art
Continuing with the fruits theme here is a Golden Delicious. sitting on top of an old fruit crate.
Next cheese...