Chatov Workshop Last Day, 203

Third day was so much easier. Still felt like I finished this piece in an hour and the moved stuff around for the next 5. I am looking forward to assimilating this info from the workshop into my impulsive and quick style.

Chatov Workshop, 202

Just finished a 3 day workshop with figure painter Marc Chatov, a third generation painter considered to be in the top 10 of portrait painters in the US. It was humbling, amazing, frustrating and refreshing.... sometimes, 3 days is not enough. That was the case here. Day 3 was great, day 1 and 2 were the days you try to shed your old habits and get in a place to try something new.

Marc had his work cut out for him with me. I DO NOT do the figure or faces, they scare me to death, which is why I signed up for the workshop. I never had drawing lessons in high school and in college they assumed that I already had drawing skills. Thrown into figure drawing at 19 years old was daunting, and needless to say, every time we had a male model, I hid in the back away from his "junk" or just left. Very 19 year old boy of me. That was drawing too, we didn't do any drawing in this workshop... lots of massing in and big shapes of bold color.

I really enjoyed the workshop and Marc. He was amazing. It was great to have some friends there as well... my sis Bonne, Margot, Dana, Millie and Pam were all there to witness the "Deconstruction of Dave."

I plan on continuing to work with figures and absorb what I have learned. I am very interested in bettering my skills... looking into ateliers and the infamous Art Students League which has been pulling me to NY for the past decade...

Jimmy Clark, 201

Well, here it is. The last piece for the Log Cabin. I think this piece is interesting, but you never know what you are going to end up with... and this is one of those.

It is a very high key piece, which I am normally not drawn too, but I guess it does give that early morning feel, just wish I had pushed the warmness of the morning a bit. Didn't really notice that one until the end!

I did go back to that stop sign during the latest blizzard we had and it was gone! They had replaced it with a new shiny, tall one with no vines on it. Guess I am glad I captured it when I did!

MoonPie, 200

Wow, made it to 200. Thought I would get here a LOT sooner!

Here is the compliment to the RC painting. From Columbus, georgia to Chattanooga, Tennessee. They both share 20" sides in common, so I hope they go to the same place and hang together. These were so much fun to do. I love typography and graphics. Made to look simple and graphic and to be recognizable instantly. I have hand lettered many signs in my day, although I don't know jack about it. I have the right brushes and enamels as well as 10 years of house and mural painting under my belt... but hand lettering is an art unto itself. Mike Malloy does a great deal of it around the Newnan area, he has promised lessons that I plan on taking him up on it. I don't go to YouTube much because I live in the boonies and video takes forever to download, but when I do, I love to look for those guys who do pin striping and custom lettering. There are some amazing videos of those guys doing what they do. Long Live Von Dutch.

RC Cola, 199

I have wanted to work with old corporate identities and logos for quite some time. As a younger art history student, I loved Andy Warhol and many of the other Pop artists and their progenitors. Having grown up in a print shop and graphics company, I have always appreciated the time, effort and thought that goes into the creation of a corporate identity not to mention creating a few myself. It is more than a symbol or brand, to me, they are works of art... more so when they are signage with some years on them. I hope to do many more retro signs/ logos... my next obsession.

Many questions continue to concern me about copyright/trademark infringement. I have researched these questions a great deal, but short of speaking with a copyright lawyer... I still have questions than need answers. From what I can tell, creating works of "art" from them is acceptable as long as I do not mass produce (create prints) them to make a profit. I know that Campbell's was more than happy to have Andy Warhol use their soup cans, hell, even Disney let him use Mickey Mouse. Coca Cola must love Steve Penley, too...

Compliments, 197 & 198

Thought it would be a great idea to build a collection of little abstract hearts to add to every year for Julie. I love the way you can hang them all next to each other, it makes an interesting mosaic, especially with the little 6"x6" gallery wrap canvases. I may not be able to wait 'til next valentines to add to the collection, may have to add a couple on her birthday and Christmas, Easter, Arbor Day, our anniversary, Cinco de Mayo, etc., etc.

This first pair was loosely based on "compliments," yellow in violet... even though they are more like red violet and yellow orange.

Amongst the Tires, 196

Another rusty Ford for the collection headed to NC later this month. Happier with this one this morning than I was last night. Switching gears to signage and advertising to round out the bunch... I may have more than 20 to take, that would be great... sometimes it pays to just paint instead of count.

Econoline, 195

Not so happy with this one, i slept on it and when I looked at it when I woke up... it still hadn't grown on me. It is interesting, but still is missing something. I will eventually figure it out... must be in the composition or the value planes. I am thinking the ground plane is too light at the moment... or I am just looking for something wrong with it :)

Crossing, 194

First piece on Signature canvas and a favorite of the batch for the Highlands. The canvas was great. Given the size, the canvas remained tight as a drum even when working into the middle. Very responsive with a great texture.

Boots, 192

Larger version of pieces done for my friend, Cindy, for whom I painted the Jeep and the Ford Tractor. This is her painting of her father's boots.

Signature Canvas

Got my first shipment of Signature canvas today. I have always used Fredrix , Utrecht, or Dick or Blick Premier canvas in gallery wrap or museum wrap. This canvas was recommended to me Brian Fortson who handles all of Steve Penley's work. They got the gig in the Highlands for me. Brian recommended that I use their museum wrap for this adventure. I have always wanted to use more museum wrap, but it is expensive!

This stuff is impressive. After I ordered it, I waited a few days and never got a shipment notification. I called their number and BAM got a person immediately... it was the owner. very impressed and apparently it was a cell because she wasn't in the office. She told me she would check on my order and call me in the morning.

She explained their product to me and I was even more blown away. Their product is made 100% in the US. Cotton grown in the south and everything. She said they carried no inventory and all canvas was custom made to order, thus the delay in shipping. Either way, I was blown away. Great product, incredibly customer service... just have to see how it takes paint!

Did I mention free shipping...

Red Tractor VI, 192

Smaller version of one of my favorite subjects. This is the same Farmall I have painted several times before from references taken in Tennessee. I really like the way it broke down on the 24"x30" canvas, sometimes I miss that abstract quality I get on the small canvases. Eventually, when I am done with the work for the restaurant, I will try to break them down a bit more... I just need to ride this one out.

Sunflower, 191

Ran out of really big canvas, but had this great square 24"x24" museum wrap tucked away in my canvas closet. I have done several studies of sunflowers growing in my garden, but i really wanted to see one large scale, I would like to go even larger. I guess I was also reminiscing about warmer times! it has been so cold down here, especially inside this old farmhouse! But I would not have it any other way. This piece will be available at the Log Cabin Restaurant in Highlands, NC in late February.

Red Tractor V, 190

This may be the last of this specific tractor that sat out on Hwy 85 here in Gay. I think I have spent all of my photo reference. This is the 3rd large painting of the week and it did not feel as good as the rest. Perhaps because I have done so many this week. We are headed to the mountains in NC this week, so I am taking my plein air kit and looking forward to getting out of the studio and photo reference.

Washington Tow, 189

This tow truck could very well be the reason I am obsessed with old, rotting vehicle carcasses. At the very least I am pretty sure it all started with the city of Washington, GA. We would visit my grandparents there every month or so and we would drive past this truck every time. As long as I can remember it was always there. It was curious to watch it change. It seemed to become more beautiful to me the longer it sat there as nature did it's work to her. My grandparents also had an old barn that was full of old cars and tractors.

There was a Ford Model T that was sold to a neighbor. It is actually up and running. There was a convertible Packard. It was in the process of being restored when lightening struck the barn it was stored in and burned to the ground. All that was left was a puddle of glass. It was my favorite, it still had the key in the ignition, an old rabbits foot that was missing all of it's hair. There was also an old Farmall tractor that was traded to a friend in exchange for the restoration of my Dad's '57 MGA coupe.

I used to go out to that old barn out in the woods and play in those old cars, I loved the smell and I loved the accumulation of moss and dust and dirt that only comes from decades of abandonment.

Out to Pasture 188

Found this old Chevy out in a field in Dover, TN. I got several great shots of it so there should be more paintings to come. I love this Chevy body style, it has appeared in my paintings several times before. I was very excited about this one when I started, but that quickly went away. This painting was easily the most frustrating piece ever! As usual, it came together with the last few strokes of the brush and made me proud. I will be sad to see this one go, love the square format, too.

Drugs 187

I found this sign in Blue Ridge, GA this summer. It is beautiful. No rust, still used as a sign for the Rexall Pharmacy in downtown.

Budget Motel, Chattanooga 187

Found this gem on or excursion of Highway 41. The way up to Lookout Mountain is covered in old Googie signs. This one was actually a bit further out, but I found several more between this sign and the top of the mountain. This piece will go into the grouping for the Log Cabin Restaurant.

Savannah Law 186

I love Savannah, one of my favorite places on earth. This painting is based on an old squad car they have parked outside of the Police Department in downtown Savannah. I loved the gloss black and the red of the siren and how the black picked up EVERY color around it.

This one took a while as well, almost 10 hours to paint. I know to some painters that is nothing, but as an alla prima painter, that is a long time. I paint standing up as well, so after a nice vacation from teaching, I have spent most of my break destroying my back! I even have one of those fatigue reducing floor covers which actually helps a great deal, even though it smells worse that my paints.

How Now Brown Cow 185

My larger pieces are taking me longer and longer... this one is 30"x30" which isn't THAT big, but took a whole day just to paint, or by my calculations since I stopped wearing a watch, 4 movies... Raining Arizona, Christmas Vacation, Sneakers and one more I can't remember. .Sometimes I listen to music, sometimes I need the white noise of a movie I have seen several times just to get me through. Anything is better than the pots of coffee and the packs of cigarettes it used to take. I have also started to use museum wrap, which has a 2.5" profile opposed to museum wrap whihch is 1.5"

Jeff's Train 184

I could not post this piece before Christmas in order to keep the cat in the bag. My buddy Jeff took this a picture of the Blue Ridge Train that he and his wife and son took a day trip on around Halloween when the leaves were turning. I saw the picture on Facebook and was going to paint it anyway. His wife thought it would make a great Christmas surprise for their mountain house... their Boyd collection groweth. Thanks, guys!

Log Cabin, Highlands NC

Fellow painter Steve Penley, and his manager Brian Fortson have taken me under their wing. An opportunity of a life time! Steve does amazing work, large scale and very collectible. His work is in corporate collections all over the states and he has done portrait work for all kinds of CEO's, etc. etc. His work is very modern and wild, lots of drips and brush strokes... almost like action painting. I would describe his work as a mix between Andy Warhol, Leroy Neiman and Jackson Pollock. He has been a hero of mine since I saw his work as a boy. You can see Steve's work here.

I have worked with his manager, Brian, several times over the past year with various art auction projects. Brian dropped off work for the last event which I had many of my newest pieces. I was very taken aback when told he me," Your s*** got game!" I asked if I could quote him on that. He went to his car to get his Blackberry and took pictures of my stuff and sent them to Steve. He claims that he likes my work and wants to get me established. Thus far, they have stayed true to their word. Steve does a great deal of work with a restaurant in the Highlands, NC called the Log Cabin. This group has agreed to take 15-20 of my pieces for 2 of their restaurants... by MID FEBRUARY. Needless to say, for the next several weeks, I will be posting only large pieces as I concentrate on getting this together. If all goes well up there, next stop: the Atlanta Gallery scene... we shall see.

Like may father told me, "it ain't about the door swinging open for you, it's about being ready when it does."

I can say that I am ready... enjoy!

South Georgia Ford Tractor 183

This is the last piece I did for my friend who's father passed away. The Jeep in the last post was the vehicle she learned to drive on. Don't we all have one of those in our lives?? My Dad had a '57 MGA that I backed in and out of the driveway in, that's how I learned to work a manual shift car. We still have that MGA, apparently the men in my family have never thrown a car away or sold one off. My grandparents also had an old riding lawn mower and as a pre-teen, I mowed their grass every time we visited. What a treat for me... and for them. I am a sucker for anything with a steering wheel, which explains my obsessions with motor sports, the driver seat, and never being behind another car if I can help it.

This painting and the Jeep will hang side by side at her house. I hope to do her memories justice and that these will live a long and lasting life moving from family member to family member through the generations. I was honored to be asked to do these paintings.

South Georgia Willys Jeep 181

Boots 180

Another small commission study. These boots were a friend's father's, as were the jeep and tractor that preceded this posting. Her father died recently and she wanted these remembrances of him. His boots were wehere he last took them off.