A quick note about the show:

My next solo exhibition will be at the Topstitch Boutique, 54 N 3rd St (near Market) Philadelphia PA, 19106.

Opening reception on 8/6. Show will be up all through August and all through September. Stop by Tues – Sat: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM; Sun: 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Back to the story.

We got to the rental house on a Saturday. Sunday night I decided that yes, I would definitely paint on vacation. My son gets up at 7 and then takes a nap from 8 – 9/10. As part of vacation, I took care of him in the morning so Trish could sleep late. After he went down at 8 I went out to paint.

I set up a card table on a balcony, filled an empty plastic container with water, played some Paul Van Dyk on my iPhone, put on some sun tan lotion and started painting. It was about 100 degrees out and I had to keep sweat from dripping onto the paintings, but it was a real pleasure painting outside.

I was very tentative not being in my studio with my typical set-up. I also wasn’t exactly sure how I wanted to paint these paintings. Because of the set up, I wasn’t able to paint in the order of techniques that I wanted, with the splatters first, the fabric second, etc.

This actually had an effect on the finished pieces. Since the concept was so abstract, there were aspects of the paintings I had to figure out while I painted instead of before I painted. Because of this I didn’t know how they’d turn out till I was done them all.

So each piece built off the previous piece and since I painted them all simultaneously, and none from start to finish, portions of each affected they way each other came out. The whole process was evolutionary.

Anyway, so it was scary doing the first one because I couldn’t really afford to spend the time to redo it. I worked on painting the skin and hair added some small splatters, thinking I could add more robust splatters when I got back home.

I got through it and I really liked how it turned out. Of course now I’ve painted more pieces, I see that those later works are more finished, more smooth, but I like the first one because of what was happening while I was painting it, the spontaneity and energy that is evident from my tentativeness and perseverance.

I had finished what I wanted for the day. But now that the canvas had gone from blank to halfway finished image, I really wanted to complete the piece. When they’re in a half-finished stage they kind of call to me until they’re done. But I had to move on and paint the same portion of the other paintings in order to get them all done in time. And it was time for my son to wake up and he and my wife and friends and I had some beach to go to see.

The next day, buoyed by having been disciplined to have painted the first one, I painted the next.
The second painting was with a model I was working with for the first time and it was here that I realized the challenge of a new model. Or, I should say the advantages of working with models repeatedly. I wasn’t consciously aware that it made it easier to paint the images. I painted the second one and I used some familiar techniques on the hair to help balance it out and keep me moving. Note: the picture below was taking a couple of weeks later after I had added the fabric.

Wednesday I realized that if I painted two that day and two the next, then I’d have Friday to go back and work on the finishing touches on that called to me. Theoretically I could have all six of the small pieces completed. On vacation.

On Wednesday I painted the blue and orange paintings, one with a model I’d painted a few times and another new model. I was really comfortable by this point and liking the way the paintings were turning out. Also getting a little more bold with my splatters.

Looking at four paintings in-progress was powerful and really gave me confidence I could get the whole show done by the end of June.

Thursday, it was tough working on the last two because I was getting more complex with the skin, working in many colors (as opposed to the first four which were variation on one color, or at least using very similar colors). You can see the yellow painting uses combinations of many colors, in ways I’ve never done before.

On the last painting, the turquoise one, I really hit a groove and if I had time I would have done them all over using the technique I used on the last one. I wet the entire shadow, distributed the turquoise, then dropped in some yellow and orange for the warm areas I wanted to project towards the viewer. (Cool colors like blue, purple, green recede while warm colors like red, orange, and yellow project (or look closer to the viewer. Use warm colors on the cheeks and tips of noses and shoulders that should look like they’re closer)). Since it was all wet, it blended well and dried really organically. I made a note to keep this in mind when I painted the skin on the large pieces. In retrospect, I didn’t do that as much as I wanted, but those paintings kind of dictated how they wanted to turn out. (I used to be annoyed when I’d hear other artists talk about their work dictating how it would turn out, but now I see what they meant and there’s really no other way to explain it). I’m definitely going to try and use that technique again, it actually solves a problem I long struggled with: when the model in my reference is more in shadow than I want and I want to show subtleties in the mid-tones and shadows to communicate the form and the expression the body language conveys I can use this technique.

So Thursday was a long morning. Remember, it was about 100 degrees out and mentally, working with all those colors in a loose but controlled way was taxing. I got it all done before my boy woke up from his second nap. I was pretty proud. I treated myself to a long swim in the pool and then took the boy out there for some swimming.

I didn’t get back to painting on Friday, but I had accomplished a lot more than I had expected to on a week of vacation and was feeling confident about the show. Very grateful that I decided to bring the canvases and paints.

Between the painting and spending all that time with the wife taking out boy to the beach and to the pool for his first time, it may have been my best vacation ever.

Next post. I’ll show you how I got started on the large pieces, and spent a week in a world of abstract splatters. It was a lot of fun.

The show is August 6th to September 30th at Topstitch Boutique. 54 N 3rd St, Philadelphia PA

Here’s what I had on 1/24

Here’s what I had on 2/28

That’s an amazing feeling.

OK, enough seriousness. Here’s what happened yesterday.

Sunday

Today I’m at Dr Sketchy’s New York, taking notes for the first session of Dr. Sketchy’s Philly on 3/13

Wednesday night:

Thursday night:

More painting tonight

Unsure of what to do, other than doing the math over and over again, I talked to Trish about it and she suggested that I change the way I had been painting. Instead of painting a complete piece, I could use the technique that I had used in 2006 when I did my first series and that I use often when I do my Halloween paintings.

Sunday, January 24th
Inspired by this and running on fear/excitement adrenaline, I started painting. I wasn’t sure exactly what the color scheme was going to be for the next seven paintings, or even the style, but I found myself using an old technique that I wanted to bring back soon and after about a half hour, this was the result:

I put that off to the side, still drying and then did this:

The technique was similar to one I used in late 2008, but I hadn’t tried it with the new watercolors I was learning how to use. This time I put water down, then threw paint down.

I felt very differently after I had painted those two. The plan was to paint every night, for about a half hour to an hour. Just before sleeping. Working on the same type of stage on all seven. Backgrounds, then fabric, then hair, then portraits. While I began to work on these paintings, I also had to prime two 24″ by 48″ canvases with the magic watercolor gesso.

I had planned out five pieces that work work together:

Wednesday, January, 27th

Thursday, January 28th

Friday, January 29th

Sunday, January 31st I drew the images on the two 24″ by 48″ canvases.

Monday, February 1st

Wednesday, February 3rd

Another view

Saturday, February 6th

Monday, February 8th

Tuesday, February 9th

Wednesday, February 10th

Thursday, February 11th

Saturday, February 13th Did this:

and this:

Got some nice feedback on Twitter. That really helps me keep painting.

Sunday, February 14th, I did this:

Then reworked it:

Knowing I had to finish the fabric, I worked on this:

some more

Monday, February 15th, I realized I had to wrap up the next stage, the hair marathon. In order:

You can see it’s getting crowded in the studio.

I hope to finish these seven paintings by 2/28.

I’ll have an update next Monday.

I’m in the middle of getting ready for a gallery show and I’m experiementing with some new media to use for the show. I’m trying this media because it will last longer and not fade.

Below you can see the results of me trying out the Dr. Marten’s Hydrus watercolors on something I found at Dick Blick (on 13th and Chestnut) called Aquaboard. I tried to find a link to Aquaboard to show you what I’m talking about, but couldn’t. I’ll look again. What I did find is potentially life-chaging for me. Apparently the magic primer that turns canvas into a medium for watercolor painting is available: http://www.dickblick.com/products/schmincke-aqua-primers/

This could save me a ton of money and open up new canvas shapes like 48 x 24 and ovals. I’m pretty excited. Got to try some of this soon. But – here’s the point of the post, my latest painting. it’s 11 x 14 on Aquaboard.

From yesterday, a Mosh

And Lilah and Stoya from my Big Myth project due some time late next year.

What it means is that I’ll be taking a break very soon.

I’m in the midst of painting three series of paintings for a gallery show in April at Amberella Sugary & Sweet Gallery & Boutique in the Piazza in Northern Liberties in Philly. April 2nd, 2010.

I’ve also got a few pieces in a digital display at Obscura, on 10/17/09 in Newark.

Here’s some of the work in progress for the show at Amberella.

[View with PicLens]

Things I’d like to write about:
How I came up with the themes for the Reflections series.
How I got the show.
How it’s working out with the watercolor canvas.
How it feels and what it means to finally get a gallery show.
Hearing from people in person about the blog/painting/sketches but rarely digitally
Dr. Sketchy’s in Philly and NYC
My visit to Studio Incamminati

Wish me/us luck.

Here’s crappy pics of the them, I shot some quality ones outside today, but I’ll have to pull them off the flash card tomorrow / Monday night. Weird trivia: a couple of nights I turned down drinking with friends and painted instead. Coincidental. But, hey, if you want to help me paint, throw me some drinking invites. Apparently they drive me to paint.

Thanks to all my friends who commented on these already. It’s flattering and keeps me going even when I just want to enjoy the weather. Though now I’m painting in oils maybe I’ll paint outside old school.

Here they is:

Mosh from 5/8

Lilah from Cinco de Mayo

Veronica from 5/3

This one’s next: