Sunday, May 23, 2010

My Office This Week

the best way to get around and paint without being hassled for parking is these old beach bikes with a basket on the front. throw all the gear in there and away you go. you can find all kinds of small roads and alleys that you'd never find riding around in a truck. i can stay out all day with what you see me carrying here. i'm bumming the bike from my landlord and yes i know its a girls bike. i'm man enough to rock it regardless! LOL
not a bad place to have to work eh?


this reference photo will probably end up being a painting. gotta love the boat in the yard. i'll take the road and bend it back up towards the house to lead you into the painting.

i promise some pics of paintings soon! ive been painting like mad, but i havent tweaked them and finished any yet.




pre-key west, i used to rush the process, and try to get something posted online. that artificial time constraint kept me from doing my best work, so now i post em when theyre done (and not a minute before) you gotta look at em, think about em, play with em a little to be sure theyre really done and the best you can do. a painter i really respect says there are way too many average paintings already out there. why add to the pile?
going slower and not posting as often is working for me. i think i'm ending up with higher quality paintings because of it.

supposed to rain tomorrow so i'm trying to paint outside as much as possible before it does. i'll finish a few up and post them.




after getting several paintings done today i chilled on the end of the dock on Silver Lake (its actually a harbor of the sound) drinking a red bull. i see tony (the owner of the gallery i'm in here) and he calls me over to watch the sunset over on his sailboat. doesnt get any better than that!


the ocracoke lighthouse from private property. tourists dont get to see this view! its good to know some locals who can get you into limited access spots like this. thanks sally!



loved this huge cloudbank and took a pic to use as a photo reference, to add to a painting sometime.


i'm hard at work peddleing up and down the island of ocracoke nc. if you've never been you gotta check out this island vibe. you take the cedar island ferry over for two hours and once you get here park the car and get a bike to get around. it reminds me alot of the laid back attitude key west has (without the 18 hr drive


6 comments:

marie christine said...

Hello !
I was lucky today and found your blog. When I looked at your paintings, I just said ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL !
I live in France, could you let me know how I can purchase one of your painting ? I sent you an email but not sure you got it.
Thank you ! Have a lovely sunny day !

Carol Schiff Daily Painting said...

You look like you are enjoying life way too much! Good for you!
I can vouch for Marie Christine, she purchased a painting from me yesterday! Nice lady!

mike rooney studios said...

marie christine- i didnt get your email unfortunately but you can inquire about the price of a piece anytime. just give me the title and size and i'll let you know how much it is
thanks for the nice words about my work. i think its obvious i love what i do!
thanks

carole- gotta say i'm lovin' life. new used suv and painting outside in shorts 12 months out of the year (on the east coasts most beautiful coastal areas) doesnt take much to make me happy
thanks for the heads up about marie christine. with all the scamming going on its nice to know who youre dealing with.

A Painter's Journal said...

Lookin' good! Wish I was there too. Sounds like the best time.

marie christine said...

Mike,
It sounds like you have a dream life !
I always have had internet problems with hotmail.
Hard to pick up just one painting, my favorite is "charleston battery sidestreet, 8x8" (your blog january 11.2010). I'm able to buy it with paypal but I think the shipping charges are for US only.
Thanks to Carol for her lovely feedback !
My email address : jm.estepa@orange.fr
Thank you !
Have another sunny day !

Justin Holdren said...

Have fun at Ocracoke Mike! I can't wait to get down there myself to paint some more. It's a painter's paradise! Can't wait to see the paintings you do while there.