the more i do the block-in with a brush and then knife the topcoat the more i see its potential. i scrape all the block-in color off and start with all new mixtures made a different way (using different color mixtures) thats pretty close to the original shape's color. this gives you plenty of variety in every shape and makes it very interesting and of course being knifed, textural. click on the image and it'll go bigger and you can see the thick paint.
these houses, i'm doing lately, are only a few storms away from being taken out to sea. the water already runs under them on high tide during storms. they look to be circa 50's-60's so somebody got their moneys worth if they fall in the ocean tonight. hope they last for years tho'. i absolutely love painting in this old neighborhood of beach cottages.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Living on the Edge- 8x10-SOLD
Friday, May 30, 2008
Forgotten But Not Gone- 8x10
did this one today on smith creek. this old swing bridge was probably heavily trafficked in its day. but now with all the high tech on ramps and new roads into wilmington these days, rarely does it see a car. i was there two hours and dont remember but one or two going across. these old bridges will be torn down, one by one. pieces of transportation history caught in paint for all eternity by yours truly! hope it makes you smile.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
OOPS Show News
Wilmington Waterfront- 6x8
i have always loved to paint backlit scenes and when i saw just the tops of the boats and the green tin roofs lit up i had to paint it!
the colors were clean and clear, near 10 am. no humidity to gray things out.
small formats make you edit things down to the bare minimum and there's a freshness to em you cant get except plein air and small. probably why it sold so quick. i like the feeling of light in this one. wish i had done it a little bigger tho'!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
YouTube Demo of knife painting
check out my Jerrys Artarama Mini-Lesson on knife painting on YouTube!
feel free to leave a comment by clicking the comment icon below or email me (look at top of sidebar to the right)
let me know if you like it and want to see more video on this blog.
Precarious-6x8
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Street Shapes- 12x9
my lightweight pochade box setup is working like a dream. i can put everything in my backpack and walk all around wilmington without having tons of gear to carry, or having to go back to the truck every painting. so i'm getting some off the beaten path scenes of downtown wilmington that i'm enjoying.
my show at New Elements is coming up the end of june and alot of these scenes will be in it (unless somebody MUST have it before, of course!)
this is brush/palette knife as most of my paintings are now.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Free Painting Giveaway winner is.....
heres how "behind everetts seafood" looked during the block in part of the painting. this is what i mean by getting scared at what it looks like before the painting is finished. if you do it right it should look very abstract and "scary" until the last third of the painting process. wow! you really have to have nerves of steel to keep going.
OMG! it scares me now to look at this . notice how nothing but the very large shapes are blocked in. thats why it doesnt look like anything yet. but as you break shapes into smaller shapes with realistic color, the more it looks recognizable.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
The Auction is Over
i will pick out of the hat the winner of the giveaway painting tomorrow. good luck to all who entered the contest. good luck! the giveaway is 3rd and Red Cross St. (image a few posts below)
had the last workshop of the spring 08 season today in jacksonville. we all had a good time and the weather cooperated and the sun came out and the rain stopped so we could paint outside.
thanks to all the folks who took workshops with me this spring. we had a good time learning how to capture a three dimensional image on a two dimensional canvas. easier said than done right? See all my students in the fall. have a great summer!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Last Day to Bid on Behind Fishermans Village
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Today is Free Painting Give-Away Day!
Did this little urban gem the other day. i liked the economy of brushstrokes on a complicated scene. simple and clean.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Tempting Fate- 6x9-oil on c.b.
this has the economy of strokes that i'm trying hard to train myself to do subconciously. put a brushstroke down simply and then "leave it alone"
its when you go over that stroke again that things get blurred and it doesnt look like you meant it!
Thought this title was perfect for the little cottage perched on a fragile dune staring down future hurricanes and high tides!
- remember to keep checking for the free painting giveaway day. even the shipping is free
Skiff and Yellow Rope-6x8 oil on c.b.
i really like the dock on this one. they're hard to paint and i think this one came out well. hopefully i'll remember how it did it on the next big one i do. this one might make it to the big screen (canvas).
- remember to keep checking the blog for the free painting giveaway day. not today but soon!
- the dollar auction is still on see posts below to see the painting and details on how to bid a dollar on a painting and win!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Marsh Afternoon and Pochade Pics
also dont forget that i'm giving away a painting this month. watch the blog regularly for the day to enter. todays not the day. soon. very soon. even the shipping is free!
i promised you all a photo of my homemade lightweight pochade kit. its made out of a small cigar box (around 6"x8"). above i show where i attached a camera tripod mount to the top, not the bottom of the box. it rocks too much if you attach it to the bottom, i found. once you click the lid to the tripod heres what it looks like. i put plexiglass in the bottom of the box for a palette after i stain the bottom of the box magenta (same color i tone my canvases with when i paint. that way i'm comparing apples for apples when i'm mixing colors). this set up is really good in the wind because its low profile and small, not much to blow. the pochade fits in my backpack and the tripod straps onto the outside of it. the way i constructed this thing.... it will close and carry the wet painting back inside the box without getting messed up. how cool is that?
Marsh Afternoon- 6x8-oil on canvas board
Available- $49 + $11 s/h in the u.s.
First come first served, by emailing me at rooneystudios@hotmail.com
with title in subject line
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Behind Holt Seafood- 6x8
I love snooping around behind buildings near the water. thats where you get scenes like this. i just made a homemade pochade painting box that is so light, its a dream to paint with. ive been struggling with the flue but went out today to test drive the new pochade box and the sun on this boat just had to be painted. i felt better when i finished this one and like the way it came out. been working on simplifying things the last several paintings and i need to do it on EVERY one.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Blog Auction Details-How to Bid, etc.
How my blog auction works-
1. email rooneystudios@hotmail.com with your high bid for the auction painting
2. put the name of the painting or 'auction' in the Subject line. i wont open email without it!
3. i'll post the high bid regularly on the blog so you know what you have to beat
4. the highest bid at midnite, on the day the auction ends, will win
5. i'll email the winner when the bidding ends and mail the painting after i recieve the check
6. shipping is free for all paintings over $20 in the u.s. I add $10 shipping out of u.s.
7. the bidding starts at only $1.00
Good Luck!
And the Winners Are.....
Sky at Dusk-6x6- KP in raleigh for $40
way to go you two! i'll ship these to you right away.
thanks to all who bid. it was fun, and scary to start the bidding at $1.
another $1 auction will start first of the week. have a great weekend. its beautiful outside today.... i'm headed out to paint. yeeeehhhhhaaaaaa
Friday, May 16, 2008
A Day in the Life
High bid for Wanchese Sunset is $60 from R. in NC. todays the last day of bidding. i'll post one more update tonite and the highest bidder when i check emails tomorrow morning will win. shippings free too!
since i have two kinds of days depending on the weather i'll describe them both. i always paint outside on days when its not raining and mostly market my work, deliver paintings, and paint studio paintings from my plein air studies (and my photos) when its raining. so i'll put S for sunny day scenario and R for raining.
Wake up around 7 or 8 as late as 10 ( i hate clocks, watches, etc.) i get up when i'm rested and i always read my Oswald Chambers devotional for that day (for about 10 min) Here's a shot of my pickup truck. inside i have a painting holder (shown on the right) that keeps wet paintings from touching. the space where the yellow toolbox is holds those big clear storage containers filled with paint, more canvas boards, extra brushes, etc.
First half of the day until noon:
S- get on the internet check emails and look at the weather.com site to see what the satellite image looks like and whats heading my way. this helps me decide whether to keep the trip short or if i can drive an hour away to spend the day painting.
R- check email, internet, weather, breakfast then come back and do marketing stuff ie. write to organizations about sponsoring a workshop of mine, emailing galleries to keep my name forefront in their minds and not forget about me (this helps sales since youre always on their mind. Squeeky (sp) wheel gets the grease right? email former students to touch base with them so when a new class comes around they'll remember you. i usually have those tv court shows playing in the background. you can multi-task them both without distraction LOL, enter paintings on database, and take digital of everything i did in the last couple of days. work on the blog (i try to post everyday, if not every other)
Midday-
S- i should have one painting 'in the box' finished and i eat a bite before looking for another spot to paint. i have several beaches where i know multiple sites of things to paint so i can go straight to something else i wanted to paint last week or a few days before. but sometimes i have to ride around all afternoon to find the next spot to paint. you cant be on somebodies property, it has to be somewhat close to the truck (so i dont have to hike too far with all that painting gear) and the angle of the sun has to be right for that particular scene. if its better in the morning and its already afternoon, i'll remember that when i'm driving around there again in the morning and go straight to it.
R- Frame paintings, organize the plein air gear so i dont waste suntime doing it, check emails again, call galleries on the phone, plan upcoming shows, workshops etc., run a few personal errands ( again, dont want to waste suntime doing them) and make sure on rainy, and/or cloudy days that i'm near the tv for the Sopranos at 4 (i'm addicted to that show!)
I eat supper when i get hungry, i dont have clocks etc in my house, or a wristwatch so i'm free as a bird to non-conform. one good thing about this is you never stand in line. only clockwatchers all eat at the same time, or go to the bank on their lunch hour etc.
S- after daylight savings time (and the days are long) i find the third and last painting of the day.put everything away for the day, and clean up, its now around 10 pm. turn on the tube while i check emails and my favorite artist friends blogs, and answer those who responded from my morning computer session.
R- i love to paint at night so i wait till it gets dark and paint, usually to some jazz on the satellite tv station. by now ive mostly marketed, emailed, goofed off looking at blogs and working on my blog, so i feel really guilty not having painted much so i get at it! the whole time praying for a sunny day tomorrow. call my wife (who lives at our house about an hour and a half from my beach studio) and a little more painting.
Here's a shot of my painting storage room. nothing more than cheap storage shelves with old frame boxes taped together into big blocks that keep the paintings seperated. frames and unpainted canvases are also in here.
Around midnite, unwind, watch the weather report, clean up, fall in the bed with dreams of sunny days dancing in my head.wake up and do it all again.hope you enjoyed this glimpe into my life. if anybody would like to blog their schedule please email me rooneystudios@hotmail.com and i'll tag you.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Rest and Relaxation Day today
Wanchese Sunset- high bid still $40. Bidding will increase tomorrow since its the last day to bid. i'll announce on saturday who won. see may 9th post for details and image
Clouds at Sunset- bidding ends tomorrow night also. see may 12th for details and image. on this one just make a bid over $10 and maybe you'll win
Dont forget that i'm also giving away a FREE painting this month. watch for when i post that that day is the day to send me your home address for shipping. that enters you into the contest. todays not the day so keep watching. i'll post some images to choose from after my R and R session.
thanks for stopping by today
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
her bid is $40. you gonna let her steal this little slice of the outer banks off your wall for only $40? even the shippings free. thats worth $10! this auction is over friday.
several sealed bids are in for sky at sunset (see may 12th post on this one) have come in and theyre cheap so why not bid something to see if you win. they are not published like wanchese sunset, so you just have to figure out what youre willing to bid and hope for the best. no outbidding each other on this one. this auction will end friday as well.
Workshop was a total success. Jan at carolina creations gallery did a fantastic job of hosting a dozen painters for two days. she had maps for everyone of where we were and where we were going and coffee and food the first morning, made sure everybody had what they needed, and she painted with us too. Thanks Jan!
everybody was stretched and prodded into new methods and directions by my class but everybody should feel a little out of sorts when theyre trying something new for the first time. i taught on how to block in big shapes and how to keep things simple and colorful.
i did a 40 min, knife painting so everybody could see how its done and they seemed to enjoy watching it come together.
wow! i am always so wiped out after a workshop because i go non-stop to try to deliver the 'goods' and when its over i just die. many who took this one this week said they would sign up for the workshop i'm planning in morehead city this fall. gotta feeling there will be a waiting list on that one!
more later after i guzzle some Red Bull! yeeehaaaa
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
New Bern Workshop Maxed Out!!
as you can see the weather was beautiful, there was not one whiner in the group, and everybody was having a ball learning something new and adding to their bag of tricks. thats what a workshop is all about isnt it? tomorrow i'll post photos from our sessions out near the marina and i'll try to post some students work for you to enjoy.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Wanchese Sunset bid update
Skys the Limit
bidding ends friday.
see may 9 post below for image and details if youre wondering what i'm talking about
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Another from Wanchese area
This is the block-in on one just done in Wanchese called "Pamlico Boathouses" - 8x20
i made sure i left alot of the magenta peeking thru on this rather overcast day. it seemed to go well warming up that muted dark greenish-purple marsh grass. the big storm that was around here for two days was on its way. i'm absolutely loving these really long panaromic formats.
click on the image to see the knifed in sky. very textural. not a great picture of the painting but you get the idea. check flickr.com/photos/mikerooneystudios to see a way better photo of it in a few days.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Wanchese Sunset bid update
the high bid is now $20 from R.R. in Goldsboro. the painting now has free shipping in the u.s and $6 to canada.
previous bid was $10 from Craig in Toronto.
bid more than $20 and you may win it!
Friday, May 9, 2008
Wanchese Sunset bid update
do i hear a higher bid.
auction ends may 16th.
any bids over $10 will get free shipping in the u.s. $6.oo to canada
Friday May 9 second post of the day
Wanchese Sunset- 6x12 AUCTION PIECE FOR THE WEEK- bid $1 and win! See below for details!
Starting a new thing!!!
my ebay stuff was a smash this winter and the free painting giveaway too, so i've decided to start a new thing on the blog. on ebay i did small paintings that werent as "finished out" (ie took less time to complete) and auctioned them off for cheap. it was a huge success. so now, i want to do the same thing here and cut out ebay fee. i'll post the small painting and open the bidding at ONE DOLLAR! i'll leave the painting on the blog auction for a week. as i get bids i'll post on the blog what the highest bid is so people can bid a little more and win the painting. the highest bidder will win the painting even if its only $1.
the other day i auctioned off a 16x20 painting i did as a demonstration and the winning bid was $20. imagine winning a $500 (if it had a frame on it) for $20!
it was so much fun i'm doing it here. you could win this painting for $1 if youre the highest bidder. but dont count on somebody letting you steal it for only a dollar!
so do i hear one dollar, one dollar, one dollar.
email me at rooneystudios@hotmail.com to bid. Right now $1 will be the high bid and you could be the winner. Bidding ends next friday night may 16th.
Very Important-Put the name of the painting or auction in the subject line or i wont open the email for fear of viruses.
BID ON!
Shipping is free on all winning bids over $10 (in the u.s.)
winning bids under $10, shipping in the u.s. is $5.00.
Trouble with Blogger today
today when i tried to upload the photos i had done as another mini-demo it wouldnt work. yesterday it wouldnt upload the DVD jpeg (thus the link to flickr i had to put in the text to get you over to it) now more problems with uploading. what the *^%^%&^
anyway i'm leaving nags head in a few more days so unless this problem corrects itself there wont be any pics. on top of that it started raining yesterday and today so i'm holed up in a room thats costing me money and am not producing anything that will pay for it! aaaaaghhghhhh.
thats my rant for the day. you can return to the regularly scheduled programming now. i feel MUCH better having gotten it out.
i feel like i can tell you anything! :)
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Two Entries for Thur May 8th
Hello from Hiway 12
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Step by Step of Ocracoke Morning-SOLD
here is the finished painting done behind where i was staying on the island. imagine waking up and having this scene out your back door.
let me show you how i did it step by step.
here's a photo of what i was working with. i chose to eliminate the grass from the scene and concentrate on the deck chairs and sailboat.
i begin by drawing the shapes and filling in the darks with magenta oil paint in washes. super thin so it doesnt mix in with the top coats.
now i put in the whites and the darks. i do most if this squinting down and looking thru my eyelashes. this gets rid of all the detail and helps me see the big shapes and values.
here i've blocked in all the major shapes in their respective real-life color and use the knife to bring the edges of all the shapes closer to each other which eliminates alot of the magenta, but i leave a good amount too. now go back up to the finished picture to see the finishing touches like water colored lines in the chairs to show the slats. i warmed up the concrete under the chairs, variations in the water, sky, and tree line in the back.
hope you enjoyed this step-by-step of my process. this painting is available at Down Creek Gallery in Ocracoke.
be sure to keep checking the blog for the free painting giveaway contest day. its not today but could very well be soon so keep checking back to WIN!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Ocracoke and Painting Give-Away Details
Blackbeards Path- 11x14
May Painting Give-Away!
i will be giving away a FREE original 6x8 oil painting this month and all you have to do is check the blog frequently to register to win. i will even pay to ship it within the u.s. to you for free.
heres how it works. i'll announce on a random day that that day is the give-away day. you have 48 hrs from that day to send me an email with "free painting" in the subject line to rooneystudios@hotmail.com with your complete mailing address in the body of the email. i will draw out a winner and ship them a beautiful 6x8 original oil painting absolutely free!NOTE-- if "free painting" is not in the subject line i wont open the email (afraid of viruses) so be sure to do that. Good luck!
View of Springers Point- 12x12
several done today on ocracoke island for down creek gallery. i like the light in these... clean, and crisp like it was today. temps in the 70's and clear light. a big storm yesterday made the light great to paint today. i hate storms because i cant paint that day but i know that the next day is going to be great! not to get philosophical but that applies to life as well. hang in through the rainy days, guaranteed that good days are just around the corner. its always this way... the cycle of life.
watch this blog for this months giveaway painting contest. i'll give a painting away absolutely FREE (even the shipping).
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Workshop update part II
Friday, May 2, 2008
Workshop update
connie from gaithersburg, maryland really gets into her painting. Literally! it is all over her face, hands, and arms. she was covered in paint from the first exercise at 10 am until we quit at 5. she's a hoot.