Ten After Noon Finished

Ten After Noon- 22x24- oil on canvas

here's the finished painting and i took it straight off the rooftop down to new elements gallery
i used a ton of thick luscious paint on this one with tons of striations in all the huge slabs of paint. you can see that i lightened up the sky alot and now the sky, bridge, and water relate better. thats all painting is....making all the big shapes relate to each other in a convincing way.

heres the painting when it was about 70% finished. you can see that i stay in the middle values for much of the painting and then in the last 25% i accentuate the differences starting to go darker, lighter and more saturated. thats when its really fun!

From a Rooftop

heres a WIP (work in progress)
i guess because these large rooftop paintings i do are so complicated they take me two sessions to complete. it has everything from clouds, water, buildings, foliage, small windows, a bridge and tugboats. WOW. only object missing is a person and a kitchen sink.
anyway this is what i got done on the first go out. what i'm doing is getting the light and shadow pattern and the final colors complement underpainted and then tomorrow i'll come back with the real colors on top thick with my palette knives. i did this one different than yesterday. yesterday i painted the whole painting with knives. today i underpainted with a large brush and i'll scoop on thick paint with knives tomorrow.
notice how the water is orange to start with. the funny thing is when i'm done putting the blue/purple/gray water on top you may not see any of the orange and then sometimes i leave bits of it showing for interest since that shape is a large one. one thing i see that i'll want to change tomorrow is lighten the top part of the sky. it looks kinda blue and dark to me compared to what you see in the real thing. the rest is too hard to tell yet. you'll see what i end up with when i post the final painting and hopefully it'll be a decent painting. too hard to predict at this time. what a weird feeling to be so close to a good painting and yet so close to a total crash and burn event. welcome to my world of painting for a living!

WIP- underpainting a rooftop painting. i think its 22x24?

A few from Swansboro

the clouds rolled back today long enough to do this larger (for me) painting. i used medium to large palette knives and pure clean color. its funny, when i use knives i see where the thinner (especially dirty thinner) can dirty up the colors i'm trying to achieve. smaller paintings stay cleaner i think without this problem just because the amounts of paint and thinner are smaller. its just an idea.

Marsh Morning (Late July)- 18x24- oil on canvas board

heres one from the side yard of my gallery in swansboro. if you havent visited tidewaters new location on main st. youre missing a wonderful experience. he moved into a century old house and spent alot of time inside and out making it the coolest gallery ever. if this is his backyard imagine what the inside looks like! check out rays place the next time youre in swansboro. and tell him you heard about it on this blog and of course buy one of these paintings LOL

Rays Backyard- 10x8 -oil on canvas board
SOLD

Quick Post ...another later

just a quick blog post before i go out painting this morning (its partly cloudy and the sun keeps playing peek-a-boo so i got on the net for research hoping itll clear up)

heres a very informative article on plein air painting techniques, tips i found that you painter types may enjoy if youre thinking of getting out of your studios a day or two. even plein air painters will get a new idea or two. click here to get there

the winner of Lavender Afternoon-6x8 was anne from emerald isle. congrats anne.
you can bid on its sibling..... Lavender Afternoon II on Ebay (go to the post below for the link there)

Lavender Afternoon II goes on Ebay

SOLD

Lavender Afternoon II-6x8 on canvas board

Took the day off-sorta

heres what you do when you keep looking at something you've painted and it drives you crazy. if you scroll down you see that i lightened and grayed all the skyscraper shapes to set them further in the distance and make the tree come forward . then i put the bottom of the tree in shadow to add a little variety. then i grayed down just a tad the clump of trees to the left to make them go back into the middle ground. still not one of my best efforts but better than it was. probably would be better if there were some cars going down the highway into the skyline. who knows? this one may not be finished after all!

the high bid for Lavender Afternoon (see a few posts down to see the painting) is $32 as of 8:20 on Sunday night. auction is over tomorrow morning so bid a few bucks more and win it!

Coming Into the City- 9x12

A few from Saturday July 26

High bid for Lavender Afternoon is now $32 from Anne in emerald isle. to see the painting and read more about how to outbid her go a few posts down.
email me with a bid higher than $32 and it could be yours.

auction is over this monday morning at 8 am



here's a few i did and dropped off at Vision Gallery in atlantic beach today. the clouds were magnificent this morning and i'm really enjoying painting them now that i feel more confident doing them.



i did a bunch of cloud studies in paint but ive mostly been just studying them by looking. how can we paint what we dont understand? by noticing their form first and then their colors you get a sense of the thing. like getting to know who your girlfriend/wife/husband/boyfriend is. when you first met them you had to study everything about them. then the nuances make themselves known. but that cant be rushed can it? it takes time with the person, seeing them in different situations, finding out their preferences etc. all this shows you who the person is. then you can accurately and confidently describe that person.



same with getting to know what you are painting.... you must be intimate with things to truly describe them either in words, or in pigment.

if you want to paint boats, study boats, dont paint them at first. go over every inch of them with your eyes and your minds eye. dont paint them till you know the way the bow turns back toward the water as it nears the front and how it cools and lightens when in the shadow because its reflecting the water either in shadow or in light and that shape will either be warm or cool. and that one side is usually warm and the other side cool.
little nuances like this are what separate people who paint boats and people who know boats from tons of observation (and happen to paint them) . another good argument for painting from life.

they havent invented a camera that can take a picture of the above bow phenomena. only your peepers can differentiate to that degree and see that subtlety. enought jabbering...heres todays offerings from morehead city and radio island. hope you like em!

View from Morehead Waterfront-12x16 SOLD

Snug Harbor- 8x10

High bid on Lavender Afternoon (see two posts down for image) is now $20 from Alchemyfields (state unknown)
are you going to let them steal it? bid a little more and win this sweet little marsh scene done on the coastal waterway of north carolina.
these little gems look good framed in wide frames and hung, or setting around on the mantle, shelf , or a table.
they are original paintings for the price of some ink on a piece of paper that was printed a million times. its one of a kind and a great affordable way to start your art collection.
so bid!

$1.00 Auction Update

high bid on Lavender Afternoon (see yesterdays post for image)
is now $10.00 from missy m. (i think she lives in cary, chapel hill, somewhere up there LOL)


email me at rooneystudios@hotmail.com or leave me a comment with your bid amount below.



high bidder on Monday morning at 8 am wins, even if that high bid is only $11.
shipping is $9 in u.s. and $15 to canada and overseas.



heres todays painting, also from the outing a few days ago near swansboro

Lavender Afternoon II- 6x8 -oil on canvas board

Dollar Auction Starts Today- Ends Monday

here's the link for my upcoming three man show at City Art in Greenville. Click HERE It has the pieces i'll be exhibiting for the month of august. click the boat when you get there and it'll take you to my page. thanks for looking!

now...

we've had fun in the past with the $1.00 Painting Auction so lets do it again!
i started the bidding at $1 on this one, and missy m. from the raleigh area has bid $10, and now the high bid is $20 from Alchemy Fields (State unknown)
the auction ends monday morning and i'll keep you up daily on the highest bid so you can beat it.
the highest bidder this coming monday at 8 a.m. wins this original oil painting from coastal north carolina.
shipping is only $9 in the u.s. and $15 to canada and europe
so what are you waiting for? bid!

Lavender Afternoon- 6x8- oil on canvas board

SOLD

this is on the white oak near swansboro and the storms were coming in on a late afternoon painting session with friends. it poured down minutes after finishing this up. you'll love all the magenta peeking out everywhere!
you could win this for less than the cost of a dinner at McDonalds. who knows?
let the games begin!

Scribble Scrabble

no paintings to post today.
i gave private painting lessons all day, and man am i glad.
one was in the shade in the early hours and the other was inside a beach cottage in the air condition during the hottest part of the day. it was over 100 degrees today i hear.

if you'd like to have a private lesson this week and live in the atlantic beach/emerald isle/ morehead city area, give me a call and we'll make that happen. my number is 919-920-9718.
they are extremely affordable and you get one-on-one personal instruction.
this offer is only for this week while i'm up that way working.

one of the kids in the second lesson asked another kid if they were going to " scribble scrabble" with her. this was her description of our painting activity. thought that was hilarious! i guess i'm a scribble scrabbler, huh?
thanks sally, had a ball at the painting party!

Another yet

this ones from my trip inland last week. i really liked the sky in this one. mixed up several light violets and several light ochres and it helped tie the sky and field together nicely. i love to paint at this time of day, when this one was done, around 5 pm.

its the "golden hour" when the sun is low in the sky, the light is very golden/orange and shadows are long.

Carolina Fields- 8x10- going to the Art Source show in September

if you like it, email me for pricing info

Hodge Podge

todays post is a hodge podge of images, two from raleigh for the Art Source show in September. the other one is a commission of a beach cottage in atlantic beach.
i'm experimenting some with underpainting more of my paintings with orange in the sky and very light shapes and magenta in the darker light shapes and lighter shadow shapes, and red-violet in the dark shadow shapes. i know this all sounds confusing but you painters know this is important stuff. LOL
point is i'm liking what i'm painting again, after a period of unhappiness. i kept it to myself (smile)

5 Points at 2:42- 9x12- Art Source in Raleigh
Coming into the City- 9x12- Art Source
The Underwood Cottage- 12x16- SOLD- commission

My Ten Favorite Bloggers

Boardwalk Afternoon- 9x12-SOLD

it was cloudy today. we're having tropical storm christobal rainbands all day so not a good day to shoot a photo of new work. so i offer you this one (from a month or so ago) that just recently sold in Atlantic Beach at my gallery called Vision Gallery right off the MHC/AB causeway. go see them when youre around that area. she has a nice mix of work and prices.

now for my TEN FAVORITE BLOGS LIST (these are not in order)
1. http://frankgardner.blogspot.com/
2.http://wheezard.blogspot.com/
3.http://www.greavesart.blogspot.com/
4.http://cooperdragonette.blogspot.com/
5.http://robincheers.blogspot.com/
6.http://davidlobenberg.blogspot.com/
7.http://bernierosage.blogspot.com/
8.http://www.kerrisettle.blogspot.com/
9.http://www.dailyartwest.com/
10.http://dailypaintingpractice.blogspot.com/

looking at blogs is a way to keep from getting tunnelvision. you look at other styles, other regions of the country and you learn alot keeping up with this cast of characters. many i have come to know and like alot even emailing about pertinent topics and i always end up learning something valuable.
so try checking out these bloggers. i guarantee you'll benefit greatly. i know i have!

Downtown in greenville

this is a favorite little eatin' joint in downtown greenville called cubbies. liked the light on the sidewalk and the purple shadows on the buildings. nice little split complement - purple and orange. used lots of juicy paint on this one. i'm really making headway in getting away from my previous thin, thin paint application. now i load on the paint on the light shapes. thats why we use oil paints isnt it?
check out the little white arrow on the street. it points back into the picture. i love it when a plan comes together (quote -from the show "the A-Team")

Cubbies on 5th and Evans- 9x12

going to the City Art show in a week or two

Those were the days....

this old place is twenty miles from anywhere. would have loved to see what gas sold for back then. the paint was chunky so i put some on the roof for effect. this is the front of the building in yesterdays post.
painted in raleigh today. will post a downtown skyline and the old hayes barton pharmacy in the five points area on glenwood avenue, tomorrow

aptly called Buck a Gallon- 9x12

will be in the City Art show

a few from the last few days

havent posted in a few days but not because i'm not painting. in fact did this and two others today and a 24x30 and 8x10 yesterday. wow!
certain towns i'm in dont have good broadband reception and postings a real hassle when the connection drops every 2 min.
maybe i can upload this before it disconnects

Long and Winding Road- 12x16

dont know if this will be in the ArtSource show in Sept. or the City Art show in a few weeks. email me if you want to purchase it beforehand

Flip Side of Yesterdays Post

went to the same spot to paint as yesterday, when i saw it was so foggy this morning. its cool to roll down to yesterdays post to see what a difference a day makes as far as lighting effect, atmoshere, and values and colors.

dont forget to keep checking by here to enter my free painting giveaway. even the shipping is free.

Foggy Start- 9x12

will be at the city art show starting the first week of august. come check it out if youre in greenville in august

Dreamy Atmosphere Today

there was something dreamy about the light today. soft and diffused, full of moisture. it shows on this where i reserved the sharper edges for in the foreground and as the scene goes back i softened edges and added the sky color to shapes to make them atmospheric.

Parking Available- 9x12

will be in the City Art Gallery show in August

A few from the Weekend

spent the day yesterday painting on bald head island. you cant drive cars on this small barrier island just a mile from southport nc. took a bicycle all over the island and found this bluff up high to paint from. loved the way the roofs were shining against the blue-green sea. everything i painted with was in my bookback on my back. felt like my hero Charles Sovek as he peddled around provincetown!

come to think of it... i must have been channeling him. this piece looks kinda like a Sovek.

From Flora's Bluff-6x8


did this little ditty in about half an hour and the guy was nice enough to stay in one place after he got up and came over to see what i was doing. thanks dude!

Relax- 6x8

here's the companion piece of "the South End". place had ten times this many people so i edited them out to a few boats and a few sunbathers.

Water Access (South End)- 12x24

Rain Rain Go Away

Raining off and on again for the third day in a row. an outdoor painters nightmare! especially when i have another show in a few weeks. it'll all work out tho'!
so heres another gallery goer for the series.

Room Full of Treasures- 6x8

Gallery Goers

there was a really great article written about yours truly in the Wilmington Star-News recently. Click here to read it

below are more in my "gallery goers" series. they are selling very well and i love to paint people looking at art. like one of my gallery owners said " its like the buyer gets two paintings. the painting itself and the paintings in the painting"

Enjoying Sorolla- 8x10

this woman is very studious of the Sorolla called "Beach Promenade"

Exchanging Glances- 8x10

these two are looking at a california artist named Tofanelli. i like his stuff. its simple shapes and colorful. the gallery goers seem to like him too. they seem to be "exchanging glances"

these two will be at Tidewater Gallery in Swansboro. you can call them or email me if you'd like to purchase.

And the Winner is.....

Rachel in Clarksdale Mississippi. way to go! youre the winner of the free painting giveaway.
if you didnt win, keep checking back. i do it every month.

Electric Clouds- 8x6- on canvas board

holiday weekend and errands for upcoming shows etc. have slowed the painting output. tomorrow hopefully i'll be back on track. i need to de-stress and whats better than standing on the beach or intracoastal waterway, or boat dock painting for several hours. and then you jump in the water to cool off and call it a day.

Tucked Away-9x12-SOLD

i've got a new way of getting the subject framed and on the canvas that i think you other painters might enjoy hearing about.

i took a piece of clear plexiglass and drew a 4"x5" square (for 8x10)and a 4.5"x6" square (9x12) on with a sharpie. got two grease pencils (white and black) and a piece of blue plexiglass about 3" square.

find your subject and move the 8x10 or 9x12 square back and forth cropping the scene to find the most pleasing composition. hold it still and draw the big angles with either the white or black grease pencil.
then transfer the composition to the panel youre getting ready to paint. no weird amputations, no stuff running off the canvas, and most of all (my biggest problem before using this new method) no oversized subjects. now everything has the right amount of "air" around the subject!

i then draw it on with a red carpenters pencil and rub real hard to smear it all over the white canvas toning it a nice warm red and then i take the home color of the shape and wash it on the shape with lots of thinner. once this is done i start using thicker and more realistic colors in thicker paint.

look thru the blue plexiglass to average your shapes values- extra light, light, med, dark and extra dark.

my compositions are now stronger and easier to get down in the few minutes it should take to get down the basics on the canvas board.

hope you try it and tell me what you think on comments below.

The contest entry is over at midnite tonite. i'll announce the winner soon! happy 4th!

Last Day to Enter Free Painting Giveaway

see the post from two days ago to see how to enter the giveaway!

these were done in the last few days for my City Art Gallery two man show in August with James Kerr. google his name and check out his work. very sweeet! come see the show!

Intercoastal Moorings- 8x20

sold

Late Afternoon at the Docks- 8x10 SOLD

Lumina Awnings- 10x8

sold

Sky Ablaze- 6x8 SOLD

Today is Free Painting Give-Away Day!

The South End- 12x24- at Tidewater Gallery in Swansboro

today you can enter the free painting giveaway! see yesterdays post if you dont know how.

finger quit throbbing today so maybe its not broken, so i went down to the inlet and painted this little ditty.
its not my painting hand but screwed with my concentration yesterday and i only did a 6x8 at sunset. i cant go all day without painting, injured or no!
couldnt ask for better cloud formations today for this one, and they werent racing across the sky like they so often do, making them very difficult to paint

Today is Free Painting Give-Away Day!

(about 15 feet up in the air)

Well, my kiteboarding passion has reared its dangerous head. i may have broken my left ring finger (altho it could be a very nasty sprain) and its swelled up and tender to the touch. totally sapped all desire to paint today so i went and visited a gallery owner friend of mine and ate grouper. best medicine around!

we'll see how it feels tomorrow and if the throbbing subsides but i read online that it could take weeks for the swelling and tenderness to go. i hope not. i need to get out three commissions and about fifteen paintings in the next three weeks.

today seems like a good day to announce the FREE PAINTING GIVEAWAY IS TODAY!

send me an email in the next three days with 'free painting' in the subject line and your mailing address in the body of the letter to register.

even the shipping is free! everybody is eligible (even you gallery owners)

this is the free painting

Electric Clouds- 8x6

Good Luck!!