Mike Rooney Studios- Painting a Day: June 2014

Monday, June 30, 2014

South Harbor in Afternoon Sun-24x30

South Harbor in Afternoon Light

24x30

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one of the newer pieces coming off the easel this week. all these are from the Atlantic, NC trip I just got back from. it really lit a fire under my muse and she's giving me all kinds of mojo.

here's the photo reference for the one below

the black marks on the acetate (taped over my laptop screen) are for accurately placing the paintings big pieces on the much larger canvas.

something I have on the easel this week. a 24x30 I believe.

here, I've got the block-in in basically three different colors. blueish purple for the darks, yellowy orange for the grass and lit parts of the trees and pinks for the water and sky. I let all this dry thoroughly then I use glazes and opaque paint to put more realistic color over the crazy colors

workshop news

I have a workshop in Raleigh NC, this month on how to mix any color with a limited palette of red, yellow, blue and white. email me if youre interested in signing up. its at jerrys artarama around the middle of the month.

in other news my new calypso/steel drum act (calypso kid) is going great. I'm playing around topsail island the whole month of july, during the dinner/ tiki bar happy hours. my next gig is at the Trailer Bar this Thursday and Friday from 4-7 and Buddys from 8-10. if youre on the island come check out some of my island style steel drum music. I started playing the pan down in key west this past winter and have found my new favorite instrument.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Crossing Over-18x24

Crossing Over-18x24

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started outside and finished inside. this is the draw bridge to beaufort.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Blue Heaven- 36x48

Blue Heaven- 36x48

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here are couple just coming out of the pipeline. working on a much bigger scale these days. 8x10's are going to seem like postage stamps!

changed a few things to keep them loose this big. using brushes that trim house painters would use. then I'm working transparent, translucent and opaque back and forth as needed. this came about after spending a few days watching dan nelson use transparent washes on his paintings with great success. I thought hey I can steal that! what happens is you have more flexibility with edges which is something I highly treasure. I use the opaque paint when I want a hard edge and the translucent when I want a lost edge. then you can glaze a temperature difference on a shape from left to right (or top to bottom) very efficiently, without changing the value at all. thanks for that Dan!

then I started using turpenoid natural instead of vegetable oil to clean color out of brushes. now its a snap to clean all the paint out of these monster brushes, plus I'm getting comfortable working on stretched canvas. its weird. these little things were keeping me from enjoying working on bigger stuff. now I'm having a blast!

I'm colorizing the paintings more as well. a progression I started this winter. I'm liking what I'm doing not being so literal. using intuitive color versus being a slave to reality. I want my stuff to have "honest" light but keep it unexpected at the same time. is that even possible? we'll see.

i'll be the featured artist at ArtSource in Raleigh the month of july. if you get to north hills mall come see some of my new work there.

Marsh Reflections- 24x30

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Thursday, June 19, 2014

Mid Day at the Marina- 18x24

Mid Day at the Marina- 18x24

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Did this gallery wrapped canvas in beaufort nc. the sky really was working for me on this painting. I like the feel of the light too. seems 'honest'

also started this one today from a photo taken a few years ago in marshallberg nc, near harkers island. was clicking thru images and this one caught my fancy today so I decided to paint it.

thanks to seeing dan nelson keep a painting from a photo fun and loose, I'm doing more of the huge ones inside. plus the fact that it was near 100 degrees today! wow it was nice to be in the a/c. i'll work this one some more when the washes dry. you can see that I really like warmer underpaintings no matter what kind of light I'm going to paint over it. hard to tell but its going to be water, sky and marsh painting. funny, it looks like a field now. talk about loose!

dan got me experimenting with some transparent washes and I showed him cape cod underpainting. he said he wanted to give it a try. so i'll wash on some transparent "realistic" colors over this underpainting in the next step. the when that's dry i'll paint opaquely and try not to mess it up.

here's the reference photo I'm working from. cool cloud right?

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Three Upcoming Shows

not dead. promise!

been busy painting for three shows a few weeks away. First one is City Art Gallery in Greenville this Thursday and then again at the Coral Bay Country Club on july 6th. Then one at Carolina Creations where i'll be in a three person show with Janet Francouer and Dan Nelson. Both are fantastic artists so check it out if youre in New Bern on july 11 from 5-8.

then I'll be the featured artist at Art Source in Raleigh the last of july.

just got back from a painting trip for a week with my buds jimmy womble and dan nelson. we were off to a small town down east called Atlantic. everywhere you turn is a painting and I'd say its as paintable as monhegan island. that's quite the endorsement considering I love love love painting on monhegan. by the way, two of the six seats are gone for my 2015 Mentoring Workshop on monhegan island. This year i'll be on Mount Desert Island at Acadia Workshop Center Labor Day week. a few seats are still available. wanna be painting cliffs, lobster traps and beautiful harbors full of fishing boats for a whole week. Sign up!

heres some of the ones from the trip that I tweaked this morning.