some more work on large painting

some more work on the 22x28. worked more greens and form into the trees, more work on the boat and water (changed water lighter and boat darker) so they dont run together. also some different temperatures in the sky and worked some suble temperature shifts in the dirt road. getting happy with it about now. a few more 'tweaks' like adding variety to the boat shadows,  adding rigging on the shrimp boat, etc. and we'll call it done

Small Town Glimpse-8x6

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demo

day 2- wiped Liquin on the whole painting to re-wet the surface. i hate painting on dry board or canvas. here ive put greens in, a swath of purple in the back for the distant trees water, sky, the shadow on the dirt road, and the blue-green building. still keeping it pretty thin and letting alot of the underpainting show. i mean, whats the use of underpainting in brilliant colors if youre going to cover every inch of the canvas with the topcoat? leaving the bits and pieces show, is what makes the color sparkle.

here the road is put in and you cant see the cool orangey pinks coming thru it! also put the boats in  and worked the tree a little bit more, trying to make form out of a basic dark green silohuette from the underpainting. i think its coming along nicely. more tomorrow.

Work in Progress- 22x28 demo

starting a 22x28 today and i know how much y'all like seeing em in progress like this, so i'll try to remember to shoot pics all along the way.

above i'm beginning to lay in the big shapes with lots of reds and oranges (and lots of Liquin) on my underpainting. want to get the white gone asap and then start to flesh out the values some. on this one with all the blues and greens in the upcoming top coats i think i'll lean towards all the warmer colors underneath (red,yellow and orange- even in the shadows)

 

i used the two 50 cent brushes i buy from the hardware store. makes me stay loose and big. i modify the cheapest bristle brushes they have by cutting the tops off about a third and then round them a bit like a filbert is shaped. i love em for biggies like this painting! i underpainted this whole painting (drawing too) in less than an hour. I'll wipe it with Liquin on a rag once it's dry and then i'll start putting down more realistic colors into the shapes.

here's the plein air study i'll be using as reference

SOLD-PTown Glimpse-6x8

Hurricane update: Sandy slid by us slowly this weekend and (today) with nothing but wind and rain here on the southern end of the north carolina coast. i'm afraid it'll make landfall further up north (maybe NJ?)  maybe when it gets in the colder water up north it'll lose intensity and just be a rain event. hope so. 

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this one's from my trip to cape cod back in the late summer. a sweet little glimpse of an alley in Provincetown heading to the water. the light in the morning there is wonderful. and no i didnt almost get arrested doing this one!

just taught a workshop in rocky mount that was awesome. i learned so much from all the other painters. i'm always asked are my w/s's for those very new to painting. and the answer is yes. i like teaching beginners because they are very teachable. they soak up the instruction like sponges and are highly motivated to learn and dont care if they paint a masterpiece. seems like it can be often be the more experienced painters in a workshop that can sometimes get easily frustrated if they arent painting the way they think they should. but remember that you shouldnt paint anything decent in a workshop because youre learning something totally new.add on top of that that youre in unfamiliar waters and that brings a certain level of anxiety with it. of course youre not going to paint your best. relax and learn the concepts and method and dont worry about the end product. thats what you pay for, not to paint something youre proud of at the end of the day, right?

upcoming events

Plans are in the works for me to teach at the Art Guild of Purple Isle in Key Largo this march. i think its only going to be available to members of the guild but if you live in key largo and would like to join the guild i'm sure they'd be agreeable to that. shoot me an email for details as they come available. my upcoming workshops in the next couple of week are on the outerbanks, and Art of the Carolina's in Raleigh. email me for info or to sign up

i'll also be attending the Holiday Show at ArtSource in Raleigh Thurs. Nov. 15th from 7 until? i'm bringing new work with me to hang so if youre in raleigh come and see me and say hello!

Shore Drive Duo-6x8

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love this tight crop shot of two shore cottages.its in the golden hour when shadows abound and the clock runs three times as fast! you gotta get that block in done in no less than fifteen minutes if youre going to have any chance of capturing the color.

note: last chance to sign up for this weeks w/s in rocky mount nc. two days- thur. and friday. cost $200.
also the fast approaching Outer Banks workshop. and there's room in the cottage for you to stay so you dont have to arrange lodging. contact me if you can make the three day workshop in Duck NC, November 4th thru 6th. Cost is $300 plus a little for the cottage. We'll cover values, color mixing, plein air techniques, and lots of easel time outdoors on the dunes and waterways of the outer banks. email me to sign up.

A Break in the Weather (maine)-6x8

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painted near Mt. Desert Island in maine a few months ago. the weather had been bad all day and i was itching to paint but couldnt. then late in the afternoon there was a break in the clouds where some light could hit the landscape. i was all over it!

now for todays lesson: changing the values and adding contrast
note: i didnt photoshop correct either of these photos so you can see a comparitive difference in the changes to values i made

here is the original 8x8 that just hasnt been able to find a good home. i analysed it trying to figure out what it was. maybe it was the stupid shape of a house in the background? maybe it was the values wereall to close? maybe both?

so i made the changes below

i lightened the sky to make the other objects more of a silohuette. then i darkened the values on the tanks and side of the barn. then i darkened and simplified the junk under the left hand tanks and make the road wind back around the barn for more of a lead-in to the composition. then, you cant tell, but i added a hint of green (for a little more variety) into the dead tree in the foreground and darkened its trunk. last i did away with the house shape in the background and made a stand of dead tree color to simplify the painting.

as you can see the bottom painting is much improved by lightening the sky and darkening the barn and tanks. the other things just help it even more.

so dont be in such a hurry to paint over a painting that isnt working. try to analyse why its not working (or selling LOL) and make some changes and see if that doesnt help. and remember some will never be saved and make great kindling wood for your fireplaces or outdoor firepits this winter.

 

Workshop News

my upcoming workshops are Duck on the outer banks, georgetown s.c., Art of the Carolina's in Raleigh, and two days in rocky mount, nc

Triad on a Table-9x12

Triad on a Table-9x12

email for availability and price

 

my attempt at some still life. dont mind em if i can do them outside in the sunlight!

 

next myth to explode: that artists that make their living painting are happy with everything (or most of what they do)

 

on this one i will in no ways speak for anybody but me on this topic.  

 

as for me, i'm only completely happy with only a percentage of what i do. a small percentage. now there are different degrees of happy. i say that because i think you rarely hit a homerun on all aspects and problems you were working out on a painting

 

.then there's the matter of when am i being asked if i like it or not. 9 out of 10 times (on the ones i know arent  complete crap when i finish),  i like em right after i do them. but its funny that as days go by the shine wears off. then heaven forbid they come back around after six months or more. Oh my. some you wonder what you were thinking to even let it leave the studio and hang it somewhere in the first place.

then there's the "wall of shame", i have a place on a wall where paintings i'm working on (that arent going well) hang. i can see them from my couch. they mock me constantly from over there. blasted things!

 

as far as i can tell there are two schools of thought on what to do with the unsold ones that have been around awhile. one camp says never ever gesso over them, somebody somewhere, at some time in the future might buy it. the other school of thought does the below.

 

what do i do with the ones i get back that have been around forever and seem to be doomed to be orphans without a good home somewhere besides mine? on the bigger ones i hold up a frame cut out of cardboard looking for smaller paintings i can cut the panel into. hey $75-$100 is better than painting over it or using it for firewood right?

 

the ones that didnt have 6x8 inches of potential saleability get the electric sander on their face and get gesso for makeup. as i'm painting the gesso on, i have one of two feelings. on a painting you wonder why it didnt sell, the sorrow of watching a good friend leave town for good.

 

 OR on the ones that you are flat out ashamed of, the joy of watching an ex leave town for good!

ive heard of some artists cathartically having bonfires and burning the paintings that start piling up and becoming pesky bothers to their soul. i'm too cheap to waste the boards, thus my sand/gesso tradition.

 

would be curious what you guys do with paintings you doubt will ever sell. comment below. we might give each other some new ideas.

SOLD-Outer Banks Skyline-4x6

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caught this sweet little scene heading to manteo last year. lots of atmosphere in the bright sunlight made everything glow!

 

now to continue the series dispelling myths about painting/painters. Myth: painters get to paint all day, everyday. this is a commonly held belief by many but its just not true. to be in this business there are tons of tasks to be done that take us away from painting. here are just a few.

 travel to and from painting locations/states/galleries we sell in, framing stuff up, calling or running for paint supplies, inventorying work on databases, taking pics of work for publicity purposes, scheduling demos and shows, emails, and on and on. you get the idea. to be honest i spend over half my day doing the marketing side of the business on a good day. some days its all day. some weeks especially when i'm teaching alot, i dont paint but once or twice, except for demos. that has its own inherent problems. sometimes its really inconvenient but i force myself to work in some small painting on super busy days. ever heard the saying "when i go a few days without painting i can tell it in my work. when i go a week without painting the galleries can tell it, and when i go a few weeks without painting the collectors/buyers can tell it! thats definately true. Most of us take bits and pieces of vacations but i dont know many who take a few weeks off, just because it feels so weird (like youre rusty or something) when you start back up again.

 

so we juggle a ton of non-painting related duties with painting and it all seems to work out. i dont know about anybody else out there, but i dont paint nearly as much as i wish i could (or thought i would when i first started). hey i just had a good idea! anybody wanna be my agent? LOL 

 

note: again i'll state that i am in no ways complaining. i love my job! just giving a look into the life, thats all. hope you enjoy!

SOLD-Old Galaxy-6x9

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this was a breath of fresh air for me. i did this one strictly because it was cool and i wanted to paint it, without a thought about whether it would sell or not. as hard as i try to not let that be a consideration when i'm looking around for something to paint, my mind is always thinking about the financial aspects of painting. need to think about that less and follow my muse more often. i can remember not too long ago, selling paintings of tractor trailers in parking lots and a buildings loading dock.

 

Workshop Update

ive got a few openings in the Duck/Corolla Outer Banks workshop on Nov. 4-6 and there is room available at the cottage for you to stay as well. email me if you'd like a plein air workshop on a beautiful barrier island in NC (called the Outerbanks)

New Paint Box

Dennis Cottages Demo-6x8

 SOLD

Proud to announce my new paintbox/easel set up is now for sale. i took a bunch of them around when i was teaching up north and already sold about a dozen of em. it sets up in about two minutes and is extremely lightweight. ive been using the prototype for several years and love it!

the mixing area is glass with a medium gray color and is a big 12x16. there are two large "wings" that close so you can throw the box in your trunk or back seat without getting paint all over everything.you can use the wings for additional paint mixing or as a table to keep stuff on. the panel holder will hold a panel up to 12" high.if you like to paint stretched canvas you can replace the two bolts with ones that are longer. the angle of the paintbox is changeable using the legs of the tripod. it has a money back guarantee (until you put paint in it of course!) Get yours today!

 

note added on 3/14
I don't offer the photo tripod setup and panel holder anymore. I sell the box and a Napoli tripod easel (which is what I use exclusively)

 

to attach the box its as easy as putting the first aluminum "z" around the first leg of the tripod

here it is with the other "z" on the box in the 2nd leg of the tripod and let it drop down. if you want less tilt (i prefer the tilt myself) lower the length of the back leg.

here's how the panel holder attaches. lift the latch on the quick release receptacle, put the square piece on the wood panel holder into the square receptacle on the tripod, and push the latch back down to secure it.

 

so ditch those hard to set up french easels and those heavy and expensive pochade boxes. buy this affordable, time tested paintbox and go out and paint up a storm!

contact me at rooneystudios@Hotmail.com to purchase

SOLD-Overcast Arrival-6x8

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a little ditty from maine several weeks ago.

 

this weeks posts will probably be a little longer than the last several months. ive been out of town alot and i realized my posts were getting a little too generic. thats what happens when youre an itinerant artist trying to make a living up and down the east coast. youre in a different bed every few months (and nights) and the road kinda saps your strength after awhile. not complaining, mind you just tellin' it like it is. so the posts sorta get shorter and shorter and less personal.

 

folks always tell me in emails that they like the blog because it gives them insight into the inner workings of the art business when youre fulltime and make every dollar for your bills off your art (or your teaching). so for the next few posts, i'll try to make some honest observations about this life.  before i do let me first say that when i write about the frustrations or not so hot things, that i'm in no way complaining about the life just telling the good AND the bad for those that are interested. and i dont want to make this about me so i'll generalize and say that i think most artists making their living doing this will agree with alot of the things i allude to? i'd be interested to hear from everybody and anybody in the comments section!

 

Todays mythbuster: that making youre living painting is slightly glamorous or romantic

 

not so. its nerve wracking. we have bills like property taxes, kids in college, you know, all that stuff, but unlike folks that get a weekly check, we dont know if we'll have the painting sales to cover them when they come due. i know i go to the mailbox every few days hoping there's a check in there and not a spider with a full blown web constructed. or if i go to my emails hoping for a love note from Paypal (saying someone bought a little study) but instead there's a note from Microsoft informing me that my friends arent doing anything interesting, i get nervous.

 

if i think too hard on this fact i get scared. so i dont think about it, i go paint instead, or make a few calls about business, or make a to-do list. something, anything to be doing something that has to do with the business. its like, if i think about how sketchy this all is, i'll fall off the high wire i'm on.so i really try hard to not think of it. you know how they say "dont look down!" when youre way up high and scared? same thing.

 

but yes, it is a cool lifestyle full of adventures, intrinsic benefits, and the risks (butterflies in your stomach) make the sale of a painting more than the sale of a painting. its a celebration that you went and did what you do, even tho you were worried about surviving. and someone who was equally worried about surviving (and eating) thought enough about the painting you did to give up a piece of their security (dollars).they wanted it bad enough to want to own it and take it home and because of that i get to paint again next week! how cool is that?

 

tomorrows myth to be dispelled- that painters get to paint all day, every day. i cant wait!

SOLD-Floating Toys-6x8

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a nice little cape body of water. like the shapes in this one. when i grow up i wanna be a shape painter!

$100-Sundowner in Maine-6x8

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this takes me back to my excursion into maine a few weeks ago. there was this cool little harbor that just lit up in the evenings. had some ferocious "blonde" misquitos. theyre not black like usual but a very dirty blonde color. theyre not to be outdone by their darker cousins. they'll make you swat and exclaim loudly the whole time youre painting!

SOLD-Rock Harbor Boats-6x8

NOTE: Sailing Away-6x8 (september 2nd post) just became available again. it was sold but they traded it for another.

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an early morning view of some boats in rock harbor, orleans cape cod. wish i knew what i did to make the green boat look so authentic. i would do it more if i did LOL

Sold-Jills View-6x8

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painted this off the bridge of a boat owned by jill and jim (my host family) in conneticut where i taught a few days ago. this is a sailboat on the conneticut river near lyme. thanks jill and jim for your hospitality!

just wrapped up two days with some great painters from the Delmarva peninsula in chestertown maryland. here's about half of them capturing the early morning light on eastern neck wildlife preserve. we had a wide range of painting experience from beginners, to one painter who taught painting herself in the area. its fun and challenging to see if i can keep all parties engaged without going over some heads or boring others where i'm making it too simplistic. i learn alot from all of my students everytime i teach. i'm headed to rehoboth beach delaware next. thanks to lani and dan my hosts in chestertown!

Something from Falmouth

Untitled-8x10

available at Rowley Gallery

 

this is from a recent painting trip to falmouth, cape cod. the cool little light house and lightkeepers house sits high on a hill looking out over the bay. it still warns mariners to keep away from the rocky shoreline. off in the distance on the horizon you can see a sliver of wonderful lavendar color called martha's vineyard. havent been there but linda and charlie, dear friends from mashpee say they'll take me on a painting trip over on their boat. arent they sweet?!

SOLD-Untitled-12x16

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now dont you wish this was you right now? nothing to do all day but paint beautiful Maine beachscapes in plein air!

 

this is rita putting into practice the stuff she learned at the recent Acadia Workshop Center plein air class i held. values, color mixing and simplifying the scene are at the heart of my curriculum and prepares you for the monumental task of painting something decent in the outdoors.

those who paint from photos in comfortable conditions, with smooth jazz playing in the background, north light streaming in their studio windows all day, and who have never ventured outside with paint and canvas, have no idea just how monumental! just saying  :D

Block Studies at Acadia Workshop Center

i did a demo of a block study to show the technique, a la cape school.

what a great bunch of folks ive got this week. they are so stoked on learning how to take their color perception and mixing to the next level. they hail from as far away as england, chicago, hingham mass, and orlando florida.

 

 today was day three of a five day. it rained most of the day as the remnants of isaac went over maine, so we painted in the plush Acadia WSC studios. tomorrow we'll hit a place called Seawall, a nice stretch of maine coastline and put into practice what was learned today about how to paint fast, and mix accurate color on the fly!

 

my orleans (cape cod) workshop next weekend has one spot left. let me know if you'd like to sign up. 

Menace to Society

photo courtesy of john clayton

 

here i am accused of being a menace to society as i paint provincetown, cape cod, a city where nothing is a crime, except painting on the streets apparantly. no, really the cop was called and he responded but told me that i wasnt breaking the law, and could proceed with my painting. all the while john c. is snapping cell phone pix and snickering at me!

 

it all started with a man complaining and cursing, that i was too close to his fence and to leave my spot, which happened to be on public property, to which i less than politely declined to do. enter the law, who responded twice asking for my i.d. and asking me a bunch of questions. luckily the motorbike cop was originally from alabama and hadnt heard a southern accent like mine (and his) in ptown in ages, so he didnt hassle me any further and i finished the painting.

 

my current crime spree is in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island Maine, enjoying my intimate class of 5 students as we menaced the island with brushes and paints on day one of a five day workshop for Acadia Workshop Center.

SOLD-Sailing Away-6x8

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 i'm in northern maine tonite getting ready for my workshop at Acadia Workshop Center on Mt. Desert Island. got in last night from the cape and got to work finding a harbor to paint in. then today i got aquainted with the island so i'd know where to take the class this week. found breathtaking cliffs, beaches, harbors, and tidal marshes all over the place. cant wait to get started.

 

above is from cape cod atop High Hill (as it was known back in the day). thats marthas vineyard way off on the horizon.