Canal Path Brecksville

We rode a different path of the canal tow path today. The trail extends from Akron to Cleveland - about 30 miles. We usually ride about 3 miles one way (remember you have to come back!)
This was a beautiful stretch through high grass and deep woods. My goal was the old Wilson Mills Feed Store to get some photos of the building. Mission accomplished. I have plenty of new photo references for painting. Next stop, a well earned lunch at Fishers in the Valley.

New Paintings New Frames

New ACEOs

Thanks to my good customer who purchased we have a photo of how she had it framed. Looks great doesnt it? Its to be a special present and I'm honored that she chose this painting for the occasion.

Relax!

The sheep are an ACEO that I just put up on eBay. Photobucket offers the virtual poster frame. Make any title you want for any picure you have.... fun stuff!

The Art of Cooking

I've posted recipes in previous posts - I do like to cook when the spirit moves me - so when I heard about some ACEO artists who were compiling a cookbook illustrated with their ACEOs I said, "sign me up!" The result, "Art on a Plate" was completed this summer and is for sale now.http://www.lulu.com/content/3691579

Vacation Series

I was looking at some old photos and was intrigued by the way black and white pictures show value masses so clearly. Also, the older cameras did not give us the incredible detail of facial features that we're use to seeing today. I wanted to see if I could duplicate the effect in an
ACEO.

I painted in color and later converted the digital image to grayscale and added the virtual border. I guess the next step is to paint in greys.


Also, here's the newest ACEO I've done of waterlillies:

TC Steele House of Singing Winds

My ACEO of the TC Steele  house in Indiana. 2.5 x 3.5"

Indiana artist Theodore Clement Steele (1847-1926) was born in Indiana and studied art in the US and in Germany. He returned to the US in 1885 and opened an art school.
T.C., along with William Forsyth, Otto Stark, John Otis Adams and Richard Gruelle, became known as the “Hoosier Group”. T.C. became the group’s acknowledged leader and often wrote articles on Impressionism for Modern Art. T.C. continued to build his reputation as a modern landscape painter. In 1905, he bought 200 acres in Brown County. He built his studio and home there and called it, “The House of Singing Winds”. Artists from around the country came to visit and to paint with Steele, finding for themselves the area's spectacular beauty.

Today the home is a state historic site. It's website is http://www.tcsteele.org/

Roy, Linda and Me - Blue Bayou

My ACEO "Blue Bay" inspired by the Roy Orbison song, sung by Linda Ronstadt. Available on Ebay this week

Linda Ronstadt - Blue Bayou lyrics

I feel so bad I got a worried mind
I'm so lonesome all the time
Since I left my baby behind
On Blue Bayou

Saving nickels saving dimes
Working til the sun don't shine
Looking forward to happier times
On Blue Bayou

I'm going back someday
Come what may
To Blue Bayou
Where the folks are fine
And the world is mine
On Blue Bayou
Where those fishing boats
With their sails afloat
If I could only see
That familiar sunrise
Through sleepy eyes
How happy I'd be

Gonna see my baby again
Gonna be with some of my friends
Maybe I'll feel better again
On Blue Bayou

Saving nickels saving dimes
Working til the sun don't shine
Looking forward to happier times
On Blue Bayou

I'm going back someday
Come what may
To Blue Bayou
Where the folks are fine
And the world is mine
On Blue Bayou
Where those fishing boats
With their sails afloat
If I could only see
That familiar sunrise
Through sleepy eyes
How happy I'd be

Oh that boy of mine
By my side
The silver moon
And the evening tide
Oh some sweet day
Gonna take away
This hurting inside
Well I'll never be blue
My dreams come true
On Blue Bayou



Song lyrics  Blue Bayou lyrics

Heritage Farms

I had a wonderful plein air session Saturday morning at Heritage Farms in Peninsula. In the summer this local landmark specializes in day lily plants. The family owned farm was established 150 years ago. Visit them on Riverview Road on on their website: http://www.heritagefarms.com/

I painted this scene of the garden arch that you reach by crossing a rock slab that over a granite lined creek. The painting is 11 x 14 on gallery wrapped canvas. Price on request.

The Pocket Art Movement

A while back I wrote an article for the website "Empty Easel" about the popularity of pocket art - that is Artist Trading Cards or ACEO's. It can be read here:
http://emptyeasel.com/2008/06/26/the-pocket-art-movement-what-you-need-to-know-about-atcs-and-aceos/

There are also some of my ACEO's pictured on the site.

Onions and Lilacs

Purple days of August brought me onions, and lilacs. Onions (as Roy Blount Jr said "They improve everything, pork chops to soup" - and dont you just love them carmelized with a bit of cheese?) and lilacs with the 'perfume strong I love'. Both, lush in deep purples and reds, brightening a room with their aroma.
Both paintings are ACEOs 2.5 x 3.5" and currently for sale on eBay - just use the ebay search function on this page - type in harrington lilacs to bid on them.

Dying Breed

Paradise Found

Te Faaturuma (Brooding Woman) 1891

In the 2003 film "Paradise Found" we have a bio-pic of Paul Gauguin, the artist as mis-understood genius. In this movie we get a glimpse of the human struggle to follow a passion. I don’t know if its historically accurate and the screenplay is a bit slow moving but its visually pleasing and Keifer Sutherland gives us a strong performance. Of course, I would have liked to see more of Gauguin's paintings.

Gauguin considered "Brooding Woman" among his best from the earlier Tahitian stay, and it was eventually acquired by the French Impressionist artist Edgar Degas, who owned a number of works by Gauguin. It is now in the Worcester Art Museum.

The movie has piqued my interest enough to get a copy of Gauguin's journal "Noa, Noa". To see more of Gauguin's work go to:
http://www.expo-gauguin.net/index.cfm

Rest and Relax

"On the Patio" 8x8" Acrylic
Summer time, time to find some shade and relax. Visit, read, paint, take a nap.

Also, I wanted to share with you the websites of three artists who produce beautiful work:

http://www.davidsimonsfineart.com/index.html

http://www.jenholmesart.com/

http://www.karenvernon.com/

William Chadwick

14 x 18” oil “Bermuda Sun" W. Chadwick


My ACEO is a small study of Chadwicks beautiful painting:


2.5 x 3.5" "Sunny Day in Bermuda"
Impressionist William Chadwick was born in Dewsbury, England, and emigrated to Holyoke, Massachusetts. Influenced by Joseph DeCamp and John Twatchman at The Art Students League in New York, Chadwick quickly adopted the energetic brushstrokes and intimate scenes associated with American Impressionism. Following his studies at various institutions including the Boston Museum School of Art, Chadwick spent a number of years traveling to different locations within New England and Europe, including a three year sojourn to Italy from 1912-1915.

When he returned friends from the Art Students League in NYC encouraged him, to paint at Old Lyme, Connecticut. This experience redirected him from portrait and figure subjects to landscapes.
Chadwick spent the rest of his life in Old Lyme, devoting himself to the creation of Impressionists works that studied the en plein air effects of light and color.“Hamburg Cove” and “On the Porch” are two of his more famous paintings.

Meet Me at the Fair

I went to the Ohio State Fair last weekend and one of the highlights of the trip was the Butter Cow and the Butter Presidents Monument. The Butter Cow and her calf are a traditional favorite. The Monument is carved out of 2,000 pounds of butter and features the faces of every president from Ohio.



"The Ohio State Fair's traditional butter cow and calf this year are in the company of history times eight," said The Associated Press earlier this week. when reporting on the annual Columbus agricultural event that began Wednesday.
According to the AP article, the American Dairy Association estimated the work on Mount Buckeye took 370 hours. It sits in a glass fronted refrigerated case.

I'll post more about the fair in coming days. Here is a link about the prize winners in the arts:
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/life/stories/2008/08/04/1_SPA_KIDS_2.ART_ART_08-04-08_D1_7TATEMM.html?sid=101

Battle of the Fonts

This is hysterical!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

ACEOs August KickOff!

In the dog days of summer what could be a better past time than painting some new ACEOss? Cool shady woods, cold snow scenes, seashore views and fresh strawberries!