Pinocchio and Venus

Ohio's own Jim Dine has made this 30' cast bronze statue in his Walla Walla Washington for the people of Boras Sweden. http://www.wallawallafoundry.com/projects/dine.html

While the process is interesting to me the character has never been one that I appreciated. Personally I find puppets and marionettes to be extremely creepy.

Dine on the other hand has found his inspiration there and said that he has for "many years been able to live thru the wooden boy. His ability to hold the metaphor in limitless ways has made my drawings, paintings and sculpture of him richer by far. His poor burned feet, his misguided judgment, his vanity about his large nose, his temporary donkey ears all add up to the real sum of his parts. In the end it is his great heart that holds me."

The YouTube video has the festive air of Gulliver championing the Lilliputians.
In Cleveland Dine adopted a more classical route for his commission at the Federal Court House Tower. And his Venus was not without her controversy either. Perhaps Pinocchio, the boy who couldn't lie would have been more appropriate for the Courthouse?

Old Tannery Acres Hudson Oh

These outbuildings are in Old Tannery Acres, site of John Brown's home, built by his father in 1807.

On the left is a chicken coup which was originally attached to the barn.

The middle building is a very old post and bean constructed granary and the third is a creamery build by later owners who ran a dairy farm on the property.

On that hot Saturday morning I found a patch of shade and turned my attention to the three little white buildings nestled across an expanse of lawn. I painted on ampersand clayboard, it is 5x7" and available for purchase.

Gold Days

Heavily textured Acrylic 4 x6" Sold

Gold is in the news these days. LeBron James guarantee that Team USA will win this year's Gold Medal in basketball. And you can take that to the bank.
A good place to go with since gold sales during the quarter totaled 1.27 million equity ounces, fetching on average $900 an ounce, as the precious metal rode a huge spike in commodity prices. Gold prices were averaging about $600 an ounce a year ago.
Bloomberg's Mark Gilbert said 'Optimists Buy IPhones While Pessimists Hoard Gold'. I'm not sure which way I go on that one.
In the meantime the only gold that we artists are concerned with is Golden Acrylics.

Lapwork

The Canadian artist Robert Genn writes about the advantages of doing 'lapwork' in his July 11th newsletter. http://clicks.robertgenn.com/lapworking.php

Genn enumerates reasons why its a good idea to practice such close up work.

You ACEO fans know that I'm a regular practitioner of painting watercolors in my lap while on long car rides. It not only helps me fight boredom and makes use of otherwise idle time but there is an intimacy with the work to be had with such a hands on approach.

Here's a photo of me last April, in the passanger seat, somewhere along I-80, with a sheet of freshly painted ACEO's - painted while we drove through Pennsylvania.

Supercentenarian or Bust!

There are more than 60,000 people in this country over the age of 100 And now a new demographic group has been identified -- known as supercentenarians -- people 110 years old. There’s a book out called “If I Live to be 100” by Neenah Ellis with profiles of centenarians.
It’s a growing group and one that I hope to be part of. So what are you going to do for all those years? Ah – in my opinion, this is the life –

At 112, Alabama Man Is an Artist
Frank Calloway views art as his job and sits at a table by a window drawing for seven to nine hours a day….."He draws all day long except for the time that he spends in activity and eating his meals……. "That's what he loves to do."
http://news.aol.com/article/at-112-alabama-man-is-an-artist/90578

Or this - the worlds oldest blogger, Olive Riley who passed away at this month at the age of 109 (Thanks J for the story!)… read it at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/i-cant-shake-off-that-bad-cough-worlds-oldest-blogger-logs-off-867626.html

Wondering if you’ll make 100? Take the test here and start planning:
http://www.livingto100.com/

John Browns Well

Saturday Morning Painters - We were lucky enough to be invited to the John Brown homestead to paint. Brown ran a tannery here in Hudson in the early 1800s.
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Park/9580/brown.html
There are so many beautiful scenes to paint on this property. I chose to start with the well outside the main house.

My painting is 5x7 on ampersand, alla prima.

I'm pretty happy with it - maybe just a touch up here and there..... I took so many photos today that it will take me a month of daily painting to do them all. And so look forward to many more posts from Old Tannery Acres!

Cats vs. Dogs

Max 1987 - 2006

I 'm posting this painting I did of Max because I was reminded of him by a news article I read today. There is an art show currently open at the Midland Creative Spirit Center, Midland Michigan called "Best Friends: Dogs and Cats in Art". http://www.mlive.com/saginawnews/entertainment/index.ssf/2008/07/dogs_and_cat_art_create_a_big.html

On one side, paintings, photographs, lithographs, sculpture and clothing depicting cats.
And on the other, an equal number of art pieces, and books, depicting dogs. And don't you love this - a white picket fence divides the gallery space in half.

It also reminds me that I should get busy on the long over due Portrait of Casey.Perhaps a Christmas in July pose?