boys of summer on the easel

Hi guys! I'm on a 'couple' break for the weekend but still in the studio. Before I left yesterday, I began a new version of my grandpa and his navy buddies on the beach. It's a big one, 48" x 60", with a beautiful 'sunset striped' underpainting courtesy of Genna. Here's what it looked like this morning:



I like to paint the lightest lights and darkest darks first thing so that I can see the overall composition through all of the screaming underpainting. My first thought when I looked at this this morning (which actually was more like noonish!) was that I loved that stuttering blue stripe running through the center of the figures and wanted to hold onto that if possible. To play that up, I painted in a similar blue between the bottoms of their legs:



After separating their figures with some changes in skin tone and filling in the shirt and towel shape, I believe I'm about 95% finished:



I'll post the properly photographed finished piece on the website next week. I'm tempted to call this "Smokin' on the Beach" as they're all hot and holding cigarettes, but cutesy titles make my skin itch. So, she's either "Boys of Summer" or "Sunset Quintet Redux". Probably "Boys of Summer".

saucy duo (couple a day #5)

Today's offering isn't technically a couple, but I think they share enough of the same spicy attitude, palette, and compositional similarities to make a really great diptych. Check out that shape echo between his elbow and her leg, yum!

The photo I used for the lady piece ("Leggy", oil on linen, 10" square, $300(sold)) was from a large lot of photos I bought on ebay years ago. I have many shots of this same woman and she REALLY liked her legs. I'm working on another couple that features her leggy-liciousness today.

The male half of the duo is "Harley Guy", oil on linen, 10" square, (sold).

take five (couple a day #4)

It occurs to me that I've committed myself to something like 26 'couple' paintings. Yikes.

Today's is "Take Five", an oil on linen, 10" x 8", framed in black for $300.

I'm starting to itch for a larger format, so maybe next week there will be some bigguns to see. Have a great day, everybody!

bushes portrait (couple a day #3)

We're at T minus 23 work days and counting to Valentine's Day, and I give you "Bushes Portrait" (oil on masonite, 9" x 12", $350).

I am so in love with the composition of this piece that I think you'll see it much larger some time this year (maybe 30" x 40" or 36" x 48"). I like the way the branch shapes mimic the shapes in the gentleman's jacket.

Now, these guys could could be brothers, father and son, neighbors, what-have-you...but it's two figures so I'm counting them as a couple for the purposes of my exercise!

patterned couple, (couple a day #2)

Hi guys,

Here we are with my 'couple a day' numero dos...counting down to Valentines Day. I've been sitting on the reference photo for this one for ages and finally felt like I was up to the challenge of her striped dress (which is really the whole point of the painting). I'm into the patterning thing right now, reference yesterday's "Beautiful Music".

This is "Patterned Couple", oil on masonite, 16" x 12", framed in black, $400 (sold).

See you tomorrow!

my funny valentines, or 'a couple a day'

Hi everybody! I just gave myself what amounted to almost 3 weeks off from work and am now struggling back into studio life. Hope everyone had a brilliant holiday season!

Sometimes when you've been out of the 'creative loop' for a while, it's tough to get back in. I'm starting off this week with a number of new couple paintings. Pairs of figures are absolutely my favorite thing to paint...married couples, mother & child, siblings, father & son, whatever. I figured I'd ease back into the painting groove with some small couples (8 x 10 or so), and just in time for Valentines Day!

Borrowing loosely from my friends Scott & Kathrine's brilliant 'cupcake a day' idea, I'm going to try to post a 'couple a day' from now until Valentines Day. I have no idea if I actually have the self discipline to pull that off, but I guess we'll see!

So, Day 1 Couple is "Beautiful Music", oil on particle board, 10" x 8", $300. Genna treated this board for me by forcing paint into the grooves in the wood, sanding it smooth, and sealing it with a clear gesso. I love, love, love the look of the particle board between the shapes and how it plays into the patterned nature of this little couple.

I'll be posting the 'couple a day' paintings soon on our webpage or you can email me anytime at admin@galleryair.com to make a purchase.

Congratulations to "Inspirations" Winner!

A much belated congratulations to Kimberly Beavers who won the painting "Trike Girls" (30" x 24" oil on linen) at our 16 Patton opening in November. We were thrilled to meet Kim at our reception in Asheville and to find out that she was already an enthusiastic supporter of our work, having purchased two pieces previously through Danna at 16 Patton.

I think it was fated that Kim should win her painting. The photo she submitted was of her mother as a child with a friend on a tricycle. Her mother was a twin (although she wasn't with her twin in the photo), and Kim recently gave birth to twin girls. Kim's girls are blond and brunette, as are the girls in the painting. Kismet, no? Kim's friends and family were as charmed as me by all of these connections and she won the email vote by a landslide!

Many thanks to Danna Anderson at 16 Patton. Danna is a model gallerist...professional, friendly, hard working, consistent, and pro-active. An article she solicited about the show in the Asheville Citizen Times was my favorite ever written about our work. Unfortunately, it's no longer on their website. I'll try to get it to share with you guys...