tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19316707821051393592024-02-06T18:45:48.837-08:00A painter paints.Let's make art!WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-300163994499919002011-10-16T13:50:00.000-07:002011-10-17T00:05:26.355-07:00A few from "Twin Peaks"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anyone who knows me well knows how much I love the work of David Lynch, whom I consider to be a major inspiration. A true Renaissance Man in the world of art, equally loved and loathed; a painter, filmmaker, cartoonist, musician, photographer, furniture builder (what else have I forgotten?) So when he made a tv series, Twin Peaks, in 1990, I was entranced.... again, as in his 1986 movie Blue Velvet, his themes concerned the placid exteriors of small town America, and the strange undercurrents and layers of good, evil, quirkiness, terror, and just the general joy of the mysteries of life. His movies are always a visual and aural delight, brimming with mood and atmosphere and generally considered "weird" by most people....oftentimes justifiably, sometimes not. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One summer in 1992, after the cancellation of the series, I decided to take a weekend trip to visit the town where the show's pilot was filmed and the locations that inspired the fictional setting of Twin Peaks, a town in the northwestern-most corner of the state of Washington...mere miles from the Idaho and Canadian borders, near the mysterious fiction Ghostwood Forest, home of strange and dark things beyond our comprehension.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The real locations were set in the towns of Snoqualmie, North Bend, and Falls City, about an hour east of Seattle/Tacoma. I thought that at the very least I would get a shot in the arm of inspiration in finding subject matter for the paintings I love doing. I hit the Mother Lode, unknowingly scheduling my trip for a weekend when the first Annual Twin Peaks Festival was taking place. It was a HUGE event, attracting thousands of visitors and the press, and the entire weekend was full of activities and events geared for Twin Peaks addicts. I got to meet stars from the series and the upcoming prequel movie, <i>Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me</i>, visited many of the locations used, ate most of my meals at the diner from the the show (called the RR Diner on the show, its real name was the Mar-T Cafe, and served as the central gathering place for many fans)... I even bought a prop from a flea market that was used as a set decoration in the movie when the production company was in town several months earlier (a coffee percolator, a perfect memento from "Twin Peaks", seeing how coffee played such a large and endearing part in the series) </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I returned home with great memories, souvenirs, and a ton of pictures that would form the basis and inspiration to create some paintings of the subject matter I became enamored with, the haunted remnants of small-town existence of the early to mid 20th century in America.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The paintings I made are from the environs of Snoqualmie and North Bend, not necessarily locations from the show, but a couple that I did certainly are. These are some of those paintings. All of them sold in my gallery in the mid-90's.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RPzjHyp2P5Q/Tps9czQ8CFI/AAAAAAAAAHU/uoeI8ykpzMQ/s1600/Dark+Stormy+Pine+Tree+Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RPzjHyp2P5Q/Tps9czQ8CFI/AAAAAAAAAHU/uoeI8ykpzMQ/s640/Dark+Stormy+Pine+Tree+Picture.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Dark, Stormy, Pine Tree Picture" 1991 Acrylic on Canvas, 24" x 36"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Actually, this one is from a prior visit to the northwest, and I'm throwing this one in, because it fits the tone of the series nicely. The scene I took this from was in Washington, near Mt. St. Helens.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dtjtmUyKiQY/Tps-oeub4eI/AAAAAAAAAHc/RkACH0CaTVQ/s1600/Untitled+Waitresses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dtjtmUyKiQY/Tps-oeub4eI/AAAAAAAAAHc/RkACH0CaTVQ/s640/Untitled+Waitresses.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> "Untitled Waitresses" 1993 Acrylic on Canvas, 10" x 30"</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This one was from the interior of the Mar-T Cafe, setting of the show's RR Diner. Very funky little coffee shop full of unforced homespun charm, the waitresses and management were always a joy to talk with during our visits. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t0jOOcXk-dU/Tps_Z5Mw9XI/AAAAAAAAAHk/-YZ4hx-RI2o/s1600/Coffee+Shop+Booth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="504" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t0jOOcXk-dU/Tps_Z5Mw9XI/AAAAAAAAAHk/-YZ4hx-RI2o/s640/Coffee+Shop+Booth.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Coffee Shop Booth" 1993 Acrylic in Canvas, 11" x 14"</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another scene in the Mar-T Cafe.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oLA46PHnlGo/Tps_827WlXI/AAAAAAAAAHs/v58geQQbgaQ/s1600/Meadowbrook+and+Park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oLA46PHnlGo/Tps_827WlXI/AAAAAAAAAHs/v58geQQbgaQ/s640/Meadowbrook+and+Park.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Meadowbrook and Park" 1993 Acrylic on Canvas, 36" x 72".</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This intersection was in Snoqualmie, and was the location of a very weird scene from the movie <i>Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me</i>. </span><span style="font-size: small;">This was a HUGE painting, and took some time, obviously.The detailing involving the bricks was an act of madness! I used a thick gel compound as the base for those, and inscribed the areas for the mortar in between with a toothpick, and used multiple washes of color afterward to get the right color, tones, and shadows.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UCS0VqC-Zj8/TptB_t7nv9I/AAAAAAAAAH0/PlnKeAoEiFg/s1600/One+Eyed+Truck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UCS0VqC-Zj8/TptB_t7nv9I/AAAAAAAAAH0/PlnKeAoEiFg/s640/One+Eyed+Truck.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"One-Eyed Truck" 1994 Acrylic on Canvas, 12" x 18"</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The name is a play on a location from Twin Peaks, a nearby Canadian brothel named "One-Eyed Jack's". This scene was near Meadowbrook and Park, a block or so away from the location in the painting above this one.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ctVF7_IhP0/TptCtx3JfKI/AAAAAAAAAH8/WUY_rXKDGdc/s1600/Motel+Office+Lazy+Dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="482" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ctVF7_IhP0/TptCtx3JfKI/AAAAAAAAAH8/WUY_rXKDGdc/s640/Motel+Office+Lazy+Dog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"The Motel Office and the Lazy Dog" 1993 Acrylic on Canvas, 36" x 48"</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This scenario was at what was then called the Mt. Si Motel, used in the movie <i>Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me</i> as "The Blue Diamond Motel". This painting was always a personal favorite of mine.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I did one other painting from the immediate area that I used as a Christmas Card, and if I ever find the image, I'll upload it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">EDIT.... My friend Jeff Flint just saw this post and sent me several jpegs of Christmas Card images I made back in the day, and here it is.... the actual location was along a frontage road east of North Bend, near the Mt. Si Motel. I needed to make a Christmas Card image in a hurry, so I chose a pic of the mobile home with pink flamingoes as my inspiration to paint from, embellishing it with Xmas lights. Ho Ho Ho!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">(My apologies for the blurred image, but it's pretty much all that I could get. Thanks very much, Jeff! I'll post the other Xmas images when it gets closer to December.)</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-03Qc5ehTWyg/TptZAqEAtLI/AAAAAAAAAIE/zMUUfi10td4/s1600/A+Trailer+Park+Xmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="462" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-03Qc5ehTWyg/TptZAqEAtLI/AAAAAAAAAIE/zMUUfi10td4/s640/A+Trailer+Park+Xmas.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"A Trailer Park Xmas" 1993 Acrylic on Canvas, 16" x 20" </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span></div></div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-60640270394257788872011-06-19T11:36:00.000-07:002011-06-19T11:36:57.021-07:00New Painting Underway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've had this on my plate for a long time, and finally have made some huge progress on it. I started it over twice, after not feeling it, and now, in this iteration, am finally feeling it. It's mainly a painting from memory, recalling a nighttime drive when I was living on the Olympic Peninsula when I was fourteen.... driving through the woods, we came upon a flat, clear stretch of marshy meadows that led back into more woods. Completely isolated in this scene was a lone house, the creepy kind you see sitting all alone, in serious need of a paint job, and with a few dead trees around it, everything dilapidated...but with signs of someone still living in it. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QZryDx1Q7IE/Tf5BZmwtYsI/AAAAAAAAAFk/a-t5qlIJhgU/s1600/02+-+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QZryDx1Q7IE/Tf5BZmwtYsI/AAAAAAAAAFk/a-t5qlIJhgU/s640/02+-+after.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That's the feeling I am working off of for this painting, operative word being "feeling", because the other versions before this didn't have it. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yP-cNevOkt0/Tf5BNCMFQdI/AAAAAAAAAFg/UJav2B0qeRQ/s1600/Studio+TOday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yP-cNevOkt0/Tf5BNCMFQdI/AAAAAAAAAFg/UJav2B0qeRQ/s640/Studio+TOday.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div></div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-20508071300633626812011-06-08T12:26:00.000-07:002015-03-26T18:13:11.984-07:00Zzyzx<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">A painting from 1997, this is of Lake Tuendae at Zzyzx Mineral Springs....found at the end of Zzyzx Road, the mysterious exit on Interstate 15, between Barstow and Las Vegas. </span></div>
<div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zzyzx,_California"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></a><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1931670782105139359&postID=2050807130063362681">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zzyzx,_California</a> </span></div>
<div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpjyO_1WXVJRKbdkZ031KTuF9jD4LKVcYqAswGrb4ZqCNZcgxW7RnRgKBvyq6Y0fr1ns8FXM8AncbZCEB2OLE9cWYTvVacK92Gqn6mh4NKUX_h7ceStzt8HYRB-0pG2Tljfj9Dx_JzyK_/s1600/Zzyzx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpjyO_1WXVJRKbdkZ031KTuF9jD4LKVcYqAswGrb4ZqCNZcgxW7RnRgKBvyq6Y0fr1ns8FXM8AncbZCEB2OLE9cWYTvVacK92Gqn6mh4NKUX_h7ceStzt8HYRB-0pG2Tljfj9Dx_JzyK_/s1600/Zzyzx.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4tn0Tc3HtgY/Te_MkZM8q-I/AAAAAAAAAFY/abi1bUuzM6Y/s1600/Zzyzx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>
<div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">"Zzyzx" 1997 Acrylic on Canvas, 24" x 48"</span></div>
</div>
WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-77426491862136496722011-06-07T15:24:00.000-07:002011-06-07T16:27:31.976-07:00Four from Winchester<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Winchester, California.... Nothing remarkable about the place, as I mentioned in a previous entry, just a small town on the outskirts of a small town. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_S_D6pgJBkg/Te6kO0IoW-I/AAAAAAAAAFM/4kfJjg19C5g/s1600/Sunset+in+Winchester.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="324" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_S_D6pgJBkg/Te6kO0IoW-I/AAAAAAAAAFM/4kfJjg19C5g/s640/Sunset+in+Winchester.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">"Sunset in Winchester" 1990 Acrylic on Canvas, 24" x 48"</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jxc4a9UyDz4/TG4MICVWQOI/AAAAAAAAAC8/KjvWOaUcSMk/s1600/Winchester+Railroad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="324" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jxc4a9UyDz4/TG4MICVWQOI/AAAAAAAAAC8/KjvWOaUcSMk/s640/Winchester+Railroad.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">"Winchester Railroad" 1991 Acrylic on Canvas, 24" x 48"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">This one is a repeat from a previous blog entry (last August), but since it's in Winchester, I thought I would group it with this current batch.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oLPaoKhKtbo/Te6yvANgPjI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/OHVVlaeEqJY/s1600/Winchester+to+Hemet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oLPaoKhKtbo/Te6yvANgPjI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/OHVVlaeEqJY/s640/Winchester+to+Hemet.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">"Winchester to Hemet" 1991 Acrylic on Canvas, 18" x 36"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H7ueLXBkhds/Te6zBkkmqbI/AAAAAAAAAFU/lX-7eY9-0qo/s1600/Winchester.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H7ueLXBkhds/Te6zBkkmqbI/AAAAAAAAAFU/lX-7eY9-0qo/s640/Winchester.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">"Winchester" 1994 Acrylic on Canvas, 24" x 36"</span></div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-76786315898558532712011-03-30T21:41:00.000-07:002011-03-31T18:42:56.279-07:00Update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wow, it's been forever and a day since making any entries here! My apologies....I had a dream job drop into my life, and it's taken front seat to everything, including painting, but with this job I think I may have bought myself some time to devote JUST to painting for a few months. We'll see. I was doing graphic design for a major restaurant's website, headquartered just a few miles away from my studio. It started in August, and the workload increased, and the website finally launched on the 21st of this month. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://elpolloloco.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">http://elpolloloco.com</span></a></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I still have a few small tasks here and there, and the job will slow down to a trickle, and I can get back to the paint and canvas. I'm going a little stir crazy for it, too! </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Cheers~</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Bill </span></div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-8975709795744358172010-11-29T23:19:00.000-08:002010-11-29T23:25:11.867-08:00Finished.<div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">Earlier today I finished the painting, with some reservations. I'm pleased that the persons I did this for enjoyed it, though. There are many things I am satisfied with as well as a few that I would have done a little differently, but sometimes you just have to commit and move forward, especially if there is a deadline looming ahead, self-imposed or otherwise. </span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="color: #666666;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TPSieKfl8OI/AAAAAAAAAFA/2TkolTB63BU/s1600/Drive+In+painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TPSieKfl8OI/AAAAAAAAAFA/2TkolTB63BU/s640/Drive+In+painting.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">This painting looks better in person. I need to find a better camera, or learn to become a better photographer, or both. Something a photograph can't seem to capture, though, is the translucency of the paint.</span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">This painting was built up from a charcoal sketch that I fixed into place with brushings of glear gesso. I then added layer after layer of transparent acrylic glazes, some of them iridescent. The orange glow on the horizon, when seen in person, just pops, and the layers of glaze are much richer. It takes awhile for some of the darks within darks to register, and there is definitely a looseness to the brush strokes that I want to explore even further. </span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">I decided against using an image from Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! as the movie image, but I am not 100% satisfied with what I did choose, fantastic movie moment that it is. I gave a lot of thought over what image to use, and given the wherewithal, would have probably spent another week just mulling that over. In retrospect, I would have preferred to use something much more unidentifiable and incidental, instead of an iconic scene like this (Grace Kelly and Jimmy Stewart).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The wonderful thing is, I can always do it again. </span></div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-88349269765628511712010-11-24T12:35:00.000-08:002010-11-24T12:40:09.279-08:00Back to the Drawing Board.<div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">I've started the painting over again. Something wasn't quite clicking with me to begin with, on it, and as work progressed, I encountered a technical snafu....</span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">I layered on a dark blue base over the pearlescent base, but after attempting a second coat the whole thing started wrinkling and crackling. Fine if you want a distressed look, but not for this. Instead of creating a bigger mess, I just got another canvas and started over, this time paying attention to things that were still nagging me after I started painting. THIS time.... I sketched out everything in charcoal, rethinking some areas..... The foreground street is higher and less pronounced, so now we're looking at the drive-in from across the street, as if we have stepped back about 20 feet. The distant elements are pretty much the same in size and relationships, but now there is a telephone pole and an old phone booth in the foreground. At the far right is the ticket office and the driveway leading up to it. My intention is to still have everything shrouded in darkness, the fence surrounding the drive-in full of missing panels and holes, and to still have lights on the distant horizon.</span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">AND, to have a movie mysteriously flickering on the old, weathered screen.</span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">Before the paint started delaminating, here is what I had, and I wasn't feeling it, even if it was at an early stage:</span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #666666; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TO12jmQ-mwI/AAAAAAAAAE4/k0h2pEbv_O0/s1600/Drive-In-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TO12jmQ-mwI/AAAAAAAAAE4/k0h2pEbv_O0/s640/Drive-In-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">Starting over, everything was laid out without any questioning or "winging it" this time. Now I feel like I am on the right track. Everything here is in charcoal, and set with a brushing over of glear gesso so it doesn't smear or get erased. The painting is going to be so dark that these marks will not be an issue.</span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #666666; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TO12oMMdFcI/AAAAAAAAAE8/HBe4mC_O2XA/s1600/Drive-In-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TO12oMMdFcI/AAAAAAAAAE8/HBe4mC_O2XA/s640/Drive-In-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-43630489196016494262010-11-21T14:54:00.000-08:002010-11-21T15:14:06.318-08:00Finally, painting again.<div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">The last 2 months have been non-stop computer/Photoshop work, and that's great. Because of the work and deadlines involved, naturally I've had to let this sit, but in the last week, I would step away from the computer a bit and almost therapeutically, get the ball rolling on this painting. What a great feeling! </span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">I joked elsewhere that my dreams started taking on a virtual reality within Photoshop, and that doesn't exactly leave you feeling rested when you wake up in the morning. Now that my deadline is behind me, I've been taking some time and rearranging my painting area, and getting this canvas prepped.</span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's going to be a drive-in theater as seen from the viewpoint of a passing car...or at least from the outside, looking in from the road. The horizon line strictly follows the Rule of Thirds, and I find myself doing that instinctively more than foreplanning. I intend to keep the brush strokes loose on this, but right now, that horizon line is razor sharp. Over time, that will probably change. </span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TOmi7wtlPaI/AAAAAAAAAE0/RB2ClXxzPEY/s1600/Drive-In-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TOmi7wtlPaI/AAAAAAAAAE0/RB2ClXxzPEY/s640/Drive-In-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">What we have here is 20" tall by 60" wide. I've sketched out the basics in charcoal, and most of that is wiped away as I am drawing details in with a brush and a clear dark glaze. The sky area has been covered in a pearlescent glaze, with further layers of color to be laid over that. Everything else is being built up in layers of dark monochromatic glaze, with color eventually being introduced through glazes, drybrushing and scumbling. </span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">The snack bar/projection house is too centered for my liking, but when I sketched out that little box and the projection screen, it took on a better composition, so I have every faith that will work itself out, you'll see.......the right side in the sketch also featured a distant mountain with gradual slopes, but I have a couple other ideas brewing for that side, at the moment. I'll be taking pics as I go along here, and posting progress. I expect that this will be done in a week.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">My goal is to have this all somewhat backlit by the night sky, distant lights of a town on the horizon, no foreground lights, no cars in the theater, yet an image being projected faintly onto the screen. Things may evolve and take on a life of their own, but that's the plan I hope to stick to. </span></div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-50411249407950505692010-11-06T11:48:00.000-07:002010-11-06T11:51:05.857-07:00Bought new canvases today!<div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have a massive deadline with my web graphics gig right now, but sometime in the next two weeks I have a painting to start and finish. I bought a 24" x 48" canvas, but if that aspect ratio seems too constraining, I will resort to the 20" x 60" canvas I bought. Image will be a drive-in movie theater at night, abandoned, yet operating.... An old movie being projected onto the screen, in that faint and barely discernible brightness you experience as you're driving by.</span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">As of right now, I believe I will use a screen cap from <b>"Faster, Pussycat! Kill! <i>Kill!</i>"</b> as the movie image. That could change, but for now, that's what I feel like doing. </span></div><div style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666;">Here's an abandoned drive-in painting I did back in '93....</div><div style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #666666; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TNWikC-3LII/AAAAAAAAAEw/dVvZFnY_d5Q/s1600/Tonto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TNWikC-3LII/AAAAAAAAAEw/dVvZFnY_d5Q/s640/Tonto.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666;">"The Tonto Drive-In Theater" Acrylic on Canvas, 28" x 72"</div><div style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666;">The Tonto was on the western outskirts of Winslow, Arizona, on what remains of Route 66, now a frontage road for I-40.</div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-53741979411271661052010-10-26T21:46:00.000-07:002010-10-26T21:53:21.473-07:00Another oldie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of the most haunting places in the world (for me), I've loved Amboy, California, from the first moment I saw it. I've never been able to shake it since.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Located between Needles and Barstow on Route 66, it's a prominent piece of American History, and nearly disappeared over the last decade due to neglect and unfortunate custodianship, but thanks to a new owner and a commitment to restoring it as lovingly as possible, Amboy has enjoyed a resurgence. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #666666; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TMetmY0Uy4I/AAAAAAAAAEs/0IIvF38PqkQ/s1600/Roys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TMetmY0Uy4I/AAAAAAAAAEs/0IIvF38PqkQ/s640/Roys.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"> This is a scan from a 35mm slide of a 24" x 48" painting I did in the late 90's....from a visit there in '95. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.rt66roys.com/">http://www.rt66roys.com/</a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><br />
</div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666;">When I have a few moments, I will post some more about this fascinating place, but be sure to visit the link to know more about Amboy and Roy's.</span> </span>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-32260360221070372842010-10-25T16:17:00.000-07:002010-10-25T16:17:12.430-07:00One and a half months later!I haven't disappeared or lost my resolve to get back to being a painter....but employment these days is pretty much feast or famine, and right now, I'm feastin'. I'll be back, soon, though...I have several projects lined up and they aren't going away!<br />
<br />
Back soon.... BillWmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-86470740063447768182010-08-31T10:49:00.000-07:002010-08-31T11:28:54.405-07:00One third of our lives is spent sleeping...<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">...and the world we occupy when we dream is an intensely personal one. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For the purposes of art, I am sure I delve into them much less than other artists, but the ones I remember have a gravity and reality to them that I never want to forget. Applying them to the waking world, though, is tricky. Applying them to art is something that, if I do it, is not intentional.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know that as people we want to associate things, place things into a proper context, create patterns, designate significance and importance. This is obviously a very personal matter, and some do it more than others. Even just TALKING about a dream runs the risk of sounding like a complete wacko.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For me, trying to find meaning with every single dream would be an act of madness. I will, though, try to share what dreams seem to have the most power for me, personally, and as an artist, and end this with a particular set of recurring dreams that I do take comfort in. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Most dreams that leave an impression on me are skewed takes on the real world. The locations these dreams take place in are connected somehow to the real world. That is to say, they occupy a specific place on the map. They may only vaguely resemble their real world counterpart, sometimes not at all. My reasons for being there are usually unknown, nor do they really seem important</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is something strange: These places reappear in other dreams, their strangeness and disassociation to reality intact from previous dreams.......Towns, streets within those towns, roads connecting to other towns, roads going off into the wilderness. Areas outside of town, rural areas. Areas beyond a familiar comfort zone, hinting at destinations. Lots of highways. Lots of curves in the road. Paths, passageways, even rivers or dry riverbeds.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Maybe it's that part of the mind that wants to organize things, but I can piece together the world in my dreams sometimes, like a jigsaw puzzle. Dreams from long ago fit together with a recent dream, because they take place on a highway or a junction or a group of buildings that relate to each other vividly. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rules of logic, of course, ultimately do not apply...or there IS that thing called dream logic, which has its own set of very ephemeral rules.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Streets can become pathways which can become hallways. I enter houses or rooms and reemerge from them on the other side, and everything taking place has a physicality to it that at times seems utterly real.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">People are met, mostly strangers or sometimes someone that is an amalgamate of several people, sometimes someone who in the dream clearly represents somebody (and is forgotten upon waking). </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A city on the coast many miles away is easily traveled to or from in a blink of an eye, through towns that visually do not exist, but again....materially occupy that space.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Quite often, there is a definite destination, an event, gathering, or happening, that I am going to, and that particular event never happens. Ever. The dream is all about the traveling there.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One thing, though, whether real, fictional, or a combination of the two, these places all hold a magic and power to them that makes me remember them. I may not understand them, I may not HAVE to.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Someone who bought some paintings from me once proceeded to analyze them, (a psychotherapist) saying she saw someone "searching " for something, that there was a deep sense of longing in the paintings. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Perhaps. If I were to attach these dreams to anything I paint, there does seem to be a sense of searching. For what, I don't know. But one thing I love is the mystery of it all, and that is very definitely something I love, and I think that I do try to depict in the landscapes I paint. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The paintings that take place in small towns at nighttime, on backstreets or focusing on houses or particular buildings, oftentimes abandoned.... these are the ones that seem to get under my skin the most. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Perhaps it comes from growing up in a small town, (sometimes on the rural outskirts of it) and then having a sudden upheaval and loss of family members (1970), to setting out on the road and traveling without destination, all within one year. I can't ignore that certain things that have happened have hardwired the way I interpret the world, visually and on some deeper level. That's between me and nobody else, but it's been an interesting thing, making a connection with people over the places in these paintings, and finding that they very much represent something to them as well. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'll end this as I mentioned, about one small set of recurring dreams that has taken place over the last couple years, which seem pretty obvious.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The setting is Laguna Beach, or the dream version of it. Streets, backstreets, the canyon road, Pacific Coast Highway, the highway leading out of town up the coast, houses on the cliffs or on the water.....everything is the same, yet different. All the disconnected dreams carry the same set of experiences from the other dreams...or maybe that's my memory trying to organize and categorize it all. Whatever the actuality, many dreams in the past ten years, since suddenly leaving the gallery/studio behind. There was a lot of unfinished business. For lack of a better word, I just gave up. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">These recurring dreams focus on my old gallery.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A decade later, it's still there. All locked up, still full of stuff, left right where it was when I deserted it. (In reality I moved it all out, but the symbolism is so obvious here)</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I unlock the place, and enter. It's been closed up for a decade, musty, dark, things covered in sheets, art supplies exactly where I "left them". Nobody notices, traffic drives by outside, nobody comes in, I'm doing this undisturbed and with complete freedom. I start picking things up, uncovering things, dusting things, stacking canvases. There is a canvas on the easel, and little paint and water containers that need cleaning. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">End of dream. Repeat until he gets it.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">All I can say is that the feeling of "coming back" was there in those dreams like I've not felt in any other. All that searching, wandering, traveling, then this one simple act of returning and confronting. So, the act of actually putting an easel on the canvas and picking up a brush since then has felt more like an absolution than pretty much anything else. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, if I am to place significance on a dream, this would be a good one. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TH0_-OZSgKI/AAAAAAAAAEk/NdZz0KQZgPw/s1600/going+home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="346" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TH0_-OZSgKI/AAAAAAAAAEk/NdZz0KQZgPw/s640/going+home.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Going Home" 24" x 48" , Acrylic on Canvas. Asked to do a painting for my friends Tom and Alastair, this is what I gravitated to. This is from a few years ago, when I was still struggling with if I could ever find true inspiration to paint again.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">During that time "out there" it's nice to know that others believed for me, until I could believe again. </span></div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-9676855248182853942010-08-27T21:24:00.000-07:002010-08-27T23:33:49.991-07:00Three from TucumcariIn autumn of 1992 I took a week-long I-40/Route 66 trip from the California Desert to the Texas Panhandle and back.<br />
<br />
That was an important trip as far as gathering material for paintings, one I haven't had the luxury of doing since. Lots of pictures and notes taken, videotape was recorded of just local ambience, and no distractions from anyone. There's a lot of meditation and quiet time during a trip like this. It absolutely required being done alone, which at times was just too lonely, but I would be boring anyone I'm with, and they'd be restless. I started on a Saturday, and returned the following Friday morning, cutting my return trip short by a few days.<br />
<br />
I would have loved to spend more time out there, but the trip was still a success and kept me in a creative buzz for several years to come. Many paintings came from this trip, and it's a shame that I've not been able to devote this sort of time on any road trip since. A weekend or day trip here or there, always a compromise if others are involved, and always less "fun" when you're on your own. Equally rewarding in its own way, though, but it really requires being comfortable alone for extended times. Then again, this trip was done before we all had cell phones or laptops.<br />
<br />
Monday night in Tucumcari resulted in three paintings, and provided an inspiration for a fourth. <br />
<br />
Tucumcari features a historic Route 66 landmark, the Blue Swallow Motel, where I checked in for the night... everything about it was perfect, especially its imperfections.<br />
<br />
I had the choice of a ten dollar or thirteen dollar room, so I splurged.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/THiPMuHDa6I/AAAAAAAAAEc/2rqGO7OFVv8/s1600/BLSwllw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/THiPMuHDa6I/AAAAAAAAAEc/2rqGO7OFVv8/s640/BLSwllw.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
"The Blue Swallow", 1992, 24" x 48", Acrylic on Canvas. This is from a 4 x 5 scan, a huge improvement over previous jpegs of this painting.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://blueswallowmotel.com/">http://blueswallowmotel.com/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://rwarn17588.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/blue-swallow-motel-put-up-for-sale/">http://rwarn17588.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/blue-swallow-motel-put-up-for-sale/</a><br />
<br />
The other scenes are my attempts at capturing nighttime small town scenes. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/THiJC-b4otI/AAAAAAAAAEM/u5J3t3um58w/s1600/Odeon-of-Tucumcari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/THiJC-b4otI/AAAAAAAAAEM/u5J3t3um58w/s640/Odeon-of-Tucumcari.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
"Odeon of Tucumcari", 1993, 18" x 36" Acrylic on Canvas. From a 35mm slide scan, so the detail isn't as crisp, but seen for the first time since I sold it.<br />
<br />
Those movies weren't really playing there at the time, that's a huge leap there. Doc Hollywood was playing there that night, but having that in the painting..... not so sure about that. Had I the choice to do it over again, I would most likely choose a 70's exploitation movie title, the crappier the better. As far as a selling point, though, I would imagine these movies would find a wider spectrum of buyers. I just think that "Frogs" or "Race with the Devil" or even a Russ Meyer flick or Dolemite movie name on the marquee would have knocked it out of the park.<br />
<br />
I'm digging the deep colors and shadows in the sidelines, and the looser feel in these areas.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/THiNIdT98bI/AAAAAAAAAEU/0AhlMfi3c4k/s1600/Nighttime-in-Tucumcari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/THiNIdT98bI/AAAAAAAAAEU/0AhlMfi3c4k/s640/Nighttime-in-Tucumcari.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
"Nighttime in Tucumcari", 1993, 30" x 48", Acrylic on Canvas. From 35mm slide scan. <br />
<br />
I loved discovering these kinds of settings, but next time I will put in less glare in the foreground, and a little more business by the distant little pools of light. I'm not entirely happy with the way I used black paint in this one. I've done it in others and it came out alright, but here it's a little flat.<br />
<br />
Wow, looking at these make me want to get right back into it, right now. I guess that's a good thing.WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-65702776372238028062010-08-27T14:33:00.000-07:002011-12-16T15:50:21.409-08:00Another Never-revealed painting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">House on Hwy 1</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1993, 24" x 36", Acrylic on Canvas</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This wasn't even up on my wall in the gallery for a week before it sold. I must have done something right.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/THgu2FI0suI/AAAAAAAAAEE/O4359ZswB3k/s1600/House-on-Hwy-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/THgu2FI0suI/AAAAAAAAAEE/O4359ZswB3k/s640/House-on-Hwy-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Again, the scan is from a 35mm slide, better quality than most of the slides. Still a far cry from the quality of a 4 x 5....or even a good, hi-res digital pic, it seems.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Regarding subject matter, all I remember is that this house was on Hwy 1 in Northern California, at the northern end of a town named Elk.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;">This place just had that quiet, secretive, almost Gothic feel that I love so much about the Northern California (and all points north) coast. </span></div></div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-54282523135401839662010-08-27T12:21:00.000-07:002010-08-27T23:50:29.908-07:00More scans, so-so results<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have another batch of scans to go over, there's a good deal of images never posted before. I'm undecided on the quality of some of the images, not because of the scans (thank you again Stu), but because of the source....35 mm slides, MUCH smaller than 4 x 5's, and the skills of the photographer (me). </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anywho, </span>here is one that I was somewhat fond of, a scene on a muggy summer day in Manhattan. Somewhere near Time Square, or around 42nd Street. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #666666; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/THgPvzifyjI/AAAAAAAAAD8/Olc97Onkdg4/s1600/Fortune-Teller-Study.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="475" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/THgPvzifyjI/AAAAAAAAAD8/Olc97Onkdg4/s640/Fortune-Teller-Study.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The original size of "The Fortune Teller - Study" is a mere 9" x 12", acrylic on canvas. The slide from this scan has a motion blur to it, yet it's the best I have of it...for now. It was one of the first paintings to be produced in my studio/gallery when I first opened it in 1993, and went pretty fast afterward. An attorney I know has it. He said he liked the "Three Questions Free" sign and joked how he should keep the painting on his desk.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I always meant for it to be just a "study" of a larger, more detailed painting, so maybe I'll make good on that threat. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I love the idea of presenting strange little tableaus of everyday life taking place on storefronts in grungy urban areas, in coffee shops, or whatever cataches my eye, but rarely followed up on it.<br />
It's an area where I need to hone my skills; from the act of seeking out such scenes, gathering the visual information (ie sketches, photos, video) discreetly and unobtrusively, to finishing it in the studio. The idea of setting up an easel in most of these kinds of places can be problematical for any number of reasons, from time-of-day, to impeding traffic, to making the intentionally candid subject nervous, to overall safety. Regardless, I need to be more adventuresome and brash, too. I also need to work on my human beings. I could pontificate volumes on that, but not now. </div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-45680943715624506062010-08-20T13:44:00.000-07:002010-08-20T13:52:00.406-07:00A Commissioned Painting from Autumn/Winter 1996<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Again, this is a painting that has not been shown to anyone by myself since the day I delivered it to the client, in December 1996. Partly because it IS a commission, and isn't really in the canon of my usual subject matter, it may be of little interest to the general public</span><span style="font-size: small;"> but there are enough noteworthy points of interest on this project.</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<br />
<div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here's the full painting, be sure to click on it to get a better look:</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TG7oSp8M44I/AAAAAAAAADk/eh3Qw8BX9nU/s1600/BB+Dakota.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="462" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TG7oSp8M44I/AAAAAAAAADk/eh3Qw8BX9nU/s640/BB+Dakota.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And this is a close-up of the detail in the doorway (again, click for a closer look).</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TG7onl2obVI/AAAAAAAAADs/QPr7Sicgp2Y/s1600/BB+Dakota+Detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TG7onl2obVI/AAAAAAAAADs/QPr7Sicgp2Y/s640/BB+Dakota+Detail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A little backstory/setup, first:</span></div></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Client:</b> Gloria B., the owner of BB Dakota, a women's fashion company, based at the time in Laguna Beach, around the corner from my studio/gallery. I was introduced to Gloria through a close friend working there at the time. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Commission:</b> A large scale painting of the front of the BB Dakota Building. We decided that an evening shot would be a much more dynamic presentation (they usually always are!) of the subject matter. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Technical specs: </b> </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Five feet tall by Seven feet wide. If memory serves me well, this is the largest painting I've done on a stretched canvas (I've done murals almost 3 times this size) </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Acrylic on gessoed linen canvas. I clearly recall buying the canvas from Sterling Art, a major art supply store in Orange County that recently went out of business. I clearly recall choosing the more expensive linen with a gessoed primer coating, and I VERY clearly recall the person that was helping me, folding the canvas instead of rolling it, causing some of the gesso to chip away in a few of the folds, requiring me to repair it once it was stretched. (Grrr...) I built the stretcher frame from redwood 2x2's. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Factoids and Observations:</b> The orange cast in the painting is meant to simulate the look of the orange-ish street lights at night-time....which, by the way, is a look that I generally do NOT like. Having been raised in a world where street lights were bluish in cast, the modern orange lights just don't resonate well with me, or the world I try to depict in paintings, but there are times that I do use them. Generally speaking, though, I try to correct that.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The building dated to early 1900's, with an obvious Spanish style to it. I was told that at one point it was a post office, then a Jewish Community Center, before Gloria bought it for BB Dakota....the interior was all open loft style. The green cast from inside the building in the window on the right is from a huge curving room divider wall, designed by a New York architect, if I recall. The wall was framed in 2x4's and sheathed in plexiglass, painted green on one side and decorated with sewing symbols on it. Its place in the building, just inside the front entrance, created a reception area/lobby that was very awe-inspiring. The door was an antique, bought in Mexico and imported. The sign utilized an ox's yoke, and Ocotillo and horsetail plants in front added to the stark, individual look of the place. I loved visiting there! Gloria has a few paintings of mine, and was always a joy to work with.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Working on a 5-foot by 7-foot painting has its challenges. In the tiny studio space I had at the time, needless to say it was a challenge, just being able to move around. Seeing this scan, and pretty much my work on the painting for the first time in nearly 14 years, I cannot help but notice the "painterly" look of the brush strokes. VERY pleased with that, if I must say. Also, the layers of detail, built up in glazes and dry-brushing, finally topped off with a glaze of Quinacridone Gold, a color that is decadently rich and transparent. I love using it whenever I get the chance. Also, the size of the painting pretty much begged for loose paint strokes, even within the confines of what is basically an architectural rendering. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now that I have the proper kind of place to make a large painting, I look forward to doing just that. I also want to work on linen again. It has a very burlap-ish appearance to it, not your usual canvas weave. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I just bought a stretched linen canvas that was primed with CLEAR gesso, allowing for that rough look to be directly painted over. That should be a fun experiment!</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-57214870801689419602010-08-19T22:06:00.000-07:002010-08-19T22:35:36.305-07:00Finally, some visible progress!<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sorry for the silence....I've had some very fortunate jobs keeping me busy, and as of today I started my scanning project, thanks to a buddy of mine..... We were able to scan about 40 images from my initial session of 4 x 5 transparencies, but it was an all day project, and we're only half done. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">These scans are made at an ultra-high resolution with the most accurate color and detail yet. They pretty much blow away what I have online now, and I expect as time goes on here, I'll be replacing a lot of the earlier scans out with new ones. The difference is night and day, and perhaps I should post a demonstration of that. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the meantime, here is my first processed image from the scans, a painting from 1991 called Winchester Railroad, 24" x 48", acrylic on canvas. It's never been posted anywhere before, until today.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TG4MICVWQOI/AAAAAAAAAC8/OwV10exrsCw/s1600/Winchester+Railroad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="323" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TG4MICVWQOI/AAAAAAAAAC8/OwV10exrsCw/s640/Winchester+Railroad.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Essentially, the scans are SO accurate, you can zoom right down into the canvas weave in Photoshop. What you are seeing here is a </span><span style="font-size: small;">mere fraction of the scan resolution, and the detail and overall feeling are somewhat diminished. Click on the image to get a larger jpeg.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'll do the math on the ratio of scanned image to final web jpg </span><span style="font-size: small;">and post it later....</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Of course, what I can also see is every little thing that I would never do again, compromises, mistakes....... But pulling back out, I am generally satisfied with the result....except for the power lines.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Many, MANY more scans to be processed and posted in the coming days, possibly weeks.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have currently a very detailed image of a futuristic city I am doing digitally, a project I will post at much more length here shortly.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Somewhere amongst all this I need to get some paint on something. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cheers!</span></div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-47468735314375090782010-07-25T12:27:00.000-07:002010-08-20T14:51:00.733-07:00Just checking in here....<div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Things have been a little slammed lately, and unfortunately, painting has taken the back seat to all these other things....permits with the city, some side work, dealing with business issues..... My next project that I am trying to complete here are digital projects. One of them has been in various shades of unfinished for a few years and I need to get it finished.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some other great things are in the works, but I don't want to announce anything before it's happened, but one thing I think I can mention is that I am getting new, crisp scans of a good number of the images of paintings I've posted online. Some have never been seen, and the ones that are online are somewhat compromised in their quality, one way or another. So that's coming up soon, and I can't wait. It won't be everything that I have, but it will be a good cross section. One very fortunate thing about this is that it will bring me closer to being able to have quality reproductions made of everything. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I hope. We'll see. Stay tuned.</span></div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-76316147851247319672010-07-08T22:11:00.000-07:002010-08-21T21:33:29.546-07:00I think I am nearly done.<div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Happy Summer, everyone....it's been really busy here, and I have not found much time to paint, but tonight I think that I may be pretty much finished. Once I am certain, I'll sign it, and give it a clear gloss acrylic coating followed by a matte Soluvar varnish. The clear acrylic coating protects and seals the painting, and if I recall correctly (don't worry, I'll catch up on this before I do it), it serves as a base for the solvent-based varnish. Thus, years later (or sooner, if the need arises), once it has done its job and accumulated layers of grime, impurities, and detritus, this solvent based varnish can be removed from the painting, stripping it to the gloss acrylic layer and not disturbing the acrylic layers beneath. A new solvent-based varnish can then be applied</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm still a little unsure of perspective line of weeds on the left side of the road, something looks forced there. A couple other small details may need attention, as well.....I just needed to check in here with my progress, as other things are happening that have required my attention.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TDatuQL156I/AAAAAAAAABw/YS-0MiVCHK4/s1600/d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TDatuQL156I/AAAAAAAAABw/YS-0MiVCHK4/s640/d.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: small;">Another interesting thing about posting the image here, it allows me to examine it with a slightly different set of eyes... sometimes standing before a painting can skew your perceptions of it... or, you just get into a rut. In the past, I would set the painting aside, start another, and return to this one. Sometimes viewing the work in progress through a mirror also helps to reveal things about an image that requires fixing, correcting, or rethinking.</span></div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-85017277873279699442010-06-30T18:30:00.000-07:002010-08-21T21:31:07.676-07:00An older painting of mine.<div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pre-Dawn Hours in an Angry Small Town.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1995, Acrylic on Canvas, 24 x 48 </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Going through a lockbox today I found this decent quality print of an old painting that I had pretty much forgotten about. I do remember that the subject matter and the particular view had me spellbound, and determined to do this scene, but something wasn't clicking and I set it aside for what was probably a couple years as I worked on other paintings. It happens. This "angry small town", whether it really is that, is Perris, California, in Riverside County. The scene, to me, captured in sketches and photos taken over different periods of time and hours of the day, encompasses that feeling you get when you pass though any number of small towns that have seen better days with the hopes of recapturing them. In the case of this town, this street was doing fine, the last I saw. Many aren't as fortunate.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TCvvSjlvSWI/AAAAAAAAABo/ToGm3NdtdYg/s1600/Angry+Small+Town+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="321" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TCvvSjlvSWI/AAAAAAAAABo/ToGm3NdtdYg/s640/Angry+Small+Town+2.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I was doubly pleased in looking at the photographic print of the painting, it was taken by a professional photographer, with rich darks in it. I used to try to photograph something like this and it would end up a mess. That was with film, with the wrong lighting and set-up. Digital photography has proven to be a godsend. I can't even begin to count the thousands of dollars I spent in film and prints when I had the gallery. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">This painting also is a good example of the </span><span class="UIStory_Message" style="font-size: small;"><span class="text_exposed_show">somewhat looser brush strokes and heavy emphasis on mood and mystery I want to dive back into. "Straight lines" should ever only be suggested in a painting. Details are best when they are simplified and the paint strokes don't have to be perfect and clean. It's a thing that draws a viewer into the world you are depicting.</span></span><br />
<span class="UIStory_Message" style="font-size: small;"><span class="text_exposed_show"> </span></span><br />
<span class="UIStory_Message" style="font-size: small;"><span class="text_exposed_show">There are, though, a few things I would have done differently. But overall, when I saw it for the first time in years today, it was a good feeling. </span></span></div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-30822319713727455022010-06-29T08:17:00.000-07:002010-08-21T21:24:42.609-07:00Trudging forward<div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have just a little bit to go. Powerlines, lines in the road, and a nip n tuck here and there.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This stretch of Farrington Highway is a few hundred feet from the shore on the left, the fields seem to be for sugar cane, there are also stands of banana trees, as well as pine trees everywhere. To the right and back about a mile is a small airstrip and a little further back on the shore is a segment of shoreline used for the plane crash scene and beach encampment for the series LOST. What I loved about this area is that it truly had a remote feeling, like you were at the edge of the world. Not a bad place to be. In fact, the northwesternmost tip of Oahu, closed off to traffic due to road conditions, is Kaena Point.... in some Hawaiian mythology it is said to be the jumping-off point from this world to the next. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaena_Point">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaena_Point</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Hawaii has lots of haunting folklore. </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TCoNivBzmfI/AAAAAAAAABg/eG1jpYW0QP0/s1600/DSCN3722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TCoNivBzmfI/AAAAAAAAABg/eG1jpYW0QP0/s640/DSCN3722.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-11331891761565519032010-06-28T08:32:00.000-07:002010-08-21T20:27:24.343-07:00Delays and sidetracks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This last weekend was somewhat spent painting, but most of it was sorting out paperwork for licenses and permits. Ugh.... </span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TCi_o-SK51I/AAAAAAAAABI/G4f4hSDbByI/s1600/painting+progress.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TCi_o-SK51I/AAAAAAAAABI/G4f4hSDbByI/s640/painting+progress.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TCi_wrimQ4I/AAAAAAAAABQ/2lEqNtfIISk/s1600/a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TCi_wrimQ4I/AAAAAAAAABQ/2lEqNtfIISk/s640/a.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A little more work and this one is done. This is what the painting looked like before the weekend, I did some more work on the road, and still need to add powerlines.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The place in the painting is Farrington Highway on the North Shore of Oahu.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">More later....</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The studio is shaping up as well, in my ongoing attempt to minimalize clutter and... well, clutter.</span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TCjBCn6Ra7I/AAAAAAAAABY/m2n2SNRtovw/s1600/DSCN3700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TCjBCn6Ra7I/AAAAAAAAABY/m2n2SNRtovw/s640/DSCN3700.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1931670782105139359.post-86303724444412394992007-09-24T16:59:00.000-07:002010-08-21T20:25:59.137-07:00My first entry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TCTmduxq-EI/AAAAAAAAAAc/kXS0iZOa_8o/s1600/slacker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I stopped painting over ten years ago.<br />
<br />
I lost the desire to create and it was pretty much my life. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm taking it back now.<br />
<br />
So.... here I am, laying it all out so I can chart my progress, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">review it, and share it. <br />
<br />
Join me, if you will. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Let's see what happens and where this goes.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TCTmduxq-EI/AAAAAAAAAAc/kXS0iZOa_8o/s1600/slacker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sAAtyBZbS2E/TCTmduxq-EI/AAAAAAAAAAc/kXS0iZOa_8o/s640/slacker.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>WmToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11111971541856278230noreply@blogger.com5