Crazy Painting

I believe I mentioned this somewhat earlier. Somehow a painting sometimes just gets away on it's own so I decide to experiment with colors which gives me hopefully some insight into how color interacts to create it's own values, lines and contrasts. I don't really try to make a good painting but the impact is what it is.

Ice Bear Again

I know, I've shown this before but since my brother Mike didn't think the bear was "fluffy enough" I did a little work on that aspect of his fur. Mike is a good critic and I have a tendancy to use too much line to delineate the anatomy of an animal. So, here you are Bro.

My Winter Duties

Haven't been on the blog for a few days (not sure anyway if anyone is reading it) because it's snowed about 2 1/2 feet the last three days so I paint in the morning until it gets light and then my snow routine starts. I clear snow off the tarp of the 1963 Starcraft cuddy cabin cruiser I have parked below and then hit the snow blower while Peg gets to her shovel duties. Wednesday night was particularly tough. It just kept snowing and by Thursday morning we had another 15 inches in the driveway. Sooner or later we were going to run out of the essential supplies, milk, beer and wine coolers, so it was time to break out. Believe me, this is excercise. Meanwhile I'm intermittantly working on what I call a "crazy painting" using lots of color and texture. Usually these don't turn out very well but this one has a certain panache. I'll show it to you soon.

Snowing-Framing-Knife Making

Now that's an eclectic title! It's snowing outside so the ski resort should be happy. I'm downstairs framing some paintings for the exhibition up in McCall in February that apparently is a lodge that is also giving a wine and cheese party with the art. I guess that's the way they do these things and it's certainly better than parking my van on the side of the highway and putting up a cardboard sign that I have art to sell. Besides it's kind of cold this time of the year. Now to a knife making tip. At one point I knew I should try to solder my guards to the blade because that's the way you are supposed to do it. No problem except I wasn't a very good solderer. So I discovered that Devcon 2 Ton Epoxy worked just fine. I've never had a guard come loose and if you get a little sloppy you can clean off the excess with mineral spirits before it hardens. Now I've also discovered JB Weld and it also makes a great substitute for solder. If it can repair a cracked engine block it can hold a guard in place. Last but not least I'm showing you a picture of a really nice bowie with elk handle I made a couple years ago in prison (that's what we call the townhouse we used to live in down in Boise). Sometimes it felt like that.

Ice Bear

Now we get to what I've been doing this week and I'm quite pleased. This painting is 18x24 and only the second one I've done of a polar bear. I guess they've become a symbol of the global warming thing but I painted it because I wanted to try some new techniques and especially show the contrast of the bear with the stark and desolate background. Most think of polar bears as white but I didn't use any in this painting. Read somewhere that they aren't really white but their color picks up their surroundings...something about the hollow hair reflecting the environment or light. It could have been more blue but what fun is that? I borrowed the title from a Bob Kuhn painting and consider this a tribute to Mr. Kuhn who passed away on October 1st at age 87, painting to the end. So Bob, this is the best I could do and you are a significant inspiration for my painting. Sometimes I get better and that's encouraging as a late starter in wildlife painting.

Knife Sheath as Art

Been busy the last couple of days so I thought I'd put two blogs up this morning. Making the sheath for a knife is as much art as anything because it should fit the character of the knife. This one is certainly the most complicated I've made for one of the elk handled bowies. Don't know where I got the idea but the double snaps are cool.

Clyde Aspevig-Crane Lake

I think every painter has heroes and their work and eventual style is influenced by those individuals so I decided to reveal one of mine. This is simply a copy of a striking landscape by Clyde Aspevig, a Montana landscape painter who is simply grand. Somehow he captures values and contrast that provides drama in his paintings. I did ok but was more hesitant in my values. It shows but I think we need to at least strive to come as close as we can to those greater artists we admire. Otherwise we just aren't trying hard enough. Also, I thought I should put something other than a wildlife painting on here for you to see. You'll never see this landscape for sale as it would be unethical to pass the idea of someone else off as my own.

Final Fish Painting

I'm not really satisfied with this, probably because it was too difficult to change from an underwater to above water scene. It was difficult to say the least because everything has to change, the fish, color, values, etc. I have learned to at least stay with a good idea even though it's lost it's freshness because I usually learn something. Not sure if that's the case here.

My Wife Got A Hobby

Now you are going to have to double click the ads so check her Alaskan blog. I know...there are tons of them out there but nobody keeps notes like this woman. She's even got mileage figures. I'm just the driver and the fire starter so I really appreciate a good navigator. Meanwhile, I'm still working on that fish painting. I thought it was lost because I was stupid and had two different mind sets going. I had switched the landscape to an above ground scene but somehow kept painting the fish underwater. Figure that one out. When I realized what I was doing I wondered if it was too late. Never say die so this morning I went at it again and hope to post the results tommorow.

Fish Painting

This is some of my work on what really is my first fish painting. What's interesting is that I began trying to make it an underwater scene until Peg came down to The Cave and said "I really like the way you have those fish jumping out of the water". Well, one thing you learn is that the first reaction of a viewer is usually right and no matter how hard you try to convince them it is different you might as well consider their view. So jumping out of the water it is. I'll show you the finished product soon.

Interior Scene

While I was at it I thought you might like to see what I mentioned. I hope this is a fairly good picture. Basically you just paint a reasonable distant landscape scene on your painting support (board, canvas, etc.) and then frame it in with tape (not duct tape). I used to use masking tape but it doesn't give the sharp edges that blue painting tape gives. That's the tape you buy in the paint section at Home Depot or wherever. Interior scenes are very different because you have to imagine the light coming in and the feeling looking out. I highlighted the woodwork a couple times and then glazed it a few times with burnt umber until it looked like it does.

I promised myself I wasn't going to give boomer advice on this blog but some of it is too valuable to resist. Hey guys...if you think women are still attracted to you and you want to save some money on cologne just use Degree deoderant...it's smells better than something expensive and lasts for awhile if you get lucky. Also, don't think your heels are as soft as a baby. My wife Peg says mine wear holes in the sheets at the bottom of the bed so once in awhile just put some lotion on them after a shower. You don't have to tell anyone and it might make your socks last longer too.

The Gallery

This is one of the paintings the gallery was unable to sell. I'm thinking wildlife is not one of their big sellers, however they did want to display the two duck paintings I've shown you. Since I was on that roll I decided to do a small interior scene I've thought about for some time. When I get a picture of that I'll put it on here. It's interesting but the gallery said anything with a fish is appealing to people so guess what? Starting one yesterday I found that creating an underwater scene is difficult. It may not turn out very well but I'd rather court failure than just paint safely. What's the fun in that?

Mallard Duck

My second duck for the gallery, another 9x12. I kind of like this one too and wanted to face it the other way in case they wanted to show them together. Obviously ducks with color are more interesting than those that are sort of bland looking although I think the more drab type of duck would be ok in a larger landscape. I think these are turning out pretty well for a guy who hasn't painted a duck in 20 years. I remember my first attempt was kind of pitiful. Anyway, we're waiting for our first big snow storm which is supposed to come today so we'll see how hard it is to get to the gallery. Before I forget, we received an e-mail from a promoter for the Winter Carnival and they would like me to exhibit at a lodge in McCall during the festival. So far I said yes. It's one of those wine and art events so maybe the guests will be in the mood to buy art.