january 30 in 30 challenge

leslie saeta's  has once again started a 30 paintings in thirty days challenge...for the month of January...I have a one-woman show coming up in march at the Southern Indiana Center for the Arts and this will be a great way to  force me to do some new work..probably a lot of small things..i may do a theme..any suggestions?..i know I could work on my "grand" project but those will not be offered for sale so I need other things..maybe some 6x6 palette knife ditties..

"The Kids"

18x24 oil on canvas

 

so today we head up to the galleries in indy...this will be going to carmel..the midland gallery on gradle in carmel is having their annual open house from 6 to 8:30 tonight and i want to have my wall full of new pieces.  it's always a very nice affair if you happen to be out and about..the party for the midland downtown on Michigan is Thursday from 6-8:30..

here's what i've been working on...and happy thanksgiving...

18x24 oil on stretched canvas

so this is one thing i've been working on...since it's so large it's taken me several days...I'm really liking how it's turning out...I've shown the way i started at the top..toned the canvas with orange since there were going to be a lot of blues..(complimentary)..and I always like a little of the canvas showing through..I've also placed  my darkest darks and my lightest lights as a road map to go by...in the next photo I'm starting to cover the canvas..it's important to get the canvas covered and work all over the canvas at once..not falling in love with any one spot or part of the whole...when a happy accident happens..i run with it..this will be going to my midland gallery in carmel next Tuesday.  I was able to work today since we're not having our family gathering until Saturday..tomorrow i'll get more organized for that but I wanted to say happy thanksgiving to everyone today!...we sure have a lot to be thankful for!





Can't post an image....

Ok..so I'm without a computer...I truly have been painting...and we had such a nice trip to New York to watch the Hoosiers...but I have to wait til I get my computer back to post anything ....

"On Point"

this is another blast from the past.."On Point" is available as a giclee on canvas (http://sgregoryart.com/works/816448/on-point)  giclees on paper also available.  we head to new York today...I'm simplifying my life and leaving my computer at home!  I may do some face-booking if I get a hankering...but no blogging for a while...go big red!!!

before and after

my friend and golf pro keith clark suggested I show the photo I worked from when I painted his daughter...it's always difficult to do a painting of a subject you've never met...my intention was to play down the piano and the reflection and to concentrate more on her.

"Zippo"

6x6 oil on panel

so we are heading to new York to watch the hoosiers in a few days...no time to paint so i'm going to post a few blasts from the past..this was done a few years back as part of a zippo lighter challenge...

'Big City, Bright Lights"...30x20 original oil

so here is the photo I worked from..daddy took lots of different shots of this particular street..can anyone help with the location? there's a hardings sign, a walgreens sign, possibly a forum cafeteria..taken probablyh in the fifties..i took artistic license by leaving out some things and really played with the color since the reference was in black and white...so much fun!!

"Big City, Bright Lights"

Original oil on 30x20 board

so here's the second in my series using daddy's photographs.  I don't know whether this is chicago or new York but it was probably taken in the 50s...lots of fun to play with color since these are all in black and white...

"The Fleet Is In"

30x30 original acrylic on gallery wrap canvas

so this is my completed painting..it may be going to the Venue tomorrow..i may take it up north to my Carmel gallery..don't know yet...meanwhile..i'm planning to do a series based on my father's photographs...so many of them have been lost but I treasure the ones I still have!!

on my easel

this is going to be fun..i'm doing an interpretation of one of my father's old photographs...it's in black and white..as were most of his things..(he had a darkroom on the third floor of our house on park avenue in south bend)...i'd love to attack some of his reference work with my palette knife! - I think I've finished my newest boat painting but will post it tomorrow...

sneaking up

so here's my latest painting..getting closer..since this is done in acrylic, it dries very fast..i can change things if I want or need to..i may darken the background a lot..something I couldn't do in oil..very hard to paint dark over light in oil..that may make the boats stand out more..don't know yet..

on my easel...

this is another large format..30x30 acrylic painting...lots more to do but i'm having lots of fun..i think i'm heading to indy tomorrow with my girls for a "sissy" day...

"A Glass of Red"...donation

This painting was donated to Gleaners for their gala in September...i'm happy to announce that it brought $400 for the food bank.  so happy to be able to help!

"Hard at Work"

24x24 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so i think i'm' finished with this little guy..I've painted this image before..a little fellow I found on the beach at st. simons many years ago...I wanted to do him a bit looser and with an unusual color palatte..I need to take a better picture before i put it on my website or etsy or facebook but you can get the idea...

so i'm getting closer...I have a little bit of tweaking to do but i'm liking how it's coming along....

sneaking up..even more..

so i'm still working on this..it's large, as you can see..and i'm trying to use a very limited palette..i'm really having fun! - today I hung 6 paintings at the visitors' center and, as I was working on  that, I sold a painting to an old friend, lynn. that was fun!!..i'm heading to my gallery in indy tomorrow and will put "Lillian's Peony" there and probably one of the large boat paintings..getting ready to watch the hoosiers..life is good!!

kid on the beach

so here's another piece i'm working on..large..i think 24x24..and I want to be very loose and see what happens....still finishing up my latest boat..i have to determine where these guys will go..either to indy, Georgia or Bloomington...I just found out I will be having some smaller pieces in the visitors' center for the month of November...i'll find out more tomorrow...so stay tuned....

newest boat painting

this is another large format boat painting...30x30...the camera isn't capturing it very well but you get the idea...i'm sneaking up...

so this is my finished four piece commission.  it's a birthday present for Cindy Force from her husband, David.  I can't get the photos lined up the way I want but all the paintings are oil on 12x12 gallery wrap canvas.  below is Sophie the dog, Betsy, one of the twins, Major the golden and Margy, another one of the twins.  I was delighted to have had this opportunity and I think Cindy was happy with the finished products!!

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

"Lillian's Peony"

30x30 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so I think this is done..after three days of work..palette kinife and lots and lots of oil paint..i think i''m happy with it.  it's in a very large format..30x30...I think i'll paint the edge in a cream color..(davey's suggestion)..after doing so many small pieces..(6x6)..it's so much fun to work large! - i have two boat paintings in the works and one kid on the beach..all large and all using mostly palette knife..stay tuned....

sneaking up...and delivered my commission...

30x30 oil on gallery wrap

so I finally delivered my commission today...david force commissioned me to paint his two dogs and his twin daughters...a birthday present for his wife, cindy.  it's always a little scary presenting a commissioned piece..or pieces...never having met any of the subjects, i was truly going by each photo and the seat of my pants!...but i'm happy to say, he seemed really pleased..and now he only needs to find a place for them.  after lunch with some of my best girlfriends, I headed back to the studio this afternoon...sneaking up on this very large peony...from my friend Lillian's back yard...I did a very small version of this several years ago but thought it lended itself to this large format very well..all palette knife and of course not done but getting there...

lillian's peony..in progress..

30x30

oil on gallery wrap canvas

so we're home and I need to post some of the stuff I did while we were in Georgia...but, after a day or two of re-entering, I finally got up to my studio..this was all ready to go before we left and i'm going to give it a whack!...very large painting..lots of palette knife and lots of paint!!...not even half done but it's lots of fun!!!

Another beautiful day...

We had a great day...played golf at sanctuary cove...a lovely course...we joined up with a fine fellow on the back nine..Willis...and moved along pretty well...Davey beat me again...most improved on points and score both.....took the dogs on a minor walk and then did a bit of acrylic stuff...I still can't figure out how to post images so I just posted to face book...

Great day...

I still can't post any images but we had a really good day....no golf..I planned to paint this morning but did a bit of laundry and housework and before you knew it....time to walk the girls....we headed to the beach..so very desolate after the fall break last week..so windy...but still lovely...met a gal..never got her name but she had one of her rescue dogs with her...never saw anything like it!!...her name was daisy...part lab and part walker hound...the kind you see In the fox hunt photos...anyway...this girl could FLY!!!!!... She was a as fast swimming as he was running and she was relentless!!!....her mom said she has made it all the way to sea island before...fast currents don't bother her....man!!!!...anyway...our walk was extra long this morning...back home to dry the girls and lunch and then some serious painting!...actually finished all the oil work I had planned..Need to give these pieces time to dry...I'm still planning some acrylic work but the hard stuff is DONE!!!!...feeling good, Lewis!!!!... Still haven't figured out how to post images so I posted to Facebook instead ....you can catch up there...( AJ, you're going to need to figure out how to do it....:)...)....playing at sanctuary. Cove tomorrow...I WILL kick his butt!!!!

Great day!...

This was a good day!!...after buying a brand new coffee pot a couple days ago, we realized it was missing some parts..(are you getting this AJ?)...so we used the bare bones one and went back to brunswick this morning for an exchange trip.   Davey thought since we were over there anyway...why not play golf at coastal pines!???!...two days in a row?!?!...when we got up this morning his shoulder was the only thing that didn't hurt..so he said...and he is not harming his wrist...so we went at it....he moved back to the green tees and still kicked my butt...84 to 88....but I plan to get him next time!!..when we got home I finished up another boat painting....finally happy with it but cannot post it tonight...I will try to post it tomorrow..Facebook for sure...

At the beach

I can not figure out how to upload a photo from my
iPad to my blog...very frustrating!!!..we arrived thursday late afternoon and have spent the last couple days with boogie and her family.. Today I had some time to get out my paints and did a little palate knife piece...I sent it to Facebook but can't send it here...I didn't bring my computer so maybe I won't be able to ever post images but I'll keep you posted!... We may play nine tomorrow if my hubby feels up to it...I am so very flexible!!!!

small shorebird painting..in progress

this is maybe 4x6...when it's finished i'll be taking it to Georgia glynn art's Christmas sale..we leave this Wednesday and I can not wait!!

newest boat painting..and day 30!!!

30x30 acrylic on gallery wrap canvas

so here's an image I've been wanting to paint for a while...my palette knife mentor, leslie saeta, said that in order to do a large piece on canvas you need to use acrylic..canvas sometimes resists the palette knife in oil..i'm thinking of doing an even larger piece..only in oil..and I think if I gesso the surface it may be more amenable to the palette knife/oil technique...this will most likely go to my gallery in Georgia..we head down next week and I absolutely can not wait!!!!!

our friend nikko

 

8x8 oil on gallery wrap canvas

this is a tribute to our friend nikko...she lived next door for many, many years and we will miss her so much!!  safe travels nikko...

on my easel...day 26 of 30 in 30...

9x12 oil on canvas panel

not sure this is the best photo...i was too lazy to bring it downstairs and photograph it with my camera on it's tripod...may tweak it a bit more tomorrow...probably it will go in my georgia gallery...

on my easel

18x24 oil on canvas

so this is something I've been working on...lots of palette knife...just so I could slash around a bit after working on my commission pieces...just for fun...

betsy and margy...the last of my four-piece commission...

 12x12 gallery wrap canvas

12x12 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so these are the last two of my four-painting commission..we had "Major".."Sophie"..and now "Betsy" and "Margy" ....it's taken me a while but my client wasn't in a hurry..a birthday present for his wife and I don't think it was going to be a surprise...i'm quite satisfied with the way they all turned out and i'm very grateful for the opportunity to paint his beautiful family...

birthday for james...

11x14 oil on stretched canvas

so this is the final painting...we went out to dinner last night to celebrate jimmy's birthday and I officially gave him his present..and then immediately took it back so it could dry and I could wire it for hanging...i'm thinking i'm happy with the result...at last...

BETSY...sneaking up

12x12 oil on gallery wrap

so this is the third in my four-piece commission...i'm almost done...may have a few more tweaks yet but i'm liking her so far! - heading to dinner with four out of five of my grands...and will finally give jimmy his birthday present!..i'll post that tomorrow

jen and kids...further progress...

so this is getting closer...still have a teeny bit of tweaking to do..spent the day in indy with one of my other grand's joe and his momma boogie...we did lunch and the childrens' museum..what a cool place!!..really have to get this finished tomorrow..as it is it will never be dry by the weekend..he'll just have to be very careful when he takes it home...this IS for jimmy's birthday, after all.....

jen and kids...in progress...

so this is for my son-in-law jimmy for his birthday...coming up this Saturday...YIKES!...I just decided to do this today so i'm dashing and it's in the freezer as we speak.  the big thing in something like this is to get the values and shapes correct..at this distance, i'm never going to capture a true likeness but if the vales and shapes read, the painting will "read"...this has a long way to go and so  it's in the freezer so the paint will stay workable when I get back to it.. I had a lot of fun today..last day of our club championship but I played my way out of the tourney last week so this was just fun...I know it's in there...just have to let it come out all the time...I truly don't know how the pros can concentrate for four straight days...I can't even do it for one day..maybe painting was on my mind....

betsy...in progress

so we're back from Chicago...wonderful weekend..dinner out Friday and wedding Saturday..we stopped into one of our favorite haunts..the billy goat tavern..remember the old john belushi skit.."hamborger, hamborger, hamborger..no fries..cheeps...no petsi..COKE!!!!"...it's still there and they still do it!! ....anyway..after recovering a bit yesterday it was back to normal today..laundry..bathrooms, dusting, sweeping..hit a few balls in preparation for the second round of our tourney tomorrow..but most importantly..got back to the studio!!! this is the third in my four-painting commission..i'm sneaking up on her...i'll post as I go along....

off to chicago...

we head to Chicago today..big wedding doings tomorrow and we're going up a day early to have a chance to do a nice dinner and enjoy the town a bit.  i'm working on a "grand"..didn't want to post it yet because it's not quite there...and obviously no painting til I get back so I find myself a bit behind in the challenge...had to play golf at greenbelt today...glad I did because I certainly had a better day than my usual lately...I guess it's just called "golf"...

30 in 30 day eleven..."Wolf"

                                                                            12x9

original oil on canvas panel

so this is my painting for day 11...first off..i remember so vividly 12 years ago..being in my kitchen..sky a perfect blue..and then the horror...said prayers for the lost again as i do every year on this day...should be praying every day....ok..so this is a painting of the "child" of one of my daughter's friends...his name is Wolf...for obvious reasons...black is a very hard color to do..since i don't actually use black, it's a combination of several colors...hope her friend likes it!!...spent some really good time with my tennis buddies today..i really miss them over the summer when they're still playing tennis and i am golfing! - we were celebrating my friend Moon...and I loved being with them again!

                                                              

day 10 of 30 in 30...."Ballet shoes"...iin progress

 

12x9 oil on canvas panel

so after playing a horrific round of golf in the first day of our club championship...90 plus degrees  and a very bad swing didn't help....I retreated to my studio for some solace...i always feel better when i can lose myself in my work..i put this is the freezer so I could continue working on it tomorrow...a few little tweaks, i'm thinking.....



day 9..30 in 30..."Boat"

6x6 oil on panel

this is a little boat painting for day 9...I sold a few of these small paintings at my gallery in st. simons so i wanted to take advantage of this month's challenge to replenish my stock...

"Daisy" day 8..30 in 30...

10 x 8 oil on stretched canvas

so this is daisy...she is one of the ménage of dogs and cats at my daughter jen's house..she happens to belong to matilda, my first-born grand daughter who will be turning 11 on Thursday...my gawd...where on earth has the time gone??????....this is not the best photo..i took it upstairs on my easel...trying to finish it so I can present it to her on her birthday!...maybe a bit more tweaking but I wanted to post something after taking a few days off..last week was a beast...starting with jimmy's surgery on Thursday a week ago, we/i have been on the road almost every day!..went to a follow up for davey on friday..then to a smokey robinson concert in carmel on Saturday..then on to the cottage for a family celebration on sunday..home on monday..golf Tuesday, wednesday, thursday and Friday..two of them travel days...i was for sure "on tour" last week...lots of fun but not a lot of time to paint!!...lovely dinner friday night in indy with dear friends and then laid low yesterday and had family over today for the colts game...who has time to paint anyway??????...(promise to do better...)

day five 30 in 30...

"Sophie"

12x12 oil on gallery wrap

 

this is day five...the fifth of September and the fifth day of our challenge...I have painted a little ahead..this has been a very busy week for me so I really needed to...this is the second painting in my four-painting commission..i think I finally captured her!

day four..30 in 30

12x9

"Through the forest"

original oil on panel

this painting is done from a photograph taken out west..i think in northern Arizona..and i'm not sure what these trees are...but i have several photos i'd like to work through...

day three

8x6 oil on panel

so here's day three of our challenge...this is a very small version of a painting I sold years ago.. from a picture I took on st. simon's..