getting in the spirit..

Spirit of Giving

24x24 giclee

so I've been busy..this giclee, along with a few other pieces which i'll post in the next few days, will be part of the decorations for Harrison Lake Country Club's Christmas party!.. i'm thrilled to be asked and will deliver them this next week...the gals working so hard to make the magic, mandy, nea, kevina, cindy and joyce (hope I haven't forgotten anyone)..continue to do a fantastical job for our club!!!  the party is the 19th..hope to see you there!!!...oops..almost forgot..we were contacted by the republic this afternoon..they want to do a feature on us for their quarterly old farts magazine!  ha!..lovin it!!..,i hate to tell her i'm going backwards and will turn 50 next year!!



Tre Bicchieri...

here are a couple blasts from the past!.."C'est Moi!" and "My Friend Kermit"...these, along with fourteen other paintings are now on display at Tre Bicchieri, a lovely downtown restaurant in Columbus!!..Elaine, the owner, came to visit while i was at millrace last week and asked me to bring some pieces in..so Tuesday was the day and I am so thrilled to be there!!..i'm not sure if I mentioned that I was asked to do a week-long artist in residence at out local senior center.  I was somewhat apprehensive..worried I was supposed to teach..it turned out that I did do a bit of teaching but only in a very casual way..folks would come in, ask questions, one gal sat down and took notes for two hours!!..I saw friends from tennis, golf, neighbors, community leaders...that joint is one happening place!!..I really loved being there all week..even though it did set me back in my every day stuff a bit..now i'm working hard to complete a series of small pieces for my gallery in carmel..Inspire gallery, 111 W. Main st...she's having a Christmas show entitled "one hundred under one hundred"...I hope we have lots of Christmas shoppers..i am having a lot of fun trying some new stuff!!

first day at millrace...

 

so today I started my week-long artist in residence at the millrace senior center here in Columbus..first of all..that place is fantastic!!!..they have so much going on..so many people coming and going..it made it hard to really concentrate on my work..but that's ok..i had a ball and really look forward to the rest of the week!!..this is a tease of a painting i'm not allowed to talk about for a while..i started working on it today down at the center and it's not done ..hope to finish it tomorrow and get going on something else..maybe i'll post another little piece of it then..i can't ruin the surprise!!

tony's night...(the big reveal)

last night our good friend and golf pro, tony clecak, was inducted into the Indiana PGA hall of fame.  a dinner was held at Harrison lake country club and nearly 200 folks came from all over to help him celebrate and to congratulate him on a job and career well done!..several months ago our current pro, keith clark, asked me to consider doing a painting in honor of the occasion.  we settled on this photo but I had to add long pants because for once, tony was wearing shorts..pga pros NEVER wear shorts while they are in the professional realm..he was golfing with some buddies and I got this photo from terry..who told him he wanted to photograph his swing so he could work on it in Scotland..or some such nonsense..anyway..the evening..and (thankfully) the painting were both a success and people took turns signing their good wishes on the back...i'm so glad to have it behind me!!...next I plan to post a few teases of my next project involving hlcc..stay tuned!!...Monday I start a week-long artist in residence at millrace senior center..hoping for some good opportunites to get some stuff done..

last tease..

ok.. so here's my last little tease...the big reveal will be Thursday night!..this has been so much fun...the anticipation..the actual painting..keeping it a secret...I will post the final painting on Friday...I HAVE been painting..i just have been rather lax in my posting..working on some commissions..gearing up for a gig as the "artist in residence" at the millrace center next week..i thought I was just supposed to paint but I think i'm expected to have some finished work on hand..so...

i'm so excited!!! and another tease.....

so this is a bit blurry, it turns out...but another little smidgeon of the project I've been working on...all will be revealed..(the big reveal)..on November 6th..so stay tuned!.. on another note..i received three BIG boxes of canvas today..OVER sized canvas..all stretched linen...I am so excited..i am planning to do some BIG pieces!!!...i'm thinking i'll do half Georgia-oriented and half Indiana-oriented..maybe...but I have a lot to look forward to!..and nice because the weather is just about to turn semi-ugly!!..gorgeous day today..played seven holes..didn't keep score..lost a couple balls in the leaves...(WE HATE THE LEAVES!!!!)...so golf season, as mikey says, is (almost) over!

another tease...

so here's another little piece of my "double secret" surprise...I think i'm finished with it but I used clove oil to condition my oil paints..a todd Williams thing..only I think I added a bit much of the oil..this painting is taking FOREVER to dry!!!!..working on a donation to the kids commons..a golden...i'll post when I get that finished!..

VILLA..

12x12 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so this is a little 12x12 painting of "Villa"..i did this as a wedding gift for JK and Danielle..we went to their wedding several weeks ago and I am FINALLY getting to this!..they love their doggie and I loved painting her!!!

on the island...

so we played oleander at jekyl yesterday..this is a photo of two deer prancing nearby..we arrived on the island Friday afternoon..we drove through horrendous thunderstorms on the way down..and they followed us all the way to the island!..we had to sit in our car for 30 minutes when we arrived..then we had a really bad first day or so..cable problems, email problems, trying to find pieces of furniture that had been either rearranged or broken...we love this place but we don't love the hassle of reentry!..so today was a new day..we played sanctuary cove..half an hour south...the four coolest par threes he's ever played, according to freddy couples...(just realized we each parred 3 out of 4 of them)..we were paired today with gene and ellen..a lovely couple..newly-weds in their sixties-ish...she was a novice with real potential and he was a seasoned golfer...very fun people who put up with my on again off again golf game..Davey had a really good day!!..he ended up most improved but I won yesterday so the battle is ON baby!!!!

secret project...

so I am working on a "double secret" project.. I can't post it yet...I really don't want to spoil the surprise...but from time to time I will post a little piece of the painting...here's the first tease....

"Home from church"

this is the 12x9 painting I did yesterday in the last day of the workshop.  I painted this once before..both from a black and white photo my father took in the sixties someplace in Europe...i'm much happier with this one, although there is one thing i'm going to tweak..maybe tomorrow..i learned so much from this workshop..and so very happy I was able to study with todd Williams!

todd williams workshop

I've been taking a three-day workshop with Todd Williams (http://www.toddwilliamsfineart.com/)...it's being held in Nashville, Indiana and i'm having a wonderful time!..todd is a wonderful painter and teacher..a protogee of c.w.mundy who's a particular fav of mine!..the first day we had a very educational slide show and a meet and greet in the morning and then todd did his demo in the afternoon.. we have been treated to the most wonderful lunches and then last night there was a wine and hors' d reception in a fabulous log cabin home in the hills..we painted outside in Nashville yesterday so you can see todd doing his demo in the first photo and then below that is my painting..9x12..i did not have an umbrella and sometimes your painting can end up a bit dark since your pupils constrict in the sunshine and it can affect what you're doing..we worked on our paintings morning and afternoon and you can imagine how much the sun moved..another challenge of outdoor painting..looking forward to this last day..painting from our photos indoors and then a critique at the end of the day...stay tuned...

todd williams workshop

been busy getting my house organized because i'm involved in a three day workshop with todd Williams...a wonderful painter whom I've followed for quite some time...today we learned and watched...tomorrow we paint..hope to have something to post later...

"Rusty 11"

30x30 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so this piece will be going to a client in Tennessee...it's drying as we speak...

"Reflections"

17x17 oil on panel

so this isn't the greatest for lighting..i was in the shade and it was getting very cold and windy..i painted this yesterday in front of the inspire gallery in carmel and met some very nice folks who were out for the monthly gallery walk...

"Harley"

10x8 oil on canvas panel

here's a little ditty i'm taking to the inspire gallery today..i did a version of this guy a couple years ago as a donation to "bria's ride"..a benefit for a little girl with some serious challenges.  not many people know that most Harley riders are very big on charitable doings...

small boat

6x6 oil on canvas panel

so i'm  heading up to the inspire gallery on main street in carmel tomorrow...planning to paint a larger boat piece..cathy asked if i would bring some small things so I have been busy..bad left elbow so I can't golf..might as well take advantage of studio time!!..these three things will never be dry by tomorrow but I have them in front of the gas fireplace in the kitchen..hoping...

"Boys of Summer"

so here's a little ditty I did today..probably will revisit this tomorrow after  thinking about it..values and such...but this is an image I've wanted to paint for a while and cathy bauder at the Inspire Gallery in carmel asked me to bring a few more things on Saturday..i'm planning to paint outside the gallery during the second Saturday gallery walk..hoping for good weather...

getting closer...

ok..so I was able to get a bit more done on this today...still have just a few tweaks to do but i'm thinking i'm pretty happy with it so far...I think I need to make it a little bit more dilapidated..if that's possible...if I can get this done in the next few days, it will have plenty of time to dry before delivery in october...

finally getting started...

so this is the start...the painting is a commission for a gal in Tennessee who has already purchased one of my large boat paintings and wanted this to go with it..I've been so busy..traveled to see our friends tim and Katie..just hosted 40 here for the Gregory family reunion yesterday so the house was a priority!..i'm supposed to be participating in the 30 in 30 challenge so i'll post this even though it's only half way done...hope to finish it tomorrow and then on to the next commission and then on to the dailies!...

a bit behind..

we just got home from Michigan..visiting friends tim and Katie..while there, we went on an adventure!..we went to Shipshewana Wednesday morning..looking for treasuers at a weekly auction and flea market in the heart of amish country..i got so much painting fodder!..we were looking for fresh eggs and produce on the way back and stopped at this wonderful farm..my new friend wilma allowed me to photograph her while she ventured into the hen house to retrieve fresh..i'm talking FRESH eggs..right out from under the hens practically!! she said they usually lay one per day and she had a lot of hens...she also had a house full of pullets..younger hens who lay smaller eggs who soon enough graduate to the big hen house...

so here we go..traveling around and behind a big barn..horses for plowing and for riding around in buggies.. cows...rabbits.etc..... to the henhouse..i explained what I was doing..the thirty paintings in thirty days project..(i'm way behind already)..and of course she was very sweet but looked at me like I was from the moon..no internet..no electricity..a life of work and toil and, as she put it, "hopefully pleasing to God"...I really hope to get to paint some of these things..have to finish a commission first...

30 paintings in 30 days...day 1.."Rooster for Wendy"

16x12

oil on canvas

so this is the first day of our September painting challenge..another of Leslie Saeta's brainchilds...we were actually supposed to come up with a theme...very difficult for me..i'm using part of this month to catch up on my "grand" project...part of it for some commissions..i may actually post large pieces in progress..we'll see...part of it for gallery pieces...and part of it for some special surprises...my friend wendy took a bunch of pictures of her special chickens and roosters...this guy looked more like a rooster to me..so he's a rooster!!...as to theme...I may decide to do some midwest stuff..my face book friend Kathy cousart is doing southern..so maybe i'll do Indiana...we'll see...stay tuned..we are heading to Michigan to see tim and Katie...so i'll be a bit behind in my efforts..but that's ok..doesn't matter if we do one every day or not..just trying to do one every day is challenge enough!!

"Harbor"

17x17

oil on board

so the Venue, my gallery in Bloomington, wanted a quick boat painting..Bloomington is hosting the annual 4th street art fair saturday and sunday..lots of participants, streets blocked off..the whole deal...so I had to get this accomplished and delivered by today!..i managed!..now i have to turn my attention to my house..left to languish over all these wonderful summer months with so much golf to play...we are hosting our gregory family reunion on the 6th..just around the corner...at least 35 souls...lots of food and really praying for good weather...not too hot and not too cold!!..you never know in September....

"In the Harbor" SOLD

so this painting is one of the ones I painted outside the Inspire gallery a few weeks ago..since then the gallery has moved up the street..closer to the action..i feel blessed to have it sell and I just delivered a large floral yesterday on our way to the lake..we are getting a little golf in and waiting on mike and judy to arrive tomorrow..then it's off to Chicago for a cubs game, some shopping and a dinner at shaw's ...I absolutely can't wait!!

tom dakich memorial golf outing..

so here we are with danny..he was posted on the 17th hole..a par three..and to that point we were even par...while all the young guns were eating up the white tees and posting way under par...so danny's job was to pass out spiced rum and to hit an iron within birdie range...he didn't fail us and we made OUR FIRST BIRDIE!!!!!  for cry-y-y!!!!...such a fun event!!  been a very busy week since then..more tomorrow...

thanks...

I was playing in a guest day today so I didn't get to listen...but apparently my friend danny gave me some wonderful props on his radio show today..he put on a spectacular outing yesterday and he should be very proud of himself for the way he can rally the troops...thanks again to Daniel j. dakich for the kind words....

here's my surprise...

36x24 oil on canvas

so here's what I've been teasing for the past few days..we had a blast today at danny dakich's third annual summer of fun golf outing..this year was dedicated to his dad, tom dakich, who passed away in april very suddenly..i donated a painting of a golf glove..i think I posted it earlier here.. and a giclee on paper of danny guarding Michael Jordan in the early eighties..(I got danny to sign it!)..which alone brought $400 for riley hospital!!..danny's brother, tom, bought my golf glove and they were both very touched by my painting of his dad in his early days of the "junior mafia"..having lost my father so long ago, I know what they are going through..it was a great day of golf..i don't know what we thought we were going to do out there..most of the teams were young studs, playing from the whites and birdying almost every hole!!..our team of diane, nate, Davey and I ended up four under...not too shabby for us but certainly not in the money...fun was had by all anyway..

maybe just one more...

we are playing in a special golf outing today...

and more...

I can show the whole thing in a few days...

even more...

can you guess what this is going to be?...

a little tease...

so this is a little tease of a project i'm working on...more to follow...

more teasing...

a little bit more...

tom dakich outing donation

12x12

oil on gallery wrap canvas

so this year we are able to play in danny's summer of fun outing!.. we missed it last year due to Davey's surgeries but we are rarin' to go this year.  danny's dad died a couple months ago and this year's event is dedicated to his father, tom.  on the website I noticed they were having a silent auction..so of course, i'm in!!.this is a larger version of one of my daily paintings..done years ago...it's titled "after the round"..hope it brings some bucks for riley hospital!

painting on main street....

so I went up to the carmel gallery walk..lots of fun and lots of people..at one point I had my boat painting turned upside down..i sometimes do that to paint shapes instead of things....and this little boy came along and was so confused!..i'm so glad I went..got these two paintings accomplished and met some wonderful people..it really is a small world!..these are now in beautiful omega frames, both 12x12 and available at the INSPIRE studio gallery at 15 e main st. in carmel...the shadow you see at the top of the boat painting is from the top of the panel holder on my easel..no worries...

excited...

i'm very excited!.. today is the july gallery walk in carmel..hours are five to nine but people come out early, i'm told..i am going to be painting outside the inspire studio gallery at 15 e. main st....not sure i'll be painting a plean aire scene but I will be working on a painting..i thought I might do a boat painting..no brushes needed..all palette knife..and very limited palette so the travel will be simplified! can't wait and i'm praying for good weather!!

"Cooper"...rest in peace...

8x10

oil on canvas panel

so this is cooper...my friend sara's cousin's goldie..gone now..and since our Nellie is 12 going on 13..and cooper really looks a lot like nels with his white face....just had to paint him!..we had a great time this past weekend..saw our rels for the fourth and finally got to play some golf! - played with ceej and craig on sunday and packed up yesterday for my birthday and drove home...looking forward to a whole week of celebrating!..AS USUAL...

karen's grand bailey

16x20 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so here's my final painting..this sweet child is meandering at the beach..loved everything about her!!..i have some news:..i am now represented by the Inspire Studio and Gallery on Main St in Carmel!!  I am so excited!..i met with the owner, painter cathy bauder, on Thursday..we had a wonderful time..she's the kind of person you feel like you've known all your life!!..our styles of putting paint to canvas are totally different but that's part of the fun...i am thrilled for the opportunity!~

getting closer...

so here's more of my project...i'm liking it quite well...getting ready to head home tomorrow and i'll take another look at it then...we have had rain every day and more predicted for tonight..so good for painting but not good for golf!...I bailed gallons and gallons of lake water out of our paddleboat...finally able to take a ride around the lake this afternoon..we tried to trick the girls..told them to guard the house and went out the street-side door...scurried around to the lake..but when we returned, they were waiting for us on the porch..had been watching us the whole time...smart little stinkers!!...

new project...

so i'm working on a new project...I thought I would take s few photos during the earlier stages..i'll post more tomorrow..

on my easel...

20x16

oil on canvas

so we're at the lake..i have a few projects i wanted to get accomplished..a couple of my "grand" project paintings..but i left the house without a few VERY important colors..for blond hair and a certain color of blue eyes..(are you getting this, sally?)...anyway..i'm putting that project on hold and I have this one going..i've had this photo for a long time..in fact, the family these two comes from now has another boy and (finally) a girl...I may have to tweak this a bit and as I look at it now, I see a few things compositionally i may work on..but I love the idea of this...

back to my "grand" project..."REESE"

7x5 oil on canvas panel

so here's a painting that's part of my grand project..my friend Margaret needed this to give to her daughter-in-law in time for her early july birthday..good incentive to get this done!..we're heading to the lake tomorrow so much more painting to do!



back to my boat roots...

so this is my effort for today...back to my roots...boats and more boats...a little 6x6 ditty...

on my easel...

so we've been at the lake and my computer doesn't work up there..i did watch a dvd by bryan ryder which I loved..i tried out his method here..looking at this, I see some things I need to work on..but it was fun..we are getting ready for an experimental show at the story inn over the weekend..if we do well and it's not too much work, we may do several over the summer and fall..time will tell..i hope we have some folks show up!

on my easel...

I have so many peonies blooming in my yard..this is a small one..I've been working on the large peony painting but it's changing every day so in the end I've just made it very loose..pretty sure you can tell it's a floral but...i'll post that later..probably do a bit more on this one as well...i'm working on a birthday present but I can't post it yet...

i think i'm done...

30x24

so i was finally able to get back to this...had a bit of the flu bug around this weekend but i'm back in business...there's a bit of a glare but I think i'm quite happy with the background color now..much more tending toward pewterish gray..and I've greyed the bird down quite a bit..of course..when i take it to it's new home and if it doesn't quite work..there's always tweakability using oils!!...my peonies are all of a sudden out in full force so i've got some up in my studio and have started a largish painting...can't let those flowers go to waste! ..of course the problem is..every time you look at them they've opened a bit more and so the whole thing keeps evolving..hard to stick to the original design so i'm just going to have to make it very loose and we'll see what happens...

a bit of tweaking...

so I went back to the drawing/color board...I indeed checked this piece with its final resting place..and I needed to grey down the blues in the bird a bit..and the background...and since it was still wet, I was able to scrape down the background...including the reeds and flowers and rework that..i painted over the bird..adding even MORE paint so it's pretty thick!..i'm letting it dry a bit and then hopefully tomorrow or sunday I can come back in and add the reeds, etc...it still looks rather blue..but, believe me,..it's trending more toward pewter..which is what I was after...stay tuned...

more of my commission...

so here's my commission a little more finished..i have to get in touch to check color with her since it's for her home...stay tuned...

i think i'm liking it so far...

so i'm working on this commission..i should have taken a pic midway from the first to the second...still have a lot to do but i'm liking how it's going so far...