The intense eyes of a money-cat which I photographed at our local animal shelter inspired this new scratchboard, just for fun. Our two outdoor cats have a wooden ‘cat house’ on our porch with a lid which opens like a toy box. Rick made an opening in a mouse-hole shape at one end so the cats fit into the box but our dogs do not… and hopefully no raccoons or skunks can enter as well! So for this painting, I … Read More
Two of my paintings are currently featured in the Oak Ridge (TN) OPEN SHOW 2019, and I am delighted to also receive my first award for a black scratchboard. Juror Victoria Boone gave critiques to every entry, and here are her comments about my art: Heart To Heart “Magnificent detail in cat and dog – especially in the eyes with reflections. This makes this an extremely poignant pet portrait. Just amazing…” She awarded this painting Honorable Mention. Sorghum Maker “Beautiful … Read More
My 2020 calendars are printed, with the cover and each month illustrated with a new painting I’ve created within the last year. I’ve been quite prolific and actually could have filled more months. Included are a variety of subjects, including some of my perennial favorites like flowers (wild and cultivated), animals (wild, farm and pets), and a still life with lace. I’ve also featured several of my recent ventures in human portraits. There’s even a fellow everyone should recognize. The … Read More
Selecting the best frame for a painting can be challenging, and it’s often helpful to have a professional framer to assist. The watercolor competitions I often enter require very plain frames with white or neutral mats around the artwork, so that makes for simple choices. There’s method to this madness… once the exhibit is hung, the entire display has a uniformity and each painting stands out without attention to the framing. However, when I’m framing my non-competition artwork, I have … Read More
Come join my Scratchboard 101 Class, a 3-hour lecture on Friday, November 15, 2019, from 1-4pm. It will be held at the Chota Recreation Center in Tellico Village, 145 Awohili Dr, Loudon, TN 37774. This is a lecture-based “how-to” beginner class to introduce scratchboards as a unique and exciting surface for artwork. Participants will go home with the knowledge and tools to start scratchboarding right away! My presentation will focus on white “Aquabord™” and black “Scratchbord™.” Included will be examples … Read More
I’ve read that when you are learning to do portraiture you shouldn’t try painting people you know. Well, I’ve obviously thrown that tip out the window! As soon as I saw my sister post this photo of her husband on social media, I felt it could make a great reference in my quest to do watercolor portraits. I was especially drawn to the casual pose, the side lighting and the beard. The sunglasses would be another ‘first’ for me to … Read More
Here’s my theory: the more people paintings I tackle, the more comfortable I will become with them. So I’ve started on a quest, creating small watercolor paintings of people who I have photographed in casual settings. “When He Was Six” is the first in this series, with the title harkening back to a popular painting of a little girl I painted in acrylics on canvas several years ago, titled “When She Was 3.” I’ve done other people paintings over the … Read More
The word “commission” has a few different meanings in regards to fine art*. A commissioned painting is one where an artist is hired by someone to paint a specific subject of that person’s choosing. I’ve done many commissions over the years, and they present some interesting twists, as opposed to creating a painting for myself, based on my own ideas and photos. As often happens with a commission, painting “Jordan Fishing with Grandpa Tim” has stretched me as an artist … Read More
As a painter of animals, I know it is difficult to depict black fur. A big solid area of black just doesn’t cut it – you have to capture the highlights to make it look realistic and give it dimension. I was ready for the challenge of painting a black cow. This is my first cow art on Scratchbord®. My two previous cow paintings, Eat Chicken and Cow’s In The Corn, were both very colorful, created in watercolor on … Read More
I created “Sweet Dreams” with a few new twists – not counting the twisted body of the cute little kitten: The reference photo is not one I took I selected an unusual palette of colors The application of paint was unconventional Watercolor pencils added some finishing touches From the first time I saw my friend Dawn’s photo of this kitty, I knew I had to paint it. Dawn had rescued her the middle of the road when she was ‘no … Read More