Moore Farm, 9" x 12" oil on linen

This past Sunday was an OPAS paintout event in Hartville, Ohio. It was very well organized with maps and painting locations already mapped out and permissions already granted. I painted at the Moore farm which is a tree farm and also a place to go and cut flowers. What I saw was mostly day lilies, but I hear they also have quite a hosta collection as well. One thing I really liked about this paintout was the critique at the end. That was handles by Dino Massaroni and a few of the other artists that knew what they were talking about also chimed in. Dino is a pro and it showed in his comments and assessments of each painting. Not a job just anyone can handle. Being a graphic designer, I’m used to criticism and being relatively new to painting, especially with oils, I really appreciated it. What you see here is the revised painting. I came home and made the changes right away. Some of things they commented about for this painting was needing more separation between the paintings, Needing a darker sky to separate from the roofs of these two buildings and also less detailed so as to not take the emphasis away from the subject of the painting. Another artist also commented that I needed less of a ladder effect on the right side with my darks and lights. I tried to even that out the best I could.

6" x 6" oil on panel

This past Sunday my family and I went to visit a a friend who lives in the country way up on a hill overlooking the town of Loudonville and the surrounding Mohican Forest area. (One day I am going to paint the view from up there, but thats for another day.) It was a nice afternoon but we went there to swim in their nice pool which we call, “5:00 somewhere.” They tend to like warm water there and the pool water was at 99•. It was like bath water. My family still got in. I decided I was going to paint instead. I had about an hour and a half so I decided to do a small painting from their great garden area. This was the result. Lots of bees flying around doing their thing. I left them alone and they did the same for me. I even got one to pose for me. I slipped him a little pollen for his trouble. It was a great afternoon. I need to paint there some more.

  

White Carnation, 9.75″ x 18″ oil on panel

This painting came to me because my good friend, Doug Cooper, had the guts to talk about sex and relationships in church. (Got your attention?) Anyway, on the last day of the series he brought out a chuppah which is a jewis a canopy traditionally used in Jewish weddings. It consists of a cloth or sheet, sometimes a tallit, stretched or supported over four poles, or sometimes carried by attendants to the ceremony. A chuppah symbolizes the home the couple will build together. Chuppah literally means a canopy or a covering. Doug had people come up and take a white carnation and stand under the chuppah to re-kindle and pray about their relationships. Lanie and I went up and I think it was pretty special. So this painting is something to remember that experience.

This is actually the second sign that spring is here. The first are the crocus. I drew these while at another volleyball tournament. We were at an older school with some wild flowers around. The second one of white flowers were on a bush. I don’t really even know what they are. Anyone know? I’ll do some homework and see what I can find out.

Both done with Micron pen with watercolor and a Niji waterbrush in a Moleskin watercolor book. Soon, I’ll be caught up with these uploads and have this blog figured out.