The Veteran (In progress...)

I'm laying in paint on this little study whenever I can sneak down into the studio. I'm working from the inside-out on this painting because it's really a simple composition and I have a good under painting to follow the values with. It also helps avoid smudging. I'm hoping to complete "The Veteran" sometime this week, I've got a few illustration deadlines to sidetrack me.

"The veteran" (Underpainting)

I love the character of this boat, it looks like an old veteran who still has some good years left. This underpainting is done with a Burnt Umber oil wash on gessoed masonite.

That's Silly illustration revisions

The editors from Highlights asked for some changes to the sketch I gave them for the "That's Silly" spread. They wanted the cow moved inside of the dairy shelves handing the milk to the women...amongst other small changes. You can click on any image to enlarge it but I am including a close-up of the Cow revision anyway.

The Golden Hour (Finish)

I'm learning to adjust my work days with a healthy balance of baby Max time. What normally takes me a day to complete in the studio now takes roughly three days, give-or-take. No complaints, I'm actually happier than I've ever been.

I finally finished this painting I'm calling "The Golden Hour". Oil on Masonite, (10x8")

(Click on image for a larger view)

The Golden Hour (almost done...)

I'm finishing this tomorrow...unless Max decides otherwise.

The Golden Hour (in progress...)

The Golden Hour (Underpainting)

It felt good to move the oil paints around the pallet today. Here is an underpainting I did for a painting I'm calling "The Golden Hour". The golden hour is a term used to describe the light quality from 2pm to about 6pm depending upon where you are in the world, (basically it's the setting sun light and the beautiful orange glow it can sometimes cast on objects). Ideal conditions for Plein air painters.

I took some reference photos of these boats in a harbor in Chatham, Mass just after 5:30, the orange glow made some things look like they were on fire. I'm hoping to capture some of that in the finished color painting.

"Thats Silly" Children's Magazine illustration (sketch)

I recently got another assignment from Highlights for Children Hi-Five magazine. This project is a two-page color spread called "Thats Silly". It's an image that challenges children to find silly and unusual things that are in the illustration. I loved this kind of thing as a kid and it's twice as fun to be illustrating something like this.

The art director sent me specific silly elements that she wanted included, the only thing I improvised was the cruise ship in the backround. As fun as this drawing was to do, it was very challenging to squeeze it all in and make it work as a composition. I havn't recieved feedback yet but I look forward to slapping some color on this as soon as I can.

You can click on any image to make it larger but I am including cropped close-ups anyway.

Computer company window mural

I painted this simple window mural for a local computer company around the corner from my house, looks like it will be a monthly gig. It's been a while since I've done one of these window murals, the challenge is to paint the image in reverse from the inside.

Before I painted, I was washing the outside pane and put my hand through the window (it was already cracked). The photo has a lot of glare but you can see in the lower left part of the window that there are some large broken shards(It's a double pane window so the image was not effected). Only a few scrapes on my hand, very lucky.

Computer mural design

Todays post is a simple window mural design I did for a local computer company. I'll paint this image with acrylics on glass.

Max sketch

I hope you've all been well, I've never been better. Max is three weeks old today, here is a sketch of him sleeping. I'm slightly jealous of Max in this pose, my wife and I have hardly slept at all these past three weeks. I wouldn't change it for the world though, we are happier than I can ever remember.

I'm officially back to work this week and have many projects I'm excited about. I feel a little rusty but I'm thrilled to dust off my oil painting pallet and get cranking on some new pieces in the studio.