Valley Forge, PA (En Plein Air)

Today I am posting my Plein Air study of one of the shelters on the grounds of Valley Forge in Pennsylvania. A small shack like this replica would have slept up to a dozen men in the winter of 1778.

Valley Forge was one of my favorite day trips when I lived in Philly, it's great to be back with brush in hand. I used to go there some weekends with my camera and photograph the hundreds of deer that roamed the encampment. The place is infested with them and I loved it.

There were two doe's grazing by me while I was painting, I've included a snapshot of them lurking behind my paintbox.

Artist Gone to Philadelphia...

Alison and I are going to Philadelphia and will be back on Monday, Septmber 11. I'm bringing my pochade and will definitely be doing some plein air painting in my old stomping grounds. Ali and I lived in Philly for three years and I regard it as my favorite American city. I love it, miss it and I'm very excited to get back for a short vacation.

10 things I miss about Philly:
1) The Brandywine river museum (The Wyeth families museum)
2) Valley Forge
3) Tubing down the Delaware river
4) Kelly Drive, Boathouse rowe and the Schulkill river
5) The Philly Art Museum and Ben Franklin Parkway
6) Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and Thomas Eakins
7) First Friday Art walk
8) Water Ice
9) Mike Smerconish on the big talker WPHT 1210am
10)L'Angelos in South Philly, best Italian restaraunt on the planet

I'm just getting started, I didn't even mention Yingling Beer, Vietnam, City Tavern, Old City, the Blue Horizon or the Holt Cigar company...by-the-way, Pat and Ginos Cheese Steak is not on my list. I'd much rather have steamers and a beer at Monks.


Today I am posting a figure drawing I did at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts from 2001 when I was studying there. The art scene in Philadelphia is explosively inspiring, I'm looking forward to squeezing in way too much.

If the hotel has wifi I may post while away, if not I will post my Philly paintings when I return on Monday.

p.s. I finished the Rye Harbor Dinghy painitng and posted it very late, so please scroll down and have a look...lots of subtle colors in there.

All my best to you,
Todd

Rye Harbor Dinghy (Finish)

Rye Harbor Dinghy is oil on a gessoed wood panel. (8x6")

Trucking along....

I stole some moments in my studio-under-the-stairs to lay in more paint on this small boat study.

Truro Saltboxes (Cape Cod Sketchbook)

Along route 1A in the Cape Cod town of Truro there are these rows of Saltbox cottages that line the Atlantic. Each one has a plaque on it with the name of a different flower. It's hard to drive by and not be charmed by these humble structures and the symmetry of the design they create on the landscape.

In my original sketch I included a clothesline with laundry blowing between the two shacks on the right of the composition. I loved the movement it added but the design of it created an awkward tangent with the horizon line of the ocean. I tried seagulls flying too but it didn't quite work. I'm going to live with it for a while and look at it with a fresh eye before I paint it.

I have gessoed a 10'x20" canvas for this painting and I'm looking forward to adding color to it soon.

Rye harbor dinghy (In progress)

I started laying in oil paint on my Rye Harbor boat study.

Punxsutawney Phil (finish)

I finally got around to laying in the color on the Punxsutawney Phil sketch for "Highlights for Children" magazine. (Original sketch posted July 24) see archives. Who am I kidding, the deadline is here so I had no choice but to finish it. I'm glad I did, I like illustrations where the composition has a strong light source. The groundhog opening made for some strong highlights on Punxsutawney's mug and some interesting color in the den.

Boneshakers...(Children's Illustration sketch)

I just got another quick turn-around illustration assignment from a small publisher to do a magazine spread. This is my sketch of a few friends who take a trip to the bicycle museum and take a tour with Oscar. The figures are placed in the wheels of an early nineteenth century bicycle called a boneshaker.

Connect the dots

Todays post is from the quick-turnover small assignment from Houghton Mifflin book publishers. it's a connect-the-dots illustration. I've wanted to illustrate one of these ever since I was a little kid, I always thought they were very clever. I must confess that it was one of the easiest illustrations I've ever done and I'm definitely not clever. If you look at it, you'll realise that there is very little illustration at all, the premise being for the veiwer to finish my work. Nice!

Please feel free to print, connect-the-dots and color. Mail finished works to:

Todd Bonita
30 Hillside Drive
Greenland, NH 03840

I'll send a two pound wedge of cheese to my favorite entry.

ps. Blogger.com has been experiencing some ftp post problems. I've been assured that the problem has been resolved. Five of my posts from this past week are now veiwable.

Children's illustration assignment

I just got a quick turnover assignment from Houghton Mifflin book publishers to complete some workbook illustrations. This is for an early reader math workbook, a fill-in-the-blanks numerical illustration. I painted in Photoshop over a pencil drawing.

Plein Air painting w/ Stan Moeller

This afternoon I joined a small group of Seacoast painters at Fort Foster in Kittery Point, Maine for a plein air demonsration by one of my favorite local artist, Stan Moeller. Stan is so deadly with a paintbrush, legend has it that a man once died of a heart attack after being awe struck at the beauty of his artwork.

Stan set up on a rock on the beach at kittery Point and quickly got to work, slashing paint and making it look very easy. A little more than an hour and he had finished a really nice 9x12 plein air study. 5 quick tips I learned from the master today:

1) Make your own quick-dry white by mixing 1/3 part Griffin Alkyd White and 2/3 Permalba white
2) Start with warm darks. I usually start with a warm Raw Umber but Stan uses a nice mix with umber, a little red and a warm blue. This makes a much richer and bolder dark.
3) Underpaint the sky with an Indian Yellow. (I don't have that color but I mixed Cad Yellow with a touch of Alizeran Crimson). Stan laid in the yellow early in the painting with liquin and a little gamsol. Wiped away the excess and let it dry so he could return to it later and paint over it with blues. Clearly this isn't reccomended for all skies but presents the notion of underpainting whatever color is neccessary for the given sky you're painting.
4) "The Color Shaper". A small stylus with a rubber tip. Various shaped tips available. I think it's a pastel painters tool but Stan used it to remove small passages of paint in areas he wanted to add a different color, without smearing and making mud.
5) First layers painted thinly with liquin and gamsol so they set (dry). Later in painting, thicker paint rides along the surface where needed.

I am posting a picture of Stan working on his demo. I am also posting my plein air sketch of a winding road that I painted after the demo.

It was inspiring to finally see Stan paint, great afternoon.

Bucket Bunnies (Finish resin sculpture)

These bunnies were posted in there sculpted form on March 12 (see archives) and are now finished. The bucket is a plant holder and will also be in Foreside and other stores Easter 2007. catalogue photo by the stupendous Mr. Mike Bowker.

Cabbage Bunnies (Finish resin sculptures)

I originally posted "Cabbage Bunnies" sketch (see archives) on January 30. This is a plant holder and will be in Foreside and other stores Easter 2007. Catalogue photo by Mike Bowker. thanks Mike!

Bunny with Asparagus and Tomato (Finish resin sculptures)

This is the finish of my March 14 and 15th post (see archives) of Bunny with Asparagus and Bunny with Tomato. Catalogue photos by Mike Bowker.

Bunny Catalogue Photo

My good friend and photographer Mike Bowker from

Mike Bowker Imaging

took these Foreside Catalogue glamour shots of the resin cast bunnies I designed earlier this year. I'm guessing these are for the 2007 catalogue. The shot came out really nice, great job, thanks Mike.

Bunny with Carrots (Finished resin sculpture)

I posted "Bunny with Carrots" concept drawing on january 29 (see archives). This is the catalogue photo (taken by Mike Bowker) of the finish resin cast and painted bunny. I think the finish came out pretty cool. This will be in Foreside and other stores Easter 2007.

Rye Harbor Dinghy (underpainting)

O Solo Mio (Underpainting)

Brothers (Monochromatic Underpainting)

Todays post is an 8x10" underpainting on gessoed masonite of a piece I'm calling "Brothers".

New Website

I finally launched

TODDBONITA.com

It will serve as a tool to communicate with gallery owners ,art buyers and the like. I am also planning to teach small private oil painting classes next year in Portsmouth, NH and will use the websight to announce instruction info etc..

if anyone has an early interest in future classes please feel free to contact me at my regular email address: tmbonita@comcast.net.

I have included a link to my daily blog on my website and vise-versa.

Sandpiper Gallery, Wellfleet, Mass.

I am now represented by the Sandpiper gallery in Wellfleet, Mass. Where I dropped off six of my paintings from the dinghy series.

Thank you to all who have requested to purchase my art work and sent me emails to say nice things about my paintings, It's always encouraging to hear. For those who emailed me interested in the dinghy paintings, please contact Mary Houk at the Sandpiper gallery for purchase: (see her contact info in this post above). She currently has six of the seven dinghy's that I painted: "Perkins cove dinghy #2, #3 and #4, Quiet time, Superstar and Watching the tide". (Click here for review

Dinghy Paintings

They are all 8x6" oil on wood panel paintings in gold frames and retail for around $400 each.

For any other artwork or commissions, please contact me at my regular email address: tmbonita@comcast.net.

Artist gone to Cape Cod...

I'm laptopping from a coffee shop on Cape Cod and before you think I'm a jet setter you should know I'm here on business...*snicker. I'm dropping off some dinghy paintings to a gallery in Wellfleet and meeting with some gallery owners to discuss the possibility of representation.

I'll be back on Friday eve.

All my best to you.
Todd

Watching the tide

Finished "Watching the tide" painting. (6X8") Oil on wood panel

Watching the tide (monochromatic underpainting)

Here is another work in progress from my series of dinghy paintings.

Superstar (finish)

Finished! Although, the more I look at it the more I want to noodle it.

Superstar...(I may change the name of this one) 6x8" Oil on wood panel.

Otter Shack, Thompson Lake, Maine (Plein air)

This is Guerrilla painting at it's best: waste deep in Thompson Lake, slapping oils on a small plein air study with three Herrons perched twenty feet above me pooping every ten minutes. The Herron poop made quite a splash from it's twenty foot freefall and landed only a few feet away from me each time. (I couldn't help but wonder if they were critiquing) It stirred my concentration but warmly reminded me that I was waste deep in nature.

I have been coming to my brother-in-laws cottage on Thompson lake for seven years now and have always photographed this little shack when I'm here. About two years ago I watched a family of otters playing and fishing around it all afternoon, it's a great shack with pleanty of character. I knew I would come back and paint it someday.

Today was that day. I took the kayak and paint box to this remote area and set up in the water. I wasn't happy about painting into the sun but this was the best I could do if I wanted to paint the shack, the water was too deep on all other sides. Sometimes it's not about the perfect compositon and lighting, sometimes it's about just enjoying the process and experience. This was definitely one of those days.

Check out the red dragonfly that landed on my paintbrush in the color finish.

Thompson Lake, Maine (Plein air)

I reccomend turning 38 to everyone, so far it's been perfect. This weekends weather was a crowning achievment in mother natures long career, well done indeed and thank you for the bewitching and beautiful wailing of the Loons, very nice touch.

I parked my carcass on the shore of Thompson Lake, just steps from the cottage and did a study of what was before me. I ommitted one of the boats for a better composition and took several dips in the lake to improve my already ideal afternoon.

Artist gone to Maine for the weekend.

Heading up North to Thompson Lake, just outside of Portland, Maine for the weekend. Bringing the paintbox and will be back on Sunday night with some post.

I hope you all have a nice weekend, weather in the North east looks perfect.

All my best,

Todd

Self Portrait at 38

Today I turned 38 years old and I started my morning with a self portrait drawing. I have been doing self portraits on my birthday for about ten years now, I keep most of them in the same old sketchbook. It's always fun for me to look at past sketches and see how my drawing and face have progressed over the years. I've noticed that my drawing is getting better and my face is getting uglier.

p.s. Happy birthday to Tony Bennett and Tom Brady of the Patriots, I know you both read my blog.

Superstar! (...in progress)

I lowered the horizon line a bit, the negative space at the top was looking a little quirky. It's on it's way, I should finish this one next session.

Superstar (Monochromatic Underpainting)

Quiet Time

Finished this oil painting of a small boat in Chatham, Mass.

"Quiet time" (6x8) Oil on wood panel

Back to Dinghy duty....(Work in progress)

Hello all,

I'm back in my studio in the basement, slapping some oils on a small Dinghy painting. I swear there is more to me than Dinghy's but I'm really enjoying painting them right now...I swear!

I subscribe to Robert Genns twice weekly letter for artist and he has mentioned many times the benefits of exploring a single theme over the course of several paintings. I now understand the benefits of what he is talking about. I think each Dinghy has progressed in my sketches and paintings.

My freshman year in art school we had a drawing class where we drew crumpled up brown paper bags for the entire semester. My understanding is finally sinking in right now.

Onward to my dinghy....

Punxsutawney Phil (Sketch)

I just got an assignment from "Highlights for Children" Magazine, You know the one, the same one from the dentist office. Any-hoot, this is the sketch for a single page illustration of "Punxsutawney Phil" as he climbs the ladder to poke his nose out on Groundhogs day. This is for the February 2007 issue. The white spaces are left blank for titles and a pictoral rhyme sequence that will be dropped in later.

This is a pencil sketch that I scanned and added darks and lights to in Photoshop. This sketch was submitted today for aproval. I have a long deadline on it, so the finish will pop up sometime in late August.

Children's poem "Home" (second illustration)

Here is the other spread for the "Home" poem that will be part of a book collection of children's poems. This is also a digital illustration.

Childrens book poem illustration (finish)

I finally finished this first illustration called "Home" that will be in a book collection of children's poems. I'm almost done with the page 2 spread and will post the finish when I do. This is a scanned sketch, painted in a traditional manner using Photoshop and a pressure sensative digital drawing tablet.

Pittsfield, Vermont cottage

The stories this shack could tell and the things she has seen. My friend Patrick has been renting this small cottage in the town of Pittfield, Vermont for the past twenty years. Twenty-or-so of our closest friends make the annual pilgrimage, coming from places as far as Minnesota, Seattle and California.

I'm looking forward to adding color to this small monochromatic oil painting of the cottage. I may even do a larger studio painting of it, we'll see.

Artist gone to Vermont...

Hi all,

When I was in art college and really bussy, I used to trot past my college friends in the hall and like a crazy person I would say, "Can't talk bussy". They thought I was nuts and I must say they were on-the-money. This week is kind of like that. I'm going to my twentieth High School class reunion on Saturday then I'm off to Vermont for the twentieth anniversary of my friends renting a place in Vermont every summer. I'll be back on Tuesday. I'm bringing my paintbox to Vermont so I should have something to post when I get back.

Today, I am posting my children's poem illustration at about 90% finished. The publisher had some sizing changes on there end and have extended the deadline a week to accomodate the problem

Have a great weekend, all my best to you.

Todd Bonita

Penny Farthing drawing

This is a doodle that I got carried away with and spent way too much time on last night. When I worked as a staff illustrator for Foreside I did a bunch of drawings of Holiday figures on these turn-of-the-century Penny Farthing cycles. For some reason, I seem to doodle a lot of Penny Farthings ever since. I think the nostalgia and the sleek lines of the design appeal to me.

Childrens Book poem illustration (..in progress)

I have a Friday deadline for this illustration but have not heard from the art director regarding any changes on the sketch yet. I'm laying in some local color and minor detail..just enough so I can get a jump on the finish without wasting too much time in the event of a major change request by the Art Director.

Check back to see the finish...

Newington, NH (Plein air)

Back to the great outdoors..it was a beautiful day today on the New Hampshire seacoast and I was very happy to take my paint box for a neigborhood cruise. I found a great spot a few miles down the road in the town of Newington. This little house was built in 1699..I love New England.

I set up in a cool spot in the shade of a giant Pine tree. (Tip to Plein air artist: Set up in the shade on bright sunny days, otherwise your colors appear bleached out and lighter when mixing and when you take your painting indoors later the colors will be much darker than you thought). I was able to pull my car next to the tree, unrolled the window and blared the Sox game. It was a perfect painting session.

After a little more than two hours of painting, my wife called and asked me to come home and help put away groceries...I'll have to finish this one in the studio later.

ps. I started painting around 2pm when the Sox game started. At the time of this post it's 8:20pm and the Sox are still playing. It's tied 5-5 in the nineteenth inning.

Quiet Time (Monochromatic underpainting)

I'm back on Dinghy duty. I have to complete four more Dinghy paintings by the end of the month for the gallery in Wellfleet. Here is the monochrome underpainting of my quiet time sketch from a boat I drew in Chatham.

I have an illustration deadline next Friday so I'll paint this whenever I can steal some moments.

Angel of Coffee

If there is such an angel, I'm pretty sure this is what she would look like. Creamy (half&half) colored flowing-hair, Tall...as in a Starbucks tall, a long dress with coffee bean print, offering an enormous cup of steamy hot java. With a heavy (Dunkin Donuts)Boston accent she would ask if I wanted "Cream an sugar doll?"

Todays post is another bedside drawing.

I got some good news from an art gallery in Cape Cod. One of the Galleries I checked out in Wellfleet a few weeks ago wants to show seven of my dinghy paintings. I need to whip out a few more to meet her request but I'm very excited about it. Got a lot on the "life" plate, as you may have noticed fewer posts this past month.

Hopefully the Angel of Coffee will bless me with her nectar and enable me to carry on as usual.

All my best,
Todd