Greenland Sky study

It was unseasonably warm so I thought I would sneak out of the studio and do a quick outdoor study. The light changes extremely fast at sunset so I slapped down paint as quickly as I could to get an impression of the light and moving cloudes over Greenland, NH. It seemed every time I looked at my canvas and returned my eyes to the sky that the light had dimmed and the clouds had rolled along. It was nice to be outdoors again.

Monhegan Island Sailboats (...In progress)

Monhegan Island Sailboats (Underpainting)

I'm finally back in my studio-under-the-stairs with the spiders and strange smells...right where I belong.

I transferred a drawing I did of two sailboats cruising by Monhegan Island and layed in a warm underpainting. This is a 16x20" gessoed wood board. I'm going to experiment with a slow dry medium that I read about in the December issue of American Artist magazine. The article was about one of my favorite American figure painters, Malcolm Liepke. I've always admired the smooth consistency of his paint and his fluid brushwork. He uses Linseed oil, Poppyseed oil and a few drops of Clove oil. It's supposed to stay wet for weeks and allow longer wet-in-wet working time, we'll see what happens.

Pink Caddy spot illustration

I love you for your pink cadillac
Crushed velvet seats
Riding in the back, oozing down the street
Waving to the girls
Feeling out of sight
Spending all my money on a saturday night
Honey, I just wonder what you do there in back of your pink cadillac
Pink cadillac (insert Clearance Clemens saxaphone solo...)

I actually get the willy's from that song. Sorry Bruce, I know you read this blog and I like your music but this isn't your best work.

Todays post is a spot illustration of a Pink Caddy, slightly charicaturized.

Book bag spot illustratiions

Still cranking out spot illustrations for Fridays deadline, here are a pair of book bag paintings I did last night.

These are pencil sketches that I scanned and painted in Photoshop using a Wacom tablet. The Wacom tablet is a digital miracle. It's a pressure sensative stylus (looks just like a pen) that I draw and paint on a 12"x12" tablet surface. It responds to the subtle pressure of my hand, I can bear down for a fatter line or gently caress the surface for a thinner, more expressive line, etc...

I still have to make an image with the same considerations I would using traditional mediums, it's just less messy and quicker to remedy mistakes. Instead of using turps to wipe out an oil painting error, I can "command>Z" and back up a step...blah, blah, blah...it's real fun, trust me.

I do love the balance of painting in oils some days and then working digital on other days.

Running Late

Todays post is a children's illustration drawing, "Running Late".

Baseball

Todays post is a small oil painting study of a baseball from life (6x8"). Even though my studio under the stairs has spider webs and a strange smell, it was nice to steal a few moments and get down there to do some oil painting.

I've been busy lately coloring spot illustrations for Fridays deadline. I'm sparing you and I the monotony of posting spots everyday but I will put up a few this week.

I hope you are all well, I have been missing our more frequent correspondance and I'm looking forward to sharing some cool projects with you all. After this Friday, I hope to join the daily painters movement. This is a group of artist accross the country and world who have committed to painting every day. I can't think of a better way to improve your craft than constant application. Check out the inspiring work some of these artist who are producing on a daily basis:

DAILY PAINTERS GALLERY

Vintage baseball mit study

This is an oil study I did today of a vintage baseball mit. I'm trying to figure out a composition for a small finished oil painting...maybe a ball in the mit, perhaps the mit is angled differently. Don't know yet, have to sleep on it.

Let them eat cake...

I've been slammed with work and life and missing my oil painting easel. Today belongs to more childrens illustration sketches though. Here is a drawing of a girl with a birthday cake.

Good deed.

Here is another illustration assignment I just finished for Harcourt Publishers. This is a magazine piece and was painted digitally in Photoshop.

Oscar

Here is the other page of the childrens magazine illustration I was working on. This is Oscar, he is a pencil sketch that was scanned and painted digitally.

Children's magazine finish

I finished this section of an illustrated spread for a childrens magazine assignment from Harcourt publishers.

Bedside doodle #6

This image might be fun to do a small sculpture of.

Bedside doodle #5

The Tigers are going to the World Series, good for them, I hope they win it all. Baseball makes me nostalgic and before I dozed off last night I penned this bedside doodle of an old time ball player.

"Piper" Bedside doodle #4

Bedside doodle #3

I've noticed that when I have a lot on my plate my bedside doodleing tends to pick up. It's truly my quiet time when my brain pretty much shuts down the left side entirely and I almost begin to drool on myself as I sketch aimlessly. True joy.

From my sketchbook last night, here is a Farmer and some beasts that look a little like cows or pigs.

Ready, Willing and Able (Finish)

I finally finished this small painting, "Ready Willing and Able". (6x8") Oil on wood panel.

Epsom Campsite (finish)

I took out the Epsom Campsite Plein Air study that I had started over the weekend and finished it in the studio today.

Calf House (Plein Air) Great bay Farm, Greenland, NH

This morning I took my pochade down the road to the Great Bay Farm in Greenland, New Hampshire to do some Plein Air painting. I set up in front of the calf house and slapped down some oils as quickly as I could, racing against the fast moving sun.

Half way through my painting I met Cynthia Smith, the owner of the Great Bay farm, who's great grandfather purchased this property in 1895. She put down her wheel barrow to stop and say hello and mentioned she was on the trail of a run-away heffer who had managed to sneak out of the pen. (See my post of the run-away cow above, trotting past me shorly after my conversation with Mrs. Smith.)

I love this farm and it's character and plan to return as often as I can.

Epsom campsite

Here is a quick sketch of the campsite just before dinner. I was feeling good but losing light, so I will finish this in the studio later.

Artist gone camping in Epsom, NH...

I'm going camping in Epsom, New Hampshire. I've been camping here with my friends since 1980 (26 years...yikes). The foliage should be well under way, I'll be bringing my pochade and hope to do a few paintings. I'll post when I get back on Sunday.

All my best to you, have a great weekend.

Todd Bonita

Ready, Willing and Able...(and still working)

I really hate to rush a painting at any point. It only means trouble for all the work you've put into it. I'm not going to rush this, I simply have too many things dragging me away from the studio right now and will have to finish it later. Uuugh! I finished painting the third boat and began adding water and reflections. Still more to go.

Ready, Willing and Able (...not yet)

I painted a bit more today, I would have finished but I was sidetracked by my illustration deadline. I like the progress so far and I hope to finish this tomorrow...really.

Ready, willing and Able (...in progress)

Started laying in some oil on this set of boats. I hope to finish it next painting session.

Superhero dreams (sketch)

I just got another small assignment from Harcourt Publishing to do an illustration of a boy walking a women accross the street while dreaming of being a superhero. This is the black and white sketch I submitted this afternoon for aproval. It's a graphite sketch that I scanned into Photoshop and digitally fiddled with a little. I'll color this after the client comments.

Spot illustrations

Spot illustrations are not the most creative assignments but they are mindless, quick and fun to do. It's usually something like, "Draw a cup, or a marker, or a book"..very simple. I did a ton of them today but I'll only post a few of the sketches here. These are for a Math reader for Harcourt Publishers.

Bedside doodle #2

I just got a bunch of small spot illustration assignments and was going to post the drawings but I decided to post my bedside doodle from last night instead. This is a pencil drawing of a fellow caroling. Just having some mindless fun before I dozed off.

Stork and Pumpkin (Color)

I outlined the stork in ink, painted him with Alkyds and finished him off with a little digital love in Photoshop.

Stork drawing (revision)

I did the drawing of the stork over again and tried to bring a tad more animation to the character. I like this one better and will likely slap some paint on him.

Stork and Pumpkin sketch

Todays post is from my sketchbook, it's a stork carrying a pumpkin. I'm going to do a small painting of this in watercolor or oil paint, not sure yet. It's for a baby shower announcement.

Brothers

Oil on Masonite (8x10")

Brothers (Home Stretch...)

Home stretch on this one. I hope to finish this next painting session.

Brothers (Still crankin...)

Brothers (In progress)

I started to lay in some paint on this 8x10" oil painting I'm calling "Brothers". I'm using a wet-in-wet technique so it works for me to start at the focal point and progressively paint my way outward. There are hundreds of ways to approach an oil painting, I'm enjoying this method for the thick, buttery feel of the paint that enables me to work color into the exhisting framework with considerable control...bla-blah-blah.

O Solo Mio (Finish)

I finally finished this small oil painting of a dinghy I'm calling "O Solo Mio". Oil on wood panel (8x6")

O Solo Mio (In progress)

First Officer Thomas McGuinness

First Officer Thomas McGuinness

was the co-pilot of American Airlines flight 11, which struck the north tower of the World Trade Center on September 11. He was married and had two teenage children, lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and was a member of the Bethany Church in Greenland, NH. I didn't know him and I never met him. This sketch is simply a reaction to that empty, helpless feeling I think a lot of people have regarding 9/11. Drawing Mr. McGuinness' portrait allowed me to quietly reflect upon the events of that day in a very personal manner. He and all the victims will always be remembered.

In a memorial to Thomas McGuinness, Mark Truman from England wrote:
"You now have the wings of an angel, fly free and be happy, we will never forget you and your fellow Americans. God bless you all".

Running Holstein (Great bay sketchbook)

Sometimes, for no apparent reason, my cat would stop what she was doing and sprint to the next room with an urgent determination. There was nothing in the other room and no reason to run there with such concentrated intensity. She was sublimely Nuts.

This cow on the Great bay farm had the same temperment as my cats. For some reason, she was compelled to stop what she was doing and quckly run 6o yards to her left. Then she stopped and carried on grazing.

Great bay Beauty

On a breezy day I can smell the earthy scent of Great Bay farm from the front steps of my house. I love it, to me it smells like New England. It's only a mile down the road and has 110 milking Holstein cows and 110 young livestock. It's been here since 1895 and has been run by five generations of the Weeks family. Allen Smith currently carries on the tradition and was kind enough to let me explore the property to sketch and photograph.

Todays post is a sketch I did of one of the Holsteins. I look forward to returning with the seasons with my sketchbook and paintbox.

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.