Model A Truck Sketch

I liked the feeling of my original sketch for yesterday's painting. It ended up looking to me like a hound dog panting and 'smiling' with its mouth open, and the steering wheel looked like one eye open. This truck looked rarin' to go to me. I thought I was going to paint it really loosely and keep some of that feeling but of course things don't always go as planned -- I got caught up in the lines and showing the form. I may go back to sketching first somewhere else separately beforehand so I can keep my original drawing -- if I can muster the discipline to do that. I'm a little short on discipline though so it might be needed elsewhere...

By the way, Happy St. Patrick's Day! This truck is wearing green...grass.

Model A Truck

12 x 12 oil on 1.5" gallery wrap canvas, private collection

We saw this old rusted Model A truck when we went out of town this weekend so we stopped and I got photos of it. It had a lantern hanging inside the passenger window -- I wondered if that came standard. The chrome on the front still looked amazingly good considering the years. It's fun to imagine someone getting it for their first wheels... first taste of freedom. It was someone's pride and joy I'm sure.

Nude Eggplant

5 x 7 oil on canvas, private collection
This is mine from a couple of years ago, when I first switched to oil paint, and it is now owned by artist Bruce Docker. I have something else going on my easel today and I will probably put up a photo of it tomorrow. I'm so glad we stopped and got some fun reference photos on our way back from Houston this weekend; lots of fun projects ahead from that group including the one I'm working on. I'm going to try and start posting more often because I'm considering looking into joining a daily painting group. Some will be quick studies and others more labor-intensive. Thank you for stopping by!

Underwater Bliss

14 x 10 oil on canvas, SOLD

It so happens that this girl's last name is Bliss, so I changed the title to reflect both her surname as well as her happy state of mind. Her dad says he loves it and that it looks just like her, so I went ahead and signed it. Hooray for a finished, successful commission!

Underwater Girl ~ Day Two

14 x 10 oil on canvas

Still have a way to go; am piecing her together like a quilt. I believe the crazy colors floating over her head are her locks of long hair, or else just the reflection of her hair. Her smile is bigger than this so I'll be making adjustments for that; I've only started on the mouth area anyway. It still has some days of work to go, but I like the direction it has taken so far.

Underwater Girl (in Progress)

14 x 10 oil on canvas

Here's what's on my easel tonight. This is a commissioned work in progress of a friend's daughter floating underwater years ago; she is grown now. The original photo has some pretty wild colors floating above her head so I'm playing with the abstract forms and colors there first before I do her face. Her face will be very paled out and bluish as will her hands. That hand on the right will change a lot but I'm happy with the other one mostly. No matter how this turns out, it has been so much fun I almost don't even care how it ends up looking! Okay, that's a lie. But I wish all my paintings were this much fun. I'll post it when it is done.

Splash Day

7 x 5 oil on canvas, private collection

This is my last Flying Moleskins painting and it is for James Parker, whose book theme is animals. Here are some furry girls who love to dive in a wonderful river with cliffs and gorgeous scenery out in Wimberley, Texas. Although I doubt they care about the scenery; they just want to make a big splash. As I worked on this yesterday I was wishing I could jump in with them -- it was warm enough here!

Geese 2 - Study

8 x 10 oil on canvas, private collection

The color in the top detail is closer to true although it is overall really warmer and darker even than this. Continuing back to the geese we saw at the lake last summer. They seemed always to follow the leader, but in this image one wasn't so sure about the plan. This painting is for Vern Schwarz for our Flying Moleskins project. See Vern, I told you I wouldn't forget you. It will be on its way to you when it dries.