Borrego SOLD

Click image to enlarge. Click title for more information.
Oils on Canvas
40 x 60 x 1.5


At last. The giant abstract commission is finally finished. My client came to see it Monday and approved! Although the painting was still not dry enough for him to take home, and because he will need to hire a big-rig to move it (just kidding), he had to leave it with me for a bit longer. Nevertheless, being the thoughtful and considerate person he is, he left a payment of our agreed upon price and added a bonus to it. He felt bad that the painting had been so challenging.

In truth, although it was challenging and a bit stressful I am so happy to have been offered the opportunity and that I decided to accept it after all. I would like to be more open to accepting abstract commissions. It's a matter of finding the right approach. Perhaps I could accept abstract commissions as long as they are not customized. In other words, the client could choose the size but not the colors or style of the piece. As one artist-friend put it, in a commission piece, the client tends to want to "participate". And this seems to be a recipe for disaster with an abstract.

Update

Still working on the giant commission painting. What a challenge. Although I loved the original, the customer felt it was too subtle and light. I made some new sketches of it that involved darkening the original composition by painting darker colors over the existing piece. We finally agreed on one. But although it worked well as a sketch, it just did not work at all on the canvas.

One night I painted over it with a beautiful gray I mixed. This was to be the new background color. But in the morning light the beautiful gray color looked mauve. So I let it dry a for a few days and painted over it again and found in it a new composition. Now it's a completely different painting and nothing at all like what the customer asked for. But at this point my goal is to be able to rescue it all as a painting.

In the end I had to separate myself from everything the customer said he liked and wanted and let the painting develop without imposing a plan on it. I like the way it is turning out. That doesn't mean he will. We'll see...

Update and New Bronze Wall

Still working on the 40 x 60 commission piece. Since I therefore don't have a new painting to post I thought I would take the opportunity to show you something else I am very excited about and that is my new bronze, accent wall.

My upstairs neighbor and friend Mark of Never Settle Designs painted this dining room accent wall for me. It is quite a process involving many layers and colors to achieve the final, stunning result. Getting a truly representative photo of it has been another story. But I can tell you it is so elegant it makes me dream of bringing the entire condo up to its level. Check out his website to see a sampling of wall treatments available.
www.neversettlesettledesigns.com

Updates

The large pre-stretched canvas for my commission piece arrived Monday by special delivery via my client Jim and a very generous friend. Together they built the 40" x 60" x 1.5" canvas, which was too large for Jim's car. Therefore his friend not only was needed to help build the canvas, but was then pressed into service as a driver for it.

For the next few days I stared at it. It isn't unusual for me to procrastinate beginning a new painting. A blank canvas is powerful, with all its potential for success and failure. Finally yesterday (after being treated to a relaxing lunch on the water at Peohe's in Coronado by my friend Ron and after breathing the invigorating sea air) I jumped in and began laying down background colors and fell in love with working on my large canvas. Never mind that it occupies most of my tiny studio and I can barely get around it, I am having fun.

Lastly, on the 12th and 15th I queried by email some contemporary interior design studios regarding submitting art to them for their projects. One of them is coming this weekend to view several of interest. This would be an exciting avenue for selling and displaying art. I hope it works out. You will be the first to know!

Loft #7 SOLD

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Size: 30 x 40 x 1.5
Medium: Oil on Canvas


As I said, sometimes it's hard to depart from the Loft series...I had a completely different idea for this painting when I started. It wasn't working and I removed a lot of paint, making a big mess and wondering whether I would be able to make anything of it. Then low and behold, it wanted to be another Loft painting and I went along. And today, 2/21, I watched it sell with multiple bids. That's always fun.

Update

No painting today. It isn't that I haven't been painting. I have. It's that my current abstract piece is not working out. At this point I am not even sure I can rescue it. So rather than rush it along, which is what I would rather do, I will wait and see what ideas come and how I should proceed. It just goes to show that even with a plan, sometimes paintings have a voice of their own and I will have to listen rather than speak. Perhaps by next week I will have something to show you.

Loft #6 SOLD

Click image to enlarge. Click title for more information.
Size: 30" x 40" x 1.5"
Medium: Oils on canvas


If I ever venture too far from this series, would-be customers begin asking for them. Since I enjoy painting them I am only too happy to oblige. So here we are with #6 in the Loft series.

Starry Night #3 Sparkler SOLD

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Size: 36 x 36 x 1.5
Medium: Oils on canvas


Tuesday I spent the afternoon with one half of the couple interested in commissioning the over-sized abstract for their second home. Their penthouse condo is stunning, as is their extensive collection of early California art.

I was shown pictures of the new home and the living room wall where my painting would hang. This was followed by a visit to my online gallery site and a review of my paintings, to show me what they had in mind for the new piece. Afterward we took a short walk to a neighborhood Thai restaurant where I was treated to a delicious lunch. It was a delightful experience and I hope to be given the project.

Starry Night #2

Click image to enlarge. Click title for more information or to purchase.
Size: 36 x 36 x 1.5"
Medium: Oils


This is the second in the Starry Night Series. Next week I will post the third in the series.

I have had such fun painting these three pieces, which were inspired by a single piece by Joan Miro. And I don't even know the name of it. This time I planned the compositions carefully beforehand. Normally with an abstract I have only a general idea of what I will be painting. Even with a good plan, there are many wonderful and welcome surprises along the way.

SDAI International Show

Here are the two paintings I finished and entered electronically into the SDAI International Show. This show is juried online and I will know by February 5 whether either of mine has been chosen for the show.

Folk Art San Diego - Medium
16" x 20" x 1.5"
Oils on Canvas
Click image to enlarge.



Starry Night - SOLD
30" x 40" x 1.5"
Oils on Canvas
Click image to enlarge.


Updates: On the November 25th blog I told you that my painting Little Folk Art Tubac had been selected as one of eight to be part of Tubac Center of the Arts' Little Treasures Silent Auction. Today I learned it sold with several bids! When Suzanne at the Center told me the name of the buyer I recognized it. It is the same name as someone who has bought four of my paintings in the last year, including my last two MiniScapes. I sent her a quick note and verified it was she. It was fun and funny.

The sales tally is in for the November C-Note Show at SDAI. Four of eight I entered sold. I did better last year with six of seven selling. But with times as they are I'm still happy.