Beach 11

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Size: 27x40
Medium: acrylics on paper
Date:  12/27/10

Happy New Year!  

This is my new favorite of the Beach series.  It reminds me a bit of the 1960's tourism and advertising art of Herbert Leupin.  I have noticed that most people have strong opinions about the styles of art in which I work.  Either they like the abstracts only or folk art only or digital only.   A few like two out of three and a fewer still like all three styles.  If you are among those who don't like the abstracts,  you are probably very tired of this series that I have been enjoying too much to stop.    However, I am pondering a new digital/painting/collage as one of two entries into the next SDAI show, which will be an international exhibition.  Maybe you will like that one better.  Laurel, thank you for your contribution to my plan.  It really inspired me to get started on it.  I love brainstorming.

Beach 6-SOLD

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Size: 53x24
Medium: Acrylic on vellum paper
Dated:  11/16/2010

I hope I am not confusing you because I am posting backward a bit here; last week I posted Beach 9 and this week Beach 6.

One of the fun aspects of these abstracts is that they are non-directional. I.E., there is no right-side-up, no up-side-down,  no sideways. Vertically they can work nicely at one end of a hall or corridor or in those often empty walls of a stairway or entry. Or horizontally over a sofa or as shown here, over a fireplace.

This week I created a Twitter account!, just barely.    I still need time to become familiar with it.  Right now it is so foreign that when I am on it I feel lost and I don't quite know what to do with it.  Sometime soon I will add a Twitter button to my blog and you can try Twitter  if you haven't already.

Beach 9-SOLD

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Title: Beach 9
Size: 30"x 40"
Medium: Acrylic on acid-free paper,
Date: 12/8/2010

Can this really be my 200th blog post?!

At 30x40,  this is the largest of the Beach series thus far.  I am considering it for the Semi-Annual SDAI International Exhibition, April 16th-May 29, 2011.  It would be fun to make an even larger one but even this size was too large to work on in my studio.  Instead it has occupied the greater portion of my dining room and my entire dining room table for some time.  I'm having great fun with these paintings, whatever the size.  How do you think this would look in a contemporary beach house or modern loft?

Beach 8_SOLD

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Acrylic on paper, framed.
image area: 16"w x 19 h
with frame: 24"w x 28"h x 2"d at max. no glass. 
dated: 11/20/2010

Abstract painting of ocean, sun and sand on a bright, wintry, California beach day. Number 8 in the Beach series.  Lest you think I can't count, there is a Beach #6 and #7 and they will be posted once I am certain they are finished!

Normally I would not frame an acrylic-on-paper painting without glass.  But it has some advantages.  It affords a freshness and direct connection to the paint.  And it is lighter and safer to ship.  However, glass may be added if desired.  

Vintage frame is Mexican carved wood with a yellow/gold finish and linen mat. 

This one and A Day In The Park will be my entries into the next SDAI Regional show, which opens December 10th.

Three Trees Promenade-SOLD

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Title: Three Trees Promenade
Size: 12" x 12" x 1.5"
Medium: Oils on canvas
Date: 11/6/2010 

Wishing all of you a very happy Thanksgiving.

A Day in the Park SOLD

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Size: 12" x 12" x .75"
Medium: Oils on canvas
Date: 10/29/2010 

Today I completed the entry for one final show with a notification date in mid to late December.  That brings the total to 4 new exhibition applications this month.   I think that will be all for now.   BTW the winner for last month's Arizona Street View contest was announced.   Click here to see the painting by Laeli Bowden.  I meant to paint one for the current contest, whose subject is Hawaii but somehow it got away from me.  Perhaps I will make the next one.

Beach 5

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Size:  17 H x 7 Diameter
Medium:  Acrylic on Paper over glass.
Dated: 2/17/2010

This is #5 in the continuation of abstract beach paintings begun in 1988.  Another sunny day at the beach in San Diego, California. Ocean sparkles, sand and sun.

Recently I found myself wondering why a painting should be framed and hung on a wall. So I decided to try something else and wrapped this painting around a glass vase as its support. In this way, one might say the glass IS the frame.  

Although it was not meant to be functional art, it could be, functioning as a vase, umbrella stand or?

Beach 5 is one of eight pieces I took to SDAI for the coming semi-annual C-Note Show.  
November 20, 2010, 5-8 PM  
Preview Only: November 19 and 20, 2010 10 am-4pm.  
C-Note runs: November 19 – December 5, 2010.  
Click here for more on the C-Note show.
San Diego Art Institute 

Beach 4 - SOLD

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Medium: Acrylic on paper, in vintage, wood frame, no glass.
Image area: 11.5"w x 17.5 h
With frame: 19"w x 25"h x 1.5" d.
Dated: 2/2010
  

Beach 4 is a continuation of a series of abstract, California beach paintings I did in 1988.  Ocean sparkles, sand and waves on a bright California day. I think not using glass over the image adds a sense of directness and immediacy.   

A note to publishers:  If you publish a blog or website, you are likely already aware of affiliate programs.  If not, these are programs that allow you to earn "referral"  income from links on your blog or website.  This process can be simplified and streamlined through the use of a service called VigLink.  VigLink signed up for numerous affiliate programs.  When you insert a small piece of code into your site, it automatically turns every link on your site into an affiliate link (if the company has an affiliate program).  Find out more at Viglink.   I thought the step by step instructions were better explained at Blogger User: I have only just signed up so I can't say yet how well this works, but I will surely keep you "posted".  Viglink keeps 25% of the earnings.  For the time and energy saved this seems worthwhile looking into.

Reflections-SOLD

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Medium: oils on canvas board
Size, image area: 8.5 x 11.5"
Size, in frame: 16.5 x 19.5 x 1"
Signed and dated: 10/23/2010

Thank you for weighing in with your opinions regarding whether or not to keep the two figures in the newer version of Railroad Ave. for the Google Street View Paint-Off  painting challenge.  It was nearly unanimous, with only one against.   My favorite of those posted to the challenge so far this one, (scroll down to the burro).     But I hope you will take a look at all the paintings and see what people have done with these street view images.    Thanks to multi-talented entrepreneur and artist, Kay Zahn for taking on this art project and providing the gift card.

This week's painting, Reflections, is a return, if only briefly, to oils.  Some months ago I found two very nice carved, wood frames at a garage sale.  I finally painted something for the smaller one, which is today's post and which seemed to call for oils.

It's official.  As of today I am now  a "listed" artist, with  Artprice!  Artprice is the French company that provides worldwide art market information.   I still don't fully understand what all this means for me, except that  it is supposed to be a good thing!

Az Highway 60 Railroad Ave-SOLD

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Medium: HP Vivera ink on archival paper.
Size: 8 x 7".
Date: 10/20/2010.

Thank you for all your comments on which version of Az Highway 60 Railroad Ave you preferred.

Version 1 was the winner with twice as many votes.  I took comments from both and incorporated them into today's post, along with two new figures.  What do you think, should the figures stay or go?  Next Thursday I will post the final piece before sending it off to the contest, so please comment freely.

I know I said I was not doing anymore product design.   It's so much work and very rarely leads to a lucrative outcome.   Sourcing manufacturers and bringing a new product to market are more than a little difficult, not to mention expensive.   Designing and making samples is the fun part. (That's what I got to do in my prototyping business, when the companies with whom I contracted did all the not-fun parts.)  

BUT a few weeks ago I gave a gift of a small, handmade, animal ornament to a La Jolla retailer with whom I had other business, and she would like them for her store.   After considering it for a week I began work on a dozen samples and finally delivered them today.   And now here I am once again trying to source a manufacturer just in case they do well.  Oh dear.