Door Project

I have spent several days painting a mural on a pocket door. It is 6x3 feet in size and I painted it in acrylic. The design is a Van Gogh countryside painting with a few modifications. It was a fun project. It fits its place well as the walls of the kitchen are painted yellow.

More Hawaii

I'm still working from some of my Hawaii photos. Here is a beach scene that is 9x12 inches. I also have another one in progress. This is painted mainly with a palette knife for the thick texture I want. By using the water soluble oil paints, I am able to get the texture and the painting also dries to the touch in a few days at most. This process encourages me because with normal oil paint, I'd have to wait many days to touch up thick paint whereas now I can finish a work within a week. The ablility to go from idea to completed work in a matter of days is a reason I took up the wax painting too. I guess I don't have the patience to wait weeks for paints to dry. When working wet into wet, I can just keep moving as the water soluble oils "set up" in a short time so I can blend without over mixing the colors together. I am more and more liking the idea, like the impressionists, of setting dabs of paint side by side and letting the eye do the blending.

New Work

Have had a minor knee surgery and been working on the political campaign so not as much time for the art but here are a few recent works. One is a drawing from my life sessions. Paintings are an 8 x 10 inch nice thickly painted Hawaii Dunes, and a small 4 x 10 inch Green Lake Bathhouse Theater work, both done in oils.

Have also attended a few free art demonstrations at the local Daniel Smith art supply store. These are very motivating, especially since I find I know as much as the instructors about many issues, just need to keep at the work.