New efforts on old techniques



"Billi" 12x12 pastel, charcoal and conte

    Upon returning to weekly portrait sessions, I have decided to attempt trois crayon. Experimenting stages have brought my technical abilities to do a portrait in 90 minutes to a minimal. This effort required another hour of working from memory. Unfortunately it also detoured the effort from realism and light years from my comfort zone.

Bon Voyage 2013

I was fortunate to be invited to a potluck to watch the holiday "Parade of Lights" from a friend's marina this season. Creative me thought, 'How cool would it be to have a boat shaped spice cake for the event?' Come midnight the night before he was cool enough to frost so I thought that I would just slather a little cream cheese frosting (colored blue) for the water and lay in a bit of spot color for Christmas decorations but one thing led to another and come 4:30 am I had the cake completely decorated with Christmas lights dangling the side and gingerbread boy for a figure mass. Strangely when I saw the pictures from the parade they all turned out blurry... kinda looked like the frosting on my cake. Creativity... it's not just for the studio anymore so hence my last "project" of the year.

 

Abundant Harvest

sunflower study #9-oil



   It has been a "different" autumn as I have had a large loss in my life this past summer. I believe with the approach of winter it is far easier to match the mood of gloom with the greying weather. Yet my lifestyle doesn't have much allowance for depression so I medicate... heavily... with sunflowers. Here are a few more of the now dozen sunflower studies thus completed this autumn. If it weren't for running out of available fresh cut sunflowers, I could easily see a series of these.-G.A. with another study on the easel as I post.

Sunflower study #10-oil

Small Works Sale Sets Sail at the GH Boatshop Nov. 15th

  

"Sailing the Jolly Santa"
4x5 inks on paper

   The last show of the year (in which I will be selling work) opens at the Gig Harbor Boatshop November 15 through Dec 30th. I will be selling 5 new small works for the holidays accompanied by 9 other artist's work in varying mediums for this show. Items priced to move so get them before they are gone!- G.A. wondering 'Is it dry yet?'

Tricks or treat?

What would an artist's workplace be without a little sense of humor? If you don't see much work being posted I'm blaming the mascot. You see this time of year keeps me so busy that I find my muse has her hands tied... err- something like that. Some call it trick or treat but while 3 of my shows close at the end of October another will open in mid November. Treat yourself to a little shopping in the harbor.... before the other holidays- last show of the year!!!

I spy...coast to coast



Coffee drive through
lighthouse Washington



So I was heading towards deception pass from La Connor (out in the tulip capitol farmlands of Skaggit county) when I came across this corner coffee drive through at a light between farmer John's 50 acres and brother Jim's 100 or so acres. It was the only light for miles and perhaps the last stop for gas until you hit the small town. Apparently filling up the car's tank isn't the only octane those country folks stop for.

Car Wash Lighthouse in Florida

   I believe this is the most comical non lighthouse I have ever found. While seeking out a Starbucks in Florida my GPS took me to a home depot... never could trust those navigators and their "recalculating". I asked some pedestrian's if they could guide me accordingly to which they guided me through the strip mall and low and behold... I found a lighthouse! Eventually I made it to Starbucks but as I always say, "Sometimes it's not the destination that matters so much as it is the journey getting there.

I spy... with my big fresnel lens



Fresnel lens housed in

Muckelteo's Lighthouse.

As many people could conclude by now, I fancy painting lighthouses. They are the one thing that I will go out of my way to seek when given the oppertunity. It all began with an imitation lighthouse in my home town. So cute... so small... so-- what? It's not a real lighthouse? Nope the happy harbor to which I reside has a "time capsule" with a blinking light and a sign reminding all those ships that enter to slow em on down. Too funny! So in my quest to find real lighthouses, I have encountered many a structure that neither housed a fresnel lens nor (in some cases) ever graced an ocean's side. Here are a few of those such frauds... but fun to look at.

Time Capsule Lighthouse
Gig Harbor

    This is the said time capsule at the mouth of Gig Harbor... all 15 feet high of the lil guy. Yes he does have a little red flashing light on top. In order to raise money for him folks bought capsules in 1988 to locked away stuff that would be reopened in 25 years. I think since the lighthouse was dedicated in '89 then the capsules should be revealed next year.

I have painted this lighthouse 6 times and 3 of them have sold thus far. As small as the little guy is, it is quite the sight with Mount Ranier standing tall behind him.

If at first you don't succeed, shine, shine again!

 

Chinese lantern study 6x8 oil on canvas

  
 

   Inspired by a new addition to my organic model choices, I was gifted a Chinese Lantern plant of which I was wowed by the color of the fully bloomed plant. After 3 days of awe, I decided to take a break from my sunflowers and try a portrait of the brightly colored plant. My colors weren't quite in the pocket but I decided an orange glaze (after the study dried) would put me in the ballpark for representation. Then I got to thinking...

 

Chinese lantern study#2 11x14 oil on linen



...What about that new collection of color choices on my list for my workshop next week? It had a cadmium orange that I was sure with a little cad yellow lemon might just do the trick. So I experimented around with this new palette of what I would call more warmer colors in order to acquaint myself with the new collection before the workshop. Though dramatically different studies, I did get closer to desired color without having to glaze.- G.A. shining on. 

Sunny days with sunflowers



Sunflower study#1

  In defiance of my missing "sunflower season" I have taken to brightening my days with cut flowers. When I went all around town I could not find a sunflower to save my life. After 3 strikes I found a flourist who tells me, "Oh yes, we have sunflowers. It's the flower of the month." It was like christmas and I was strangly giddy to have found the little guy... so I painted him twice.

Then the florist called as they got a new shipment. I was hoping for the mammoths (I don't think they ever get those) so I stopped by. Sadly they had the same yellow petals with green center sunflowers so I went to another grocery store to my surprise they had two bunches of yellow petals with dark brow centers. This bunch of 5 models costing $1 more then my single florist specimen. They said that they got shipments in weekly but were clueless as to what would be shipped variety wise. I took one of my new models for a paint session on Fox Island and found his dark center right at home with the dramatic light coming in through the old windows of the schoolhouse... alla prima in 2 hours for that model.



Ponce De Leon Lighthouse study

It was incredibly hot painting the lighthouse but I must admit my first red lighthouse. All the grass sections between the buildings had "do not walk on the grass" signs but the sidewalks had ants... which I found out the hard way when doing this study.



Interior stairwell of Lighthouse



The inside of the lighthouse was like a nautilus shell. How ironic I thought considering the oceanic tie/tides...