EDM 130 - Exercise Equipment

Everyday Matters Group Challenge #130 is
Draw exercise equipment that you use.

Mine is a yellow band hanging on a door.

This is how I use it - and how I am supposed to use it.
If I could.

Lawn Bowls

Finally finished the piece I've been working on.

Oil on Canvas
24x36

Just stuff

There IS hope

Old Poway Park #3

There is an empty lot by Old Poway Park where a Farmers Market is held every Saturday. This sketch is the view from that lot. I intended to paint the huge Betty Boop outside the sandwich shop across the street but this water tower has been calling to me.

I sat in the car with my little tiny sketch book and little tiny watercolors, listening to Bob Dylan, "Like a Rolling Stone" wondering what could be better than that? (This year, that song was voted number one song of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine.)

Body Beautiful, Poway

Body Beautiful . . .
not mine! The business . . the car wash business . . . !
That's where these little sketch paintings are from.

I was excited to find out my oil painting, "I Liked His Hair" won second place in the Escondido Arts Partnership Show, Local Color XII juried by Susan Pollock, Public Art Consultant, City of Escondido!! The show runs February 8-March 24, 2007.

Hilleary Park, Poway

There are several paths and a stream behind the walkway alongside the soccer fields at Hilleary Park. I ventured down a few but mostly they seemed a little too desolate so I set up at the start of a trail and painted what I saw.

Lots and lots of colorful dried up reddish, brownish black trees and golden brown dried up leaves. I sat by a little tiny part of the stream that wasn't dried up but when I sat on my beach chair I couldn't see it. It was pretty nice out today, about 75.

Speedball Waterproof Ink

While at Michael's Arts and Crafts I just happened to notice that Speedball has a Pigment Acrylic Ink. It's Acid Free, Archival, Waterproof AND Permanent!

The little jar of ink came with a small crow quill pen for about 4 bucks. It's been about 80 years since I have used a crow quill pen. Probably before the rollerball was invented. . . so I thought I would give it another try.

Sitting in the parking lot I put the ink to the test. It took a while getting used to the pen, getting reacquainted with the forward motion only. It's not my style any more but I will probably use my investment on a piece soon.

As for the test . . . It worked great. The ink didn't run, even with a very watery brush filled with watercolor.

Community Park, Poway, CA

This is a view from the mostly dried up creek by Community Park.

Me and Susan had some nice art talks while painting:

I told her that after 20 years or so of watercolor painting,
I really didn't feel like a "real" artist until I painted in oils.

She told me that after 20 years or so of oil painting
she really didn't feel like an artist
until she could paint a watercolor glaze.

EDM #102 - Electrical Plug

Plug to a hairdryer.

Crestline, California

Waiting outside the U-Haul place.

I changed the scenery on the left when I got home.

EDM Challenge 101 - Draw a bar of soap

The dried up crayola markers are perfect
for the huge sketchbook I have.
They also force me press down hard while drawing and
not be so timid with my line.

Poway Lake #3

Poway Lake
Oil on canvas
5x7 inches

The wind was blowing so hard I had to wear the hood of my sweatshirt to warm my ears. The real reason was to keep the hair out of my face while painting. Surprisingly, the clear plastic gloves actually kept my hands warm. No paint on these hands! . . . no coldness either!

I was excited to finally be oil painting outdoors but as I was setting up in the cold, I started to wonder what I was DOING out there. It was 10 a.m. and the fishermen and fisherwomen (lots of fisherwomen!) were starting to come in. I was just getting started.

What to leave in, what to leave out.

It takes 21 days to form a habit

This isn't exactly what I meant when I said my New Year
Resolution is to paint on location every day in 2007

but the habit is forming.

This is a sketch of Gordon Bashant giving
his watercolor demo at the art club meeting.
He has a great whimsical style of expressionism.
You can check out his work by clicking the link.

Escondido, CA

Just outside of the art store - a food joint.

January 14, 15, 16

Inspired

The NCSFA field trip to the Bowers Museum, Irvine Museum and Laguna Beach Museum of art was the destination. In the company of old and new friends I found inspiration, eduation and yes, some elation. Here is my painting on location while at the Bowers.

Taco Shop #2

Taco shop boys.I'm not embarassed . . .
yet
but I will be when I'am at Taco Shop #4,863

3 Pieces accepted into juried shows

Exciting!

"Car Troubles" and "I Liked His Hair" were juried into the Local Color Show at the Escondido Art Partnership. The show runs Feb. 8th - March 24th, 2007.

"House by Old Poway Park" was accepted into the San Diego Watercolor Society Membership Juried show for the month of January.

Oh . . . Just Do It!

(Sketchbook Journal)

Rattlesnake Creek, Poway

A house near Rattlesnake Creek in Poway.

Taco Shop

Hanging chilis at the taco shop.

CERAMIC chilis

No Pain . . . No Gain?

(Sketchbook Journal)

Old Poway Park Fountain

Harder than I thought.

The Bernardo Winery

The Bernardo Winery is located in Rancho Bernardo
(San Diego North County).
The coffee shop and cafe are closed on Monday's
so it was nice and quiet.
A little lady trimmed hedges
and the resident dog pranced around as I painted.

Watercolor
3 x 4.5 inches

Old Poway Park #2

The ticket office at Old Poway Park

Watercolor
Paper is 3.5 x 4.5 inches

Old Town, San Diego

The question was this

Do I go inside to eat or stay outside to paint?

NCSFA Paint Out at Poway Lake

The North County Society of Fine Arts
had their sketch and paint out at Poway Lake today.
I tried to stay in the sun but it was still freezing cold.

It was hard painting with my hands in my sweatshirt pockets
but I still managed two tiny pieces.

Edm Challenge #100 Landscape

This is a drawing from the parking lot at Fry's Electronics.
I forgot my paints. Is it a landscape?

Resolution, Part 2

Painting on location CAN mean indoors, after all . . .
it was dark when I finally got around to painting on location,
the location being the book store coffee shop.

Coffee shop stuff

a guy studying

Free Tuesdays #1

I found out I sold a piece at the San Diego Art Institute last month! Today I delivered 2 more pieces and picked up a few.

"Free Tuesdays" offered a visit to the Model Railroad Museum. It wasn't too relaxing with all the little kids running around but I enjoyed it just the same. Here are a few pics and also one of my sketch of the bell tower in Balboa Park, San Diego.

Resolution

My new year resolution is to paint on location every day in 2007.

This is the office at Old Poway Park.
I intended to get more of the building in the second piece
but it didn't come out much different from the first.