Deep Greens

Deep Green #1 - 16x20" $300

Deep Green #2 - 18x41" $500

I like the simplicity of these two paintings. I have decided to make a few more versions, varying the color palette . . . blues, greens, and yellows, probably.

Slant of Sunlight

As an artist, I sometimes hit upon an idea that catches in the brain. It turns into something of a compulsion: to capture that idea, to expand upon it, and to alter it [finding the edges, the breaking points]. A series of paintings along a central theme. Sometimes obvious, sometimes hard to put into words. This happened a couple years ago when I explored my civilization series - primitive landscapes painted in primary colors with brush and pallete knife. I stayed with that theme for about a year before moving on to other ideas.

I had one such idea catch hold yesterday, completing painting after painting, as if possessed of some artistic apparition. Hardly a theme as these seven paintings basically depicted the same scene with the same basic design elements - an unmowed corner of the field behind my house - but all created from that same compulsion in my artist-brain. I did not stop to judge the paintings too harshly - sure, as an artist this is all I do, judging the various aspects of design, judging the likeness of the painting, judging whether the painting is working or not - but I simply [ultimately] judged whether I liked them or not . . . a simple litmus test . . . yes/no, true/false, good/bad. Passing that test, I moved on to the next painting. And so on.

I am a fairly quick painter on the whole - I don't bother with the details if none are called for [I've perhaps left a few paintings a little short of their potential as a result, in fact] - but seven paintings in one day?! Well, they are simple paintings, and they are basically the same painting - flowers at the edge of a field set against the dark beginnings of a tree line, painted with a certain level of whimsy in their positioning and their bright colors - really, the same painting. This makes it impossible to give them unique names, so I present "Slant of Sunlight" numbers 1 through 5 [the other two are similar, of course] . . .

Slant of Sunlight #1, 24x36", framed - $500 (click for larger version)

Slant of Sunlight #2, 18x24", framed - $350

below:

...#2 & #3 - 11x14", framed - $200

...#4, 9.5x14.5", framed - $200

New Irises

New Irises 14x11", framed $200

Lighthouse

Madisonville Lighthouse 8x10", framed $100

Thanks to Brent Brown (gbbrownphotography.com) for the reference photo!

Welcome to the New Website!

Anyone looking to put up a new website, I highly recommend squarespace. This is the web platform I am using for the new site. It makes it a breeze to get up and running quickly and a lot easier to make changes to the templates, in my opinion - not to mention, being easier in the longterm to maintain the site going forward.

I'm pretty happy with the new design - would love to hear what you think. Please comment below. Thanks!

With the onset of Spring, I have been thawing out. stepping outside more frequently. painting a little more. and have become something of a confident artist once more [happens every year around this time]. I'll use this post to show off a few of my latest pieces.

These two are: Balloons 12x12" SOLD, and Egret 10x8" SOLD(charcoal pencil)

And of course, pictured above is a New Orleans Streetcar painting (the second one I've painted from the same reference photo - interestingly, this one has garnered a distinctly different perspective than the last . . . the cars are coming a little more head-on than in the first). It's 24x48" SOLD.

To the left, Field of Sunflowers 8x10" SOLD.

Update

on 2009-03-18 16:56 by wessf

Art market went well last Saturday, just to let you know. It rained a little, here and there, but relented for most of the day. And more people than I expected showed up. Also I got to pet a giant cockroach and let a millipede crawl on my hand (the New Orleans Audobon Mobile Bug-mobile was there).

Update

on 2009-03-18 22:29 by wessf

Got a request for a larger version of this one . . . here's a cropped detail . . . I could get up from my chair and go out to the garage/studio and take another, clearer photo of it, but I'm not going to do that. Here's a slightly fuzzy, but larger version. Enjoy!

Shrimp on Newspaper

Shrimp on Newspaper | 8x10" $100, framed

Update on 2009-03-20 15:07 by wessf

This one is sold, but I plan to paint more like it in the future.

charcoal pencil sketch

I suppose it could be called a sketch, but I think of a sketch as a less-finished, loose interpretation - this one is a little more substantial. Let's call it a drawing.

Anyway, this was drawn from a photo of a childhood home. The photo had great potential for a drawing because of it's nice lines and shadows, and no bright colors to get in the way of seeing those lines [if that makes sense].

Although not the best pencil artist, I think I did alright with this one. I was pleasantly surprised with how fast the drawing came together - after a light sketch, I basically started at the upper left corner and slowly made my way down and to the right until I reached the bottom right corner where I signed it. I can definitely see where I could improve upon my techniques [and my patience], but this was probably the best I could do at the level I am now. Now hopefully I will make time to practice and improve. Look for more drawing/sketching in the near future!

Feb Northshore Art Market

Here's the story of how it went:

Before the Art Market started, things were looking bleak - this photo was taken just as the rain was starting to clear out.

Once the market started, however, the rain was gone, never to return that day. Turned out to be a great day for all. The End.

Getting Ready for Art Market

The Northshore Art Market is coming up this Saturday (Feb. 14th). It will also be Valentine's Day, by the way [even though none of you took the time to remind me all these years, I'm doin' you a solid, as the kids say - oh, and paintings are the perfect Valentine's gift, pass it on]

passive-aggressive subliminal message complete - more later

painting outside

art show cancelled

Tomorrow's Northshore Art Market in Covington has been cancelled due to the probability of lousy weather. Well, this will give me more time to prepare for the next show - it's on February 14th. Be there or be square. I'll try to post some new artwork soon: some '2009' artwork to be exact.

back of the head

I might have to get back into charcoal drawing - haven't messed with charcoal in many years - this was a fun drawing to complete. Not complicated or anything (and nothing amazing in the resulting drawing either, for that matter), but it was an enjoyable experience.

Painting Onion on Newspaper

Painting Onion on Newspaper
14x22" | $400

No, this one isn't a postcard-size painting, but I wanted to post it today: the day after the painting it depicts was posted.

This was an interesting painting, both in the process as well as in the finished piece. It started with a photograph of my working surface - newspaper, onion, and the painting. I wasn't sure I was going to paint the scene when I first took the photo, but after spotting a canvas with the right dimensions, I thought I'd try it out . . . see what happens. A few hours later, I found myself still working on the piece - adding details and correcting annoyances. At the very end, I added the paint brush to firmly establish the painting of the onion as a flat, two-dimensional thing.

I'm not sure what it is, but something within me gets excited about this painting. Something makes me turn my head every so often to see the image again, to study its detail, to understand it somehow. It could be the autobiographical nature of the piece, revealing something from my life. It could be the narrative aspect, telling the tale of a work in progress. This was one of those paintings where the Creative Flow took over, leaving an interesting painting in its wake. In any case, I plan to paint more of these in the future.

Please leave me a comment. And if you’re interested in purchasing this or any other painting, contact me with the name of the painting you’re interested in. Thanks!

Onion on Newspaper

Onion on Newspaper
5x7" | $55

Please leave me a comment. And if you’re interested in purchasing this or any other painting, contact me with the name of the painting you’re interested in. Thanks!

Garlic Bulbs

Garlic Bulbs
4x6" | $40

Please leave me a comment. And if you’re interested in purchasing this or any other painting, contact me with the name of the painting you’re interested in. Thanks!

koi

Koi 30x40" $800

This was a quick painting and turned out very well, in my opinion.

creole

Creole
5x7" | $55

Please leave me a comment. And if you’re interested in purchasing this or any other painting, contact me with the name of the painting you’re interested in. Thanks!

accordion player

Accordion Player
6x4" | $40

Please leave me a comment. And if you’re interested in purchasing this or any other painting, contact me with the name of the painting you’re interested in. Thanks!

bowl of lemons

Bowl of Lemons
5x7" | sold