Boiled Shrimp and Lemon, framed

boiled shrimp, framed, 5x7", $75lemon, framed, 5x7", $75

Various Small Paintings

various small paintings

Captive Audience #14

Captive Audience #14, 12x12", $100

Landscape with Trees, diptych

This one was envisioned, roughed in, and finished in rapid succession and took about three hours, all told, to complete. I started with a single canvas and then, realizing I had another canvas of the same size [and more landscape to explore], I decided to continue with the same image, spanning it across the two large canvases, each measuring 30x48". The landscape is an imagined one but I wouldn't be surprised to see a similar scene among the savannahs of Africa perhaps.

Landscape with Trees, diptych, 2-30x48", $1000

Cardinal in Silhouette

Cardinal in Silhouette, 9x18" $100

This was a quick painting from a photo I took a few weeks ago right outside my studio window (though it looks more like a winter shot with the bare sky behind the little fellow). I left the paint a bit thin in the painting process and left some of the charcoal sketch to show through, and the result almost looks like watercolor on canvas--or more correctly, gouache on canvas. I don't normally go high-key with my paintings, but this one works fine for me.

Update on 2011-11-28 07:17 by wessf

This one is sold.

Killer

Killer, 24x30" $400

Starting to edge back into painting after a bit of a vacation. This one turned out well I think. It was a little flat for the longest time while I was working on it, then when I added the hints of blue in the dog's fur that seemed to set it off nicely (though the blue is not quite as pronounced in the painting as it appears here--at least not as I view it on my computer . . . always a struggle to get color looking just right when posting digitally). The title "Killer" just came to me looking at the intense pose and stare of the dog (humorously counterbalanced by the dog's size, of course, but don't tell Killer that). Thanks for viewing!

As always, click the image for a larger view.

Congregation of Egrets #2, 20x20" $300Back Field, 24x30" $400

Congregation of Egrets

I like this one. I will probably be doing a series along these lines.
You know . . . groups of egrets in the landscape . . . whatevs.

Congregation of Egrets, 20x20" $300

Five Minute Sketch

5 Min. Self-Portrait in ink

Egret Stepping Up

Egret Stepping Up, 48x30" $800

Millions of People

Millions of People, 11x28" $200

Update on 2011-11-29 03:20 by wessf

This one is sold.

Lighting up the Dark

Lighting up the Dark, 24x30" $400

Update on 2011-11-29 03:20 by wessf

This one is sold.

Artist Reception at Piece'a Work

This Thursday, May 12th from 6pm to 9pm there will be an artist reception at Piece'a Work in New Orleans. I will be there with most of my artwork, and I might try a little live painting while I'm there. Free admission. Stop by. Buy a painting or two. Come on, you know you want to.

Spring Mosaic

I am drawn to this style of painting -- big, playful, colorful, abstract. Sure it's one of my own paintings --granted -- but I enjoy looking at this piece just as much as I enjoyed composing it. I know some people find abstract painting frustrating and perhaps allowing my abstract paintings to mingle [haphazardly] with my more realistic works is off-putting to some, but it is a tendency I cannot abstain from. It is the artist in me. The untethered creative in me. I am, after all, a composer of paint, of shape and line and color and texture. I am artist.

Spring Mosaic, 48x54"

I am drawn to this style of painting, yes, but it does not come naturally to me. Abstract painting, while easily achieved by adventurous four-year-olds the world over, is something that must be learned -- speaking now of good abstract painting, of course, paintings with hopefully more artistic merit and sophistication than early refrigerator art. One must learn the principles of art and design and then learn how to bend and break the rules -- that's where individual style comes from perhaps. Breaking the rules . . . your way. So, anyway, I've learned the rules and I've learned to break the rules, but it's still a piece of art. So the challenge is still there, and perfection is still the unattainable goal.

And this one? This one is pretty good, I think. And it's much better in person, of course -- much more impressive. (click the image to see a larger version)

Update

on 2011-05-02 14:20 by wessf

By the way, I might make minor changes before applying magic gloss varnish/finish. I'm gonna look at the painting some more first.

Big White Boat

Big White Boat, 30x24", $400

Forgive me, I don't know what kind of boat this is and my Google powers don't work on Mondays. This was one of the paintings I did onsite during the Madisonville Art Market while my wife watched the booth. I joked with the owners of the boat that I was about to take a break and then realized the boat I was painting could leave at any moment so continued painting to get as much detail as I could. Later, the boat did leave before I could get a lot of the rigging details and whatnot on canvas, turning my jest into a serious concern. But I got most of it right and finished the painting moments ago here at home.

Duck!

Duck, 16x16", $200

Painted this duck (female mallard?) from a reference photo in just under an hour. Total. To be sure this is one of my quickest "times," if we're keeping score, but still . . . that's pretty fast right?! This is painted on a somewhat heavy masonite-on-one-and-a-half-inch-wood-backing-board. I do like painting on smooth hard surfaces like this because of how the paint sits up on it -- I realize now that it's hard to explain the difference -- though the same effect happens once a canvas has been painted over several times.

Anyway, I like how this painting turned out. I'm sure it'll sale quickly. [pound for pound, it's priced to sell]

Sailboat on the Tchefuncta

Sailboat on the Tchefuncta, 30x24", $400

At the Madisonville Art Market last Saturday, I spent much of the day painting. This is one of those paintings. That's pretty much the story on this one. The end.

lemons and colorful people

Bowl of Lemons 12x12" $100Captive Audience #13, 24x30" $400

A quick reminder. I will be at the Madisonville Art Market this Saturday [April 9th, 10am-4pm]. The wife will be there helping me and I will be painting throughout the day under the live oaks. Should be a beautiful day for it. Come by if you can.

• Also look for my booth at the next Palmer Park Arts Market in New Orleans, Saturday, April 23rd.
• Also, if you're in the New Orleans area, I now have a variety of paintings hanging in Piece'a Work art gym (3436 Magazine Street - www.pieceawork.com)

Thanks to everyone who braved the perfect weather and made it out to the Palmer Park Arts Market today [though it was not exactly ideal for canopies and paintings and small dogs and anything else susceptible to strong gusts of wind]. I gave out a lot of business cards and talked to a lot of new people interested in art. I was even surprised to meet [finally] a person I've sold many paintings to in the past but never met face to face before [thanks for coming by Tim!].

Now I'm sunburned and worn out. Next art market I plan to attend is the Madisonville Art Market -- Saturday, April 9th, 10am to 4pm. I will be painting throughout the day while there [for all to see] -- hope you can make it out. I plan to have lots of new paintings too.

That is all.