Blue Crab

Blue Crab, 11.75x14.75", $100

Update on 2011-11-19 19:25 by wessf

This one has sold.

yellow flowers

Yellow Flowers in Glass Vase, 14x11", $140, framed

at the big table #2

I was pleased with the first painting I did from this reference photo years ago and liking the image so much I decided to return to it. This time it's framed more horizontally which puts more emphasis on the center of interest which is nice, and after comparing the two, this one turned out much more realistic than I thought it would (and now I like this one better). I added the strawberries from my head last minute (thinking, I could simply paint over them again if they didn't work) and this addition has turned out to be one of the best parts of the painting for me. All in all, a success!

"At the Big Table #2", 14x24", $300

walking together

This one was painted from a photo of my wife and son when he was still a toddler (obviously, the kid in the painting came out older looking and my wife came out much more androgynous--no offense to either, I wasn't concerned with perfection here). What I was aiming for (and didn't quite hit) was the kind of abstraction which is in part representational--meaning the two figures aren't unique individuals but merely represent the ages they are and the relationship they are displaying--and in part a kind of street art where there is an underlying sophistication to the peice which belies the otherwise primitive or somehow unfinished techniques involved (in other words, to be a finished peice of artwork while looking messy).

I think the main thing holding this painting back is the framing of the two figures. If they were positioned more in the center of the canvas (a little to the right and a little higher in otherwords), that would help, I think. Along with some more tweaking (like maybe lightening the sky in the background to add more interest), this painting could get to where I'd like it to be. So, I might just spend a little more time on this one.

Walking Together, 14x14"

three amigos

This is a recent commission I completed. It's always important to start with a good reference photo, and this one was so well conceived (and with such well-behaved dogs).

bowl of fruit

Bowl of Fruit, 11x14", $140 (framed)

I started this one last Sunday when I was leading a small art class. I liked the simplicity of the original 'sketch' so much I kept it that way as I finished it yesterday, adding very little detail except for the hint of a table and the highlights and shadows. It looks great in this simple black five-inch frame I had at home. I wonder if the wife will notice that the painting I had in that frame is now gone (and that the frame itself is MIA, for that matter).

Update on 2011-10-30 14:23 by wessf

I used the frame I was going to use on another painting, so for now I'm selling this one unframed ($100).

Update on 2011-11-28 07:16 by wessf

This one is sold.

lab

lab, 11x11", $80

Spring Mosaic, small

Spring Mosaic, small, 18x24", $400

American Flag #7

American Flag #7, 40x30", $400

This month, on the Wess Foreman painting circuit . . . .

• In three days (Saturday the 10th) you can find me at the Madisonville Art Market from 10:00 to 4:00. Looks like the cool weather will still be around so it should be a magnificent day for it.
• As usual, I will be at the Palmer Park Arts Market in New Orleans the last Saturday of the month, which is the 24th this month.
• You can also see some of my artwork at the Crescent City Brew House in New Orleans all this month.
• And if you get a chance, stop by Piece a' Work art gym in New Orleans where I have a few paintings hanging in the back room somewhere -- just ask for them by name :-)

*all these places have websites with more information, easily found by searching for them online (beginner guide to using Google sold separately)

If you would like to be added to my email newsletter, please let me know on the contact page or via email at wess@wessforeman.com. Thanks!

Captive Audience #15

Captive Audience #15, 25x40", $700

Coffee Break, diptych

Coffee Break, diptych, 2-40x25", SOLD

This (These?) would make a nice backdrop/focal-point to a cafe, bakery, or home kitchen. I started with the right canvas--two coffee cups and saucers--keeping the style quick and loose, and soon realized I could continue the yellow table top onto a second canvas (which I happened to have on hand).

Update on 2011-11-28 07:16 by wessf

This one is sold.

White Knight Black Pawn

White Knight Black Pawn, 8x10"This one is basically finished--I will probably add a touch more shadow to the background especially behind the knight's head to give it more contrast there. Also I haven't signed it. Also I will probably find a good frame for it before calling in finished.

Update on 2011-11-28 07:16 by wessf

This one is sold.

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