Saturday, December 28, 2013

The old oak tree

Old gnarled and twisting oak trees are full of character and interesting patterns.  I enjoyed painting this oak tree located in a park near my house.

What is Art?

"Art is natural beauty interpreted through human temperament."  I share this view as quoted by Birge Harrison in one of my favorite books on art, Landscape Painting.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

A Handheld Mobile Easel

I enjoy drawing and painting outdoors but not the hassle of transporting and setting up an easel and my art supplies.  Inspired by a desire to draw and paint virtually anywhere at a moment’s notice I designed the Handheld Mobile Easel so I can easily hold my easel, palette, water container, and a brush or two all with one hand while standing or sitting.  It’s fairly simple to build with mostly PVC pipe and a few other materials available at many hardware stores.  Once assembled it fits into a backpack for carrying along on hikes.  I've published the instructions to build your own Handheld Mobile Easel on Instructables so you too may enjoy painting outdoors without any delay or hassle.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Cool dancer

One of my favorite subjects to draw are dancers.  I enjoy the lines, figurative shapes, and energy they bring to a composition.  Here is a drawing in charcoal based on a cool dancer photo I saw on Pinterest.

Still life floral arrangement

I admire the still life paintings of the Dutch and Flemish masters and have always found it difficult to know where to focus when drawing or painting a floral still life.  Here is a drawing I did a couple of weeks ago based on a painting I liked on the Internet.  I focused my attention on just a few flowers instead of trying to render the entire arrangement.

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Capturing the Beauty and Power of Yosemite

Robert Hagan, an Australian artist, nicely demonstrates his thought process (with a little bit of history) to take the overwhelming beauty of Yosemite and communicate the impact of this famous national park in a moving plein air painting.  Check out the video in this episode of Splash of Color.