Charlottesville : The Cityscape of Change

I finished what I was working on during Thanksgiving here at home just a few hours ago. It is an acrylic painting. A smaller one that took some work to complete but it is nice just the same. The subject is one that is repeated from the one I just finished. That larger one of "Mincer's" is a rather more significant painting on. I wanted to work on this painting in a plastic based paint (acrylics) just to see if I could do it. I needed to test myself in this newer medium in order to know just how does this paint hold up doing the things I usually do in oils. It handled differently yet it was better in working with varying colors on a flat plain. In varying colors it worked such that one can alter one color with many others in order to produce "bright changes" from spot to spot on the same area of the canvas. I was glad to see how this could be worked out. There were other abilities acrylics have that are unique to this medium but I won't…

Working again, I guess I'm kind of hooked on making paintings on my time off or time to myself in my country home. That's just the way I've chosen my circumstances to turn out. It was a conscious effort to find that perfect atmosphere to paint in and a place where those creative spirits can foster new and original paintings. Since moving here I haven't looked back, with some exceptions of course but when one moves, one moves themselves and there outlook as well. I've lived my way into a new view of my art. I do however look back and paint scenes from my past: such is this new couple of paintings. My last two paintings deal with "the Corner" area of Charlottesville and the University of Virginia area where the students frequent on there time off from classes. This area is the home to 'Mincer's' and other local flavored stores, restaurants and clothing shops not to forget at store that was there until the recent past a bike shop …

The world seems on fire without many taking the time to stand in repose'. Too much response without much reflection with knowledge on the subject that is causing the turmoil. If one pauses long enough one can see with clarity towards what would be a humane action instead of believing in destruction of 'what is' simply because it is not 'in accordance' to one's way. This drawing is of men standing in wait of what is to come. A "Waiting for Godot" sort of drawing with it's subject posed in expectation of "what is to be" instead of "what is now".

During the last four months I've been working on one specific painting. Most times I put in but two and a half hours per session, but this changed when I was getting towards the completion of this painting. I work on what my painter friends called a 'marathon' session of work. Yesterday I put in ten hours straight with only one brief break. The subject is something I have painted before but each time it comes out a little bit better. This time was no different, I knew what I was faced with and I decided to take it on. I began by doing some photos of the scene: I took photos from many different angles since setting up and painting on location was very difficult. I've tried it in the past. In order to get the optimum view I had to set up at the bottom of a lob-lolly pine tree among its branches. As one might imagine it wasn't a very pleasant atmosphere in which to paint. This time I opted for a photograph shown on my laptop. I worked and reworked th…

Having coffee the other day in Scottsville, I brought out my pen and drawing book then got to work on this inkspot. I enjoyed the time, and I was daunted by the overwhelming variety of brickwork that I needed to finish. In order to do it right I needed not to let anything out. I know that it's not quality of them but the quality of the bricks and how I sought to give each one its own character as I pen'd them in. It was a task that took some time, but I had the time on that particular day so I got to work. I guess it was an hour or perhaps and hour and thirty later on that I was done. I did hit it up a bit at home later on that week but it didn't need much more. I plan to go back again sometime to work on other vistas at the nice wooden tabletop in Blane's Books and Coffee.

Its been a long time since I posted anything: I am still alive and still working on one particular commission of Mincer's on the Corner section of Charlottesville. It's going well and its taking time but the payoff is the better quality that comes with attention to detail and quality of content I am putting into this work. Its a process. The better and longer time I put into attention to that process the better the end product of artwork. I am near completion. I also have bought a new scanner/printer/fax machine which will allow me to post pen and ink drawings once again. So all in all, I will have something to post once I get it together to finish this painting, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps the day after tomorrow...all in good time, all in all its a good time doing this one.