Jan 27 | Coffee NOW

“Coffee NOW”

6x6” oil ($75)

This is a compilation of a number of cat photos, mainly because trying to see a black cat's features in a photo isn't easy!  I saw a cat poking its head through a pink blanket and decided I liked the color with black.  The eyes were from the first photo and the eyes I had to paint.  Intense and demanding.  Loved them.  

ART TIP

I love using a Kemper Wipeout tool and its double sided tool.  Thank you Dreama Tolle Perry for introducing it to me.  Beside wiping out, they are terrific drawing lines when painting wet into wet.  You can use it for whiskers! and signatures and just drawing in a line you've lost to help you place your paint better.  They should have them at your local art store in the ceramics department.  If not, almost all the online art stores carry them.  
 

Jan 25 | Chihuahua

“Cutie Pie”

6x6” oil ($150)

The only thing I ever remember Mom being afraid of was dogs, so of course she never met a dog that didn't jump on her given the chance.  The neighbors had a Chihuahua named Tiny.  Mom was always very kind and rarely said no, so as much as she was nervous being around dogs, she agreed we'd take care of Tiny for about a month.  All I remember about him was he was very hyper, but he couldn't bark.  

Jan 21 | What Did You Say?

“What Did You Say?”

6x6” oil ($50)

I was struggling trying to think up a title, so I had to fall back on my reliable source Mr. Ray to help me with the title for this guy. 

Painting color which isn't in a photo is tough for me.  I'm taking baby steps by trying to have some fun and experiment with my backgrounds in these little paintings.  Rather than try for realistic looking grass, I went the polar opposite.  Its even more "limey" in person. 

 

ART TIP - Titles

Back in July, after research plus conversations with artist friends, I wrote an article for the Springfield Art Guild newsletter and a  "blog post on titles".  Its not always easy to come up with a title that suitable for your painting.  For this project I have painted a number of dogs and if I don't know their names I'm struggling to come up with a title.  As I was trying to figure out a name for this painting, I found a few more articles on the subject I thought I'd share.  

Robert Genn's article had some insightful ideas, but he left out my favorite, humor. 

"How to Pick a Title or Name for a Painting" by Robert Genn | Updated 11/25/14   

 "When it comes to titling paintings, what comes first -- the chicken or the egg?" This was a query I had from B.J. Wright, who went on to say: "I have paintings that are still untitled, in spite of trying several titles, as one would try on prom dresses. Other works were a title first -- then the painting emerged."

Well, B.J, most of us paint first and title last. Sometimes, about the middle, a title just pops out of the ether.  And there are a few of us who get a title in our heads and figure out the work to go with it. Particularly with whimsical and didactic art, this last system is worth considering. The right title makes a difference as to how a work is seen and understood. Not only are titles a bridge to the viewer, they are also part of the art. I'm a believer in giving your titles some careful thought.

There are five main kinds of titles:

• Sentimental
• Numerical
• Factual
• Abstract, and
• Mysterious.

For comparison purposes, take a painting of mine of weathered totems near a snowy, deserted village. The somewhat sentimental title I chose, "The Long Winter", attempts to comment generally on the current state of our native peoples."

"How to Title Art,  How to Choose a Title For Drawings and Paintings" is another article by artist Helen South, an Australian artist working in graphite, charcoal, watercolor and mixed media. She has been the About.com Guide to Drawing and Sketching since 2003.   There is more about Helen's current and past work on her Google Profile: Helen South

Jan 19 | All Wrapped Up

“All Wrapped Up”

6x6” oil

Apparently, the owners of this cutie didn't have a doggie scarf and decided to use the longest human scarf they could find! This little guy probably weighs about 25 pounds, well, 30 with the scarf.  The photo was a strange angle from above so his head looked huge compared to what little body you could see under the scarf.  I drew the body in and it just looked odd and out of proportion.  That's what is great about painting, you paint out anything you don't like.  

I watched Robert Burridge's ArtsyFartsy Newsletter this morning.  Love, love, love, his newsletters.   His latest short video is about putting in your background before you start your paintings.  (He is using acrylic so different technique)  Bob's bottom line was for every good painting there should be a good abstract background.  He used red for his background in his example so that's all I had in my head today when I started to paint.