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A good read – The Rogue Artist Survival Guide.

This will be a short post and recommendation for The Rogue Artist Survival Guide. This week I took time to finish reading a great book for artists written by Rafi Perez.

I look forward to Rafi and Klee’s YouTube videos every week. They are a real inspiration and if you are an artist you need to check it out. Also check out the blog and web site.

Rafiandklee.com

They are totally awesome.

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Missing the Markets – Revised

This past Saturday the Winter Market in Westport NY, was canceled for anyone not selling produce, it would have been my second event of the year.

This coming weekend, I was scheduled to attend my first outdoor art market at the Hudson Valley Maple Sugar Festival. I would have had my own booth outside. Yes it could be cold, but it would have been exciting as well. I bought a new Easy-Up with walls and build a way to hang my art. This delay will give me time to do more testing and experimenting on how to show my work without being a major paint to set up.

It is kind of early to figure out when I will be able start showing my work since in New York State we are locked down until the middle of May at least. Living in the Adirondacks it is about as far away from the City as you can get, and still be in New York State, but we need to have the visitors to make it work.

Unfortunately I just was informed that the first date for the Essex arts and Craft festival on July 5 has been canceled.

This leaves me with only 1 confirmed date where I will be showing my art. This will be a return to the Essex County Arts and Crafts Festival in Westport NY. The art fair will be held on August 3rd, essexartsandcrats.org. I have been trying to find other events to have a booth to show my art.

Once I know more about new events I will add it to may calendar.

Stay Safe ….

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Blue Jay Days

Kayden

The past week has been spent finishing one last driftwood frame and painting the blue jay to fit. This time it took a couple of tries to get the painting I wanted. I always learn from my less than acceptable work (mistakes). Balance and placement within the driftwood frame is very important to me.

I also spent time finishing another lamp and drilling stones. The process of making stones fit is a lot of trial and error. One of the biggest challenges is drilling on an angle to fit stones on an angle.

Slope driftwood and stone lamp

I also spent some time doing a little drawing, planning for future dog paintings.

I have made several cards from my paintings and the were very popular at the art market I was able to do before the lockdown. These as a few possible subjects I will work on to expand my offering.

Looking forward to another week in the studio.

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Driftwood Frenzy – Part 2

On to part 2 of my week of driftwood frenzy – Lamps. I was able to spend some time on the beach collections more driftwood for my drying bin. It takes weeks to prepare driftwood for working into art.

These lamps are special, they were claimed by my wife even as i was making them, and are now in our bedroom on the night stands. With these lamps the I didn’t use normal beach stones, instead I used some of my stash of rock crystal to make the pieces special. The base is a slab of rock crystal on black walnut. The top of the lamp body glows with a large rock crystal ball.

These lamps are the only ones like it I can build, I have no more rock crystal bases. I don’t have a current resource for more.

Still sheltering in place … and not upset about it.

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Driftwood Frenzy – Part 1

Drifting Loon

This past week in the studio had led to a frenzy of new driftwood inspired art.

I completed 8 more driftwood accented frames. With each new frame, I compose new paintings to fit the frame. Its different for me to have to scale my pieces for the frames. When making the frames I look for the right place to blend and fit the connections to the wood used to build my normal frames. Once I have attachment points I will then lay out the scale for the balance of the frame determining width and height to achieve balance.

These paintings are larger than my regular paintings, so scaling up has been part of the challenge.

On to some more lamps …

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Holy Cow – Still Sheltering in Place

The masked Motley Artist

The shelter in place continues…. you see me here with a make made by my wife. She is a quilter and talented fabric artist. She is making masks to donate and is now also making scrubs for the local hospital. I am proud of her and will be helping wherever I can to make supplies to donate. We only go out once a week or so to do the essential shopping. We will continue to do the shelter in place till the end of the month, or when they say it’s ok to go out. I really hope that we will have the various markets I was planning to attend.

I am doing my part to help the economy, I have had to order more paper from Dick Blick since I am doing so many paintings. below are a few of my recent ones. I have also broken out a stash of large paper for some of my new series of driftwood accent frames in large formats. I had to order new blades for my band saw, cutting driftwood for my lamps and frames, I discover a few embedded rocks and broke 3 blades in 3 days. Ordering other lamp parts as well, we are keeping the delivery guys busy.

Holy cow is right, these were done for a friend of my wife who loves cows. These won’t make it to my gallery for sale, but they were so much fun I will do more.

I have also completed a few more of my driftwood accent frames. The Bluebird on a branch and the Cedar Waxwing are hanging on the wall in the living room. I am really happy with the way the painted branch fits is an extension for the driftwood. I find that making the driftwood accent frames is an exercise in fitting and adjusting.

Digging into my bin of driftwood puts many ideas into my head, I am working on 4 new lamps and 3 more driftwood accent frames.

With nice spring weather and temps in the 50’s, the outdoors is calling, winter was not kind to the yard so yardwork is now a priority during the nice days.

Stay Safe….