An Olde City gallery had a display at our neighborhood "Jazz and Arts Festival" where I spoke with a gallery assistant whom I later emailed. No response yet. Spent 2 days getting my son set up to work with the School District's Mural Arts Program during July. Worked more on my newest painting, which is developing nicely. Restructured my Web Gallery, putting more paintings in my d'Art Gallery with plans to change them monthly.
Friday, July 8, 2005
Completed "Woman with a Red Background", and am pleased with its' simplicity. My work has become so sophisticated in the past year that it was good to return to basics and add this image to my Web Gallery. Bought a few art-related books, and a brand new sketchbook. Used the first page to sketch out ideas for a new painting, somewhere between simple and complex (the happy medium, I suppose), and began painting the best version.
Friday, July 15, 2005
Continued working on my new painting. Stopped by the Gallery to pick up payment from the sale of one painting, and brought Lorna who met the owner. Also walked through the Gallery looking at other Artist's work - another one of my paintings was in the window display. Received the application for Woodmere's Members Exhibit. Trying a more provocative opening to my Web Gallery, but already miss the colorful 'Painting of the Week'. Looked through my new art books, and found an interesting artist while browsing the web - Eugene von Bruenchenhein lived and died in Milwaukee, USA. He produced hundreds of photographs and paintings of his wife, using her hair for his brushes.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Finished my latest painting "Choosing Memories", and sent out an 'Occasional Newsletter'. Responded to a nice email from artist Razel Gstrein that included photos of her successful Berlin show. Dropped off my entry for Woodmere's Members Exhibit. Looked through Art books at our Public Library, taking out 2 books.
Friday,July 29, 2005
Added an "August's Wing" to my d'Art gallery. Exchanged paintings on consignment with the gallery at the owner's request, speaking with her for quite a while - so good to ' talk art' ! Finishing my last painting, "Choosing Memories", really drained me, but I hope to hit my sketchbook anew next week.
Friday, August 5, 2005
Looked through my Art books and began developing sketches. Saw my shows and work listed in the Summer Alumni News from the University of the Arts - that was nice. I'm almost out of gesso for preparing canvas and panels, so I went down to the school store and bought a new jar. Also bought some small frames at a neighborhood store to create a few miniature paintings for a future show I heard about.
Friday, August 19, 2005
After seeing my painting in the Balcony Gallery at Woodmere's Members Exhibit it was time for a short vacation...
Last week the family and I spent a few days at the New Jersey Sea Shore about 100 miles away.
Back home I did manage to look through some Art Books and work on a few sketches, but the only painting I did was our railing out front.
Friday, August 26, 2005
It has been one month since I finished "Choosing Memories", but still have only sketches towards any new painting. This week I truly labored over past and current sketches, developing only one or two ideas further. Including the sand and ocean from our recent trip is beautiful, but the ideas are so 'new' to my sketchbook...it is difficult to 'force' or mass produce Art. When I'm ready - and I hope that's soon.
Friday, September 2, 2005
When my wife mentioned that her husband was an Artist to her Art History Professor the teacher asked if I would speak to the class. We set up guidelines for a brief presentation in November.
Picked up my painting, "Asking a Favor", after the close of Woodmere's Members Exhibit.
The family began school this week, creating peace and quiet here for most of the day. Just 2 quiet days allowed me to finish 2 on-panel drawings. Wrote an email to the Swan Gallery, hoping to stir things up a bit. Worked on a rough draft for my November presentation at LaSalle University.
Friday, September 9, 2005
Friday, September 16, 2005
wow...the 6 hours of quiet provided by the start of the school year has really made a difference. Finished a third on-panel drawing and began painting. All 3 paintings are at least half complete. Finished a draft and web page for my November presentation and will be emailing it to the teacher later today.
Friday, September 23, 2005
Almost finished my 3 new paintings. Getting notes together for an 'Occasional Newsletter' to accompany their 'unveiling''. Lorna's Art History Professor approved my draft for the presentation in November, and we worked out the last few details - now to practice.
Friday, September 30, 2005
Finished 3 paintings about healthy living. Added them to my web gallery and sent out an 'Occasional Newsletter'. Lorna and I spent an afternoon at the University of Pennsylvania's Archeological Museum seeing mummies, statues, and artifacts from as early as 2000-3000 BC.
Friday, October 7, 2005
Began 2 paintings. The main speaker at Lorna's College Honors Ceremony this Sunday was the woman who began the mural arts program here in Philadelphia almost 20 years ago. At the light reception afterward I spoke with her, mentioning my application in the 1980s. I also submitted a resume to the mural arts program in the 1990s. We exchanged business cards, but maybe I'm getting too old for mural scaffolding.
Friday, October 14, 2005
Finished "Morning Stretch". Tried to make progress with the other new work, but ended up wiping off and redrawing on-panel charcoal sketches. Also made a half dozen thumbnail sketches on paper to try and include all that I want in the painting. No tangible progress with that second painting this week.
Received a nice email from an artist friend.
Friday, October 21, 2005
Put aside the painting I was struggling with, and began a new painting using circumstances 'at hand'. Put some time into a rough draft of a book (or several books) of my paintings. The project of a published book is ceratinly feasible, but I am concerned about what market there would be. Received an email from an old friend who commented that my latest Newsletter was 'one of the best yet'. Touched up one earlier painting and improved the images of a half dozen other paintings by re-taking photos in improved lighting.
OLD
NEW
Friday, October 28, 2005
Finished the new 'on-hand' painting and am very pleased with it. There are only small bits of news, so I will save this new painting to 'unveil' closer to the holidays with a Newsletter and a seasonal painting I have begun sketches for. Worked more on the draft for a book of my paintings, feeling: what is the worst that could happen? It could get rejected by a few publishers, but that's not so bad...Added a dozen Still Life paintings to my d'Art gallery, but had a little trouble with the imaging for 'November's Gallery', which I hope to iron out before 'November'.
Received some nice responses to my Sept. 30th 'Newsletter'
Friday, November 4, 2005
Finished the perspectives and underpainting for my seasonal, holiday painting. Worked on the draft for a book of my paintings...bought some thicker, 2-sided paper. A city transit strike has really cut into my studio time, keeping me on the road driving over 4 hours each day with my family.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Our city's transit strike lasted 7 days. Trying to make up for the lost time I put one long, gruelling day into my holiday painting and am very pleased with the result - it should be finished in time now. Gave my talk with my wife's Art History class. It went very well, with interest and questions from the students. Completed "one" book of over 80 of my paintings. I will go over the "one" copy, looking for errors and ways to improve it before submitting it to publishers.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Made much progress on my complex holiday painting, and began painting over an on-panel drawing for a second autumn painting - making 3 paintings I hope to complete for the holidays. Completed a second, corrected copy of a small book of my paintings and began writing letter drafts to have it published.
Friday, November 25, 2005
A busy week...completed my holiday painting, "All is Calm", and 'unveiled' it together with "Warming an Early Frost" through an Occasional Newsletter. Lorna and I put together a "Christmas Message" acccessable from this site's main page. Visited Woodmere Art Museum with 2 of my sons, finding a few pleasant surprises. Renewed our membership for another year, and included a copy of a book of my work, asking publishing advice.
Friday, December 2, 2005
Working so hard to finish "All is Calm" for the Christmas season has left too many research and sketch books out, and I still have to put away the portfolio of my work from the presentation for Lorna's Art History class. Developed and printed a handful of Christmas cards, but am putting most painting aside to clean up for holiday visits.
Friday, December 9, 2005
Straightened up for the holidays. Almost finished the second 'autumn' painting begun mid-November. Discovered the Swan Gallery's website is up. Improved 2 images with better lighting.
Discussed donating a painting to my son's Home and School auction in March.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Prepared some panels with frames for a miniature painting exhibit I heard about during this past summer, but am unsure when it will take place - hope I'm not too late getting started. Prepared another 2 larger panels to begin new paintings. Contacted the Swan Gallery about updating their records of my work with my "2005" paintings. Printed a handful of business cards.
4 x 6" each
Friday, December 23, 2005
Picked and began preparing my entry for mid-January's Juried Exhibit at Woodmere. Developed some ideas in my Sketchbook, but the week before Christmas was full of other work to do...including decorating our Christmas Tree !
With the 12 Days of Christmas beginning next week and all the children home for vacation I doubt I'll have many opportunities to paint until after the New Year.
