Struttin' his Stuff - Giant Blue Heron

Blue Heron - Strutting, 6x6, oil, available

 I did 3 sketches from life of this Blue Heron, as he hung around the beach in Pensacola FL a few years ago. He just kept walking back and forth and up and down! One sketch I cannot find, it was pen and ink- very different from this pencil sketch and the other is much like this one below, except the legs are too short in it. :-0   Finally did this small oil painting. It was intended to be submitted to the Randy Higbee 6x6 show in December, but it wasn't where I wanted it to be by the deadline. I have had this post sitting here as I tried to find the pen and ink drawing, but alas, I have given up. 

The colors of this bird, though 'blue,' are really quite varied. Such an elegant creature!

pencil sketch

Before and After, Debbie's Place

Debbie's Place, Hopland CA, oil, 11x14

This painting was started as a plein air painting in 2007. Debbie was a neighbor of my in-laws up the road in rural Hopland CA. I regularly brought my plein air gear when visiting and did many paintings over the years of this area. Debbie raised these sheep for their wool which she sold to weavers all over the country. I have sold many paintings of her sheep! This was one of my more adventurous paintings from that time period. My vantage point is looking down the hill from behind the fence, standing on the side of the dirt road that is basically one lane. Traffic was not usually a problem.

I recently reworked it yet again as I can't seem to get it where I want it. I think it is as good as it is going to get. When I can't get motivated to paint on the current round of canvas's I have going, revisiting an unsold painting is an easy way to get me interested. Nothing is ever finished around here until it goes out the door! There is a wedding in the family coming up and I was wondering if I should do a new painting for the happy couple or one that the bride would relate to from her childhood. That was the motivation on picking this particular piece to revisit. Some of the photos below are darker than the painting would have been due to the changing digital photo technology but they are not tampered with.

Original, plein air, 2007

First Revision, 2008, looks like a yellow filter! but not

It looks like I corrected some of the drawing on the sheep's shed and took out the blues and dark greens from the grassy hill. I wonder if that was shadows from the trees originally as the roadway was bordered by trees? It is too long ago now for me to know what is was that I was doing as the photo I took has the hillside in sun.

Second Revision, 2011

I have not included the 3rd or was it the 4th revision as it is very similar to the second except I added the dark sheep in the middle ground in the middle. The original plein air is not as bad as I expected it to be, but then, I have a history of not liking what I do on site and can't keep my hands off of it. Either I wipe it off then and there or I keep finding fault in it. I have gotten better about these high expectations over the years, but I don't paint outdoors as much and I have learned the hard way that they are not normally as bad as I think they are if I let them sit for awhile. Those painting that do end up being as bad as I thought, I have been painting over, which I enjoy doing.

True Confessions

I started this post two months ago-then promptly forgot about it.

Many of you may not remember the publication from back in the day and truthfully, I don't know much about it. The title sure stuck in my brain, however. It is a humbling experience to review ones work and find some of it, surprising in its lack of what one knows as a foundational principle.

This is one that first struck me as decidedly 'off' and yet at the time of its execution I thought I had done such a good representation. Which I had done. The thing was, I ignored what I knew and copied the image with its distortions as if it were true to life. One thing I had forgotten, or neglected to observe, and it is a big thing, is how the phone camera distorts perspective. What's wrong with this picture?

It is that all of the vertical lines should be parallel and straight up and down. The difference in color is from the devices used. The remake is with my iPhone. I think the image above was with my digital camera. A stark contrast...surprising or not, the iPhone image is more true to the painting. It did not take much to straighten the window edges out.

View from Above, 9x12, oil

There will be more revised paintings coming as I pulled a number of them out to revisit. I am so out of the habit of writing and posting that I am way behind. Thankfully, there weren't very many with the perspective lines out of whack. 

This painting is from my last trip to Italy. It reminded me of myself as a child living in France. Our house had three stories and I often sat in the window overlooking a street through our city that was a thoroughfare. I ticked off on the windowsill how many cars with British plates on their way to or from Paris.

Save the Date - Holiday Show - Dec 4, 2021

 

Basset in the Sun

 

The Basset in the Sun, 18x24, oil, available

 

The photo reference for this painting was taken a number of years ago. I loved the sienna tone to the whole image. As often happens with my reference photos, is I see something in them when I take them, but then once I get home, it just doesn't speak to me right away. Then when revisiting my photos at a later date, the reawakening of what drew me to take it in the first place comes back. This is an old rescued dame, who once her owner died, no one in the family wanted it. The cousin, who loves all animals, drove a few states away to go pick her up and give her a few good years with the rest of their menagerie. She seemed to have settled in just fine and found this perfect place to sit in the sun. Her name is Clio.

I enjoy doing pet portraits and though this is not a commissioned portrait, I felt compelled to honor this solid basset hound. She seems so regal in her bearing. I started with an old painting as I often do. My intent on this was to record the progress from start to finish and make it into a video. I did all the work to do this but the resulting video is not as good as I would have liked. The program seems to have made all the images darker than they were already. It hasn't been easy to photograph due to the fact I painted over a varnished painting. The glare from the varnish comes through, and painting on varnish also absorbs so much of the paint to make the new layer darker than what is applied. You would think I would learn and remove the varnish before starting a new painting, but I am lazy. So instead, I constantly fight this fact and then it is really hard to photograph on top of it. When will I ever learn??

For the longest time, I wanted to leave some of the sunflowers coming through the dog but ultimately I decided they were just a distraction.

My Eyes are on You

 Not making any excuses for my delay in posting. Suffice it to say, I am here now.

Patience, 8x8, oil on board

This cat belongs to a friend's cousin that we stopped by to visit while on our road trip through Ohio last summer. He would not come down any further than the landing to the basement. He just sat there and watched every move of his owner, Gigi. I took a number of shots of his different looks, but I liked this one. It was almost as if he was saying, "You know I don't do basements..." or "are you almost done?" He definitely was communicating. I haven't come up with any great name for this piece so if something strikes you, let me know. His name is Dippity.

I am still fascinated with cats for some reason.

Tabby Cat, 8x8, oil on board

I hesitate to post this first image I had planned on using for this post. Something stayed my hand from making it live, as there were a few things I saw when putting it up for view. Here is where the new title comes in. I am not a patient individual. I started this small painting in June for Pete's sake. It should have been done within a few days, not months! The first flaw that struck me was his paw that is underneath him. Ugh. What the heck? Stuck out like a sore thumb. Even if the image had his paw looking somewhat deformed, the value and shape were off. The second thing I noticed was that the shadow side of his head did not join with the shadow side of his body. Both easy fixes. 

The second image was also taken with different lighting. One is a tad light and the other a tad dark. Posting the photographic image of my work is like having a second pair of eyes. It is always very helpful if not always welcome!

RIP Fritz the Wonder Dog

Fritz, 20x16, oil on panel - Died 6-4-20 at 15.5 years of age

Yesterday was a sad day, but yet a relief. Fritz finally let me know on Wednesday he was ready. I found a wonderful Veterinarian who came to the house. This is all he does, which takes a special individual. And he was very good at it. A big shout out to Dr. Jason Cordeiro. This was my first experience with home pet care, but I would not do it any other way now. I was able to hold Fritz as he passed out of this life into the next. He is missed and will be missed. He was a little shit in a many ways, but he was my little shit. He had such a personality and was a verbal dog, letting us know what he thought on the subject. The past year he was showing his age, but still, for the most part, vibrant. The past several months I knew the time with him was coming to an end. Knowing and accepting are two different things...please forgive me if I wasn't listening to as closely as I should have. With much love.

I did this portrait of Fritz 6 years ago. It was for a class project where texture was the theme. I tended to paint with a smooth surface and this was to try and break me out of that mode. I thought I might be able to add more paint texture to his hair, which for me, was a help. I will never be an impasto painter but my paintings are no longer smooth to the touch.

Fritz, quick sketch, 9x12, oil on panel

I could only find this one image of a quick sketch I did of Fritz many years ago. (looks like the paint was still wet when I shot it) He was waiting for Richard to come home. He had heard his cab drive by so had his eye on the gate. This quick sketch was painted in less than 5". Fortunately, I had the paint already on the palette as I had been painting in the garden just before I saw him sitting there so intently.

Stormy II - Cat Portrait

Stormy II, 8x8, oil on linen panel - commission

Here is the second portrait of Stormy in the series of 3 I was commissioned to do. The original image has Stormy in a shoe box. I cropped it down to a square leaving those 3 white rectangles to help move the eye around and break up the space.

Here is the beginning of the block in process. I liked these abstract shapes showing through. It is a shame I can't seem to incorporate them more into the new painting! I know it sounds weird, but when I have another color underneath it does push me to think differently than I would do starting on a fresh pristine canvas. One day the underlying painting will become a part of the new. Some things just take time to make themselves known.

Pet Portrait #1 Stormy Outside

Stormy I, 8x8, oil on linen panel

I was recently commissioned to do three portraits of this lovely cat, Stormy. This particular painting Stormy was outside. I have not met this cat yet.

Starting out, I grabbed an old plein air painting, for which I do not have a photo, but I think you can tell it was in fall and the trees are reflected in the lake. This painting is from Washington Park, south lake facing south. Not one of my better paintings...ie no great loss and is now better used.

My initial block in. Starting with larger shapes and breaking down into smaller shapes.

The owner is very happy with this portrait, so that means a job well done.

Tom Cat revisted

Tom Cat, 2019, 20x20, oil on canvas

Here is an update of a painting from last summer. I was never really satisfied with it yet I could not figure out why. Everyone who saw it remarked how they liked it. Finally, I figured out what was bugging me.  So that you can see the difference, I will post the painting from last summer.

Feral Cat, 2018

I liked the colors in the walls but somehow I felt it still wasn't quite right. Almost felt dirty rather than in shade. The other big thing for me was the cat's face. I don't know why it was so hard for me to get that right.

Going back to it I saw a number of things right off the bat that had escaped me previously. First thing I noticed was the cat's back. The cat was a bit to thin on top which was one of the reasons the face didn't look right to me. That was easy. Then the ears. The ear on the left was too small and the space between the ears was too broad. That was easy to fix too. Next I realized I was a bit off on the nose so got that done.  This is on an island. I felt that even though it is 'said' cool light, warm shadows; warm light, cool shadows, there would be a lot of reflected light and and I wanted the warmth to come through of the ambient air. So I changed the overall color of the whitish walls in shadow. As so happens whenever you redo a painting you have to sometimes lose something you are attached to to make it work better overall. So I kept some of the rosiness of the front wall coming through but not as much as there was. I also decided to add the clouds. I think they help make it more interesting. And a few more holes in the plant to give it more dimension.

Your comments are always welcome. If you have a more creative name than Tom Cat, let me know!

Goin' Fishin'

On the Prowl, 12x12, oil on linen panel

Progress has been made on my egret painting. I painted in more than I had originally intended but there you have it. From day to day what we are going for can change. Everyone seemed to really like the daffodils coming through the egrets body so I left some but not as much as I had thought I would.
I still like it and overall, I think more people will like it this way too because they won't know any better!

Here is a bit of the progression. The image below is where I first stopped. I could not bring myself to 'ruin' what I felt it had going for it and everyone who saw it in this stage said to leave it alone! Eventually it just called out for more trust in my abilities and more paint. This first block in was where I stopped and had a hard time wanting to mess with it. It looked very oriental in style and the shapes coming through the light wash were an interesting element.

Original block in on top of still life painting

Here is the next phase when I finally decided I had to make it more a painting as I had originally intended before I got distracted by the textures and color showing through:

First foray into trusting my gut

I wasn't sure if I wanted to let go of the daffodils in the image above. Ultimately the whites were competing too much. The bird was not coming forward and being center stage. I then was asked by a new acquaintance if I would be willing to film myself painting for a project he is working on. I know he is a musician but I didn't ask what the project was. He has been generous in sending me recordings from the class we are taking together. I did not think to record the lectures until weeks into the class so I felt I owed him a return favor. I picked this painting as it looks good on film and I had only a few touch ups to do. Once I got going I changed my mind and saw the daffodils coming through as a distraction.

New Year

First, I want to start off by sharing with you two recent responses to my work. The first came from the judge for the November to ART MUSE online juried contest. One piece I submitted was Marbled Water. Here is what I received as a finalist: I like the unusual viewpoint and the variety of shapes that come together in an  abstract design. The suggestions of seeing through the water and the reflections from the hard edged buildings are very well described. Nancy Tankersley

Marbled Water, 30x30, oil on linen

The second came in an email this morning from a friend and collector who now lives in Vermont. Her brother-in-law teaches color at the Parsons School of Design in NYC. Here is what she wrote: Dan is a professional artist who teaches color at Parsons School of Design. I always enjoy his comments on our artwork. He loves your work, the light you get, the precision. This trip he particularly enjoyed looking at your painting of the cattle and horses and dog crossing the road in Wyoming. I can't remember exactly what he said but he loved the way you used colors and asked me to tell you how much he likes it!

Cattle Crossing, 12x24, oil on panel

It is always gratifying to discover how much your work impacts others. For someone who teaches color to comment so positively on my use of color is high praise indeed! I attribute it to John Singer Sargent. He is my inspiration.
With the holidays and family from out of town visiting etc I haven't had much time at my easel this past month or two. I have done another little 6x6 to show off today. I took the photo reference at the end of the hollyhock season. I think I needed a little color and hope for Spring.

Hollyhock, 6x6, oil on panel

New Years Day-Roxborough

New Year's Day- Roxborough State Park, 16x20, oil on panel

So Here We Go Again. I had just decided to not do anymore 'before and afters' on my blog. Afterall, I consider myself a 'professional.' Professional artists don't make mistakes of such an egregious nature. Of do they? I know this artist does.

2 or 3 years ago version

But then last night I had a call from a dear friend of mine. She is also an artist and I value her input and her eye. As we were talking she mentioned how helpful she found my 'before and after' posts. That they contain valuable information. Jeez Louise. Now what? I laughingly told her how I had just vowed to do no more of those as I spent the last week or so excitedly redoing paintings I found to be flawed in one way or another. Some of them I wasn't even sure what it was that bothered me but I just knew they were  not for public consumption. I was telling how much fun it was to all of a sudden 'see' with such clarity what was wrong in a number of these 'face to the wall' paintings.

Here is one such failure. The bottom one was done from a photograph (yes, you read that correctly. A 3.4 x 5' photograph to be precise). This scene is from before digital cameras if you can even remember back that far. I came across it as I was culling my old morgue file. Before throwing this photograph away I decided to paint it. From a photograph. Like I used to. How we did that is so hard to fathom these days.

Let me start with the fact that the shadows are not united in form. Add to that the fact that the grasses are so bright against the purple and are not reading as they should; that some of those plants are in fact, in the shadows. If I remember correctly, I was in a hurry when I painted the original. Looking back I do see that the photograph is brighter like the original version is. So at least I got that right. That dark bullseye purple shadow in the middle did nothing but detract from the whole, drawing your eye right to it. How did I miss that?

In the new version my first step was to change the sky color. I darkened it down a wee bit in value and put some violet in it. Then on to unite that shadow shape and tone down the purple, adding value and temperature shifts within the shadow. Adding a variety of plants-they are not all grasses! In the plants I added greens and cooler yellows and some deep reds as well as keeping some of the oranges and warmer yellows. I remember that originally I wanted the deer to blend in to the scenery and now on this version I want them to stand out. Even though it is not overall as bright and sunny as the original, I believe the new toned down version reads better overall. And if I did not show the original you would not know the difference. It is always a crap shoot redoing a painting. Always someone who prefers the old vs the new. But though I may still decide to brighten it up and add more warmth to it I am much happier with it now.

Spanish Sheep Market Circa 1962

the Art of the Deal, Sheep Market, Spain, Circa 1962; oil on panel, 18x24

Here is my latest painting shown below as a work in progress.  I had wanted to do this in a square format but I did not have that sized surface ready when I was ready to go. The image used for this painting was from a slide that was turning orange that I had made into a digital image at Costco. My mother took the photo circa 1962 in Spain. The men at this sheep sale make me think of the Basque but according to her note it was just north of Barcelona, a place now known for its beaches. I was attracted to this image for a number of reason. I liked the composition; I liked the subject and I appreciated the group of men doing business. Each of them taking a unique stand, as it were. Something about a wet gray day and fairly flat light attracts me.

Sketching in on the canvas with colored pencil

Starting the big shape block in

Working on unifying the dark shapes

First wave of color in big shapes

Second wave of big shape value correction

Fine tuning figures and values, 18x24, oil on panel

I am struggling with a name for this painting; The Art of the Deal; Market Shares-Sheep Trading; Deals Going Down; Your thoughts?

Silhouette of a parakeet

Peepers, 9x12, oil on panel block in stage

Here is a painting over a false start. The green and orange come from when I had played with an abstraction of a sea and beach scene but it was not successful. I thought it might be an interesting color to have underneath this portrait of my daughter's parakeet taken in winter. The white shapes are the sky and snow on buildings and fences. I want to get some snow scenes done in time for winter so this one was just to see what I can do with a silhouetted white parakeet against a snowy background. His attitude is already in evidence, that is for sure. He is very curious.

Peepers with color added, 9x12, oil 2nd stage

Here is with some color added and filling in the shapes I had blocked in above with the white. He is still looking a bit plump for such a little guy so I tried to shave some weight off of him and yet keep the overall shape. He has a deformed foot from being in a large cage with so many other birds. He had been attacked, probably for being different since he was a totally white parakeet. He now has some black on his wings and face and a blue belly. Every time he molts, more color is added, if incrementally.

Finished?, 9x12, oi on panel

Happy Client: Gallery Cat found a new home

Gallery Cat found a new home!

A friend of mine, going through some difficult personal problems, bought this painting from me recently to cheer herself up. She sent me this photo to show me how well it looks on a little easel. I am so pleased it has a place of honor next to a family photo. The color of  the alcove is perfect to show of the colors in the painting.
I painted this cat in January while doing the 30 paintings in 30 days personal challenge. I loved the organic cat moving among the graphic quality of the walls in the gallery. It is gratifying for the artist to see their work hanging or in this case, sitting in its new home.
Thank you to all who invest in art at whatever level.

Purple Deer 20

Purple Deer, 9x12, oil on linen

Today's image is from a photo I took outside my office window last spring. I work on the old Lowry AFB in the city of Denver. We have a herd of mule deer that honor us with their presence from time to time. This painting was done using the complements purple and yellow. The scene lent itself to those colors naturally because of the dried grasses and the deer being in the shade of our building. She came right up to the window to see what I was doing.

Gallery Cat 19

Gallery Cat, 8x10, oil

Day 19 is another that started out with flat shapes. The surface is that slick oil based gesso I used that sometimes I enjoy but other times, not so much. I struggled with the paint slipping all over the place on this one. This surface lends itself more to landscape for me so now I know. Details are hard to garner until you have a layer of paint dried on top. I really liked the composition on this one so may give it another go. This cat was hanging out in one of the galleries in downtown Denver.

Goats 18

Goats, 8x8, oil on panel

Day 18 brings goats.  A cool jumble of goats that would be fun to play further with and not get to serious about; ie flatten out the shapes and integrating and overlapping them. I like the overall design and think it can be pushed further.

Silly Bird 14

Silly Bird, 6x6, oil, $100

Here is my second bird of the week. I may have to continue with birds for awhile. They are intriguing and full of personality and possibilities. See where that takes me. It is thrilling to me that I have been better this week about not only squeezing in painting where before I did not, but also photographing at my easel and posting before work! My exercise routine is suffering, however...

http://lesliesaeta.blogspot.com/2015/01/thirty-paintings-for-30-days-day.html