Old Galveston Square

After several years of on and off painting sessions, I finally finished the 18x24 inch oil painting of Old Galveston Square.  The reference photo was taken in the winter of 2002 with a Mavica digital camera, which was the best digital back in the day.  However, it was great for taking closeups, but not for panoramics with distances.  I used it anyway as it has my grandson (standing in the warmup suit on lower left) and my wife (standing by the bus looking at the game)  in the picture. My grandsons and I have played chess on a frequent basis since they were old enough to learn.

The poor quality of the reference photo was a good excuse to go back to Galveston to take more pictures and enjoy the town.  We went several months after hurricane Ike had come through, and it was demoralizing to see the destruction left by it.  The people were already recovering their town.  Very visibly, shop owners and residents could be seen running saws and hammering away to rebuild Galveston.  Those folks are strong Americans.  For what I needed to paint from, the first visit back was not very productive due to the reconstruction and things about the square had changed. The next trip a year later was much more productive and to our joy, the square was active and people were playing chess again.  I  was able to capture some close ups of the pieces to compare against the older photo.  Also, rebuild my memory about the square.

The work took a long time as it had many components that had to harmonize to make it work. The final session of painting was about six weeks of work when not going to shows and letting paint dry enough to start again.  So, in painter talk, was this painting done from a photo or from life?  I like to think it was a little of both.  The visits set the mood and feel and, the photo refreshes the memory while you paint.  I had to interpret and deviate quite a bit from the photo because some things just didn't look right.

Some people would probably think putting so much time into one painting is rediculous or either the painter (me) didn't know what he was doing.  Probably the latter.  I have been known to overwork a painting before.  Many I complete in short order, depends on how much fun I am having.  In the case of Old Galveston Square, it was one of the most enjoyable paintings I have worked on.  My wife is my second set of eyes and although not a painter, she is a great critiquer of paintings.  Her critiques during the work really made a difference.  I would appreciate your comments re. the painting.

I plan to hold on to the original for awhile, but will have prints for sale soon if anyone is interested.  I hope you like the painting and my rambling story.

Let us pray before we paint,
Jimmie@jimmiesart.com  

Lexi Portrait

This little girl is 2 1/2 years old and very beautiful.  I painted her from a photo in oils on a 14x11 canvas.  The blush came out looking a little stronger in this picture than is in the painting.  I painted this one alla prima (few hours one setting).   This one was for my daughter's best friend which made it special to do.  I sure had fun painting her.

Let us pray before we paint,

Jimmie@jimmiesart.com

Apple Trio

This is a small 9x12 inch acrylic painting on a paper made for acrylic painting.  I thought it would be interesting to try the paper out on an easier subject such as apples.  This surface is rated at 185 lb./400 G and comes 10 count in a pad.  I know nothing about ratings of paper for painting.  This surface is thick, so I figure it must be good.  LOL  Maybe a watercolor painter will help me out with that. 

It seemed to fight back at me by bowing up when I covered the surface with the paint, and moreso when I thinned the paint.  I found I had better results by letting it dry and not thin the paint with water.  After I got the hang of it, it came out pretty fair.  I sketched the apples on with pencil and did an undercoat in burnt umber thinking I could blend and glaze in the background without losing the apple underpainting.  Almost did.  I brought the apples back up with a green then worked on completion with the reds.

I like to do studies by starting with sketches then do small paintings which may lead to painting the scene on a larger format.

I hope you enjoy Easter, our holy day in worship to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

Jimmie@jimmiesart.com

Blue Bonnet Bucket

 

SOLD

I painted this little scene of blue bonnets on an oval galvanized bucket I had bought to paint a couple of years ago.  Seems like all my ideas take years to fulfill.  Anyway, I painted it with acrylics in a crafty mode on sides and ends, and put a clear gloss seal on it.  We used to do a lot of crafty painted projects a few years back when we went to the Canton First Monday Market every month.  That was 'back in the day' when I painted everything on anything that stood still long enough.  LOL Did that for several years and loved it.  This one is 15 3/4 inches long across the top,  9 3/4 inches wide across the top, and 5 3/4 inches tall.  It is listed in my etsy shop. 

We were at the Bay City, TX Market Day last Saturday and had a great time.  The weather was beautiful and we got to see some friends and push some art.  Bay City has their Market Day on the third Saturday of the month starting in March.  Thanks for stopping by.

Let us pray before we paint,

Jimmie@jimmiesart.com

Roseate Spoonbills

Roseate Spoonbills, Oil Painting, 18x14 Inch Gallery Canvas

The Spoonbills are done.  Whoopee!  These guys took longer than I expected.  I always see something to touch up after I shoot pictures of the painting.  I went back and forth a couple of times fixing things just a little bit more.  When it gets to that point, I usually call it finished for time being and let it dry in the studio where I can look at it and after a period of time call it final or, work on it some more.  When the oils dry, I will paint the edges of the canvas with acrylics (they dry fast) so the painting can be hung without a frame.

This painting didn't take much for a palette: white, prussian blue, van dyke brown, paynes gray, permanent rose, and a tad of black.  I used large brushes for the rough in: filberts for the birds and reflections, and flats for blocking in the background water.  For the details I used smaller brushes as necessary.  I varied from the reference photo for the color of the water and put in some extra shadowing for the birds as the photo was taken during the bright of the day and a lot of color had been blasted out.  I hope you like the painting and the art tidbits.

Let us pray before we paint,

Jimmie@jimmiesart.com

Magnolia Cheesebox

                                                                   
I had a a great day painting magnolias on a cheesebox.  We have several Arts/Crafts shows planned for the spring and have decided to include some unique items in the booth in addition to paintings on canvas.  The box is stained with a light brown for a nice background and the edge of the lid is painted with a dark green to add a border effect for the lid.  The scene was painted with acrylics.

A handpainted cheesebox is probably not something most collectors would want, but handpainted unique items are sought out by those looking for great decor.  The cheesebox is functional to hold keepsakes as well as having pretty magnolias to enjoy.

Thanks for visiting the blog.

Let us pray before we paint,
Jimmie@jimmiesart.com

Roseate Spoonbills On the Easel, A Work In Progress in Oils on 18x14

Spoonbills are on my easel this week.  The picture at right is where I left it before my studio got too cold to paint in last week.  During cold weather, which is not frequent on the south Texas coast, I do much needed paper work and catch up my website and blog.

We have had 7 seven roseate spoonbills staying in the LeTulle Park pond this winter and what a treate they have been for the public.  They even got their picture in the Bay City Tribune.  These beautiful and very interesting birds have become somewhat tame in the park.  I think being around the ducks and geese and getting use to seeing people in the park is the reason.  Anyway, back to the painting: In the first setting I got the scene blocked in with basic color, highlights and shadow.  I didn't try to get the reflections perfect on first try.  I prefer to cover my canvas completely and then start refining the painting.  I think it is much easier for me to see what I want to do once the canvas is filled.  I was lucky with this one as the 'block in' is close to where I am going with the painting.  In this painting, the water and reflections will be moe challenging than the birds.  The water and reflections do not have to be painted exactly, but need to be believable for the viewer.  No need to paint every ripple.  I tried that once and it gave me a headache.  LOL

If you live in the area or visiting, visit LeTulle Park and the Birding Center next to the park.  You may be able to see the spoonbills or other unique wildlife.  Comments are welcome.  Hope you like the story.

Let us pray before we paint,
Jimmie@jimmiesart.com

Butterfly Stardom

Butterfly Stardom, Oil on 12x12 Gallery Canvas, Deep Edge, Edges Painted

I named my new painting Butterfly Stardom for the sake of combining the subjects of the painting.  I googled for more information on the flower and there appears to be several names for which the flower is recognized:  Texas Red Star, Scarlet Rose Hibiscus, Swamp Hibiscus, and Scarlet Rose Mallow.  There are probably more names.  I think the butterfly may be a swallowtail butterfly.  Maybe someone out there can help me with the ID.  This scene has some beautiful shadows to support the wonderful light effects.  I painted the star and butterfly somewhat realistically and the rest of the foliage more impressionistic to prevent the background from becoming too busy.  Also, many thanks to my friend Ron Mayfield for allowing me to use his photo as a reference for this painting.  Hope you like the painting and the story.

Let Us Pray Before We Paint,
Jimmie@jimmiesart.com

A Valentine's Day Rose

I finished the rose project I posted earlier as a work in progress.  The oil painting was challenging due to the many gradients and reflections in the vase.  The rose is a knockout rose from my wife's garden.  They are pretty hardy little plants and we haven't had a hard freeze here in South Texas yet, so we are still blessed with a few blooms.  The rose stayed fresh inside the studio for several days after the still setting shoot and was also available for reference while painting.  The painting is on a 10 x 20 inch canvas.  The palette:  Permanent Rose, Aliz. Crim., Cad Red, Perm. Grn Lt., Sap Grn, Burnt Siena, Burnt Umber, Van Dyke Brown, Deep Orange, Yellow Ochre, Raw Siena,White and a bit of cad yellow.  And, I may have forgot some.  LOL I will paint the edges of the canvas with burnt umber acylics  and build a floater frame to mount it in when the canvas dries.  I hope to get it all done for valentine's day.  I had a good time painting this one.

Let us pray before we paint,
Jimmie@jimmiesart.com

King of the Barnyard

King of the Barnyard, 12x12 inch Gallery wrap canvas w/painted deep edge

I painted this fun little painting in acrylics while waiting on the three oil paintings I have in progress to dry.  I used a photo ref as a guide and a bit of license to make the painting impressionistic.  The acrylics were drying very fast during the work and to get the blends, I had to paint faster than my usual pace.  I think the reason for the paint drying faster was because the space heaters were on in the studio and the humidity was low.

The King lives New Ulm, Texas.  The reference photo was courtesy of the Richter Farm.

On the easel:  I have the two wip's shown in the last posting nearing completion and hope to finish one soon.  And, I started another oil painting of three roseatte spoonbills and have filled the canvas with the first layer.  I also have another portrait of my grandson about halfway finished. 

I enjoyed painting the rooster.  Always fun.  Hope you like the painting.

Let us pray before we paint,

jimmie@jimmiesart.com