My Blue Baby

My Blue Baby, oil on canvas, 36x24", $650.

I saw this beautiful 1953 Buick on a stop we made driving back from Chicago. The real car was a little rusted and had a flat tire but I took artistic license and fixed everything.

Tulip Painting

Tulips, oil on canvas, 8x10", $75.

More about Copenhagen

This is one of my favorite areas of Copenhagen, an area called Nuhaven.  There is a line of restaurants along the canal and they all have outdoor tables.  My sister Caroyln and I sat outside and watched the sun set over Copenhagen.  It was our last night there. We noticed a lot of people with ice cream cones and so we had to try one after dinner.  All the ice cream shops have their own waffle irons and their is someone sitting at it making fresh cones.  The smell is wonderful.  I had a small cone and Carolyn had a big one covered with chocolate.  I should probably tell you that the reason I had a small one was because it was my second one of the day.  The ice cream is the soft kind and is very rich and creamy.



Here it is the big cinnamon roll that my sister Rosie would not share with me!

Rosemary and I started out from the hotel early and stopped at a bakery to have breakfast.  They had fresh baked cinnamon rolls that were about 6" round.  I thought that she would split one with me but no,  she wanted one for herself and ate the whole thing.  She said she needed the energy because she knew we would do a lot of walking and we did.

What I'm working on today; Ahhh, the life of an artist is not as exciting as everyone thinks. I'm headed downtown to continue work on... you guessed it... the car painting. I spent about 5 hours working on it yesterday. If you happen to be downtown today stop by and say hi. I'll be in the gallery from 10 to 1. Have a great holiday weekend.

Peonies

Peonies, oil on canvas, 11"x14", $95.

I needed a break from the car painting yesterday so I went out to my garden and picked a few peonies, one of my favorite flowers. I love the month of May because all of my favorite flowers bloom then, peonies, lilacs and lily of the valley. I also pulled out a big pear painting that I never finished. I always try to have 4 to 5 paintings in the works all at different stages. That way if you get tired or stuck on one painting you can move on to the next one. I like options.

What I'm working on today: This morning I'm putting a little more paint on the pears and then I'm headed downtown to the gallery to meet a student for a private lesson. I will also resume putting the finishing touches on the car painting.

If you are interested in purchasing a painting please contact me at 937-672-6717.

Royal Copenhagen

Well, here I am trying my hand at painting Royal Copenhagen china. Copenhagen is the home of this exceptionally beautiful porcelain china. They have a store located on the main shopping street and upstairs is a museum and demonstration area where you can try your hand at painting. Notice that the piece I'm working on is chipped. They don't let people practice on the good stuff.

I met a lovely woman named Herdis. She has painted the florals on Royal Copenhagen for 40 years. They recently moved the factory outside of town and she did not want to make the long commute or move so she opted to stay in town and demonstrate for visitors. I had a wonderful conversation with Herdis about art and learned that there was an art supply store just across the street. I would never have seen it though without her mentioning it because it was upstairs on the second floor. An artists second favorite place after art museums is art stores!

Royal Copenhagen china is very expensive and you understand why when you sit down and realize that every piece is completely painted by hand. They follow patterns and color guides that have been passed down for years. The results are exquisite. I couldn't afford to buy a piece but it will always catch my eye and remind me of Denmark when every I happen across a piece in the future.

What I'm working on today: Heading downtown to the gallery to work on the car painting. Oh yeah, today it also my birthday, a big one, 50, I don't look a day over 30 though, right?

A Summertime Painting

Summer Still Life, oil on canvas, 24"x 20", $350. This painting is of a flower called cleome. My Grandmother used to grow these in her garden. She called them spider plants. I love the way they have all those feathery seed pods and petals. I grow these in my own garden. They grow to be about 4 feet tall. One day in late August after a heavy rain I found them laying over, uprooted by the weight of the rain. They called to me to be painted and 3 flowers seemed like a perfect grouping.

Any of the paintings in my blog can be purchased by contacting me at 937-672-6717.

Indiana Sky

Indiana Sky, oil on canvas, 54"x42", $1800.

Here's another big painting! The car commissions I've been working on have inspired me to work bigger in my landscape painting. This is on display downtown at the gallery but in the adjacent gallery space. This scene is from the place I go to paint in the summer over in central Indiana. It is a very small town of 500 people called Kewanna about an hour south of South Bend. The land is very flat and it goes on forever. I wanted to try and capture that sense of vast expanse of land in this painting.

If you are interested in seeing this painting or better yet buying this painting I would be happy to show it to you, sell it to you, deliver it to your house and let you know how wonderful it looks in your home! If your interested in any of the above you can reach me at 937-672-6717. Now I need to go paint!

Urban Nights Open House a Success!

Yesterday's Urban Nights Open House was a great success! In case you've never been downtown to an Urban Nights event they are a lot of fun. Many of the downtown Dayton art galleries, living spaces and restaurants are open for touring and have specials for the evening. The trolley bus circulates throughout downtown taking you from venue to venue. There are street performances and music throughout downtown. This event is held twice a year in May and September so if you missed last Friday look for the event this coming September.
We had a great crowd at the Cannery Art & Desgin Center. Jim Evans and his band did a fabulous job of entertaining us with his smooth, soothing voice. We had over 200 people walk through the gallery to buy art, look at art, listen to Jim and enjoy a glass of wine.

My gallery space was hopping with friends, art collectors and new clients interested in seeing what I have been working on. The photograph is of my latest commissioned work. It's big, 5x7 feet. It's going to the frame shop any day. By the way my framer is a great guy, David Crowell of Custom Frame Services on Wayne Avenue. He does a fabulous job of framing art!

Copenhagen, Rosenborg Castle

I'm back in Dayton. Today's blog subject is more about my trip to Copenhagen. I have copied a part of my journal that I kept while I was there and it is below for all to enjoy!

Journal entry from Copenhagen, May 1, 2007;
I returned to Rosenborg Castle today and it was open. It is a beautiful Dutch Renaissance castle with a moat surrounding it with swans and ducks on the grounds.  It is located in the middle of the King's Garden.  It was built by Christian IV as a summer residence.  He loved it so much that he ended up living and dying there.  It is the only royal castle that is still passed down from monarch to monarch.  All of the others became property of the state in 1849 when the absolute monarchy was abolished.  More on the monarchy in a minute.  The first part of the castle that you visit is the reception chamber of the King.  It is rather small, very dark with low ceilings and paneled in oak with oil paintings of various people and places constructed inside each of many panels.  Off of this is the King's writing chamber left almost entirely as it was the day he died.  Next on the diagram was the toilet!  I'm thinking this means the dressing chamber, right?  It does but it also included the real toilet. Interesting window into 17th century life in the royal household.  It was a very small oddly shaped room that was covered from ceiling to floor in Delft blue tiles except for the seat with a piece of wood with the hole cut in it.  If you looked in the hole you could see a ladder that descended into a rather deep pit.  Thank heaven for modern plumbing.  Can't imagine this part of life back then. Cleaning the bathroom takes on a whole a whole new meaning doesn't it? 
 
The dressing room displayed some of the King's clothing and a portrait of him on his deathbed which definitely presented interesting logistical questions to an artist like me.  Did they have a canvas stretched, ready and awaiting his death?  Did the artist paint the face and finish the rest of the painting later? How long do you spend painting a dead person?  How long CAN you spend painting a dead person in 17th century Scandinavia?  Luckily these types of things have lost favor in the modern world and I don't think I'll ever have to worry about it!!!
 
The monarchy just added another princess to their ranks last Saturday.  She was born to Australian born Crown Princess Mary and her husband Crown Prince Frederick.  They fired a 21 gun salute to celebrate her birth.  It used to be only 17 for a princess but was made equal just before the birth of her 18 month old brother Prince Christian.  The name of the new princess will not be made public until her christening which probably won't be for 3 months.  Margrethe, Henrietta and Ingrid have been mentioned as possible choices.  This is the first girl born to the royal family in six decades. You go girl!
 
I wanted to sit on a bench in the park and paint the castle but with a sore throat and it being so chilly I opted to take photographs quickly and then find a nice warm cafe.  There is a bakery/cafe on every corner here.  The one I found today was small as they all are.  It had 6 small tables... very cozy. I tried a piece of broccoli focaccia...delicious...with hot tea.  The tea here is wonderful.  I've not seen a Lipton bag yet.  Earl Grey is the standard(my favorite) and most of it is fresh loose tea.  I'm in heaven!  I noticed that a lot of the locals stop in for a single roll as a snack and you see many small kids munching on a peice of fresh bread too.

What I'm working on today: I'm moving the 5x7' car painting down to the gallery for the open house this Friday. I have to rent a truck to do it because of the size of the painting. The peonies are just beginning to bloom so I'll begin a study in oil.

Urdan Nights is this Friday, May 18 from 5-10pm. Many downtown businesses open there doors for a city wide open house. Our gallery at 434 E. Third Street will be open from 5-10pm with a live jazz band from 7-10pm. Stop by and see the car painting! Let me know that you read my blogspot and I'll give you a free notecard.

All images on this blogspot are copyrighted and may not be used without written permission of the artist.

Dayton Art Institute Docent trip to Atlanta

Frog Baby, sculpture by Edith Parsons, Atlanta Botanical Garden, 7"x10", ink & watercolor, $35.











Isobel, sculpture by Teena Stern & Don Haugen, Atlanta Botanical Garden, 7"x10", Ink & watercolor, $35.













Love's Memories, sculpture by Thomas Ball, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, 7"x10", Ink & watercolor, $35.

These watercolors are from a recent trip that I took with the Dayton Art Institute. I have been a member of their Docent Organization for the last 11 years... a great group of people! In case you don't know what the word docent means (and many people don't) it is a fancy word for tour guide. We give tours of the art museum to visitors. Every year we take a trip somewhere to add to our knowledge of art. This years trip went to Atlanta to visit the High Museum of Art and the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

Yesterday's college visit results: Loveley campus but a bit too big. Stopped in Cincinnati on the way back to have dinner with my son. Great restaurant in east Hyde Park, Cumin. Indian fusion food. Great modern decor plus an outdoor patio. The "Jewel of India" martini is great... pomegranate and cranberry juice plus vodka. The lamb shank was delicious. And say Hi to the co-owner, Alex, born in Tunisia in North Africa. Very interesting man to talk to over a martini at the bar. Check out the website at www.cuminrestaurant.com.

What I'm working on today: Artwork is on hold while I head to Cleveland to help move my sister's mother-in-law to St. Leonard's in Dayton. I won't be able to post again until Tuesday and by then I will be anxious to get back to painting!

Mexico, Cabo San Lucas

Mexico Afternoon, 10"x7", ink & watercolor, $35.










Sailboat on the Horizon, Mexico, 10"x7", ink & watercolor, $35.


These are 2 watercolors that I did in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in February. One of my New Year's resolutions was to travel more. I didn't expect my wish to happen so quickly and so extensively but it did. I traveled with my sister Rosemary to the beautiful city of Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. It sits at the very end of the Baha Peninsula and you look out onto the ocean. We could see whales in the distance as we sat and had our breakfast on the terrace...a small piece of heaven!

What I'm working on today: I'm headed to Ohio University with my daughter Claire for a college visit. I hear that this is a beautiful area of the state so I'm taking my camera and my watercolor supplies along just in case the opportunity arises to create some art.

Copenhagen, the boat ride

One of the first things I like to do when I arrive in any new city is to take the tour bus ride. In Copenhagen it is even better because you can take a boat ride. The reason I love to do this is because it gives you a very good idea of how big the city is and it points out the main attractions that you will probably want to visit. Being an artist I am a visual person and taking a tour like this helps me to organize my trip.

The top photo is an example of the Danish architecture that I loved so much. This building was a residential condominium complex on the canal.

The second picture is a watercolor painting that I did after our boat ride of my two sisters, Caroyln and Rosemary. It was a beautiful sunny day and we sat at an outdoor cafe and sampled the Tuborg beer brewed right in Copenhagen.

The third photo is a typical scene of the lovely views of old architecture that you see from the canals. This view is what I imagined Copenhagen would look like.

The last photo was taken from the boat. There were many people sitting along the canals having lunch enjoying the weather. They were having an early spring according to one of the residents.

What I'm working on today: I'm finishing up the 5x7 foot oil painting of a Red Ferrari that I've been working on the last couple months. It is a commissioned piece. I will also print a few photos from my travels and do a couple of small watercolors.

Copenhagen, the city of bikes

Just returned from the lovely city of Copenhagen. I've been traveling the world the last couple of months and hope to share some of my photos and watercolors with you over the next few days.

One of the first things that you immediately notice upon arrive in Copenhagen is that there are bicycles everwhere. Because Denmark is trying to become a "green country" and improve there environment many residents ride bikes. And they ride them everywhere. I sat next to a gentleman on the plane home and he said until he had children that he existed with only a bike for transportation for 15 years. He said that as long as you have the right clothing you can ride day or night, rain or shine, winter or summer.

It was interesting to see women all dressed up for work with high heeled shoes and skirts on pedaling away. There were quite a few bikes with baby seats attached like in the US but then there were bikes that had something that looked like my large wooden garden cart attached. They seemed to carry an assortment of things from groceries to little kids all bundled up and strapped in.

Bikes end up getting parked everywhere, along the sidewalks, in bike racks and there was even a multi-level parking garage just for bikes next to the bus station. Most are not locked either. Apparently there are stiff consequences for stealing a bike in Denmark.

As a tourist you really have to think before you step off the sidewalk. There is a seperate bike lane and if you're not paying attention you could easily get run over. Rush hour in the morning and evening is especially frantic with bike riders everywhere. It is quite the sight to see. Does it make you want to get out the old bike, dust it off and go for a spin?