"2015"

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

THANKS FOR FOLLOWING

THANKS FOR ALL THE COMMENTS & SUGGESTIONS IN 2014

I WISH YOU ALL A WONDERFUL 2015!

BACK AT IT

MB

"BUSTER"

"THE OTHER MOMMA'S BOY"

I added some whiskers but didn't get a photo so you'll have

to use your imagination on this one. 

8" X 8" goes with Chase the original Momma's boy.

I'm taking some time off - it's the holidays and you are all busy 

 I'm pooped - it's time for all of us to reflect - or drink

or eat or party or ???????

Thanks for following - have a wonderful holiday!

See you all in 2015

"CHASE"

"MOMMA'S BOY"

I guess that's it in a nutshell. 

Here was another challenge - why do I keep doing this to myself?

The photo is so blurry I couldn't see any facial features etc.

My advice to everyone out there - GET A CAMERA!

These phone photos are crap. 

Maybe it's the operator I don't know but I haven't seen a decent phone photo yet. 

I always say I'm not a miracle worker I'm just a painter.

Thanks for that rant.

"SOPHIE"

A HEART AS BIG AS AN OCEAN

I just wrapped up all my dog commissions. Trying to force them 

to dry in my house because they have to get put in the mail.

This one is 8" X 8" and Sophie is a Blue Great Dane.

The client ordered a subtle portrait. 

Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to be subtle????

 I think I got it - in fact I think I nailed it. 

Remember those Bracco Italiano's I painted last year?

Well that assignment really made this assignment easier.

It's a good thing when it all works out.

Thanks for looking.

"FISHERMAN'S WHARF"

"LUCKY LADY"

6" X 6"

First in the San Francisco series. I had to start somewhere.

More to come.

Thanks for following.

"LONELIEST ROAD II"

This was also a blah daytime photograph turned into night. 

Thanks for looking

"THE LONELIEST ROAD"

Nevada State Highway 50

We took a detour on our way to California in 2012.

Saw a sign for the Loneliest Road and decided to give it 

a go. It was indeed lonely but I have a number of odd images

that have been sitting around so this is the first. 

This was originally an ugly daytime photo that I tried to turned into dusk. 

Thanks for taking a look!

"THE KITCHEN SINK"

First Friday - Dec. 5th - demo painting at the gallery

It's a long story and it's below if you can or want to get through it.

photo reference for painting of my kitchen sink

Thursday night Dec 4th the gallery I belong to had a meet and greet your painters night. 

Four of us presented our work - ideas - and whatever else came to mind.

Gregory Block was the first to discuss his work and he's pretty famous 

needless to say it was a tough act to follow. 

He explained in detail his painting titled "JACOB'S LADDER"(click to see his painting).

He takes everything into consideration to set up his still life arrangements.

  Meaning of the objects chosen - color palette is a huge consideration - lighting is essential 

He paints from life - in other words he sits or stands for days

in front of the still life and paints what he sees - I could go on but you get the drift.

I was so relieved when another painter was chosen to follow Gregory's presentation

that by the time they got to me I could just be me and a lot of the audience had drifted.

As most of you know I paint the still life that just happens and I paint it from a photo.

I was in my kitchen wednesday night and I saw my sink in a whole new light. 

Snapped a number of shots - chose one - and painted it for the Galleries First Friday Event.

Everyone that had been at the presentation the night before 

asked me if my "The Kitchen Sink" was a response to Gregory's "Jacob's Ladder"? 

Well that got another conversation started.

I have the shelves -  darkness at the top - bright light below. Objects in a row

(if you can tell what they are). So yes it is a kind of response but from a completely 

different place. Then I started to think about Picasso and Braque(I'm not comparing myself

so don't misconstrue my drift here) but Picasso would visit Braque's studio and if

Braque was painting a vase that said vase would end up in a Picasso painting the next day. 

The crux of the matter is that everything comes from something or somewhere.

Call and response in music - learning and art it's everywhere.

I don't know if any of that made sense but it gets you thinking. 

If you really want to get your mind in a bundle go see "Birdman" 

it's not for the faint of heart nor is it some easy movie going 

but it will get you thinking it may even hurt a little! 

Hey if you made it this far you should get a prize. 

Thanks for following.

"REVIEW"

I wish you all a great weekend. 

We're hoping for snow - it's been dry and we love to ski.

LATER - MB

"64 COLORS"

Here's the 2nd version of my crayon box.

There are 3 paintings in all and perhaps a large one.

Thanks a bunch!

"STIMULUS PACKAGE" HOUSE PORTRAIT

 An architect friend of mine called me and said can you paint a house?

I said with a roller sure but with a small paint brush I'm not so sure.

So I gave it a go. Here's the finished product and they bought it so I'm

happy -  hence the title Stimulus package - merry christmas to me.

Here's the photo I worked from. Too much hill and too much 

background. I've cropped it here to what they wanted. They 

wanted the house larger and the pond included. Solution 

below. I'm revealing my tricks that could come back 

and bite me in the a--! 

I took a sheet of plexi - propped it up on 2 kleenex boxes

with a white sheet of paper underneath. I should've recorded

how I did this but I didn't. Took another photo of the reflection. 

And there you have it - reflection on a pond minus the hill.

Thanks!

I'm painting like mad just can't show anything cause it's 

stuff for christmas.