Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 6” x 8”
Every time I go to the John I am reminded of Wall Street. Why do you think that is? I guess we are all concerned about our nest eggs being flushed down the loo. I was in New York last week at Bond 45 for lunch. Nature called and I answered. While I was attending to the business at hand I found the plumbing intriguing. Hope you do, too.
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 8” x 8”
I deleted this by mistake so I am posting it again. Be sure to look down for todays painting which is underneath this one. It's a shame I lost this to cyberspace, there were some very lovely comments attached that I will miss. BTW - this is another of Anne Stark's dogs. You can find them at: www.piperspuppies4u.com
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 6” x 8”
As you can see, I am still in Dog Mode. Not that there's anything wrong with that. What appealed to me about this reference, other than the fact that he looks like Michael Phelps after winning his second gold medal at the summer Olympics, were the red and green blankets - quite apropos given the season. City street lights, even stop lights, blink of bright red and green. There is something magical about this set of complementary colors that isn't present in blue/orange, violet/yellow or other spectral variations. If you read my tag the other day you may have noted that I am mad for hot food. On a recent trip to New Mexico I was dining in a Tex-Mex restaurant and ordered some enchiladas. The server asked if I wanted my sauce, "red, green or Christmas?" Christmas, of course, meaning both. This little guy looks like he's plopped down on a plate of Christmas chile sauce. I have always been a Christmas kind of guy. In fact, I'm starting to look like a bit like Santa. By that, I mean I'm letting my white beard grow long, though I have been working harder on that bowl full of jelly than I should! Heck, I named my daughter Holly. Speaking of the holidays. I may be very busy this coming week; making lists and checking them twice, etc., so this may be my last post for a while.
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 6” x 6”
I had an e-mail from a friend the other day who complained that I had been remiss in my blog duties, that I have not fleshed out the posted paintings with my usual amusing stories and bon mots. I'll grant you les mots justes have not been readily at my fingertips. Perhaps it is laziness on my part or is it that I have spent my creative energy on creating the painting and have nothing left for the blog? I usually tell myself that I will do the write up in the morning when I am fresh. Sometimes this happens but more often than not it doesn't. Gene Fowler said "Writing is easy: you just stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood appear on your forehead."
Henceforth I will try and give the paintings a little background.
JJ brought me a little present tonight; a live mouse he found in the basement. He was plainly pleased with himself, since he isn't allowed outside and has hitherto only had various faux mice to play with. His delight turned to frustration when his treasure made a break for it and wound up behind my bookcase. JJ is in there still, biding his time.
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 8” x 10”
I didn't get too much of a back story on these little guys. I know that Rover (on the right) has gone to join the morning stars and his owner misses him terribly and wanted a posthumous portrait to commemorate his short life. Short in stature only. Judging from his grey muzzle he had a long and happily life. His notched left ear is a complete mystery. I should follow up on that.
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 6” x 8”
I was at the art supply store yesterday and finally decided it was time to replace the ancient tube of Cerulean Blue paint that I've had in my paintbox since high school. I needed a dab of it the other day and found it lacked a certain youth. I also bought a tube of Cobalt Teal on impulse. (Cobalt Teal? Who knew?) I have been impressed with some of my fellow daily painters pool/ocean paintings and wanted to play with the genre. Splashing around in all that blue paint was totally foreign to me. My early palette layout was decidedly Dutch, with just a touch of Ultramarine keeping the earth tones company, to cool down the shadows. Although Salvador Dali disapproves of the pigment in his book "Fifty Secrets to Magic Craftsmanship," I also keep a bit of Prussian Blue on my palette. Laying on the paint in such a free manner was cathartic. It is good for a realist painter to remember what the medium is capable of. I didn't wait 30 minutes after eating to jump into this painting. I'm happy to report that I did not get a cramp.
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 6” x 8”
There is a song that is popular around this time of year called “[Oh, I want] Crabs for Christmas.” You may think that crab season is long gone. Au contraire, mon frère! Some of the best crabs we have ever had were consumed in the winter. Granted they were brought up from Texas or Louisiana but they were meaty and delicious. This little guy was the last of the local Chesapeake Bay harvest. Small, but fat and sweet. A pitcher of Natty Boh (National Bohemian) is the perfect accompaniment to these delightful crustaceans but sadly, at our favorite crab house we have to settle for Coor’s Light. It is visually identical to Boh, so use your imagination. Cheers!
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 6” x 8”
I have attended the Blessing of the hounds at St. John's Episcopal Church in Glyndon, Md for the last couple of years. The church is a charming neo-gothic cathedral nestled in the heart of horse country. It has always been pet friendly. For instance; my wife and I often attend Christmas morning service there where our dear friend Father Frederick Hannah has been the guest rector. I grant you it is a tiny church but I can only surmise that the bulk of the congregation was in attendance on Christmas Eve since the 10:00 am morning service never boasted more than two dozen or so parishioners. One Christmas morning, as we knelt at the alter awaiting communion, we notice a tiny nose poking out of the jacket of the man next to us. He had a tiny puppy with him. Father Fred gave the man the host and blessed the little dog, he did not let the puppy drink from the common cup.
I don't normally cut off heads in my compositions but this painting cried out for ambiguity and abstraction. The negative spaces, the pull of red and green, and the free brushwork came together to form a very pleasing painting (at least to me).
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 6” x 8”
We weren't lucky enough at my high school to have our own composer like Kelsey from High School Musical to create something original. For our senior musical we were forced to use the work of Lionel Bart. I must that say our production of Oliver! was very professional, and not just because of the great scenic artwork in which I had a hand. Right by the computer are two large french doors and very often one or more little faces are pressed up against the glass, looking in with pleading eyes for more food. Even if I slide the door very slowly, they scatter. All except Sammy that is, he comes just inside the door to have a look. There is a scene in Oliver! when young Oliver, having finished his meager bowl of gruel goes up to Mr. Bumble for seconds. "Please sir, I want some more." he says. I often think that is running through these little girls' heads. This is of course Piper and her new daughter Shirley.
This painting looks better in reality. The photo doesn't show off the softness of the fur very well. For the record, my high school basketball team were the Parkville Knights. "Get your head in the game!"
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 8” x 8”
I've never painted a Cornish Rex before today. The coat of a Cornish Rex is curly and extremely fine. It's more like down than fur. Indeed, Max here would get hypothermia on a day like today if he was allowed outside. Not unlike JJ, Max has found a recently closed laptop to perch on. He lives with my friend George and his antics are legend. In case you were wondering what is in the background of this piece; it is huge glass bell dome covering a stuffed crane atop an ornate carved chinese stand.
As I am typing this, some drama was happening just outside. I had given Piper and the kids a bowl of kitten chow about 10 minutes ago and when I looked out, a very large raccoon was woofing down their food. They were cowering in their cooler/cathouse. I chased off Rory and checked on the gang. Everybody was OK, thank goodness. I still don't have the heart to separate Piper from her children. I am working on gaining there confidence.
It felt good to be back at the easel today.
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 8” x 8”
Maybe it's the little guys frolicking just outside the studio that made me want to paint this piece. I have been spending way too much time watching the "rat pack" as we call them. Sammy, Dino and Shirley are destined to make the move into the studio before the snow flies. I made a make-shift house by cutting a 8" x 8" hole in front of an old igloo cooler and put a heated dog bed in it, which they have taken to, so I am slightly less worried about them being cold. Piper is still a hissy little bitch but the kids are starting to think the big pink monster is O.K.
These little kittens looked at first like they were stuck in the wall of my friends barn, but I was assured that they could come and go with no problem and that they felt safe in their nest. Having a farm can be a challenge. People seem to think they can dump kittens off with impunity. After all, everybody knows you can't have too many barn cats. At last count my friend has 50 some outside cats and 16 inside. She is more of a bleeding heart than I am, God bless her.
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 5” x 5”
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 6” x 8”
I threw my back out yesterday, which put the "pain" in painting. I stand while I work and every time I twisted from my easel to my palette, which is on a converted music stand, it was electrifying. I guess being 55 is starting to take its toll. I may try and paint something simple today and hold the palette in my hand. I am riding my Harley on a 1200 mile ride down to the Florida Keys, leaving Sunday, so I want to baby my back until then. To that end, there will be no new daily paintings from 10-25 thru 11-5. "Please don't talk about me when I'm gone." On second thought, talk all you want. It is better to be looked over, than overlooked.
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 6” x 8”
I recently attended a party at the farm of some friends. They have quite a varied menagerie; llamas, a kangaroo, a wallaroo, goats, sheep, chickens, a pig and cats, lots and lots of cats. I had never been face to face with a live llama. My introduction to them was from Dr. Dolittle's Pushme-Pullyu, so you can image my surprise at seeing that they only had one head. I also expected them to spit like camels, but one gave my friend Tom a kiss without so much as a little drool. I was impressed with these sweet creatures.
This just in: I got an e-mail this morning from my friend Marsharee who tells me I have painted "motley blue". Llamas put their ears back at half mast like that when being a bit cautious and first meeting someone new, so this is his "hmmm, let me see what I think of you" face and ears.
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 8” x 10”
Last weekend two dear friends, Laura and Miriam, were staying at the studio. Both girls are aspiring opera singers living in New York. They asked me if it would be OK for them to bring their Miniature Schnauzer, Thor, with them. Hitherto my cats JJ and Anna had never had a canine houseguest, so I was naturally apprehensive but acquiesced. My fears, it turned out, were groundless. Thor, who lives in harmony, or at least detente, with a cat in the Big Apple, was not interested in my guys and JJ and Anna spent most of the weekend upstairs on the bed keeping a prudent distance. They never really met nose to nose, so I still don’t know what my guys think about dogs. At least they weren’t freaked out. They were more nervous about Laura’s morning vocal warm up exercises, which Thor is quite accustomed to. Not so with my childhood dog Emily. My father was a proud member of the American Legion and one chilly Sunday he took my sisters and me downtown for the Washington’s Birthday celebration. Also along for the ride was our pet beagle, Emily. It being February and as little kids are wont to do, we started complaining about the cold. We sought solace in a cathedral where a recital was going on. Since we had Emily with us, dad snuck her in under his coat and we all slipped up the back stairs to the balcony. A soprano was giving her all to “God Bless America” when Emily decided it was time for her Kate Smith imitation, Beagle style. I must say that even without warming up vocally, Emily could reach the high notes, though her phasing could have used some work. Needless to say we made a hasty retreat. That was the end of Emily’s singing career, at least for an audience.
While I had this handsome canine in house, I availed myself of his modeling services. I was cautioned by the girls that he was desperately in need of a haircut. So here is Thor. You may see him backstage at the Met someday, waiting patiently for his mistress(es) to return from the limelight.
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 6” x 6”
Oh My God! I know what you're thinking - "Mark has sunk to painting puppies and kittens!" What's next - Dogs playing poker? This is no mere puppy. He is the offspring of Champion Piper's Will Power and Piper's Felony Indictment. His formal name is Piper's Work of Art though his friends call him Artie for short, and short he is, being about six weeks old. You can watch him grow into the Champion he is sure to become at http://piperspuppies4u.com/
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 6” x 8”
JJ has the ability to make me laugh even when times are tough. He seems to know instinctively when I'm down and this position always produces a smile. He has been striking this pose since the day we brought him in. This deferential stance is what won Anna over. It says "Hey, I'm not here to cause any trouble, I just really want a tummy rub." Have you ever known a cat to sleep on his back?
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 8” x 8”
This is Sam, or should I say was Sam. Sam died last July 30th at the age of 14-1/2. He was diagnosed with cancer of the mouth when he was 10. His owner was told that half of his jaw needed to be removed but she couldn't do it since the prognosis was that he would only live another 12 months even with the surgery. She ended up taking him to a conventionally trained Cornell vet who practiced homeopathy too. With a simple cryosurgery procedure and Chinese herb treatments, he lived another 4-1/2 years and is now one of very few documented canine cancer successes. It was heart failure that finally took him out. The original reference was of him sitting on a garden bench in the bright sun. I chose to let my inner fashion illustrator come out and gave Sam the Richard Avedon/Irving Penn grey-seamless treatment. His fuzzy free spirit is thus unencumbered by all the extraneous, distracting elements.
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 6” x 8”
Do you remember when you were in elementary school and you were out sick with the measles for a week? You hated going back to class because you would be behind all the other kids and would have to catch up with the lessons. The measles were not much fun but it was cool having your own private mini vacation. I sometimes look at vacations like that. They may be enjoyable, but the dreaded "cold start" awaits me in the studio. I toyed with the idea of simplifying the blanket in this piece but I kind of like the wild animal aspect of it and the fluidity of dog and pattern. Felony is another of Anne Stark's champion whippets.
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 6” x 8”
I was going to call this "Four aces and his stop" but C.M. Coolidge beat me to it. This guy looks like he might be holding a royal flush from the look on his face. This is one of the "calling all dogs" reference. Thanks, Pegi Sue for the model and thanks everyone who sent me the fun images to play with. You will see more in the weeks to come.
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 6” x 8”
This is my first attempt at getting back on the bike. I felt a little shaky but I pushed through. I wasn't going for a masterpiece, just something to build my confidence. Since JJ is my constant companion in the studio, I had but to look back to check my model. This is not a great reproduction of this painting. The flowers have more intensity in real life. It's a start.
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 6” x 8"
Here is a better view of my sweet China. Her piercing blue eyes could melt the hardest heart. Non-cat people say that cats are too independent, that they wouldn't give you the time of day. These people never met China. She would come when called, loved to play fetch, would scold you when she felt it was time for bed and if you were sitting down she was in your lap. She was so light you never even felt her jump up, but look down and there she was. Her daughter, Anna, has many of her charming qualities. I thought China might get lost against all these patterns but I think it works. That deep purple and beige ottoman lives in my studio just a few feet behind me while I'm at the easel. If I take too many steps backwards, I go over it like Rob Petrie in the opening credits of the old Dick Van Dyke Show. I'd move it (my studio is 20' x 40') but JJ likes to sit close by while I work. It does keep me from losing my focus. Salvador Dali is said to have nailed a 2x4 on his floor to trip over and bring him back to reality; I have JJ. (I have been moving it ever so slightly towards the window. So far he hasn't noticed)
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 5” x 7”
Shiver me timbers! It be September me hearties and that be a month with an Arrrrr. Davy Jones has once again given up some of his treasure from the briny deep. In this case that be the Whale Rock oyster from the Mystic River in Connecticut. Sink me, it's time to splice the mainbrace. Fair winds!
OK, enough with the Captain Jack already! Do we have an accord? (sorry) I was in a funk yesterday and wasn't really in the mood to paint but regrouped later in the day to push around some paint. This piece is little more than a sketch but I like the spontaneity of it. There is something satisfying about scratching your name into wet paint. It is tantamount to carving your name in a tree, perhaps more so. Even the hardiest tree will fall but a work of art will go on. Unless the piece is total dreck, I don't know anyone who throws away art.* It may get passed around or given to the goodwill perhaps, but not thrown in the bin. The world is full of works of art that perchance should be tossed, but like an ugly child, someone will love them. So paint carefully my brothers and sisters. If the world is still around, and you have used good materials, the by product of your creative efforts will be around long after you are gone. There is a reason why they make "student grade" materials - planned obsolescence.
*I went to my 20th high school reunion back in 1990 and ran into a girl with whom I exacted my very first painting transaction. It was a piece I had done in Studio class my senior year of my friend Danny rising from a field of weeds or wildflowers (this was the sixties, baby, and we were letting our freak flag fly.) I was very flattered when this girl (a very attractive girl, I might add. One who I never had the nerve to even talk to) ask if she could buy it. Hitherto, I had not thought about pricing or even selling my work, so her question caught me off guard. "Sure," I stammered, "How about 10 bucks" This was a lot of money in 1969, at least it was to me. She agreed and we made the exchange. When I saw her again at the reunion, I asked about the painting. She informed me that her husband didn't like it and threw it out. Not gave it away, mind you...THREW IT OUT!! So much for my first sale.
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 8” x 8”
I guess the feral kittens outside have reminded me of when my own cat China gave birth to her litter almost eighteen years ago. The last of which, Anna, is on my lap as I type this, with both paws over my left wrist and her head resting demurely on them. This does not help my already poor typing skill, but if I try and extricate my hand, she takes her paw and puts it back where it was. I think she is pleased that I finally got around to painting her, albeit if only one day old. As China got close to delivering, we made her a nesting box and placed a yellow towel on the bottom. Here, exhausted after a long night in labor, she settles in with her new family. The next night she decided we all should sleep together and one by one placed them on our bed. Fearing to crush the kittens in our sleep, we tried to persuade her keep them in the nesting box, to no avail. In the end, we made an island of pillows on the middle of the bed and there the seven of us slept for the next 8 weeks. It was one of the happiest times of my life. China, too, lost her battle with cancer three years ago, which was one of the saddest.
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 8” x 8”
A few weeks ago a little white cat showed up in the area we call the bird berm, a lush oasis for our avian friends to eat and bath and hang out together. In order to keep the peace and prevent this from becoming the cat feeding station, if you catch my drift, we put out some food for the cat, who looked to be quite pregnant. We convince her that free canned cat food served on the other side of the house, on our patio, was a better option than having to hunt for her meals. She soon became a regular diner at "The Cats Meow" patio restaurant. Word got around and soon we had another regular, a calico with white paws. We had named the white cat Bristol, after a certain Alaskan Governor's daughter, so it made sense to name her Piper, after her sister. Three days ago up pops 4 or 5 kittens and we still don't know whose they are. There is a totally black one, a calico. a white with spots and a tabby. They appear to be about 4 weeks old. I looked out the window this morning and piper was cuddled up with one of the kittens so perhaps they are hers. In any case, we are going through about 8 cans of food a day between our cats Anna and JJ and this new pride. Piper and I had a break-thru today; she has claimed me by rubbing, rubbing, rubbing my legs when I feed her. Sadly we didn't find the kittens early enough to tame them and they are quite the scaredy- cats. This is Piper on the blue stone patio.
Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 6” x 6”
I woke up this morning at 5:30 to feed the cats (their choice to break fast at dawn, not mine) and went over to the computer to check the blog. "How nice," I thought, "I already have a comment." It was more critique than comment, basically saying, in so many words, that the painting was not up to my usual standards. Hitherto, I had never had more than an improper rude comment about my nudes and here it was, staring out at me, what I considered the Internet equivalent of my wife saying, "Surely you aren't going to leave it like that." Early this week, I read a letter from a fellow artist on the Daily Painters site asking what to do about bad comments. Most people said to delete and ignore them. Her bad comment was, "Oh dear, please, spare us." Not the kind of remark that sends you running back into the studio to create. This guy's comment was more a helpful criticism. That early in the morning I was in no mood to see negative stuff about a work that I hadn't even seen since signing it at midnight, so I promptly deleted it. I immediately regretted doing so. Happily, my mail saves a copy and since he posted it on my comments page with his link, here is what he said: "I think your work not present well yet (especially the character of red peppers, the green ones are really good). It so different if I compare with other your work( Red and Yellow Peppers ). overall your works totally awesome, sorry if my english is not good and sarcastic, coz I can speak well in english.... thank you." Oddly enough, his comment was right on. I, too, felt that the habaneros were too red when I stopped the painting. Artists know a painting is never finished, merely stopped at a given time. Choosing the right time to stop is crucial. I spent an hour this morning bring this to a more satisfying stopping spot. In retrospect, his comment was quite flattering. Thank you, Febru.
