"Laissez les bons temps rouler!"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 8" x 10"

Attention shoppers! Yes, this month's Diana Moses Botkin's challenge is shopping. I was in New Orleans recently, which is why there has been no new work here lately, NOT because I've lost the spark. These girls were in a souvenir shop trying on masks and boas and were kind enough to acquiesce to an impromptu modeling session.

My fellow challengees had some fun takes on the subject:

"Shopping Without A List"
Oil 8"x8"
©2012 Mary Maxam

"Shop 'til You Drop"
Original unframed oil 4"x6"
©2012 Diana Moses Botkin

"Petco with Poppy"
Oil on canvas 8x11"

©2012 Vicki Ross

"Gangsta Tupi in the Sunlight"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 6" x 8"

More info tomorrow.

"Kerri and Chi Chi"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 8" x 10"

I was going to call this, "The Tattooed Girl with the Dragon" because Chi Chi looks like a little baby dragon here. Perhaps more like a gremlin that has been splashed with water, if you remember your movie trivia. My friend Debby leans more in the area of fruit bat when describing her. This little girl was rescued from the shelter and did yeoman's duty as constant companion and protector (!?!) to Debby's father-in-law during his last months of convalescence and subsequent hospice care. Chi Chi's two compadres, if you can believe it, are a leggy Great Dane named Emma and Walter, the Wonder Wiener. If you think Emma (or Debby) rules the roost in this household, think again. Chi Chi doesn't take a back seat to anyone!

"Sunlit Nude in a Victorian Boudoir"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 8" x 10"

A while back I was invited to a modeling session held in a grand Victorian townhouse belonging to a friend of mine. This friend is an accomplished photographer and a master at depicting the female form. He also belongs to a "meet-up" group of like-minded photographers. Since there were 10 or 12 of us at the shoot we elected to have two models and split up to find the perfect light and setting. One of the models was a seasoned pro who was familiar with the routine. The other was her novice friend, who I am certain was coaxed to come and try modeling with her. I can almost hear the, "Come on, it'll be fun!" She did her best, although her scared "deer in the headlights" look was ever-present. Another issue that one insensitive photographer took issue with was that the new model had a serious sunburn and tan/burn lines. Being a painter, it didn't bother me. I did contemplate painting in the tan lines but I thought she might look like an advertisement for Coppertone. I really like this little painting. The light is fun. This was another experimental painting I did using the Zorn palette and is the warmest painting I've done since I started using that limited palette.

"Missy and Walter"

Oil on canvas - 15" x 20"

This was actually my very first attempt at the Zorn palette for the Diana Moses Botkin March challenge. Although it lit the fire in me, subsequent small studies such as "Laura and Vincent" and "Sunlit nude in a Victorian Boudoir" had more of an over-all Zorniness. You can see by the lush(?) foliage out the window that Mary and Becky were right about the lack of a range of greens, although I find it works OK here.

"Study for Amy Angel"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 8" x 10"

As you can see, I am still enamored with the Zorn palette. For more than eight years I have had a life-sized variation of this piece sitting in my studio. The statue is mostly finished in it, and the mirror. The loosely sketched in, ghostly figure of Amy has haunted me for nearly a decade. I think I can finally finish it now, thanks to Mr. Zorn. I kept this study loose, as I was more concerned with the flesh values than creating a precious jewel. although, frankly, I am quite fond of it. I call this "Amy Angel" because the statue reflected in the mirror reminds me of Angel wings.

"The Zorn Palette " - Diana Moses Botkin's Art Challenge - March 2012

"Laura and Vincent"
Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 8" x 10"

Rather than go into a lengthy biography of the artist Anders Zorn (1860-1920), I have linked to a very good one by Mattias Sammekull. (Just click his name above.)

Sweden's answer to John Singer Sargent, Zorn is best known for his lush society portraits, sunlit nudes, bravado brushwork and his use of the so-called "Zorn Palette," a palette limited to just four pigments: vermillion, yellow ochre, ivory black and lead white. A perusal of his oeuvre would give evidence to the fact that he was not slavish to this limitation. Indeed, many tubes of blue pigments were found in his paintbox, but that could be said of any of us. I have dozens of tubes of paint that I have never, or seldom, opened. Perhaps this self portrait, showing him with this limited palette, started the whole thing. Who knows?

In any case, I am grateful to him and to Vicki Ross, who choose this month's challenge, for inspiring me to new heights. Indeed, I have not felt this electrified in a very, very long time. This challenge has provided the missing link for me, the piece of the puzzle that has been missing in my flesh formula. With the inclusion of cold greys and greyed out yellows, I am seeing in a completely new way. Although I did use a variation of Zorn's, my old palette was very dutch in nature, heavy on earth pigments such as burnt umber, raw umber and Van Dyke brown. The problem with a dutch palette, at least for me, is that it dries extremely fast and you can't paint wet on wet for very long. With Zorn's palette you have almost two days to move things around. While I am thanking people, I should give a shout out to whoever it was that gave me the tip about freezing one's palette at night to keep the paint from drying out and skinning. Good one!

Below are my fellow challenge artists' works for the month. I think the landscape painters had to have the toughest job of all as Zorn's palette, while perfect for figure and portrait work, is not well-suited for Mother Nature's vast spectrum. Brava!

"Pensive" 10"x 8" oil

Diana Moses Botkin ©2012

"Water" 6"x 6" oil

Becky Joy ©2012

"Isabelle" 14" x 11 oil

Vicki Ross ©2012


"Travelers" oil 9"x7"
Mary Maxam ©2012

"JJ on a leather sofa"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 8" x 10"

Just for fun.

"Roxy on the Beach"

Oil on museum quality Ampersand gessobord panel - 8" x 10"

There is an expression on Glee for when two songs are combined together. It's called a "mash-up." (Ooh, did I just out myself as a Gleek?) That mash-up moniker would be apropos of this painting as it is both pet portrait and seascape. I can count on one hand the times I have painted the ocean. Loyal followers may remember my painting "Out of the Box" as the other daily painting of the beach.

This is Roxy, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Last week her owners gave her a final hug and sent her across the rainbow bridge. For many months she had been fighting a form of degenerative myelopathy and since December had been using a doggy cart/wheelchair to take walks – which she thoroughly enjoyed. This worked well until she finally lost the use of one of her front paws. She continued to go downhill and they then had to make that terribly painful decision. I've been there too many times myself and know the pain they are going through. I hope they find some solace in this painting.

I wish you could see this painting in person. It is one of those rare paintings that pops off the canvas. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Corgis. I had a little guy named Pippin back in the 70's.

"Voltaire"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 8" x 10"

The fact that I feel I can post this painting, a surprise gift for a friend, with impunity speaks volumes about how last year was such a loss to my artistic creditability. The few faithful souls who clicked on this blog day after day, searching in vain for new work, were left mostly unfulfilled from May until year's end. I'm trying to not let that happen again. Voltaire, or Volt for short, is an American Bulldog and a real sweetie. Alas, once again the photo isn't nearly representational of the real piece. Subtle pinks and blues appear garish and disjointed...Arrrgh! David, if you do see this, it is really pretty nice.

"Hammie"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 6" x 8"

This is Hammie, the pot-bellied pig. He lives in Hampstead, MD with a menagerie of his friends. He is the lone pig among a host of llamas, donkeys, goats, sheep, chickens and cats - lots and lots of cats. Hammie has a face only a mother could love (and his human mother does, dearly - in fact this porcine portrait is a surprise birthday gift for her so those of you who know her please keep it to yourselves), but as the saying goes, "He has a winning personality." Indeed, you might call him a stupendous pig.

"Amy smoking"

Oil on linen mounted on wooden panel - 8" x 10"

It's ironic that that act of lighting up a cigarette has been elevated to fetish status. It wasn't that long ago that "smoking or non-smoking?" was a question asked before being seated in restaurants and on airplanes. How times have changed.

(This was another painting that didn't photograph well. It is quite nice in reality but the subtle hues in the flesh are lost and the glare in the hair spoils the piece. Arrrgh!)

"Tujaque's Sazeracs"

Oil on linen mounted on panel - 6" x 8"

In honor of Mardi Gras, I have painted the bartender at Tujaque's Restaurant on Decatur Street in New Orleans mixing up one of the Big Easy's most famous cocktails - the Sazerac. Made with rye whiskey, bitters and absinthe, it is an acquired taste. I just happen to have the ingredients on my bar so I may just have to make myself one. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Sazerac cocktail:

• 1 cube or 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 4 dashes Peychaud Bitters
• Splash water, about 1/2 teaspoon
• 2 ounces rye whiskey
• Splash Herbsaint (or Pernod), about 1/2 teaspoon
• Lemon peel for garnish
• Ice

Tools of the Trade - Diana Moses Botkin's Art Challenge - February 2012

"Tools of the trade - Bartender"
Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 6" x 8"

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am flattered to have been asked to join the Diana Moses Botkin's Art Challenge Group. The February subject was "tools of the trade." Since it need not have been one's own trade, I choose the tools of a profession I very much admire. Having the proud distinction of having a cocktail named after me at The Dogwood, one of Baltimore's best restaurants, I have had occasion to see these tools put to good use. The drink is the "Mark Adams" martini:

Mark Adams $11
spicy and dirty: Serrano pepper-infused
vodka, shaken and served up and dirty, garnished
with olives and pickled okra (not for
the faint of heart)

Also, as a Harley guy, I am partial to chrome. There is a biker saying (which I don't subscribe to): "Chrome won't get you home!" After a few of these a cab will get you home.

Here are my fellow challenge artist works for February:

"A Painter's Handful" 10"x8" oil

©2012Mary Maxam



Barber's Tools

6"x 8" oil on hardboard
©2012 Diana Moses Botkin

"Paints" 6"x6" oil
©2012 Becky Joy



"Bluebird En Plein Air"

oil on panel, 4x4"

©Vicki Ross




"Tool of the Trade"

Oil on canvas
10"x30"
©2012 Suzanne Berry

"Ruby"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 8" x 8"

As you will see in my next post - I have become a new member of fellow daily painter Diana Moses Botkin's "Art Challenge Group." Challenge groups like these are very beneficial in exercising the little grey cells. Once a month a new subject is chosen and explored. The finished works are kept secret from the other members of the group until the day they are revealed and posted. This month's topic was "tools of the trade." As you can imagine, some of the group did not venture past the tools at hand in the studio. A wealth of material is there to be sure. I guess technically I, too, did not leave the confines of my workspace, but how many artists have a fully stocked bar in their studio? It's a good thing there is no Guinness on tap or I would get even less done than I do.

What does all this have to do with little Ruby here? I'm glad you asked. I almost used her as my "tools of the trade" painting. You see, Ruby was a tool of the trade, a casualty of a puppy mill. A retired breeding bitch, she was cast off and sent to a shelter after her usefulness as a breeder was gone. Her teeth are non-existent. Her jaw was broken and poorly set. Her tongue, with no teeth to hold it in, hangs from her mouth in a sad, but smile inducing sort of way. (I painted her "good" side, but she is adorable on both) Weighing in at a mere 8 pounds, even for her breed she is tiny. The shelter reached out to an Italian Greyhound rescue group and my friends down in Texas fell in love with their first Iggy. Ruby could not have asked for a better forever home.

"Louie"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 6" x 8"

I still had a bit of paint mixed up from the previous night's session and thought I could put it to good use. Whoever it was that gave me the tip about freezing the palette to retard drying - thank you, thank you, thank you!

The leftover pigment was used to paint this piece. Have you ever known a standard poodle that was afraid of the water? Well, I have. His name is Louie (or should that be Louis?) Whatever. Anyway, Louie has the same enthusiasm for the water as I have for boats. He'll fetch a tennis ball all day, but throw it in a pool, river, stream or estuary and all you get is a quizzical look, as if to say "Surely, you don't expect me to go in there and get that!" This day, my friend was determined to show him how much fun it is and gave him a little(?) nudge into the pool. He was not amused.

The photograph of the painting is not particularly too good. I didn't post it last night, thinking that a wash of north light might help. It didn't. Like people, some paintings just don't photograph well. Here it is nonetheless, just to prove I'm still stroking away.

"Tennis anyone?"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 6" x 8"

I wanted to have a bit of fun tonight so this seemed appropriate. I like the abstract quality of the water. The local pool welcomes dogs to come and swim on the last day before closing for the season. There were a lot of happy pups enjoying the day. This guy was no exception.

"Owen and Ellie"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 8" x 8"

I was amused by these little imps sitting on a pile of cookbooks with an empty dish beside them. It's as if they are saying "You don't need a recipe, just put something in the dish please." My boy, JJ, is notorious for sitting on anything I am trying to read. I'm sure none of you ever have that problem {;-)>

"Conch Shell"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 8" x 10"

Ah, the ubiquitous conch shell. Who among us (at least on the eastern seaboard) didn't grow up with one of these beauties in the house? A souvenir from a family trip to Ocean City, Atlantic City or some coastal vacation town, these mollusk shells were wondrous instruments for blasting out a trumpet-like tune and when lifted to your ear you could swear you could still hear the ocean. I understand they are somewhat endangered now. Pity, as I love a good bowl of conch chowder.
If this background color looks familiar it's because I had mixed a bunch of this teal for the horse painting and had some left over. I thought it would make the perfect foil for this piece.

"Jane"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 6" x 6"

My friend Debby has a new mare to hitch to her team of draft horses. Her fancy name is Seven Lick Acres Jane. Whether you call her by that hefty appellation or just plain Jane, she is quite a horse. I had fun with the coloration on this small piece. Hey, at least it wasn't another oyster.

"Oysters and lemons"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 6" x 8"

Hey, what can I say? Oysters are fun to paint! These guys modeled for me at the Cross Street Market in the Federal Hill area of Baltimore.

"Oyster and knife"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 6" x 8"

It's ironic that I love to paint (and slurp) oysters but I couldn't unhinge a raw one if my life depended on it. I've watched the process a thousand times. It looks so simple when my friend George does it, of course he is a world champion oyster shucker. To be fair, I haven't tried in a long while.

This beauty and a host of its siblings were brought to a party I attended recently by a very thoughtful and well received guest. Carried in a joint compound bucket, along with the accouterments for opening them, they were dredged from the river flowing past his backyard. Thankfully he also brought the skill to retrieve the bounty within. Someday I'll try again when the fear of a stigmata has past.

"Lover's Eye"

Oil on porcelain - 1" x 1 1/4" 
I was commissioned a while back - OK, a long while back - to paint a "lover's eye" for a dear friend. For those not familiar - miniature portraits of just an eye, set in elaborate brooches, lavaliers, stickpins or even small boxes were secretly exchanged between clandestine lovers during the turn of the eighteenth century. Eye, brow, perhaps a wisp of hair was just enough to keep one's lover close but not reveal his or her identity. The girl for whom this was painted is quite the jewelry aficionado and I have no doubt she will find the right craftsman to set this properly. As for its ultimate recipient - she'll never tell.

 Addendum:  This is the finished mounting,  created by master goldsmith Lauren Schott here in Baltimore.  Made to wear as a lavalier or a pin, it is a really beautiful setting. 

"Monica's Wedding"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel - 8" x 10"

Technically speaking this was the first painting completed in 2012. However, I have been working on it for quite some time. It was a challenge since the original reference was artfully taken in black and white and I had to transpose the color from a plethora of miscellaneous snapshots from the wedding. The painting was commissioned by my friend Deb who provides the following commentary:

– Monica was married on June 24, 2011 in Penang, Malaysia in a Hindu ceremony. This is an image of her following the wedding in her wedding sari, which is traditionally red. The ornate necklace which can be seen is customarily placed on the bride during the ceremony in lieu of a wedding ring. During the ceremony, Monica’s hair was covered by a scarf, which remained on until the ceremony was completed. When it came off, an elegant braid was revealed underneath. The jasmine in her hair is the flower customarily worn; the smell was exquisite.

For those of you not familiar with Hindu weddings, they definitely know how to party. These festivities lasted for four days and at each event there was wonderful food and drink, with all who were present dressed to the nines in fabulous saris, gowns, cocktail dresses and amazing Indian garb. On the first day, there was an engagement party where the engaged couple received blessings. On the second day there was a Mehendi party where the bride and female wedding guests received henna tattoos on their hands, arms, legs and/or feet. This was followed by a Sangeet, an evening party, held under a tent on the beach. On the third day, the wedding took place under a tent at sunset followed by another fabulous meal. The kilted groom and his family, who are Scottish, were escorted to the wedding site by a group of bagpipers. People hung out their windows to see this sight in tropical Penang. Finally, on the fourth day, there was a formal reception.

The painting was commissioned as a gift for Monica’s mother, Usha, in thanks for her warmth, generosity and hospitality. The original photographs that were used as reference for this painting were taken by Monica’s new sister-in-law, Alicia Betham.

JJ in the Studio

Oil on museum quality Ampersand Gessobord panel - 6" x 8"

Happy New Year! I don't know about you, but I am glad to put 2011 behind me. Talk about the quintessential creative blackout. I won't go into the myriad of negative elements that led to my eight month artistic drought. Suffice it to say that I am climbing out of it and am excited to be back at the easel. Here's to 2012! May it be glorious for us all.

Sammy upside down and happy

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel 6" x 8"

My boy Sammy was vying to be on the blog again so how could I resist? Although my wife disagrees, I think the background looks like a roaring volcano or the flames of Hades. Sam has a little white bib and a white tum with he is obviously proud of, as he is fastidious about keeping it snowy white.

"Piper in the garden"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel 6" x 8"

Here it is gang; the first painting since the back went out. I won't bore you with the details - the short form is that I had (have) nerve damage in my right leg which has prevented me from standing for long periods of time. Since I stand at my easel, which I feel is the only way to paint (no offense to the sitting artists reading this) I needed a lot of physical therapy to help regain my strength. A big thanks to Janine at Hunt Valley Physical Therapy for getting me this far.

It is apropos that I chose Piper to be my first subject. She has been my model more than a few times, being the mother of three of my four studio assistants. I haven't painted her since her ear was tipped. Piper could be the poster child for TNR. For those unfamiliar with the program Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is a method of humanely trapping unaltered feral cats, spaying or neutering them, and releasing them back to the same location where they were collected. TNR is promoted by the ASPCA as a humane and more effective alternative to euthanasia for managing and reducing feral cat populations. When I was finally able to trap Piper and take her to the Humane Society to be spayed she was once again laden with eight kitten embryos. Tipping the ear is a way to signal to other kind souls who wish to help these wayward girls that they have been fixed. Living a few blocks from the Humane Society, we had our share of strays come to call. There are a lot of despicable people in this world, among the worst are the cowards who deposit their unwanted pets on the Humane Society grounds after hours so they don't have to explain why they are giving them up. One such visitor was a little white cat that we called Clara. When we finally were able to gain her confidence, we took her to the vet to be spayed. Our keen-eyed vet noticed the incision scar from her previous spay when she shaved her and thankfully didn't open her up again. Clara was probably someone's pet that they had gotten tired of and dumped up the road. Piper is and always will be feral. She and her wild companion, Bristol (yes, named after the Palin girls) live a good life on the back porch. We live in the country so cars are not an issue, in case you were worried. The girls have a duplex cat house that I built for them which has two heated sheepskin beds in the winter and two hammocks in the summer to keep them comfortable. They prefer to hang out on top, like Snoopy on his doghouse, in this heat. Three meals a day (canned food) and a midnight snack - they don't go too far afield.

It felt strange (in a good way) to be painting again.

Phoenix, Festus and feelin' fine

OK, maybe fine isn't le mot juste but I like the alliteration. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, I am finally on my feet again, albeit somewhat wobbly, not unlike Festus from Gunsmoke. I have this urge to holler "Hey, Marshal Dillon!" Quite apropos, since we lost James Arness this month. This is just a post to say I am NOT dead and hope to stand at the easel very soon. With luck there may be some new art on these pages - Gasp!

"Say hello to my little friend"

In case some of you were wondering what became of me, I blew out a lower disk about ten days ago and have been on my back ever since. The angelic Susan has been my lifeline between this world and a world of excruciating pain.

Debbie Hairy"

Oil on canvas - 24" x 24"

For over 20 years we have had a sit down dinner party to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. The menu is carved in stone: corned beef roasted with sherry, dry mustard and brown sugar, butter-drenched cabbage, beef braised in Guinness, poached salmon with dill cream, Irish soda bread, champ, and Irish whiskey cake. Each year there is a patron saint. Past years have included St. Patrick Stewart, St. Patrick Macnee, St. Patrick Swayze and St. Patrick Henry ("Give me corned beef or give me death") to name a few. When we started running out of Patricks we started adding Pattys; St. Patty Duke, St. Patsy Cline, St. Patty Hearst and, this year, St. Patti Smith (because the night belongs to corned beef lovers). Though not officially a costume party, our guests usually get in the spirit. St. Patsy Cline brought out everyone's urban cowboy, St. Patty Hearst saw everyone in green berets. You get the picture. So we weren't too surprised this year when two of our guests came in drag as Debbie Harry and Tina Turner. We also had a very convincing Patti Smith, complete with copious amount of spirit-gummed crepe arm pit hair and doves on her fingers. OK, you had to be there. I was channeling my inner Andy Warhol when painting this rendition of my friend, Bruce.