Demonstration pieces

When I do an art show as a vendor, I always demonstrate my processes and techniques. These pieces are ones on which I demonstrated how I add color layers. I've been busy with outdoor projects and just did the final touches to these paintings.

The "boathouse" is done!

Nate has done all the little things needed to finish the project. There is an eaves trough between the two sheds, the windows are caulked and all the trim is in place.
The fit is comfortable, and the steep driveway wasn't a problem with backing the boat into the shed.

No. 2 builder posing in front of the "boathouse."

Little Lana will be surprised when she is born and she sees all the work that was done to get her a beautiful room. The computer moved out of her room to the basement, basement stuff moved to the garage and the boat moved out of the garage to the "boathouse."

Little Gracie Elizabeth

Mandy and Len helped (Mandy's effort was larger!) their baby girl enter our world on May 28th. Of course my wife thought that I should make a painting for little Gracie.

ABC - art by committee - James Gurney's Blog

I continue to draw for ABC. I need the practice, and I've forgotten how much I like to draw. This week's quote, that many illustrated, was "He felt violated, somehow. It was unbearable to him to see these detested creatures, mutated rodents, among things he'd loved all his life."
Thanks to Jim for posting all of our drawings!

5th Annual Library Benefit

I have been working on the tickets for our library's largest fundraiser of the year. Please contact the Mansfield Free Public Library if you need tickets. The phone numeber is (570) 662-3580. Below are the new tickets which include photos of last year's event.

Congratulations to the Celtics!

Way to go BIG THREE! All your fans were proud of your tremendous effort. (apologies to my favorite, Paul Pierce)

Special project

When I was a young art teacher, I was expected to finish 24 additional college credits during my first six years of teaching. I took numerous art courses at Mansfield University. One summer, in a painting class, we were asked to design large paintings to be hung at the university. Our materials were paid for by the art department. Since 1975 this 6 foot by 8 foot painting has hung in a stairway in the Grant Science Center. The painting is comprised of 48 square pieces - many of them done in with my "textured painting" proceedures.
It was quite a sight when a friend, Jerry Bailey, helped me carry the finished work across Rt. 6 to the campus!

Recreation

Sometimes I get out on our little lake (3.2 miles from my house to the boat launch). Last Saturday one of my fishing buddies went with me. Denny likes to go early so we were on the lake before 6 a.m. with some mild haze and fog. We were fishing for crappie with light line, some minnows and jig spinners. This big hybrid striper was tempted to bite by a 1.5" minnow.
The fish was so strong that I thought the photo below was the only one I was going to get of him. It took almost 30 minutes for Denny to tire the fish enough to get him near the boat so I could net him. (Not a great fit for my little net!) Check out the size of the hook (#14 treble) - only one little barb held that big fish!

More "boathouse" construction!

We are almost done with the "boathouse." The roof is shingled, the siding is painted and the trim is up.

The trim is ready to go on the doors which barely show on the concrete floor in the photo below.

Below, Nate is cutting the hole for a vent - to help with the heat wave we've been having.

ABC - Art By Committee

On his blog, James Gurney has a fun little excersize which is open to everyone. You only need illustrate a few lines quoted from a science fiction source. Below is my version of last week's quote. "Weldon, a big hulking dude, went into a crouch and threw out his arms, ready to catch the running Jeremy." Check out all the "solutions" by clicking here. Gurney Journey is a great blog filled with information about making images and art. My friend Andy Wales challenged me to do the ABC. Next week's challenge is "His voice enchanted her. Always it had enchanted her, resting her with its sureness, creating a spell in which she saw the universe he knew or made. His eyes were . . . "

Annual library sign

This year the summer reading program at our Mansfield Free Public Library has the theme - "Catch the reading bug!" Below is my preliminary sketch.
I choose to use pastel colors - the three bugs are versions of red, blue and yellow the primary colors.

Low stone wall

We recently had seven large spruce trees (diseased) removed from our lot and replaced with 10 small hemlocks. I've been busy putting a low stone wall around the new trees.
I was stalled until yesterday when I found a new business about 20 miles from home - Stoney Fork Natural Stone - which is shown below. I needed more stones with a straight side. (This place is run by an accommodating man. He has a quarry fairly nearby and literally tons and tons of stone.)

I've learned to use curves from Ford Hume. His son Chris layed up the first two stone walls on our property.

Tomorrow the mulch arrives to help dress up the area.

Commission - music!

One of my summer school students, Rebecca A, came up with this idea. She is going to gift her high school music teacher, and she asked me to create a music painting. Here is one of my answers to this fun little project.
Below, of course, I had to try sneaking a doily into the composition:

Rebecca made a drawing to be a guideline for what she was hoping I could make:

Below is a literal translation of the drawing. I did add a few letters.Below is the treble clef that I made with thin strips of matboard.