Old drawings, young people!

While I was earning my B.S. in art education at Mansfield State College (now Mansfield University) I did a few drawings of my friends. I put Dave Castano first because I have met his nephew who is currently a graduate art student here at M.U.
Below is another drawing of Dave also done in 1971. I think that Dave taught high school art in Coudersport, PA for many, many years.

Gerry Bailey is below. After earning his B.S. he went on to earn a masters in fine art at Iowa University, I think.

This self portrait was done during my second year of teaching 1973. I had begun developing my textured paintings two years earlier. I entered the drawing in an exhibition at our local bank - I was trying to get used to my new role of teaching art to about 800 local kids.

Most expectant mothers get a painting from me!

Actually, my wife loves to gift the people she knows with my paintings. Below is a gift for a mother, a former student of my wife, who has chosen to wait until birth to learn if she has a little boy or girl. Baby Love is the best name that I could think up.

Wall of Paul

Connie Sickler, of the Settlement House in Sylvania, PA, has an interesting basement in her place of business. There is a wall of my paintings which she calls "Wall of Paul."
Nearby is a water feature with a painted and a real breath of nature!

Also there is a tree part paint, part real and part manufactured.

Yesterday I delivered a batch of small textured paintings. Below you see the backs of the blocks of wood onto which I mount the paintings.

For some reason, I used the heart motif on many of these new paintings.

Mini vacation

Last weekend we went to Frederick, MD to the wedding of our friends' (Fudd & Vicky's) daughter - Lindsay and Ben were married in this stately Lutheran church.
We enjoyed the entire event (and felt young again for a moment). Below the happy couple cut the wedding cake. (Yes, they received a "wedding painting" from us.)

The next day we boarded a tourist boat and motored to Mount Vernon.

There was an artist "colony" in the harbor. Many artists had studio and exhibition space in the old "Torpedo Factory." We saw that one of the artist shared my wife's maiden name Seefeldt. While we were exclaiming about it, Elke Seefeldt appeared. She knew of my wife's grandfather Fritz Seefeldt and uncle Ulf Seefeldt who both lived in Germany. Small world.

Elke Seefeldt was an accomplished potter as you can see by the above image! She has developed many styles. Below is Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington.

Some new "little ones"

I've finished painting a modest batch of "little ones" which are the size of normal photo prints - 4" x 6". I used my new tiny heart stamp on just about all of them. I think the heart is a symbol for little Lana.
I don't usually frame these pieces. Instead, I glue them on pine boards cut a little larger than the paintings.

I just had to add to "wedding painting" no. 4

Because I thought no. 4 was a little blah, I added a quite dark thalo blue, burnt umber and black color layer. Maybe you will think, after comparing with the last post, that I improved the vertical painting?

Final versions of "wedding paintings" maybe!

In addition to making a third layer of color on each painting, I hand-painted some areas to make them darker or lighter.
I also added some gold highlights with a special marker.