Second Blues Poster Final

So here is the second blues poster that was submitted for the poster competition. It looks like they won't be selecting a winner until June 1st so I will have a few months to wait. With any luck, I will hear from them later.

Second Blues Poster teaser

Well, I have gotten a number of questions as to what the second image for the blues poster competition looks like. While I won't be posting what the final version looks like until after March is over(which is the deadline to enter), I will give you guys a little teaser as to what it looks like as a black and white sketch. After the 1st of April I will be sure to post the real one for your viewing. The image itself is of a harmonica player belting out a tune on stage with the theme of the Festival "30 years: Nutin' but the Blues" placed about the image. Hope you like how it all started!

Dakota

Thought I would share with you some pics I took of my new roommate. Her name is Dakota and is almost a year old. These pics where taken after we went for a long walk around the neighborhood and she just wanted to watch what the neighbors were up too afterwords. She is actually my uncle's dog, but she doesn't mind who takes her for walks! It has been really warm around here lately too so that makes it all the better.

As for art happenins I am going to be sending in the two samples for the blues poster for their competition on Thursday. Let's hope they like what I send. I also am working more on those paintings and will start to lay out some of the charcoal drawings coming up this weekend. Never a dull moment, that's for sure!

Sunday workshop

Had a great time this afternoon at a workshop I taught for the Minnesota Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. It was fun meeting alot of new people and seeing others that I hadn't seen in a while. Now it is a full focus on the May show. I didn't get as much time in the studio as I would have liked this weekend since I was preparing for the workshop, but did get about an hour in this evening on the untitled painting.

painting starting to take shape

Well another painting is waiting to bust out of its background and start to take on its own funkiness. This one is of a cliff of rocks that have some interesting interaction with its vegetation. I like the movement that is starting to show and can't wait to get more details put in. I am going to be keeping this one pretty loose with the brush strokes though to keep that movement alive and active.

Hoofbeats and Heartbeats

Had a meeting last night with a woman named Linda Lewis who runs a great non-profit in Elk River, MN named Hoofbeats and Heartbeats. It is an equestrian learning center that is dedicated to providing therapuetic riding and teaching to individuals with emotional and physical disabilities, elderly, and the youth. I wanted to let you guys know that you can help places like this and other causes by simply searching for everyday things on a site called GoodSearch. Everytime you search for something, the cause of your choosing gets a penny. It doesn't sound like much, but how many times do we search for things online? Every penny counts! If you would like to send your search pennies to Hoofbeats, simply type in Hoofbeats and Heartbeaks (Elk River).

In my art news, I have secured a date for the show at Homewood Studios for June 13th thru July 2, 2008. I know it is a year off but it will come soon enough. I also am putting the final touches on the workshop that I will be teaching this sunday for the Minnesota Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. It should be a great time. Stay tuned for some other exciting news that has recently been in the works!!!

Mill City Stetched and more

After a few weeks of the Mill City Painting hanging on the wall, I finally figured it was time to stretch it around the frame. Boy what a process that was. I have never stretched such a large painting before, but after an hour or so it was finally secured and taught on the frame. Now I just have to figure out how to get it to the show! The final dimensions of the painting is 48 inches by 60 inches. In other news, I had a great meeting yesterday at Homewood Studios in Minneapolis and will be putting together a couple of classes to be offered some time in the upcoming months. Probably summer some time. I also am looking at doing an exhibition there in June of 2008 as well. So it looks like 2008 is starting to get some good things going with a couple of exhibitions planned already.

Array of work...

Thought you might like to see a little overview of some of the things currently in progress for the show. There are also another three paintings that are not in this photo. Overall I think they are coming along and am liking the way they feel as a group and also as individual paintings.

Night of research

Well tonight has been filled with working on a project for a client and also doing some research for the upcoming workshop I am teaching for the Minnesota Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators next weekend. I am really looking forward to exploring and sharing how to better get your name and image out on the web for artwork. What kinds of things and places do you guys find worth while as an artist? Any particular web hosting service that is resonably priced and easy to use that you prefer? Your feedback would be greatly appreciated and passed along.

Layout of another painting

Even though I just started the painting yesterday of the Lake Pepin area, I wanted to start getting more of the groundwork done on the other paintings that need to be finished in the next couple of months. I have found it is better to know the full scope of all that needs to be done than focus on just one piece at a time. I am thinking that I will get at least 3 or 4 more started this week as well. Probably smaller ones though, around 16 x 20. The one on top is of a cliff near the apache trail that was really interesting with its movement and lines and the bottom is of the Kolb studio that still needs attention. I also have been very pleased with the new oil paints that I had gotten from the Jack Richeson company. They are the Daniel Greene Oils and am really impressed with how far they reach and the brillance of the color. I would definitely recommend them.

Back in the studio

After a week of unpacking, I have finally been able to start painting again. But with the spring like weather outside, it has been tempting to be out there instead. Nonetheless, I feel good that I am able to get some images for everyone to start looking at again! This one is a piece that will be in the Waconia show and is a scene from Lake Pepin on the Minnesota and Wisconsin border. I think it will work well with some of the Grand Canyon pieces.

Studio Pic

So here is your first peek at my new studio space. I know it looks a little messy now, but am still unpacking a few things. It will definitely be more space to work in than the other one. It will also feel more like home once I get some paintings and images on the wall as well.

Moved in

After a couple of weeks of packing everything up, I am excited to say I am finally unpacking it all at my new place. I have got about half of my studio found and put where it needs to go and will hopefully be painting in the next day or so. So stay tuned and there will be images to enjoy soon. Until then, you should check out the great work of Art Lady Confidential.

The snow is flying

Well for the second time in less than a week we are being dumped on with snow. We have around a foot already from today and will get around 15-18 inches by the time it is done tomorrow. Thats about 30 inches of snow in a matter of 6 days. Crazy how it all comes at once. On the paintings front, I finally boxed up all my painting materials and am hoping to get some things into my new studio space by the weekend some time(if it ever quits snowing). So since my studio is in hiatus for a few days, I will more in likely wait till Monday or Tuesday to post again.