The Storeroom

I recently rented 75 canvases to Netflix for their new show Grace and Frankie (Jane Fonda and Lili Thomlin). They used a bunch of stuff from the studio to create an onset art studio at Paramount. 

Everything is back now and I'm going through each painting and either putting it up for auction, reworking it and then putting it up for auction or getting rid of it. This might be a great place for bargains. I have vineyard paintings, eastern sierras, urban landscapes, Echo Park and more.

Gotta get to work.

A summer morning from the studio

I went out on the deck with my friend Sarah and painted for a few hours

. This is 12" x 12"

Haven't posted or painted in a while...

This is a little painting I did to donate to a group that is building a healthy food grocery and cafe way down on Vernont in what is now a food desert. Looking to open in the fall- Vermont just north of the 10 Freeway.

Limited Palette

I'll post the finished glaze painting but I keep putting little touches on it. In the meantime I wanted to post a really successful limited palette still life that Lindsey completed yesterday. This is the is the basic limited palette: venetian red, yellow ochre, black and white. She did a great job and got an amazing amount of color!

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When the glaze finally built up to a warm neutral dark brown, I started painting in the light.

 Then I build up the lights even more then started in the shadows carefully, scumbling shadow color paint while letting the dark of the glaze come through 

If there are any areas that aren't dark enough, I'll go back in with another layer of glaze.

A coat of purple today

Coming along!

Viridian Green

Today I put a coat of Viridian Green glaze on and remembered how hard it is to allow the previous layer to dry even in the hot weather, you still have to wait.

And I cleaned up all the studies from the Wilshire Normandie boxes. I really like them as a group but will sell them individually. Give me call if you are interested.

Glaze Paintings

Once in a while I teach glaze painting teachiques. It is a lengthly process. And I thought I would so one just so I know what I'm talking about. I set up a still life with a strong light source. Then I did my underpainting in burnt sienna really concentrating on getting as much detail and accuracy as possible. Correct value is particularly critical. I'll add photos after each later of glaze.

I let the underpainting dry then applied the first layer of ultramarine blue. I'm putting it on thinner in the dark lights and not at all in the very light lights.

Box number 2 is all finished

I put the graffiti coat on the boxes last night and said good bye to my little camp on the corner.

I had been so apprehensive about the neighborhood but it turned out to be one of the friendliest places that I have worked. The subject of local landscape is good for these boxes because people are constantly asking where the scenes are and really seem to like it when they figure it out. 

I had only a few crazy things happen. I did receive another dollar from a fan. 

One of the nicest things was my new friend Mr. Lee who brought me a carton of 2% milk every morning. 

Box number 2

Just a little more to go on box # 2.

When it's all done and sealed, I'll post videos. It's a wonderful neighborhood although working on this last side is a little intense at rush hour. That's what I tried last night around 5 and I just gave up. Will post again at the end if the day.

Wilshire and Normandie #1 almost done

The weather was better today and after the  early appointments for my 91 year old Mom and before class at 3pm,  there were a few good hours. In the words of one of my teachers, ' if this was easy everyone would do it' ...... see my foot off the curb in LA.

and thank you to Mike and Elizabeth for the photo.

Thursday night and almost there with box #1

Here is the week. I've been focused on my outdoor studio and didn't do so well with my blog entries. 

Will try to write. I did receive another $1.00 contribution from an admirer. 

Friday

I finished the first side and have #2 about half way there. Getting into the routine. I bought knee pads that keep my knees good. I had some problems on Thursday with the wind. Something got in my eye and I had to stop and go to CVS to get contact solution to wash it out. But yesterday was easy. 

Wednesday at Wilshire and Normandie

I got the box all primed yesterday and then the wind started blowing. This morning was perfect and I got pretty far before class at 2.

This is a really nice neighborhood. People are very friendly and interested. Some people even thanked me for painting the box white.

Day one at the corner of Wilshire and Normandie

This is all ready for priming in the am, then perhaps at least an under painting by the end of the day. It's really good to be outdoors. No one really talked to me except the people who work in the parking lot at the Line Hotel. It was really cute. They called over to tell me they were going home 

Plein air Sunday

It's a perfect day!

I

I went to Nova color and did some damage.  

All eight studies are done and approved. Tomorrow I'll start prepping! I am nervous - issues with getting the supplies on site and parking and just getting used to my new outdoor studio. I hope it takes just a week for each one. Will naturally depend on the weather but I hope the designs go up easily too. 

7

not finished but it's coming

6 and counting

What a week! A ton of students in the studio over the week end. Figure drawing is really shaping up as a class and in the afternoon I now have the help of David Watson who graduated from Mountserrat College in Massachusetts and has a bunch of experience in the contemporary art world. The best was that when faced with an impromptu lesson in two point perspective, he jumped in and did a fantastic job. 

and on top of that Nickelodeon wants to set a reality TV episode in the studio and I called the business school at Pepperdine to pitch the studio as a case study and tomorrow they are both interviewing me.......

But I have the utility boxes pending and have to reach the number eight with really good ideas. Here is #6.

Studies

Here are four studies for the next box . They need just a few touches.

And here's one I did today and will finish tomorrow- then get to work on the 6th.

The Picadelli Apartments at Wilshire and Normandie .