I’ve been getting my art printed on notecards since 1987. In the olden days, a package consisted of 2 each of 5 designs. In the olden days, people communicated on cards and mailed them with a stamp rather than talking into a little machine and tapping something. This meant that I had 1000s of cards […]
Drawing with Pencils
I guess you could draw with chalk or a paintbrush or your finger on a fogged up window, but drawing with pencils is what I do. Student work It’s also what I teach. A returning drawing student had one month free for lessons before embarking on a new chapter of life. We dove right in, […]
Sold in Summer—Pencil Drawings
Five of these pencil drawings sold at my solo show in Tulare, “Around Here (and Sometimes a Little Farther)”. The others were pencil commissions, which I showed you with all the slow developments in painstaking detail. I love pencil. Did you know that? Thus we conclude another post about the business of art, because. . […]
Too Dark For Painting
We had an overcast day, with the typical over-promise-and-underdeliver weather forecast of rain. Oh well, at least we didn’t have lightning to worry about. Since it was too dark to paint, I spent my working hours in the studio, drawing this pencil commission piece. Sometimes this feels as if I am racing along at a […]
Will the Fat Lady Sing?
Who is the fat lady? Sometimes I sing for my drawing students, not well, and we all laugh. What am I yammering on about? The drawing of Texas, which is too large for my scanner, so the upper edge is nipped off and the lower edge is blurry. But first, let’s look at the scratchy […]
Just Another Work Day for Your Central California Artist
Painting To postpone two difficult tasks, I started this 10×30” commissioned oil painting, following the sketch which the customer approved. Just Plain Work This part didn’t warrant any photos. Some friends from Southern California went to my show, bought a drawing, and then hit a snag and couldn’t return to pick it up. I took […]
Weird, But Good
My solo show, Around Here, in Tulare was originally going to consist solely of oil paintings. However, I asked the director if she also wanted pencil drawings, which normally attract attention but not sales, and she said, “Sure, why not?” So, I gathered up my best framed pencil pieces and added them to the mix. […]
And Another Commissioned Pencil Drawing
Same customers, similar approach, different state. This new pencil commission is looking across a driveway at a vineyard with the Sierra* in the distance. The customers provided current photos of the view, but now the vineyard is gone and almond (or peach? plum? nectarine?) trees are in their place. So, I went exploring on the […]
Instruct me, Please
When working on custom art, which involves combining multiple photos and verbal or written instructions, there must be much communication. My customers for the Texas drawing said to lower the bluebonnets to keep them inside the fence, since if they are outside the fencing, the cattle eat them. I keep accidentally thinking of the bluebonnets […]
More From the Drawing Table
When we last looked at this challenging pencil commission of a Texas scene, it looked like this. When I don’t know where to begin, I just pick something that is somewhat concrete, something with a photo to follow, rather than work on the things I have to make up. So, distant trees, grass, and tractor. […]