QUICK FUN

Fast practice session with acrylics, watercolors and acrylic ink.

SNOW!?!

Bear Family
John Brisson

We got a dusting of snow last night here in Big Bear. The bears are confused!!

MIXED MEDIA BEARS

Family
Mixed Media
John Brisson

PAINTING MATERIAL

I have been in New England the last seven days enjoying the really super fall colors this year. We have gone a number of times but this year seemed really spectacular. Should have enough painting subjects to last me a while.

ARTSPAN

Here is a link to a really nice art site. On it is art from both new and more experienced artists. Painting, sculpture, mixed media and printmaking can all be found here.
http://www.artspan.com/

Mike
Mixed Media
John Brisson

PAINTING

"The painter will produce pictures of little merit if he takes the works of others as his standard"
     ~Leonardo da Vinci~

Boothbay Harbor
Pastel on Canson paper
John Brisson

VINCENT

Abandoned
Pastel on Canson paper

"The emotions are sometimes so strong that I work without knowing it. The strokes come like speech."
          ~Vincent Van Gogh~

NOT TERRIBLE

Most of my watercolor attempts turn out pretty ghastly, but now and again they end up looking like what I had envisioned.

ANOTHER FOR THE "DIDN'T MAKE IT" STACK

Luckily, not a lot of time spent on this watercolor (maybe that's the problem). I really need to come up with a plan and then work it through on one of these!!!

JOHN SALMON

I happened upon a website of watercolor paintings done by John Salmon, an artist that lives in London England. He has posted a couple of demos on Youtube that I really enjoyed. As he begins a painting you would think that there is no way that they could turn out well. Kind of like my watercolors! The difference is that his turn out fantastic. Take a little time to see how watercolor should work.

WOODBLOCK PRINT

"I believe in working hard. Painting is serious. A vice, not a play thing." ~ Bernard Buffet ~

Okay...I guess I don't take it quite that serious. I am just having fun!

'Devil Music'      Reduction woodblock print on Japanese Torinoko paper.

PASTEL PAINTING

My friend and artist from the Pacific Northwest (Lopez Island) Anne Karp started working with pastels again and got me interested in working with them also. They allow such a fast paced session and are so forgiving of my lack of drawing talent. On the left is a beautiful pastel by Janet Sullivan, an artist from Montana. Below is one of Anne's and one that I did.

SUMMER?

Just when I was ready to get the boats out and ready for the summer season...snow! We never get snow in the middle of May!!

'Coolin'

Acrylic painting on Arches watercolor paper

SIMONE BINGMER

I have found myself working with pastels a lot over the last few months. I think part of the reason is the pace they allow you to work at. Also, I struggle with watercolors so much, never being able to correct problems I encounter. With both pastels and acrylics, I find it much easier to fix things that I am unhappy with. I was sent a link to Simone Bingmer's web site. She is a wonderful pastel artist who lives in Cologne. I've never been quite sure weather to call the pastels I do paintings or drawings. Hers are definitely paintings. They look like beautiful oil portraits.

http://www.simonebingmer.de/index_en.html

On the right is one of my attempts.

GREAT ART SITE PLUS NEW PASTEL

Here is another great website with tons of information and links to all kinds of art techniques. If you are interested in painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, printmaking (my favorite), pastels or ceramics, you find something you like here. Also great links to artists on the home page. The painting at the left is a watercolor by Lori Pitten Jenkins.

http://www.artshow.com/resources/printmaking.html

The painting to the right is another pastel from my trip to Colorado.

PARALLEL UNIVERSE

Over forty years ago there was a girl in my life that I was engaged to be married to. As often happens when people are young, our lives took different paths and we drifted apart. At first I thought about her a lot, and then time dampened the memory. After thirty some years of absolutely no contact, we reconnected about ten years ago, and have remained close ever since. One of the things that I have learned about her in our new relationship is that she loves art. She also did when I first knew her but, for some reason, I wasn't aware of it. Anne lives with her husband on beautiful Lopez Island in the Pacific Northwest where she has her own studio which was part of a studio tour last Labor Day weekend. It seems funny to me that when we were younger, I thought I was the art person with my photography and painting, never paying attention to the fact that she is pretty damn good herself. She works in pastels and also paints beautiful watercolors just to annoy me, I'm sure.

http://www.annewhirledgekarp.com/

TORTURED PAPER

I forgot (probably on purpose) to post the watercolor when I finished it. Nothing seems to change in my watercolor skills...

PHOTOGRAPHY, BLUES AND ART

I have found myself spending more and more of my time around music and art over the past few years. I guess it's never too late to do the things you enjoy and not just the things you're expected to do! One of the people who follow this blog sent me a link to a great site that shows some wonderful examples in these areas. Brandy Kayzakian Rowe is a photographer and painter who grew up and lived in the south (Memphis). Her photographs of the Delta and it's blues music are simply fantastic. She has recently moved to the Pacific Northwest and continues her work in it's rich jazz scene.

http://www.brandykayzakianrowe.com/

THE YIN AND YANG

I believe that the Yin and Yang are supposed to be opposites that interact with each other at times. Mine seem to have no connection to one another. I'm working on another attempt at a watercolor, and just finished another pastel drawing. As usual, the pastel has turned out the way I planned (except for the leaves) and the watercolor, well.... Actually, the watercolor may turn out better than most if I just try to keep it loose.

MUSIC AND ART

Two of my favorite things. My son and daughter in law are changing my grandson's bedroom and want me to paint some pictures for the wall. Liam loves music so that is the theme they would like. Over the past month I have been doing some pastel sketches to run by them.