Red roses transformed into a tornado.

This is what happens when you leave a painting with the artist for a long time.  This week I was clearing out the studio and ran across a few paintings that needed to be improved upon.  this painting was a boquet of red roses against a light background that never quite worked for me.  First I tried to darken the back ground and when that didn't suit me I thought I would just paint over it and decided to clean my pallet onto the canvas.  What started to appear was a tornado so I decided to go with it.   Black is so hard for me to photograph properly but the finished painting is very dark on the tornado part and the sky below is a medium yellowish color... kind of a combo of both of the last two pics.  

SOLD Harjo oil portrait

This is a painting that I did several years ago with a live model.  When cleaning the studio this week I revisited several paintings, this being one.  I made a few minor adjustments and added it to my ebay auction this week.  It is a 16x20 oil painting of one of the Harjo clan.  Once upon a time I could remember her name but I have forgotten.  It may be 'Joy' but I wouldn't swear to it ;-)  She is wearing her traditional ceremonial costume that might be worn to a pow wow.  She is holding a feather fan that is also used in blessing ceremonies.  If you would like to purchase this directly from me ( $200)  you may contact me through this website or visit it in my ebay auction where the start price is lower w no reserve.  Click here for Ebay

SOLD Sirens of Snake Creek

This is another painting that I revisited this year.  It is a montage of a couple photos and a little imagination.  The problem of using multiple photos in one painting is getting the perspective right.  If you aren't taking the photos with the intention of painting them in the future, this is a common problem.  I started with several photos of my friends at the creek and had a painting I was pretty pleased with.  Upon getting it back from a gallery I looked at it anew.  It bothered me that the furthest left figure just didn't seem right.  I think her head was too large for where she was in the painting, and in particular, where she was in comparison to the two other figures ( who were taken from the same photo)  I changed the size of her head and hat and now it seems better to me.  I also lengthened and widened the arm of the figure on the right.  I also decided there were too many girls in sunglasses and took them off of the far right figure.  There is one other change that I made.  Can you find it?
Contact me for purchase, or visit the painting on my ebay auction

original

final ( I think)

Your phone's camera.... the most useful tool in your arsenal

I pulled this old painting out of the studio the other day.  It was painted several years ago using a live model  With a live model you really can't go back and take another look because they are now home, cooking dinner or something ;-)  But, you can look at your own work and re evaluate and try to make it a better painting.  I have found that stepping away is by far the most useful tool ; I stepped away from this painting for a couple of years, but that is not really what I am talking about, although that too, really frees you up to make necessary changes.  I mean, stepping back to the other end of the room, go outside and come back in w your painting facing the door so you are surprised and looking at it freshly.  Since having access to an i phone and to always use it to post photos of paintings to my online auction on ebay, I noticed how many times I took a photo of a painting, thinking it was ready for sale, and only realizing mistakes after looking at the mini photo.  I started noticing how great a tool it was for 'stepping back.'  Here is a series of changes that I am making after viewing this painting from a photo.  Notice how the head shape changes, the eyes, hair, shadows in background, drape across legs, carving into the flesh around her tummy, lips...
This painting is on ebay right now and you can bid on it Here  or contact me for purchase

I started with this:

and ended with this:

You an see below subtil 

small changes... not in any correct order... seen below

Another Floral .... this year's version

 A work in progress... nearly finished.