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. 

Pretty Girl with Shawl

I just put this on ebay for $399 starting bid.  If it has no other bids feel free to contact me for purchase and I can pull it from the Ebay gallery for you.  To visit my ebay gallery, click here

Oklahoma Bounty

When I was asked to create a show of paintings for the Circle Cinema I looked at my body of work and noticed how many paintings I had with an Oklahoma theme, whether it was the billowing clouds over an Osage prairie, Tulsa Ballet dancers, or the simple bounty of fruits and vegetables from my back yard garden. I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoyed painting them. We will have a little opening on March 8th from 6-8 during the Kendall Whittier first Thursday Art Walk. I hope to see you. Bring a friend!

Oil Painting Workshop at Tulsa Botanical Garden

Getting ready for a little workshop that I will be conducting at Tulsa's Botanical Garden next week.
I went out there last week to visit the green house and earmark some plants that we might use for our still life workshop and couldn't pass up the opportunity, although a very cold and windy one.... to paint outside.  Just when you think there is no color left in the world, you look a little closer....