Frames on the Brain

                                          

I'm adding a few more photos of artwork that I have framed. All but one of these pieces are painted on the covers of old Readers Digest books. I call them 'Literary Birds' (or 'Literary Boats'). They are smaller, so they go for about $45 each.

The bigger painting is one I have just finished. It's called 'Huddled Red Birds.' I'm taking all of these and more down to the farmers market on Thursday, so drop by if you can.

The Frame Game

Most of the artwork I create doesn't need to be framed. Nearly all of the paintings I have done have been sold, delivered and hung without any kind of frames. Because I use gallery-wrapped canvases, frames are optional.

Except for the works I call 'Literary Birds (or Boats).' With these I use the hardback covers of old Readers Digest books as the canvas. Then I make the frame and attach the artwork to the back, and then cover the back with a piece of fabric. As much as I enjoy not having to frame my paintings, I do enjoy how the 'Literary Birds' look once the framing process is complete.

Just for kicks I decided to frame the 'Grain Elevator' painting that is the subject of the posting below. My frames are simple -- they would have to be -- and I use recycled materials. Most of the frames are made with pieces of my former garden fence that was in our back yard. A tree fell a couple of summers ago and doomed the fence, forcing it into a career change.

I have nearly run out of fence pieces, so now I'm using flooring that used to be in the living room of our house. The former owners replaced the original floors in the living room and one of the bedrooms. Most of the original flooring wound up (for some reason) in our attic. These make really nice frames.

I do simple 45-degree miter cuts and attach each side with a pocket jig. Then I sand the frames just enough to smooth and get rid of the loose paint. I like that the frames are rough-looking.

Onces that's done, I white-wash them, let them dry and then attach the artwork to the back.

I think the 'Grain Elevator' painting looks quite nice with its frame. Very fitting.

You can see this painting -- and about 15 others -- at the downtown farmers market on Thursday, Nov. 29. I'll be there along with a handful of other artists and a bunch of people selling chilli and wreaths.

Come on down and take a look!

Thanks for visiting.

Elevation

The presidential election is finally over. Regardless of who you wanted to win election, we all are now free from the 24/7 barrage of campaign ads on TV, radio and the Internet. Gone are the loud and mostly ignorant cable news talking heads. No more polls. Late-night talk shows have moved on to other subjects.
It's like the road construction project that employed a jack hammer everyday outside your window, has finally finished its work and moved on.

Or, it's like you're driving away from the constant noise and filth of a major metropolitan: The horns are growing softer; traffic is thinning; you can roll down your window and breathe.

Suddenly, nothing is around. Just you, the ground, the sky .... and a grain elevator.

I found a photo of an abandoned grain elevator and it seemed like the best place to be, given all of the noise and chaos going on at the time. In much the same way that a beach house can deliver much-needed relaxation and a battery recharge, this motionless and nearly forgotten building delivers a thorough calmness.

It does for me, anyway. Hope you enjoy. Please feel free to comment.

On a side note, I'm hoping to create a Facebook page dedicated to my artwork. The one I use right now is piggy-backed on my wife's Facebook account.

Thanks for looking.

This painting has sold.

Keeping Busy

Here are a few new paintings I have either recently finished or started. The one called 'Mountainside Barn' is large. It's 30"X 40". The blue sky might be the most vivid blue I've ever used. Right now, it's hanging in my livingroom.

The small boat painting is one I did while I was doing a painting demonstration at Just Be, during the First Friday. It's not often I can nearly finish a painting in one sitting, but since I was getting an opportunity to paint for three solid hours, I was able to get a lot done. This one is 12"X14".

I am nearly finished with another landscape of sorts. I'm painting a picture of a grain elevator. These  types of buildings -- barns, windmills, grain elevators and old farm houses -- have become my favorites. There's an escape quality to the image of a wide-open field and sky protecting these utilitarian buildings.

I hope you enjoy looking at them. Please feel free to comment.

A Beautiful Night and a Rainy Day

Jekyll and Hyde paid a visit to Greensboro this weekend. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for First Friday at Just Be in downtown Greensboro. I was the featured artist and was on hand doing an oil-painting demonstration from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. There was a steady stream of people visiting the store. More than 10 of my paintings were very nicely displayed. The owner and store manager have been wonderful to work with and did a great job with directing customers' attention toward me.
Many people commented on and asked questions about my paintings. I received a lot of positive feedback. And a big thank you goes out to Kimberly for her help; Tate for taking photos; and family, neighbors and a co-worker for stopping by to show their support.

As much fun as I had at First Friday, I was really looking forward to Art in the Arboretum on Sunday. The weather forecast was for rain -- mostly early -- and much cooler temperatures.

And that's what we got. I got up at 6 a.m. to begin loading the van. The rain was already coming down, though not too heavy. I decided to hold off on loading my paintings until the rain let up. Then we got something Greensboro doesn't see too often in October: a thunder storm. The rain became heavy. It was still very early, and the weather maps were showing the line of storms passing through quickly.

Before I started loading paintings, I called the Greensboro Beautiful weather line to make sure the event was still on. The recording said the event had been cancelled because of rain.

For about the next five hours, I wandered through the day with disappointment. Mostly because the event was cancelled. But also because, during that five hours, the rain stopped and the sun peeked out momentarily. In fact, as I sit here writing this, it hasn't rained since around 9 a.m. With the cool weather, maybe the arboretum officials were afraid the ground would become a big muddy mess and that would damage the park.

Either way, my opportunities for art shows are few and far between. Having one cancelled hurts my plans for making a name for myself. At least First Friday went well. And there's always next year for Art in the Arboretum.

It's Showtime!

It's going to be a very busy time for me over the next week. If you want to see great local artwork, you're in for a treat.
Oct. 5, I'll be the featured artist at Just Be in downtown Greensboro for the October First Friday. I'll be there from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.  Here is their website: http://onlyjustbe.com/.

Two days later, on Oct. 7, I'll be participating in the annual Art in the Arboretum, along with 50 other arts and crafts vendors. There will be food, music, dancing and something called 'Bark Art,' which I believe is for dogs. Art in the Arboretum was a wonderful time for me last year. I'm hoping the weather will be as nice as it was last year.

I'll have several new paintings (including the one above) -- some I haven't posted on this blog. I hope to see you at one or both of the events.

This painting has sold.

Setting Sail for October

After a brief lull in work, I'm feverishly painting (as well as one can with oils) to get ready for Art in the Arboretum, the annual outdoor arts and crafts festival put on by Greensboro Beautiful. The date for the event is Sunday, Oct. 7.

My plan is to have 25 to 30 works of art on hand. Some will be paintings you may have already seen, but I'm hoping most will be new and fresh to everyone. My space for work is so limited I've actually had to return to the basement, at least to store canvases that are drying.

Last year's Art in the Arboretum was my first. It was a resounding success, as I sold nearly 10 works of art and won Best of Show. I was elated. I can't wait for this year's event. I can only hope the weather will be nearly as nice as last year.

Also in the works, I have a painting that will be auctioned as part of a frundraiser and grand opening of the new Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship. It is also celebrating its 25th anniversary.

The owner of Just Be, the downtown store that has a few pieces of my artwork (see previous blog entry), has asked if I would be interested in being their featured artist for the October First Friday in downtown Greensboro. I would have to be on hand doing a painting demonstration and meeting and talking with customers. This will be on Oct. 5 -- the Friday before Art in the Arboretum.

Naturally, I'm jumping at the opportunity to be the featured artist. The owner of Just Be has been very good to work with and I have received nothing be positive feedback for my artwork.