Candy Hearts January 13 - 30 paintings in 30 days

Candy Hearts 8x8" oil on panel - $75 free shipping

I had a great day today. After I finished painting this still life of sweethearts, I went thrift shopping with my sweetheart! My best find of the day was a 3 pack of Fredrix Red Label canvas for $2, and also a simple frame for a painting that we are hanging in the kitchen. I got such a good deal, that I'm offering this small still life for a small price. Candy Hearts.

Gredes Foundries

 

 
 
 

Foundry at Noon 8x8" - $99

 

 

 

 

 

Foundry at Two 8x8"  - $99

 

The light was good today, so I wanted to get outside and paint. My painting didn't work out yesterday, so I'm putting up two today.

 

I painted these from the passenger seat in my car. It was 6 degrees when I started, and 8 when I drove home. The "feels like" temperature was much colder, and the windows that were not facing the sun were covered with thick frost. When driving home, someone ahead of me had a frost covered back window, and a cop was trying to pull them over. They couldn't see the officer, and were just driving around like nothing was wrong.

Bathroom Window Interior

Bathroom Window Interior 9x12" oil on canvas - $99

 

Today I had an hour to squeeze in my painting for the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. After I painted, I drove up to Stephens Point, to drop off two paintings for a group show of Wisconsin Landscapes at the Scarabocchio Art Museum. The show opens on January 22, and I'm really excited because I'm showing with some great painters! It is my first museum show, so this is a big honor.

The following paintings are the two pieces that were selected for the show. Both are 24x36"

 

 

 

 

January Interior - January 9 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

January Interior 12x12" oil on canvas

I had some good news from my friend and great painter Pat Dillon that I had a nice sale in her gallery today, Gallery Dillon on Williamson St. In Madison! It looks like some of my still life will be in her gallery for a still life show as well, so this 30 in 30 challenge is shaping up to be a success.

I had a great time painting inside my kitchen today. This painting is simple, but it took me quite a while to get into it today. I wiped the composition off the canvas 5 times before I got the layout that I wanted. It was a fun painting session, with the cats and dogs keeping me company. Now to take care of those dishes!

Apples on Pattern - January 8 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Apples on Pattern oil on canvas

Today, I met with the neighbor, who is making me some frames. I've been painting 8x8's for the 30 in 30, so I asked if he'd make me some frames in that size. He has his own saw mill, and he cuts some good looking boards from trees that he cuts down himself. I'll be showing my 30 paintings in 30 days on Saturday the 30th, on the Cool Boo Studio Tour. My stop on the tour will be at the Baraboo Arts Building, which is an old shed for the Ringling Brothers Circus. For more info on that, you can check out the facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Cool-Boo-Open-Studios-1605497123003366/

Apples - January 7 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Apples and Pattern oil on canvas 8x8" - sold
 

Lemon Still Life - January 6 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Lemon Still Life 8x8" oil on canvas - sold

 

 

For today's challenge I'm posting a painting that I did 3 days ago. I did 3 sketches in the studio today, but none of them worked out. Knowing what not to do next time is over half the battle.

I am picking up my skateboard halfpipe from storage tomorrow, so I'm hoping to have time to paint in the morning beforehand. I have to cut the halfpipe down, to fit a space in one of the sheds here at the farm. It's a big project. The ramp is 30 feet long, 16 feet wide, and 4 feet tall, but we are cutting it down to 12 feet wide and 3 feet tall. I built the halfpipe in January 2005, I guess that makes ten years ago. Now, I'll have a studio, and a skateboard ramp right out my front door. Painting and skateboarding work together in a way for me. When I can't look at a painting anymore, I try to go out and skate. When I'm too beat up from skating, I try to paint.

Outubuilding January 5 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Outbuilding 8x8" oil on canvas. Sold

 

Here is a little cold weather landscape from earlier today. My friend Josh and I went out painting, and drove down a road that I haven't been down before. This grainery was at a farm with a fallen down barn. The fallen down barn might make a subject for another painting, but it was all in shadow. It was upper 20's outside, but the howling wind made it feel colder than that. There is a storm coming later in the week and I can't wait for more snow.

The Neighbors Place - January 4 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

The Neighbors Place - January 4 - $99

 

 

 

Another beautiful winter day. I went out to paint an old green truck at a farm a mile down the road, but it was gone. I set up and painted a snowbank, at the farm, but I struggled. On the way home I saw the light illuminating the neighbors corn crib shed, and stopped off for another one.

The days are short, but the light is good.

Still Life Support Team - January 3 2016 30 Paintings in 30 Days

8x10" oil on canvas

Here is afternoon still life from today. I'm enjoying the 30 in 30 because I'm painting more lit still life than I probably would otherwise. My idea for the challenge is to paint outside on sunny days, and to light something up in the studio on the overcast days. I enjoy painting all of the landscapes moods, but I think I'll have the most fun with the challenge painting the light.

Terrytown Barn, January 2 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Terrytown Barn 9x12" oil on panel - sold

It's the second day of the 30 in 30 challenge, and we had sun all day today. We also just got snow here in Wisconsin about a week ago, and I always enjoy painting winter landscapes.

One thing that takes some consideration  when working outdoors is parking. In the summer it's easy to pull the car over into the ditch, and set up to paint. In our state, there is an easement, around 15-20 feet from the center line of the highway. What that means is that it's legal to park in the ditch, and stand there and paint. With the snow, it's impossible to simply pull into the ditch.

Today, I parked in a driveway 50 feet from where I stood. After I had my values sketch done, I saw a snowmobile coming down the driveway. He stopped at my car, and I started walking over to him. Thankfully, he was a really nice guy and just wanted to check and see if somebody needed help. It turns out that I used to work with his sister, at the Boys and Girls Club in Baraboo. I've had mostly good luck with people out in the field, but there have been a couple of instances where I had to remind the property owner of the easement on the road.

It was a nice sunny day, and I had a good time out in the field. I'm not sure if I'll go outside to paint for tomorrow's 30 in 30 painting, because the weather might not be as nice as today. That's alright because I got a few in today, and if it's cloudy I'll light up a still life in the studio.

Cracking into 2016

Eggs 8x8" oil on canvas - $99 free shipping

 

 

For the month of January, I'll be participating in the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. This is going to be a lot of fun!

 

My first post for the challenge is this little 8x8" painting of my breakfast. When I was a teenager, I worked at the Reedsburg Egg Company for two summers. Eggs would come down the conveyer belt, and we would fold the tops of the cartons down, and package them into cases to be sent to grocery stores. The Egg Company now only deals with organic brown eggs, as they are a smaller operation and there are plenty of organic sources for eggs in the area.

 

It looks like sun tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to painting outdoors, in the snow.