The Banister Award

I was really flattered yesterday to receive the First Place Edward Banister Award at the Providence Art Club for my painting "Teakettle and Geranium".

Edward Banister was a very talented black artist from Canada. When he arrived in the U.S. in 1850, opportunities were few. He plugged away, working at various jobs while he continued to paint. Because he was black, he wasn't even allowed to go into a museum- hard to imagine how his work could become so exceptional despite that handicap.

He became a very well known artist in this country, and ended up settling in Providence, RI, starting the Providence Art Club in 1880. It continues today in the same building where it started.

You can read more about him here.

Opening in Providence-sold

My painting "Teakettle and Geranium" was juried into the Providence Art Club show that opens this Sunday, April 27, from 2-4 PM. Drop by if you're in the area.

Wickford Village in spring- sold

I was very happy to get a beautiful handmade sketchbook with nice Arches watercolor paper from my friend Ed Huff. This is my first sketch in it, in lovely Wickford Village, RI, this morning. Watercolor is not my strong suit but it was fun nonetheless.

 Check out Ed's blog to see the very cool little book press he made
on the cheap- complete with instructions.

Landscape with iris

Oil on panel, approx. 8" x 8"
I found this painting yesterday while looking for another. For some reason, I didn't like it at the time that I did it, maybe two years ago, but now I do... I sat in my car and painted this, left out a lot of houses on the opposite shore.
$150.00 plus shipping

Sommelier- sold

Oil on panel, 10"x8"

If you have questions about using oil paint, like should you wear gloves when you paint, or what does fat over lean really mean, you might want to listen to Leslie Saeta's interview with Robert Gamblin, founder of Gamblin Oil Paints. Lots of good info, and you can listen while you paint.

Youtube

Recently I wanted to know how to pull up wall-to-wall carpeting. Where did I go? Youtube. Want to learn about playing a musical instrument? Youtube.  Bake a spherical concentric layer cake that looks like Jupiter inside and out? You guessed it.

Personally, I spend (too much) time looking at painting videos. Zimou Tan has a number of time lapse videos of drawing/painting the portrait that are great. He's a master.

Of course, there's no substitute for doing the real thing. My 4 Color Portrait class is starting next week at the Portsmouth (RI) Arts Guild and there's still room if you want to sign up. It's geared for beginner and intermediate portrait painters, with live models.

Evening at the Land Ho-sold

Oil, 12" x 9"

A quick breakfast sketch...

...this morning, watercolor and pencil on paper. The one bad thing about daylight savings is suddenly it's dark again in the morning when we meet at 6AM.

Orange and blue- sold

Oil, 9" x 12"
I can't seem to get enough of these umbrellas. The orange and blue make such a great complementary color scheme.
I will be teaching a workshop on "Color mixing for painters" at the South County Art Association in Kingston, RI, next week, March 19 and 20, in the evening. It's appropriate for beginners and intermediate painters who want a better foundation of knowledge about color. There's still room in the class if you're interested.

Breakfast at Louis'

Watercolor on paper, approx. 6" x 6"
I knew all those scraps of nice watercolor paper that I saved would eventually get used- I cut them up into smaller rectangles, got out some watercolors I haven't used in ages and put some color in my sketch this morning at Louis', a great little restaurant that opens at 5AM on the east side of Providence.
$50.00, free shipping

A waterbrush is a great tool in this situation- it holds water that you can squeeze out throughout the felt tip.

Art and Music

A couple of musicians posed for their portraits recently- Tish Adams, jazz singer, (what a great hat!) and...

... Jim, R&B guitarist.
I'll be teaching a portrait painting class at the Portsmouth Art Guild in Rhode Island this spring, Wednesday mornings from 9AM-noon, April 23, 30, May 7, 14.

Poppy- sold

Oil on stretched canvas, 6" x 6"
One more flower- I love those big orange poppies.

Auctions end soon for the rose, click here









And the sunflower, click here