A reception and a painting

I spent a lovely afternoon at the opening reception for the Guild of Boston Artists' Annual Regional Exhibition (pictures to follow). So there was no painting this afternoon, but I finished up the latest Sebbie the other day, so here he is, it's a favorite:

Sebbie's nuts

Latest Sebbie. Self explanatory, really.

Guild of Boston Artists

I'm happy to announce that my painting, June Bug Portrait, has been juried into this year's Regional Painting Competition of the Guild of Boston Artists.  

Studies

I've been working on a lot of things lately. In addition to the usual Sebbie and other still lives, I've been trying to get back into portraiture. I started that attempt with a full length seated figure, which may have been me diving into the deep end without first confirming if I still knew how to swim. I'm getting there, but that painting's been an uphill battle. I decided to start where I should have started, with a simple portrait study, after the fact, and so below you find such a study. It's not wonderful, but it's a start, and it's great to be painting people again, and now I realize how much I need to tweak the lighting in my studio to make it portrait-ready.

After a long day of setting up a new Sebbie and trying to repaint the hands on the above mentioned full length portrait with little success, I decided to take a break and do a portrait of my new studio pet, Lancelot. He's a blue frog, in case that wasn't obvious, he makes me smile and doesn't require feeding or shed on my paintings, so he's perfect. 

Oil Painters of America, Eastern Regional 2014

I'm also delighted to announce that my painting, "Treasure", will be included in this year's Oil Painters of America's Eastern Regional exhibition, hosted by Eisele Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio this September. 

Studio workings

Here are a few in-progess shots of things kicking about the studio.  That is all.

So on and so forth

A few new things to report. Sebbie's kite flying adventure painting is finished and all snazzy in its new frame. I particularly like this one as it explores the line between reality and imagination.

 I've also been working away on a commission of a floral still life. I always love painting flowers, and this piece has given me a chance to really develop a floral painting. I'll post a picture of the finished work once it is, in fact, finished.

I seem to get asked a lot what exactly it entails, being an artist. "What does a day in your life look like?" people ask. I never really know how to answer, because, I suppose, everyone's life seems rather ordinary to the person living it. (I try not to throw my alarm across the room when it goes off in the morning. I eat toast with peanut butter for breakfast. I put my socks on before my shoes. I drink lots of tea, and when that fails, coffee. See? Very ordinary.) But some days are particularly exciting, like the day I set up a new still life. I'm starting a new Sebbie painting "Sebbie and the Sky Pirate"--I'm very excited. So my day consisted of rigging a toy boat to hang at just the right hight and just the right angle; making a rope ladder out of twine and headless match sticks; de-heading match sticks; performing surgery on my pirate to remove him from his wooden base which was too big to fit on the deck of the boat; playing with a marionette (Sebbie, of course) to get him to look in the right direction and have the right posture (clothes pins and pony clips required); and so on and so forth. Set up days are usually good days. And I'm super excited about this painting--it's started but not yet share-worthy, but it will be soon. Meanwhile, here's the set up: