Thursday, April 30, 2020

Dillon Lake (Painting as of April 30, 2020)


This morning I worked on this painting. This is part of a series based on memories of the mountains of Colorado, my home state. My painting reference, posted here April 27, is a digitally modified snapshot from a trip to Dillon Lake in the 1970s.  Today I modified some of the mountain shapes, worked on the sky, and then added some green to the closest mountain and to the trees in the foreground.  To be continued. . . .

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Dillon Lake (Painting as of April 29, 2020)


This morning I worked on this painting of Dillon Lake. My painting reference is a digitally modified photo from a trip to Colorado in 1978 (posted here April 27.)  Today I started at the top, and modified the lines of the mountains and shapes of the clouds.  Then I worked a bit on the shore lines, the water, and the island.  To be continued. . . .

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Dillon Lake (Painting as of April 28, 2020)


Today I got this painting started.  My painting reference, posted here yesterday, is a digitally modified version of a snapshot taken during trip to Colorado in the late 1970s.  Today I used blue and white to set up the composition, and a bit of acra violet for the sun.  To be continued. . . .

Monday, April 27, 2020

Dillon Lake (Photo Reference for Painting)

Post as:

Yesterday I used Painter to create this digitally modified version of the snapshot that I posted yesterday.  The original snapshot was taken at Dillon Reservoir during a family trip to Colorado in the late 1970s. To create my painting reference, I cropped this image from the background.  Then I used Painter's cut-and-paste, cleared some trees that were obscuring the view of the lake.  I smooth some of the eges by drawing into the image with digital pastel.  Then I posterized the image. I hope to start my next painting tomorrow. 

Sunday, April 26, 2020

Dillon Lake 1978 (Edited Snapshot)


I am still working toward my solo show for Galatea, "Colorado Memories."  It was originally scheduled for May but was postponed until December (due to Covid 19 plus recent flood).  But a digital version of the show will be online in early May, so I am trying to get another couple of paintings in under the wire. I plan to start a new Colorado painting this week, so today I went back to my photo albums.  This snapshot was taken during a family trip in the late 1970s near Dillon Lake (or Reservoir).  The photo was a bit scratched up and out of focus so I cleaned it up a little.  I also cropped and modified this snapshot to create a photo reference for my next painting, and I plan to publish that here tomorrow.

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Chili Kaleidoscope (Digital Drawing)


Today I made this little digital drawing of chili peppers on the computer.  I used Painter's digital pastel and the kaleidoscope tool.  

Friday, April 24, 2020

Reposting: "Bela Bacalhau"


This time of year, I am usually working on designing and decorating a wooden codfish to be auctioned off to benefit Marblehead Festival of the Arts.  But this year's event has been postponed until next year.  Instead, I am posting some of my past creations.  This one is my all-time favorite, "Bela Bacalhau," created in 2016.

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Estes Park Memory (Acrylic Watermedia Painting)


This painting was inspired by a recently re-discovered black-and-white snapshot from a childhood trip to Estes Park, Colorado, back in 1956.  I cropped the snapshot and added digital color to create the painting reference (posted here April 14).  This morning I worked on the foreground, adding yellow-green highlights and some blue-green to the shadows.  Then I made a series of small changes until I finally decided that this painting is finished.

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Estes Park Memory (Painting as of April 22, 2020)


I worked on this painting today.  My painting reference, posted here April 14,  is a digitally altered snapshot from a childhood trip to Estes Park, Colorado.  Today I made small changes as this painting nears the finish line.  I repainted the bottom half of the sky, made a change to line of the mountain of the far right, and added translucent white wash to the blue and purple mountain ranges.  Nearly finished.  To be continued. . . .

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Estes Park Memory (Painting as of April 21, 2020)


This is a work-in-progress.  I am trying to recapture a memory of a childhood trip to Estes Park, Colorado.  My reference (posted here April 14) is a digitally modified version of a black-and-white snapshot taken in 1956.  Today I raised the line of the purple mountain range by just a bit, and then used blue-violet wash over the blue range and the purple range, trying to get them to blend together a bit.  Tomorrow I plan to mute the colors in the distance with a pale wash.  To be continued. . . .

Monday, April 20, 2020

Estes Park Memory (Painting as of April 20, 2020)


This is the painting I am currently working on. The inspiration for this image is a small black-and-white snapshot from a little album of photos taken on a trip to Estes Park, Colorado, when I was 8 years old.  My photo reference, posted here April 14, is a digitally modified version of one of the photos. After a struggle of several days, I finally got the top line of the mountains to look pretty much the way I want it to, and the perspective seems to be working. I also used some pale translucent washes to begin muting the colors of the mountains in the distance. To be continued. . . .

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Estes Park Memory (Painting as of April 19, 2020)


Today I continued working on this painting.  I am painting a memory inspired by a photo from a trip I took to Estes Park, Colorado, as a child.  A digitally modified version of the original photo is posted here, April 14.  This morning I worked some more on the top line of the mountains, trying to get the perspective and the shapes right.  This is better, but I am not there yet. I want one sweeping line. . . .

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Estes Park Memory (Painting as of April 18, 2020)


This is the painting I have been working on. My inspiration is a tiny snapshot taken during a trip to Estes Park, Colorado, in 1956.  I created a digitally modified version of the snapshot to use as a photo reference (posted here April 14).  Today I worked on the top lines in the composition, adjusting the relative height and shapes of the mountain peeks, trying to smooth those individual shapes into one continuous line. I am not there yet. To be continued. . . .

Friday, April 17, 2020

Estes Park Memory (Painting as of April 17, 2020)


This is my current painting as it looks now. This image was inspired by a small album of snapshots that I recently came across of a trip that I took as a child, a drive to Estes Park in the Colorado mountains.  I am using a digitally modified version of one of the snapshots as a painting reference (posted here April 14).  Today I added color and texture to the second band of mountains (in purple). After that, I spent about an hour struggling with the top line of the band of mountains in blue. I am trying to smooth that line out so the mountains look more natural.  Tomorrow I plan to do the same with the two snow-capped peaks on each side of the canvas.  To be continued. . . .

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Estes Park Memory (Painting as of April 16, 2020)


This is the painting that I started yesterday.  My inspiration: photos from a trip to the Colorado mountains in 1956.  I was eight at the time of the trip, so details are vague, but I know we were went to Estes Park.  Two days ago, I cropped and modified one of the photos to use as a painting reference (posted here April 14).  Today I worked on the foreground, adding the basic color and some texture.  I also changed the lines, putting in some shapes on the left. Those hills are in the original photo but outside the area of my crop. Today I moved them back into this image to add interest to the composition.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Estes Park Memory (Painting as of April 15, 2020)


I got a new painting started today.  This one is inspired by old photos I recently rediscovered of a 1956 trip to Estes Park in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.  I am using a digitally modified version of one of the photos as a reference (posted here April 14).  Today I roughed in the composition.  I am making changes to make the composition work for the painting.

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Estes Park Memory (Digitally Modified Photo)


Looking through old photos, I recently found a little yellow album with a set of small photos marked September 1956.  Most of the photos are  from a trip I took with my aunt, uncle, cousin, and grandma.  The photos are only 2 inches on a side, and in black and white, but I there are some nice images of the mountains, usually in the background.  Since the title of my next show is "Colorado Memories," I decided to use one of these little black-and-white photos as a reference for my next painting.  I have very strong memories of this trip, probably my first extended trip into the mountains. But these are the memories of an eight-year-old, so I am not sure exactly where this photo was taken. But since this photo was taken sometime during our trip to Estes Park, I am going to call the painting "Estes Park Memory". Today I scanned one of the photos and used Painter's cut and paste to obscure images in the foreground of myself, my cousin, and my grandma. Then I adjusted the line of the mountains with cut-and-paste to make the composition work for a 16 x 20 format. Finally  I added some soft color with digital pastel and color overlay.  Now this is ready to use as a painting reference.

Monday, April 13, 2020

Mountain View from Garden of the Gods (Acrylic Watermedia)


I finished this painting yesterday.  This painting was inspired by a photo taken in Colorado Springs during my most recent visit in 2018.  I created a digitally modified version of the snapshot to use as a reference (posted here April 5). Yesterday I worked on color.  I used a translucent white wash to lighten the blue mountains, trying to create the illusion of atmospheric perspective.  And I added some pale pink washes to the mountain in the distance and to the foreground, trying for the red  soil that gives Colorado its name.  I also modified the sky, to create a better composition.  Now I am willing to say this is done.

Sunday, April 12, 2020

Reposting: Still Life with White Basket


This is a pastel still life that I drew a number of years ago when I belonged to a drawing group that met one evening a week.  It was great to get together, and I produced a number of still life drawings. I think this is one of the best from that set.  I am reposting it today to wish a Happy Easter to those celebrating, and to wish everyone the joys of spring.

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Mountain View from Garden of the Gods (Painting as of April 11, 2020)


Today I did some more work on this painting.  My inspiration for this was a photo taken at Garden of the Gods during a trip to Colorado two years ago. I created a digitally modified version of the original photo to use as a painting reference (posted here April 5). Today I referred to the photo and corrected some of the lines of the mountain contours.  I also worked on the sky and added more pink to the foreground. There are still a few more things to fix, but I hope to finish this tomorrow.

Friday, April 10, 2020

Mountain View from Garden of the Gods (Painting as of April 10, 2020)


This is my current work-in-progress, a painting based on a vacation photo taken in Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs. (My painting reference is a digitally altered version of the original photo, posted here April 5.)  Today I worked on adjusting colors and light and shadow.  I used green and purple to add shadows to the mountains, and washes of blue to smooth things out.  I added some pale pink to the mountains in the background, and to the  rocks in the foreground.  I plan to add even more color to those rocks, to get the amazing color that you see in Colorado.  And I also need to make corrections to some of the lines.  To be continued. . .

Thursday, April 09, 2020

Reposting: Floral Fantasy (Digital Drawing)


Yesterday I reposted a little stroke-by-stroke video called "Floral Fantasy" that I created a few years ago with an iPad drawing program. The image that I am posting here today is the last frame of that video, the drawing itself. Sending this out to say Happy Passover to those celebrating and to wish everyone health, hope, and freedom in the days ahead.

Wednesday, April 08, 2020

Reposting: Floral Fantasy Video


I am reposting this little video that I created on my iPad a few years ago.  Today I am sending this virtual bouquet to say  Happy Passover to those celebrating!  And to wish all my Facebookers,  health, happiness, and freedom in the days ahead.  

Tuesday, April 07, 2020

Mountain View from Garden of the Gods (Painting as of April 7, 2020)


This morning, I worked on this painting, a view of the Colorado mountains from Garden of the Gods, in Colorado Springs.  My reference, posted here April 5,  is a photo that I took of the during my latest trip to my home state in June of 2016, digitally modified.  Today I changed a few lines, and then started added color, working by section. I worked on it longer that I had intended. I kept going until I at least had some color on each section, and then did a bit of work to start to smooth things out.  There are still lots of changes to make in terms of color and light and dark, but at least I have the basic idea down.  To be continued.

Monday, April 06, 2020

Mountain View from Garden of the Gods (Painting as of April 6, 2020)


I started a new painting today, a view of the mountains seen from Garden of the Gods (in Colorado Springs).  My reference, posted here April 5,  is a digitally modified photo that I took during my last visit, in June of 2018.  Today I worked on the composition, and started adding color because it was hard to keep track of all of those layers of mountains.

Sunday, April 05, 2020

Mountains from Garden of the Gods (Digitally Modified Photo)


Today I looked through my photos to find a reference for my next painting, which I hope to start tomorrow.  (My next show is going to be a series of paintings based on my memories of Colorado.)  One of the photos I found was a picture of the mountains taken from the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.  It was a great vacation photo, but to make it into a painting reference, I had to copy the image and do some digital slight of hand, which included removing the people (including myself) and filling in the gaps with cut-and-paste and digital pastel.  I posterized the result. What I was after was the view of those mountains, and in the foreground, just a bit of the red rocks of Garden of the Gods.

Saturday, April 04, 2020

Chapter 1 - Courtship (Revisited)



I am posting this to mark the day my parents were married, April 4, 1943. Three years ago, I posted a colorized version of this photo.  Today I came across the same snapshot on my phone (in Google Photo) and decided to do something new with it.  Since the image was already on my phone, I tried out a number of filters on Prisma, adjusted the settings, and then transferred the image to my computer so I could do a bit more editing with Painter, and here it is. This is what I said about the original photo when I last posted it:  My mother kept an photo album that begins when she first met my dad, through their wedding a few months later, their honeymoon trip to NYC, and then photos that my dad sent back while he was overseas during WWII and photos of my mom's life in Pueblo until he returned. She kept all the photos in order, with captions and information written longhand in white ink on the black album paper. Today I found a snapshot right on the first page, the first picture of them when they began to date. My mother wrote, "Chapter I - Courtship: I met Private Hy Zagon at a USO Dance Thursday eve, January 21, 1943. We dated Friday & Saturday and it was on Sunday that these pictures were taken." On this page are eight photos, some she identifies as taken at Pueblo's City Park Zoo, and the rest taken at her house, "the Katz house," the house in which I grew up."   And what I said before still applies: "It was fun to spend time working on this, thinking about young love, familiar faces, and the street where I grew up."

Friday, April 03, 2020

Snow in June (Above Treeline) Acrylic Watermedia


I worked on this painting again this morning.  The reference for this photo, posted here on March 23, is a photo that I took two years ago during a drivie through the Colorado mountains. Apart from doing basic clean-up (making sure paint goes to the edges, cleaning up stray marks, etc.), I did a bit more work on layers of green hills, adding contrast with texture and color, shadows and highlights.  Now I am ready to say this one is finished.

Thursday, April 02, 2020

Snow in June (Above Treeline) Painting as of April 2, 2020


This is my current painting-in-progress, inspired by a photo that I took during a trip to Colorado two years ago. (My reference is posted here March 23.) Today I did a bit of work on the sky, but spent most of the time adjusting the line of one of the mountains. This painting is nearing the finish line. Just a few small things left to fix. . .

Wednesday, April 01, 2020

Snow in June (Above Treeline) Painting as of April 1, 2020


Today I worked on this painting again. My focus was the mountains in the distance.  My reference (posted here March 23) is a photograph that I took in two summers ago during a trip to Colorado.  I started by turning both the painting and my reference photo upside-down, and refined the shapes of the patches of snow, using white and mauve paint.  Working with the images upside-down helped, as it always does.  Then I turned the painting right-side-up, made a few corrections to some lines, and started to soften some of the the colors to suggest distance.  To be continued. . . .