Subject for Next Painting

Hello Fellow Artists:

I took this beautiful photo of some pears today in my kitchen. I will start painting them tomorrow. I will start with a sketch in my sketchbook and work up to a finished painting. I will post photos and commentary along the way.
I also simplified my lighting setup for things like this. I'll describe it if you are interested in a post this week.

Keep Makin' Art
Carl

Detail - Palace of Fine Arts

Fractal - Collision of Ideas

Fractal - the Cascade

New Members of our Household

The population of our household has just doubled with the addition of two new cats Yasmine a one and a half year old black cat and Penny a twelve week old tabby (Formerly Daffney.. She moved in and promptly changed her name... Free Spirit I guess). As you can See from the above photo Penny figured out who is in charge and set out to ass kissing right away.

We welcome them both to our home and expect them to get jobs and contribute to the household immediately.

Next post back to our regular artistic programming.

Carl

Funny

Hello Fellow Artists-

I just noticed something funny. I put out a post on 1/14 that I would be offline for a week while I was on my visit to California. Yet somehow I have managed to do eight posts since then! I should go on break more often!

I am back at home now. The house is cozy and warm. I only hope I can keep up the pace of posted I had while I was on vacation.

Keep Makin Art'

CS

PS - Thanks to Jo at Majority of Two for being named a blog of note. The increase in traffic to her site has lead to a quadrupling in the number of followers of my blog. Kind of a shirt-tail effect. Now the pressure is on to be interesting and funny and post often!

CS

Fractal - Genesis

More Images From the Palace of Fine Arts

I have been fascinated with the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco for years and have photographed it on several occasions. I have shot it in color and black and white, film and digital, 35mm and medium format. I am always drawn to have it looks so different at different times of day. My favorite time of day is just after sunrise. The morning sun makes the already warm toned stone just glow like it is on fire and it is set off against a dark blue sky. It is mesmerizing. Today's shots are details of some of the columns. I was playing with the designs made in the positive and negative spaces by the sun and shadows when I shot close ups. These are two of my favorites... What do you think.

Calla Lilies

I saw these Calla Lilies today and had to photograph them. They are a great flower with wonderful lines and shapes. When photographed as a group they has a strong design element. They are one of my favorite flowers.

Stair Case - Fisherman's Wharf

Walking around San Francisco I found this wonderful staircase near Fisherman's Wharf. I really liked the graphic quality of the Art Deco Stairs on the curved wall. It was a reminder to be open to art where it presents itself to you.

Keep Makin' Art

Carl

Palace of Fine Arts - Abstract

Palace of Fine Arts - Abstract

Sunrise - Palace of Fine Arts San Francisco

The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco is beautiful anytime of day.... but when the sun first comes up and the golden light starts glowing on the dome and and then across the columns it is simply magical. I posted these two shots I got this morning to give you an idea of how beautiful it is... I will post more images of the Palace of Fine Arts later this week when I get home and am working from my computer.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Street Light San Francisco

Early Morning in ChinaTown.

San Francisco Reflection

While I was in San Francisco Thursday morning I had the chance to explore a little bit. I was fascinated my the TranAmerica Building. It is an icon of the city's skyline. i wanted a little different view of the building though. While I was down by the embarcadaro I got close to the building and noticed the triangular concrete support pieces by the base. I started focusing on those and found a spot where the reflective glass behind the triangles was showing off a great view of Coit Tower and the hill around North Beach. So here is my interpretation of a reflection on the TransAmerica building.

Offline

Hi Gang,

I'll be away from posting for about a week. We will be spending time with family and attending my niece's Bat Mitzvah. I'll try to have some cool images to post on my return...

until then... Keep Makin' Art
Carl

Fractal - The Long and Winding Road

My Fractals are turning into Rorschach Tests for me. In this one I see a winding road in the mountains.... What do you see?

Holly in Snow

One of my favorite times to take photos is the day after a good snow fall. If the sky comes up clear and there is snow or ice cling to the trees you can get some great photos. Careful exposure is important. You don't want to overexpose the snow and get blown out whites.

I was able to get a great shot of these Holly Berries with snow on them today. I am still hoping the birds come out to play and have their photos taken!

Keep Makin' Art
Carl

Sunday Sketching

Hello Fellow Artists:

This morning I got up and decided to do a watercolor pencil sketch of a Chickadee I photographed a few weeks ago. I am really happy with this one. It kind of captures the little bird. It was the second attempt of my morning. The first looked rather like a 3rd grader had drawn it and badly to be honest.

The lesson here is if you don't get it right the first time. Don't give up... Figure out what you did well and what you need to improve and take another shot at it. You'll be glad you did. I know I am.

It can be tough. A bad sketch or painting can RUIN my Sunday, so I am really glad I took another pass at it and won't be agonizing over it.

Keep Makin' Art

Carl

Sunday Drawing

Hello Fellow Artists-

I gave in to the warm toasty bed and watching Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood. After all I had trudged out in the cold yesterday for the photos at Reeve's Brook. So I was not feeling particularly guilty until this afternoon. Still wanting to remain warm and not go outside again. I opted for something different. I decided to do a pencil drawing of the tufted titmouse I had photographed the day after Christmas. Any of you who frequent my blog know I don't post many (maybe any) pencil drawings. Today I felt like working in pencil. It is part of my resolution to draw more this year to do more drawing. I am looking into a weekly figure drawing class down at Hopper House... I'll keep you posted when I get to that. For now though here is the drawing I worked on this afternoon.

I stopped while it still sort of looked like the wonderful bird I had photographed. I might even try a watercolor of him one of these days.

Keep Makin' Art

Carl

Reeve's Brook - Harriman State Park

Hello Fellow Artists-
I am not certain what my favorite moment of this morning was. It could have been when I set out in the early gray light of morning from Reeve's Meadow. It was a cold morning (but not too cold.) I had the trail to myself and could hear Reeve's Brook babbling in the distance ahead of me. They day was full of promise. It could also have been when I got to the brook and was once again taken by it's beauty as I wandered from spot to spot along the trail finding location after location to photograph. I have gone to this spot dozens of times in all seasons and have almost never suffered the let down of a morning with no great photos to show for it. The morning light came up clear and the brook had plenty of spots with ice and water running over the rocks for me to pick from. My favorite moment could have been when I fired up my computer, sufficiently warmed up and a cup of coffee at the ready I dove in to start my review and editing. As the images came up on the screen even in their raw state I realized I had a another successful morning. Honestly if I had forgotten my camera and just hiked it would still have been a fine morning, but then I could not have shared these images with you. I hope you like them and they inspire you to get out there with your cameras and shoot the glorious views that winter can show you.

Keep Makin' Art

Carl