Hudson Valley Scenery - The Book

My book of Hudson Valley nature photographs is off to the printers. You can see an online preview here. It is the second of a series of five books I am working on this year to show to galleries I may be potentially hanging my work in. It has been a lot of work, but I am thrilled with the results.

Keep makin' Art

Carl

Hudson Valley Book

Today I am editing the images for my book "Hudson Valley Scenery from the Ramapos to the Catskills". I hope to have it off to the printer tonight and will add a link to the preview as soon as I am done.

Keep makin' Art!

Carl

Rumors of my demise.....

Hello Fellow Artists:

No the Earth did not swallow me up whole..... Work has been insane. Basically have just been home to sleep for the last week and a half. I have started the Hudson Valley book and hope to get a chunk done this weekend. I'll be posting then.

Keep makin' Art!
Carl

Skylands Book

I have created a book of images from the New Jersey Botanical Gardens at Skylands. I used MPIX.com to create the book and can't wait to see how it turns out.

The book is a collection of the images I have captured of flowers in bloom at the gardens over the past year. If you would like to see a preview click here.

I have used MPIX before and expect they will do an awesome job. This project is the first of four books I plan on producing this summer. I will also create books of my Hudson Valley photos, my paintings and a book of my photos of windows and doors from my wanderings.

Keep Makin' Art
Carl

Skylands

After a weekend of rain (and it looked as if all of Sunday would pass along those lines...) the sun came out. After damp and rainy I was rewarded with these shots from Skylands. The Irises out in the open meadow of the wildflower garden were a real treat. I would have thought all the rain would have done them in like most of the mountain laurel. I am glad I got to the mountain Laurel last week. Many of the flowers have been knocked off by the rain. Notice the visitor in the top shot. One of the fish from the coy pond wandered happily into the frame.

Now it is back into the studio. I started an acrylic still life last night. I will post when I have finished it in a few days.... as long as I have not had to gesso over it and start again!


Keep makin' Art

Carl

Painting

There is a real freedom to oil and acrylic painting. Mess up the painting... just gesso over the canvas and take another whack at it.

CS

Studio - Getting Comfortable

As you can see I am settling into my recently clean studio and am creating art and making a mess. I am having a great time. I'll show you the painting as I progress. Just this one lighthouse painting in acrylic While I learn the medium.... I promise!

Keep Makin' Art
Carl

Studio

I never did get to paint anything Sunday, but after 4 hours and some good ideas from Wenderina My studio is clean and ready for some serious work once again.

Keep Makin' Art

Carl

A Quiet Sunday Morning

I had the park almost to myself today at 6am. It was wonderful. The light was amazing. The mountain laurel are in bloom. I was able to get some really great shots a few of which I am posting here.

With a sense of accomplishment (and it is only 9:47 am) I head to the studio for a cleaning session and some painting. Enjoy your Sunday!

Keep Makin' Art

Carl

Still Life with Spray Bottle

I was looking back at some older watercolors. This is one of my favorites. It is pretty large almost 30" wide. I have always likes my color choices and the design of this one. I am pretty happy with how the spray bottle turned out. This was one of those paintings that I was so happy with I framed it and it pushed me to keep going another six months. It is paintings like these that speak to you that keep you coming back as an artist.
I hope as I explore different mediums and learn more of the basics and train my eye more that I will go through a process I think at first you may see some fairly traditional paintings from me as I learn more classical oil techniques. I will be focusing on making the best paintings I am capable in these styles and desire to push out the other side expressing paintings that are in me just waiting to be painted.
Keep coming back and see how I am doing. I value all of your opinions and would like to know what it is about art that speaks to you whether you are an artist or an art lover.

Keep Makin' Art
Carl

PS many thanks to Dave King who shares his knowledge and opinions so freely and honestly. Check out his great blog! I take something away from everyone of his posts. His topics are not always comfortable, but they raise great questions. I consider Dave a fearless blogger. You should all check out his blog Pics and Poems

CS

Painting

While watercolor has been my artistic first love for a while and I thought I would not move on from it until I had gotten it perfect... I learned something this weekend while pushing around acrylic paints. Some of the same mistakes I make in watercolor translate to other mediums. It was pointed out to me that in the process of painting and enjoying the wonderful feel of applying paint I got lost (not always a bad thing) but in this case it leads to me not paying attention and making poor decisions in the painting. My watercolor instructor Arthur Gilmore is probably smiling as he reads this because I think I finally get what he was saying. That being said I need to work on my focus and attention to the design of the painting. It really does not mean I can't paint in other mediums. I think if I solve this creative wandering in any of the mediums it will apply to all since it is about my process and how I work. So While I am going to have a plan (somewhat) about my future artistic endeavors I am going to try any and all mediums that interest me along the way. Ultimately this may bring me full circle and make me an even better watercolorist.

Look for new things from me this summer as I explore acrylics, which I like and oils which I have always wanted to do once I got good enough. There will even be a lot more drawing in my future. Keep coming back I'll surprise you with new things.

Keep Makin' Art!
Carl