Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Feliz Natal

Merry Christmas all!

This piece "Dos Amigos" is a 6x8 that I painted while in Mexico recently. I was painting the very hard to make out arches and the people in them when these two guys sat down right in front of my view. So I said to myself " gimme a minute and Ill make you a star" (OK I didn't say that but it comes to mind now..?.) I switched out panels and they stayed just long enough to get this sketch in.. its random and I like it..

SOooo in the spirit of Christmas.. or Kwanzaa or Hanukkah... the first person to comment that they would like this painting ... Can have it for free, no charge, Gratis. The only rule is you must be in the U.S. or be coming to the U.S. sometime soon because shipping ain't cheap.

News: I will go into details more in the future but already lined up for next year is three shows in February. One more at Tidemark Gallery, the same gallery I had my first show at last year. (wow what a year..?.) The Tidemark show will be a two man show, Ralph Bush and I with our Monhegan Island work. Two shows that include the Mexico work, one at Addison Art Gallery and the other at the Cape Cod Museum of Art. Its gonna be crazy...

Quote: "The aura given out by a person or object is as much a part of them as their flesh. The effect that they make in space is as bound up with them as might be their colour or smell ... Therefore the painter must be as concerned with the air surrounding his subject as with the subject itself. It is through observation and perception of atmosphere that he can register the feeling that he wishes his painting to give out." Lucien Freud, 1954.

Lately

These two are from some of the past weeks painting in the Boothbay area with the "Plien Air Painters of Maine" group. Top one is a 10x12, and the bottom is an 8x10.

Recently I had to turn on the comment moderation. I noticed a comment on a recent post that advertised a link to some money investment site. So I checked some other older entries and sure enough they were peppered with weird comments and ads, one had over 40 comments in Japanese...?. so that's why.. Its not to block or censor the overwhelming gushing wave of applause for my work....kidding.

Soon I will be hosting a figure painting/drawing group in my home/studio and also offering classes in basic Oil Painting, Figure Study, and if there is enough response to it, Plein Air. If you are in the area and are interested please contact me via email (painter03@yahoo.com) and let me know.

Quote: "If you want to be a historical painter, let your history be of your own time, of what you can get to know personally -- of manners and customs within your own experience." Robert Henri

Go Figure

These two are from some of the past Saturdays at Waterfall Arts in Belfast ME. They are both have about 2hrs invested. The top one is north light only and the second is artificial light on an overcast day. One of the things I came away from the recent trip to Mexico with is a greater desire to study and explore painting people. Thanks west coasters..esp Ignat. I can't decide on these.... are they figure studies or portraits...?.



Quote: "Since the model he so faithfully copies is not going to be hung up next to the picture ... it is of no interest whether it is an accurate copy of the model. Whether it will convince or not, depends entirely on what it is in itself, what is there to be seen. The model should only serve the very private function for the painter of providing the starting point for his excitement. The picture is all he feels about it, all he thinks worth preserving of it, all he invests it with. If all the qualities which a painter took from the model for his picture were really taken, no person could be painted twice."Lucien Freud, 1954.

Opening at Camden Falls Gallery Nov 22nd 5-7pm

Just a quick post and a real one to follow soon. This Sunday from 5-7pm at Camden Falls Gallery is the reception for my Monhegan Residency work.. This show is approx 20 pieces from various times during my stay on the Island. I placed a small numbering on the back of each of the 73 pieces, for example"3-4" means the 3rd day I was there and the fourth piece I painted that day.
I am very excited by the responses I have been hearing, great feedback and one even sold off the floor before hanging.
So if you can make it, please do.

Mexico...

I just recently returned from two great weeks in Mexico. Last year this "get together" was nicknamed "Paintapalooza" and was 12-13 of the countrys best (in my opinion) painters all meeting in Port Clyde, ME. This year the place to be was in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico right in Frank Gardners backyard and the name is "Creative Convergence". The final tally was 15 painters from all over the U.S. and this photo shows most of them so I will list them from left to right. Colin Page,Frank Gardner, Kevin McNamara, me, Ernesto Nemesio, Jeremy Lipking, Logan Hagege, Paul Shulenberg, Scott Burdick, Jerome Greene, Peter Kalill, Ignat Ignatov, and Marc Hanson. The man sitting in the center (name here when I remember) runs the ranch we were at. Not in the photo is Jeff Bonasia (he is taking the photo) and also Alexey Steele, he was on his way but not in Mexico at the time of photo.

We stayed for two weeks and painted the days away, slept very little, ate great food and in general had an amazing time with 14 other painters, all of whom I now call friends.. Thank you Frank and Julie ( Hi Erin! ) for putting up with us.. I'll be back..

This Photo is from a great day at Ranch (name of ranch here when I remember..?.) that included painting, horse riding (not for me), an authentic Enchiladas lunch that included black beans and an amazing Pico de Gallo that had cactus in it. The day started clear enough for the horse riding and some painting but eventually thunder and lightning moved all of us under a 15'x15 tin roof car port. Determined to make us comfortable the exceptionally nice ranch personnel started a small grill fire to cook corn in the husk to be served with a spicy salsa along with dragging out the beer cooler. We spent one and a half maybe two hours all chatting and eating and drinking. Good times!

Photos of paintings are in the works.. soon.

Quote: "Take solace in the example of Vincent van Gogh. Look at some of his early drawings -- they are dreadful, as if he were sketching with a potato. But how far he came, quite quickly, and what enormous heights he reaches."-- Danny Gregory

Monhegan Show.

OK.. This week a good chunk of the work I did while on residency will be on display at Camden Falls Gallery in Camden ME. This Weekend thruuuuu.....???? I think a month? Anyway As usual sorry about the photos...

As I write and construct this post I don't have any specific stories n my head...its pretty early in the am. But I do have people that made my time there extra memorable and I miss them all. (in no specific order) John P.H. Alison, Amy, Kevin, Alice, Dan, Sue, Bethany, Tara, Remak, Barnacle and Novelty crews, The Corina House. I could name most of the Island and say I miss them and I do, but these are the people that made me feel welcome. Thanks.

To see some more work check out the Camden Falls Gallery website.. www.camdenfallsgallery.com/

Quote:" I've not been cursed with talent, which could be a great inhibitor" Robert Rauschenberg"

A few more from Monhegan

OK these are six pieces that I have OK (?) photos of and can post today.. I am trying to get out the door for some painting as the weather is not gray as forecasted.. I will write more on the stories that go with some of these when the weather is not so good... which should be soon..

Big News

I am sorry for not posting.. I have been trying to write about the great news of my wife Raquele having, then passing her citizenship test then being sworn in as an American Citizen.. Everytime I try to write about how happy I am for us and proud I am of her I sound jaded and really pissed off for the story that leads up to this moment.. So I will hopefully be able to write about it soon....til then, I'm proud of you Raquele.

Back in Bristol

OK ...where to begin..?. well I am back in Bristol and have many days, painting adventures, and paintings to sift through from my Monhegan residency... hopefully I will get a few of those stories on here and some more pics of the work to go with them.. I came back from just about 4 weeks there with 73 paintings, some are closer to sketches and some have more of a "finish" but all have a story... The top one of the Lighthouse and the bell was my last piece on the Island its a 22"x28" and the bottom one from Fish Beach is an 11x14" .

I feel that my main goal of growth during this residency was accomplished. No I don't mean from the food on the Island,,,which was delicious, I must say.. But as far as really developing "my" filter and what I want to see on the canvas... The growth/self belief that comes when a group of people like M.A.R.C. (Monhegan Artist Residency Corp) believes in the artistic direction you are heading and puts their funds and name with your name to prove it.. It really helps me see what I'm doing in a new light.. not compromising my painting for current trends or giving up.

I am not saying I'm there yet and that I am not influenced by other artists, because I am but I have discovered that I am mostly interested in and inspired by Color, Paint(the physical look), and the story that is told through an Image....(not in that order..?.) These may seem mundane or the norm to some but these simple (hard to find) absolute truths are like digits in a lottery drawing. Only by finding out what your numbers are and then playing them repeatedly will you have a chance to win. (figuratively speaking of course) To find out these digits or truths I find that really looking at and into works of mine and others and asking "why do I hate this one?" "Why am I compelled to stare at this one?" "why is this one making me happy?" " why am I rambling?" :) OK I slipped that in to see if you were awake still.. long story short I am (finally) learning to truly value what I see... Thank you to M.A.R.C.! , John Blamey, Colin Page, My lovely Wife Raquele (sorry your 4th honey), my parents and family, last but not least Arthur and Isabella Corwin. I know I have thanked you all before and it might seem redundant but now I know what I'm thanking you all for..

"Are you painting here for the Summer? or just the season?" ....................a random visitor talking to me while painting on Monhegan

" You can't win if you don't play" lottery commission.

Monhegan or Bust!.... or Viva Monhegan!..?.

OK this is my last post..... ..don't be sad I'll be back. I'm leaving tomorrow morning for my residency on Monhegan. This lasts from Aug 9th til Sept 12th so If your on the Island say hello. If your looking I'm a pretty big guy and I will be painting,,I'm not he tallest or the biggest but I am pretty close to both lol.. I will be keeping a journal of my trip while there (hopefully) and won't be able to check in here til I'm back.

I have left a group of different pieces here for your viewing pleasure (or dismay)

I still have packing to do and its saturday afternoon so I can't really build up to a strong ramble here.. But I am leaving 3 quotes to help hold you over til the next exciting installment.....

To all those who helped me & support me Thank you! If I haven't said it a thousand times then I have not said it enough.. Thank you. take care all and leave a comment I would really like to hear from the regular readers and the people I see that have checked in all the way from Europe and Asia and especially Iraq.. let me know whose out there reading this, Thanks and Take care, Dan

Quote: "Knowing how to paint and to use one's colours rightly has not any connection with originality. This originality consists in properly expressing your own impressions."-- French Artist Thomas Couture (1815-1879)

Quote 2:"Painting should never look as if it were done with difficulty, however difficult it may actually have been."-- Robert Henri

Quote 3:"I cannot pretend to feel impartial about colours. I rejoice with the brilliant ones, and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns."-- Winston Churchill

The General

This piece is of one of my favorite structures in Round Pond,, its an old Antiques dealer but I don't think it s anymore.. Here's an interesting (to me) story of the property: Last Fall, late fall actually, I was attempting to paint some boats from my usual spot in Round Pond and this "gentleman" pulled up in a truck and started to pull all the dock pieces and some dingys off the lawn of this red building and drag them towards the water. (at the end of the season the docks get disassembled and dragged up for the winter some stay in the parking lot and others ended up on this lawn) I could hear him talking to himself from about 80-100' away and as he dragged these items closer to me it was easy to hear that he was practicing for the four letter word Olympics... So being an ex-boyscout ..?. I offered to give him a hand... he reluctantly accepted help with a larger dingy and when I inquired as to why he was so pissed off, he responded sharply explaining that he bought the property during the season (clean lawn season to him) and didn't know that his new land was the Bays storage during the off season.. So I guess the lesson I could take from that is get pissed off when there is more people to help you... :)=)

Just to clear up the title of the last post, it is a sarcastic response to the people whose mantra is "Speak english, its America" I realize this will alienate some readers but maybe that's because you are wrong.... These fences/borders were put up by man and just because your ancestors have already been here awhile doesn't mean the doors close.. Just because you speak one language doesn't make any other language wrong.. Evolve!

Quote: "Genius is the ability to renew one's emotions in daily experience." Paul Cezanne.

Flor Bonita,,oh wait Im in America, I better speak Indian..

This was painted about a week or so ago. I was painting with the Maine Plein Air Painters and could not stop looking at this flower.... so I painted it.

I felt really neutral while painting this,, I didn't try to add anything or really take too much away.. just painted it. I really wanna be there with all my work...

Quote:"Colour helps to express light, not the physical phenomenon, but the only light that really exists, that in the artist's brain." Henri Matisse

Pieces of America

This week I'm really counting my chickens and getting ready for Monhegan. I have been gluing linen to gatorfoam board, making monster paint orders, and picking the little things out of my studio (area) that I wont be able to live without for 5 weeks.. Also making "packing lists", boat reservations and figuring out how to get back in time for the Waldoboro "Paint the Town" (Aug 15th) my favorite plein air paint event. Oh yeah Ive been painting a bit to..

Anybody that has recommendations for what to pack please leave a comment I would rather hear "Bug spray" 10 times then forget or not think of..

Quote: "Why do people think artists are special? It's just another job."Andy Warhol (1928-87).

That guy makes me laugh...?.

King of Round Pond (Plein Air)

I'm heading out to paint but wanted to post.

This is the first of the King of Round Pond paintings (16x20)and its available at COCO VIVO Gallery. The Larger one (24x36) is available at Rock Point Gallery. sorry not even time for a Quote today.... take care, Dan

Gallery Announcement: COCO VIVO aka Coast & Cottage

This week I have completed the last (but not least) of my gallery agreements and have joined COCO VIVO Gallery ( http://www.coastandcottage.com/ ). COCO VIVO is located in two great art enriched locations, Charleston South Carolina and locally in the heart of Boothbay Maine. A fair share of the artists represented by the gallery are local painters that I see and paint with on a weekly basis with the Plein Air Painters of Maine.

With the other gallery location being in SC I will get to travel down south a bit to absorb a little of the local life and paint what strikes me, I am very excited to be able to do this and to join what seems like a very hard working succesful team.

This piece (20x16") was painted the day of "Finnegans" accident (see last post) and to me this large garage/barn with the driveway going to it instead of the house behind it, represents what life in Maine is. Functional, work first, with a simple beauty if we just take the time to look at it, thanks for looking.

Quote: All paintings start out of a mood, out of a relationship with things or people, out of a complete visual impression. (Richard Diebenkorn)

OK two quotes today : I can never accomplish what I want – only what I would have wanted had I thought of it beforehand. (Richard Diebenkorn)

Finnegan's Easel

The name of this sketch has a funny story tied to it, you see the day before i painted this I was painting in this area with a friend of mine (no names) and while we were painting maybe 50-60 ft apart I saw an elder man and his dog come up and start talking to my painting friend and he later came up to see me and talk for a bit. He was a very nice guy and his dog's name was Finnegan, he was one of those smaller dogs whose fur or hair looks messy (and like he was maybe just rescued from some natural disaster) Well it turns out what I thought was Finnegan watering a bush near my friend while they talked turns out he blessed the easel (Open box M) of my friend....I think he liked it so much, he claimed it. So if any of you come to Wiscasset to paint.....watch out for Finnegan.

Quote:If you clean it up, get analytical, all the subtle joy and emotion you felt in the first place goes flying out the window. (Andrew Wyeth)

Rock Point Gallery Announcement

This week I start my working relationship with Rock Point Gallery located in Northeast Harbor on Mount Desert Island (in Maine if you are from afar). I am very proud to be part of this gallery, they only represent a small hand full of great artists and have chosen me to be among them. Couple names off the top of my head are Melissa Brown and Stapleton Kearns.

As for the photo,..?. I can't seem to get 24"x36"pieces to not look warped.?? So I will try to replace this photo soon but you get the idea for now. If your interested in this piece or just want to see it in person please contact Fred at Rock point Gallery (207) 276-5921 . The main boat here is my absolute favorite lobster boat in Maine, her name is "The Chains". the striking dark (maybe black) bottom and Pthalo like mint green up top make this the boat a beauty.

Quote "I dream a lot. I do more painting when I'm not painting. It's in the subconscious." (Andrew Wyeth)

Camden Falls Gallery Announcement

Great news! Since my last post I have joined The Camden Falls Gallery in Camden ME www.camdenfallsgallery.com/ I just delivered work this past Tuesday and would like to thank the staff there for making me feel very welcome into their family of artists(Thank you).

I will be joining two other galleries as the season gets rolling but I will announce those as they happen.

One other thing I would like to point out is a link that I have recently added to the side of this blog, that link is labeled "Amateur Lense". This link is my wife Raquele's new blog, its only one post deep but I think you will like it. check it!

This painting is of a couple of a small chunk of our yard, it looks like two Dandelions but there is actually 3 see if you can spot it... :)

Quote: "Cover the canvas at the first go, and then work on till you see nothing more to add ... Don't proceed according to rules and principles, but paint what you observe and feel. Paint generously and unhesitatingly, for it is best not to lose the first impression." Camille Pissaro

Tiny Avenger

Sorry for the long delay in posts, but I have been busy and trying to get the whole work in galleries thing happening. (I will post again on that subject in a couple days) As for today I am about to head out to paint. Take care and happy painting!

Quote: "If enough people do something wrong, does that make it right?" me...I think...

Just a Few from the Tidemark Show

Here is a few of my pieces from the show at Tidemark, some of the photos don't really provide true color but at least they are not blurry..?. The top one "Stareing at the Glare" (11x14) is from my first trip to Boothbay to paint with the Plein Air group that meets weekly and was my first piece of the day.





The Second piece "Just Afternoon" (24x36") is from when I was painting at Castle Tucker in Wiscasset with Roberta, neither of us painted the castle, haha.






3rd piece is of Main St in Waldoboro, (16x20) I was painting in the street that day and yeah I know standing in the road with an easel will definitely get you some strange looks.... I got a few that day but I had to see around the cars..?.


This street has some great hills that look great as the sun goes lower in the day, I hope to paint this place quite a bit in the future.






The last piece is of " Lilac Cottage" (16x20") I think I paint Lilac Cottage or some part of it once a week at least, the owners John and Bill are great, and deserve much thanks for letting us (painters) park and roam their property for our paintings, Thank you! Lilac Cottage is a beautiful Antique shop that is surrounded by,,, you guessed it, Lilacs. They are starting to bloom and when they are full in, I will probably have to be removed by the police to stop painting them, ha.





My disclaimer: Blogger places picture where they want when they want so If my writing doesn't coincide with the photos sorry and good luck figuring it out.





Quote: "I've caught this magical landscape and it's the enchantment of it that I'm so keen to render. Of course lots of people will protest that it's quite unreal, but that's just too bad."

This extra Quote is something I enjoy and thought I would share it with you today, the end of both quotes ( Both Monet)are refreshing and fun,,, enjoy.

Quote 2: "We're having marvellous weather and I wish I could send you a little of the sunshine. I am slaving away on six paintings a day. I'm giving myself a hard time over it as I haven't yet managed to capture the colour of this landscape, there are moments when I'm appalled at the colours I'm having to use, I'm afraid what I'm doing is just dreadful and yet I really am understating it; the light is simply terrifying."

Rainy Days

Yesterday morning I headed out to Boothbay to paint with the Plein Air Painters of Maine group( www.pleinairpaintersofmaine.blogspot.com/ ) despite the bad weather predictions for the morning. I figured a morning of gray day painting is better then a whole week of nothing as the rest of the week looks to be a wash. (yes pun intended) About 30 mins into painting the rain drops started to fall and in another hour they fell pretty hard but I did manage to get two and really enjoyed the challenge of the " gray day " and the color harmony it brings. This piece was finished (relative term I know) in some decent rain and I think it might be my first time I have painted in rain that made me have to drain my palette a couple times, haha I even lost a brush so it must have been kind of hectic.. I think I will have to drill holes in my EasyL box for a rain gutter system and get some Mai Thai drink umbrellas for my brush washer can...?.

This past Tuesday I went to take down the remaining pieces from my show at Tidemark, and just want to Thank everyone at Tidemark again and again for all their help and work for making my first show very memorable and successful. I plan on being back there early next year to take part in another show (dates to be determined) and continue my involvement with this great gallery. Thank you Tidemark!

Since the showing at Tidemark and the announcement of my winning of the Monhegan Residency I have been contacted and in talks with a few galleries. Two of the Galleries are definites and the other is still on hold. I am really excited to finally have this ball rolling and the oppurtunities to really push myself and see what is possible... (I will announce galleries next post)

Quote:Renoir's Color Mixing: "He always mixed his colors on the canvas. He was very careful to keep an impression of transparency in his picture throughout the different phases of the work ... he worked on the whole surface of his canvas [and] the motif gradually emerged from the seeming confusion, with each brushstroke."-- Jean Renoir, son of the Impressionist Painter Auguste Renoir, writing in his memoir Renoir: My Father

Big House on the Prarie

OK, it feels like forever since my last post and I think its the first time i have gone this long without something new on here. I hate to repeat what I read on other blogs but I don't think thru the summer its gonna be too frequent posting for me.

Some of the things I have been doing lately painting almost every Saturday with the figure group up in Belfast ME at Waterfall Arts, Every Wednesday I have been participating in the Plein Air Painters of Maine paint outs, (Thank you Corinne) I also paint quite a bit with my good friend Roberta Goschke (she's great check her work out on the link) and most recently spent a day hangin with Colin Page, painting in Damariscotta. (this painting is from that day) It was a beautiful day and I hope the painting conveys that. (I know the photo stinks) I got a couple and laughed thru out the day, especially when a young girl that was passing by recommended to Colin to paint a dinosaur into his painting.

Well its about time to head out to paint so I'm wrapping this post up early.

Quote: "Art is a harmony which runs parallel with nature -- what is one to think of those imbeciles who say that the artist is always inferior to nature?" Paul Cezanne

The 22nd is our 5th Anniversary ! Happy Anniversary Raquele!

No Title

This piece is from the morning of May 2nd, I got a few done that day in Bristol but I would say this is the pick of the litter. not alot to ramble about today so here is a Quote: "Instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I see before me, I make more arbitrary use of colour to express myself more forcefully ... To express the love of two lovers by the marriage of two complementary colours ... To express the thought of a brow by the radiance of a light tone against a dark background. To express hope by some star. Someone's passion by the radiance of the setting sun."Vincent van Gogh, 1888.

The Show (before and after)

First things first, Thank You to everyone involved, Tidemark Gallery and all who make that gallery run like clockwork, Family, friends, customers, and those that just let me know that they enjoyed the show, you all made my night!

I don't have good pictures of the all the work yet, I will be taking some at the gallery and raiding a few other cameras to get some photos for here soon. So for the moment here are the before the show hanging pictures which really give you an idea of the layout of this beautiful gallery(sorry for bad photos) and then this is a picture of us (Raquele and I ) after all have gone home. If you see in my hands there is a black item, that is a book given to me as a gift that night by a friend of mine (Thanks Chris!) I will share an excerpt from this great book in my quote today. Quote: "The one dollar bill originally had Chuck Norris on it, but the beard kept getting caught in vending machines." OK one more...." Chuck Norris was supposed to be the next face on Mount Rushmore. Unfortunately granite is not hard enough material to replicate Chuck Norris's beard."