Really good paintings [IMHO]

From time to time I will put a painting in here that I think is really good. [My grandmother always said 'Self-Praise stinks!'] And I'll tell you the story behind the painting (if there is one)

There's a neat story that goes with GEEZER

My son owns a ranch in the eastern part of San Diego County, CA. The town of Julian was once a mining community but now caters to weekenders

This gentleman is one of the town 'fixtures'

I painted this from a snapshot - It's 16 x 20

I entered it in a judged contest

There were four other paintings in the acrylic category

Four awards were given - Hon mention, 3rd, 2nd, 1st

GEEZER was fifth! The judge thought it was a photograph

I posted this in the Thurs Nite Sketch Group section but every once in a while. it all comes together in what seems to be a pretty good painting.

Again the Sketch Group meets for 1-3/4 h every Thurs nite. On 14 June 2012, Abraham, our model, wore a classic Japanese robe and headband

I was lucky to have brought a 12 x 16 prepared canvas board in black and the lighting seemed right on

[Who sez you can't do portraits in acrylics!]

Total painting time, ~ 1 hr

JOHN DONALDSON, PINELLAS COUNTY POSTMAN

24 x 36 Acrylic on canvas

It is a copy of an early 1900s B+W newsprint

I started it on 3 June and finished it on 21 June 2012, total painting time ~12 h. I had posted the painting progression in about half-hour segments on this blog but have taken it down now, as discussed below.

While it isn't the most complex brush painting I've ever done, it is the largest! It is always a challenge to create a colored painting from a B+W photograph

[For instance, I had no idea what color the ox was

or what the structure of the buggy undercarriage looked like!]

WARNING!

It seems that painting from an unregistered B+W photograph from an unknown photographer may violate US Copyright Law unless I can prove that the photograph is more than 120 years old. Since I cannot, it appears that I have expunged this painting and the progression of it that I had posted elsewhere on this blog. Having said that, I am going to leave the finished version of the painting here until I am accosted by an appropriate authority to remove it forever!

There are times when a quick sketch turns out great

This is from a Wet Canvas Challenge, 12 x 16

I believe I worked on this about 1+ h

So, why do I think this is pretty good, you ask

The key to any painting deals with arcs, whether they're

the sides of ships or the ellipses of cups or glasses

In addition, for some reason, the shadow of the boat in the water seems to be right on

I posted this in still life

It offered me two challenges - ellipses and optical distortion. I consider it to be my best effort at those challenges

As I mentioned in one of the earlier posts, Wet Canvas Acrylic Forum once ran MAPS. The challenge was to paint a famous artist work in acrylics. This is the famous Persistence by Dali. I painted it in a size similar to his, viz, 9 x 12. The detail here attests to Dali's very early work and his skill as a highly detailed painter

Unfortunately, IMO, the more he and his work were recognized, the more grandiose his work became

Above is X-posted from the NUDES thread

It represents a different direction for me

I'm trying to move away from the

realistic realism to more impressionism

12 x 16 on canvas panel in black frame Oct 2012

Below - Time to brag!

This painting (16 x 20 on canvas panel)

was accepted into the Florida chapter of

International Society of Acrylic Painters - Nov 2012