Preparing canvases and finishing several pieces in progress:

Continuing to digitize LPs; Looking at The Temptations' Greatest Hits -  8 of the songs on this album were written all, or in part by one William "Smokey" Robinson...no wonder he is so rich, when you add all he has written for others to his own portfolio, performances, etc. Also noted the the label for this disc displays Temptation's (sic) Greatest Hits.

Yesterday I recorded one of my all-time favorites - Steely Dan's Gaucho. More today, a double album: jazz's Zoot (John Haley) Sims/Sonny Stitt. Zoot only lived to be 59;  short life. 

Stitt      Sims

And, Supertramp's double live album Paris. Think about this - "This tour has been a hard one - 108 shows so far." Yikes.  They noted that the first time in Paris they performed at "the tiny Bataclan Theatre". We know how infamous that venue would become thanks to ISIS.

I'll finish up. Will try to complete a couple, start a few, and get outside to sketch or maybe even paint on site. 

Remember to visit my web page where, if you find a piece you would like to own, contact me to see if it is still available and we'll discuss price, and shipping and handling. Most are $150 or less. 

claudelylesartworks.com

Great advice for painters:

From

Plein Errors: The Top Ten Mistakes Artists Make While Painting On Location:

#10: Forgetting to squint to eliminate detail and see values more clearly

#9: Getting bogged down in detail instead of massing in the basic shapes

#8: Painting over an incorrect passage and making mud instead of scraping

       down/wiping off that section to start over

#7: Painting too large a canvas for the amount of time available before the light changes

#6: Not mixing up enough paint and skimping on paint application

#5: Giving up too early

#4: Wiping off the entire painting in the field (your painting might just be better than you think it is...)

#3: Focusing on one area too long instead of seeing the entire design

#2: Using small brushes at the start

And the Number One reason why paintings fail………………

#1: Not having a clear plan before you start! 

I found this on her blog, very helpful.

Just finished an experiment is size. Tried a small 4 x 4" canvas with a view from my front garden

Digititizing A Passion Play by Jethro Tull. It was panned but one of my favorite albums. Not wild about the talking parts but very creative musically and engineering. Also, while digitizing Killer by Alice Cooper, found a 1973 article in the St Louis Post-Dispatch. One of the photos is fun...

The reporter made a comparison between rock shows and circus acts, saying "one of the outer (sic?) rings must belong to Jethro Tull, perhaps the most musically adventurous of the top band. This group is driven by Ian Anderson, the most bizarre, intriguing and entertaining performer today.

Wait till he sees what the 80's would bring. My, how times have changed... the reporter asked Neal Smith, percussion, "Whether it bothered him being associated with fag rock."

"Naw, " he said, "as long no one tries to touch me."

Will drop off my painting of one of our lakes at the Bonita Springs Center for Visual Arts September show, I recently joined to expand my circle of exposure. Getting closer to Naples where there is BIG money! This one I finished last summer:

Finished number 2 in a four part construction-art project. Nothing fancy but fun:

So, will try to finish some others I have started before I head to Denver, KC, Columbia, and Saint Louis in September. Looking forward to seeing my friends, siblings and former colleagues. 

Remember, my website is claudelylesartworks.com and my work is for sale...don't be shy, maybe we can work a deal.

New Piece and recent purchases (and more):

This morning I read a great piece on the watercolorist (primarily) Charles Burchfield (1893 - 1967). I have to admit that I never "got" his work, seemed kind of folksy. If I remember, my classmate Charmian Semmons really like him and John Marin. Anyway, as explained by Susan Delson in the WSJ, Burchfield was a chronicler of the weather according to Stephen Vermette, a co-curator  of an exhibition opening Sept 16 at the Montctlair (NJ) Art Museum. 

July Sunlight Pouring Down - 1952

"Burchfield continually looked for ways to depict non-visible aspects of nature, including sound and energy."

Think that is possible for a visual artist to accomplish? Well, I see it now in his work, and will look for it whenever I view one of his pieces. She went on to explain; "The shafts of yellow light ... become nearly solid as they reach the ground, while the tree at the center bends under its burden of light as if under a heavy snowfall, and the vegetation below appears to release heat in undulating waves."

While I type this, I am back to digitizing my vinyl to disc so I can sell my collection and create space:  working on All This And World War II - a collector box with Beatle songs recorded by a diverse (21st Century popular term; see the Diversity Paradox to understand how goofy this whole thing is, but I digress) such as Bryan Ferry, Tina Turner, Ambrosia, Bee Gees, Jeff Lynne, Status Quo, The Four Seasons, etc.

Speaking of music, last evening we attended a fun concert: Sound Of Summer in Fort Myers. $5 gets you in. The first group was about 8 months in existence with three 20's  and well-experience percussion and base players. It was fun to see a group shortly after creation. Think about all your favorite bands and what they might have looked/sounded like as they worked through one of their formation public sets. Morgan Marie and in the Whinehouse/Sinatra/ jazz vein. Most of the players hung around for an interesting jazz trio: Danny Sinoff. Quite dynamic, involved the audience more than any jazz player I ever encountered. Told us who the composer of the piece was. Very tight.  And, can he play the piano! Turns out he has been since age two. Check him out on the internet. 

Morgan Marie and her band

So, what have I purchased for my collection lately?

Tranquil Wetland 5 acrylic on masonite board 12 X 12 by Carl Schwartz, long-time Florida Gulf Coast University drawing and painting instructor who died last September. Educated at the Art Institute of Chicago and U of Chicago. He has work in permanent collections throughout the US as well as the British Museum in London. Had a posthumous exhibit at the Art Alliance several months ago where I first saw his work. 

This print is by Ben Giles. I first encountered him as an illustrator for an article in the WSJ. I think the work was more interesting than the article; looked him up on the internet and found a wealth of fun print work at Society6. They will take a piece like this and transpose it on to scarves, dishes, towels, etc. A fun place. Check it out.

Speaking of the Art Alliance, I recently entered a piece in the Members Show. The theme, which I totally ignored, I just wanted one of my works on exhibit referenced Elevation: The Next Level. 

Hung from the ceiling

OK, here goes. My latest piece. Hibiscus - oil on canvas board 8 X 10.

Hibiscus plants and trees all around us in Fort Myers. This one was right outside our lanai. The flower only lasts one day, so I had to work from a reference photo. Hope I captured the lightness of being. Really my first attempt to depict a single flower. Let me know what you think by commenting at the blog site. 

Back In The Saddle: After vacation and visits from relatives, I am back in the studio trying new pieces which I hope to finish this week. Some landscape, some abstract, more drawing.

First, I found a new fun app that lets me affect my photos in many different ways. Prisma updated photo from first day in Florida almost four years ago at the Welcome Station at the GA-FLA border.

And in NC last summer

Then, I tried and successfully captured photos from the TV show West Coast Customs where they took a 2005 Lamborghini of Chris Brown and updated it to his desire for a Hot Wheels look. Added front and back extensions, new wheels, and redid the interior and sound system. Kind of fun.

So, we were able to spend a weekend near Astor FL on the St John river. Had the use of a pontoon boat (already left the dock) and cruised the river, Lake George in one direction and two smaller lakes in the other. This river is one of only three that flow south to north - kinda of disorientating. 

One our way home we spent the day touring the Kennedy Space Center near Titusville. Well worth the price of admission. Below is the Atlantis. A truly fun day.

Greg and I took sailing lessons through Offshore Sailing, a nationally recognized school. Two half day classes on the water, totally exhausting. Greg picked it up right away. Somehow, I steered us across the Gulf, up the Mississippi and close to Saint Louis...got an "F" for that one. Steve was a great teacher. The second day was rough, we were the only boat out for most of the time, not realizing that tropical storm Emily was forming to the north, which eventually hit the Tampa area that night.

Greg and an Army buddy then took off for the keys, fishing, whatever, for three days before heading back to Base. It Was wonderful to see him for several weeks after his deployment to Korea the past year.

Two shows opened up the same weekend. Below is my painting from the March workshop with Morgan Samuel Price which I entered in the Art Alliance member show. Also took the three recent watercolors to the August show for Fort Myers Art League.

Spent several days varnishing my acrylic and oil paintings from the last year and a half. Created quite a mess in my studio and two other rooms as I laid out all of the work.

Finally, I actually finished a piece, again, started in the workshop on site at Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park. Tried a different method/style.

Now working on a small landscape, a layout of shells in a photo taken looking down on the beach, and trying to finish my abstract Beige, which is following Black done earlier this year. I want to try another construction/shadow box piece to go with the one I did last year. Need to draw more, maybe get out my pastels and walk around our development. 

Meanwhile, I continue to digitize my vinyl albums (about 300) so I can sell them and create some closet space. Tedious, but it forced me to listen to music I have not played in years. As I record, I have been reading linear notes and heading to the internet for related info. For example, the album Stephen Stills by SS has a track (Go Back Home) where Eric Clapton played lead and one (Old Times Good Times) with Jimi Hendrix lending a left hand. The album dedication was to: James Marshall Hendrix. And, this was when Rita Coolidge was earning her pay singing background. Also showing up for more background vocals were John Sebastian, Bass Elliot, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Shirley Matthews, Booker T Jones. Andy Johns engineered some of the tracks. Fun stuff. 

That's enough for now, off to tennis class, and if I don't hurt myself, more painting and recording. 

Two Mixed Media:

Someone asked me to draw from a photo of their dogs, so this is what I came up with. Permanent ink colored with watercolor pencils. First time I tried something like this.

I hope he likes it. 3.5 X 5.5: Rusty and River.

Next, I used same materials to present a plant on the ground at Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park. End up being more stylized that originally intended but half way through I started to add colors I like. 5.5 X 3.5

Picked up some new (for me) music last week, Steve Mason, Nightmares On Wax, Hookworm, Fat Freddy's Drop, The Durutti Column, Klaus Doldinger ( He was a leader of Passport - one of my favorite new jazz albums), The Out Crowd, Johnny Flynn, Hammock, West Indian Girl, and more.

This coming week I want to go back to oil and finish one I started, looking down on shells on the beach; one acrylic called Beige, and maybe get out my pastels which I have not used since moving to Florida.

Greg is on his way down to hang out for a while. Planning my Denver - STL trip. Watched Dan Edmundson videos on the painting craft. Lots of good stuff. 

First Watercolors in about 45 years!

Well, I got out my watercolors and worked on two scenes from our visit last summer to Cashiers/Highlands, NC over Labor Day. The Dahlia gardens were in bloom. These are two views of the same garden. 

So, I think I will try a few more before I work on oils. And, I need to get out my pastels and try some drawing. 

Listening to Spiritual High by Moodswings, with Chrissie Hyde and MLK. Do you know Valdi Sabev? I saw David Gray is appearing in STL with Alison Krauss - that could be a great concert. I started down the YouTube path last night watching Folgelberg's Now That We Love (which I love); to Gordon Lightfoot 1972 concert to current interview which made me just want to cry to see how frail he is (We saw him in concert here last year - no lung power) and was able to hear Beautiful (which I love); to Kenny Wayne Shepherd in concert with Blue On Black (which I love) plus an acoustic version; to  a relatively current video of the Cult's She Sells Sanctuary (which I love); and on and on and on. One Thing Leads To Another which could lead to Beautiful Friction, right? I find it interesting to see who appears on who's album when you did not really know that person back in, say 1972, but now are famous. And who wrote songs for whom. Jack Bruce with Mountain for a while? Nicky Hopkins on an early QMS album, Jon Mark and Johnny Almond (Mark-Almond - New York City State Of Mind [which I love]) producing for Marianne Faithful. Jimmy Messina producing before paying and recording - what a rich history of band membership and guidance he has had. You can see him this fall in Edwardsville, IL. Back to artwork...

So, I entered four paintings in the July gallery show at the Art League of Fort Myers. They had their voting tonight during Artwalk. Tomorrow I will drop by to see if I won anything; last month my Delnor-Wiggins Pass landscape won the People's Choice Award. In August I will enter something in the Art Alliance members show. Its free, I like free. 

Update finish and sign Useppa Mooring: Worked on the landscape this weekend, diminished and signed it.

I would like to sell this one for $95.00 without frame. If you are interested contact me for shipping.

Took it easy this weekend after painting our pool cage. There were rusty bolts and stains I could not remove. 6 hours. Whew! Saturday I was able to attend a half day retreat about an hour north of here on the Myakka River at the Our Lady Of Perpetual Help Retreat Center. The order that runs it has a parish in Alton, IL so I get to talk about the STL region with them. Here is a photo from a walkway:

This week I hope to work on three canvases I started months ago, two abstracts in progress and then draft a couple of new ideas on to canvas. Oh yes, I forgot, also working on a still life sort of, sea shells laying on the sand. 

Listening to discs I recorded over the past couple of years, homemade, but that I lost when they wiped my Apple last month. Apple only backs up in the cloud items purchased through them, apparently. Will know better next time I have to go through that process. It reminded me how much I liked The Dave Clark Five, The Four Tops - Reach Out is still great, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Toad The The Wet Sprocket - All I Feel, love it; Porcupine Tree, Younger Brother, Vince Gill - You and You Alone...

Firming up my plans to visit Denver, KC, COMO, STL in September.