"Ian at Breakfast" in Strokes of Genius Volume 6

"Ian at Breakfast"  (pastel, 18x14 inches)  original available

I think I posted this news about a year ago, but wanted to update since now the book is available on the North Light Books site! Strokes of Genius 6: Value / Lights & Darks, the sixth volume in the popular book of winners of the international drawing competition!

My painting is also published in the October issue of Southwest Art Magazine, in their advertising editorial about the book!

"Ian at Breakfast" will be with me at the Bayou City Art Festival next weekend, Oct 11 & 12. I'll be in booth #590 on Dallas Street facing north. Come and see all my other newest work!

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The Unwilling Participant

"The Unwilling Participant"  (pastel, 12x9 inches)  $495 framed

Here's one that I've had in reserve since July. I actually painted it with the intention of entering it into the American Impressionist Society exhibit, but decided at the last to enter other works (of which "Duckling" got in!) So I entered this one into three other exhibits (I won't say which ones but they were all National..) and it repeatedly did not get in! I don't mind (no, really!) because 2 of those 3 shows accepted my other entry, and I really like this one so I don't mind keeping it where I can look at it occasionally. ;)

But let that be a lesson to any artist who gets 'rejected' from any exhibition jury. YOU JUST NEVER KNOW! All jurors are human beings, and one will like what another will overlook in a glance. You can't take it personally. You just need to paint more so that you can enter more shows and increase your odds through sheer numbers. Plus the more you paint the better you get, and one of your next paintings will get into something else.

So I'm happy because now I can take this bunny to the Bayou City Art Festival, Oct 11 & 12, and meet the future buyer myself instead of it selling to some anonymous person at an out-of-state exhibit. (I'll be in booth #590, btw, come see me and my other brand new work!!)

Here a shot with the frame. Advance purchase inquiries will be welcome before I load the tuck on Oct 9...

Here are a few progress shots:

In the end I thought that the fold in the boy's shirt was distracting, so I took it out.

Thanks for watching! Please share!

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30 Paintings in 30 Days - September 2014

Here it is! My collage of my 30 paintings in 30 days of September. OK, I left out "Bull Profile #1" since he was the one that wasn't painted with this group and I had posted him before.

Leslie Saeta, host of this semi-annual challenge, is a wonderful Marketing Adviser. If you are an artist and want to make the most of your career, I highly recommend subscribing to her blog!

To see a closer view of these, my most recent paintings, CLICK HERE to go to my DailyPaintworks Gallery of available paintings. Many of these are still on auction for a limited time... at least until they are framed and packed for the Bayou City Art Fest in Houston later this month...

Here's a peek at what will be keeping me busy for the next week until I must rush to frame this up and ALL the little minis I just painted. Takes a couple days just to do that!

Latest work in progress, 36x36 inches:

 Here's what I've done this week so far... several more hours to go!

Grenache - day 30!!

"Grenache"  (pastel, 7x5 inches)  click here to bid 

Day 30 in my 30-paintings-in-30-days painting challenge of September! I did it! :) Yay!

Sigh, now I can rest. Oh wait, no I can't. I have a 36x36" showstopper to finish for the Bayou City Art Fest in Houston in less than 2 weeks! Along with as many medium-sized pieces as I can squeeze in.
I think I have enough small ones for a little while ;)

Tomorrow Leslie Saeta will show all the participants of the challenge how to make a collage of all of our paintings. So I'll post mine here with my next post...

Progress shots of Grenache:

Harmony - day 29

"Harmony"  (pastel, 7x5 inches) click here to bid

Day 29 in my 30-paintings-in-30-days of September! Almost done! :)

Some progress shots:

Thanks for watching! Please share!

Diablo - day 28

"Diablo"  (pastel, 7x5 inches)  click here to bid

Day 28 in my 30-paintings-in-30-days of September!

Diablo looks colorful and sleepy, like a Mexican vacation.

Some progress shots:

Thanks for watching! Please share!