The day of the opening

Thanks to my wife and all of the Ocean County Artists' Guild gallery support staff.

And thanks to the many visitors to the opening.  Your comments were most kind 

and encouraging. 

Just in Time

Mr. James Hartung was a fine artist and supporter of the Ocean County Artist's Guild for many years.  For me, he was the face of the Guild who welcomed me and made me feel like it was a special place.  I saw him at least twice a week - Thursdays for 'Do Your Own Thing' painting and Saturdays for life drawing.  He was always supportive of my artistic attempts.  This is a multi-media work - watercolor and pastel on paper.  One day I saw him working with pastels on what looked like a painting -- it was a watercolor and he said - "this is a good way to touch up a watercolor and save it from the trash."  Jim, thanks for the advice.

Show piece Number Three

Once again, here is a piece that I began in portrait class over a year ago and reworked recently.  I wanted to tell some story with this one and decided that the woman looked as if she was wishing for something to happen. I call this one "Wallflower".  I made up the setting with the mirror reflecting a ballroom with dance in progress.  Quite by accident the woman's face looked a little sad and pensive to me.  Most of this work was repainted over the class work. 

Show piece Number Two

This piece was completed in February 2009 and begun in February 2008.  The beginning was done while participating in a class at the Ocean County Artist's Guild; the model posed for 1 session each week over a three week period, posing for 20 minutes and taking a short break.  I never heard her play the cello.

The unfinished painting sat in my attic studio for nearly a year.  In January 2009 I decided to complete this painting and submit it to the Ocean County Senior Citizen art show, held at Ocean County College.  I decided that I would try to give the setting as if it were at a performance.  Her face seems full of concentration, perhaps on the conductor, and somewhat concerned.  The painting was almost completely reworked and completed in April.  I plan to show the work in progress digitals I took to demonstrate the reworking process that I went through.