Lights in the windows...

"Form Strategic Partnerships"

(in progress)

18"x36" acrylic on canvas

$4500 US dollars plus shipping

I painted upside down again, to a very happy result. Well, almost. There are correction to the window frames in the Graphic Arts Building that need to be done. I also noticed that the details of the brick work above the arched window are slightly off.

I thought that they were off yesterday while painting, but after staring at them for several hours straight I couldn't put my finger on what was wrong. Now I can tell they're converging to a different vanishing point than the rest of the lines of the buildings'.

My favorite thing is still the light coming from the windows.

Tomorrow Oregon Art Beat will show up and I get to talk all about my process with them. Corrine will be featured as well. Should be fun, and quite the honor as well. I'll keep you posted as to when it will air.

Bri-

Painting upside down...

"Form Strategic Partnerships"

(in progress)

18"x36" acrylic on canvas

$4500 US dollars plus shipping

I spent the day painting upside down. I find it so much easier to paint this way when my subject has so many converging lines. Okay, whenever I'm painting buildings this helps me to focus on light and form. My brain shuts off a little, and instead of trying to create buildings, it works mostly on the shapes that make up said building.

What I'm liking best is the light coming from the arched window in the Graphic Design Building. For the those of you who are curious as to the location of this scene, it's Varick St. in NYC near the entrance to the Holland Tunnel. I want to know what's going on behind that window.

After spending most of the day with the painting flipped, I turned it over to add some windows to the far left building, and sure enough I got the placement wrong. Back to the upside down today.

Bri-

Buckshot Splatter...

"Buckshot Splatter"

(in progress)

18"x24" acrylic on canvas

$1800 US dollars plus shipping

So this coming Monday the 26th of Sept. a crew from Oregon Art Beat will be arriving in Baker City to feature Corrine and I for stories. Wow.

We both are very excited and flattered for the opportunity to share our work with them, and show off all the steps of the process. KC Cowan, host and producer, explained that we should view it as a cooking show. Explain each step leading up to the finished piece.

That's why if you look very closely at this canvas you can see Buckshot, the puppy, faintly drawn with white chalk. On canvases like this I take time before hand sketching the dog with ink on paper, and then come to the canvas with the white chalk. Click to blow-up the image and you'll be able to see Buckshot better.

Today at the gallery I'll be working on the NYC billboard again. Need to get that one ready for it's close-up.

Bri-

Structure continued...

"Form Strategic Partnerships"

(in progress)

18"x36" acrylic on canvas

$4500 US dollars plus shipping

I spent most of the afternoon painting, and much to my amazement I like the progress, but I know not much of it shows. I'm continuing to enjoy this painting and the process of the whole thing.

One thing that I've found on larger works like this, I'm very appreciative of Golden Open paint, and  my friend Don recommending I try it. It truly makes a big difference in my ability to control light. Even when I add straight black to the tone already on the canvas, it just makes the subtlest change.

It's not without it's issues, or I should say I have to adjust where I paint. I got some wet paint on my reference photo, because I was moving it around to paint a lower corner of the picture, and the Open was still wet. I must remember, left to right, top to bottom.

Bri-

Grey brown...

"Form Strategic Partnerships"

(in progress)

18"x36" acrylic on canvas

$4500 US dollars plus shipping

Is gray brown a color, or a shade of a color? Today I mixed and painted colors that more closely match reality in the photo reference I'm using. You can see one of said reference photos taped to the painting. The other changes include removal, or placement adjustment to the street light.

I also created some flyers for the up coming Studio Tours here in Baker City. Hope to see some of you in my studio.

Bri-

Form without substance...

"Form Strategic Partnerships"

(in progress)

18"x36" acrylic on canvas

$4500 US dollars plus shipping

I spent much of today working to add form to the buildings, a little bit of light here and there, but no real substance was added.

I reshaped the arch of the one building's roof, and added some windows. It's amazing how much time it takes to add forms like that, but not add any finished elements. Good thing I'm enjoying listening to "Game of Thrones"

Bri-

2 in one day?

"Form Strategic Partnerships"

(in progress)

18"x36" acrylic on canvas

$4500 US dollars plus shipping

I've made more progress today, thanks to the fact we had no customers in the gallery today. It's to the point where I'm really seeing what lies ahead of me. Lots of window work.

Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to it.

Bri-

The Billboards are coming...

"Form Strategic Partnerships"
(in progress)
18"x36" acrylic on canvas
$4500 US dollars plus shipping

So I started the first in my Billboard series over the weekend, while teaching an acrylic painting workshop, just outside of John Day. I had a lot of fun teaching it too.

The idea came to me when I saw a Banana Republic ad in a New Yorker. The ad depicts a  woman with a hand bag large enough for a small dog, which happens to be a Jack Russell. The tag line is "Form Strategic Partnerships" So I used a photo from our days in NYC and created a picture in a picture.

Once I'm done with this one I'm going to need more billboard reference photos, so I think I'll be contacting my friends in the big cities, since we don't have to many billboards out here in Baker City.

Bri-

New start...

Currently Untitled
24"x18" acrylic on canvas

This a one of the canvases that I'm currently working on. I think it's going change a few more times before I start to paint the dog on here.

The picture was taken while the paint was still wet so I'm not sure what it looks like right now. The orange could be a little more subtle now than it was last night.

I'll be teaching a workshop in John Day this coming weekend so when I return I'm sure I'll have some progress to share.

Bri- 

Maggie and Dandelions

"Maggie and the Dandelions"

12"x12" acrylic on canvas

nfs

Here's the finished version of Maggie. I love the way it all came together, and feel I'm learning something new about my work/process with every new painting like this.

I have a new 24"x18" canvas started and can't wait to sit down with it today. I'm running late to Short Term Gallery, so off I go.

Bri-

Almost Maggie...

"Maggie and the Dandelions"

(in progress)

12"x12" acrylic on canvas

nfs

I'm just about finished with Maggie, and I'm pretty excited about the progress I made today. Looking at the painting here on the computer, away from the studio at Short Term Gallery, I like it even better.

Her front right paw needs a little work and a few brush strokes to the tail and then I think she's ready for a signature. Should be done soon.

Bri-