It’s gonna be hard to let this one go. It has become one of my favorites. Painted in my car on a cold January afternoon, I’d always thought this was an old one-room schoolhouse, Nope. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Tabor_Good_Samaritan_Lodge_No._59
I had fun transforming a photo for a friend into a more artistic rendering. I did a few different iterations to see what appealed and they chose the one closest to the coloration of the actual photo. The plan is to print it as a 14x14" print and gift it to the person depicted in the photo.
Outrigger
Digitally altered photo rendered as a digital painting using Art Set 4 and containing elements of watercolor, pastel, and ink
Follow The White Rabbit (18x22" acrylic on canvas panel) is now on exhibit at BWI as part of the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County's rotating exhibit.
I was walking up my basement stairs today and realized I don't think I ever posted some of my 14x24" sailing paintings. So, belatedly, here they are:
I’ve been having a little trouble with the Blogger app and this has delayed my keeping you all up-to-date. We’ll see if this posts all right. What have I been up to? Good question. What a blur since the summer. I’ve done some plein air painting, especially of the old Johns Hopkins Birthplace (Whites Hall) in Gambrills, MD and also played around with some architectural photos taken in NYC.
I was having trouble uploading photos, so let’s give this a shot… Ah, well would you look at that. It worked.
Over the River and Through The Woods
(Johns Hopkins Birthplace, Gambrills, MD)
12x16 unframed
Acrylic on canvas panel
What a fun week! This is the one week a year when I do not mom and I do not wife, I paint. No awards but I did sell a painting! And that’s plenty reward for me.
She Left 🔴 | 14x18” | Acrylic on canvas panel ———SOLD———
After Hours | 12x16”| | Acrylic on canvas
Many thanks to my friend (and published poet!) Susan Sonde for inviting me to sit in on her art lesson with resident artist David Zuccarini at the Howard County Center For The Arts (Elicott City) last night and for his permission to occupy an empty space and take a shot at a quick study from life of Susan at work.
Susan has a distinctive style of painting #portraits using shades of blue and grey with beige and occasionally shades of brown or purple, and so I tried to imitate her style a little here. My blues are a little too bright and the faces are incomplete, but I’m happy with it for a 2h #speedpainting (although she disputes the size of her nose lol). What a great space and teaching opportunity for Howard County. They also have 2 exhibitions going on in the space right now.
Speaking of exhibitions, I have a piece in Maryland Federation of Art’s Spring Member Show right now at Circle Gallery in Annapolis. See Https://mdfedart.org for reception times and virtual gallery
Juneteenth Harvest at Middle Plantation (Davidsonville, MD) | 5x4” | Acrylic on canvas. On exhibit at Maryland Federation of Art’s Circle Gallery (Annapolis, MD) as part of Small Wonders 2022 until 12/23. See https://mdfedart.com/portfolio/270/
What an great show! So much truly wonderful work. I am thrilled , honored, and humbled to have my piece included with such high caliber work as I saw night at the lovely little reception at the gallery.
UPDATE: ***SOLD***
Incidentally, here is the inspiration for the frame painting, although my figures are mostly women. A slave burial site was discovered near the plantation during road construction some 40-60y ago, according to a local historical marker sign. Since I’m order to get the effect of a “floater” frame that shows entire canvas I use a regular frame and turn it backwards, I have to do something with the back that is now the front, as it is generally in/poorly finished. So I’m this case I plaited it with the figures of women standing and climbing on the backs of their ancestors until they get to run and their babies are free people at the top. I put (faux, but good faux) leaf on the sides of the frame.
To wrap up the year, I have received 2 positive notifications from juried exhibitions:
1- Small Wonders 2022 (Maryland Federation of Art, Circle Gallery, Annapolis, MD):
Juneteenth Harvest on Middle Plantation (Davidsonville, MD)
3x4" (unframed)
acrylic on canvas
2- BWI Exhibit 35: Bright Skies (Arts Council of Anne Arundel County, Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Baltimore, MD):
The Lottery
8x10" (unframed)
acrylic on canvas panel
I am so happy to have finished (and safely delivered) this commission. It was thrilling to confirm that it plays with the credenza below it exactly as intended. It has its own wall making for an ideal presentation while uniting and bridging an open plan kitchen/eating area/family room.
It’s strange how letting go of such a piece is rather like re-homing a pet… I am confident it will be happy in its new home.
This commission was a privilege and superior learning opportunity for which I am immensely grateful.
Impact. 40x60” Acrylic on canvas
The first week of august each year = beach week in Fenwick Island, DE. I spent much of my time this year painting on the beach. I am working on learning how to use a palette knife to paint with acrylics in sun and heat and trying to loosen-up my style and not get so bogged down in the details.
Cloudy Day. 8x8” acrylic on canvas panel
I keep chipping away at this one. By the time I’m done there’s going to be paint a cm deep on this canvas. It’s fighting me the whole way. I’m finishing up with the water soon and will begin adding the plants that will frame it.
With the end of Paint Annapolis 2022 (booooo!), the work not sold at the gallery is now available via my online shop, which precipitated some much-needed virtual housekeeping. I had emailed Hats In The Belfry to let them know that my Nocturne painting was of their Annapolis shop and received a lovely response suggesting they'd like to post it to their social media (yay!). So if you are here after seeing a Hats In The Belfry post, Welome! If you're looking for my shop, it is at https://ko-fi.com/fanfarethemedart. I hope you enjoy poking around here and there. Questions? Leave a comment or email me at burzon@verizon.net. I'd love to hear from you.
Turn me. 4x5” acrylic on canvas
Originally painted as part of the Maryland Avenue event portion of Paint Annapolis 2022, I thought that with such a little canvas it would be fun to find a small architectural detail to highlight, something that would otherwise be overlooked, and voila—I found this gorgeous door knob with a beautiful grain to it contrasting with the many-layered paint of its door.
Turn Me took every bit as long for me to do as as a larger painting would. Like I like to say, it’s just that the brushes are smaller. I took some artistic license with the color of the left door once which improved the image significantly over the more accurate beige/tan/cream.
I also tried something new with the frame I’ve used these little gold frames before, but this time I wanted a floater-style frame that does not cover any of the canvas. So I put the canvas into the frame backwards, making the back of the frame the front I hand-leafed the sides in (faux) gold and painted the new front black to contrast with the sides and canvas. I am quite pleased with the result.
I see this quirky little painting as a fun element for a bathroom or nook and a unique momento of Annapolis for the right person.
I had my first gallery sale at the Paint Annapolis reception for public painters! The red dot indicates a sale
I started this weeklong event with a “QuickDraw” contest that was extremely challenging for me. What can you do in 3 hours? I met a lovely and friendly couple living on a very cool boat the day before while scouting-out what to paint for the contest. They allowed me to paint their boat for the contest and then the rest of that day. I of ncourse was not satisfied with what I could do in 3 hours but it was quite the learning experience. I then spent from 12–6 or so trying to improve it. And then of course the next day saw that the top line of the back of the boat is completely wrong. So I’ll go back and fix that maybe this morning. Here is the difference between the 3-hour and 9-hour paintings. The dog’s name is Chloe, and Intiled the piece Chloe Lives Here.” I had a lot of very encouraging feedback from passers by and one guy even slipped me $5, which blew my mind. I ought to put a hat out, lol.
At 3 hours
I have been fighting with this painting (acrylic) since December. I am finally winning. I am maybe 70% there.
