Anthony

I usually paint architecture, but occasionally I will paint people.

I did this painting of Anthony, a laborer and himself an artist. We were working together on a film. I don't remember the title, but I do remember that we were working at Gower studios on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood.

Anthony posed for me during our lunch time. It took fifteen or twenty minutes to complete this painting. This is one of the few paintings I used a pencil sketch instead of pen & ink. I prefer pen & ink because it forces me to be more decisive in my line work.

While I was working on the painting, I had an opportunity to learn from Anthony more about him and his family. I can say this with confidence; his wife and children are blessed to have him as husband and father.

Shaking at the Mouse House

This is one of the original animation buildings at Disney studios in Burbank, CA.

This seemingly serene scene was interupted by a magnitude 5.8 earthquake Tuesday (7-29-08). Dozens of employees came pouring out of the building and into this area. When I passed by, they were milling about trying to place cell phone calls.

Even my fancy new iPhone couldn't connect a call for at least 20 minutes after the quake.

Cafe

I said on my blog post on Saturday (July 26) that I did the painting of the Hunting Library while working on the Oceans 12 movie. Well, looking back on the paintings that came from that time frame, I realized that I was there at the Huntington Library working on The Good German movie.

This cafe painting was also created during that film production. It's a quiet setting away from the main residence, which serves as the gallery.

Old Man at the Home

I saw this man at the motion picture hospital and retirement home. He may have been a famous actor in his day.

Old people make some of the best models for quick, candid sketches. They are not as fidgety as younger people and their faces are full of character.

I didn't begin this painting with a pen & ink drawing as I normally do. I went directly to watercolor.

Huntington Library

This is the Huntington Library in Pasadena CA. I was here with a crew to prepare for the filming of the movie, Oceans 12.

Four or five of my coworkers looked over my shoulder as I did this painting during my lunch time, which lasted 45 minutes.

Judging by their remarks, I believe they got a thrill out of watching me. Their joy was my reward.

So, if you really want to get the most out of plein air painting, find an audience to share the creative process with.

Back at the Bowl

I usually have a steady stream of visitors stopping by to chat  as I paint. That's to be expected since I choose to paint in populated areas.

This structure is part of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. There were no events taking place here this day so I was able to focus more on the painting than the people. I did have two visitors though. They were joggers making the run around the park so they only paused long enough to see what I was doing.

Katrina

When New Orleans residents were displaced by Hurricane Katrina, many were sent to various shelters around the United States. One of those locations was The Dream Center in Los Angeles.

I went there to paint and hopefully connect with some of the displaced people and offer some support. I arrived to a somewhat circus atmosphere. The Center was crawling with news media, sight seers, motorcycle clubs, and an odd collection of concerned individuals (the group which I suppose I fell into) who probably hindered the staff as much as we did to help.

My plan was to pay some of the new residents to paint their portraits. I was able to complete one before I decided to get out of the way and let the Dream Center staff do their job.

David and Goliath

This David and Goliath scene is a block away from the Pasadena Central Library, one of my favorite hangouts. The colorful building is a barbecue shack set against the backdrop of a chain hotel. The BBQ joint was there long before the hotel, and I suspect it will be there when the hotel is converted into a shopping center before it is converted into condominiums.

I stood in the shade of a large tree across from the courthouse to do this painting. Whenever I paint in this area, I get looks from passing police and undercover officers, whose station is in this area. Only once did one stop. We had a very friendly conversation.

Ivy

The mom of one of my daughter's friends saw me painting, so she stopped to watch. There was very little small talk before she dropped a bomb; her husband died suddenly of a heart attack the previous month.

I tried to find words to comfort her until I realized that she just wanted to talk about it. So, I stopped painting and I listened.

When she went her way, I piddled with the painting for a while, but my heart was no longer in it. I look back on it now and understand that my purpose for being there was for her, not for my art.

Back Yard Blight

If you have never painted en plein air, you may be wondering, “Where do I begin?”

How about your own back yard? You may have a garden, a patio area or a child’s playground. If you live in an apartment building, I can imagine there is something right outside your door that would make an interesting painting; a shed, a bicycle rack, or a rusty fire hydrant near a bus stop.

Your scene doesn't have to be scenic to make an interesting painting. This painting is a perfect example. This is my neighbor's garage. I painted his roof as it is, complete with holes, missing shingles and exposed framing. This is the same neighbor who breeds dobermans, you know, the barking dog type. I had to finally do this painting to see it in a positive light.

What's in your back yard?

Foreign Objects

Grumbacher is one of America’s largest manufacturers of paint brushes. In the early 1990’s, the New Jersey based corporation had to recall more than 330,000 paint brushes. The brushes, which were imported from Korea and Sri Lanka,  had excessive levels of lead in the handles. This news comes from the U.S. Consumer product Safety Commission.

Artists often use materials that pose a potential health hazard. We should use every precaution to protect ourselves. Did your mother ever tell you not to put foreign objects in your mouth or buttons up your nose? Listen to your mother.

The sketch is of a set painter in Hollywood. His nickname was 'Hollywood'. Before he became a set painter, he was an actor. Some actors discovered that they could earn a better living behind the camera than in front of it.

The Kit

Kits can be as personal as the supplies that go in them. In my humble opinion, they can, in themselves, be works of art. There are few things that can compare with the look and feel of a paint kit in which every compartment fills a purpose; every tool has its place and every where you go, you know that you have the tools to effortlessly complete a painting on the spot. Therefore, your kit should be put together with much deliberate thought.

Try Talking

If an airplane landed in the middle of the freeway, people would likely stop to see it, right? Well, don’t you think it a bit out of the ordinary to see an artist on a street corner painting (unless you’re painting in Venice). Then why, my plein air artist friend, would you be dismayed that people stop to watch you paint and ask, “What’s going on here”?

Too many artists offer these suggestions on how to deal with curious onlookers who want to talk: ‘Wear headsets and pretend that you can’t hear’, ‘Discourage conversation by putting a tin cup in front of you as though you’re asking for donations,’ ‘Tell your visitor that you must have silence to concentrate.’

Well, how about this for a little advise. ‘Talk to the people.’ Is your artwork more important that the person who probably is happy to see you there painting? A few words of kindness from you might mean more to them than all your precious paintings.   

Bell Isle

I typically paint in bright colors. However, this was a gray overcast day in Detroit, MI. I road my bicycle to Bell Isle, a park on the Detroit River. Those brownish buildings in the upper right edge of this picture are the Omni Hotel, where I was staying while working on the movie, 8 Mile.

I usually work in watercolors when painting in the city. However, because there was a lot of moisture in the air and since this area was in a remote area, so I took my oil painting kit.

Kermie on Your Side

Could it be that the reason artists don't venture outside to paint is that they fear encounters with people?

No doubt, you will occasionally bump into people who do not appreciate your efforts to be creative in public, but the majority will be happy to see you in action. If you ever have a need for a little recognition, paint outdoors. There's usually a Kermie in the crowd who will tip his hat to you.

Painted on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood.

Total Recall

I did this quick little watercolor and ink sketch in a Borders Bookstore. When I looked at it this evening, I remembered it as though it just happened only a few hours ago. Then I looked at the date of the artwork. I did the painting in October of 2006. That was almost two years ago! Yet, the memory is as fresh as the coffee was that the man in the light blue shirt put on the table.

Painting from life has the ability to etch a scene so deeply in ones memory that it does not easily fade with time.

If you have ever had a challenge remembering things, try painting it on the canvas of your mind.

Echo Park

Even in the city, there is often an oasis that quietly demands to be painted. I have painted here several times. I used to pass Echo Park every day when I lived on the hill above it. I never thought to paint it until I moved out of the area. Funny how that works.

On another occasion, I was able to catch the fountain erupting in the middle of the lake. In still another painting, I focused on the paddle boats you see docked at the boathouse.

Don't think that you have to go to a new location every time you go out in order to find something interesting. Sometimes, all you have to do is face another direction.

Art On the Move

Yesterday, I talked about painting while waiting in line at an airport. I asked if anyone had completed a painting while walking. I have not tried that one yet, but I did find something close to it.

Several years ago while visiting Brazil, I took a bus tour into the beautiful countryside. Prior to leaving the paved road, I had worked on a small watercolor painting. We eventually ran out of pavement. The unpaved road we turned onto was the toss-you-out-of-your-seat bumpy, so I put away my paint kit.

Several miles into the mountains, we were met by a road grader. The road was too narrow for our bus and the road grader to pass. Instead of pulling over to the side, the driver turned his big machine around and began to smooth the road for us. It improved our ride a bit, but you still wouldn't attempt to drink a cup of hot chocolate on the ride without rain gear. I couldn't pass the opportunity to paint the scene, even though my watercolors and I bounced along like bobble-head dolls.

Look for opportunities to challenge yourself and your art.

Indoors Outdoors

If you are indoors standing below a skylight letting in the outdoors, does the painting you do qualify as a plein air work?

I was in LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) waiting to catch a flight. I was standing in a long line, so I did this small 6" x 9" painting.

If you have the proper kit, you can do a painting while standing, sitting, squatting or lying down. I haven't yet tried to do one while walking. If you do one, I'd like to see it.