Disney Animation Studio

These are the old animation buildings at Disney Studios. I painted this in ink and watercolor from one of the park benches during my lunch time.

About a week later, I returned to the same spot with my iPhone loaded with painting software and did the same scene. Since I had to draw and paint with my finger, I was only able to complete the sketch while on the lot. I finished the painting at home. You can find the iPhone version, which shows an animation of the creation process here.

Back Alley Boys

I did this painting, again during my lunch time, with the sound of a 'Back Street Boys' (remember them?) playing in the background. They were in an alley behind me shooting a music video. I was working on a film in a nearby building in the east end of downtown Los Angeles.

This painting is part of my 'Hollywood Backlots' series, which began in 1977. I'm looking for a home for the paintings where the hundreds of paintings and drawings in the series will not be broken up and will be available to the public. Possibly a museum. If you know of anyone interested, please let me know. We'll work something out.

Rusty

I've said it before and I'll probably say it a thousand or more times; your job may have some of the richest environments for painting material. Sometimes it may be the people you work with, or the building you work in or on.

This is a back lot set at Paramount Studios. I don't remember what show I was working on when I did this lunchtime painting, but I was so taken by the rusty building that I had to paint it. Even though the actual building looks like rusting metal, it is simply set painting techniques applied over wood to resemble metal.

Paramount iP

When I purchased my iPhone, one of the first things I looked for was an app with which I could create artwork. I found a nice little program called 'NetSketch', written by a young college student by the name of Ben Gotow.

This painting is part of my 'Hollywood Backlots' series. The series began in 1977 when I started doing pencil sketches of interesting things I saw as I moved around the stages, backlots and locations in the movie industry. The pencil sketches changed to pen & ink, then to ink and watercolors. Paramount iP is my first series painting created on an iPhone using my index finger as an input device/paintbrush.

You can see an animation of the actual creation of the artwork by visiting NetSketch. More 'Hollywood Backlots' paintings can be seen by clicking on 'Gallery' at keni.com.

The sketch was done on the lot during my lunch time. The painting was completed at my home.

Thanks to Ben and the Apple folks for a unique painting experience.

I'd like to get your thoughts on this new art medium.

BBQ King

This is one of the best bar-b-que joints in Los Angeles. I found this place when I was working on the film, 'Catch Me If You Can'. It was being filmed nearby at the Twin Towers Jail. The jail was fairly new at the time and did not yet have any prisoners in it.

A father and his young son watched me as I did this painting. The dad asked if I taught art classes. At the time, I was still doing my plein air workshops, so I gave him information about it. They never made it to the workshop, but I'm hoping that today his wide-eyed son is somewhere outdoors painting.

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.

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.

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.