new media??

I have been experimenting with a new way to draw/paint. The artwork is created through a touch sensitive screen on a computer with photoshop.

The three crocks in a corner window are a current work in process. The sketch was created on location. There are no photo references.

I started drawing using 3 tones:

• dark brown (shadows)
• sepia (midtones)
• light yellow (highlights)

Then I drew the aqua color with a semi-opaque brush, allowing the light/dark contrast of the underpainting come through.

I have been using the rub tool to smear the brush strokes.

It's a challenge whenever an artist starts a new medium, and this one is no different. I am somewhat familiar with photoshop as a photo editing program. However, I am interested in using it in a similar way to how an artist would use traditional media.

Right now, I want to learn to:

• create custom brushes that respond to a surface texture
• create brushes that respond to the color they are applied to (similar to Painter's smeary brushes)
• apply textures that look natural

This is new material, so comments/suggestions are greatly apprecaited

Wintery Mix

The weatherman said that we would have a wintry mix of precipitation today. I braved the elements to drive to the store and get some cough syrup.

I wasn't the only one braving the storm. My neighbor dog "bucksley" was stomping around in the snow. It's been a very mild winter so far, and a little snow was nice to look at.

It's gotten that bad. I'm using my blog to talk about the weather! I'll write something about art next post. Meanwhile, If you'd like to talk about your weather, or anything else...please leave a comment!

ken

Happy New Year!!! (er...kinda late salutations)

OK, maybe regular posting on my blog should have been my goal for 2007.
2006 was my busiest and most productive year EVER. You can scan the archives of this blog and get a small idea of what's been happening.

During the turning of the year, I helped my friend at his restaurant, "The Beehive Tavern".
I'm not superstitious. However, there is a certain symbolism to "what you do during the turning of the new year is what you will do most the next year". I enjoy helping at the restaurant on weekends. In fact, the extra money probably helps me keep the lights turned on! But, I did not want to wait tables during the turning of the new year.

At 11:55, I was still busy popping corks, and filling customer's champagne glasses. Then I ran outside, took off my apron, and stood in front of Augusta's ferry docked at the riverside. It was unseasonably warm, and the streetlights provided plenty of light for me to make a small sketch of the boat.

I was very happy outside while I heard the crowd count down in the tavern. For that important moment in time, I was being an artist. I finished my sketch, put my apron back on, and returned to the job of a waiter for the rest of the evening.

I know it's a little late, but how was your new year? Do you have any creative resolutions or goals? Leave a post and share your plans!

Webcam?

Here is an experiment with my webcam.
The above image is a "live" image of my studio. When turned on, a new image will upload to the server in one minute intervals.

Now, you have an opportunity to take a peek at my studio.
You should be able to see different projects while they are being executed. This will also help keep me motivated about keeping my workspace tidy.

Where have you been!?

Sorry folks,
I've been bad at keeping my blog updated lately. It's not from a lack of anything interesting going on.
Full time college took up a LOT more time than I thought it would.
I have learned that it is impossible to do EVERYTHING well, my art career took a temporary hiatus while I adjususted to college life. My chemistry class was particularly time consuming, since it is not a subject that I have a natural talent for.

Finals are over Thursday!
And I will have a month between classes to get back to speed with my projects. Next semester, I am taking a lighter load. All classes are online, and relate to computers. I hope to merge my studies with my studio work, and develop a relationship between computers and my artwork.

DSL is finally in my neighborhood!
With broadband, I will to do a better job of keeping my different projects up to date. I am redesigning my main website. I will also post regularly to my Flickr and DeviantArt accounts. I am setting up a webcam, so you can see what's happening in my studio (I have to clean this mess first!)

Please come back!
If you haven't been to this blog for a while, please come back soon. I promise, I'll have new posts for you to read!

By the way
I'm heating with wood, and if anyone has a tree they need cut down and haul away, I will do it Free Of Charge! I have DSL now, but indoor plumbing is too modern for me!

Hyde Park Art Show

October 1st 2006

Hyde Park Square Art Show
It was a perfect show in Hyde Park Square for their annual art show. The weather was pleasant, the crowd was friendly, and my artwork was well received. Thank you for the support of my good friends, old and new.

Photos by Judith Foster

Fresh Art 2006

For the last 3 years, I have participated in Fresh Art. A fundraising activity for the Behringer Crawford Museum in Covington, KY. It's a great event where artists create a work of art in Devou park, where the musuem is located. At the end of the day, the artworks are exhibited in the musuem. The event concludes with dinner and an auction of the art for the musuem.
I decided to try something different this year. Rather than paint in the traditional "plein air" tradition, I followed the footsteps of Chagall and Matisse, and let my imagination help paint the painting. While looking at Cincinnati's skyline, I painted "porkopolis". I am glad that I tried something different. The painting won an honorable mention in the exhibit, and it auctioned for $300.
I will have prints of this painting available soon.