Satchmo at the Cotton Club

Well, It's hard for me to admit, but I think I have over 30 paintings that are either sitting half finished or made mistakes on that I keep telling myself I will finish, well, I'm making a promise to myself, by putting them on my blog in order to help me FINISH them. So for this week I will show you this one, in hopes it will be a catalyst to get it DONE!! I started this about 4 months ago, and just never finished it.. It is the famous wonderful Jazz artist, Louie Armstrong. I need to finish some face work, shading on his white shirt and kerchief, and then the doors of the club. So here is my attempt to PUSH me forward.. Any comments or suggestions on title appreciated..

Red, White, And Blue

I have a beautiful set of blue and white dishes Ibought from ebay to do some still life paintings from, however, realizing there is a ton of detail on them, it would have taken me forever had I incorporated each little circle so I just suggested some detail here and there on this, as the size is only 2.5" x 3.5" ACEO. Nonetheless here is a quick Strawberry study.

Stargazer Lily

And Here is the completed painting..

Well, I figured it was time I do a large painting, I've been painting in ACEO size for so long, I figured I needed to get out my larger brushes and get to practicing before I forget how. So I started this macro of one of my beautiful stargazer lillies I bought myself awhile back, these lilies were the largest lilly's I had ever seen I kid you not, they were about 8x8 once fully opened. HUGE.. I'm almost finished with it, and hopefully won't ruin to terribly before I'm done. I also did a video of it, but not sure if I'll post it on youtube or not. but here it is. The size is: 14x17

Please Mommy?

Well, here you have it, my son Logan and his always so perfect pose of saying "Please, Mommy?"I Which is a shame cuzz he has a beautiful smile, but he always seems to give it the old fake smile, and with a great big whine in his voice. It's a wonder why he gets whatever he wants. Well, almost. This is a quickie I did today it's a 4"x6"

Mona Lisa In Blue

I belong to a group of watercolor artists on ebay WnW (Watercolors Wet N Wild) where each month we pay tribute to one of the master painters, and create our own rendition of a selected painter each month. This month was Leonardo Da Vinci. I did a set of three aceos, which depict Mona Lisa's eyes, mouth and folded hands, however, I painted what I thought Mona would look like if she had blue eyes, and wore a blue gown. This was great fun. Here are the three paintings.

Dinky Dau

For those of you who do not know the "term" Dinky Dau, it is a term that was used by the Vietnamese that means "Gone crazy".

Well, here is my opportunity to Pay It Forward. I painted this portrait of a Vietnam veteran who has become "less fortunate" than others, which you see on a day to day basis on many street corners or some even homeless. I used to think of these "beggars" as something of a nuisance, until I learned of some of the horrific stories of Vietnam and the grudging pain it had brought onto so many. It is true indeed that there are many "beggars" who do not warrant my pennies, however, there are many that do, and that have faught for my American Freedom, so because of this, I'm auctioning off this ACEO (Art Card Edition Original) Original watercolor on Ebay and will donate all proceeds to the Vietnam Veterans Association.

Hope this painting will move you, to contribute to my auction on eBay!

You can find the auction here: cache:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=004&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=140137308755&rd=1&rd=1

I found this photo of the sweetest little girl on a free photo site, and had to try and paint her, grant it, it's not the best start, but am finding it so fun with all the light playing on her hair and skin. Here's a start

Heres another, still needing to fix her lips but, all in all she's been so much fun to paint!

Okay, I think I'm done fiddling with this little cutie pie. It's into the bin for another round of "learned another mistake" LOL

A Painters Tools

I decided to do a painting for the upcoming EBSQ Show entitled Tools, This style is not typical of my work and much looser than I normally get, but had fun doing it just the same. The paints are new for me, I recieved my Holbein Opera, and can't believe how beautifully vibrant it is, I had to use it. and my metal cup from "Old Navy" which my girlfriend gave to me to store all my brushes I JUST LOVE, have had it for years now, and of course my painters tape above.

Here is a video of it being completed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMYopPEbpOY

Jazz Harpist Lori Andrews New CD

Well?? It's here!! Lori Andrews and Bart Somalis's New CD. This CD takes on a life of it's own! With Lori and Barts wonderful composition of Jazz, fusion, and Rythym and Blues all on one CD. Listen to the sounds of a City At Night, with a fusion of color, Jazz, and Sahmba, or a City asleep at night with beautiful relaxing notes. I LOVE the variety it has to offer, and am thrilled that Lori asked me to do the artwork for it. This artwork is a bit different from my style, as I tend to be a more realistic painter, but felt it needed a surrealisticness to it, as Lori's ability to take the normal melancholy harp to a new and heightened realhm of excitement, I wanted to portray that same feeling that she eludes in the harp.

You will find bits and pieces of Lori's wonderful masterpieces of composition on my newly updated website, thanks to the highly talented Web Designer, Steve Andrews @ Digitally Tailored by Steve.com. Please take a moment to visit Lori's Andrews the "other" Lori Andrews's website to purchase your bit of heaven for your ears and listen for yourself how Lori turns the harp into her own Persona. http://www.jazharprecords.com/

Lori Andrews is a gifted and energetic performer who takes the harp beyond tradition and into the elements of jazz, fusion and R&B. Having 7 CDs to her credit, she has performed for Presidents Clinton and Ford, and the King and Queen of Spain, and has entertained a list of celebrities including Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Oprah Winfrey (50th birthday) and Clint Eastwood. Winner of the Jazziz Readers poll as best harpist, Lori's band has been featured at various jazz festivals including Playboy, Long Beach, Newport Beach, Sacramento and Idyllwild. Backing entertainers such as Richard Dreyfuss, Helen Hunt, Ashley Judd, Anne Heche, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Garner and Charlize Theron, The Lori Andrews JazHarp Quartet is the house band every year at the Academy Awards Technical Achievement Division which is the evening that the first Oscar Award is given, playing award recipients on and off the stage. Lori's TV and movie appearances include: Beaches, In the Line of Fire, The Tonight Show, Mambo Kings, Drew Carey, Ally McBeal and MAD TV. "Lori has a unique style that captures the appeal of any audience. Hearing is believing!" -Scott Yanow, editor All Music Guide to Jazz.

In collaboration and friendship from having found one another as Lori Andrews, I was asked to paint the artworkd for her new and upcoming CD. Artwork and specifics to be uploaded here when it's complete. So stay tuned.

Here is her Fabulous website: Please take a look

www.jazharprecords.com -

Ranier Cherris on my mirror

Well, Summer fruit is here, and man I've been like a little girl at the candy store, I just raided the grocery store with strawberries, cherries, plums, oranges, apples, grapes, etc. And living in California, I think we get a lot of good crop locally. I tried the Ranier cherries from Washington yesterday and have to say I think I've found my new favorite fruit. Here is a still life I set up of them, and then my painting ACEO of it below. Am I making your mouth water yet?? Sure wish they'd take out that darned seed though. :)

Swan Lake

I wanted to enter the local Noah's Art Show 2007 benefiting the Animals of the Escondido Humane Society, and here is a start of which I hope to finish by the deadline.
Step Three:

Step Two:




Step One:

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Sunlit Radishes on a plate

Well, I have to say this painting didn't quite turn out like I'd hoped, as my colors chosen for the radishes look rather more like turnips or beets. But here is the painting as it is now, I still need to do some more finishing touches like the whites of the dew and reflections on the radishes, etc. but here is where I am at this point.

And here is the video of it being created.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDWEu0M5zLA

Blue Sky Tea Work In Progress

This teapot, fabric, lace and cup are a few of the things I LOVE. They say paint what you love and you'll love what you paint.

Below are just a few of the many steps it took me to create this painting, There is quite a bit of detail in it, shown here:

Sunday Morning Pick

Well I picked some white daisies from our back yard and set them on my counter, I really liked the composition and how the shadows played on my counter so I decided to paint them.

Here are a few steps.