An A for Aspen

A-Frame in the Fields 5x7 Oil on Paper $90

An Oregon view.  Wouldn't this make an awesome studio location?  My daughter and I could work in here for years, get the floors all covered in paint, play music constantly and dance.  I would name the studio after her because of the A-frame design.

Back to reality -

I don't think I'm going to make it till the end of the month with this painting challenge.  I realize I have just a few days left but my mind is going a bit nuts.  I got sick too.  Being sick is bad because I just lay around and think about all the things I could have painted in the day, but I don't get actually paint them.  I've got a few things I am itching to get back to and complete.  I've got a commission I need to focus more on. I've got a dog that is full of energy.  And I don't have enough time for them all.  Oh what to do?

I'm going to do what feels right.  

I learned a lot in this past month and I'm ready to take this new stuff to use in bigger, grander works. This is definitely a good decision.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see what's happening on a regular schedule.  I'll be posting here at the blog as often as I can, definitely more than last year.

I do have a special request from one of my followers.  Her name is Sheila.  Sheila has left messages on the majority of my posts here on the blog.  Sheila's profile is not available though, so I have no way of replying to all the kind words she has given me this last month.  Sheila, would you be willing to privately email me at ldreinhartstudio@yahoo.com ?  I would greatly like to ask you a question.

So, what's next?  I'm not sure.  It feels like a just lifted a weight off my shoulders though.  Let's keep in touch.

Life is good - always.

-Larry

Where'd the cows go? Abducted?

Valley With No Cows  5x7 oil on paper  $90

I named this the Valley With No Cows because there where actually cows there, I just chose not to paint them.   Nope, they weren't abducted for their T-Bones.

With this scene from Peeple's Valley, Arizona I wanted to paint a higher key paining - meaning everything is lighter in value, closer to the white side then the dark side.  Closer to the Rebellion than the Empire - for you Star Wars fans.  I also played around with the pinks and purples again but kept them soft and not so in your face.  And, I did this using a pallet knife.  Yep another pallet knife painting. Even though this painting is kind of simple, I am slowly getting more control of the pallet knife.  I'm happy to say I didn't have a single "oh crap" situation.  I think thats a first in using this tool.

I still want to paint more cows, I just thought they would turn out as little dark grey spots at this size, using the pallet knife as I did.

Here's a Reinhart folk tale, might be true or it might be a bit tall:  My dad, in his younger years, ran out one morning to tend to things on his parents homestead.  He did this in his bare feet so he could keep his shoes clean for school.  I think my mom was there, leaning on the fence, waiting for him. By the time he got done his feet had gotten so wet and cold that they went numb and he had trouble walking.  To make sure he didn't fall and get his school clothes dirty he thawed his feet by standing in a big pile of steamy cow poop.  And my mom still married him!

I've been known to do odd stuff too, but have yet to attempt this one.  Maybe one day, when I have my own cows, I'll have the necessity of this.

Have a good warm day!

-Larry

Beauty in all the mundane things we do.

Stator Bros Sunset  5x7 oil on paper  $90

I try to find the beauty in all the mundane things I do.  This helps keep the mundane things not so mundane.  I was at the grocery store the other day, Stator Brothers, and when I walked out I was greeted by this beautiful sunset.  Lucy, my new dog, gave me a yelp from the back of the truck and I felt so thankful for all I have.  Life can be so good.

My mom made a comment the other day that about my recent work not being so "perfect."  She's right, I have been exploring a looser painting style.  Working looser helps me explore a bit without the worries of goofing up a nice painting.  The things I am exploring are the block in of the painting, the colors, how the paint is applied, what scene I like best and some other things like painting with the Thalo Blue the other day.

I have noticed that it is the paintings that have more primary, saturated colors get the most remarks. Also the sunset types seem to be a favorite.  For me thats not so good.  I don't really like the iconic sunsets and I don't care for blaze oranges or overly saturated yellows or any other color.  What a dilemma.  What should I do?

Anyways, this painting is for all of you, and of course my mom.  I spent a bit more time on it and finished it a bit nicer, it's a sunset, and it has some bright colors.  Please don't get me wrong, I did enjoy this one.  But I'd rather not paint these allllll the time.  Is that bad?

Have a good day and keep an eye open during any mundane things you do, you can get some sweet surprises!

Blessings,

-Larry

Blue sky's

Old Yeller  5x7 oil on paper  $90

I think this is my first vertical format painting this month.

In this scene from Peeple's Valley, I used a Thalo Blue for the sky.  Unlike the purple from a couple of days ago, I never really got into using Thalo Blue.  I think I still have the original tube I bought back in art school.  I had fun with it and it made some really pretty grays on the ground but I sure did have a hard time photographing it.  It kept coming out REALY intense.  I also lost some of my gradations in the photo shoot.  Lots of digital adjustments to try and wiggle it back into reality.  I sacrificed a bit of the yellow to get the blue some-what right.

Other blues I use include: (listed in order of favoritism)
Cerulean
Ultramarine
Prussian
Cobalt
Indanthrene
Thalo

I know them all and they all serve a particular purpose.

Usually, when I paint, I'll choose one of these to be my primary blue (Cerulean) and then choose another to be a secondary (Ultramarine or Prussian).  When painting sky's with Cerulean Blue I'll mix in a bit of Yellow Ochre (a muddy yellow) and Alizarine Crimson (like a wine red).  This mixture creates a grey-ish purple blue that just works beautifully.  To lighten this mixture I'll use a Naples Yellow Light (a very light, washed out yellow) and Titanium White (pure white).  For foul weather I introduce a bit of Ivory Black (just black).  When painting, depending on the size of painting, I'll change the mix of paint a bit with every 3-6 brush strokes.  On large studio painting the sky usually gets two coats of color, allowing the paint to set up or nearly dry in between coats.  Doing this ensures the sky is not a flat blue which make the painting look dead.

Did you know a simple sky blue could be so difficult?

Good times.

-Larry

Moo, again

Steak 5x7 oil on paper $90

Peeple's Valley, Arizona.

Someday I want to raise my own beef.  It's a bucket list / life style thing.  I'd like to get two of them so they're not alone.  I would also like to get a horse so I can ride off in the evening and bring in the cows - that just sounds like fun.  When it would be time to make meat, I would keep one for myself and give the other to the church - except for the T-Bones, I'd keep those, maybe cook one for my mom.   Wishful thinking - huh?

But really, I have always wanted to paint cows.  I actually have painted a cow, one other time, but it had a crown on its head and the aliens were coming down to abduct it.  Check it out-

Moo    oil on panel

This painting is in someones private collection.  There are other cow lovers out there!

I got the idea for this painting after seeing a report about a community who was fearful for their livestock because they claimed aliens were abducting them.  I remember thinking - Well of course, they want a T-Bone for dinner and a glass of milk with their Oreo's for desert.  Right?  Wouldn't that be great if that is what brought us all together?  I think we would need more cows though.

I think I'll paint more of them.  I'll have to dwell on this a bit.

Have a good Saturday.

-Larry

Purple Majesty

Purple Majesty  5x7 oil on paper $90

Hello Purple.  I haven't painted with purple in a long time.  In fact, I haven't painted with Dioxazine Purple in years.  I used to use this color a lot in my illustration days.  It can be a bear to control but it sure is pretty.

This is another local scene, from Oak Glen, California.  I need to get out more.

Below is a camera shot I took of the scene that inspired me.  I cropped it to make it as similar to the painting as possible.  What attracted me was the reddish purple plant growing near the trees.  I don't know the name but its a native brush that grows around here.  Up close it can be a beautiful rust color.

I just almost posted this without adding the reference picture.  Whoops.

Cheers,

Larry

Play'in in the rain today.

Fence Line 5x7 Oil on Paper $90

What drew me to this scene was the fence.  It's a modest and simple fence.  I know it marks someones property but when viewed at this angle it seems to be a barrier to block one from the great mountains.  Or maybe it is a barrier to block the great mountains and it inhabitants from us.  In such a wide open space why does there need to be barriers?  Just a thought.

Fence Line is a scene from Oak Glen California.  It is probably the quickest painting I have completed this month.  It only took me a half hour.  I was play'in with brush work, colors and speed. It worked, I'm happy with it.

I should point out that the half hour to paint starts at the first brush mark of sky color to the last color of the foreground.  The half an hour doesn't include prepping and toning the paper for oils, nor does it include the photographing, archiving and blog posting portion.  On average I would guess I am spending 2.5 - 3 hours on each image taking everything into account.  In the pricing I am thinking of my time, materials and shipping.  Shipping is included anywhere in the US if you choose to purchase one.  

Have I mentioned these are painted on a 8x10 inch paper, image size is 5x7.  This means you can pick out a frame of your choice and easily have it hanging on your wall the same day you get it in the mail.  On further thought, in a way, a frame is a barrier to contain the painting - How ironic.

It's supposed to rain all day here.  I think I'll go play in the rain.

Take care,

-Larry

A Dark Morning

Yucaipa Ridge Warming Up  5x7 Oil on Paper  $90

A start of a new day happens best with a new painting!

Enjoy,

-Larry

Stripes in Pale Green

Stripes in Pale Green  5x7 Oil on Paper 2017

I failed to post yesterday.  Bummer.

I try to keep at least a day ahead so I can write this blog the night before and have it scheduled to post the following morning.  Doing it this way sends out the Facebook notification same day - I don't know why but if I post in the middle of the day the Facebook notification doesn't go out until the following day.

This last weekend I spent a lot of time getting Lucy's pen all set up.  Lucy is my new dog, I just said goodbye to my last dog in November.  There is a HUGE difference between a one year old or younger dog and one who was over 14 years old.  So I'm going through a new learning curve with Lucy.  I have forgotten how fun and how irritating a new dog can be.  I went through a couple change of clothes Saturday do to muddy paw prints.  She got into my daughters Sculpty clay and chewed it all up like it was puppy bubble gum.  I walked into the studio Saturday and she was standing on top of my work table - next to a wet oil painting pallet - barking out the window at some birds.

In addition to getting the pen Lucy proof (so I can transition her out of the studio) I attended an artist gathering at a local gallery (http://thethresholdartgallery.com/ ) and I had other artists visit my studio on Sunday.  I have been staying up too late and getting up too early.

Sunday night came around and I thought- I could stay up late and get my painting done, photograph it, do post production, then write a post - but I was too tired so I watched a movie and went to bed.  I know - horrible artist person - bad, bad, bad.  The funny thing is, when I was photographing the painting for today I was checking my drying space and there I saw a funny thing.  A new unused painting.  I had moved it to the drying space instead of the photography space because of the studio visit.  Then I proceeded to just forget about it.  I had to double check the blog to verify it wasn't used.

Long story - short, I could have posted yesterday.  I could have also posted two painting today.  But in my reality, I'm gong to save it for tomorrow so I can be a day ahead.

Have a good day,

-Larry

Room to View

On Line 5x7 Oil on Paper $90

An Oregon View.  This one I painted with a pallet knife - no brushes.  Trust me, it's harder than it looks.

In other news, I been talk'in about a new addition to my studio.  Well....

Lucy Reinhart

She's a good girl.  I'm very blessed she has joined the family.

Lucy Reinhart has a good sniffer

Larry

Hometown Silhouette

Ave A Sunset  5x7 Oil on Paper  $90

Yesterday, I painted the glowing clouds along Bryant Street.  Today, I paint the silhouette of a palm as I look down Ave A.

I live in a nice place.

Ya'll have a good weekend.

-Larry

Hometown Beauty

Bryant Street Sunset  5x7 Oil on Paper  $90

Sometimes you don't need to go far to find beauty.  Sometimes it's right out your front door.  There's actually many things I find beautiful in my hometown of Yucaipa, California.  I should paint more of these things but I tend to get caught up in the places I have traveled or have lived in the past.  I wonder why that is?

The sun was setting on these bits of clouds the other day and I knew I had to paint them.

I was going to show you all something new in my studio today but I got so behind schedule because of it I don't have any picture to show.  I'll need to make sure and get some for tomorrow.

-Larry

Burst of warmth on a cold day.

Burst of Warmth  5x7  Oil on Paper  $90

As promised here is another painting of Peeple's Valley near Prescott Arizona.  I got the tail end of the fall season here.  If you compare this painting to the one in my last blog you'll see what a difference just a couples of days can make.  I've got almost the same fence though.

In my paintings I am trying to capture how I feel about a place or what I remember it to be like.  This can be hard because in memory a person may tend to think very broadly about a given place as apposed to just a certain spot.  For example, take the trees in painting above.  These trees really exist and the mountains exists behind them but the way I paint them may not be picture perfect true.  In thinking of the colors I am thinking of all the colors I see, all over the place.  I want the painting to feel like Peeple's Valley, not just be a rendition of it.  To do this it's best to visit the place a few times or for a few days.  It's best to get out and explore it, smell it, feel the dirt, etc.  It's hard to explain so you may just have to trust me on this one.

The good thing is my perception of Peeple's Valley will be different from another artist's.  I could have chosen the white ranch fencing, or put cows or horses in the scene.   I could have chosen many things that are iconic to this town.  As long as it exists then nothing is right or wrong. How or what I choose to paint is unique to me though.  I know,  blah, blah, blah...  I'l stop now now before your eyes glaze over and you fall asleep.  But it is a good thought to keep while you look at mine or any others artists work.  It never hurts to engage them and ask "why" too.  You'll never know what sort of story is behind a painting until you ask.

Tomorrow I hope to share something new to the studio.  I'm sooooo excited!!  Stay tuned.


Larry

Peeple's Valley

Peeple's Valley  5x7  Oil on Paper  $90

Peeple's Valley is a small town just  outside of Prescott Arizona.  It is full of cattle and horse ranches. This place is always a treat to drive through because there is so much beauty to be seen in the land.

My latest trip through Peeple's Valley was just after Thanksgiving 2016.  Yep, just a couple of months ago.  I had dreamy thoughts of stopping a few times along the journey to paint en plein air.  It didn't work out so much this last trip though.  It was cold this day and after such a dry summer this place looked kind of sad, being all brown and desolate looking.  The horses and cows must have been tucked away down in the ravines to keep out of the wind.  I drove around the dirt roads a bit and took mental notes on places to paint next time.  I did stop and paint this scene.  It's not my best piece but I do think I captured the desolated feel of the place though.

Tomorrows painting will be of Peeple's Valley too.  But it is based on my homeward journey.  It land felt completely different just a couples days latter.  It's a studio painting but... Just wait till you see it!

I don't know if you noticed, but I didn't post yesterday.  And.. I don't know if you noticed but I indicated above that I painted this picture en plein air (outside, on sight), which would have taken place last November.  Yea, I got a bit side tracked the past few days.  I have been painting, but nothing got completed.  I worked on a couple of Abstract paintings, a drawing and a partial color comp for a commissioned piece of art, and I applied color to a personal painting of a world war 2 airplane.  I had some business items to take care of because my state sales tax is due this month and such.  I also chopped fire wood and had a barbecue and fire to celebrate.  All worth a couple of days, right?  I've got to keep my sanity in check some way.

Take care,

Larry

Beauties Path

Beauties Path  5x7  Oil on Paper  $90

January 8th

Just over the hill is something so wonderful, so great, so, so, beautiful...

You need to see it to believe it.

I have spied laughing kids, laughing grandmas, good friends, blooming flowers, plum berries, vast lands, stormy skies, wonderful sunsets, soaring birds, soggy wetlands, and tall trees.

But the best part...  this path leads back home.

Hope you all have a beautiful Monday.

Larry

A romantic beach Sunset

Beach Sunset 5x7 oil on paper $90

I wish I was on the beach watching the sunset.

I spent the day trimming trees, chopping trees, cutting firewood, stacking fire wood, and pulling weeds.  Holy cow, I'm warn out!  I had to wait a bit to paint because my forearms were so sore my hand wash trembling.

Yea, the beach sounds really nice right now.  Maybe stop by the LA Art show.  Have a nice dinner.....

I need to go to bead now.  Hopefully I can get up in the morning and still walk.

FYI, this was written late Saturday night for Sunday's blog.  I try and keep a day ahead.

Take care,

Larry

Trials, tribulations and the dark mountain.

Dark Mountain 5x7 Oil on Paper $90

Welcome to the Dark Mountain on this 7th day of January.... When I saw this scene I was visiting my son, who's name is Seven by the way, and I remember thinking - what made this mountain so dark?  It not only looked dark but it felt dark too.  I was reliving this all as I was painting it.  After I had painted it but before I had written this blog entry I heard an interesting story.

Kind of off track but what the hey.  Not sure who said what so I can't do quotes but the story kind of went as this----

There was a lady who was in despair.  She sits next to a preacher on a plane and they begin to talk during their flight. Their talking eventually leads them to tell each other the sad, wrong, trying things that have happened to each other in their lives.  Both stories are crazy tragic.  The preacher was happy but the lady was so sad.  In the end, the lady asks the preacher- What makes bad things happen to good people?  

I think we have all felt this way before or at least known someone who felt like this, right?

Here is the preachers response - No body is perfect, we are all in fact sinners.  So what you must ask is -why do good things happen to bad people?

Oooohhhhhh.  Kind of makes you think, huh?  Yes, I am far from perfect.  I know it can be hard but don't dwell on the bad stuff, seek the good in all.

This story kind of moved me a bit.  It was also much more detailed when I heard it but I am a slow typer so I need to share the brief version.

So now back to the art...       This painting is about a scene I saw near Prescott Arizona.  I was drawn to the dark mountain and the few trees that grew there.  I wondered if they felt lonely and this thought made me sad.  But then, I saw the sun rising behind it and my sadness lifted.  I asked earlier what made this mountain so dark?   Wrong question.  I should've asked - What made everything else so bright?

Seek the light my friends.

-Larry

January 6th

Dry Heat  5x7  Oil on Paper  $90

A new day, a new painting.

There are places in southern California where the trees usually don't turn brown because it's autumn, they turn brown because it's 115 degrees in summer.  There's a reason why we are called sunny California, even in winter.  With this title comes the long, dry, hot summers.  Palm Springs, Joshua Tree, the high desert, these are the places I am thinking of.

They are nice places to visit once in a while but I prefer rural farmlands, mountains or even the occasional ocean beach.  The latter two are popular with many.  Sometimes too popular.  This painting I wanted to express the heat in these lands.  When I showed my wife the painting she said it looks dry. - Bingo!

One of the struggles of being an artist is finding storage for all your works.  Yes it's always nice to sell the paintings, but even the crazy accomplished artists have "things" they are working on that do not go out for sale.  Last year when I decided to try painting smaller I soon realized how quickly these little guys can add up.  I was using small stretched canvases, cradled wood panels or just plain sheets of wood.  These add up quickly in cost at the initial purchase and also in physical cubic inches when storage is concerned.  Last year I painted 77 paintings - thats actually right on target with someone who does this full time.  But, I had to find a way to keep producing the art but also get the profit margin higher, reduce storage needs, keep quality high and also give me the peace of mind and freedom to play.  That's why I'm painting on paper.  I'll explain more in my future blogs.

Take care,

Larry

January 5th

Retreating Mist 5x7  Oil on Paper  $90

This is almost the weather we are having in Southern California this past week.  It's been absolutely beautiful!!!

This painting is actually a scene from middle Oregon, to be exact, just north of Dallas Oregon.  Dallas is a small town outside of Salem that I love to visit.  I especially love the people there.  Dallas is surrounded by farmlands and farmlands are my favorite landscapes, by far.  I enjoy them because they are open areas with obscure access roads that tend to lead to small hills with an outcrop of trees or blackberries.  There is stuff growing and signs of life but they are scarcely populated.  The crops that are grown make for fun color patterns that are always changing.  There seems to be deer everywhere in the mornings and evenings, I'm sure the farmers don't get such a kick out of them as I do.  The tractors are cool too, I just haven't painted any yet. On my next road trip I'm going to start looking more closely at the barns, tractors, and other large things that are used on this type of land.  I don't know if anything will come of it but there is interest.

Did you notice I used even less of the paint daubing thing on this painting.  This is a good direction for me.  On larger paintings I tend to scrub my paint in.  It's harder to do on such a small scale as these but by changing to a softer brush I am getting less of the paint to lift off.  Hard to explain - just one of those little things to work the kinks out of.

Here's some pictures of work in progress:

In the final painting I changed the clouds, lightened back mountain to left and signed it of course.

Have a good Thursday!

Larry

January 4th

Prescott Family of Three  5x7 oil on paper  $90

Hello Wednesday.

This is a small view from Prescott Arizona.  I was just there a couple days after Thanksgiving.  I was kind of disappointed because everything was so brown.  This is my fault though, my senses are so out of whack from living in Southern California.  I still found the beauty and had a wonderful visit with my boy.

For this painting I wanted to get away from the paint daubing I started doing on the first couple of paintings.  I attempted the same thing with the second Basking in the s
Sun painting but the brush work still got out of hand.  Since I'm doing a painting a day I'm painting them Alla Prima - or wet into wet.  I'm also using oils so there is not much chance of correcting unless I want to scrape the paint off and start again.  With larger works I leave the painting setup over night and them "fix" things the next day.  Not so with these little guys.  They are what they are.

I think I nailed what I was after in this painting.  What do you think?  Give me a score from 1-10, 10 being the best painting, 1 being the worst.

Thanks,

Larry

January 3rd

Basking in the Sun 2      5x7  oil on Paper  $90

3rd painting for the year!!

Painting small has some advantages.  One of the advantages is there is so much less surface area to cover on these little guys so it takes a lot less time to complete one.  Knowing this helps me be more willing to paint an image over again (also makes it easier to toss the ones I don't like).  This is what I have done here, again, remember January 1st's painting was a redo too.  For this second go around I wanted to play with color and it's application.  I didn't quite get what I wanted so I might even do it third time.  We'll see.

If we don't try things and practice  new things then we will never learn new things, right?

Which version do you like best?

Happy Tuesday - Larry

January 2nd

Basking in the Sun    5x7  Oil on Paper  $90

Second painting is here.

As I mentioned in my last blog, last year I did this same challenge but my goal was different than this years.  Last year I wanted to concentrate on small works and the dynamics of creating them.  My goal this time around is to REALLY dive in and get to know landscape painting.  So yes, this is what I plan on painting everyday this month.

All the paintings will be places I have visited and enjoyed.  I'm working off of my photographs and or memory of these places.  In some instances I may do Plein-Air paintings.  I want to capture the feeling I had while visiting and the beauty as I remember it.

Todays painting is from Oak Glen, California.  I was set up here one morning painting on site and took some extra pictures to bring back to the studio.  I don't know how many times I have driven by this tree but it's just one of those places I really enjoy.  I hope you do too.

Take Care,

Larry

January 1st 2017

Morning Commute 2  5x7 oil on paper  $90

A new year with new goals.  Here I go again.

Last year I kicked off the year by painting 30 paintings in 30 days.  I blogged about all of the paintings last January so you can easily scroll below and find them.  I painted them on 6x6 inch wood panels.  My goal for last years' paintings was to find inspiration for smaller paintings.  I painted landscapes, abstracts, some portraits, and a couple of surreal pieces.

Some of you have seen my work in person and you know how large I have painted in the past.  Here's a link to my "Obsessions" as well just incase you want to see more  http://www.larryreinhart.com/my-obsessions .  A 3 foot by 4 foot painting was kind of my starting point and I usually went larger.  The problem with the large paintings is the countless hours it takes to produce them, the cost of the supplies and then trying to find a home for them.  Not everyone has room for a 3 foot x 4 foot or larger painting in their homes and then there is the cost of such a painting.  If I factor in five dollars an hour I still need to sell the large paintings for at least a thousand dollars.  For an artist starting off on a new path of their art career, this is hard.  I just cant raise a family and purchase new supplies on  five dollars an hour.  Sad but true.

Painting small is problematic, at least in my eyes.  The things I paint at  3 foot by 4 foot I just can't be painted in the same style at only 6 inches.  On the larger paintings I moved my body when applying paint.  I'm also scrubbing, wiping and scraping the paint.  I can also get a lot more color variations and textures in a one foot area but I can't do the same in a one inch area.  It's a whole new world at this scale.  So, within last year's goal, I wanted to teach myself to paint - small.

It worked!  I now have a grasp on it.  Not only a grasp but a love for it.

So please follow along with me as I push myself further into this new, smaller art world.

The painting above might look familiar to you.  I actually painted the same scene a couple of months ago. But I wasn't happy with it so I painted it again.  I'm happier now.  Here's the older version:

Morning Commute 5x7 oil on paper  $90

Which version do you like better?  

You can find this scene on the way down from Oak Glen heading towards Yucaipa in southern  California.

If you enjoy what I do and wish to support me you can always contact me to purchase a painting or even make a donation.  All of the paintings will all be for sale.  The best part is they are not thousands of dollars - yet.

Take care,

Larry