The Carrot

The Carrot            36x48    Oil on Canvas        Sold

               

      I am fascinated by all types of animals, wild and tame. Every one of them is a creation assembled with extreme care and genius. I can see in their eyes that they all have a history or story to tell and I often think about what they would say if speech between us was possible.  I find it fascinating that different species of animals can outnumber us and yet they do not try to control us.  I am amazed how some of these animals could tear us limb by limb and yet attacks by these wild beasts are rare.  In Genesis 9:2 God tells us that He has put the fear and terror of us in all beasts and explains to us that He has placed them into our care. In general, this is why most animals, big or small, run from us when we call out to them.  So why then do we kill them, leave their meat to rot and take only the trophy?  Why do we push them out of their homes and into strange lands?  Why are we so eager to conquer these animals?  In my own strange way I find these intentions similar to someone dangling a carrot in front of a grizzly's face.  Doing something like this ignoring the grizzly's personal space, showing them we do not care for them.  Do we really expect the grizzly to run from us? What do you think you would see if you looked into his eyes at this moment?  If we are so rebellious that we do not do what is asked of us, care for these animals, then should we really expect the animals to fear us?  

     This painting is a result from my fascination with animals and is actually a self portrait of me and my family.  I do not intentionally harm the animals nor do I badger them, but I do adventure out into their homes and lands.  I sketch them and photograph them while they are out doing their private family things together.  I often wonder if this is morally wrong and if it upsets the animals.  I pray I never get that question answered when I'm out sketching a bear or a moose.  I dont bring carrots with me, but if I ever did they can have em!

Does anyone recognize the statue in the painting?  Let me know who you think it is and why I chose to depict it.  The painting got it's name from the central figure in front of the bear.  This depicts me as I dangle a carrot from a fishing pole in front of the bear.  The bear is so big because when you come across them, alone, in their land this is how big they feel to me.  In most of my big paintings I place a number 7.  This paintings number is on the base of the statue.  And one last note, be careful around the animals.  Try picking a fight with a raccoon and see who wins.  Raccoons are small and bears, cats, things with horns are a lot bigger.  Buy a zoom lens, it's cheaper!

I'm an artist, a hiker, a search and rescue professional, and a lover of animals.    

-Larry

Day 31, Remember These?

30 Paintings in 30 Days      All 6x6 Oil on Panels

So my big question to myself is, What did I get out of the last thirty days of painting?

Well besides selling five of them, hating four of them, loving six of them and learning something useful from 21 of them...

1) Landscapes have long mystified me and bored me. I have a better understanding of them now and may actually enjoy them.  It has certainly made me more aware of my surroundings.

2) I got some practice painting with lighter backgrounds.  I practiced "blocking in," and I think I am beginning to see shapes and values better.  -Nerdy art stuff.

3) I can now paint small, quickly, and confidently.  I know what brushes to use, I know what color to bring.  Kind of liberating.

4) I tried a few colors that I haven't tried in years.  I have a better understanding what I like and don't like now.  I brought a new color into my pallet - black.  I was mixing my darks before with Ultra Blue and Raw Umber, or similar variations.  I like black better.

5) I built a field easel a few years ago but have only used it a few times.  I used it for about 25 or so paintings this month.  Definitely feel more comfortable with it now.  I can't wait to take it camping or on other excursions.

6) For the last 20 paintings, I used three brushes.  Half inch flat, quarter inch flat, and a pointed one.  The larger flat on a six inch painting is like using a three inch brush on my larger paintings.  That's a big brush.  I can't wait to try it.

7) I definitely got some practice posting blogs, sharing on Facebook, and photographing art.  I'll have to keep this practice up.

8) I tried painting with a pallet knife.  This is new to me. I'll need to keep trying to incorporate this tool into my paintings.  I am just beginning to see the pros of it.

9) I have wanted to get back to figure painting but have been a bit nervous about it.  The few I did has helped me overcome the nervousness.

That's a fair trade for a weeks worth of time invested (40-ish hours).   I definitely have some new ideas to work on and I am excited to continue.  I think this exercise has a similar post feeling  as driving from California to New York and back again.  After you complete a drive like that, a couple hours drive to the beach is nothing.

Hope everyone has enjoyed this months worth of work.  To make sure you don't miss out on future blogs, you should enter your email address up top - to the right.  Then you don't need to worry about missing a Facebook post.

Take care,

Larry

Day 30, The End

Mill Creek Buddies  6x6  Oil on Panel

The goal I set for the first of this year was to paint 30 paintings in 30 days.     I made it.

Now what? ...

I think I'll have a celebratory beer, take a half hour break, then get back to painting.

Have a good night!

Completed January 30th

Larry

Day 29, The Artist's Muse

The Artist's Muse  6x6  Oil on Panel

She is my wife,
She is the mother of my children,
She is my best friend,
She is my sister (Sit Down! Not the Redneck type but rather my sister in Christ - just need to make sure y'all got that crystal clear. - I mean it.)
She is my muse,
She is my life.

I swear to God this girl could be picking her nose and I would still want to paint her.

Completed January 29th

Larry

Day 28, Thinking About You

Thinking About You  6x6  Oil on Panel

Day 28.  In my last few paintings, I have been exploring other colors a bit and the end results have not been so good in my eyes.  I like my earth tones and muted pallet of colors.  I really don't like bright greens, purples, pinks, and yellows.  All day today I have been thinking about how I need to pull myself out of this self imposed slump I was feeling.  My conclusion, it would be this painting that I would get back to my normal pallet and I would reconnect with my art again.

Ahhhh!  It feels good to be back.

I know to some this painting may look unfinished.  I was in fact planning to put her in a white shirt. But upon further speculation though, I think it looks wonderful as is.  Knowing when to stop is a huge battle.

Have a wonderful night.

Completed January 28th.

Larry

Day 27 Building Blocks of Life

Building Blocks 6x6 Oil on Panel

I had a required fine art class in College and in this class we were to paint a self portrait.  This was no ordinary self portrait though.  This had to be a portrait of our lives, a glimpse into our souls, something truly special, an expression of our inner beings.  Yep, not my favorite class.  To make it worse, we, meaning the students, graded one another right then and there.  And let me tell you, I was not the most popular kid in this class of Twinkies.

Today's painting is kind of like what I painted for this "self Portrait."  When I presented it I really poured out my soul to the class. You have to understand, the oral presentation or the paper write up is the true art here, not the works that are produced.  Anyways, I explained how I played with Lego's my entire life and how I built my way through happiness and sadness.  I explained how I was like the bricks in how they are simple but can make complex things.  I explained how in my life things don't always go as planned and we often get the opposite effect of what we where trying for (hence the purple and yellow bricks - opposites on the color wheel.)  An on and on I went for 10 minutes.

When I was done, the class judged and I was given an A minus.  This was crazy good because all my prior grades for this class were D's and F's.  But this time I nailed it.  The teacher praised me for finally letting out my soul and exposing myself.  I smiled and thanked them all then I told them the news.  This was a performance art.  The painting of the bricks is just a painting and means nothing to me.  I made up the story and performed my dance to just tug at your heart strings.  I explained that my self portrait was standing right in front of them.  If they wanted to know me on such a personal level all they need to do is say HI.  The class was absolutely pissed.  The teacher decided that since I changed my presentation that the class should re vote.  I got an F.

Looking back on this I laugh.  But I also wonder if I could have possibly got anything out of this class if I was not such a closed minded ass.  Probably not.  This is the same class that I had to sit for an hour and meditate for a grade - I feel asleep and got a D.

At the end of the semester, I went to the Dean and discussed my lousy grade.  We brought in the teacher and I quoted her as saying that art was to move people, to touch them deep down and really bring out thoughts or ideas that would change them.  And these feeling could be good or bad, fun or scary.  Then I proceeded to point out that I did exactly that on every assignment.  I had the majority of the class infuriated with me and my ideas.  I had the class arguing about different aesthetics and directions.  I explained how my  actions in the class exposed how like minded and intertwined the rest of the students were and how I was one who stood out and demanded every ones attention, criticism and praise.  Everyone else's art did not move the class in any way as much as mine did.

I got an A.

Stand up for what you believe!  I graduated with Honors of Distinction.

Completed January 27th.

Larry

Day 26. Old Days

Old Days  6x6 Oil on Panel

I remember the old days when I didn't have to paint a picture everyday.  I remember the old days when my paintings weren't small and square.  Ahhh, the good ol' days.

Day 26, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

It's hard to paint a finished painting in a day.  Many of these little guys would be even better if I went back and touched them up the next day.  But, that was part of my goal.  I paint these in a day then they are done.  I'm okay with that.

I'm going to show you all the best part of being an artist.  Look below.

Yep, this is my reference shot for this painting.  I took it while driving about 60 MPH.  Doesn't look much like the painting huh?  This is one of the hardest things for an artist to understand.  Don't be a slave to what you are painting.  What I shoot with a camera is only for reference.  If  I wanted my painting to look just like this image, I would have kept the photo.  Make the painting your own. Does this make sense?

Completed January 26th.

Larry

Day25 Rough Waters

Rough Waters  6x6 Oil on Panel

You never know whats beneath you or why things happen.  You just have to trust that you will be lifted up.

Completed January 25th.

Larry

Needed to Play

The painting Shirt  8x12 Mixed Media on Wood Panel

Trying to complete a painting everyday for thirty days is nice but it can also be a bummer.  Today I needed to break the bummer feeling and just play a little.  This painting started off as an acrylic abstract.  Then I dropped in the silhouette of the lady by painting in the background with Ivory white.  It looked too "cut out" so I took the electric sanding disc to it.  This made it look better and was also really therapeutic.  I completed it with just adding enough paint to hint at a little bit of sexiness.

Completed January 24th

Larry

Day 24, Painted with a Knife

Oregon View  6x6 oil on Panel

This is not a new concept to the world but it is a new challenge to myself, I created this painting with only a pallet knife.  I also did not start with any sketch, I just started laying in the color.  I think it would have been easier if the painting was on a bigger piece of wood.

Completed January 24th.

Larry

Day23, Mom's Friend

Mom's Friend  6x6 Oil on Panel

Sometimes a painting just pops out and I wonder "where did that come from?"  Others sit half completed and wait for the final inspiration.  This painting started as an abstract and I knew it was missing something special but I didn't know what.  Then, when speaking to my mom on the phone, it became clear.  My mom t told me about her dear friend.  This painting is of a very rare Hummingbird breed known as Betty's Hummingbird.  At least I think it is, as I am no bird specialist.  In fact this could all be a figment of my imagination.  After all, I have had a long day.

Here's a close up.  These are always fun to see.

Have a wonderful day.

Completed January 23rd.

Larry

Day 22, Prayers Answered

Prayers Answered  6x6 Oil on Panel

I'm sure we all wish, hope, pray, in some way, for a happy ending in all that we do.  In a search and rescue operation I would imagine the people who are lost and hurt do the most aggressive hoping and praying out of everyone involved.  It's hard to say though, because there are also family members and friends of the person who is lost or hurt who want their loved one back, the rescuers who want to make it up there, find this person in need and get back safely, the family members of the SAR teams who want their loved ones to return home at the end of the night and there are the bystanders who, after witnessing such a thing, probably hope and pray to never be in the same predicament.  This creates a great mental strain on all involved.

The lady I have painted here was in tears after we went in, found her, treated her, and brought her safely back out.  She was so thankful to be able to see her family again.  Before the lady was put into the ambulance my wife noticed her crying and knelt down to see what was wrong.  The lady was so distraught that she wanted to pray for all involved and give thanks but didn't think she could do or say the right things given her present state. My wife encouraged her to try her best and that she would be right by her side so they could pray together.  This was a true celebration to an end of a hard day.

Completed (Painting) January 22nd.

Larry