It's about the art

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Friday, August 08, 2008

This blog has a new home

Please visit me at my new home:

http://shanksart.com/blog

Hot off the Easel

\"Sonoma Pasture\"
"Sonoma Pasture", oil on canvas, 20x40"

A couple of weeks ago I was out painting, and just as I had to leave, the fog started to break up. I didn't have time to do another painting, so I took some quick reference photos. This studio painting is the result, and I'm really happy with it. I don't usually try to paint cows when I'm out and about as they tend to move around too much, so I enjoyed doing little cow portraits in this one.

And if you're in the Bay Area, the Riverfront Art Gallery in Petaluma is having an opening for the new show this Saturday, August 9 starting at 5pm. Rumor has it there will be live music, and the featured artists put up a great show. I have a couple new pieces hanging, including some that I just got back from my gallery in Tennessee. Hope to see you there!

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Mouth of the Russian River

\"Mouth of the Russian River\"
"Mouth of the Russian River", 8x10, oil on panel, $320

Another painting from our adventure on the coast two weeks ago.

Monday, August 04, 2008

Three C

\"Three C\"
"Three C" oil on panel, 5x7, $75

This victorian house sits on the edge of the Petaluma turning basin. I painted it the other morning before heading for my shift at the Riverfront art gallery. It's used as offices for a variety of professionals, and three C is the address.

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Walk With Me

\"Walk with Me\"
"Walk With Me", oil on panel, 11x14, $425

It was the shadows across the path that really made me take off my pack and set up to paint this one. It's at Rush Creek open space reserve, near Novato.

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Pepper Road Oaks

\"Pepper Road Oaks\"
"Pepper Road Oaks", oil on panel, 8x10, $320

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Boat House

\"Boat House\"
"Boat House", oil on panel, 8x10, $320

Another painting from our trip to Tomales Bay. When I started this painting I was in full sun, and by the end the fog had moved in and changed the light completely.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Study in Blue

\"Study in Blue\"
"Study in Blue", oil on panel, 5x7, $75

Last weekend we took a day to do a long and scenic drive out to Marshall, where I ate BBQ oysters and Cheri had chowder. I stopped to do several paintings along the way, and this one is my hands down favorite. Sometimes a painting just comes together seemingly without any intervention on my part, and this painting was like that. Mixing colors to evoke the subtle differences in blues can be challenging, but I felt I hit the different blues right from the start, and so the painting stayed fresh all the way through.