Dan Simoneau Art

2013-06-26T15:45:00.000-07:00

The New "Old" Series - Freeport, ME Acrylics on Canvas

24x24 in

16x20 in

20x16 in

16x12 in

12x16 in

I began painting the working boats at the Harraseeket docks in Freeport, ME back in the early 80s. At the time, the paintings were acrylic on paper or watercolor on paper. I've decided to revisit the series, this time completing the paintings as acrylic on canvas. All of the paintings are gallery-wrap canvases painted black on the edges for a more contemporary look. I decided to paint more of the series because the marina today is not the marina depicted in these images. Back in the late 90s or early 00s, the harbor was dredged and the working boats I have painted for years were driven out by the pleasure boats (yachts, sailboats and large motor boats/cabin cruisers). My guess is that, as the pleasure boats started filling the harbor and the docks, they didn't like the smell from the fishing boats and sought to drive them away. When you visit the docks now you see very few remaining fishing boats. I've noticed it gets harder and harder to find places with working fishing fleets in Maine now. It's very sad to me.

The series is intended to be completed at around 16 canvases ranging from 12x16 inches to 30x40 inches. A dozen of the images will be selected for the calendar I'll be producing to coincide with the exhibition of the paintings.

Marco

2012-10-28T13:10:00.001-07:00

Here is my newest watercolor. The painting is made from many layers of transparent watercolor placed one above the other. The majority of the washes are small in size and targeted to specific areas. The key colors in the painting are sepia, permanent red, venetian brown and yellow ochre. There is also Payne's Grey and Alizarin Crimson in areas. The goal was to achieve a result that is photographic. In some areas, paint was stippled in areas in order to replicate the pores. In order to get dimensionality in the eyebrows and beard, masking fluid was applied after the light base was applied and dried. Once dried, I painted the brows with mid and dark tones implying hair. Once that dried, the masking fluid was removed and the entire brow and beard was painted with washes of mid to light tones to give dimensionality to the highlights. Individual hairs were painted using Sepia, Venetian Brown and Yellow Ochre in order to give added realism to the eyebrows, eyelashes and the beard. The painting is approximately 12 x 20 inches.

Lumos

2012-05-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

I was recently driving to Chicago on an airport shuttle and saw the reflection of wet pavement with headlights, taillights and turn signals creating a blend of red, yellow, white and black through a thin band between two sun shades. I loved what I saw and decided to paint a series based on what I saw. The first five paintings in the new Lumos series are presented here. The white painting, Lumos 5 (the grey border is not part of the painting), is inspired by a glimpse of a beach with a crashing wave and was commissioned by a collector in Florida. Abstract work is difficult for me but I think the fact that this is abstract for the viewer but realistic to me based upon what I saw makes painting these easier. Enjoy...

Blue

2012-01-15T12:39:00.000-08:00

"Blue", a 24 x 48 inch acrylic on canvas, was inspired by a photo shoot I did with a model for a photo essay book I self-published on blurb.com titled "The Letter." The shoot dealt with my model, Scott, receiving a "Dear John" letter when he gets home from the office and the subsequent downward spiral he gets into during and after reading the letter. The book ends with Scott sleeping in bed with the crumpled letter, a glass, and an almost empty bottle of whiskey on the nightstand. Several images in the shoot stood out to me as having an emotional impact on their own. "Blue" is one of these images. The pose suggests resignation and the intentional absence of the head in the painting lets the viewer feel the scene simply by observing body position. The painting title has a double meaning in that, while the painting represents Scott's emotional struggles, the color of his briefs also align with the title.
A challenge I set for myself in this painting was to paint the entire image without the use of black paint. The majority of the darks in this painting were achieved with a mixture of alizarin crimson and hookers green. Other complementary colors were also used in other areas for the darks.

This painting was recently exhibited in the Anderson Arts Center's (Kenosha, WI) Annual Winter Juried Competition

How Do I Go On?

2011-10-14T16:06:00.000-07:00

This image is a digital photograph that was manipulated in Photoshop. The source of the image was a photo shoot I did for my book titled "The Letter" available on blurb.com. This image spoke to me because it says so much about what is happening with the subject in a very simple way. The image also reminds me of the paintings of the romantic period.

Afternoon Glow - Kenosha Theater

2011-07-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

Here is my newest painting titled "Afternoon Glow - Kenosha Theater". Two years ago, I was granted the privilege of having the entire Kenosha Theater at my disposal for me and my model. The Kenosha Theater is a grand old movie house that has fallen on hard times. It was shut down many years ago and left to fall apart. A great man with a great vision has purchased the building and is seeking the funds to bring the theater back to its former glory. You can learn about the theater at www.kenoshatheatre.org. I spent several hours with the model exploring every nook and cranny of the space that was safe and got many incredible photos to work from with one of my favorite models. As you may know from earlier posts, my paintings have to do with light and how light affects what one sees and how one sees something. When we got back to the lobby of the theater, the sun was low in the sky and the front door windows were blazing with brightness due to the intensity of the sun and the dirty windows. I placed the model between the doors in order to get the reflected light to define the model. This image fascinated me because the lighting and, the depth and the complexity of forms was intriguing. This painting is 30 x 30 inches on a gallery wrapped canvas and is painted in acrylic. This painting will be on exhibit in the ISAP (International Society of Acrylic Painters) Special Invitational Exhibition for Signature Members at the Paso Robles Art Association's Showroom Gallery, 1130 Pine ST, Paso Robles, CA from Sept 15 through Oct 9, 2011.

ISAP update

2011-06-10T08:16:00.001-07:00

My painting titled "Looking to the Future" has been accepted into the 14th Annual International Society of Acrylic Painters exhibition in Santa Cruz, CA. and another of my paintings (still in progress) will be on its way to the International Society of Acrylic Painters Signature Member Exhibition in Paso Robles, CA.

New Book Published!

2011-05-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

I have just published a new photo book called "The Letter" on blurb.com. Unlike many photo books, this book tells a story with text interspersed among the images. The book takes you through one night with Scott beginning with his return home carrying a letter he has received...

The Letter by Dan Simoneau | Make Your Own Book

Spring Shadows - Times Square

2011-03-06T13:53:00.001-08:00

C'est fini! Finally wrapped up this painting. It is titled "Spring Shadows - Times Square." Since the last post, I re-painted the main color of the background, carefully painting around the people and the shadows, because I didn't like how the upper half looked. I added two manhole covers to break up the monotony of the pavement (they were in the original photo but I've been debating whether to include them.) I re-drew and re-painted the shadow of the bike rack since the original was off to the shadows of the people. Finally, I wrapped up the people. Comments and criticisms always appreciated.

The painting continues

2011-02-20T17:35:00.000-08:00

I apologize for not updating the blog sooner. Progress on the paintings continues. Above are images showing the progress of the paintings. In the shadows painting, you can see that I adjusted the tones on the ground to make the circles lighter than the surrounding concrete. I then began adding more texture to the lower pavement and painting in the details of the lower right figures. In the latest update, I began work on the people in the upper portion of the painting and I completed the pavement and curb in the upper right section. The shadows were painted in Dioxazine Purple undertones with purple-black overtones. Though there is a lot of "black" in the painting, none are true blacks. All are mixtures of colors to make a "black" tone. In the other painting, I have worked more on the pavement in order to give a better sense of light and shadow, I completed the pavement and crosswalks in the street and I have begun adding color to the painting. The first painting should be completed next week. I'll post another update next weekend. Enjoy! Comments are appreciated!

New works in progress

2011-01-16T16:21:00.000-08:00

I am preparing for a show this coming June and thought I'd do something a little different on the blog and show you how I produce my work. Over the next several months, I'll be posting images of my works in progress and explaining what has been done.

The images I'm producing for the show deal with crowds and light. The first two paintings are from Times Square in NYC and are acrylic on canvas 24 x 36.

My first step is to draw out the image onto the canvas. The next step, the step you see in these images, is the blocking in of the main background colors. These colors blockings set the tone for the work.

In my next posting, I'll be adjusting the tones in the background colors and "dirtying up" the pavement in the paintings with the goal of having the backgrounds complete. One area to watch are the circles on the pavement. While the color I mixed looked correct initially, it has dried darker than I'd like. The circles should be lighter in tone than the pavement. I'll be adjusting them in the next post.

See you soon...

New series and calendars

2010-11-27T09:45:00.000-08:00

I have a new exhibition coming in June, 2011. I am debating between two themes. One continues my exploration of people and would be a series of paintings with the subject being groups of people. An example is the image shown with this post of a group in Times Square I photographed a few years ago. The other takes me on a new path, exploring completing paintings which look like my current work but which are restricted to only three colors (Hansa Yellow Medium, Cobalt Blue and Quinacridone Crimson) alone with Titanium White and possibly Bone Black. What do you think?

Also, I am having 2011 calendars printed. This year's calendar showcases my photography. Each month features a photo. The subject matter is varied with street scenes like the one shown in this blog, portrait work, florals, nature, still life, etc. If interested in purchasing a calendar, contact me at dan@dsimoneau.com. The calendars are $25.00 each, including shipping.

New work in progress

2010-10-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

Just started a new piece for the 6x6 gallery in NYC. The 6x6 project is ending in December and I want to get one more piece exhibited before the project ends. The piece is tentatively titled "Shades." This is the image the painting is based on. I have a new model to shoot soon who looks quite different than my previous models so hopefully I'll have some new and different subject matter. The model is a muscular, ripped dark skinned African American with tattoos across his chest and down both arms. The tattoos are beautiful. Look for new images coming soon.

New photo shoot and show updates

2010-08-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

I recently had a new photo shoot with one of my models. A new painting has been sketched out based on this photo. I wanted to capture the light, the figure, the water and the reflections. My model was very patient as I had him submerge and surface over and over until I had the image just as I liked it. The painting will be 30 x 40 inches when completed. Our next photo shoot will be in a week or two and we're shooting in an alley that runs east/west in the late afternoon to capture the long shadows as he walks in the alleyway and the light coming through the clothing. I'm very excited.

My painting titled Acuity is in California for the 13th Annual International Society of Acrylic Painters Exhibition at the Santa Cruz Art League in Santa Cruz, CA. The opening is August 7. Also, two of my figurative pieces, Looking to the Future and Medium Rare, will be on exhibit at the Old Courthouse Figurative League's Real People 2010 Exhibition in Woodstock, IL. The opening reception is on August 28 from 7 to 9:30pm. My painting, Bocce on the Beach, was awarded a People's Choice Award in the Kenosha Racine Artists Network Inaugural Exhibition currently on display in several venues in Kenosha, WI. My painting, Waiting, received the Founder's Award in the infinityartgallery.com online Summer Expo 2010.

Photography Exhibition

2010-06-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

New directions...
While I am still painting a lot (two figure/portrait pieces in the works currently), I recently came to the realization that the photos I take to use as "sketches" for my paintings can stand on their own as artwork. With this realization, I have joined a local photography group online and I have begun looking for photography exhibition opportunities. The Anderson Arts Center, a wonderful old mansion along the lake here in Kenosha, WI, recently had a call for entries for a show titled "An exhibition of Visual Images: A Juried Photography Show." The exhibition runs from June 27 through August 8 in the Art Center's main, east and upper galleries. To prepare for the show, I purchased a wide-format Epson inkjet printer that allows me to print images up to 13 x 19 inches using 6 inks (archival). I went through my folders of digital images, looking for images that had impact, strong composition, and good contrast between shadow and light. I narrowed the selection to 5 images and printed them all to 13 x 19. I then cut my mats and prepared my frames. Finally, I placed each image in the mats one at a tiime, placed the frame over the mats, and stepped back to review the results. I also called Len, my partner, down to the studio for his comments and suggestions. When done, we settled on a piece I shot in San Francisco two years ago and another I shot in Racine, WI 3 years ago. The version of the San Francisco image I chose is called "Winding Down" and is displayed with this post. The other image of a favorite model of mine in a Racine alley is called "Forlorn". Forlorn is a small 8 x 10 image. I finished framing the pieces the day they were due to be submitted and rushed to get them out to the car. I had 30 minutes to get them to the Center. Well, as I was loading the car I noticed a long hair from the cleaning brush on the white mat of the large piece. I rushed back to the studio with it, disassembled it, cleaned it again, and reassembled it. I then rushed back upstairs, loaded the car and drove off. I got to the Center 2 minutes before deadline!!! I submitted the pieces and left. The Center called two days later to let me know that "Winding Down" was accepted into the exhibition and that they wanted "Forlorn" for display in the gift gallery. My first juried photography competition and I was accepted. I am so excited and invigorated!

4 of Hearts

2010-04-23T20:43:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked to create a painting that will be printed as part of a deck of art cards. The deck will be printed by Southport Press in Kenosha, WI (www.facebook.com/pages/southport-press/263517705241). Each artist will paint a card in the deck. To start, each artist was allowed to randomly select a card from the deck or allowed to choose a specific card from the deck for a premium fee. I chose the 4 of hearts randomly. Initially, I worked on creating a card design based on my figurative work incorporating the 4 of hearts somehow into the artwork. I was getting nowhere. I went to NYC over Easter weekend and we spent the day in Chelsea on Saturday gallery hopping. I was taking photos of people and scenery for future paintings at the time. When I returned home and uploaded my images onto my computer I saw a photo of an auto parts store with it's phone number on the building's signage. I decided at that time to do a watercolor painting of the image and to do a play on words for the card. In the photo the number followed the name. In the painting I placed the number in front of the name with only the 4 showing. I also decided to change "PARTS" to HART'S" to finalize the word play. The painting is watercolor on illustration board and is 5 x 7 inches. The painting was fun to do and I look forward to seeing the completed deck. Enjoy... Dan

6 x 6 Gallery Exhibition - NYC

2010-02-15T19:32:00.000-08:00

I have submitted a new painting to 6 x 6 Gallery in New York City. All works at this gallery must be 6 x 6 inches square. The gallery has a submission kit with a canvas, guidelines, postcards, and the shipping materials to send the piece back to the gallery. My painting will be on exhibit in March. The painting will be in the physical gallery for 1 month and online on the gallery's website for 2 or 3 months. The painting is called "If." This is another painting of a favorite model of mine, Evy, from San Francisco. The painting was a personal challenge. I gave myself 1 hour to complete the painting. I'm pleased with the result. The image is similar to my painting titled "At the End of the Day" but this one focuses on the face only and the expression is more intense. The painting is an acrylic on canvas.

The gallery can be seen at http://www.store.6x6gallery.com/ and my work can be viewed at http://www.dsimoneau.com/.

Split Personality

2009-12-06T20:56:00.000-08:00

I have created another painted instrument for the Kenosha Orchestra Boosters. This year, we have been asked to paint violas. I decided I wanted to paint the instrument in the same theme as last year's cello. When I received the viola, I let it sit out for a week and I kept looking at it, waiting for it to "speak to me." I also researched music looking for contemporary viola music... no luck. Everything I found sounded like chamber music, not quite like the Apocalyptica music I found last year. Finally, this weekend, I began by painting the entire viola black. I then decided to stripe the cello so I taped out the areas to stay black. I left even gradually increasing spacing starting with 1/8, then 1/4, 1/2, 1, 1 1/4, 1 1/2, 1 3/4 and finally 2 inch spaces. I then painted the untaped areas with white gesso. Finally, in keeping with last year's theme, I drew a face on the viola and painted it in shades of Naples Yellow, Cadmium Red Light and Raw Sienna. The eye is Ultramarine Blue and Black mixed with the Raw Sienna was used for the eyebrow and the dark areas. I wanted to keep the entire painting very loose so I painted mostly with a size 12 bristle. The image I used was a photo I took of a model through a shower wall with water droplets on the glass. The white circles in the painting are the drops. The back of the viola was left black and the sides were painted with Cadmium Red Light mixed with Interference Gold, giving the side the look of metallic copper.

The viola will be on display at Lemon Street Gallery at 4601 Sheridan RD in Kenosha until the auction date in mid February.

You can view my artwork at www.dsimoneau.com

Competition Update

2009-12-01T21:53:00.000-08:00

My watercolor, EVY, was accepted into Watercolor Wisconsin at the Wustum Museum of Art in Racine, WI. The exhibition opens December 13 and runs through April 4.

My paintings "Medium Rare" and "Bocce on the Beach" were both accepted into the Anderson Arts Center's Winter Juried Exhibition in Kenosha, WI. "Bocce on the Beach" was awarded first place in the competition. I am so honored. The paintings which won second and third place were exceptional. The exhibition is open now and runs through January 3.

I chose not to enter the Wisconsin Museum of Art Members' Exhibition after all. Also, I was informed I could not enter my painting "Looking to the Future" in the exhibition at the Reuss Federal Building in Milwaukee, WI because it was determined that the painting was too sexual for a Federal building. I have to see the humor in this and be pleased with the fact that one of MY paintings caused controversy.

Competitions

2009-10-10T22:03:00.000-07:00

Submitted work to two competitions today and two more coming soon.

I submitted EVY, the subject of a previous post, to Watercolor Wisconsin at the Racine Art Museum's Wustum Museum in Racine, WI. I also entered BOCCE ON THE BEACH and MEDIUM RARE, two more previous posts, to the Anderson Art Center's Annual Winter Juried Exhibition in Kenosha, WI. I have two more competitions I'll be entering soon... I will be submitting an acrylic named RAFFY - SAN FRANCISCO to the Museum of Wisconsin Art's annual member exhibition and I'll be submitting LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, a previous post, and WALTER2 (Squared) to the Wisconsin Visual Artists' exhibition to be held in the Reuss Federal Building in downtown Milwaukee, WI.

Evy - Watercolor

2009-10-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

Evy is my newest watercolor. The image is 12 x 16 inches. The painting is double matted in neutral tones to a final size of 18 x 24. The frame is a espresso colored wood frame which goes well with the tones in the painting. This painting is the result of a challenge I gave myself. As can be seen in my other posts, my paintings tend to be quite realistic and can take a while to paint. I challenged myself to complete the painting from blank paper to signature in two hours. I'm happy to say I succeeded with the challenge. I wanted a loose watercolor that still had bold color, strong light/dark contrast and which was still realistic and captured the character and the look of the model. I feel I achieved all of the goals. This is my first watercolor after a hiatus where I have been painting acrylic on canvas for quite a while. I'm happy with the painting. I particularly like the play with lost and found edges. The right side of the face and the white of the background are the same. There is no shading and no line to distinguish the two yet the mind makes you see the distinction.

This painting is being submitted into the Watercolor Wisconsin competition next weekend. If accepted, the painting will be on display at the Wustum Museum in Racine, WI through mid-August, 2010.

Enjoy. As always, comments are always appreciated.

Looking To The Future

2009-09-02T21:03:00.000-07:00

Walter, the subject of this painting, is an AMAZING model. He understands his body and, being a dancer, understands movement. I love working with models who need very little direction. With Walter, I only needed to explain my concepts and a general impression of the feeling I wanted conveyed and he took it from there.

The title of this piece is appropriate not only because of the image but because, a week after the photo shoot, Walter left Wisconsin and moved to Arizona to start a new life. This painting symbolizes the start of that journey and, as a result, is quite special to me. My life has taken many unexpected turns over the years due mainly to my impulsive and adventurous nature and I can honestly say that every decision took me so far along my path and made me such a better person I regret no decisions along the way. Live every day as if it's your last.

This painting is a large (30 x 40 inch) acrylic on canvas. I intentionally wanted the painting to be as photographic as possible, capturing the day and the moment as accurately as possible. In the painting you can actually see the sunlight hitting Walter's beard stubble! This painting has been in several gallery exhibitions and has been well received. I enjoyed creating the painting because I rather recently fell back in love with doing figurative work and Walter has an incredibly toned body that captures sunlight and shadow beautifully. The painting also gave me a chance to revisit two challenges, drapery and the many variations to the "color" white. The white shirt has so much color in it when seen up close. I hope you enjoy the painting. Comments, as usual, are always appreciated. Thanks for visiting my art blog.

Bocce on the Beach

2009-06-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

"Bocce on the Beach" is one of my recent acrylic on canvas paintings. It is currently in my group exhibition at Lemon Street Gallery in Kenosha, WI (http://www.lemonstreetgallery.org/). The painting is of a scene I saw last summer on Long Sands Beach in York, ME. I compose with my camera typically and I loved this off balance composition with the lone figure on the left and the group on the right. I love the feeling of the late afternoon sunlight as well. This painting, while realistic and photographic-appearing from a distance, is actually quite loosely painted with very little blending of colors. The technique is a departure for me but I am really pleased with the result. The painting is 24 x 48 inches.

As usual, comments are greatly appreciated.

PEOPLE Exhibition

2009-05-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

My newest exhibition opened at Lemon Street Gallery in Kenosha, WI this past Wednesday (5/27) (http://www.lemonstreetgallery.org/) My paintings are on display with silver gelatin prints by Kevin Lyons and sculpture by DeeDee Dumont. Our work compliments nicely. The show looks great. The opening for the show is on Saturday, June 13 from 6 to 9 PM. My portion of the show is comprised of 7 new paintings done for the show and 1 older painting that fits the theme of my portion of the show. All of the new paintings are acrylic on canvas. Three are 24 x 48, 1 is 30 x 40, 2 are 12 x 24 and 1 is 10 x 20. The older piece is a 22 x 30 watercolor framed to 28 x 36. The new paintings are a collection of figuratuve scenes of people on the beach in York, ME and clothed figure studies of two models from San Francisco. The painting you see here is titled "Daddy's Girl". It's 24 x 48 inches.

"Half Baked" or "Medium Rare"

2009-03-05T16:44:00.000-08:00

This is my newest painting. It is the newest in a series titled "Beaches". Last summer, I rented a beautiful home on the coast of Southern Maine. While there, I drove to York Beach to shoot photos for paintings. The series is based on those photos. Currently, there are six painting planned for the series. This is the first completed. There are currently three more in various stages of production. All are acrylic on canvas. The paintings are either 30 x 40 inches or 24 x 48 inches. This one is 24 x 48 inches. The painting are for a group show coming up in June at Lemon Street Gallery in Kenosha, WI. (http://www.lemonstreetgallery.org/
The painting is of a group of tourists sunning themselves. There are three people in the painting though you really only notice two. The man on the right is blocking the view of his wife, lying on the chair behind him. You can see the tie to her bikini top above his chest. The other person is his daughter. While still realistic, I moved away from painting photographically as I have in the past. While the image may still appear photographic I painted with little blending and more blocks of color. I also decided to leave the beach very simple as a graded tone with only simple strokes indicating clumps of sand on the beach. I love the color in this painting and the sense of light. The subject of the blog has two possible titles for the painting. Which do you prefer? Please leave your suggestion in the comments.

Enjoy and I hope you like the painting.

Dan