kclarkart

Back on Blogspot again

2014-12-06T14:26:00.001-08:00

It has been close to two years since I last posted and much has happened since that time. I will not recount all but it has been an exciting time. Where to start? Perhaps will a photo of my most recent painting. It is in oil and hopefully reflects a new way of exploring the possibilities of the medium. I have also created a website which is in its infancy. Your comments and feedback would be greatly appreciated. It is kclarkart.com

Church Interior - Civita Castellana, Italy

12-6-2014

Young Reader

2012-01-28T09:15:00.000-08:00

Pastel 8 x 10

This is done from a photo I took of my grandchild, Kate. It reminds me of those times of being lost in a book where the world disappears and when you could be on your tummy for hours. I had fun doing this and it was a challenge.

Pick Up

2012-01-19T14:59:00.000-08:00

9 x 11

Pastel

I wonder if a cowboy owned this pickup. This old timer seems to have had a lot of use maybe dragging a horse trailer or bringing hay to the strays in the, well where would the strays be, out there somewhere. There are many stories to be told and sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.

My Baby Wrote Me A Letter

2012-01-11T10:17:00.000-08:00

I like to tell stories and while this cowboy might have been reading his electric bill when this photo was snapped by my friend Barbara, I thought it more interesting to have it be about romance. That's why the title is "My Baby Wrote Me A Letter"

A New Year and New Intentions

2012-01-02T09:39:00.000-08:00

Some folks have mentioned that they have missed my blog. Who would have thought? So here is a collection of some of my most recent work. I have been having lots of fun focusing on French subjects in preparation for a show in February in Yarmouth, Maine. There are lots of different shapes and sizes. Hopefully, I will not be so lazy in my attempts to communicate to the larger world. Happy New Year.

Back in The Saddle

2011-05-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

8 x 10 Pastel

"A Couple"

I think it has been more than a year since I have dusted off my pastels. The above is my first attempt and was it a blast. The joy of "painting" again with my box of gaily colored sticks of eye candy.

The black and white still life below is called "Sur La Table" and it is a piece I did in my Visual Studies class. This was a treat to do as well. Print making is a huge new area to explore. You can see I am having fun being back in the studio. Hopefully, you will see some results of my being outside!!!

Spring is here.

2 x 2

linoleum block print

2011-04-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

Here is an example of what I have been doing in drawing class. There have been many other pieces but I did not want to scare anyone with my self portraits. Nudes are not appropriate for this blog either. All that said, I continue to have a great time exploring the use of line. Oh, when you get just one stroke "right" so that it reads, it is pure pleasure. I am hooked!!!

Possessed

2011-02-20T12:37:00.000-08:00

I can see why some can become possessed by attempting to create a three dimensional object on a two dimensional surface. It is a challenge and it is a great way to hone your "seeing" skills. Here are two attempts: "Crumpled Paper and Crumpled Napkin" on top. I think the paper reads well; the napkin has a softer quality to it which is appropriate. The pillows are copied from Durer, a task put to us by the drawing instructor. They look like they are itching for a fight.

What I am learning is to remember to look, look, look at the object. We take so much for granted. I am having a great time being a student!!!

2011-02-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

I always thought using a grid was cheating. In drawing class this week we saw their value. They are fun especially if you work on them upside down; you are surprised by the outcome. Below are two. "Johnny" was done for the most part in class and "Kate and Alex" I did at home. Neither are perfect but I do see that their are possibilities in using this technique.

"Kate and Alex" from a photo of the two drawing.

"Johnny" misses his pirate friends.

2011-01-31T09:38:00.000-08:00

Here are two "Negative Space" compositions. These were fun to do, although I did get confused from time-to-time. The process gets me thinking about shapes and spaces and outlines as opposed to things. Hopefully, I will be able to see relationships between objects more easily. Going back to school is very stimulating. Having to deal with snow storms is not.

2011-01-21T15:13:00.000-08:00

While I haven't been in class yet due to inclement weather, "Visual Studies" looks like it will be stimulating. We will keep an art journal and explore the principles and elements of design plus studio projects. In looking over the material, I thought about what principle gives individual paintings their essence. Is it line, texture, form, shape, color, space? We all have a particular bent, a special interest, I believe. This is just one thing I am thinking about and exploring. The drawing continues to be challenging; I have been doing something daily. Thanks to all who have subscribed.

2011-01-15T12:25:00.000-08:00

I have returned to school at the NH Institute of Art in Manchester. I am taking drawing and Visual Studies. I will post from time to time about my experiences and some examples of what I am doing. It will be an interesting adventure. I am thinking I might start a separate blog, "Back to School". I will let you all know. In the meantime enjoy these contour drawings.

This is the second of my contour self-portraits. You remember, you look and draw but don't look at what you are drawing. The results are pretty interesting. Below is my first attempt.

2010-12-20T06:34:00.000-08:00

With the cold weather, I think of the warmth of France. Photos are a boon for recreating that feeling. I have been having fun revisiting Provence and capturing its essence.

Memories

2010-10-08T05:06:00.001-07:00

Home, laundry done, mail reviewed and many memories to share. This still life was done in Vallabrix in front of a window overlooking the garden. These large casements are wonderful for framing a scene. How often did Bonnard, Matisse, and so many others use such a device? Happily, I think, it doesn't loose it's impact.

Les Figues du Ellie

2010-09-28T07:55:00.000-07:00

These are monster figs picked from a tree in a friend's garden not far from Limueil. I find the smaller, purple figs are sweeter although less dynamic. Nature is wonderful in all it's configurations and such fun to paint! I am posting this on my last night in France. We are in a chateau in the vicinity off St Emilion. I think we will have a good bottle of wine this evening!

Nature Morte

2010-09-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

I love to paint still life. We had some inclement weather so we stayed inside and I picked some grapes and apples from the garden. The cheese was a local chevre.;The table cloth typically French. The cheese got softer as I painted and when I was finished I ate it. Quelle suprise!

Patchwork Plein Air

2010-09-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

My last leg in France has been spent in the tiny Medieval village of Limueil. We have done quite a bit of painting outdoors and found this extraordinary overlook of patchwork fields. Normally I am not excited about vistas but the colors and patterns were jaw dropping. We went back again for more!

Day Ten in Provence

2010-09-16T12:22:00.000-07:00

This is a loosely translated sketch of the stairs leading from the garden to our house in Vallabrix. The potted plants are everywhere. We have been doing a lot of traveling about the area. Today, day eleven on our trip, we went to wine country where we tasted some heavy duty selections including some offerings from Chateauneuf des Papes! We did not buy any bottles there but learned quite a bit.

Day Nine in Provence

2010-09-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Returning to Tourtour in paint today with view to the street from the breakfast porch. It suggests evening to me. We have been seeing lots of antiquities near Vallabrix.....Nimes and Pont du Gard. Amazing construction and design. Very impressive.

Day Eight in Provence

2010-09-14T00:34:00.000-07:00

A change of pace. I wish I could have painted these angels. Don't you love their expressions? I think the creator must have had lots of fun with this. These are from the Palace of the Popes in Avignion which we did not visit except via the internet.

Day Seven in Provence

2010-09-12T23:29:00.000-07:00

This is a sketch of a tower at Chateaudouble near Tourtour. The challenge was attempting to get the feeling of height and going up a winding path. Three Cyprus trees planted near a dwelling is suppose to give the residents health,wealth and good fortune or something to theta effect. Today we are off to Nimes for sightseeing and a hearty lunch.

Day Six from Provence

2010-09-11T23:56:00.000-07:00

This sketch was done in Tourtour looking down at a farm complex from the church on the hill. The afternoon sun reflects from the facades of some buildings. I like the toy like quality off the scene.
We are happily settling into our palatial digs in Vallabrix.

Day Five from Provence

2010-09-11T00:16:00.000-07:00

Our bags are packed...we are leaving this bit of paradise for another. This street scene is of "mason de la treille" (www.tourtour.fr)facade,the b&b where Suzanne, Bobbi and Joelle have been staying, loosely translated. The painting has been challenging and fun! Now we are on to Uzes.

Day Five in Provence

2010-09-10T00:36:00.000-07:00

To be in France is to be immersed in a food conversation. Food to the French is like baseball to the USA. We are eating, or should I say gourmandizing, in glorious fashion. I thought I had tasted fois gras until I had the real deal two nights ago. Heaven! Dinner is an event: we arrive at 7:30 and leave 3 hours later.
We had a rain day and this painting is the result. Les Figues are a favorite of mine, which translates here don't you think?
5 x 8. Oil on linen

Day Four in Provence - Les Montagnes

2010-09-08T23:47:00.000-07:00

The mountains provide a backdrop for all views from Tourtour. Sometimes they are hidden in mist,sometimes they are bold and present. Trying to capture the mysterious mood can be a mystery!