November 28, 2012

Bruce Willis - Work In Progress (WIP)

Tonight I have a work in progress of Bruce Willis. I love the way he makes that little smirk and I found a picture with that smirk but it was very noisy and after removing the noise and enhancing the detail, I'm left with patches of skin with no detail at all. This is where the final stage of painting the whiskers, hair and missing skin texture comes in. This image doesn't look that bad because it's been shrunk down so much. It's very noticeable in the high-res file so there will be a lot of detail painting to do on this one.

Below is the source image I'm working with and an earlier screen capture of the work in progress on my Wacom which was posted to Google+ and Facebook earlier today. I've started something new on Google+ called "Whats on the Wacom" to give everyone a little better look at the different stages and my work flow. You can see the difference in the screen capture and the portrait above and there will be even more changes in the final product although the basic morph is pretty close to what I want now. And of course, he will be put in another body.














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November 26, 2012

One Million Google+ Followers - Thanks!!

I hit another Google Plus milestone today and rolled over one million followers. It's only been just over a year since the one year Google+ anniversary. Thanks to all who have supported and encouraged me here on my blog, on Google+, Facebook and all of my networks. If you haven't hooked up with me on Google+ yet, simply click the large image above.

Another milestone will happen later this week as I go over 600,000 blog views from every nation in the world. Business has been good. It could be better and I know it will be with all of this support. Thanks once again and see you at two million!














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November 21, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving From Granny Bean and I

A quick Thanksgiving virtual postcard for my friends from Granny Bean and I. The Mr Bean saga continues... The original painting was done as a Saturday Evening Post magazine cover by one of my favorite American Illustrators, Joseph Christian Leyendecker who was a very inspirational figure for Norman Rockwell in his youth. The painting was done for Thanksgiving, 1935. He was a true Master.

I thought this might be appropriate 














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November 19, 2012

Bill Murray - The Look

Yet another caricature study of Bill Murray. There was a series of images taken at a Red Carpet Event of Murray and some great shots among the set, so I couldn't resist and had to do another. I'm not sure what or who he was looking at but he was kind of giving the eye. There was nice detail in the shot so it was a fun practice piece. These are always relaxing for me and the first part of the day was pretty stressful so this helped. I'm posting the source image below as well as a work in progress (WIP) while it was on my Wacom in a slightly rougher state.














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November 10, 2012

International Artists Exhibit Featuring Daniela Matchael - New York, NY - December 2012

Tonights post is a combination New York City Art Show announcement and Artist Feature to honor my friend and fellow artist Daniela Matchael. Journey Through Creativity International ArTConneKT Exhibit - Curated by Esperanza Tielbaard. The Opening Reception will be held at JMC Frames &Gallery 674 9th Ave /2nd Floor New York, NY 10036 on Nov. 30th 5 to 9pm.  A fabulous group of artists from many different countries will be featured at this show.

Daniela Matchael - Brazil
Melanie Ezra - UK
Roni Kristal - Israel
Oscar Manjaress - Colombia
Owen Martin - UK
Daniela Matchael - Brazil
Rosita Larson - Sweden
Esperanza Tielbaard - Colombia
Christine Allan - Canada
Barbara Leahy-Edwards - USA
Lee Jakob Hilado - Philipines
Miss Garnica - Chile
A little about the artist:
Daniela Matchael received her formal fine arts training at the Panamerican School of Arts in the metropolitan city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. From her formal training Daniela says she developed her passion for Art History and the different approaches to the visual arts. After many years working as an apprentice to accomplished Brazilian artists, teaching drawing and painting classes, showing her work in galleries in the large cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo with numerous solo and group exhibits Daniela found her career as an artist come to a screeching halt. Unable to paint for several years, the artist turned her focus to building a career as a customer service and sales consultant. In 1997 Daniela moved to the US where she started a family.

At around 1999 Daniela found her way back into painting and became an accomplished muralist owning her own business for about 10 years. Painting on canvas has always been Daniela’s preferred means of creating her art, with oils being her medium of preference.

During a trip from Dallas to Denver 14 years ago Daniela found, while looking out of the plane’s window, the inspiration for the series of paintings that have evolved into her more recent collection of work entitled “Fields.”When speaking of her paintings, Daniela often mentions the dialogue between the colors and the movement she tries to portray. “My work is almost molecular and represents all that moves the world around us,” says passionately the artist. One can feel Daniela’s passion and vivacity through her paintings. Her varied palette and technique entice the viewer to attempt to disconnect from her paintings’ near hypnotic qualities.

Daniela has her studio and her work on display at Art Matters Arts Co-op and Gallery in Athens, TX.

“She exhibits her happiness in color combinations and balance as she paints circles, some appearing to be flat splashes of color, and others which appear to have depth with their own individual secret hidden in its deep recesses. “This is my happy phase.”

On Interview by Sharon Humphries – Athens Daly Review (Athens, TX)
A sampling of the Daniela's work
My paintings are expressions of what I can’t keep inside. My goal with my work is to bring through color and simple shapes a cohesive meaning to the chaotic expression of ideas, feelings and emotions that flow through me while painting.
After many years painting with acrylics on canvas and on walls as a muralist I went back to painting with oils on canvas. It was like coming home. The smell and the texture of the paints, the way the brushes and the palette knife interact with the canvas are simply magic and hypnotizing to me.
On the winter of 1997 I was traveling from Dallas to Denver and had the opportunity to experience something that would change my art and the way I interacted with it. Oklahoma had just been hit with a massive blizzard and as we flew over the plains, I looked down at the fields below. From my window I could see the white snow swallowing the countless circular fields transforming the scenery into a fantastic and almost lunar monochromatic quilt.
The circles became a part of my personal story. I could see then that those fields were an integral part of what moved the country we live in. The circles are always present in my work in an almost molecular structure. They are constantly moving and bringing the paintings into a cohesive composition. The monotone snow-covered fields took a life of their own. Colors representing the beings, ideas and powers that move our world interact with each other and the canvas. My varied palette brings an evolving vibrancy to the paintings.
The colors have a powerful inner dialogue that is developed throughout the process of the painting. When added, they interact with the previous ones on the canvas and transform it into a new form of communication. My paintings, with all their elements, are almost like a Mozart opera’s polyphony. All the voices, fighting to be heard, bring the plot to a seemingly chaotic yet harmonious cohesion.
“In addition to pointing her own expression of her love of life, Daniela also has done commissioned murals and smaller pieces. The exciting thing about doing the commissioned art, she commented, is doing the research. She said, “I add my own expression, but I want to incorporate what is important to the client.”

In order to incorporate what she feels about the painting, and what the client wants, she must do research, and spend time getting really clear about what the client wants.
She said, “I love doing the research, getting all the information I need to build the image in my mind, and then I get to bring it all together.”

Interview
13 May 2012
Athens Daily Review (Athens, TX)
By Sharon Humphries

Daniela is a founding member of Art Matters Co-op and Gallery. A non-profit organization committed to promoting art and artists wherever they may be, Art Matters was founded on May 2012. It has already brought works from internationally shown artists to East Texas. You can also find her work at Charlie Bullock Studio and Gallery and at Art Matters Building in the quaint town of Athens, TX.

Art Matters Co-op and Gallery
211 N. Palestine St.
Athens, TX 75751














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November 08, 2012

The Rhythmic Lounge Magazine Feature

This is my most recent feature which was in The Rhythmic Lounge Magazine, Fall 2012 Issue. It's a small feature but exposure to different audiences is always a good thing. This feature is on pages 58 and 59 of the magazine. You may visit their web site and subscribe at www.therhythmiclounge.com. The digital version of the magazine and a PDF version of the feature can be seen here: www.issuu.com/therhythmicloungemagazine/docs/fall2012.















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November 05, 2012

Bean - The Fat Son of a Dutch Master

Ok, I've been up all night. Just couldn't sleep and you can imagine what goes through my mind when I'm delirious from lack of sleep and hammered with caffeine. Yep, you read the title right. This is my depiction of what Mr Bean would look like had he been born the fat son of a Dutch Master. So the Mr Bean saga continues. I don't even know myself what's in for the future of this collection but I'm sure it will be fun. It's not much to show for an all nighter but in the end at least it was therapeutic. I'm tired. Going to sleep now! 















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