MORE TOMMY KANE MADNESS

Another painting of the infamous dream done in Uniball oen, Pitt big brush pens and watercolor on Canson paper 11"x 15".  Refer to blog post : https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1397808000502888&set=gm.317020511783638&type=1

then check out this:  http://vimeo.com/94423701

I need help, I know....

A GENTLE MADNESS

Books at our house. Uniball pen and Pitt brush pens in Strathmore sketchbook.  Previously posted in Sketchbook school.

THE RAINBOW BODY

Acrylic and Gouache on paper.
"As they die (advanced practitioners) enable their body to be reabsorbed back into the light essence of the elements that created it, and consequently their material body dissolves into light and then disappears completely.  This process is known as "the rainbow body" or "body of light", because the dissolution is often accompanied by spontaneous manifestations of light and rainbows".  - Sogyal Rinpoche (The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying)

FAMILY MEMORIES SKETCHBOOK

SUNSET ON THE OREGON COAST

Uniball pen and watercolor in Moleskine sketchbook.  From photograph by Julie Bain. Previously posted in Sketchbook Skool.

OREGON COAST HOUSE

Uniball pen and watercolor in Strathmore sketchbook.  Prevously posted in Sketchbook Skool.

SPARKS MARINA NEVADA

Sparks Marina Nevada uniball pen and watercolor in Stillman and Birn sketchbook. Previously posted in Sketchbook Skool.

HOUSES IN MONMOUTH OREGON

Uniball pen and watercolor in Moleskine sketchbook.  Previously posted in Sketchbook Skool.

CITY LIGHT BOOKSTORE SAN FRANCISCO

Uniball pen and watercolor in Moleskine sketchbook.  Previously posted Sketchbook Skool,

PORTRAIT OF TOMMY KANE

Portrait of Tommy Kane 14" x 17" Yasutomo Suni ink and PITT Big Brush ink pens on Strathmore Bristol Paper.  I tried it with the white background but liked the Sumi ink background better.

FAMILY MEMORIES HATS

MY KITCHEN : HOW I DID IT PART 2

Time to add color. I start in the right corner adding darks, then medium and leaving white paper for highlights. The grain patterns in the wood are made with pen and then several coats of watercolor (chrome orange, cadmium red, cadmium yellow, yellow ochre, burnt sienna and venetian red)..Grey, phalo green and sometimes purple for cast shadows.  There are still some weak passages like the left corner where the kitchen counter tops meet, the freezer handle on the refrigerator and the diffusion of light onto the stove (and any other places you or I see) but I plan to touch it up here and there with color pencils and stop before I overwork it. Some things I learned were the importance of going slowly and really looking at the way the light hits the objects, work with mistakes and make them into something.  Don't quit or get discouraged, just have fun.  It's only lines on paper! Let me know in the comments what you think.  

MY KITCHEN : HOW I DID IT

This was a fun homework assignment from Tommy Kane (legendary artist and Creative Art Director in NYC).  Our kitchen done in Uniball vision pen, watercolor and Pitt brush pen in Moleskine watercolor album over two page spread 8 1/4" x 22 1/2".
It started out like this.  From where I was sitting looking at the kitchen I knew I was going to get wonky right away and tilt the refrigerator door.  I like to bend objects or make then wavy because to me it makes them feel alive. Then on to the calendar and various things we stick onto the refrigerator and put in some cabinets. Then I drew a line to indicate where the cabinets would go and decided to draw in the stove. Then back to the right side and start filling in the details.  Over to the left side I ran into a problem of angles.  It wasn't working out at all.  I sat and looked at it for over an hour.  Pretty soon it started looking back at me so I just drew it as best I could and moved on.  Whoa!  I forgot about the dishwasher.  Oh well, guess I'll live without it and do the dishes by hand. Now onto to the last section and we are ready to add color.  I spent a LOT of time just looking at the kitchen and observing how the light traveled over all the objects. I really was thinking about that rather then thinking of the objects name.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Happy Mother's day to Julie's mom. (Like a Mom to me). We love you.
18" x 24" oil on canvass  Portrait of Julia Cofer 1995

FAMILY MEMORIES SKETCHBOOK

BUZZ DREAM

Here is what happened on May 7th. I wrote :

I'm so jacked up this morning. I had a vivid dream so real and weird and wonderful I had to get it down. I'm in the woods with Danny Gregory and we are calling in Tommy Kane. Turns out Kane lives in a tree. Danny knocks on the door at the base of this huge tree and Tommy's wife answers. I'm feeling sheepish and embarrassed because I don't know these people at all and it is kind of early to be knocking on doors.. Tommy's wife disappears without a word and then Kane appears in a tee shirt, underwear and hat. He looks like he just woke up. Kind of sleepy and scratchy. I figure he must be pissed off because here we are early and unannounced. Kane reaches up and gets a remote control, points it outside and says "Check this out"...he clicks...Danny turns around smiling and I see a barrage of colors fly out and turn into a giant peacock! Then I wake up and rush to my desk to draw this. Sketchbook Skool...Worth every penny!

 It was a lot of fun and we all had a day full of laughter.  The weird thing for me about this dream is that I didn't know Danny Gregory and Tommy Kane were working together at Danny's place in LA.  I pay attention to my dreams.  I keep a notebook by our bed and when I wake up from a dream I jot down single words or phrases in my sleepy state and go back to sleep.  In the morning when I get up I look at these "prompt" words and the details of the dream come back.  Sometimes I start at the end of the dream and work back.  The important thing is to write it all out.  I do this in a special Dream Journal.  Then I set about drawing a scene which tells the story.  This one came fast.  I got up at about 2:00am and finished it by 6:00pm,  color and all. When they come out fast it's great.  It's as if I just hold the pen or brush and the characters draw themselves.  I really love the Sketchbook School.  All the teachers were great, I've learned so much and most of all my fellow Klassmates are wonderful.  I love them all.

Here is the Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1397808000502888&set=gm.317020511783638&type=1

Then:
Check the video:http://vimeo.com/94423701

MONMOUTH OREGON HOUSE

Out and about on a sunny day on the other side of town.  Uniball pen and watercolor in Moleskine sketchbook.

ART MAKING STUMPS

My father-in-law Art was a timber faller for 60 years.  He made a lot of stumps in that time.  Hard, dirty dangerous work.  He was injured a lot and probably used up all of his nine lives and then some.  He is very knowledgeable about the outdoors and the conservation of the forest.  At 82 he is still pretty active.  He no longer works in the woods but he still will cut out limbs and trees for people on their property.  He is expert and getting the felled trees to land right where he wants them.  And he is an all around good guy.
Watercolor and pen in Moleskine sketchbook.

CHURCH IN INDEPENDENCE

This church in on Main street in Independence Oregon .  It was a quick study made on a rainy windy day that I posted in Sketchskool.  I sat in my truck to draw it and left out a statue which stands out front.  I'll get back on a day with nicer weather and do a more complete rendering.  Watercolor and pen in Moleskine sketchbook.

HOUSES IN MONMOUTH

Now that the weather has improved I've been sketching the houses in Monmouth and Independence.  Uniball pen and watercolor 8 1/4" x 11" Moleskine sketchbook.