A Funny Story

Yesterday was the opening of the exhibition of paintings from the painting classes at the Casa de la Cultura.

Over time I have been working on a 3 painting series of Blue Doors from photos I had taken over the years.  Two of the doors were from old buildings in Old Town Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, the other one was of the door of the building that used to house the museum here in Guaymas.

The new Arts and Culture director for Guaymas opened the exhibition after the classes and various dignitaries were introduced and then snacks were served.

While everyone was chatting my teacher came over to me and asked where the one door I had painted was from, was it in Guaymas?  I said yes, it was and explained to him where it was.  He then told me that the new director had asked him who had painted it as he wanted to meet them.  The teacher took me over to him and introduced us and we began chatting.

It turned out that at some point in the directors life he had removed the air conditioner and re- concreted the wall, on the painting I had put in this detail as it showed as a rectangle of a different texture and colour on the photo.  He had also painted the door blue.

What a coincidence!!  He said that he recognized the building and wanted to meet me and tell me about it.  He was surprised when I knew it had been the museum and had visited it before the flood ruined it.

Really odd the things that happen sometimes, to me that was a one in a million chance that anyone would recognize the building or even know anything about it.  Just shows what a small world it is.

This is the painting of the door.  Oil on canvas.

Size: 12 x 15 x 2 in. or 31 x 38 x 5 cm. 

Busy, Busy, Busy

It doesn't seem like that long ago that I posted; but I see by the date that it is.

I have been keeping busy, mostly with my painting, much to the dismay of the housecleaning.  Well, what is more interesting?  Now really, not much of a question is it?

I am still going to class at the Casa de la Cultura twice a week.  This semester the days have been changed to Mon. and Wed. so that took some getting used to.

There I am still working on the 3rd Blue Door painting, it seems I am getting no where fast on that one.    Lots of detail on that one also, trying to make it look like a hand carved door from many years ago.  Oh well, I suppose slow and sure will eventually get it done.  It seems like I have been working on Blue Doors forever.  When this one is done I am going to stop doing doors for a bit.

At home I have been doing some pastels and some oils.

The Tiger that I did, sold the first day that I posted it on my Facebook page and I really liked that one, so I am trying another one.  This time a baby one.  Not much done on it yet, so no photo; but I intend to work on it tomorrow for a bit.

I am also doing an oil, (on a wood panel) of the boat at night that I did a pastel painting of.  I really like this photo and thought I would like to try it in oils, so I am.

At home I am also working on the oil, (on canvas) of the church at Magdalena, Sonora.  It is coming along and I now have a lot of it base coated.  I need to work more on the church now as it is behind the trees, foliage, etc. in the photo.


WIP- Waiting for Daylight - Oil on wood panel

WIP - Church at Magdalena, Sonora - Oil on canvas

Yesterday I took some of my Pastel Paintings to a small sale over in San Carlos.  This sale is not the greatest venue for selling art as it is a sale of mostly used articles.
I did sell a couple of the small bird pastels, so that was good.
Not sure if I will go to this sale again or not.  The person running this event is hoping to get a once a month art only sale going; so I will wait and see what happens with that.

Tomorrow I am going to go to the first meeting of the year for the San Carlos Art League.  I have never been to any of their meetings before so am not sure if I will join or not.  They meet once a week for class/meeting, etc..  I will see what I find out tomorrow before deciding if I want to join and go there once a week or not.

WIP-- Church in Magdalena, Sonora, Mexico

This is one of the paintings I am working on at home at the moment.

At the moment what is done is mainly undercoating of some of it.  Tons of work on this one also, lots of details as usual.

It is in oils on canvas and is approx. 16 x 24 x 2 inches.

I am also beginning to work on an oil of the Panga boat that I did in Pastels, (Waiting For Daylight).  I haven't really started it yet though; other than putting on the black background.  It will be 12 x 16 inches on wood panel.

Also have a small pastel painting going of a sunset on the mountain with a tree in the forefront; but not enough done yet to post a photo of, size of this one will be 8 x 10 on paper.

Have a good Sunday.

Waiting For Daylight

I have been playing around a lot with the pastels lately.

Here is the latest one that might be finished.

I titled it:  Waiting for Daylight

Size: 8 x 10 inches or 20 x 25 cm.

Tetakawi Sunset 2

Back again with another sunset painting of the San Carlos / Guaymas landmark mountain Tetakawi.

  It is chalk pastel painting on paper 8 x 10 inches, unframed and un-matted.

It is available for purchase.

Tetakawi At Sunset 1

Just finished this,this morning.

Chalk Pastel on paper.  Size:  8 x 10 inches or 20 x 25 cm.

Without mat or frame.

Title:  Tetakawi at Sunset 1

La Puerta Azul 2

I just realized today when I was cleaning up some of my painting stuff that I had never posted the finished painting of the second one in the 3 painting series of Blue Doors.

This painting is 12 x 15 inches on a 2 inch deep canvas and is done in Oils.

I did it from a photo that I had taken around 2006 or so.  It is the door of the building that used to be a museum here in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico where I live.

Here it is:  La Puerta Azul 2 / The Blue Door 2