HELLO MY FRIENDS

GOOD MORNING BLOG BUDDIES:

Well, after quite a few emails asking me to continue with my blog postings, I have put some thought into it and come up with a solution that should make us all happy! I will be redesigning my blog so that it works better for me as well as giving my blog followers what they seem to want.

My frustration with my blog was over the fact that on average, out of 2,800 - 3,000 visits per month, only a handful of folks ( 3 - 4 ) would comment. 

SOOOOOOOOO my blog will be redesigned and I will eliminate the function of allowing comments -I've always said - give the public what they ask for.

That's what I like about me - I always have an ear to the street.  :>)

Additionally, I will generally post weekly rather than daily. It will be more of a painting instructional format - however that said - and I just said it - there will still be my enormous sense of humor (that's another thing I like about me) and my cranky grumbling and complaining (something I know you all love about me :>). 

If a viewer has a question or wants to talk about purchasing a painting (that’s an example of my humor) they can email at rvpainter@gmail.com. 

Additionally, a second blog (sister blog) will be started. This blog will be less chatty but will still have some of my very witty humor and will feature original paintings in either a 5x7 or a 7x5 format. These paintings will be of the Southwest Coast of Florida and highlight the colors of the Gulf. and will all sell for the same price.

Around the country people will be saying "OMG I can't believe I can buy an original JR Secor painting for under $30!!!" :>) (MORE HUMOR)

I believe in "affordable art for the masses!!"

The name of this sister-blog will be "AhhPuntahhhGordahhh" and is scheduled to debut on March 1, in concert with the revamped RVPAINTER BLOG.

On March first you will need to go to the sister-blog and signup for email subscription. A very easy process that takes less than a minute and from that point the post will come right into your inbox.

Soooooo my frustration with non-commenting has subsided, and this solution will make us all breathe a little easier – no need to comment, and I won’t be disappointed when I see that you haven’t! :>) ( MORE HUMOR)

Email conversations will be most welcome, so again, my email is rvpainter@gmail.com.  My blogging time spent has been reduced to 1 day a week instead of 5, and best of all the viewing audience still has access to my unique combination of art, wit, and crankiness, without pressure to comment.

That’s what they call a Win-Win Situation!

STAY TUNED FOR MARCH 1

WEDNESDAY 2/20/13

Good morning my friends,

Please excuse the longer post this morning.

My Blog - My Painting:

I started painting when I was 54 -- I will be 73 come this May.  So I'll let you folks do the math as to  how long I've been painting - it's been a long time.

I've been blogging for over 4 years now.

MY BLOG:


I consider my blog to be a success, based on about 2,800+ hits per month and some times over 3,000.  However my blog in my opinion as not been what I envisioned it to be.  To me a blog needs to be a two way street.  I see it as a way to reach my family, my relatives, my friends and the general public.  I most always blog every day and not many people I know write to their family, relatives, and friends everyday.  Grant you not all my family, friends and relatives subscribe to my blog.  To be honest had to signed several of them up myself!!!!  :>) 

The reason I do not consider my blog to be what I envisioned it to be is because with the exception of my wife Melissa, an RV friend Steve and Louise a friend who will become a full time RV-er in April there is pretty much no one else who comments on my blog on a regular basis- either on its content or my paintings. I have several times over the years asked peoples opinions on things I write about as well as new techniques I try with my painting.  Never-never has there been a response - but yet 2.800+ views a month - month after month after month.

I've thought many times about stopping to blog as believe it or not it becomes a chore to put together a blog post with some embedded humor, information, and most always a painting of the day.  Playing to an invisible audience is tough but when you can't get the audience to participate it becomes a chore and something that starts to have  no reward or satisfaction.

I have decided to stop my blog for perhaps only a short amount of time to consider its viability as being something useful to me and others - perhaps I will not start it up again because as I say playing to an empty hall ain't no fun.

My Painting:

Well, by now I'm sure you have figured out I've been painting for almost 19 years.  I admit I have an obsession for painting and I can't - not - paint!  However over the past month or so I've done 3- 4 dozen or so paintings and the volume is great only because it was a diversion for my mind while in the process of selling our RV - I needed something to keep me busy.  I also as silly as it may sound feel I need to have a new painting ready each day to put up on my blog - I'm not sure why but I'm me!  Very rarely does anyone comment on a painting - if so, it would by my wife, my friend Steve or Louise and another RV friend Donna - other than that nada.

So now that I am stopping my blog for an undetermined period, I will not be posting my paintings so I can slow down my production of painting to perhaps 2 days instead of 5.
 
I've pretty much resolved the loss of the RV so I no longer need to keep my overactive mind busy.  Slowing down my painting production will allow me to play around with style and techniques such as my love for loose palette knife paintings, without the thoughts that I HAVE  to do a painting today and get it up onto my blog.

This will be my last blog post for whatever time it ends up being.

I would like to thank my blog buddies for following me all this time and I hope I have brought some humor, information, instruction into your life.  For this was part and parcel of my blog.  The blog I envisioned did not happen - but things like the economy - the wars - busy lives etc etc all have an effect and I understand that.

For me as I say I have run out of steam having to play to an empty house.

I wish you all the very best in your lives and if I decide to give a blog another shot I'll send out a message to that effect when I do post #1.

Later my friends.

JR        :>)

Tuesday 2/19/13

Good morning my friends,

I did another still life in my loose style and  I have to say I'm glad I carried over my landscape palette knife loose style into my still life.

I did this one pretty much the same in that I sketched in the top opening of the vase and then let the palette knife move and the paint fly,

"A PAIR"

14 x 11 on heavy linen paper - wet into wet- alla prima with gusto, freedom and efficiency of strokes.

Lots of juicy paint applied very quickly with caution thrown to the wind.

LOOSE STILL LIFE

YO MY BUDDIES,

Well - I put the tweaks into the loose still life that I did after that coma causing still life that I did and posted yesterday.  As I say I;'m really into the loose style of painting and shall continue on this pathway for quite some time to come.  I'm sure on occasion I will punish myself and do a more detailed painting - but certainly not for a while - YAWN - BORING!!!!!!!

Soooooo enough of the jibber/jabber!!!!!

14 x 11 on heavy linen paper - done wet into wet - alla prima - with palette knife and every bit of caution thrown to the wind - and nothing but gusto - emotion and efficiency of strokes.

"APPLES & ORANGES"

LOOSE STILL LIFE

14 X 11

I did not take any progress photos as I attacked the canvas with all of my gusto - did not do a drawing this time I merely penciled in the top circle of the vase and let the paint fly!!!

JR STYLE

DETAIL FOR MY CURIOUS BUDDIES

JR     :>)

MONDAY 2/18/13 - A NEW WEEK BEGINS!

Yo my friends,

Well some non-painting things to do today - time to clean the house!!!!  Melissa is going to do our taxes and also give me a haircut - we should go to Sam's Club for our monthly donation their coffers!!!!!  Just can't seem to get out of there without dropping close to $75!!!!!  Ahhhhhhh the rich get richer!!!!

I did another still life yesterday - after my BORING time spent on the first still life - I went into the studio and attacked a blank surface with my trusty palette knife - a few more tweaks on it and I'll post it later today perhaps.  YEP - detail painting is not for me - my hands are still a bit cramped so I don't think I will be doing many more detail type of style paintings.  I've got to be wielding me KNIFE in a duel of KNIFE & PAINT AGAINST CANVAS SURFACE!!!!  Arrrrgggggggg.

Well I've got a date with the vacuum cleaner - swiffer dry & wet and dust cloth!!!

Later my friends

JR     :>)

LATER SUNDAY 2/17/13

YO DUDES!!!!

Well chilly and windy out - we actually have a wind chill factor - UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

Sooooooo Melissa is writing ( mostly snoozing!!!!!)  I made us pancakes for breakfast and then Melissa started writing and I went into the studio.  WELL - HOLY CRAP!!!!!  I gotta tell youse guys that I decided to do a still life and keep it tighter as compared to looser and HOLY CRAP-----

I WAS BORED TO DEATH!!!!!!!  Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

In addition my hands are all cramped up - I had to stand on one hand to get the cramp out!!!!

I'm going to try one more, but it will be all palette knife and it will not have any detail in it - as it will be: 

LOOSE AND SEMI ABSTRACT

DETAIL PAINTING IS NOT MY THANG!!!!!

I will show it to you but be prepared to be bored into a coma!!!!

Done on heavy linen paper - wet into wet - brush and a little palette knife work and a boring - boring experience!!  :>(

OPPOSITE POINTS OF VIEW

14 x 11

I did a drawing on this one - which is sort of a mistake - as soon as you do a drawing instead of a sketch you are headed for a detail painting - 

I start by throwing in 2 apples with stems facing the opposite way thus the title

(for those of you who did not get it :>)

Time to paint the vase various shades of green - the light source is coming from the left - therefore the left side is lighter and the right side is in shadow

By this time I'm almost asleep - I miss my palm trees and my swooshes and dabbing!!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 Detail of vase and apples - BORING!!!!!

I put some reflected color in the FG - sort of in a watercolor style just to liven things up a bit for myself - YAWN!!!!!!

OK  - ENOUGH OF THE BRUSHY-BRUSHY DETAIL CRAP-----

I'M GETTING OUT MY PALETTE KNIFE AND TRY TO BRING PUT SOME LIFE INTO THIS - I'M HALF ASLEEP FROM BOREDOM - SO I WILL CLOSE THE CURTAINS AND DO MY SECRET FINISHING TECHNIQUES!!!!!

BAM-BAM-BAM

BOOM

NOW IT HAS LIFE!!!!!!

I attacked the background with my trusty palette knife as well as the foreground and put some movement into the painting and  SWOOSHES OF COLOR - I'm awake now and I feel much better  :>)

SOME DETAIL FOR MY "INQUISITIVE" BUDDIES

Well i have to say for the most part this was a chore - up until the last 5 minutes when I started throwing paint around like a wild man and swooshing my trusty palette knife over the canvas!!!!  I felt like I was having a sword fight with my canvas!!!!!

LOVE IT!!!!!

Enjoy the day my friends - I need to rest now!!!!!!!

JR     :>) 

SUNDAY 2/17/13

Good morning my friends,

Wellllllllll - last night the forecast was for temps 32 -- 34 degrees so being good parents - we brought in our plants from our lanai!!!  It was 42 at 7am so not too bad!!!!

A cold front is coming in from the middle of the country so better safe than sorry!!!!

We hope it will warm up enough during the day so we can go down to the park later in the day and watch the boats and the birds.  It is so relaxing to go there.  We found a nice park on a small cove in Nova Scotia only about 10 minutes from our RV and went there 3 - 4 times a week - packed a lunch and watched the boats & read and snoozed.

Today I may do a still life with some looseness throw in to keep the flow going :>)

Later Dudes,

JR     :>)

LITTLE CHILLY THIS MORNING

Yo my friends,

We normally go for a walk most mornings except on the mornings that Melissa is teaching yoga - Wed. & Thur HOWEVER - we have a cold front on the way and it was only 58 this morning at 7am so we will move our walk to later this afternoon when it warms up a bit.  Tonight the forecast is for 38 degrees here in Punta Gorda - OMG - Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Well need to bring our plants in tonight!!!!!

Soooooo while my DW Melissa is working on the sequel to The Christmas Village to be hopefully published later this year I shall throw some more paint at my easel.

I think I'm reaching a point where my looseness is about where I want it - however the semi abstract component is not quite where I want it to be.

This is 14 x 11 on heavy linen paper done with palette knife - conservation of strokes and done with lots of gusto and emotion - wet into wet - alla prima - using of course my most favorite paint in the whole world - Chroma Interactive acrylics.  This is very juicy thick paint very much the consistency of oil paints ( without the stink and mess of oils ) and it is ideal for palette knife work.

BOCA GRANDE No. V - THE LOOSE SIDE

BREEZES PICKING UP

 14 X 11

OK - we begin with a sky and the start of an ocean tossed in very quickly with lots of paint using a palette knife

Next we finish up the ocean 

Detail of ocean - lots of quick juicy palette knife strokes - the quicker the stroke and the straighter the blade is kept along the surface, the more marbleized color you get - pretty cool EH!

( That's Canadian talk!!! ) 

Next I toss in the three palm trunks

Closeup of trunk detail

OK - time to finish this up so I pull down the shades so the finishing process cannot be seen!!! 

BAM-BAM-BAM

WE HAVE A PAINTING

Palm tree detail

Hope you enjoyed this demo - as much as I enjoyed doing it.  I know there are some people out there who do not like LOOSE - EXPRESSIVE - BORDERLINE SEMI ABSTRACT paintings but HEY - I really enjoy them and I feel they are the style I most like and want to work in.

There is a saying in the painting world

"Less is More"

I represent that!!!!

Soooo those of you who do not like this style I hope you continue to frequent my blog and perhaps develop an understanding of this style and perhaps an appreciation of what the style represents.

JR     :>)

BOCA GRANDE IV - GULF COLOR

Yo my blog buddies,

This was done very-very quickly wet into wet - Alla prima - using both a palette knife and a brush - it is sort of a combination of loose and semi-abstract.  the sky, the palm fronds and ocean were done with brush and the palm trunks and sand was done with palette knife.

The Gulf of Mexico produces some very wonderful color in its reflections from "local color" that is the color surrounding the waters.  Squinting is the best way to see this extraordinary color - also if you have a very active imagination you can actually see colors that are merely in your minds eye.

:>)

I did not take progress photos of this one because I was working too fast to stop and play around

with the camera and before I knew it I was done and thought - "OH CRAP - no progress pictures!"

Well - GEE WHIZZ  Most of you know the drill by now!~

BOCA GRANDE VI - GULF COLOR

11 X 14 ON HEAVY LINEN PAPER

DETAIL OF PALM S & SAND

Notice the smooth brush strokes of the sky and water as compared tot he palette knife strokes of the palm trunks and sand.

MORE DETAIL OF PALMS AND SAND

Well the journey down the path of loose - semi abstract is a lot of fun and I shall continue on it for a few more days and then perhaps switch over to still life pieces done loosely with a touch of semi abstract.  I need to find some pieces I can pose for still life painting as all my items are in storage in Santa Fe NM!!!!!  :>(

Have a good day my friends the beginning of a wonderful weekend for y'all!!!!!!

JR        :>)

I'M BACK - FRIDAY 2/115/13

Yo Dudes,

Well, I'm back after throwing some paint at my easel and I think I'm close to the LOOSE SEMI-SEMI ABSTRACT style that I'm seeking.  Some more refinements and tweaks and emotions and I'll be there - (I think)

11 x 14 on heavy linen paper using Chroma Interactive acrylics with a palette knife and strokes of gusto - emotion and a vivid imagination  --  :>)

BOCA GRANDE No. III

11 x 14

OK - let's begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I once again put in lines for the horizon and the shore line as well as placement of the palm trees.  This gives me an idea of the movement I want in the piece - of course most of this will be covered up once I put in the sky and ocean.  However I can refer to my camera and recall this photo - :>)

Melissa took some photos of me 

OK - now I toss in the horizon line and some of the ocean and some clouds.  NOW - for those of you with a short memory - I AM TRYING TO MAKE THIS WHAT I TERM SEMI-SEMI ABSTRACT SOOOOOOO DON'T GET ALARMED!!!!!

I toss in some ocean

Whoops more sneaky photos!!!

As you can see, I do not use a palette with colors squeezed out ahead of time.  I'm never sure of what colors I will use as it is all spontaneous and I work direct from the tubes of paint - I grab a color without a lot of thought, squeeze the tube and scoop the paint off with my palette knife or brush.

Closeups of horizon line and palm trunk

All three palm trunks tossed in

I will now finish up the painting and as you folks know this is the part where I adjust & tweak with processes that I don't let you see - as I say - I'm sworn to secrecy!!!!

BAM-BAM-BAM

WE HAVE A PAINTING

This painting has a lot of action (movement) in it which was intended as part of the looseness and semi-semi abstract journey I'm on.  I love paintings with movement in them - they hold the attention of the viewers and the eyes tend to dance thru the painting.  I don't think anyone would be bored looking at this - they may not like it --- but they can't say they were bored!!!

JR    :>)

HAPPY FRIDAY 2/15/13

Yo my friends,

Well today is a cloudy day with off and on sun so we have decided on a day of painting-writing-reading-snoozing and baking chocolate chip cookies using a recipe that my good artist friend Dale gave to me.

Melissa and I were talking about out RV journey yesterday morning over coffee and to both of us - perhaps to varying degrees one of the top reasons we liked RV-ing was the simplistic life style it gave us.

There were times we went without TV for a month as we could not pickup any stations.  This happened in Nova Scotia - once in a while we could get one station but it would fade in and out.  Then in Quebec Canada we could not pull in any TV stations - but once in a while one would come in blurry and of course was in French!!!!  We started to enjoy not having TV - we have a couple of choice shows that we like but other than that in general the TV programming of today SUCKS!!!

We got long wonderfully without TV!!!!!!

We developed a routine of going for a walk most every morning and then breakfast upon our return, along with checking emails and the news to make sure the country was not under attack  :>)

We would go for an evening walk most days as well - we would go to a park and sit around and watch the boats and read and snooze and bring a simple lunch with us.

Things like this - simplistic - but Ahhhhhhhhh so very-very nice!  We are carrying these and more of the RV simplistic life style over to our now life in the condo - it was easy to do as we had lived simplistically for almost a year in our RV and we now  enjoy that simplistic life style in our condo.

We don't buy something unless we really need it and first we look around at what we have to see if we can substitute something instead of buying.  When we do buy something we try to have it be multi - purposed use.

We enough jibber-jabber - I'm off to throw some paint around!!!!!

JR     :>)

  

THE ROAD TO SEMI-ABSTRACT No. II

Yo my friends,

Happy Thursday to y'all!

Well, Melissa is at the yoga studio teaching 2 classes this morning so I once again decided to THROW paint at my easel.

I'm trying to go down the painting road of semi-abstract which of course means different things to different people.  HOWEVER - my painting hand once again seems to be controlling my mind in that I have yet to produce something that I would call semi abstract.  Therefore I feel I have to look at these first attempts as the beginning of the road and I have to work on allowing my emotions to control my hand and this will take time - but in the meantime I'm having fun preparing for this journey.

OK - enough jibber-jabber!!!!

11 x 14 on heavy linen paper - painted with a palette knife and minor brush work - wet into wet - Alla prima with gusto and freedom of strokes.

"ON SHORE WINDS"

11 X 14

First I once again put two lines on the canvas - one for the horizon and one for the shoreline

Now in one fell swoop I throw in the sky - using a palette knife loaded with blobs & globs of paint make this a very fast and easy process

I now add the ocean

Next I throw in the palm trunk using several colors loaded onto the palette knife

Close up of palm trunk

OK - time to throw in the palm fronds and to wrapped this painting up

BAM-BAM-BAM

WE HAVE A PAINTING

DETAIL OF FRONDS AND TRUNK

IT IS EASY TO SEE THE LEVEL OF CHUNKINESS THE PALETTE KNIFE BRINGS TO THE SURFACE OF THE CANVAS - OF COURSE THE PALETTE KNIFE IS LOADED WITH LOTS OF THICK JUICY PAINT!

Hope you enjoy this posting and I'm determined to continue on this road to semi-abstract and it is just a case of mind over matter with a break through allowing the emotions to control the painting process.  Just a matter of time.

Enjoy the day - it's a cloudy one here with chances of off and on showers the next couple of days.
We have been in Punta Gorda since November 1 and it has only rained a small portion of 2 days during this time.

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!!!!!

JR   :>)

SEMI-ABSTRACT #1

YO MY FRIENDS,

Well - Melissa is teaching yoga this morning so I figured I would generate a semi-abstract painting.

After all is said and done, it did not turn out as SEMI-ABSTRACT as I had hope BUT that said - and I just said it - this is a beginning of a new avenue for me and I'm sure it will take time to develop.

This was done with a palette knife and HUMONGOUS blobs and globs of thick juicy paint applied with gusto and all caution was set aside as well as attention to strokes.  This was totally the art of FLINGING paint onto the canvas with not a goal in mind as to the color or content of the painting.

My motto is "sometimes the best laid plans of man are not worth the time or effort"  I like to jump in and let my emotions control the flow of the painting.

Soooooooo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11 x 14 on canvas panel - painted wet into wet - alla prima with a very high degree of gusto and vigor.  For those of you who do not like very loose and borderline semi abstract - you may be excused today.   :>)

SEMI-ABSTRACT BOCA GRANDE #1

OK - Let's begin - first I start with a blank canvas panel that I have indicated where the horizon line will be and the shore line

Next I throw in the sky

Very quickly and with efficiency of strokes, I "DUMP" in the clouds and the beginning of the ocean - you can see the palette knife marks - I love this!!!!!! 

I now put in the rest of the ocean with that unmistakable Gulf of Mexico green 

I now toss in some indications of waves as well as the reflection of some of the clouds 

With palette knife loaded with paint I toss in the palm trunk.  I decided to do a single palm as an indication of the strength of these trees in what can be some pretty adverse conditions. 

Also in a painting the COI (center of interest) with a vertical orientation gives the painting strength.

When you look at the next photo I'm sure you will exclaim

"HOLY CRAP --- WHAT STRENGTH!!!!!"

Next I toss in some palm fronds

Detail of the base of the palm trunk

 

OK - time for some "housekeeping" issues - a tweak here and a tweak there and a sandy beach - some cast shadows etc etc -- YOU KNOW, all those things that I will never show you how I do them as I have been sworn to secrecy. 

BAM-BAM-BAM 

WE HAVE A PAINTING!

More of this style of painting is forth coming - however I shall try to develop more of a semi-abstract appearance then this one.  I consider this a good beginning but not yet where i want to be in this semi-abstract process.

Until next time my friends - enjoy the day - say hello and smile at a few people you pass by today and come the end of the day you will feel happier.

JR      :>)