I'm keeping my promise

Yo blog buddies,

When I closed out my posting of last week I made mention that the desert was calling and tugging at me again.  I love the desert!!!!  It does not have to be Arizona - as the desert in La Paz Mexico is very beautiful - the desert of Aruba is quite beautiful - the high desert of Taos and Santa Fe NM are also beautiful.  I like the quietness and colors that can be seen at various times of the day and early evening.  We lived in the Sonoran desert in North Scottsdale AZ for 7 years - it was an experience I will never forget - a very happy time.  Some people think a desert is a big pile of sand -----for those who think this ------ I feel very sorry for you as you are missing a lot of beauty - and you know not what you say!!!!


Most of these pieces are semi abstract in style with spontaneity in color and form.

"Reflections in the Bad Lands"

9 x 12 on single canvas sheet

Palette knife

Vermilion Cliffs - Motif No. I

8 x 18 

Palette knife

Sonoran Desert

9 x 12

Palette knife

Vermilion Cliffs Motif No. II

Utah

9 x 18

Palette knife & dry brush

Tucson Bound

6 x 18 

Dry Brush

On A Clear Day .....

6 x 18

Dry Brush

Distant Badlands

6 x 18

Dry Brush

Desert Sunset

6 x 18

Dry Brush

The Test Of Time

12 x 9 

Dry Brush

I'm going to close this post out with a painting of the "Giant of the Desert"

The saguaro cactus grow upwards to 45 feet tall ( and taller), with a girth of 10 feet and larger and can live upwards to 150 years.....

For those of you who like to read in between the lines and add a twist to my words - NO we are not entertaining a move to Arizona or the desert.  

At times I do miss the desert and I visit the desert in my minds eye through painting.

I love the ocean as much as the desert and I most love the desert at the ocean such as in La Paz Mexico - perhaps my most favorite place (currently) on this planet.

Sooooo entertaining a move NO !

To me the desert is a very magical place - it can be soft and it can be harsh - the light plays a big part in the beauty of the desert as at times gives a mystique to its surroundings.

Hope you enjoyed this journey into the deserts of the Southwest a place we called home for 7 years and a place never to be forgotten,  - it was a very special time in my life.

Take care and I'll see Y'all next week or whenever the spirit moves me.

JR     :>)

AS THE DAYS PASS

Yo my friends,

Well another week has passed and I've more paintings to share with y'all.

The mornings here are starting out a tad cooler than the past few months - a definite sign that autumn is on its way.  We like autumn best living here in Florida as the humidity disappears for the most part and the afternoon temperatures drop by 10 - 15 degrees compared to the height of the summer.  From November through April this area of Florida is close to perfect weather - very enjoyable :>)

The coming of autumn has encouraged me to start a series I call:

"As The Season Turns"

Sounds like a daytime soap opera !!!  :>)

Most of these pieces are done in a semi-abstract painterly style - one that I love to work with and have pretty much settled into as "my style."

"As The Season Turns  No. I

9 x 12 

Single canvas sheet - painted with palette knife and dry brush processes with lots of spontaneity in form, color and strokes

Salt Marsh - As The Season Turns No. II

9 x 12 on single canvas sheet -  - painted with palette knife and dry brush processes with lots of spontaneity in form, color and strokes

As The Season Turns No. III

9 x 12 on single canvas sheet  -  painted with palette knife and dry brush processes with lots of spontaneity in from, color and strokes

Mississippi Rice Farm

6 x 22 - painted with palette knife and dry brush processes with lots of spontaneity in form , color and strokes.

We spent some time in the Mississippi "rice farm area" during our 1 year RV journey across parts of the USA & Canada

Well, I hope you enjoyed the journey this week and as always - any questions regarding artistic processes or questions regarding purchasing any of these works,, just click on my email address at the top of the blog and I'll be happy to respond. OR if you just want to say 

"YO JR"

You can do that also.

I can feel myself migrating back towards my love for the Arizona desert and would not be surprised to be doing some desert scenes during the next week.  I also have a desire to concentrate on some pieces using only my trusty companion "MACK" the palette knife !!!!  :>)

Take care - have a great weekend and set some time aside for enjoyment!!!

JR     :>)

I'mmmmmmmmm BACK!!!!!

Yo my friends,

Well - another week has passed and before I talk about paintings, I'd like to sound off!!!!  I do that every once in a while so if you don't want to listen just space down to the art section.

The Army C of  E's are releasing fresh water into the ocean which is causing pollution, killing sea life and grasses and in general causing unhealthy conditions to the public.  The Governor does not seem to really care or want to put much effort into stopping this (good luck to his re-election) .

The life line of Florida is its tourism - without it the State would be in shambles.  Tourism is already down and will most likely dip even more during the upcoming winter.  The water at the shore and quite a ways out from shore is murky, dirty, and brownish color filled with dangerous impurities!

I certainly would not knowingly eat any fish caught off the immediate coast East or West!!!!!

OK - I'm done.

I did quite a few paintings this week and following are the ones I most like:

Autumn Local Color No. II

9 x 12 

Palette knife and dry brush

Autumn - Local Color No. III

9 x 12

Palette knife and dry brush

Montana Yellow Mustard Seed Field

6 x 22

Palette knife and dry brush

(This one I have to say is my favorite- not sure if it will be for sale or become one that I keep in my collection)

Autumn - Baie Ste. Paul - Quebec

6 x 22

Palette knife and brush

As some of you know, Melissa and I love Old Quebec - the city and all of the villages and hamlets in the surrounding area.  Baie Ste. Paul is perhaps our very favorite village and the views coming along the hyway into the Baie Ste. Paul area are fantastic.  This is one of our favorite views.

This I must say is very high up on my list of favorites.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this presentation and perhaps even my editorial regarding the pollution of the coast lines of Florida - such criminal actions!!

As always if you have any questions regarding any of my painting processes or any interest in any of the paintings presented - just click on my email at the beginning of the blog and I will respond to you "post haste - forthwith"

Enjoy your weekend and SMILE - it takes less facial muscles than frowning and will save you a lot of wrinkles!!!!

JR       :>)

This weeks featured paintings

Yo Blog Buddies,

Well ------ yet another week has passed!!!  I've been busy with painting and helping my wife proof read the sequel to her novel.  Very exciting times as Melissa gets ready to publish the sequel to The Christmas Village.  This is going to be a block buster as well and when it is ready for purchase through Amazon and other outlets I'll be sure to let youse guys know!!!!  :>)

I've continued with my use of the palette knife - not in all my paintings this week but in a couple of them.  I'm alternating between palette knife and dry brush techniques.

PINE ISLAND - FLORIDA

12 X 22 - PALETTE KNIFE & BRUSH

LOVERS KEY STATE PARK BEACH

PALETTE KNIFE AND BRUSH

6 X 18 

THE WHEAT FIELD

6 X 18

The Wheat Field - 6 x 18 on heavy linen paper with Chroma Interactive acrylics.  Painted  using palette knife and the dry brush technique - alla prima - with lots of spontaneity and emotion.

I guess parts of this are close to abstract but I consider it to be semi abstract.  I was taught that if one can identify the items contained within the piece that is is semi abstract - so I hope y'all can identify the pieces parts of this piece.

SWEET CAROLINA DUNES - PALETTE KNIFE

6 X 18

South Carolina has some wonderful beaches with awesome dunes - especially in the Crescent Beach area.

OH CANADA

6 X 18 ON HEAVY LINEN PAPER - DRY BRUSH TECHNIQUE

My wife and I love Canada - especially Old Quebec City and the surrounding villages and hamlets.  

We have been going there for the past 20 + years or so, spending time there during summer - winter- fall.

This is sort of my tribute to this most wonderful county - city and it's lovely friendly peoples.

THE OLD ROAD

9 X 12 

QUEBECOIS PAINTERLY STYLE - DRY BRUSH TECHNIQUE

Well - I hope you enjoyed this presentation this week and remember if you ever have any questions regarding my painting processes or about one of the paintings - just click on my email address at the beginning of the blog and I will respond to you.

I say this every week and does anyone ever send me an email with a question?

NAH!!!

But that's OK - the way I look at it is if you ever wanted to --------- you would know how to do it.

Well ----- I'll be back in a week or so with more work for y'all to look at - unless of course I find something more interesting to do.

JR   :>)

BACK AGAIN!!!1

Yo my friends,

Well - I'm back so that means I did not hit the lottery!!!!  :>(

I've been busy painting and have gone back to my palette knife for several pieces.  I love palette knife work - it is so liberating as I try to use full arm strokes with the knife and lots of thick juicy paint on the knife.  The one draw back to palette knife painting is the consumption of paint!!!!  I would estimate that a painting with a palette knife uses upwards to 3 times the amount of paint as one would use with brushes.  This becomes very costly as professional grade paint is quite expensive!!!  However - that said - and I just said it - the finished product is exceptional in appearance compared to most brushed paintings - that of course is my opinion.

For 20+ years we lived on the mid coast of Maine.   We never ventured up into Acadia NP - we thought it was too far to drive ----- DUH!!!
During 2012 we lived full time in our 31 foot RV and traveled the USA and Canada for almost a year.  Setting out from Santa Fe NM we went across to TX - SC - up the east coast and into Acadia NP and then on into Canada.
Acadia NP was as it turned out to be one of the top highlights of our year long journey through 23 states and 3 Canadian provinces.

"Acadia Overlook "- semi abstract rendering with palette knife - painted with freedom of knife strokes, spontaneity and lots of emotion representing  the beauty found in Acadia NP


12 x 22 on Heavy Linen Paper - palette knife application:

DUNES IN THE SHADE - FORT PICKENS FLORIDA

9 X 12 ON SINGLE CANVAS SHEET - PALETTE KNIFE AND BRUSH 

The sand on the beaches of Fort Pickens ( Pensacola Fl) is as white as the new fallen snow.  It is a very light sand and has lots of sparkle to it - just like snow.  When the - breezes blow - daily - this pure white sand is blown across the access roads and they actually have to plow the sand with snow plows - load it into trucks and redeposit it back onto the beaches.

A most remarkable site!!!

During our 12 months of living in our RV and touring the USA and Canada - we stayed at Fort Pickens for 2 weeks - a most exciting and memorable stay - you feel like you are at the end of the earth with just beach and sea all around you.

I've been told by other painters not to paint the sand white as a white ground is reserved for SNOW!!!!!  To this I say NAY - NAY- NAY.  The sand on the beaches in Fort Pickens is as white as the new fallen snow and so shall it be in my paintings of Fort Pickens beaches - as without white sand it would  not  be Fort Pickens beaches.

South Carolina was another lovely place that we stopped in for a week - the city of Charleston is very beautiful and the people are charming and quite friendly - the beaches are wonderful.

CRESCENT BEACH

Palette knife

9 x 12 on canvas sheet

Abstract Coastal Grasses - Palette Knife

6 x 18

Palette knife painting is a lot of fun and as I say it can be very liberating giving the artist an opportunity to be a little "wild & crazy" - it is a style within itself with the textures and "marbleized" colors that can be produced are to my eyes MUSIC!!!

I did more jibber-jabber this posting so I shall now shut up and  

I hope you folks enjoyed the palette knife paintings.  

Remember, if you have any question about my painting processes of question about the paintings just click on my email address at the beginning of the blog and I will get an answer to y'all real quick like.

No doubt I'll be back in about a week unless I find something better to do or max out my credit cards and head for La Paz Mexico

Later amigos

JR    :>)