I’ve been busy this summer with my new Nikon Z8 camera. Since getting the camera in April I’ve taken thousands of photographs. Earlier this month I revisited Cedar Point, a NE Ohio amusement park known for its extreme rollercoasters. I bought a season pass to the park for the third straight year. I took this…
The question is, “How do I fix my stuck painting?” The answer is always drawing. When one of my paintings stalls, drawing is the cure. My most successful paintings started with studies where I clarified the ideas that inspired the painting. I get in trouble when I cut corners to save time. This study is…
I finished this large study for a painting I plan. Studies like this help me clarify my thoughts. When making a study, I almost always filter out elements–hardly ever add new ones. That’s what happened this time too. You probably can’t tell from this photo but I’ve removed several background figures as I worked on…
I finished the drawing for this painting which is the latest in my Amusement Park Series. I’ve pushed the drawing on the canvas farther than usual to clarify the complicated relationships among the 16 or so figures. The drawing is lead pencil which allows more precision than charcoal. You might wonder why I spend so…
My Amusement Park Series absorbs most of my time. The series contains a lot of large watercolors that I will share soon. But of course, the lion’s share of time is spent with the oils. Most of the works in the series are oils. Here are two oils in the series. The topmost painting, The…
Cedar Point is known as the “Roller Coaster Capital of the World.” It is one of the oldest and largest amusement parks in the United States. In addition to the roller coasters, the park has beautifully landscaped areas and stunning white beaches on Lake Erie. I regularly visit Cedar Point with my Nikon z7. This…
Friday afternoon I grabbed my camera and headed to Cedar Point. The summer has been unusually rainy here and this was a rare chance to visit the amusement park during strong sunlight. I normally carry my camera gear in a backpack but Friday was sunny and HOT. So I limited my gear to three lenses…
The hand clamps I use for carpentry are versatile. Here, I’ve used one to attach a palette to my easel. My big palette, the one that spills over my paint cabinet, is movable but when I work on a big canvas, like this one, it can be a tight fit. My big palette has space…