Here you may posts about my 2009 activities. I invite you to contact me with your comments. Any and all feedback will be appreciated!
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Here you may posts about my 2009 activities. I invite you to contact me with your comments. Any and all feedback will be appreciated! |
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| My 13"x 19" prints of "Southern Pride" are now available from the Fort Payne Depot Museum! |
| Visitors to the Fort Payne Depot Museum may now purchase a copy of "Southern Pride" from the Depot Museum. For each print purchased, the museum will receive $5.00 to be used to meet operational & upkeep expenses. My thanks to curator Ann Houston for this opportunity to market my art & help the Fort Payne Depot Museum raise funds! |
| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| New 13"x 19" prints available of "Southern Pride" and "Widge" for mail-order! |
| Posted here are images of the new prints that we have just begun to publish. "Southern Pride" is an open edition 13"x 19" print available for $30.00 plus shipping & "Widge" is an edition limited to 250 13"x 19" prints signed & numbered by the artist, and these are available for $35.00 plus shipping. Click HERE to place an order. |
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| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| My new railroad work in mixed media entitled "Southern Pride" has been added to the Wheels & Rails Gallery! |
| Since finishing this piece a week ago, I have been working feverishly to get this painting scan pre-pressed and off to my printer. I am happy to announce that the 13"x 19" prints are now available through this website via mail-order, and from Katherine's Framing in Fort Payne, Alabama for $30.00 each! They will also be available for purchase at the Fort Payne Depot Museum. To see more click HERE to go to my complete step-by-step demo of this work. A companion piece to this work is planned of the Fort Payne Depot as it appeared during the steam era & featuring a train from that time. A series of companion prints of this work will be offered also, and I will post further updates on this project as it developes! |
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| To view this art in my Wheels & Rails Art Gallery click HERE. |
| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| I am now an Artist Member of the American Society of Aviation Artists! |
| I am pleased to announce that I received notification yesterday from A.S.A.A. Membership Secretary Art Lumley that the membership committee/jury has approved my application to become an Artist Member of the American Society of Aviation Artists! The American Society of Aviation Artists is an organization of artists dedicated to the promotion and appreciation of art that celebrates the history, achievements, and subject matter of the field of aviation. It is an organization known for its strict promotion of and adherence to high standards of artistic quality and craftsmanship, and I feel truly honored that the A.S.A.A. membership committee members deemed the quality of my work fit enough to approve my membership in their society! I look forward to improving my skills as an aviation artist through my membership in this organization. To learn more about the A.S.A.A., visit their website at www.asaa-avart.org |
| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| 2nd Annual Aviation Art Expo at the Southern Museum of Flight |
| Last Saturday we put a wrap on the Southern Museum of Flight's 2nd Annual Aviation Art Expo in Birmingham, Alabama. The event kicked off with an opening gala on Thursday evening, November 5th, and closed Saturday afternoon, November 7th. New attendees at this year's show were Linda Morton, Greg Johnson, Leslie Hoops-Wallace, Suzy Templin, Ray Waddey, and A.S.A.A. members Sam Lyons, and Alison Boyle. Myself, Kevin Webster, Jennifer Harwell, and Gina Rymarcsuk were among those who were returning artists from last year's show. |
| (Please click on the images to link to each artist's page) |
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| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| Praise from Ian Gleed's great-nephew in England about "Widge" ! |
| Since finishing and posting the completed painting in my Aviation & Military Art Gallery, I've received the message posted below from Steve Gleed. Needless to say, Steve's heart-felt praise has made all of the effort that I've put into this project all the more worthwhile! To see more click HERE to go to my complete step-by-step demo of this work. |
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| To view this art in my Aviation & Military Art Gallery click HERE. |
| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| Hyperscale's webmaster Brett Green has graciously posted
this piece (at right) in the Gallery section on his fabulous website! As I have stated before, Brett's website has been an on-line "Mecca" for model builders and researchers for years! Hyperscale is a great site to visit for info for artists like me who need a quick, easy to navigate source for imagery and information on the aviation & military subject matter that we like to render in our art. The reviews on kits, reference books, and links to other useful websites make his spot on the web a valuable resource. Even if you aren't a model building hobbyist, I invite you to navigate the link above and see for yourself. My thanks to Brett Green for this promotion of my work! |
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| To view this art in my Aviation & Military Art Gallery click HERE. |
| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| "Widge" is now completed! |
| Well folks, as of last Sunday, "Widge" was completed! As shown below, we now have Flight Lieutenant Ian Richard Gleed seated in his fighter & smiling back at us as he wings his way back to his aerodrome. I'm now engaged in getting the proofing done for the print series, which will be available soon! To see the detailed process that has led to this point, click HERE to view the complete step-by-step demo of this project. |
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| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| Making further progress on "Widge" ! |
| Well folks, we're in the home stretch on "Widge" ! As you can see in the image below, I've finished rendering the markings and the exhaust stacks, and I'm now half done with refining and adding details to the entire aircraft. To see more detailed images of this process, go to my complete step-by-step demo of this project by clicking HERE . |
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| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| "Mountain Lake Monarch" & "Colorful Classics" on exhibition in the Rome Art Coterie Member Show hosted by the Rome Area Council for the Arts! |
| The two pieces shown below are on exhibition along with other fine works created by members of the Rome Art Coterie. This exhibition is being sponsored and hosted by the Rome Area Council for the Arts in their gallery at 248 Broad Street, Rome, GA. 30161. The show's duration is from September 1st to September 25th. Go to www.romearts.org to see more. |
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| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| Getting the markings rendered for "Widge" ! |
| I've managed to get most of the aircraft's airbrush work done on "Widge" ! In aircraft model building it has been said that the markings "make" the model. I think in this case that the same may also be said of our subject in this painting. To see the complete step-by-step demo of this project, click HERE . |
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| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| Ian Gleed's great-nephew in England contacts me about "Widge" ! |
| Early this month my wife and I were visiting our daughter's family in Killeen, Texas where my son-in-law is stationed at Fort Hood. While checking my webmail on my their computer I was totally surprised to find the message reproduced below from "Widge" Gleed's great-nephew Steve. Needless to say I was completely delighted - and inspired - by hearing from a relative of the man this painting is about. I am now keeping him posted on the painting's progress; isn't it wonderful what the world wide web can make possible? Also, I'm well along on airbrushing the camouflage scheme on the Hurricane! To see more click HERE to go to my complete step-by-step demo of this project. |
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| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| Masking the Background in Preparation for Painting the Plane for "Widge" ! |
| Pictured below you can see where I'm masking out the backgound on "Widge" so I can start airbrushing the the Hurricane fighter! To see more click HERE to go to my complete step-by-step demo of this project. |
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| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| I just received notice last night from "the land down under" that Hyperscale maestro
Brett Green has graciously posted this piece (at right) in the Gallery section on his fabulous website! For those of you who aren't aware of it, Brett's website has been an on-line "Mecca" for model builders and researchers for years! His efforts have made Hyperscale.com the premiere site to visit for info not just on model building, but for artists like me who need a quick, easy to navigate source for imagery and information on the aviation & military subject matter that we like to render in our art. The reviews on kits, reference books, and links to other useful websites make his spot on the web more than "just about models". If you aren't a model building hobbyist, I invite you to navigate the link above and see for yourself. My thanks to Brett Green for this promotion of my work! |
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| To view this art in my Aviation & Military Art Gallery click HERE. |
| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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I'm pleased that my mixed media work "The Release" , (at left) has been selected to be a Finalist in another area juried show. The Gadsden Art Association sent notice that I needed to deliver this work to them by the end of last week. The show is being hosted by the Gadsden Museum of Art at 548 Broad Street in Gadsden, Alabama. The exhibition was originally scheduled to open on Wednesday, July 1st and will run until Wednesday, August 26th. But due to renovations to the museum's upstairs gallery taking longer than expected, the show will will be delayed. The Opening Reception and Awards Presentation will now be on Sunday, July 19th at 2:00pm to 4:00pm at the Gadsden Museum of Art. The closing date of the exhibition will still be August 26th. So if you are in the Gadsden area during that time frame, please take time to vist the museum and see the exhibiton. |
| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| Airbrushing the Cloudscape for "Widge" ! |
| I've managed to get the cloudscape airbrush work done on "Widge" just in time to take it with me to the IPMS/Metro Atlanta show in Marietta, Georgia this weekend! To see more click HERE to go to my complete step-by-step demo of this project. |
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| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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My friend Jon Bius has kindly posted this article about my Tuskegee Airmen prints at his website, Agape Models. He tells of how he, the late Tom Myers of Accurate Miniatures, and I all met at the IPMS/Atlanta model show last year, which led to the creation of this art for Tom's company. He also provides links to his previous build article on the kit, and to my website. My thanks to Jon for this wonderful promotion of my work! Click HERE to view a large version of the print. |
| To view this art in my Aviation & Military Art Gallery click HERE. |
| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| The Masking for Airbrushing the Cloudscape for "Widge" Begins! |
| Here I am pictured marking my acetate mask on the canvas with a drafting pen so I can remove it, cut it out, then apply it to the plane. Notice how I wear an Optivisor magnifier when I'm doing precise work like this! To see more click HERE to go to my complete step-by-step demo of this project. |
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| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| Presentation at the Gadsden Art Association's May Meeting. |
| Last night I had the distinct pleasure of being the program presenter for the May meeting of the Gadsden Art Association. Due to my requirement for a means of showing my step-by-step demo of "Mountain Lake Monarch" and "Widge" which are both posted to my website, I was graciously granted permission by art teacher Dennis Sears of Gadsden State Community College to use his classroom with its computer and projector for my presentation. To give a full appreciation of the techniques and materials that I use in rendering my art, I loaded my car down with my paints, airbrushes, compressor, frisket film and other tools. I also brought four paintings; the completed "Mountain Lake Monarch" , "Fair Skies Over England" and my in-progress portrait of my wife, Estelle, as well as my in-progress aviation art rendering "Widge" . It was very enjoyable to share with fellow artists and art lovers my blend of traditional and non-traditional art techniques that I have learned over the years. My thanks to GAA President Elaine Campbell, and Ron & Becky Schwarz, for inviting me to be the guest speaker, and to Dennis Sears for the kind use of his classroom and equipment. |
| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| Colored Pencil Study for "Widge" is Nearly Done! |
| After getting the aircraft's final details refined on the canvas, it was time to start a color study of the Hawker Hurricane to ensure that I'd have the right "feel" for the way I would need to apply my paint when airbrushing the plane. Rather than redraw the entire aircraft, I merely shot the canvas with my digital camera, and copied the image to my computer, and then I printed out the plane in sections using Photoshop. I then applied these to a piece of old matboard using 3M spray-mount. The white of the plane was the perfect ground for the colored pencil study! I still need to work on increasing the value of the dark green a bit, and I may try to darken the shadow area of the "sky" colored undersides too. To see my complete step-by-step demo of this project click HERE . |
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| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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 For those of you who don't know, I've been a
contributing author for FineScale Modeler for years and I'm delighted to announce that Associate Editor Aaron Skinner has posted this piece (at left) on page 11 of this issue
in the magazine's "Spotlight" section. He briefly tells of how I came to be hired by Accurate Miniatures to create the art for their new Tuskegee Aimen kit, and kindly mentions that
in addition to writing, modeling, and art, that I am also a graphic designer and photographer. My thanks to Aaron for this promotion of my work and to Monica Freitag for passing this info
to Aaron for inclusion in this issue! |
| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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I'm happy to announce that my mixed media work "The Release" (at left) was selected to be a Finalist
in the Rome Art Coterie's 7th National Juried Exhibition that opens today and can be viewed until May 1st. The exhibition is being hosted by the Rome Area Council for the Arts in their gallery
at 248 Broad Street in Rome, Georgia. One-hundred, thirty-six artists from 28 states have submitted 399 individual entries for consideration. From this number, 48 Finalists were selected by the juror, Mr. Paul Stevenson, for inclusion in this year's show. Given the high quality of the entries that were submitted, I feel honored that this piece was chosen for the exhibition. The Rome Art Coterie will be hosting their Opening Reception and Awards Presentation this Friday, May 3rd at 6:00pm in the gallery. |
| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| Well, I just returned yesterday evening from attending the I.P.M.S./ Roscoe Turner model show in Indianapolis, Indiana where I was an art/print vendor. When I checked my e-mail I received the pleasant news from Mountain Valley Arts Council Executive Director Kimberly Booth that "Mountain Lake Monarch" was awarded the Second Place cash prize in its category by their jurors during the reception last Friday night! After a long trip to and from Indianapolis, that was very welcome news! My thanks to Kimberly Booth and the M.V.A.C. for the honor! |
| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| I just received notice today that my airbrushed acrylic work "Mountain Lake Monarch" (at right) was chosen
to be a Finalist in Guntersville, Alabama's Springfest 2009 Juried Competition, hosted by the Mountain Valley Arts Council. Kimberly Booth, the Executive Director of the M.V.A.C., says that they need to receive the entries at their Guntersville office no later than Tuesday, March 17th. The Opening Reception and Awards Presentation will be Friday, March 20th at 6:00pm at the Tom Bevill Center on the Snead State Community College campus. |
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| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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| Hanging Out During the "Cow Art" Reception at the Jennifer Harwell Art Gallery |
| Last night I had the pleasure of being able to attend the "Cow Art" reception hosted by Jenny & Donny Harwell at the Soho Square location of Jennifer Harwell Art Studio & Gallery in Homewood (Birmingham), Alabama. Jenny & Donny had just recently agreed to represent me and a week earlier I had delivered two of my portraits to them for exhibition. I was quite delighted to see my portraits of "Kathryn" and "The Sequined Shawl" hanging on opposite walls near the gallery's front windows. It was a very enjoyable evening; the early March air was just warm enough that you could hang out in the court with the doors of the gallery propped open. It was a pleasure to get to meet other member artists of Jenny & Donny's gallery and get to associate with some of their gallery patrons & supporters such as philanthropist Jack Warner, owner of the art collection housed at the Westervelt Warner Museum of American Art in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Since the event was catered by Chik Fila, it was obligatory to have a photo taken with the Chik Fila "Cow", in keeping with the theme of the reception (below - from left to right: Myself, Jenny Harwell, "The Cow", and Jack Warner) . |
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| To visit the Jennifer Harwell Studio / Gallery website click HERE. |
| To make a comment via e-mail about this post click HERE. |
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