What good is 4 gigs of memory in a camera card, when you can’t persuade any of your devices to consider a detente and actually perform together?
The card didn’t like the reader, the reader didn’t like the computer. It’s now been reconciled so here are some of the images that were hostages in a 1 inch blue plastic card for two weeks.
The Gatekeeper- Oil on Linen Panel 9″X 12″
Knowing there was going to be lots of green in this ( the dreaded green..) I thought I’d neutralize it by toning the canvas with red- mostly a wash of alizarin and burnt sienna. Here’s part of the process in reverse.
I moved around on this one, didn’t concentrate too much on any one area and working it to death by hovering. A recent quote said ” A painting isn’t finished, it’s abandoned.” It takes effort to know when to walk away.
The sketch and photo preceded these and you can see them here.
The colors on the finished one were significantly sharper after Photoshop but some feature of downloading on to the blog seems to have left them looking a little chalky. At least to me.
More than paintings, I know it’s Larry you’re all coming back to see. So not to disappoint…..( Pat, avert your eyes! )
That’s a banana slice with some skin still on it.
He waits every morning. Tomorrow, maybe french toast.
Tags: camera troubles, caribbean oil painting, Larry the Lizard, painting works in progress
Asheville: The North West of The South East 
December 4, 2008 at 2:12 am |
Isn’t technology something, especially when you become its tortured slave? still – it was worth the wait. For the paintings, that is.
As for Larry – how about getting him a blog of his own for Christmas?
December 4, 2008 at 3:50 am |
Nice relaxed pose.
About your card. Can’t you just plug your camera directly into your computer via a USB cable? That’s what I do with my our digital cameras (a very old one, my wife has a newer one and I have a DSLR plus an underwater one as well) of differing makes.
It’s slow but it does work for me.
December 4, 2008 at 7:45 am |
Gorgeous painting! and verrrrry cute photo of the Little Green Man. Did you have to resort to professional arbitration to get all the little electronic devices to get along?
December 4, 2008 at 11:55 am |
How about a painting of Larry eating that delicious piece of fruit?
December 4, 2008 at 11:59 am |
Oh, for life to be simple again. Those technical glitches can drive us nuts! Curious how Larry can swallow upside down! Nice loose painting, and I love the red undercurrents.
December 4, 2008 at 1:04 pm |
I think his face looks kinda amazing here. I think from previous posts you’ve said that you deliberately try to not fuss too much with faces and details. But, I have to say if you look at the photograph and then at the painting, you’d have to say, “Nice job”, don’t you think? I have a consistent problem with colors uploading to wordpress as well. I thought it was the jpeg thing but then I noticed that my jpeg that I would email looked fine but it was just up on wordpress that it looked dull. I wonder if any of your readers might know the fix?
December 4, 2008 at 1:27 pm |
Bonnie,
the painting turned out great. Wonderful expression in his face and I love how you captured his stance!
I still can’t figure out how to download my pictures onto my computer. Still waiting for Matt to do it……….zzzzzzzzzzz……. There is too much technology in the world and I can’t keep up. But I do love my blackberry.
Wonderful painting and great job getting the image off the little disky thing.
December 4, 2008 at 1:46 pm |
Reverse order- it’s just easier.
Pat- you’re so right about the face. I did kinda nail the features and the expression just right. I can give myself credit here since I don’t usually. Interesting that you’d find the same anomaly with wordpress and photo reproduction.
I was just told that wordpress is changing some things about its’ features TOMORROW. I don’t know what that means exactly but lets’ find out together.
All the photos seem to look hazy and chalked over.
JoAnn- simple was the day of the Polaroid or the 35mm SLR. Of course, not simple was how much film was, how much developing was, and that out of 36 shots, you were lucky to have 2 that you liked! So the yin and the yang…..
Judy- if there is a Larry painting to be done, it would have to be done by YOU, the premiere animal portraitist. And you should have his face embedded in memory by now.
Jala- just a new card reader. A different brand and it worked just fine.
Razz- I did have cables but somehow after downloading it the first time, the folder totally disappeared and wouldn’t download again. Don’t even ask. I’d have more hair on my head if I didn’t have tech meltdowns.
Ketra- Larry possesses great wisdom and wants nothing to do with technology. He does want residuals and royalties, though.
And thanks for visiting and leaving a comment.
December 4, 2008 at 2:36 pm |
Your “Gate keeper” is very nice. I like it a lot.
December 4, 2008 at 3:10 pm |
Great design. I like this painting.
Cute little lizard or whatever it is.
December 4, 2008 at 8:25 pm |
Hi Bonnie. This one turned out really nice. I like everything about it.
Many years ago I lived in a very primitive little apartment on St. John, and every day I’d find Larry’s cousins in my shower.
December 5, 2008 at 3:59 am |
Love the looseness of the painting – the greens turned out nicely muted, so the reddish underpainting worked like magic. And I love Larry.
December 5, 2008 at 4:25 am |
I feel like on blogspot, the same thing happens–the pic looks great color-wise as a jpeg, but when it goes onto blogspot…it gets chalky and dull looking. Grrrr….. Oh well, I guess it just goes to show how much better paintings look in person!
December 5, 2008 at 12:43 pm |
S. Le- thanks, glad you like it.
Bill- did you run out of words after using them all up on your last post?
That lizard is called an anole. ( rhymes with Cannoli )
Bill G.-Thanks for the compliment. I appreciate your comments.
These guys are everywhere- under picture frames, in laundry hampers, I just shake everything out before using it, including shoes!.
Nava- Yup, I had to turn down the volume on green. Although it seems to work just fine for Larry. He’d look good in anything.
Jala- so maybe it’s like everyone at the table eating garlic. We compensate and overlook because we all feel the same way about the outcome!
December 5, 2008 at 3:27 pm |
I’ve had it with anoles.
December 5, 2008 at 10:14 pm |
Yep
December 6, 2008 at 12:25 pm |
Those neutral greens actually pop the deep reds in the shadows of the arm and face. No chalkiness to me. Brushwork is stunning.
I feel your angst regarding technology. I can’t tell you how many times my CPU has almost gone airborne through window.
December 7, 2008 at 1:40 pm |
Thanks Sharon- seems there isn’t a day without some tech related melt down.
Can’t live without it, yet we did…..
December 10, 2008 at 2:14 am |
Another really loose portrait from you Bonnie. I like it. Nice energy.
I find the same thing with blogger photos. They always seem to post more washed out than I was just looking at them in photoshop, so I always boost them just a bit first and lower the levels an extra bit.
Nothing is easy.
December 10, 2008 at 11:31 am |
Frank- appreciate the good words. This one seemed to fall into place early in the process and stayed that way.
Thanks for the suggestion about color compensation- I’m going to try it.
Nothing is easy -you’re right. Then everyone would do it.
December 10, 2008 at 2:24 pm |
Your Gate keeper is wonderful!
Excellent values.
I never did figure out my card reader, when my USB cord got crushed, I went with out downloading pictures for ages before I could get a new cord, it had to be a special Canon one.
December 10, 2008 at 5:44 pm |
Paulette- funny, I was thinking about you and your blog this morning and here you are!
Glad to know you check in from time to time- I really appreciate the encouraging words.
PS- I just spent 3 hours on the phone with tech support for our new wireless router! Who can paint?
December 10, 2008 at 11:40 pm |
Beautiful, Bonnie… You seem to achieve that loose and fresh, yet very real look with seeming ease. I know it’s sssssoooooooooooooo much harder… (or we’d all be doing it!!)
Love your work… … love Larry too. He knows whats good for him doesn’t he??
December 11, 2008 at 1:32 am |
Glad everything decided to cooperate finally. I like to see the progression stages in your paintings.
I like to see Larry, too. 😉
Paz
December 11, 2008 at 2:18 pm |
Since you are not putting up new work I have to stick with this piece; which I like very much. However, after looking mulitple times (as there are no new posts to distract me), I have to ask about his right arm as it looks a little transparent as if light were shining through from behind.
PS – Carol said I can come over for a ham sandwich on Christmas.
December 11, 2008 at 11:09 pm |
Hi, Bonnie!
I like this guy – he looks like he desires justice. Nice stance and countenance!
(interesting 7 points about you, too – in the tag post. i’m with you on the water thing – LOVE water, but boats in rough water……not my happy place…………..)
Solveg
December 12, 2008 at 11:55 am |
Marian- thanks so much. This one was easier than others and I never know why that is. Squinting worked well here because of the high contrast in lights and darks.
Larry is still a star.
Hi Paz- thanks for stopping by again. Glad to see some more Larry sponsors.
Bill- have you run out of rants? I see what you’re describing although it’s more a feature of color translation getting wonky after uploading to the blog. But it does look more like sunlight bouncing off the underside of his arm in the painting.
I’m working on a new one but it’s not going well. Maybe today will be better.
Solveg- Hi! Funny how you nailed the character of this guy. He’s a vendor at our farmers’ market and is the first person here to grow and sell sprouts. He seems a humble, righteous guy.
Always glad when you drop in a comment here.
December 12, 2008 at 2:55 pm |
I want Larry for my very own. It’s too cold for him here and I have two cats. *sigh*
December 16, 2008 at 2:32 pm |
Bonnie! Where Art Thou? almost 2 weeks on the prowl. What has becomest of you?
December 16, 2008 at 9:03 pm |
Planetross- It’s good to be missed. But I’m not playing hard to get, I’m well and well, bereft of blogging submits that are worthy of loyalists like you.
Now I’m motivated.
Thanks, I needed that.
December 16, 2008 at 9:24 pm |
How’s this for motivation? That gatekeeper is beginning to annoy me! This is Bad Pat.
December 17, 2008 at 12:40 am |
Pat- I feel your shoe!
I’m going to duck but unlike our soon to be gone president, I can openly admit when I’ve wronged.
And you are NOT Bad, you are right!
I catch your drift.
And your other shoe.
I’m loooong overdue and starting to annoy myself.
March 19, 2009 at 11:52 pm |
Hi
Good art,good talking and good site.
Pete,Theartbrush