Sunday, November 11, 2007

THETAWAVES :: Painting Daily


After the dotcom crash, I began to paint seascapes. They were my refuge from the insanity of the high tech world...
I had gone back to school in 1998 to study web design, because that's where all of the graphic design jobs were. By 1999 I was at Oracle doing HTML. But by 2001, the game appeared to be over. Every programmer on the planet was working on Y2K (remember?) and everyone else was building web pages. Then, everything fell off a cliff. Now what? I thought I might as well do some paintings...

See more pelicans below, and on www.fine-art.com/marte8

Sunday, November 4, 2007

THETAWAVES :: Painting Daily


Seascapes may not be considered "art" by the powers that be in the art world, but I think it's like playing the classics for a musician - how can you keep a pianist from playing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata? It may even take a lifetime to get it right, but someone who is obsessed will never give up. The devotion that it takes humbles the spirit and transforms the ego into submission to the beauty of the planet...

This seascape was just rocks and water until I added the pelicans... See more pelicans below, and on
www.fine-art.com/marte8

THETAWAVES :: Painting Daily

My daily painting...
These little landscapes take less than an hour, and reinforce my confidence about color and light. Compositions are minimal, and features of hills and trees are nothing but silhouettes.

THETAWAVES :: Painting Daily

My daily paintings...
Daily paintings are intended to be preliminary sketches. I often do three of the same subject at one sitting. When I have the right colors mixed, and extra paint in my brush, there is no sense rinsing it all out. This way I get more practice, more familiarity with the subject. Sometimes I place them side by side, and get a triptych. These are 6" x 6". I call them my "Soggy Fields." (Northern California is so blessed with rain!)
To see more visit www.fine-art.com/marte8.
My daily paintings...
Palm trees against the sunset is a typical California subject. I have done many of these through the years, and never tire of them. From them, I learned much about painting skies. This one is 6" x 8".

THETAWAVES :: Painting Daily

My daily paintings...
I was raised in Western Pennsylvania, but my family moved to California in 1963. So my sense of landscape crosses the continent. Palm trees against the sunset is a typical California subject. I have done many of these through the years, and never tire of them. From them, I learned much about painting skies. This one is 6" x 8".

THETAWAVES :: Painting Daily

People have been asking to see more of my daily paintings...
Sometimes I do two or three of the same subject at one sitting. When I have the right colors mixed, and extra paint in my brush, there is no sense rinsing it all out. This way I get more practice, and more familiarity with the subject. I have two of these lonesome pines. They are only 4" x 6".

THETAWAVES :: Painting Daily

My daily paintings...
Daily paintings are intended to be preliminary sketches for more finished pieces. To see more finished pieces that followed this little one, go to my older posts, or visit www.fine-art.com/marte8.

THETAWAVES :: Painting Daily

My daily paintings follow the seasons...
In the winter, I tend to do snow scenes, and every Christmas I do Christmas cards. This one is 8" x 12".

THETAWAVES :: Painting Daily

My daily paintings...
explore a variety of subjects and scenes. Hills and mountains, sunsets and beaches, clouds and trees and rocks and more trees...
There are so many wonderful subjects, it's hard to choose my favorite.
This little landscape is 6" x 6".

THETAWAVES :: Painting Daily


People have been asking to see more of my daily paintings...
I usually do three of the same subject at one sitting. When I have the right colors mixed, and extra paint in my brush, there is no sense rinsing it all out and throwing it away. This way I get more practice, and more familiarity with the subject.
These mountains are all 8" x 10". They will eventually be backgrounds for pine trees.

THETAWAVES :: Painting Daily


People have been asking to see more of my daily paintings...
I usually do three of the same subject at one sitting. When I have the right colors mixed, and extra paint in my brush, there is no sense rinsing it all out and throwing it away. This way I get more practice, and more familiarity with the subject. I look at nature photography alot, but I generally paint from memory.

THETAWAVES :: Painting Daily


People have been asking to see more of my daily paintings...
I usually do three of the same subject at one sitting. When I have the right colors mixed, and extra paint in my brush, there is no sense rinsing it all out and throwing it away. This way I get more practice, and more familiarity with the subject.

THETAWAVES :: Painting Daily


People have been asking to see more of my daily paintings...
I usually do three of the same subject at one sitting. When I have the right colors mixed, and extra paint in my brush, there is no sense rinsing it all out and throwing it away. This way I get more practice, and more familiarity with the subject. These are 8" x 12".

THETAWAVES :: Painting Daily


People have been asking to see more of my daily paintings...
I usually do three of the same subject at one sitting. When I have the right colors mixed, and extra paint in my brush, there is no sense rinsing it all out and throwing it away. This way I get more practice, and more familiarity with the subject.

THETAWAVES :: Painting Daily


People have been asking to see more of my daily paintings...
I usually do three of the same subject at one sitting. When I have the right colors mixed, and extra paint in my brush, there is no sense rinsing it all out and throwing it away. This way I get more practice, and more familiarity with the subject.