I started this on Thursday. I'm actually a bit further along than this, but I didn't get another shot of it before I left the studio.

On Friday, the kids around here had a snow day, which means for me I'm home with my kids and not at the studio. It wasn't a snow day as much as it was an ice day. Amazingly Keene was spared the ice and the skies merely dumped a flavor-free slushy over the town. Right outside of Keene, and most of New Hampshire, however have such complete ice issues that the governor actually declared it a state of emergency, at least half of NH is still without power, and driving outside of town is almost impossible.

We actually hadn't known how bad it was until we tried to drive from Keene to Merrimack, NH today for a family Christmas party and the drive on Rt 101 was like a big obstacle course. There were trees and power lines down the whole way and not enough police to help when it was down to one lane for both directions. At first we thought it was fun and the whole family was pointing out spectacles of ice. It felt like some kind of Disney Christmas park we were driving through, but then after going around one tree limb after another we decided to turn back home. We could get to the party ok, but since it gets dark before 5 pm we would be driving this obstacle course in the dark on the way home, and that didn't sound like too much fun. I've seen many an ice storm before in Illinois where I grew up, but never here in New Hampshire where the trees are HUGE and so close to the road.

What's in a Frame?

I've been talking about frame choices with some artist friends lately. I find framing EXTREMELY challenging. Locally most artists use gold frames which really set off the local landscapes beautifully. That's what I use for my portraits because the gold can really set off the skintones in a portrait, and it is traditional but not heavy.

For my still-lifes however, after trying several colors, sizes and designs, I settled a while back on a thick black frame. The design of the frame I wouldn't catergorize in either contemporary or traditional... I would call it transitional, if I can borrow from home decorating lingo. The black seems to really pop the simple shapes and colors of my still-lifes and the transitional styling seems to compliment them as well.

You might think the frame doesn't make too much of a difference, but take a look at the two frames in the picture above. Both are black, but one is very plain and and only about an inch wide. The other is my usual frame, in the plein aire style, which to me looks like a black matt surrounded by a thin beveled frame (click on the pic to see it larger). Amazingly the artwork in those frames are the same size unframed (12" x 16"), but having that beefier frame really enlarges the visual size of the artwork and the slight decoration on the frame dresses it up a bit. The larger frame also seems to make the image inside the frame seem a bit smaller even though it is the same as in the smaller frame.

I think the most important thing about framing is that it compliments the artwork and that it fits in in the gallery environment it will be hanging in. Different genres of art and different gallery locales seem to warrant different styles and sizes.

Anyhoo, a gallery owner owner once told me not to spend too much money on a frame because 90% of the people switch frames anyway. I have to disagree, because the frame can really change the look and feel of the artwork.

Both of these pieces will be leaving the studio for the first time this week, as I plan on bringing them and the two below to the Monadnock Art Gallery on Main St. in Keene today. I wanted to post these two in their frames as well because the thick black frames really compliment them and enlarges the visual impact, but I guess you'll just have to go see them at the gallery because my camera is out out of battery.

Studio Hours

Regular Studio Hours!
Monday - Friday 10am - 2pm
17 Roxbury St
Keene, NH

Would you like to stop by my studio and see what I am working on or discuss a portrait? I am here most weekdays, if the kids have school, so I thought I would post some regular hours for people to stop in. I am here unless it is a holiday or the kids are off school and you are welcome to stop in. Just don't expect a gallery space - it is a working studio space. :)

& look outside my studio today! SNOW! Those of you who know me well know that means I am a very happy camper when it snows.

I don't have anything new at the moment; I've been working on framing things (and reframing some things) to send off to galleries. It is also the drop off this weekend for a local Biennial juried show at the Thorne Sagendorph Gallery at Keene State College. I am entering my large portrait and this other portrait and would appreciate many crossed fingers that I get in! The show is juried by the actual artwork instead of jpgs and slides, so I had to reframe my large portrait today when I saw that I had made a big boo-boo when framing it the fist time... sigh... but all is fixed now and they are ready to be dropped off.

Just a little fyi - if you ARE in the Keene area, I have some portraits on display at the City Hall in Keene, on the 3rd floor. I will be picking them up Thursday this week, so its your last chance to see them there. After that they will be back home in my studio until the next show.

late fall study 3 x 6"
colored pencil on UART 400

Tri-fold brochures

front & back

front & inside

I haven't received my Blurb book yet, its on its way, but I did already get back my tri-fold brochures from Vistaprint. I am happy with the design I made using their handy photoshop template, although I do see a couple of things I would change next time, but I am disappointed with the clarity of the images/words. Vistaprint tells you to make the file 300 dpi, but then they constrain the size of the file so low, that you have to compromise that dpi to get it to upload. Its not a problem for small business or postcards, but for the 8.5 x 11 pamphlet, 300 dpi makes a BIG file.

Anyhoo I still am happy with them for the most part.

Step by Step Portrait

I hope everyone had a good holiday break. The kids were off school for several days, so besides Turkey Day, I spent time winter cleaning and having fun with the kids. Now it is back to work.

Part of my slump a couple of weeks ago was due to me trying to come up with a set "technique" for my portraits to use in workshops and whatever else I need to use it for (let your minds wander here).

I've been working intuitively when I do portraits, and although I obviously have a rough idea on the steps I do, I let the steps overlap and come about organically. It is much harder to do things step by step... at least for me.

After several failed attempts... here is my latest failed attempt, which IS very close to figured out! Whew. One thing I have discovered is a very slight head tilt is hard to deal with when you are so focused on steps and technique... so I'm going to redo this with a straight on shot. Even a larger tilt or twist of the head would be easier than a just so ever so slight tilt like in this pic. Anyway... enjoy the WIP, but I won't be giving any words to the demo because I am saving that for something important.