Thursday, February 25, 2010

"White out" 6"x6" oil on canvas

Available for $100, contact me.

Well I rushed through this one today and it shows.   My goal here was to do something simple and work on white things.  The reflections of the light source on the bowl and bulb are the whitest things on the canvas. The white fabric seemed very bright and I think I got it too bright.  Well tomorrow is another day!
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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

"Boxer" 12"x12" oil on canvas

Available for $275, contact me.
This painting is larger, a 12"x12" museum wrapped canvas, painted on all sides.  Of course it has taken me longer to do this one.   At first glance it looks like you can use yellow ochre and Winsor Newton burnt sienna to get his color, but noooo!   Beside those two colors I had to get out Holbein mars yellow, Holbein yellow grey, Winsor Newton raw sienna, made a dark brown and black mixtures with ultramarine blue and  WN burnt sienna.   I had paint mixtures all over my palette.  But I think it worked.
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Monday, February 22, 2010

"Totally wired" 6"x6" oil on canvas

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What I really like about this composition are the shadows that each object makes, especially the wire.   The grey metal on each object were slightly different one was cool and one was warm.   
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Saturday, February 20, 2010

"Plumb down" 6"x6" oil on canvas

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Thought these plumb bobs would be interesting.  One is in an old rotten leather holder that attaches to a belt for connivence.   I want to say here that I really appreciate my Followers and Subscribers.   The fact that you look forward to viewing what I paint on a daily basis is what keeps me going.  I really enjoy receiving emailed comments from you, even thought I might not comment back, they always bring a smile, a chuckle and a bit of joy to my day.  Thank you to all.   Some days you are my inspiration.

My blog: http://claudiahammer.blogspot.com
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Thursday, February 18, 2010

"Lets Bake a pie!" 6"x6" oil on canvas

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I have been wanting to paint this wire blender for a while.  The prongs were a challenge as I expected but what surprised me was the rubber pinch bowl.   That little object took me one and a half hours to get right. Who would have thought!    I'm too worn out to bake a pie now!
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Wednesday, February 17, 2010

"Club Social" 5"x7" oil on canvas

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These roses still look good after purchasing them 10 days ago.   I decided to show them in the glass vase I've have them in.   Here I'm attempting to paint them with loose brushwork.  In order to do this I removed my glasses and this captures pretty well what I saw.   I went for color value and no detail.   Maybe if you remove your glasses it will look good to you too!
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Tuesday, February 16, 2010

"Father & Son" 7"x5" oil on canvas.

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Found these two in my tool box the other day.  I love painting tools and probably have enough to last me my lifetime.  I chose this orange background because the turquoise blue handles pop out.  The father is showing his son how to hold the marble gently but firmly.
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Monday, February 15, 2010

"Bud & Rosie have a tiff" 5"x7" oil on canvas

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Due to a snow fall during the night, I cancelled my class this morning.   You know how some days the painting comes so easily and other days.....this was one of those days.   Setting up took me about 1.5 hours.   Couldn't decide what to paint, nothing excited me.   The roses still looked pretty good so I worked on that.   It was a comedy of errors getting everything right.   My canvas fell to  the floor twice and I accidently touched the rose and it flipped into the air and landed on the floor next to my canvas.  Ready to paint and my easel slipped down 2", by the time I was set up I was thinking I should be done by now.   Started out with high hopes, was going to keep it loose and free.  Towards the end I think I had a few strokes too many.   Although the values look right when I take my glasses off.
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Saturday, February 13, 2010

"Rosy Morning" 6"x6" oil on canvas

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The roses are holding up very well, so I thought I'd do another.  To talk a bit about the composition a minute, the top side of the cup handle where it is attached to the cup is lined up on the 1/3 over - 1/3 down mark and the center of the rose where all the petals come together is on the 2/3 over - 2/3 down mark.   I tried the flower in different positions and finally came up with this solution and I think it balances nicely.  Of course there would be many other composition solutions but this is the one I chose (and I'm sticking to it!)
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Thursday, February 11, 2010

"Bloomin Roses" 6"x6" oil on canvas

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The roses were out from yesterday's set up and I thought "why not do another one".   This time I picked a light blue background and wanted to show the stems in water.  I love how they are refracted.  
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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

"Rosy future" 6"x6" oil on canvas

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I went to the grocery on Monday to get food before the snow came and as I passed by the flowers I noticed these "Garden Roses" (obvious name) and they were so beautiful I thought I could try and paint them.  Brought them home and put them in the refrigerator.   I was thinking that I was really smart in doing so until I saw them this morning and realized that not only did I forget they were in there I also noticed that I did not put them in water.   Fortunately they were in good condition.  I think I recorded too much information on them but they were fun.
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Tuesday, February 9, 2010

"Crystal Clear" 6"x6" oil on canvas

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I've been painting these daily paintings about 10 months now and I am beginning to realize that I like painting some things more than others.   A cup of coffee is one thing I like to paint, maybe it is the circle I find pleasing.   Now that I look at it the marble is a circle too!    
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Monday, February 8, 2010

"Maltese" 8"x8" oil on 3/8" wood panel.

Available for $160, contact me.
Have you ever seen a dog this white?    Amazingly this little dog was this white, of course it was being shown and had to look it's best.     Looks like they had on eye makeup.   The original 8"x8" oil painting  is $150,  an 8"x8" canvas  print is $25,  a 8"x8" paper print is $15.
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Saturday, February 6, 2010

"A good match" 8"x6" oil on canvas, with Demo

Available for $100, contact me.

I chose the dominos on this one because of the color and graphics.  I have a demo of this below.


Demo
Some of you have been asking about my view finder and process.   This is process has evolved from when I started and I was just simply observing and sketching, to what I now do using my view finder.   Some of you might find it helpful, some will find it too much information, some of you will want to delete it and the rest will think I'm off my rocker and should be in the loony bin.  But here goes..

This is my view finder for my square pieces.  I use it for my 6"x6" and it can be used for any square format.  The inside square is smaller than 6x6 it is actually 4.5"x4.5".   I Threaded heavy black button thread through little holes I made on the 1/3 increments.   Taped it off on the back with clear packing tape to reinforce it.  I like this method because there is not clear plastic to distort the image or get dirty.

This is my view finder for my 5"x7" and 6"x8" pieces.    Here again the opening is smaller, it is 5.25"x3.75".  It is constructed in the same way but I now have divided it into 4th on the long side and 3rds on the short side.

This is original view finder before I made the ones above.  You notice that the strings are not there I just relied on the markings on the side and the opening is actually 5"x7".   I quickly found that this was just too big and I could not get the tight close cropping I wanted.   By making the opening smaller worked better for me.   A lot of people use those small grey adjustable view finders which are very useful and are great for travel.

Here is my 6"x8" canvas, it is actually an Ampersand Gessobord that I have glued canvas on and painted Golden Acrylic N6 Neutral Gray for an under painting. (I don't always put the grey on when I do portraits.)    I used to just put the paint marks on the edges (as shown)  but now I put a light pencil line across.  I fine it more accurate.    Today I did both just for this demo.

You can see the two extra marks I have put in place, these are my line up marks for this painting.   When I looked through my view finder at the set up I liked it when the lower edge of the cup rim lined up with the 1/3  down - 1/4 over mark.   I also noticed that the handle of the cup lined up with the 1/3 down - 1/2 over mark.   These are going to be my key points that I look for when lining up the view finder every time I look through it while blocking it in.   After I block it all in (5-10 minutes) I put the view finder down and don't look in it again.

I always start with the place that have the key line up marks.   This time it is the cup.

Then I start branching out and put in marks for the saucer.

I don't know why I put in this picture it seems redundant now!  But here it is.  You will have to excuse the way these pictures look.  They have a fish eye look about them because I was too close and lazy to get out the tripod and set it up behind me so I could zoom in.   Oh Well, now you know I'm lazy.

Using the grid I blocked in the dominos and shadows

I blocked in the hearts because the white color is more sensitive.  (If I were to do the red first it would turn to pink on the edges when I put in the white.)    I blocked in the shadow hearts in the shadow color of white. (some form of blue/purple since the light source is yellow)

Thank goodness the blocking is now done!   Now I get to the painting portion.   Here again I started with the cup because I wanted to establish the yellow white of the cup and shadows.

Blocked in the shadow white.

Painted in the white hearts and started painting the red shadow area.

Painted the light red.   You will notice that I have been painting the "first stroke is the last stroke" method.   In other words when I figure out the color value of each area and stroke, I lay it in that color value so I won't have to go back in and "fix" or adjust it later.   Not to say that I don't do this at times, in fact you will see that I did this a little in the end on this painting.   But for the most part I paint these daily paintings "first is last".

This is the final signed painting.   I painted in the dominos and made some subtle changes in the saucer and cup shadows.    Another 2 hours of my day, I got a painting done and listened to 2 more hours of my  audio book.  (Currently listening to "Dark Angels" novel by Karleen Koen.)

My blog: http://claudiahammer.blogspot.com
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Friday, February 5, 2010

"Jessica in red" 6"x8" oil on canvas


I tried today to keep the cool side of the face cool and dark enough.   Jessica is such a good model, holds the pose and has such a good attitude.    We had fun today, laughed a lot.   
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Thursday, February 4, 2010

"Mix it up" 6"x6" oil on canvas



Available for $100, contact me.

This was my mother's G.E. mixer from the 50"s and I still use it today when needed.   I chose this view because of the wonderful green on the inside of the bowl and the reflections and shadows cast by the beaters.   I also did a demo of this painting.  See below.   
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"mix it up" Demo

I thought I'd show a demo of doing today's painting because as many of you know I'm always changing and "mixing up" the way I do things.   Always trying to improve what I do, trying to make it better, not always succeeding.  Here is what I've been doing of late.

#1.  I put a layer of #6 grey acrylic on my canvas, over top of the gesso.  This fills in the texture of the canvas and gives me a middle tone to work values on.   Then I lightly pencil in a grid of 2" squares .    This grid coresponds to the view finder that I use.   I make one out of black cardboard and put a heavy black quilting thread on the thirds.   I move the view finder around to block out all the unnecessary noise around the area.   I try to see it as a finished painting.   When satisfied with the composition I quickly sketch in the objects.   This takes about 5-10 minutes depending on the complexity of the layout.

#2.  I start blocking some light values to show form and contrast and some middle tones.  The sensitive colors and/or sometimes the colors that set the mood of the painting.   I mean really, lets get to the excitement!

#3.  On this painting, the bowl had a definite black edge and made such a strong graphic shape in the painting that I wanted to block it in to get the shapes going.  

#4.  I decided to paint in the green and the grey beaters because they are the focus of the piece.  At this point I feel that I'm almost done!  What an illusion!

#5.  Here you see that I've painted in the mixer middle color values and started painting in the background because the colors that are next to one another affect one another.   As many of you know from your color theory studies.

#6.  After covering the canvas I go back and tweak the color values where needed and add a few highlights.

#7.  When I feel that I'm through I sign the painting and then I'm really done.   Except wait!   I left off the highlights on the beaters.  (you will see where I put them in the actual painting that I posted)  Whew!  There is 2 hours out of my day.
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

"Spiderwick Adventures" 3 sizes of giclee prints available



This is a revision of pricing.   When talking to my photographer/printer the other week, I either misheard or he misquoted the price.    Anyway the prices are less than I originally quoted.

"Spiderwick Adventures"  Giclee prints are available, here are the sizes:    
(11"x14" -  $60),  (16"x20" -  $90), (original size, 22.5"x30" -  $150). 


I did this drawing for and invitational show at the Carnegie Center, New Albany Indiana in January 2008.   The family in the picture live down the street from me and the dog is my Shih Tzu, Whirly Girl.    When the family came over to pose Whirly Girl jumped right up and got comfortable.  She loved it!   The original drawing was accepted in the Water Tower Regional Art Show and I won a Merit Award for it today at the opening.   The original charcoal drawing is 22.5"x30" and is available for $3600.

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"Bull Terrier" 12"x 12" oil on museum wrap stretch canvas

Available for $275, contact me.
This is an oil painting on a museum wrapped stretched canvas and is painted on the sides as well.  Ready for hanging.    I know these dogs have a bad rap but I find them friendly and clownish.   Very curious, just like other terriers.   I wouldn't want to provoke one.   While working on this painting the sheen of the wet paint was getting in the way of see the color.   I couldn't see if it was white or blending with the grey too much.   When this happens, and it often does when working wet into wet, I get out a soft, flat sable brush and lightly, oh so very lightly like a feather, smooth out the brush strokes.   This takes away the raised up lines that the brush makes so that the light hits the canvas more evenly.  I can see then what color I really have.   I don't like to do this much because I like seeing the paint stroke, but today I was trying to paint it as my daily and needed to get it done.   So here it is.
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