Marriage

"Two trees deeply rooted in separate plots of ground, while their topmost branches come together, forming a miracle of lace against the heavens." - Janet Miles

This painting is 6" x 6" oil on hardboard.

Bldg. 28

"A habit cannot be tossed out the window; it must be coaxed down the stairs a step at a time." 

- Mark Twain

This painting is 14" x 11" oil on hardboard. Please call me, email me, or click here if you'd like to buy this painting.

Afternoon Sunlight

“There is a sort of elation about sunlight on the upper part of a house.”
- Edward Hopper

The last two paintings have been experiments with different paints. A few months ago, I bought a few boxes of paint at an auction. Nearly all of the paint was unopened and, despite being almost 25 years old (I found the receipts!), were perfectly ready to use. Some colors, however, weren't colors I would have chosen on my own like chromium green and cadmium orange. Seeing as though I have the paint, why not experiment?

For this painting I tried a tube of quick-drying titanium white. I had my doubts, after all how quickly could oil paint actually dry? Result, very quickly. Like an acrylic, this paint was nearly unworkable almost as quickly as I laid it down.

This painting is 6" x 6" oil on hardboard.

Role Model

“If you can’t be a good example, then you’ll just have to be a
horrible warning.” - Catherine Aird

This piece is 14" x 11" oil on hardboard. Please call me, email me, or click here if you'd like to buy this painting.

Club 83 Has Closed for the Year

Photo taken from the Rehoboth Art League's Facebook Page

I'm sure you can tell by the lack of new paintings that I've been busy. I think I've gotten about four hours of total sleep in the last 10 days but it was a lot of fun. Hopefully between now and the Brandywine Festival of the Arts in September I can fit in a couple of paintings. I need to stay sharp after all!

If you stopped by the tent during these past two weekends I hope you enjoyed the experience. Now, back to the easel...

Trash

"People say graffiti is ugly, irresponsible and childish. But that’s only if it’s done properly". - Banksy

This piece is 8" x 10" oil on hardboard. Please call me, email me, or click here if you'd like to buy this painting.

The Best Clubs Aren't on the Map

When you're out you want to go to coolest club, the one that's exclusive, the one with the best stuff. We've all been there, but without a map how do you find such a place. Good thing you have me as your guide.

I'll be at the Rehoboth Art League again this weekend at Club 83, er, booth # 83. Make sure you memorize where I am (see above) because, well, I'm exclusive and you won't find me on the map. For the complete list of artists and locations, click here.

Air Conditioning

"No pleasure, no rapture, no exquisite sin greater... than central air."
- from the movie “Dogma”, 1999

This piece is 6" x 6" oil on hardboard.

This is the perfect thought after spending two days outside at the Outdoor Show. I've got an awesome spot in the shade and it's only a few steps from the gallery building. It was once again a nearly flawless show with only one hiccup courtesy of my hand truck. I had noticed it was going flat the day before so during my final check I pulled out the pump. Due to a healthy dose of dry rot the valve stem pulled right out when I finished pumping and, wouldn't you know it, the clock struck 10:30 PM moments later. I was lucky enough to find a store open and by 11:30 I was back in business.

Rehoboth Art League Outdoor Show This Weekend

I'm all setup and ready to rock & roll in Rehoboth this weekend. I've got a sweet spot in the shade next to the gallery and (bonus!) next to the kettle corn guy. The food is provided by Nourish and there is going to be jazz, bluegrass, Caribbean, & Bolivian folk music. The Cape Gazette has an article on it here.

Here's the address, I'll be here both weekends...

12 Dodds Lane
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware 1997
302-227-8408
Booth # 83

Among the Rocks

"For a tree to become tall it must grow tough roots among the rocks."
- Friedrich Nietzshe

This piece is 14" x 11" oil on hardboard. Please call me, email me, or click here if you'd like to buy this painting.

Keep Right

How vain painting is- we admire the realistic depiction of objects which in their original state we don’t admire at all. - Blaise Pascal

This piece is 10.25" x 18" oil on hardboard. Please call me, email me, or click here if you'd like to buy this painting.

Yesterday's Show in Lititz

I could not have asked for a better day to spend outside yesterday. Setup was smooth with only a couple of hiccups. My labels for the paintings looked awesome but I had to do some on-site construction to get the hooks to work properly. There was a steady stream of people and overall I'm very happy with how the day turned out. A lot of people mentioned how my work has an Edward Hopper-like quality which I was really pleased with. We also learned a lot and met some other artists, including Jennifer Nye and Charles Long, and shared tips with them. Now on to Rehoboth Beach, DE for two full weekends!

Before the crowds at 6 AM in Lititz Park

Lititz Springs Park, Lititz, PA

Batteries Drained

Today was a big day and I did great for my first show. I met some great people and learned a lot. I'll share more tomorrow but for now, I'm exhausted.

Anticipation

Above from left: Carving by my grandfather VH Ranney Sr., my beautiful and supportive wife, me prepping for tomorrow

The phrase "but you didn't" is hanging in my head tonight like humid summer air. When I was young I heard a story about my parents and my grandfather during a family visit. They all have visual arts backgrounds like me; graphic design, painting, sculpting, photography, etc. The story goes like this..My mother, father and grandfather were in an art museum looking at art. My father, while looking at a piece of art, says dismissively "I could've done that." My grandfather, without hesitation, quickly responds with a gentle yet firm "but you didn't."

One thing that I've always felt I could have done, but didn't, was to show and sell my artwork. Showing work on the internet is easy, because there is a layer of anonymity. Having my paintings, myself exposed and in the flesh is quite different. Tomorrow's art show is one of many big steps in a journey I've hesitated to start for years, because of family, work, disorganization, and just plain fear. Armed with the support of my wife, this story about my grandfather, the recent reminder that life is very short and almost a full year of hard work and planning I no longer have to think "I could've done that."

If you're in the area, come visit!

July 31, 2010
9 AM - 5 PM
18 North Broad Street
Lititz, PA 17543
Booth # B165

That'll Do Pig

My painting "Weighing In" was selected as part of the Berks Art Alliance show starting August 1st and running through September 8th.  If you'd like to see it in person it will be mingling among some other great artwork at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in Reading, PA.

Warehouse

 

IMAGINATION, n. A warehouse of facts, with poet and liar in joint ownership. - Ambrose Bierce

This piece is 14" x 18" oil on hardboard. Please call me, email me, or click here if you'd like to buy this painting.

Backyard

The grass may be greener on the other side of the fence, but you still have to mow it.  

-Proverb

This piece is 10 x 8 oil on hardboard. Please call me, email me, or click here if you'd like to buy this painting.

Regional Juried Show Kicks Off Tonight

The show at the Rehoboth Art League opens tonight at 5 PM. As I mentioned last week my painting "Brandywine Creek" was selected as part of the show along with about 50 pieces so I'm pretty excited.

Rehoboth Art League 
12 Dodds Lane
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware 19971
302-227-8408

P.S. - It's 91 degrees outside. There will be air conditioning and it's free to enjoy. Just sayin'...

Resignation

I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do.  

- Willa Cathe

This piece is 11 x 24 oil on hardboard. Please call me, email me, or click here if you'd like to buy this painting.

Practice Makes Perfect

It's less than two weeks until July 31st and our first show in Lititz, PA! We set up the tent for the first time as a dry run so we could work out any kinks. Our original idea was to use white pegboards, but thank goodness we went with the mesh panels you see in the picture above. Construction on site would have been a nightmare! They also really swank up the place. The sign on the front of the tent looks better than I thought it would. I drew it up so many times it was shocking to see it in person.

The frames came out great and I think they really let the paintings pop in the simple black and white tent. I'm going to create labels for every paintings and hang them underneath each one. I tried one out and it's really sharp.

After the 31st I'm on to Rehoboth Beach for the weekends of August 7th and August 14th.