Night Café - in progress

The second painting I am working on still has a way to go. I'm happy with the general color light & texture, but I feel it needs some additional interest. To ponder...

45 x 55 cm

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detail

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Sunshine Cinema

The first of the 2 paintings I'm working on is almost finished. A few details to tie up.

I'm happy with the feel of it, luscious blue/yellow/orange light and shade. A nice instance of life.

60 x 50 cm - oil on canvas

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detail

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Another session on two paintings - digging deep.

I worked on both these paintings again today. I was nicely able to short circuit my "higher" brain functions today at the right times, and was digging deep. Well satisfied with how they are going. Still a way to go, but not too much, hopefully.

60 x 50 cm - oil on canvas

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38 x 45 cm - oil on canvas

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Two new paintings started

The first painting (cinema) has had two sessions (not including the drawing) and the second has had one.
The secod painting, Night Café is the same subject as this drawing on my drawing blog

60 x 50 cm - oil on canvas

Session 2

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Session1

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Night Café

Oil on canvas - 38 x 45 cm

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The Hesitant Juggler - possible finish

This is one painting where the result is approaching my vision of it. This is not always the case.
 
Finishing is a never ending  subject in painting, at least in mine. Quite possibly a painting is never finished, or it could have several finishes.

I am, in any case, calling it finished. What do you think?

The Hesitant Juggler

Oil on canvas - 60 x 50 cm

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Detail1

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Detail2

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New smaller painting in the works

Another smaller painting started. Hoping to finish it for the christmas market next weekend.

24 x 30 cm - oil on birch

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The Hesitant Juggler - a few sessions later

I'm happy with where this is going so far. Teasing out that emotion.

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Detail

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The Hesitant Juggler - blocking in

Started a new painting after I did a sketch from one of my photographs.
What pulled me is the expression of anxious uncertainty the juggler has. It was all an act of course, but I am painting as if the emotion was real.

60 x 50 cm  - oil on canvas

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Picking up the Summer Market

Changing paintings yet again, I resume with this one I had put aside last May. I was not happy with it at the time, but I was fairly sure I would have another round on it.

It still is a bit of a struggle, but the the time elapsed since I last worked on it does give a fresh perspective.

Marché, été

80 x 60 cm - oil on canvas

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#Artswap - 2

In a previous post I showed the painting I was sending out  for #artswap ( organized by David Pringle @dpringle on twitter). Details of Artswap on David Pringle's site.

I have now received my piece pictured below. It is by Ellen Belshin. Here is her blog entry ( @Puttinondaglitz  on twitter).
It is titled "Urban Spires" and is in encaustic on birch panel 9" x 12".

Urban Spires by Ellen Belshin
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The back

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Sunny Street - some progress

Sunny street - continuing

Today I put aside  my "Intruder!" painting and worked on my latest street scene. As ever, I try to keep the style of the spontaneous start. I stuck a list of reminders on the wall behind my easel to help. (see below)

70 x 50 cm -  oil on canvas

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The list is from the book Fearless Creating by Eric Maisel

Intruder! - Raising my pulse.

This painting is beginning to raise my pulse. It is really going where I had hoped, though I would be hard pressed to describe where that is! Maybe something about fixing the viewer with a suspicion of mystery. Of course, I feel very connected to the subject ;). It is always difficult to imagine what others feel looking at my paintings.

It is by no means finished but it already has the feeling I want.

canvas 55 x 45 cm

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Paintings by Peter Hobden

Intruder! Painting in progress

A new painting in progress. Two stages from this afternoon. Lavender undercoat and sketch in acrylic then color in oil.


This one has been in my head for a while.

Who is the intruder?

Canvas 55 x 45 cm

Stage one - undercaot and sketch

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Stage two - blocking in color

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#Artswap

David Pringle (@dpringle on Twitter) has organized, for the second time, an exchange of artworks between artists. He collects names and addresses of participating artists and then randomly attributes destinations where each artist will send his work on the date set in advance. This time round the deadline for posting is 17th of November.

If you want to keep an eye out for a next round of artswap or follow the pictures of the art as he puts them up visit David Pringle's site

This is my contribution, we are asked not to reveal the destination. I have packed the painting and will post it this wednesday.

Front

30 x 25 cm oil on birch ply

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Back

Two small paintings and some self indulgence

Whenever I get self-indulgent in my studio, for example, being unsatisfied with the extent of my success as a painter as I was for  a while this afternoon, I have only to look up to the right of my easel to see this guy looking at me with, his attentive, intense gaze. No indulgence here but maybe a little compassion?

He tells me that I should re-focus on the present and get on with my painting: Trust the process.

And presently, that is what I do... after a while.

Here is the self-portrait on my website 




What I was working on when these doubts struck was another smaller painting, another nocturne, though earlier in the day than the previous one I did last week:

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A bit later, to stimulate my motivation, I started yet another smaller painting which, this time, is in full daylight, and another season further south:

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New smaller painting - nocturne in progress

I will be trying to do 8 or 10 new smaller paintings for mid-December, in time for the local Christmas market. It may be a bit ambitious, as I will want to continue with my "normal" paintings as well, but it's a target.

Here is the first new one, a nocturne, that will need one more session.
Some of the white spots are shiny paint but some are actual pinholes in the paint that I will have to fix..

30 x 24 cm on birch ply

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a detail

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Twitter art exhibit Norway

David Sandum (@DavidSandumArt on Twitter) is organzing a charity exhibit and sale featuring works by twitter artists in his hometown library in Norway. ( #twitterartexhibit on Twitter )

Postcard size original artworks donated by artists on Twitter will be exhibited at the public library and proceeds from sales will go towards buying children's books for the library.

David's aim is to get at least 140 twitter artists participating.
Participation is still open so if you are interested and have a twitter profile :Details on the exhibit. 

I have just finished my piece for the exhibit :

"On the Vine"

Oil on watercolor paper

Vineyard Sunset - Session 4

Worked on the sky, beginning to fade from lilac to orange to red,  and the vines were I was incited to put some slighly punch blue undertones.

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detail

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Vineyard Sunset - Session 3

Small progress in this painting. Continuing to sculpt the vines and glazing the sky  :

Vineyard Sunset - another coat

Another session on for this painting - working on vines in foreground and hills. The sky is virtually unchanged.
I have included an image of the previous session for side by side comparison.

Current state

Previous session

Vineyard sunset - new painting

I started a new painting today, a vineyard landscape at sunset.

I painted the the canvas a peachy light orange as an under coat which is the dominant color of the sky. The foreground from mountains on down is too light , I am building up the darkness. The vines will be a rich dark with occasional gold/green/orange highlights on the leaves with some deep blues and purples in the darkest shadows. All this against a sky going from a light violet blue at top passing through a light subdued yellow to finish above the mountains in  deeper orange. A few sparse streaky clouds will come out of the right sky towards the center.

Progress on Canal house

 Now the light values are really in, and as hoped the glow from the windows is really working.

 

Detail

Canal House - colors and values

I laid dwon the basic colors and values on the canal house painting this afternoon. Still a bit young, but the feeling is there.

Two paintings in the works

I am continuing to advance on this sunny street scene from my neighborhood but slowly. I'm building it up by feeling on the colors, after having drawn in the main features and relative tone values. The red under painting is still coming through quite stongly, but will become less dominant as the painting advances. While painting,I dwell on the persistent feeling of strong sun on the facades facing left and deep shade in those facing right. The mountain in the distance has it's gullies in deep shade as well.

 50 x 70 cm oil on canvas

At the same time I felt a need to have more than one painting going to be able to switch when the steam  runs out. I find it a good way to keep myself stimulated. I started a new canvas, drawing the features in charcoal, and after spraying a fixative laid down a few patches ogf color to get the feel. It is a house on a canal in the late evening with the facade and canal fairly dark and the interior lights glowing in the the windows of house.

A dark arch or tunnel enters the building at left, and a door gives access by way of steps to the canal at right. The facade is much too light for the moment, and when darkened should bring out the warm seductive glow coming from inside.

50 x 70 cm oil on canvas

Acrylics to oils 2007-2010, step by step painting

Step by step video of my recently "refreshed" painting started in 2007 and finished a few days ago in oils. Link to the finished painting "Promenades Automne"

Street scene - painting in progress

A small advance to this painting that was in the time lapse video of the previous post.

 70 x 50 cm - oil on canvas

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A painting session

This is a time lapse of this afternon's painting session. I set my camera to snap once a minute so the session must have been about  1 ½ hrs.

Another revival

Here is another revisit to an old painting. It was originally painted in  February 2008. I think my instincts were good  but of course my technique was less able to translate my vision at the time. So rather than trash the painting, as the subject still seems good , I decided to revive it.


The original was painted in acrylic on canvas. The size is 60 x 80 cm. Nothing fundemental has changed but the play of light is much better now. I still haven't determined exactly how to best treat the patch at the end of the path yet.


 The revival is in oils directly on top of the acrylic which I lighty sanded to roughen the surface and better hold the oils.

The revival is not quite finished yet but the comparison is already telling.

Before ---

After ----

Still going places

Progress on the portrait. Managing to stay loose and rough while bringing out the volumes.

Detail

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60 x 80 cm

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