Wednesday

Well the computer is up and running with the latest operation system and a full virus protection. Now its just a little bit of a learning curve for the new El Capitan Apple program. Most of the buttons seem to be in the right place, but some of the options are just too screwy for me as they are. 

This painting is for Authentique Gallery, they have a client that is looking for a 12x14 horizontal image of Salt Lake City, so I started it yesterday and tried working on it today but with the painting being on board the first coat of paint is still too wet. I find the brush stroke just scraps up the paint and the white of the gesso is showing through. I'll just have to wait another day on it to continue.

Richard Boyer

Tuesday

I was plaqued with a computer virus yesterday. A pop-up message appeared with a number to call Microsoft about the problem. Since my browser locked up I didn't really have much of an option. I called and before long I had some some person with an Indian accent claiming to be a microsoft employee going through my computer to find the problem. I watched him as he got into some of the program files and deleted a few suspicious files. He fixed the problem and then tried to sell me an expensive virus protection package. I just had to send in a check.

Now I know what you are thinking, why the hell would you let them into your computer. I've actually had a little experience with these guys before when I was trying to switch over my domain name.  They  don't seem to be in the criminal mind set, just trying to make money by selling you programs that one could download free. They actually did fix a few things with the domain name issue, but had a strange address to send the check to, it didn't make sense…so I never sent a check.  And wouldn't you know it the guy claiming to be the Microsoft tech expert gave me the exact same address to send a check to.  Looks like I won't be sending a check this time either.

I did a little research on the internet and found out that these guys are doing this quite often trying to sell people programs that are normally for free on the internet.  I don't do any banking over the internet so there is no links from my computer. The only thing I have are large picture files, no use to the average criminal.

Well from this I decided to get the anti-virus software. Problem being they require a newer operating system than what my iMac has. So today I'm downloading the latest version for my Mac and then the Anti-virus program. For the longest time Apple has been free of viruses, but now-a day more and more spyware is coming into the Mac scene.

Over the last week I've been working on some figurative practice pieces, all 16x12

Richard Boyer

Monday

Under rainy skies I finished off this one.  The water was the last part, which I did lighten up in value and added some more highlights by the gondola.  The red flowers were also added to bring in some color. I still have another day to work on it, but now I think I'll set it aside and look at it with a fresh eye tomorrow morning.

I'm sure there will be something that jumps out at me then.

Richard Boyer

Saturday

Day number two on this and I started with the bridge and the right side of buildings. The paint actually set up quite well with the drier added. I did decide to add some of a bridge to the upper corners to give it more darks in the foreground. this made it so I could really darken down the right side as well, that will help to play up the highlights later on.

The architecture I was able to get done faster than I thought. The whole time trying to keep it minimal in detail. the important thing here in this work will be the glare of the sunlight on the water. So most everything else will be backlit or in a tight value range. Next will be the water and then I can see better what else will need to be tweaked in value.

Richard Boyer

Friday

Southam Gallery sent me an email; they are looking for a Venice piece. They have a client coming into the gallery on Wednesday and she would love to have something from the city of canals.  So I was elected as the token artist to try and paint this ASAP.  The start here was done over the top of an older painting, it was a piece that never really got off the ground and I had it sitting around the studio for several years.  Its like cleaning the basement when I can make use of the canvas again. The paint was put on thick to cover over the underlying work, so I added a few drops of cobalt drier to the white to help speed up the drying time a little. I'll need to work on this over the weekend to get it done. Hopefully I can capture that shimmering light on the water and play down the details in the background buildings.

Richard Boyer

Thursday

As I thought the painting lacked contrast. So first I added some more detail to the background cliffs and scree field below. The warms of the sandstone I wanted to play up more against the blues and purples of the rocks below. Now it has a nice color sense in the background.

Then I went on to darkening the foreground, actually everything in that area I painted over in darker values. This will contrast better with the sunlit cliffs in the back.

One I got going on darkening the bushes I noticed the road was also too light. You'll notice that I massed a lot of the dark sage and juniper together.  This makes it simpler for the eye to look at, not too busy as they say. One nice thing is that the cross stands out better against the dark green. I'm still wondering about a figure in there. I got the crit session tonight, so I'll ask the others and see what they think.

Richard Boyer

Wednesday

I worked on a figurative study yesterday so I still need to shoot that one for you. Just something to keep me in practice and to let this piece below set up more

From this stage I started to paint in the background sky and cliffs. The paint was still a little tacky but I was able to lay the paint down on top without it scraping up the layer below.

It's a little slow going trying to copy down all the small angles in the sandstone wall, so much of it I simplified and tried to capture that bathed setting sunlight. It was just barely hitting some of the rocks as the cliff turned away from the light on the left side. As it stands now it will need some more work tomorrow; after I can see how the rest of the painting will affect it.

I then started to paint in the foreground sage and grasses, making sure to keep the tones dark and in the blue shades. This does seem to set off the background cliffs better with the contrast.

Next I made sure to keep the foreground grasses loose as possible with some pallet knife work. After looking at the sage I can tell I'll need to mass some of them together to form a darker element in the work. I do like the old pioneer cross there catching the last rays of light. If I were James Reynolds I would put in a cowboy with a horse paying his last respects.  That would mean contacting some friends with horses and doing a photo session. That would change the entire painting with the human element in there and I'm not sure if I want that. Right now there is a solitary feel about it.

Richard Boyer

Monday

Just for fun I decided to paint something completely different. This is a view of the Book Cliffs down along Green River, Utah, actually closer to the ghost town of Thompson Springs. The setting sun was lighting up the sandstone cliff walls with a nice cool foreground. I decided to put an old dirt road in here with a pioneer grave cross.  This should be a nice painting with some drama. The size is 24x38.

The first one I just drew in a few lines to indicate where I want the cliffs and road. Now I've blocked in the approximate color of the sky and back ground rock. I'm at this point just covering the canvas, or in this case masonite board. I wanted to try a little harder surface.

Last I blasted in the foreground of grasses and sage. The dirt road is made up and didn't really exist; but I am finding it will make a nice lead-in to the painting. I just have to make sure its broken up quite a bit so the eye doesn't race down it. I threw the cross in left of the road and would like to have one of those last rays of sun-light hitting the top of it.. Now I'll set it aside and let the paint dry a bit before working on more detail. At least today I have the composition all figured out.

Richard Boyer

Saturday

Lets see what the crit session said. First they wanted the tail lights on that center car more split up in the reflection, it was just too bright. The tree needed to be pushed up higher in the sky and more light added to the back ground in the road area, more of that city glow. I also added more reflected light to the road on the right side. There was a surface change in the road that I was showing too much, as it went from asphalt to brick.

This 24x18  I added some wires up above the road and played down some of the street lights on the left side. I also added a few more lights around the bus to bring the eye down there more. Now hopefully the figures to the left will stand out better.

Now as for the Amsterdam painting…I'm afraid it will be getting the axe..it just don't seem to be coming together like I want. This might be because of the canal. During the daylight, water has a nice reflection of the blue sky and surrounding colors; at night it just becomes a black hole.

Richard Boyer

Thursday

I'm still working on the new series here. This one I added some cross walks and guide wires above to help in the composition. The trees I may have punched up some also, just to add some yellows into the painting. I did add a few figures to the left waiting for the bus.

This 30x30 I added figures on the left and played up the yellow lights reflecting around them. I'm still thinking the rose colored umbrella might be just too much, its almost electric bright in color. I have the crit session tonight so I'll see what the others feel. I just know that when I put reds in the painting it seems to sell easier. People just love red in a painting !

This morning I actually was back on the larger Amsterdam painting again. I toned down most of the lights I had on the right side, they were just too bright and pulled the viewer over where there was no real interest.  I added a cafe on the right side of the bridge and put a boat in the foreground to help more with the composition.  At least now you move down the canal better. We'll see what the crit session brings to the table on it.

Richard Boyer

Monday

Happy New Year as they say.

Its been a while with all the holiday events and I hope everyone had a nice Christmas. We have been hit with snow storm after snow storm during the holidays, adding a good amount to the base of the ski resorts.  Brighton said somewhere in the range of 6 feet of new snow!!!

Mockingbird Gallery also had a pre Christmas flurry of sales

First this small 12x18 sold to a local client in Bend

Then this 9x12 of Portland sold to a couple,

 along with this 12x9 of the same town. Both ended up going in their bathroom.

and last but not least this 16x12 sold as well.

Over the holidays I started this new 30x30, it still needs a lot of work, so I'll keep posting the progress. The view is of the Hotel Monaco in Portland. I liked all the red light in the scene, so I'll need to play those up some more.

This 24x18 I also started up and of course needs some work. It's one of those paintings I'll have to set aside and think about what it needs.

This was kind of the case with that big Amsterdam painting at night. after working on it for some time it seemed to be loosing the spark. Maybe I was working on it too much and just got bored with it. Its been sitting off in the corner of the studio gathering dust, so maybe in the next few days I'll pull it out again and try re-working it..

Richard Boyer