Returning from Santa Fe's 'Paint Out'

Here are a few images of me working away during the event. The painting I worked on isn't quite finished, but as soon as it is I'll post it up. The festival was as fun as ever, at one point I was filmed for the internet by some nice guys for something called 'Alla Prima Live'.  It went out live, so I'm not sure if it's discover-able on the internet? I looked but couldn't find it.

Stupidly, I was so busy painting. I neglected to photograph the show, crowds or even the parade - what was I thinking!

 in progress.

I need to fix my shade umbrella!

in amongst the sculptures

Santa Fe Paint Out Festival

This Saturday (17th Oct) the town of Santa Fe (NM), holds it's 'Paint Out' festival. Many of the galleries throughout the town encourage their artists to paint in or around the gallery. It's a huge event and a great opportunity to meet artists and see them at work.

My gallery (Ventana Fine Art) will be holding a group show and the opening night is on the Friday (16th). If you're in the area this weekend it's a must for art lovers and the curious...

Call the gallery for more info. 1-800-746-8815 ‪#‎Santa_fe‬ ‪#‎Ventana_fine_art‬
Check out more of the pieces featured, -http://ventanafineart.com/angus/

Here's a few of pictures of previous years, none of the inside, or the crowds.  Perhaps this year I'll rectify that?

New Masters Gallery, Carmel Reopening

 This Friday, if you're in the Carmel (CA) area, stop on by for a ribbon cutting ceremony, at New Masters Galleries new location.

The fire is a distant memory and the gallery has opened it's doors just down the street!   October 16th from 4pm-7pm. Dolores between 5th & 6th,
 tel (831) 625-1511 for more info. ‪#‎Carmel‬ ‪#‎New_Masters_Gallery‬

Draped across the table 

34X34         Acrylic on wood

Can you ever have too much green?

 Rambling under Stargazers
24X36                       Acrylic on panel

I've worked this painting up through a number of weeks, it used a number of ideas, subjects and themes I'd explored in about 6 earlier, other paintings. I sketched them together and then used photoshop to do a loose composite using photographs of the original paintings.  From there I worked up the frame work of the painting and then planned the color.

Some of the elements even within the color plan were based on the earlier paintings, (for example the jug and papaya on the left), while others we're designed a new.

I think the overall painting turned out really well, I may work through this scheme again, it's a creative way to explore and breath new life into old subjects. An opportunity to revisit, but at the same time, adapt and evolve into a new iteration.

detail

A much travelled painting

This is a much traveled painting, with some broad changes along the way!  -  I originally started this painting, outside with reference material in Santa Fe. I then brought it home to my studio and finished it; at this time it had a bright orange tablecloth.

in progress in Santa Fe

As the weeks passed, I began to wonder if the cloth was a little overpowering? So, many weeks later I've gone in and found a more toned and I think pleasing color design to the cloth.

Summer arrangement of colors over blue

18X22             Acrylic on panel

The camera doesn't always do a good job of showing subtleties in reds with blues, but overall I think the painting hangs together well, when seen in person.

Small paintings and studies

Recently I've been working on a number of small studies and paintings. It's an interesting test for me, working small. I'm usually looking for large, loose free strokes with a big brush feel, that has space to breathe around the subjects; working in the confines of a smaller composition and canvas can prove challenging.

Subject matter needs to be simplified to it's bare essence, and content needs to be reduced (one of two elements, rather than a table full of subjects). Additionally the subject needs to be considered as 'small enough' to work within the format, e.g. Iris flowers are too large and elegant for these kind of sizes.

Small bouquet & lemons over blue

12X16              Acrylic on panel

A small grouping of lemons

12X12               Acrylic on panel

Study - Tangerine greens

12X9                  Acrylic on panel

Poppies, apricots and cherries

12X12                   Acrylic on panel

More wine?

Another 2 recently paintings from my wine bottle series. The inclusion of a bottle within my still life compositions has been a fun challenge, both in terms of position of the bottle, and choice of tone & color. I'm finding increasingly I am comfortable with taking liberties with the bottles apparent color and it's labeling; however I think it's important to keep the integrity of the bottles shape. It's a form we're so familiar with in society, that even when the labeling is missing and the coloration is 'creative', the identifiability of the bottle is still easy to place.

Irises on fish drape arranged outside

30X30                  Acrylic on canvas

A new and growing favorite of mine is the elephant tablecloth. I enjoy representational imagery within a design and these elephants are so engaging.

 Lemons & pears over Elephant patterned cloth

34X18                     Acrylic on wood