My wife and I had a baby boy yesterday (10/02), and I'll be going on a short break.

Meanwhile, you can see some of my recent work at Obscura, on 10/17 in Newark. Details here:
http://www.modelmayhem.com/po.php?thread_id=455770

In the Spring, you can see my work in a solo show at the Amberella Sugary & Sweet Gallery and Boutique in the Piazza. Gallery information here:
http://amberellagallery.wordpress.com/

Hope to see you
Steve
http://www.fluidbeauty.com

It’s been a month or so since I painted. Usually my “first painting back” is a little wild and this painting is no different. Luckily, I’m learning some control even when I’m all jacked up to paint. In years past, this painting would have sucked. Heh. I’ll post some pictures of these types of paintings to illustrate the point and help me to see my growth.

Meanwhile, I really like a lot of what turned out in this painting.

Also, it’s my third painting using watercolor canvas and I continue to fall in love with it. I never, ever thought I’d replace my cotton illustration board, but with this specially treated canvas I’m getting the effects I want with the added bonuses of more control, no warping, and a gallery-ready piece.

Here’s another of Veronica, who’s just an exceptional model to work with and creates amazing shots that make it easy for me to paint. Higher quality photos next week.

Comics! Pictures of my work from @drsketchyphilly this past Friday: Heroes vs. Villains are up only at: http://bit.ly/PP1T6

I finished this about 10 minutes ago.



You may remember the color study


The hold up was that I didn't know what music to play while I painted. Sounds trivial, but the thing is that I didn't know that was the hold up for a couple of weeks. I figured it out earlier today. So, clearly it didn't take long to fix.

I listened to Firewater, BTW. I've only painted with these colors a few times before. I've used Alice in Chains, but it's a slightly different feel. If you're reading this and think I'm nuts, I have synesthesia so I see colors when I hear sound. It makes it easy to come up with color schemes. Sometimes I pick the music to fit the colors, most often I pick the colors to fit the music. At some point, I'll mention which music goes with which paintings / colors / styles.

Right now I'm going to enjoy a feeling of accomplishment.

I went to Dr. Sketchy's again, this time in NYC this past Saturday. The amazingly talented and accomplished Molly Crabapple was there. I'm eternally grateful to her for establishing Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School.

I'm going to the Dr. Sketchy's Philly this Friday, let me know if you're interested. It's fun, there's cool people and free beer, and it's in an amazing part of the Fleisher Art Memorial that's not always open.

I'm going to post about 20 sketches soon, from Philly and NYC Dr. Sketchy's, but for now, here's one of the beautiful Justine Joli.

One of the things it's easier to do with oil than the dyes is paint with green.

Here's an image from my second or third shoot ever. I recently got back in touch with this model after a very long time. Thanks, Facebook.

I'm working on more from the shoot. I've tried to paint from these images for years, but because of the lighting, they just didn't work well in watercolors or dyes. Now that I've learned to paint in oils, I can give them another shot.

Been busy. Working on my last run of paintings before my new boy arrives in September and I go on hiatus.
Here's one I painted in the past couple of weeks. It's a new color palette. If you know that I have synesthesia, then it'll make sense when I tell you that I see the colors in this palette when I hear the Ting Tings.

Last week was a pretty damn productive. I finished a painting last Sunday, then I did another Monday and Tuesday and then Friday I nearly completed a painting that night.

Here's crappy pics of the them, I shot some quality ones outside today, but I'll have to pull them off the flash card tomorrow / Monday night. Weird trivia: a couple of nights I turned down drinking with friends and painted instead. Coincidental. But, hey, if you want to help me paint, throw me some drinking invites. Apparently they drive me to paint.

Thanks to all my friends who commented on these already. It's flattering and keeps me going even when I just want to enjoy the weather. Though now I'm painting in oils maybe I'll paint outside old school.

Here they is:

Mosh from 5/8


Lilah from Cinco de Mayo


Veronica from 5/3

This one's next:

I probably won't be able to get back to this until Saturday. Denis Leary tomorrow, dinners on Thurs and Fri

From Twitter as I was painting tonight:
# Darks. I think that's all for tonight. Hard to really fight to get myself to paint for some reason

# Using a butcher tray for a palette. Crazy thing about water-mixable oils, I just soak the tray in water to clean it
# And I got these two #8 kolinsky sable brushes for about 1/2 off (normally $70 or so each).

# Oils were half off at the local art supply place

# Painting for the next 45 minutes or so