HAPPY HOLIDAYS! MORE PAINTING AFTER THE HOLIDAYS!

I posted this ad last year and I still think it's great. I found this in a medical journal from Christmas 1952. A new diet drug Desoxyn also known as Methamphetamine.
The illustration is classic. Now as I dive into more fruitcake...

YES I WILL STEP BY STEP ABOUT PAINTING!

I have been asked a couple times about my painting and why don’t I do a step by step like I do for my sculpture. Sounds like an easy thing, but I guess it come down to my personal feelings about the two mediums. When I create a sculpted piece it almost always comes out the way I envisioned. Not to say that there aren’t problems to solve, and aspects of the piece that get reworked and changed. It’s just that I find that my painted work is just more difficult for me to create that picture i see in my head, and i don’t have as many tricks for problem solving or achieving are certain effect like I do with clay. That said I’ll be glad to spew out all I know, and let you read about and see as I stumble through the process. Not as much pressure doing a “here’s how I paint with acrylics” as opposed to “The definitive way to paint with acrylics by Dave Pressler”

I paint with acrylics, I like Liquitex Acrylic and Golden Acrylic Paint. Most of the time I paint on wood; Masonite it’s sturdy one side smooth the other rough. I cut 1” X 3” inch beams to create a frame, then glue and power staple the masonite to the frame. It’s like a really skinny box. To finish before the painting begins, power sanding, then 2 coats of Gesso are applied. I leave plenty of brush strokes in the gesso for texture and “Tooth”.

Most of the stuff I’m working on now is blimp and sky related. The first phase is to have an idea of what the final piece’s color theme will be, warm, cool, then do an under painting in the opposite or complimentary color.



This painting is being started over an old piece that wasn’t quite finished, but it wasn’t working out. Not the way I planed. Out with the old!

This piece will have a an over-all warm color scheme. So the Gesso coating will have a greens and blues. I mix up gesso with the colors and just start brushing it in no
particular pattern, very abstract more about creating a texture and under painting that will give the next layer of paint something to play off of.



I have a general idea of the finished piece in my head, the main subject the “Blimp” is very specific. The idea is a old fashioned yet scientific monster hunting machine.



The original drawing itself is small, so I scan it and re-size it in a larger print out. Then I position the print on the board, just so it’s easier to visualize the finished composition.



Everyone has a size they draw their best work. When I first started painting large canvases I would try to freehand the art onto the larger surface using the original sketch as reference, this was always frustrating. Best to just scan and enlarge the print, then get it onto the board by graphite transfer, not ready for that step yet.

Now with the cool base color of gesso dry, I’ll start to layout the sky. I want it to be orange and stormy, so again with out over thinking it I just start to brush in the colors with the ideas of forming the various clouds, and areas of light and shadow. At this point adding retarding medium to the paint helps for smooth blending. I always have a plastic container with a good amount of premixed retarding medium with the paints.



I use a criss-cross brush stroke to blend the colors.



This is the first finished phase, now it has to dry or the brush will just start lifting the previous paint layers. Next Clouds!

THE TREASURES OF LONG GONE JOHN!

This is a great documentary about one of the most interesting guys I know, and a good friend. Long Gone John founder of Sympathy for the Record Industry, and obsessive art collector (Understatement) also founder of Necessaries Toy Foundation. Directed by Gregg Gibbs this a documentary gem that is slated for wide release next year.
It includes interviews with many cool artists, somehow I got in there. John was the first guy to hire me to sculpt vinyl toys. We always got along and he was a constant source of amusing enlightenment.
The Treasures of Long Gone John makes a great stocking stuffer!

UNTITLED LOVE PROJECT BOOK SIGNING!

What a great time! I always love to get out of my little studio and meet fellow artists and fans alike. Not to sound too overly dramatic but it can sometimes be a solitary work life painting designing etc. Getting out there and meeting everyone is always amazing.
Many thanks to Kevin Staniec for pulling this whole project together. I was happy with the many different takes on the subject of heart break and love.

KOIBITO IN OUR POOL!

I love the new Koibito. When Zury from Munky Kiing called to see if Brian McCarty could do the Koibito shoot in our pool I was more then happy. The heater had not been on since August! So the team was very brave. Brian is a super talented photographer, and I’m always “down” with the MK. Check out the Behind the scenes of the shoot on the High Fructose Magazine site. Also you can download a nice screensaver of the shot.

MONKEY KING!

I finally picked up and unpacked my Nathan Jurevicius Monkey King vinyl.



A fantastic piece, great work by Munky King on the paint job and the packaging. Also an amazing sculpt!



Nathan was also kind enough to do a doodle on the back.



I placed what was left of the sculpt with the finished vinyl. I always keep whatever is left of the sculpt after the molding process. Maybe I'll do a photo project with various toys with their sculpted ghosts.

UNTITLED LOVE PROJECT BOOK RELEASE!

I will be at the Untitled Love Project book release and artist signing this Saturday December 13th 7pm to 10pm @ Cerasoli : LeBasse Gallery 8530-B Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 900232. Hope you can come by and say hi! There will also be a ton of other cool artist there too.



This was the piece I made for the show titled:
“The Journey We Must Take Alone” Inspired by the Life and death of Pam Roberts. This was probably the most personal art project I’ve ever been involved in. The original art has been sold. A high quality print is available through Thumbtack Press Hope to see you at the signing.

GIVE LESS FRUITCAKE BUY MORE ART!

I have a new piece of art in this show at T&P Fine Art in Philadelphia PA. On Dec 5th. Unfortunately I will not be attending but if you are over that way check it out. The piece is “Lucky Tiki Is Rescued From The Island Of Unpleasantness.” It just so happens that I have prints available of this piece on my website. Also just for the record I love fruit cake.