ESCARAMUZA IN PINK / Daily Painting #1068

Pen / Ink / Watercolor / 6 x 9 inches

Here's another in the popular new series, “Confections”. I'm having a great time with these, and apparently so are many of you. Be the first person in with a $100 bid, and it's yours! That's right. The first hundred takes it. Don't wait!

Escaramuza (Skirmish), is an important part of the Mexican rodeo, or Charreada. Young women, dressed in colorful, flowing costumes, riding side-saddle, perform thrilling precision drill team maneuvers.

Send your bid in an email to: farnsworthgallery@newmex.com, or call Thea at 505 982-4561

Touch here to see more confections.

Touch here to see my daily photograph, my watercolor setup, and a brief discussion of my future travel plans.

Please remember that if you would like to commission a larger version of your favorite subject, if you would like to check on the availability of a given image, or if you would like to schedule a workshop, we are just a phone call away, at 505 982-4561, or you can email us at: john@johnfarnsworth.com.

 

Posted by John Farnsworth, with Blogsy

PAINTED BISON SKULL / Daily Painting #1,000

Oil on Paper Mounted on Panel / 6 x 6 Inches

Here it is! Daily Painting Number One Thousand!

And a special offer just for you. Be the winning bidder on today's painting and help us celebrate this milestone by accepting our invitation to Taos, New Mexico and our home for two days and a night.

Be treated to a free one-day workshop, a photography walkabout, or a driveabout. Your choice. Or just kick back and relax. It's up to you.

We will do all we can to make this a visit to remember.

But wait, there's more…

Tomorrow, I will be announcing a week long special offer for all the wonderful collectors, friends and followers who, through their support and encouragement, have made this blog a success.

So bid today, and be sure to check back tomorrow!

This Bison skull was given to me by my special friend, Greg Guymon, who brought it all the way from Wyoming to Arizona. Greg was a real Mountain Man, philosopher, horseman, enthusiast, and truly one of a kind. He painted the decorations using traditional, natural earth pigments, and packed the eye sockets with dried grasses. Though he's been gone more than thirty years, I miss him still. The good do die young.

If you would like to own today's painting, just send your bid in an email to: farnsworthgallery@newmex.com, or call Thea at 505 982-4561

Click Here to see my Daily Photographs.

NOTE! I have a special new WORKSHOP coming up in July. Click HERE for details. I hope you can join us. Materials included.

Please remember that if you would like to commission a larger version of your favorite subject, if you would like to check on the availability of a given image, or if you would like to schedule a workshop, we are just a phone call away, at 505 982-4561, or you can email us at: john@johnfarnsworth.com.

 

Posted with Blogsy

I COUNT THESE RARE MOMENTS / Daily Painting #978

Oil on Paper Mounted on Panel / 6 x 6 Inches

Well, it felt like it was about time to lighten up the abstactions, bring them into a higher key. So that's just what I did. Now, let's see where this takes us.

Click Here to see my Daily Photographs.

NOTE! I have a special new WORKSHOP coming up in July. Click HERE for details. I hope you can join us. Materials included.

Please remember that if you would like to commission a larger version of your favorite subject, if you would like to check on the availability of a given image, or if you would like to schedule a workshop, we are just a phone call away, at 505 982-4561, or you can email us at: john@johnfarnsworth.com.

 

Posted with Blogsy

NIGHT CLERK / Daily Painting #976

Oil on Paper Mounted on Panel / 6 x 6 Inches

Late night check in, two rooms left, two queens or a king. Upstairs or down? Breakfast in the lobby from seven to ten. One key or two?

Click Here to see my Daily Photographs.

NOTE! I have a special new WORKSHOP coming up in July. Click HERE for details. I hope you can join us. Materials included.

Please remember that if you would like to commission a larger version of your favorite subject, if you would like to check on the availability of a given image, or if you would like to schedule a workshop, we are just a phone call away, at 505 982-4561, or you can email us at: john@johnfarnsworth.com.

 

Posted with Blogsy

TEAPOT Daily Painting #675

TEAPOT

Oil on Panel / 6 x 6 inches / ©John Farnsworth

If you would like to own this painting,  just email your bid to: bid@johnfarnsworth.com

EXTRACTION

I’m often asked if I paint from photographs. I sure do. Here’s an example of a painting extracted from a small part of this photograph, taken in our Taos kitchen during the fall of 2001:

It was just a quick snapshot, taken more to test the capabilities of my (then) new Sony Cybershot P150 Camera. Click on the image if you’d like to see it full-size. I did, and that’s when the teapot caught my eye. I played around with some croppings, and finally chose this one:

I straightened it and resized it, then I isolated it on my computer monitor, positioned my mini-easel astraddle my keyboard, opened the drawer in my desk, and the palette in that drawer, and painted TEAPOT.

I found two more compositions that I like inside this original image. One involves the dish rack, and the other is concerned with the green bowl and white cups and the space around them. I may paint them next, or I may wait days, weeks, even months from now. I have to tell you, though, they are really tempting me.

Yes, I use photographs and computers. They’re tools. I used to write using a typewriter. They’re just tools. I do remind my students of the need to argue with photographs, not just replicate them. Teapot is an example that is about as close as I like to come to a direct, unchanged response to a photograph. But if you look close, you’ll see quite a few small, subtle differences. Most of the creativity this time  took place before I ever picked up the brush.

I’d be happy to hear your thoughts regarding the use of photography by painters. The more of you who comment, the more fun we can have.

 

THE LESSON Daily Photograph Snapshot #1,646

ATTICUS NAPPING

Here you see Atticus Catticus teaching me how to nap. He’s growing so fast, I’m afraid he’s going to need a new bassinet soon. Hmmm, I wonder how he’d like a cat size hammock?

He still has the face of a kitten, but his body is looking very grown up, especially from behind.

If you haven’t already, be sure to scroll all the way down to read about your chance to participate in the creation of a documentary Be Home Soon.

And start getting ready for THE KACHINAS ARE COMING. That’s the big Kachina show Thea wil be putting on of my Kachina paintings the first of September at David Anthony Fine Arts, here in Taos. I hope to see you there!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

How would you like to be Associate Producer on an important film while sharing in the realization of a dream? You can, and at the same time give a leg up to a good and deserving woman, our special friend, Melissa Howden. To find out how, just click on this link:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/489495655/be-home-soon-letters-from-my-grandfather?ref=live

Congratulations Melissa! She’s passed the half way mark, both in time and in the amount already pledged.  Check it out.

 

Are you enjoying these daily paintings, photos and writings? If you are, please help us out by clicking on the Google+, Facebook, and Twitter Icons below. And share us with your friends. Thanks!

MANZANOS Daily Painting #674

MANZANOS

Oil on Panel / 6 x 6 inches / ©John Farnsworth

If you would like to own this painting,  just email your bid to: bid@johnfarnsworth.com

APPLES IN A SIMPLE EARTHEN BOWL

I found this still life arrangement in the colonial hacienda at El Rancho de las Golondrinas. Did you see yesterday’s daily photograph of the chapel at Las Golondrinas? Did you click on the link to learn about it? If not, here’s your second chance. Just click on El Rancho de las Golondrinas.

EVENING SUN ON BRUSHES Daily Photograph #1,645

EVENING SUNLIGHT ON BRUSHES

See the brushes in front, on the right? These are the only brushes I have used for the last couple of years, whether working on my daily 6 x 6 inch paintings, or larger works like Trillium Six, which is a painting 72 inches long, by 3 feet high. It’s a remarkable little brush. It’s inexpensive at around a buck and a half, very versatile, and able to cover surprisingly large areas with subtle variations in color and intensity, making for subtle yet more vibrant passages. A lot less cleanup is required, as well.

If you haven’t already, be sure to scroll all the way down to read about your chance to participate in the creation of a documentary Be Home Soon.

And start getting ready for THE KACHINAS ARE COMING. That’s the big Kachina show Thea wil be putting on of my Kachina paintings the first of September at David Anthony Fine Arts, here in Taos. I hope to see you there!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

How would you like to be Associate Producer on an important film while sharing in the realization of a dream? You can, and at the same time give a leg up to a good and deserving woman, our special friend, Melissa Howden. To find out how, just click on this link:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/489495655/be-home-soon-letters-from-my-grandfather?ref=live

Congratulations Melissa! She’s passed the half way mark, both in time and in the amount already pledged.  Check it out.

 

Are you enjoying these daily paintings, photos and writings? If you are, please help us out by clicking on the Google+, Facebook, and Twitter Icons below. And share us with your friends. Thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

GO AHEAD, THROW IT! Daily Painting #670

GO AHEAD, THROW IT!

Oil on Panel / 6 x 6 inches / ©John Farnsworth

If you would like to own this painting, just email your bid to: bid@johnfarnsworth.com

ROAD TRIP Continued

We got to Socorro about 9:30, and the sidewalks were being rolled up, so we stopped at Denny”s for a tilapia dinner. Not bad, really. We pushed on to Albuquerque and got a room for the night. I painted CHOPSTICKS, and ran into several technological problems. I had used my iPad for blogging all during my two month travels, but, for whatever reason, couldn’t get anything to work though I worked at it until three or four in the morning. The next day we got home with no problems, unloaded and returned the Uhaul and I was home by around two. Our mini adventure turned out to be more of a quick trip. Quick and exhausting. And successful. That little pickup is cute as can be, fits right in in Taos, and purrs like a kitten. Speaking of which…

ATTICUS CATTICUS Daily Photograph #1,641

ATTICUS CATTICUS

In case you just tuned in, this is Atticus, so named because he was rescued from our attic. He’s the new ruler of the studio; the whole house, in fact. He’s also started taking over the yard. But only if we’re really close by. This photograph shows him in a rare moment between playing and sleeping. Hmmm, sleeping. Sounds like a plan. See you tomorrow.

If you haven’t already, be sure to scroll all the way down to read about your chance to participate in the creation of a documentary Be Home Soon.

And start getting ready for THE KACHINAS ARE COMING. That’s the big Kachina show Thea wil be putting on of my Kachina paintings the first of September at David Anthony Fine Arts, here in Taos. I hope to see you there!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

How would you like to be Associate Producer on an important film while sharing in the realization of a dream? You can, and at the same time give a leg up to a good and deserving woman, our special friend, Melissa Howden. To find out how, just click on this link:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/489495655/be-home-soon-letters-from-my-grandfather?ref=live

Congratulations Melissa! She’s passed the half way mark, both in time and in the amount already pledged.  Check it out.

 

Are you enjoying these daily paintings, photos and writings? If you are, please help us out by clicking on the Google+, Facebook, and Twitter Icons below. And share us with your friends. Thanks!

LAGUNA PUEBLO Daily Painting #647

LAGUNA PUEBLO

Oil on Panel / 6 x 6 inches / ©John Farnsworth

If you would like to own this painting, please visit the Terms and Conditions.

I’ve been driving past this scene on I40 ever since it was Route 66. And every time,  I’ve thought, I should paint that. Just look at how the white church stands out against the dark mountains in the distance. Well, today, I finally got it done. I feel better now.

ELK

MORE ON PHOTOGRAPHY AS A PAINTER’S TOOL.

I hope you can tell how much fun I had creating (as opposed to taking) this photograph of the elk skull that I had hanging in my Santa Fe studio. I thoroughly enjoy taking a good photograph. Truth is, I enjoy taking photographs, period. When one turns out to be good, I feel blessed. When another lends itself to manipulation, as this one did, I thoroughly enjoy tweaking it, changing it, making it into something more, something better than simply what I was able to capture in that particular split second.

The painting above, Laguna Pueblo, was painted from a photograph I took while speeding by on the Interstate. I don’t know how many shots I’ve taken while speeding past this site. I do know there have been a lot. Most, like this one, were not even very good snapshots. I don’t know how many times I have looked at this photograph and seen nothing I could use. For some unknown reason, though, when I came across it today it resonated. I thought “I’m ready, the photo is ready, I know what to do with it”. I no longer saw the photograph, I saw the painting it could become.

Someone looks at one of my paintings and says “Why, that looks just like a photograph!” (It doesn’t, really. I like to think their intention is to be complimentary. I hope it looks better than a photograph, at least the one it may have been painted from).

Then someone else looks at one of my photographs and remarks, “Hmmm, That looks just like a painting!”

I just smile, and think to myself, “Gee, I hope both look a bit like Art!”

One last thing. If I enjoy a good book, I don’t care whether it was written with a pencil, on a typewriter, or on a keyboard. They’re just tools. Likewise, I don’t care whether a painter used a camera or not. It’s just a tool. The important thing is what is done with that tool.

BETSY BULLETIN

While I was teaching an (Un)Limited Palette Workshop this afternoon, the phone rang. It was the mechanic in Victorville.  Betsy is fixed, and ready to go! I couldn’t talk long, so details are sketchy, and I’m not sure when I can go to pick her up, but I will let you know more when I know more. He did say she’s running better than before, and she was running finebefore, when she was running. Oh, yeah, more good news, it appears the cost will be considerably less than we were dreading it could be.

AND NOW FOR THE NEWS…

I got Betsy back!

Who is Betsy? Betsy is my iVan.  As in iPhone, and iPad. She’s the go anywhere, do anything Volkswagen Westfalia camper van that we bought back in  ’87. She was less than a year old and barely used. We promptly left on a three month trip around the Western United States and Southwestern Canada. What a honeymoon! We both loved our time camping and roaming about, but it was enough to last Thea a lifetime. She still likes shorter excursions, usually for business or family visits. I’ve continued to take Betsy on occasional hunting and fishing trips around Arizona and New Mexico, plus a couple of trips to Yellowstone.

A couple of years ago, we decided it was time to sell her. We were so busy with the galleries and commissions and just life in general, and she was getting very little use, other than as an around town car. Oh, it hurt, but we let her go. Our friend, Jane, who bought her, called recently and said she didn’t have time to do all the camping she’d planned. She had put quite a bit of money into mechanical repairs, but was really getting little or no chance to use Betsy. She knew how much we, I especially, had missed the old girl, and wanted to know if we’d be interested in trading art to get her back. In a heart beat!

Now what to do? I still never seemed to have time for anything but work. I had started my blogs A Farnsworth A Day, featuring a painting every day, and another blog, When a Painter Snaps, featuring a photograph a day. I started having more fun with my work and being more creative than I had been in years. But I’d let the creative side of living slip away. Having Betsy back reminded me how much I’d been missing  life on the road. Trip after trip got postponed or delayed or just plain written off. I’ve long since had my fill of snow and cold weather, I’m homesick for just about every place I’ve ever been and most places I haven’t. I love travel, crave springtime weather, and am quick to remind others that life is short. It ain’t a dress rehearsal. The only way I can see to enjoy reincarnation is to live many lives within this one we’ve been blessed with.

Jack Kerouac said it best “…life is the road.”

I’m hitting the road!

Click HERE to find out more and  follow along.

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Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous New Year

Our heartfelt thanks go out to all our collectors, commentors, and followers. Your support and encouragement are greatly appreciated and contribute more than I can tell you to my ability to come up with a new painting every day. I’m having the time of my life as an artist, and delighted to know that so many are enjoying my work as much as I enjoy creating it.

Stay tuned for some interesting and exciting new developments coming in the next week or so. Don’t forget to let your friends know that they, too, could have a brand new painting to view with their morning coffee.

Thanks again,

John and Thea