art by dane

2011-11-30T19:15:00.000-08:00

Here is one of the last paintings I've completed. This painting took a while. I used more glazes on this painting than I ever have before and this technique will serve me well on a painting I'm currently working on. I thought the perspective lines on this gave it pretty dynamic composition. I went a while without seeing this painting and then owner was nice enough to let me come by and photograph it. I was pleasantly surprised. It's weird to work so hard on something and then wish it farewell the moment it's done and sometimes before the paint is dry. I thought it looked good in the space and I'm glad I took the time.

2011-11-30T19:08:00.000-08:00

Hello and one and all. I'm back! I have been doing plenty of art and zero posting. I am sorry, but there is good news. I got a house, I got a wife, and I plan on getting my MFA. Enough about me. Here is some design work I did over a year ago. I will be catching this blog up on the art I've done in the last year and half in stages. Anyways, I like how these turned out and there were other posters, a play bill, a map and other pieces that went with this job but these two represent the others well enough.

Some of my first paintings

2010-06-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

Here is the first painting I did after graduation. It is also the first painting I sold to someone that wasn't a friend or family member. I sold it to family in Norway. This painting along with the one below I painting in the hallway of the apartment I lived in. It was kind of tough because I could only back up about 5 ft and these paintings are about 4 ft wide.
This is the second painting I did after collage. It was part of my first show and I there are still large parts of this painting that I'm quite proud of. My mom bought it so I get to see it anytime I go home. This is nice because so many paintings get shipped away and I never see them again. I'm not sure I should care but when you invest so much into something it would be nice to revisit it from time to time. Something they taught us at the Illustration Academy was to not get attached to your artwork. If you get too scared of messing something up you'll have a lot harder time improving. Nothing like throwing a piece of art across the room and against the wall, after you spent the last 50 hours driving yourself crazy to get it the way you want it. And that my friends is a run-on sentence.

17 degrees aint nothing

2010-05-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

Hey guys. Guess what? My friend Carlton Mackey and myself made a mini documentary. What you see above is the poster I designed for it and above that is the film festival we are going to be in this thursday. It's called 17 degrees aint nothing. it's about 18 minutes long and it's five homeless people in atlanta. We also got this fellow into docu-fest that will be held at the carter center and we will be showing at Emory University in late June. We have other viewing planned in Atlanta and we will enter it into some national film festivals after our first few viewings and get some feed back. We will have a website to view in it's entirety later own for everyone who couldn't make it out to one of the shows. Carlton Mackey's blog is http://visionphilms.blogspot.com/ Check it out, it's good stuff!

2010-04-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

2010-04-12T19:39:00.001-07:00

There were four in this series. I believe I posted two others a while back.

2010-03-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

If any one still looks at this blog I thought you might be tired of looking at my sketches so pulled this up out of the archives. A women's tee shirt I did a few years ago. There are two others in the same vibe. I'll post those later.

2010-03-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

2010-03-10T20:57:00.000-08:00

another sketch.

2010-02-23T19:56:00.000-08:00

I recently went to philly to see a friend and while I was there I had plenty of that great time to read and draw. So I did both. Here is some of what I did. I was rusty at first so it took a few pages to shake off the cobwebs but then it started to come back. I get in these modes where I don't do any fun sketching. It's always prep and study drawing for a painting and then the painting. I felt my drawing skills fading, so I took about a week or so worked on fundamentals. None of those drawings are here but being an artblog I though I would mention it. I'm also working on a couple of paintings and I'm really excited about how they're turning out

This is a sketch of a painting I want to do. I've stretched the canvas, and drawn it several times but I've never painted this many figures so I always choose to do a little more prep or work on something else.

2010-01-24T19:26:00.000-08:00

This is a drawing from a photo I came across of toulouse lautrec. Wait... I'll just post the photo too. It's hilarious!

2010-01-23T16:43:00.000-08:00

Here's a sketch for another painting I'll be doing soon. There is more going on in the final composition. This sketch was frustrating me and it probably comes threw. I need to do these sketches in rapid succession and not get hung up on just one. They're just studies for the final painting, but sometimes I get hardheaded and want to fight a drawing into submission. It's a fight a rarely win. Anyways I plan on getting some more done tonight and tomorrow.

2010-01-12T20:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a sketch for the next painting. It's a commission. This is a little outside my comfort zone but I kinda excited about this painting. I going to get a chance to try my hand at that rippley, reflective water that people paint. There is alot going on in this painting but I think I can be pretty loose and free, have fun and paint fast. We'll see.

2010-01-04T18:51:00.000-08:00

Hey guys. It's been about a month. Alot has been going on and I wont get into it. This is what I did with my last few days of Holiday vacation. I wanted to combine some of the techniques I've developed with my freelance time in front of the computer, with some more traditional painting and drawing. I want to turn this into a vertical layout with a giant lion head looking back in profile. This was just for fun and now I need to get back to the stuff that pays the bills. There will be more soon to come and I'm really curious to what art projects and or messes I will get into this year.

2009-12-08T12:29:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! It's been a while. Here is a painting that I have started and will finish one day. I hope to get back to it by march. It's about 4 x 3, maybe bigger, I can't find the measuring tape.

It's a mixture of oils and acrylic. There were a couple of oil washes thrown in there. enjoy

2009-11-20T09:25:00.000-08:00

I did a three color version of this but I can't seem to find it.

Art class

2009-11-15T20:31:00.000-08:00

This was done by Kristen and its done from a photo of one of our follow bloggers. Check out "say hello max" A bunch of good photos and other stuff. http://sayhellomax.blogspot.com/
I taught an artclass today and it was the first one I had done in about 8 years. It was on Mono-prints and the art work you are looking at is not mine but of everyones who took the class. The one above is my favorite that came out of the class today and the one below was doozy as well. They were all great pieces and I hope you enjoy.

deadly sins

2009-11-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

This is another one of the ones I did in the deadly sins series. This one is lust.

2009-11-04T05:19:00.000-08:00

This is another tee shirt design. There are four in the group. This is about 95% collage with some type.

2009-11-02T21:48:00.000-08:00

This is my blue ox. There are many like it but this one is mine. enjoy

2009-10-22T16:49:00.000-07:00

Hey guys. I just noticed the other day when I'm on someone else's blog that I follow and in that area where is shows everyone who follows that blog, my picture isn't there. The generic image shows up instead. I've tinkered around with it about as much as I care to. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

2009-10-22T16:40:00.001-07:00

2009-10-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

Here's some progress on the current painting I working on.

2009-10-19T07:34:00.000-07:00

2009-10-14T19:42:00.000-07:00

I was actually laughing outloud when I first drew this. It was inspired by something on the wall at a coffee shop. That hand and arm is my "fred flintstone" arm that I learned in the 3rd grade, or there abouts.
I drew this at a Drink and Draw event. I won a $50 gift certificate to a tattoo parlor but I gave it to this guy who worked at the corner store. I was never going to get around to using it. BUt the whole tusk thing evolved a little,... or devolved. I like the little girl better.

2009-10-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

This is a flier for a class I'll be teaching. The class will be on mono prints with oil glazes. If you're local to Atlanta and would like to participate there is still room but not much. I chose this technique to teach because it doesn't require any academic art skill. I think everybody has a hidden talent for image building and this is a great way to tap into it. All the supplies will be provided and it's in a great location. The rest of the information is on the flier. If your interested let me know.

2009-10-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

I've been playing around with mono prints and this is one. After the print I went back in with acrylics and oil paint.

2009-10-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

2009-10-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

Just another typical sketch from me to you.

2009-10-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

the star burst at the top was pulled out of a tie-dye design.

2009-10-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

Another study for a painting I would like to do. I sort have the ocean water theme going.

2009-10-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

2009-10-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

Willie!, you were always on my mind.

2009-10-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite compositions.

2009-10-01T16:33:00.000-07:00

these are some sketches for some paintings I'll soon start. Hopefully this weekend.

2009-09-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

I did this for my sister. Thats her and myself on a wellhouse at my grandparents house. The one with the beetle is just for fun.

2009-09-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

Hello, this is some art that was done for a series of tee shirts. The theme was dime novel spy smut. It was done by combining and manipulating found images and adding some text and texture. The titles were given to me so I apologize for the "orient" one.

2009-09-18T18:10:00.000-07:00

This is about a 6 hour painting, with some collage. The picture below is the inspiration, coupled with a painting I saw on someone's blog of a skull is space helmut. I wish I remember where I saw it but I don't.

2009-09-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of this Coney Island painting when it wasn't finished and then I finished it, and sold it with out taking another photo. 'Cause thats how I roll. Sorry I haven't posted as much lately. I've been working 6 days a week. I got some stuff in the works though.

2009-09-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

2009-09-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

This was the first illustration I did since graduating college, pretty much. When I say illustration, I mean, it was done on board, using techniques I learned in college, and geared towards print media. Me and a friend challenged each other to get a piece done a month that was in line with the direction we were trying to expand our art. Another short lived but great idea. So this is what I did and it was loosely based on the sketch below. For the most part I just dove in with no plan as to how it would turn out.

2009-09-08T05:52:00.000-07:00

This is about a 4ft circle, maybe a little larger. I made the canvas by attaching wood to a circular metal joint. My dad is a welder and he had some. It's like angle iron except in a circle. Then I stretched the canvas and so forth. I think they sell pre-stretched canvas like this now, and maybe they did then too, I don't know. Anyways, I painted this thinking I would never sell it and it was gone in days.

2009-09-06T21:51:00.000-07:00

So here is painting that I was focussing on the sillouette. the background is flattened out and many of the shapes are pretty flat.
This painting was a lot of fun and went fairly fast.

2009-09-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

2009-09-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

The concept here was to create a scarecrow / robot / living dead sort of thing. I wanted him to look like he was result of some hilly billy Dr Frankenstein creating life in his garage. It was all done by hand except for the celtic scrolls in the trees. That was an after thought. It looked a little too simple so I added those for some texture and just to see what it would look like.

2009-09-02T19:13:00.000-07:00

2009-09-01T19:21:00.000-07:00

This is a portrait I did and it's about 4x3. I'll just say this. Doing a portrait of a baby is not easy.

2009-08-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

2009-08-28T16:15:00.001-07:00

2009-08-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

I felt like I needed to get back to the sketchbook, so I did this tonight while I ate at village pizza. Guess what?, I ate pizza. So, I have been a complete failure when it comes to my sketchbook lately. I've been drawing in these sketchbooks that have traditional book bindings and clothey cardboard covers for the past 6 or so years. I don't know anybody but me who likes this style of sketchbook. So I bought some different ones. A moleskin and one with a spiral binder. Well, I wasn't the best drawer before and then I turned into a four year old with all thumbs. I've talked enough about this and hopefully my sketching will improve. I feel fine about this drawing but more importantly it came pretty easily so this might be the end of my drawing slump.

2009-08-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

This another painting I did while living in Jersey City. It was commissioned, but I got to choose the subject matter. So, here are some men floating in murky water, its a theme that keeps come up in my paintings.

2009-08-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

This is the painting I've been working on. I finished it last night and delivered it this morning. I posted some progress photos of this one earlier. It would be under "in progress". I think I may just post it back with the others as well.

2009-08-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

Yep,... still haven't finished the painting, but I have no worries, there's plenty of time.

2009-08-22T20:05:00.000-07:00

So this is my favorite way of wasting time. Not dressing up in a suit and floating down a river, but messing with old photos. And if you see one of these it's a good assumption that I am suppose to be painting. So here you go, I got to get back to painting.

2009-08-21T16:55:00.000-07:00

So, I use to design tee shirts and some of the designs you see here on this blog are ideas I came up with while that was my focus.
This is one of those. And..... if you like this you will love this other artist, Leigh Viner, http://jkldesign.blogspot.com/ .
Enjoy

2009-08-20T17:08:00.000-07:00

2009-08-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

I painted this when I lived in Jersey City. It was so long that when I was painting it, it went from one wall to about 6 inches behind the loft my bed was on. It was a good time for painting. I averaged about 1 large painting a month when I lived there.

2009-08-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

I just realized I have been writing the wrong web address for my blog on all the images. I just come to expect this kind of thing from myself, unless whoever is reading this would like to commission some art and in that case I never make mistakes. I am perfect and awesome and very charismatic.

2009-08-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

2009-08-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

I did this one day out of desperation to do something different. Couple of happy accidents were discovered while doing this piece.

2009-08-15T18:39:00.000-07:00

This is one of those I started by hand and then scanned into the computer to play with. I don't feal like I'm finish with it, but... till a later time this is what it is.

2009-08-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

This image came about when I was in that great habbit of doing quick paintings everyday. (I wrote about it further down the page) I admit, I did spend probably 6 hours on this guy but I liked where it was going and I wanted to see it through. The frame and everything was added in photoshop. When ever I get my website up I think some version of this will be my home page.

2009-08-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

I started this painting about two years ago and finished it in the last year sometime. I really like painting dark murky water. This is probably the sixth painting that has this same water in it. It's a painting of Mao but it doesn't have any intended political meaning. I find the less I talk about a painting the more someone might like it. So, I'll shut up and let you take what you like from it. I will close in saying that this painting is not showing praise to Mao. I was mostly concerned with captureing a man swimming in dark deep waters and I wanted for him to look all alone. Being that it is Mao, it lends itself to all sorts of interpretation. The stoty I have been told about the origins of the photo was this, He was swimming across this River "maybe the yellow river" to prove how strong and healthy he was. I don't think the majority of the Chinese population could swim at the time, so such an act would prove this point.

2009-08-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

So this posting shows paintings I spent between 20 minutes to maybe 3 hours working on. I got into this great habbit where I would do a quick painting in addition to what ever art I was doing that day. It was such a great habbit that I've quit doing it. The concept and the purpose was that I was and I am taking to long to complete art projects. I wanted to do something that didn't matter, do it as quick as possible and be completely unconcerned how it would come out. So I would do several really quick paintings, like 3 minutes each and then I would choose one to take to a quick completion.

these were the first two painting that came out of this practice. I was kind of dissapointed after I had done them because I looking to produce something differeint and that first day this is what kept happening.

2009-08-09T16:31:00.001-07:00

I love willie and could probably do a painting of this guy like once a month

queens and things

2009-08-09T16:27:00.000-07:00

I like the vibe of these and would like to do some more things like this.

From the sketch book

2009-08-07T11:32:00.000-07:00

digital art

2009-08-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

these are some images that I prroduce by working both inside and outside the computer.

I created this one night when I was sitting in front of my computer wasteing time. Probably procrastinating on a painting that was suppose to be doing.

Project in progress

2009-08-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

This is the finished painting

This is where I am so far with this painting. This painting is pretty far out of my comfort zone. I don't usualy paint architecture, flowers, and landscapes. I'm happy with how this is coming out so far. It's taking longer than I thought it
would but I've got to place where this painting is fun and I can spend hours on end carving out this scene and doing it justice.

This is the layout I came up with for the painting above. I guess I should give some back ground info. This is a comissioned painting and these churches are in the Ukrain. It's 4 x 3 and I did an acrylic underlay with oil washes, glazes and straight painting on top of them. This layout was down in Photoshop useing the three photos I was given, aka the photos you see below.

Paintings I did for the GAWL charity art auction

2009-08-05T16:10:00.000-07:00

I was reluctant to do this painting for several years but I like how it turned out.

This is one of the largest paintings I've done and it's also one of my favorites, and sence it's never sold I must be alone in that opinion.

I went through this kick where everything I did had to have an animal in it.

2009-08-05T15:58:00.000-07:00