Artistic Expression in Everyday Life

March 8th, 2010

Beauty and creativity can be expressed in many forms… here’s a photo of the table setting we used for dinner last night.  The camellias here are in bloom..

The Importance of a Title

March 7th, 2010

Titling a painting or other work of art may seem like a minor concern since the primary mode of communication with visual art is, as the name states, visual.  However, the title of a work can provide valuable insight into meaning and intent.  This latest work that I will soon be listing for sale, is titled “Mystery”.  Below is a description of how and why I arrived at the title.

At first glance there are elements of the work that contradict the name.  The scene is bright and open with vibrant colors.  Further exploration draws us down to the foreground area where the shadows deepen to the point of illegibility and the brush marks are more active.  The order of the upper scene almost seems to drain out into chaos.  Mystery is in the chaos, but also in the exploration and contemplation of visual meaning.

Latest Version – Dog Portrait…

March 2nd, 2010

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On the Easel Today

March 2nd, 2010

Today, I’m working on a commissioned dog portrait.  I have a special fondness for these projects.  I believe that dogs have very expressive means of non-verbal communication.  To me, the challenge is to create a piece that describes the spirit of that animal as it is expressed and developed over time in companionship with a specific human being.

In Progress

February 24th, 2010

This is my first post since the completion of my new website, and we were able to allow this site to act more as a ‘blog’.  The advantage is that I plan to journal more here and write more about the work in progress.

Here’s a sneak peek at one of the paintings I’m currently working on… as soon as it’s complete, I’ll make it available for sale.

I have a large box that contains images I’ve photographed for paintings I would like to complete.  Though I love to work plein air, sometimes circumstances make this impossible.  That would have been the case with this view because to capture the image, we (photographer Leigh Webber & I) were in danger of trespassing, and were captivated by the beauty of this field as we drove past.

Though I’m sure the sunflowers were cultivated, the expanse of grass, brush and wildflowers create a sense of independence from humanity.  Looking at it again takes me back to the silence and heat broken only by the occasional bird, insect or rustle of grass.  I can imagine what it would be like to wade among them with their prickly green stalks and broad leaves.  For some reason this makes me happy.

Christmas Gifts

December 3rd, 2009

Some of the items at www.mckeeverfineart.etsy.com might be perfect for your holiday shopping…

Just Because

November 28th, 2009

Some photo references I save for years before I get the opportunity to make a painting of them.  This one was taken over three years ago, but finally made its way to the easel….

New Work Available

November 19th, 2009

I’ve just recently listed several new paintings for sale on Etsy….

including this one

Soon to be on sale

October 1st, 2009

Here’s a sample of some of the work I’ll be posting soon to my store on etsy.com

yacht club at twilight

Recent Work

September 26th, 2009

I’ve been pretty busy in and out of the studio.. here are some of the most recent projects…

lut2

lut

Omen

Close of Day