Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Spring Art Show







I will be having an art show in my house again Saturday April 16, 1-5 PM. This will be the second time I have had a show in my home. These shows are a lot of work for me, but also a lot of fun. It is amazing how art has a way of bringing people together. I am honored by all the people that come. This painting I did because I wanted to try paint all the piers in Orange county. This pier is the Balboa Pier down on Balboa Island. Below are more paintings that I will have in the show. 

The Second painting is from a painting in nearby Mile Square Park in Fountain valley where I live. At the time I painted it I wasn't sure if I liked it. But I pulled it out of storage and I actually like the tree because I achieved what I set out to do, which was to create a sense of space in the painting. I liked also the afternoon sun lighting up the trunk of the tree. 

The next painting below is a re-run. I painted it once before but on location on two separate occasions. It is a fountain at Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge, which is also in Southern California. The next painting down is the San Juan Mission. The place where the swallows go. Finally a little bit of fun in a painting entitled "Praise". I painted this for a painting class I took. I got my inspiration from Diego Rivera the Mexican Muralist. I was intrigued with the way Rivera described form by employing horizontal lines to represent the "core shadow".  I painted it with no direction or plan, only a concept and listened to Classical music. I hope you can come to my show.

  










Monday, March 7, 2011

Two Paintings

Here are two paintings I have recently completed. The first painting, Fontaine à Aix, I started last summer. I sketched in the design but debated whether I should put in figures. It sat unpainted for 6 months. I finally decided a month ago to place 5 figures to the right of the fountain. That did not work. The figures were competing with the fountain which I intended as the center of interest. So the viewer thought what is this a story about? is it about a lonely, serene fountain or a bunch of Italian tourists? Finally I  washed out four of the figures.


The still life I did with Chardin in mind. He was a French painter who is notable for his still life paintings. This was a project for my watercolor workshop at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California. 


DOUBLE CLICK the photos to see larger renditions. to see more work go to www.kenharris.com