New Daze

A few of these paintings I have done recently. The first is of Three roses in our back yard. I painted these early one morning before going to my day job as a graphic designer. I loosely put down color and then started peppering the paper with salt. Lots of salt. It added some texture. I'm going to try it again soon.

The schooner I did atop a 5 story building adjacent to Newport Harbor. I don't like heights. The only way I kept myself from freaking out was to concentrate on the painting. The Horse at Santa Rosa Road in San Luis Opispo County I did a while ago. I did it from a photo I took when I was there years ago. The next painting I did just recently at my brother-in-laws family farm in Dixon, Cailfornia. I saw these two old gum trees in the late morning and just decided to paint them. I took a lunch break and then sat in a green plastic patio chair and painted. It was like going back in time a bit. The weather was beautiful. Not hot. Not cold. It was peacefully quiet. Not something I hear everyday.

The next Painting I started on location as well in New Hampshire. I was standing by the creek and it was starting to rain. I used this painting as a demonstration at a Christian high school and finished it when I got back to California. The final painting I painted at a local historic park near where I live. It is an old California farm water tower minus the water tank and windmill which should be on the roof.

New and Old

Here is some new paintings and some old paintings. It is interesting how we grow in our thoughts and attitudes not only as a person but as an artist as well. The top painting I just finished. Once again it is a street scene in Aix-en-Provence. I'm not sure whether I am finished with the painting. I may or may put in some more foliage at the top of the painting to kind of "frame" the composition. The Sunset at Northern California Beach I painted about three weeks ago. It already has sold, but cards are always available. The second painting is a painting I did on location. It is from the "wedge" in Newport Beach, CA. I finished it my studio. The next painting, below, is once again painted from a photo I took in Aix-en-Provence. I finished it today. I call it Les Rues D'Aix. I keep wanting to paint France. Speaking of France the final painting has been painted by many artist. It is Sainte-Victoire painted by Cézanne a few times. Sainte-Victoire is right outside of Aix. The bottom painting is of the San Juan Capistrano Mission which is near where I live in Southern California. I painted that about 5 years ago. Double click on any painting to see a larger version.

As the paintings on my blog are for sale (unless they have already been sold). Prints are available as well as note cards that come 8 in a box for $12. I also do commissions. If you are interested you can contact me at: ken@kenharris.com.

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Re-Run?

Cassis Harbor, Provence

Many Artist paint the same subject more than once; in fact many times. For example Cézanne painted The Card Players five times (see sample below). It is normal for an artist to "study" a subject. Explore the subject by drawing or painting it several times. Many times a painting is better because it was done more than once. Sometimes the artist gets it right the first time. Some initial sketches seem to have more life, in my opinion, than the "finished and polished" piece. Above is my second painting of Cassis. If you go back through my blog you will see a smaller version, 11" x 15". This version is 18" x 24" on D'Arches cold pressed watercolor paper. Note to those who enjoy this blog. Most of my paintings here are available in card sets of 8 with envelopes. They are note card size. Contact me at  ken@kenharris.com and I can make you a set of cards. They are $12 dollars plus shipping.    


Below The Cézanne painting, The Card Players" Is another re-run that I did of Aix entitled, Les Rue D'Aix. I painted this in horizontal first. Remember? See an earlier post I made on this blog. Now I made it a strong vertical format. I hope you enjoy it. If you see a painting you would like to own contact me via email.

The Card Players, Paul Cézanne

   Les Rue D'Aix

Provence

Aix Street

Aix summer early evening

Restaurant in Saint-Marc Jaumegarde

It has been a year since we went to Provence. Wish I can go back soon. I also wish it wasn't such a big deal to get there. Anyway here are some of my latest paintings of Provence. More will follow soon. I have been doing a lot of watercolors adding pen and ink lately. I like the effect. I can do these paintings rather quickly which helps me to concentrate on the idea and total composition of the painting.  I see the painting as a whole. What I like about the Provençal restaurant is that not only is the food good, you have to go up a small dirt road to get to it. The Square in Aix is around dinner time. I would say 7:00 PM (19;00hrs). In the summer the sun doesn’t go down till about 9:45 PM . Finally the first painting, top, is a street scene. The morning light is coming from the east and is starting to creep down the walls on the building on the right. Double click any painting to see a larger view.

ART UPDATE

Tomorrow June 4 I will be in an art show in Irvine. This is my fourth year. So if you see this blog and you don't live in France or Sacramento come on down and see all the art. It is always fun. I think we take art for granted. Just think if there was no art in the world. Or the world was like the moon one color, grey scale. Everything we have around us man made from the design of your car to the junk mail coupons you get was designed by some human that liked to draw in school more than others. It gets crazy when you look at Rubens' paintings or the St. Remy paintings by Van Gogh. (too much pastis?) Man communicates through the visual arts, verse and song. It is universal. Here are a few painting more to share. Some old. Some new.

Link for Irvine show: Click Here

 Marche Provençal

 Allan's Truck

 Alabama Chicken Coup


Alabama Trees

Newport Harbor

Recent Paintings

 Some of the paintings below will be in my now extended show April 16 & 17. You'll have to come to the show to see which ones will be there. We went to Arizona a few weekends ago and I painted 4 small paintings. The painting of two cactus I did as a card for my wife Connie's birthday. The desert is much different than painting in California where I live. A watercolorist from the Tuscon area, who by the way does beautiful desert renditions, told me the secret to painting in the desert is understanding the light. That was a good tip. The desert is filled with stunning value contrast if we take the time to look. The last painting is another one from France that I did from a photo I took last summer. It is of the Mediterranean sea side town of Cassis. I rendered it a bit in ink first, then painted watercolor on top of that. Problem was the ink wasn't waterproof, but it did ad an effect. Hope you enjoy these paintings. Double click on any painting to see a larger version.

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.