All That Jazz!

The New York Voices

This past week I was delighted with great art through the Grammy Award winning vocal group New York Voices.  They gave an outstanding performance at Dundee Presbyterian Church here in Omaha.  Their music genre is smooth jazz with tight knit vocal blending.  It is always inspirational to be in the presence of artists who have perfected their craft and put in their ten thousand hours of hard practice.

I find it enjoyable at concerts to be sketching the performers.  It really brings back the memories more poignantly than if I had just taken a picture on my cell phone.  I can almost hear the music again when I look at these sketches.

                               

They are always moving around so I only have time to catch the essence of them in that moment.

Oh, yes...there was the drummer keeping things moving...played an incredible and creative drum solo!

And last but not least...the pianist!

Coming up this Sunday I am attending a luncheon for artists in Lincoln, Nebraska.  It is being held at the Lincoln Berean Church where a piece of my work is hanging in one of their galleries through Easter.  It is a pastel I did in January...titled "My Father's World". 

The day after Sunday will find me with my art manikin Michelangelo on another MAJOR adventure, but we'll keep that for the next blog!  Until then, I hope there's plenty of music in your life in more ways than one!  Take time to hear and see the wonder in life this week!

Be brave and courageous! 

Sonata for Bugles and Horns

Sonata for Bugles and Horns

20" x 26"

Oil

$520.00

Have you ever had the privilege to hear an elk bugle?  I'll never forget one of the times I heard elk bugling.  It was in early October.  I was attending an outdoor watercolor workshop taught by Mark Silvers in Moran Park in the Rocky Mountains.  All throughout the day we could hear their call as they sought to find a mate during rut season.  It was wild and marvelous to experience!  Just so you don't feel left out, here is a sample of their bugling from Youtube:

As you can see from the above painting, I think I am finished with the elk painting I have been working on the last couple weeks.  Every time I stood in front of my easel, I felt like I was there enjoying the high country and listening to the elk bugling.  From off in the woods I do believe I could even hear a response!  You never know what happens in my studio!

I've enjoyed having my little bull elk Edward here in my studio for modeling.  He's a part of my little studio wildlife sanctuary along with the bears, beavers, moose, and Bighorn sheep.  He's grateful that I'm finished so he can go and take a load off his feet finally, maybe even practice a few bugles for next fall's rut season.

Time to clean up my palette now that my painting is finished.  It's a mess, right?  As always, I'm attracted to metaphors for life.  My palette doesn't make much sense to you.  It's a lot like our lives...things don't always make sense and life can get messy, even ugly looking at times.  But when you trust that God is in control of your life, He says that He can take all the messy and the ugly parts, and make it work out for the good.  I don't know how that happens, as some things can be drastically messy, but God is trustworthy and faithful.  He never gives up on us.  He is perfecting his work in us, creating a masterpiece of art that someday will astonish ourselves and the world...for HIs honor and glory!

Be brave and courageous!

Putting Things in Perspective

With realistic art it is important to scale things accurately.  I could have gotten into a whole lot of trouble with this bull elk's antlers not being sized right and in the correct position.  One tool that kept me out of error was my proportional divider.  It is a tool used by architects but can also be very useful for artists.

Here is my reference photo that I was using of this Roosevelt elk on the Olympic peninsula in Washington.  He is shown here with his head down grazing.  For my composition, I wanted his head upraised with those magnificent antlers highlighted.  And for drama's sake, I wanted his mouth open for bugling.  So I was going to have to change the head position and keep everything in perspective.  

To accomplish this, I made two photo copies of my reference photo.  I cut one head and antlers out to move into the area I figured it would be for bugling.  Once settled on the new position, I sketched out a grid to help with accuracy.

 Using my proportional divider to compare sizes of antler from the photo to the larger sketch on my painting...

I was able to draw the antlers in correct position to have a believable looking bull elk.

I find much in art that contains great metaphors for my life.  The use of my proportional divider reminds me, as my art manikin Michelangelo demonstrates, of how God's Word is like a proportional divider for my life.  When I am making decisions or have gotten off track, I can come to God's Word and find instruction or correction to make a good decision or adjustment in my life.  

Well, better get back to my bull elk.  By the way...can you guess what the title is going to be for this painting?  Hint....it has to do with classical music!  Now just think about that elk and what he has or does that connects with classical music.  Hmmm... more on that next time!

Be brave and courageous!

Shiny New Tweaks!

SHINY NEW TWEAK #1 

Here in my studio we are always cooking on the next enjoyable mode of making my artwork accessible to you.  Michelangelo my art manikin can be credited for overseeing the production of the two videos now available for your watching pleasure on this website.  Just click on the tab bar PORTFOLIO VIDEOS at the top of the blog/home page, grab some popcorn, sit back and enjoy!  One video is of my wildlife and western landscapes.  The other is of my western lifestyle art.

SHINY NEW TWEAK #2

Anyone who adores their pet can now commission a portrait by me on this website.  All the information for that process can be found by clicking on the tab bar ANIMAL PORTRAIT COMMISSIONS.

SHINY NEW TWEAK #3

It is now possible for you to order prints of almost all my artwork using the secure Paypal button.  Prints are available in two sizes:  

8" x 10"

11" x 14"

To order, just click on the tab bar PRINTS OF ORIGINALS found on the top of the  Blog/Home page of this website.

Okay...that's enough new for you!!  Let's wrap things up with what I created earlier in my studio this week....a watercolor portrait of one of my favorite little dogs!  Drum roll, please.....................BOOM!  And here's the infamous Leo of the very popular Leo Diaries on Youtube produced by my son Joe Patterson.

While I was working on this portrait, I was recalling all that I knew about Leo.  He has a lion-hearted personality!  He is so loyal and protective of his owner, my daughter-in-law Crystal.  Leo loves to play fiercely with his little puppy toys.  He can greatly overdose on relentless toss and retrieve games.   He loves being the Alpha dog to his canine companion who is a big German Shepherd named Griffin.   And when he looks up at you in a mellow moment with those big brown eyes, your heart melts like a stick of butter in a frying pan.  I wanted a likeness in my portrait that captured all that. 

So it is with the portrait of our lives that the great Creator God is working in those who love Him.  He is so intent in crafting into every part of our lives a resemblance of the Lord Jesus Christ so that our speech, thoughts, behavior and personality bring the fragrance of Christ to those who encounter us.  He's making us new.  Exciting and full of hope and possibility!

Be brave and courageous!

Bonnie Patterson Fine Art/wildlife & western landscapes

Bonnie Patterson Fine Art/western works # www.bonniepattersonfineart.blo...