Suitable for covering your floor with…
People often ask me how long it takes to do a painting.
I’ll tell them: “Twenty years”.
Mabye a few hours to actually do the painting. That’s the EASY part.
The tricky part is the 2-3 decades of practice…practice….PRACTICE! that it takes to get to that point.
I didn’t realize how much practice, till I put all my paintings on the floor.
These are only from circa ~2000 to the present.
Now, mind you, these are only the “Good” ones I’m willing to show people.
This doesn’t count the many MANY rejects I’ve done.
Or the countless studies from art class (I still have a whole other box of this shit at my Mom’s house).
Or the 25 or so that I’ve given away as gifts to close friends or family members. .
Or the 40-50 (approx) that that I’ve sold here and there.
Or the others hanging on my walls or at my parent’s house.
And that’s just for watercolors. This doesn’t include pencil sketches, cartoons, charcoal, drawing excercises, etc…
And I don’t even do this for a living. This is just a hobby.
Imagine what a FULL-TIME artist does…?
Anyway, this blog post has taught me a two things
1) Geez, I’ve invested a LOT of time and money into my painting.
and
2) I definitely need to GET OUT more! 
Tags: artwork, original art, painting, watercolors
You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.
March 27, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Yeah! More painting! I used to paint in kindergarden. Then I grew up.
I love being the first to comment
Eyeteaguy
March 27, 2009 at 6:15 pm
@Eyeteaguy
Hey. You got Firsties. GOOD FOR YOU!
You should print page out and stick it on your fridge!
But as I was writing this post, I thought:
“Oh,oh! Eyeteaguy is NOT gonna like this one..it’s not snarky, it’s not funny..it’s only about my artwork”.
But then, I thought: do I really CARE?
And surprisingly, against my better judgment…I found I did not.
March 27, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Ah ha! I se you are toughening up! We’ll get that skin of yours nice and tough in no time. Then you won’t care about anyone or anything!
I have printed your post out with my first comment and it is proudly displayed on my fridge. My kids are very proud of their old dad.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Eyeteaguy
March 27, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Friar,
Lovely, lovely. I’m picking out the compositions I love—even though you didn’t give me a nice “click to enlarge” here, I can still spot some I’m entranced by… Poppies (?) at 12 o’clock, leaning on sofa, scene with lake or snow in the foreground at 8:30, green leaves on brown at 7, tree trunk at right front of the painting, right around 3, and black-matted birches at 4:00…
They say you should back up and squint to know whether a composition grabs the eye. Waiting nine years and photographing everything en masse, then forcing yourself to look at it all really small, does about the same.
For the truly committed, this works!
Your mom says the rejects rock, though. Might be where the true genius lies.
Regards,
Kelly
P.S. Fourth-sies!
March 27, 2009 at 7:52 pm
@Kelly “truly committed” Now there’s an idea. I hear they will let you paint all day at the looney bin.
Friar, I think you should have 2 blogs. One for all your paintings where everyone can ohh and ahh over them. And one for me where you can be funny, witty, intelligent and draw the occasional hilarious cartoon.
Just a thought
March 27, 2009 at 7:54 pm
I just noticed something in the picture. You should have photoshop’ed out that porno DVD case on the side tableset, how embarassing.
March 27, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Francis,
He is still totally intelligent when he’s busy being a painter. It is called The DEEP Friar, y’know?
This post just gives us fans a break in the laughter, so he can totally rip into some other sacred cow after our sides don’t hurt from the last LOL-fest.
Until later,
Kelly
March 27, 2009 at 8:16 pm
I think Kelly is in love with the Friar. That is so sweet!
March 27, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Ay, but she’s a fickle lass of many loves. A funny nookular engr who also paints watercolors? What’s not to love?
March 27, 2009 at 8:24 pm
We are not only blog-hijacking, we are also distracting me from writing tomorrow’s post.
And when I say we, I mean, me. I hafta stop opening my email for a while now.
March 27, 2009 at 9:33 pm
@ Wee Friar,
Suitable for wall covering. Too bad your walls weren’t covered with cork board; your paintings would look awesome thumb tacked to the wall.
How long do you intend to leave them on the floor?
March 27, 2009 at 9:53 pm
@Eyeteaguy
So, I guess your firstie blog post is right up there with your kids spelling tests and crayon scribbles. (Do they still put stickers on kids reports?)
@Kelly
You have a sharp eye (given the blurry quality of some paintings). The flowers at 12:00 are actually tulips. The black-matted birches are on a hike I did on Mt. Colden (in the Lake Placid area).
I dunno what’s happened to WordPress. Something changed and I can’t enlarge my pictures by clicking on them. Used to be able to. Now I can’t. It ANNOYS me.
@Eyeteaguy
Yes..that’s what I should do. Just write a seperate blog…JUST FOR YOU.
We can combine our names. The Deep-Tea Guys.
There you go. We might even give the Men with Pens a run for their money.
Oh..by the way. The porn DVD’s? Those are Brett’s.
@Friar’s Mom
Oh, they’re already taken off the floor.
I might slack off with my vacuuming and housework, but leaving my precious paintings where I can spill things on them or damage them? No..that’s where I draw the line!
March 27, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Bring it on. But I suggest leaving room in that name just in case you expand for a Gal.
March 27, 2009 at 10:13 pm
bwah hahahahaha…
March 27, 2009 at 10:18 pm
@James
Oh…we could NEVER compete with you guys.
I think “Deep-Tea Guys” would just be me and Eyeteaguy. Me blogging. Him commenting. And we’d perpetuate our own traffic.
Bet you we could get to 100 comments, every time.
@Kelly
Hey…I figured out how to fix it. You should be able to click on the photo to enlarge it.
March 27, 2009 at 10:23 pm
Loyal dog comes back to click on photo instead of writing her post…
Yes, the two of you could get to 100 comments every time. Then you could come back here and write a snarky post about how you hate it when comments are a self-centered lovey thing, just to pump up numbers.
Speaking of which… Do I have enough comments at MCE today yet?
I am nearly done with my post, which, since we are totally off-topic here, I will just say is a darned miracle with the day—and now the evening—that I am having. Never been so easily distracted as today.
Later,
Kelly
March 27, 2009 at 10:26 pm
@Kelly
Heh heh heh…as an Advanced Level Three Six-Sigma Procrastinator, I recognize someone avoiding what they’re supposed to be doing!
Do I have to go tell Alex on you?
(Though, to be fair, you HAVE had a lot on your mind today!)
PS. Well, perhaps Eyeteaguy and I comment a lot, but ONE thing I can assure you, it isn’t lovey-dovey. (I mean, we haven’t’ exchanged any group hugs yet).
March 27, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Totally Advanced Level today. Pleeease, don’t tell Alex!
That’s why Eyeteaguy mentioned my abiding love for you. To throw off the scent from his own admiration. Who doesn’t love a PhD watercolorist blogger, indeed!
I sense a budding bromance…
March 28, 2009 at 1:31 am
“Blogback Mountain”
Coming to a theatre near you.
March 28, 2009 at 2:09 am
ROFL again. Karen, you rock.
For a not-funny post, this has been keeping me in stitches all night.
March 28, 2009 at 6:45 am
Friar, I wish I knew how to quit you.
March 28, 2009 at 10:48 am
@Karen
zzzing…Good one (I have to admit)
@Kelly
Still here? Why aren’t you writing your blog?
@Eyeteaguy
Not that there’s anything wrong with that…
March 28, 2009 at 11:31 am
Friar,
Two in the morning, finally finished that silly post. See if you can spot the blood-sweat-and-tears.
Prob’ly not.
Way more difficult than my old Saturday format. Shh. I like it to look effortless.
…
My first blog-Outing. Whee!
Later,
Kelly
March 28, 2009 at 11:45 am
I have to admit, I’m kinda proud of that one.
OK, off to open water all day! If you never hear from me again, send out the coastguard.
March 28, 2009 at 12:40 pm
@Karen
Sure…RUB IT IN.
All water around here is is still a frozen slab of ice.
March 28, 2009 at 12:40 pm
@Kelly
Okay…I’m off to check out what you did.
March 28, 2009 at 6:51 pm
Bwah-ha-ha.. I love that brokeback eyeteaguy… Meanwhile, I just need to know why you put your paintings all over the floor and all over that midget sofa
March 28, 2009 at 10:19 pm
If it’s any consolation I froze my butt and got rained on all day. My fingertips are still numb.
(But it was fun!)
March 28, 2009 at 10:38 pm
@XUP
I think he’s airing out his paintings.
And that isn’t a midget sofa, it’s a love seat.
@ Faithful Commenters
I know that Friar is out of town for the weekend and partying right now. Do you thing we should take control of his Blog, and make it run away? We can start by discussing the following:
Why did he strew his paintings on the floor?
Why does he own a midget couch?
March 29, 2009 at 9:15 am
Friar’s Mom,
Now I’m wondering… did he tell me he was leaving so that I *would* make a mess of his blog, or so that I’d clean up if you gave it a shot?
Let’s discuss bloggers who mock people telling other folks in advance that they’re going away, then tell folks in advance when they’re going away.
Hehehe.
The loveseat doesn’t look so midgety to me, it just has gi-normous pillows on it that sort of mess with the scale. In a good way, though. I like gi-normous pillows.
The answer to why did he strew his paintings (in my opinion): you go looking for *just one thing,* that you’re sure is right here somewhere, and soon things are a mess, and then the mess starts to look like art, and then you think wow I really DO do something with my spare time, and then it’s sorta like a game to see just how much stuff there is.
Plus he likes us to ooh and ahh!
Later,
Kelly
March 29, 2009 at 10:37 am
@ Kelly
Friar didn’t announce to his readers that he’d be gone for the weekend. So he’s not mockable for that. He informed my via e-mail that x-country skiing is done in the area and he’s off elsewhere.
I just realized that it’s the weekend, and no one is blogging. They’re outdoors enjoying themselves.
The reason I’m on the computer is because I checked out today’s ski conditions, and just checked out his blog.
March 29, 2009 at 10:54 am
Friar’s Mom,
Ah, yes. So because he emailed me (and you of course), rather than posting, I’m out of luck on the mocking. I see your point.
I’m indoors because I’m supposed to be housecleaning today and it’s raining and the world is encased in a thick fog, which means outdoors methods of escape are impossible.
So naturally, I’m checking my email instead.
Until later,
Kelly
March 29, 2009 at 2:09 pm
@XUP
Maybe putting all my paintings on the floor, I was trying to make one BIG painting.
@ Kelly
I think I might have mentionned that I was going away for the weekend, on email. But it’s certainly nothing I’d post on my blog.
Maybe I should…and ask my readers “permission” to not blog for 2 days!
@Friar’s Mom
Umm….if I recall…remember we went through one of my old boxes of artwork?) And you had commented that you didnt’ realize how much work I had done over the years.
Someone had mentioned it might be fun to put all my paintings in one spot, and take a photo. Might have been you, or me…I don’t remember. But the idea arose from that conversation.
@Kelly
Okay…if you want, I don’t have to post anymore paintings for people to oooh and aah over. (I certainly know Eyeteaguy HATES it when I do that!
Mabye I’ll stick to the more standard blog posts.
Like “10 tips on how to balance your life so you can twitter and free-lance while improving your blog traffic with SEO”.
March 29, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Friar,
Noooo! I love seeing your paintings here!
And Eyeteaguy’s always funny pretending he doesn’t.
If you have any tips on how to balance my life… *sigh* I could use them. But I don’t want to Tweet , freelance, or work on my SEO, okay?
Could always use a bit more blog traffic, though. Tee hee.
Later,
Kelly
March 29, 2009 at 7:03 pm
@Kelly
Oh, don’t ask for me for advice, on how to balance your life.
According to all those blogs out there that tell me how to Maximize my Minimize, and Be all that I Can Be, I’m just a big screw up.
I should be sipping Pina Coladas on a beach in Hawaii right now, working 2 hours a week and earning six figures plus on my blog.
March 29, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Friar,
You can’t come sip Piña Coladas on a beach in Hawaii.
You’d crowd me out. I’m very busy with my sipping and my two hours of work. Find another state to sip in.
Later…
March 30, 2009 at 11:09 am
@Kelly.
I LOVE his painting! I think he should paint a white sheet stuck to a white wall while its snowing. I love all the comments on how his white make his paintings unique.
Have you noticed the paint is just pain with a t?
Eyeteaguy
March 30, 2009 at 7:39 pm
My husband came from an artistic family when his mother moved out of the family home we sorted through boxes and boxes of drawings and artwork done by 4 people hard at practice.
I have 3 artist in media, 1 in music and myself writing. I can put my stuff on the computer…the musician uses the computer also…the painters and sculpture fill up the living space. Practicing is so important, but then…..what to do with it all?
March 30, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I really love your paintings, Friar. I didn’t know you’d sold some, and so many at that! AWESOME!
Francis might have a good point about having a blog with your artwork on it, one devoted to painting and drawing. You could give tutorials and stuff. Grow a fro and make videos, too!
Très cool!
March 30, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Grow a fro, I just squirted tea through my nose!
Friar, get a blog dude. Put up your paintings and sell them. PayPal is easy. I’ll buy one from you, I’ll hang it up at work.
Friar with a fro, damn, that’s some funny shit right there. I think you should do a Van Gogh, self portrait….with a fro!
Eyetea(though-my-nose)guy
March 30, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Friar, that’s just cool. Are the donuts in there? I can’t see them…I kinda want to buy it…but then I’d want to eat them all the time.
March 31, 2009 at 5:07 pm
@Eyeteaguy
No, I think I’ll go Goth, and paint black on black.
@Patricia
When I die, I’ll have a house full of artwork. It will either be worth millions, or someone will just chuck it, and the whole point of my life would have been meaningless.
@Steph
Yeah..I do sell them. Here and there. Not enough to quit my day job.
But enough, that it’s not just a fluke….there’s a slow steady stream of people willing to buy them.
I don’t try to hard. It’s mostly word of mouth. It’s a hobby..if I star turning this into “Work”, it stops becoming fun.
“Grow a FRO”. Yeahh…..RIGHT!@
@Eyeteaguy
That’s one of my next projects. To host my own website so I can sell stuff. Though I have no idea how to set up the icons and fonts and links. Brett sez he might help me.
I don’t think I’d go for the Fro, but the big bushy beard would be easy.
@Beth
If you look at the couch in the back…there’s the flower painting on the floor. Three paintings in front of that…there’s the DONUTS!
August 30, 2011 at 11:01 pm
Wow. What a collection! I bow to you. I will be pleased when I attain 20 pieces in my collection. This is clearly a show of passion, love for the art, patience, commitment, and talent.