Batting 0.500 This Week
Sometimes when I paint, I have a really good day.
Like last Saturday, when I finished this one:
And then some days aren’t so good.
Like two days later:
Oh well. They can’t all be gems.
Tags: humor, bad art, alaska, wrangell st. elias, watercolors, original artwork., Snowfields
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November 4, 2009 at 9:27 am
Aw, I like the little skatey people. I want to know what happens next. I also love watercolours – excellent mountain peaks.
November 4, 2009 at 9:37 am
Lovely mountains. People are more difficult to capture, I believe. Would love to see more art work.
November 4, 2009 at 9:43 am
They’re both good, but I’d pay more for the second one, because I piss myself laughing every time I see it.
The thing is, because I know you, when I read the words on the painting, I can hear your voice and I can see your arms moving up and down
November 4, 2009 at 9:51 am
At least you have something to help ease those moments in life when a bit of tension creeps in.
November 4, 2009 at 10:30 am
@XUP
I was reasonably happy with the skatey people. It was the God-Damned DOG. Very small, almost a silhouette, and a foreshortened 3/4 view of his butt.
REALLY difficult to get right, on such a small scale. One of my colleagues in my painting group said it looked like a “cartoon dog”. And I realized he was right.
And once the pigment’s down on the paper, that’s it. Game over.
Oh well. Better luck next time.
@Linda
I regularly post paintings from time to time. You can also see more if you dig in the archivse of “Friar’s Artwork”.
@Brett
Once I painted a boat on a beach. It was awful…so I added flames and smoke, to set it on fire.
Mom liked it so much, she had it framed, and she still displays it in her bathroom.
@bandobras
Yep. When I paint well, I get that calm Zen-like feeling.
When I paint badly, I have my little temper tantrum and I blow off steam.
Either way, workds for me.
November 4, 2009 at 1:41 pm
I think puppy’s legs are too long and feet too big. Hence the cartoony feel. You learn and move on to the next one, right?
Awesome mountains! You were ‘in the zone’ on that one.
November 4, 2009 at 2:17 pm
@Karen
After I botched the painting, I tried practicing the dog over and over, and couldn’t get it right. I even broke the dog photo into grid-squares, to try to get the proportions right.
But still it defeated me. (Sigh).
I think the problem was I was trying too hard to make it look exactly like a tiny dog.
Given that small size on the paper, it might have been better to just make a few quick brush-strokes, to SUGGEST a dog.
(Problem is, not knowing exactly which quick brushstrokes to put down).
But yeah, at least I got the mountains okay.
November 4, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Whoa, forget the dog and people … the mountain scene make me want to strap on skis and go touring.
I’d bring a guide along so that I don’t die in an avalanche.
November 4, 2009 at 6:43 pm
@Seestor
That was pretty inaccessible terrain… That area (Wrangell St. Elias) is about the size of Switzerland. You can fit Banff in a tiny corner of it.
But then again, bushplanes do land on glaciers to drop off mountaineers, etc.
Maybe that will be your next extreme vacation…
November 4, 2009 at 7:25 pm
@ Friar
I like the dog. Not every canine is in correct proportion in the real world. I thought that pic problematic because the characters were standing on air since it’s kind of hard to get the perspective right, but that’s just me. I like ground even if it’s just a line.
The “FUCK ME” is to die for, however.
I’ve had days like that. Weeks even.
The snowy mountains I just love. Nifty.
Mer
November 4, 2009 at 8:15 pm
@Mer
Well, of COURSE they’re standing on air. I hadn’t gotten around to painting the ice and their relfections yet.
November 4, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Lol, I would have liked to watch this. I’m wondering just how hard you were gripping that paintbrush. How animated your strokes were. How set your jaw was… and whether or not there were certain words being uttered
BTW, is that dog farting?
The first one is awesome Friar. It’s amazing how much depth and perspective watercolours can give.
November 4, 2009 at 9:10 pm
@Davina
I was in my painting group while I did that…surrounded by mild, meek seniors. I woudln’t want to give anyone angina or anything.
So I was actually quite quiet when I did it…and I hid the painting afterward.
That’s why I had to vent here.
November 4, 2009 at 9:11 pm
@Davina
PS. Don’t know if the dog was farting or not. But his arse WAS facing the camera.
November 5, 2009 at 9:49 am
I’m up for a plane ride to get me into that terrain. Think of skinning up that back mountain (the snowy one) and then taking the skins off and skiing down in fresh virgin snow! Yippppeeeeeee!
EyeVguy … hee hee, I said “virgin”.
seees
November 5, 2009 at 10:31 am
@Seestor
If I recall, that big mountain is Mt. Blackburn, that’s ~ about 16,000 feet in elevation.
You better start working on your cardio, then.
November 5, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Ok, i’ll start on my cardio. I’m taking my first step right now … m&ms, almonds, raisins. Mmmm. I get so excited about m&m’s that my heart starts to race.
November 5, 2009 at 5:25 pm
@seestor
Yes, because you’re in such TERRIBLE SHAPE!
(Have you thought about taking up running or something?)
November 5, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Friar,
Ah, lovely. Captures the soaring sentiments that have made up this day, down to the last subtle nuances…
And the first one’s nice too.
Regards,
Kelly
November 5, 2009 at 9:16 pm
@Kelly
I often produce my best work when I’m experiencing angst.
But then again there are always exceptions.
November 6, 2009 at 8:36 am
Friar,
I often produce zilch when I’m experiencing angst. Yesterday was like that.
I hate drama.
Later,
Kelly
P.S. There is far too much winking going on this comment section. I nearly contributed another but I’m resisting.
November 6, 2009 at 11:49 am
Paintings…..pass.
I thought this was the Deep Friar, not some art show.
@Seestor
Virgin is not a dirty word. Fuck is, so is shit and ass.
Eyepottymouthguy
November 6, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Fuck is only dirty if you want it to be.
Ass – depends on time since the last shower.
Shit – hmm. You got me there.
November 6, 2009 at 12:16 pm
@Eyeteaguy
Ahhhh….nice to see you back to your old self!
(I was gettin’ worried there, with you praising my posts!)
@Brett
What about french words that sound like swears, but aren’t, really.
Seal = Phoque
Ace of Spades = As de pique.
November 6, 2009 at 12:16 pm
@Kelly
Oh, don’t hold back.
Winking isn’t just encouraged here, it’s EXPECTED.
November 6, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Yes, but I have emoticon-o-phobia. I break out in hives from overexposure.
Ack.
November 13, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Wow! Beautiful mountain painting!
November 13, 2009 at 7:05 pm
@Hannah
Thanks!
But does that mean you don’t like the 2nd painting as much?
November 16, 2009 at 9:54 pm
LMAO at your second painting Friar – I didn’t realise you could paint but I just saw your paintings on Davina’s blog.
You need to make sure folk who pop over to your blog see what you can do. You write such hilarious stuff – I didn’t realise you had other talents too.
November 16, 2009 at 11:20 pm
@Cath
Thanks. I occasionally post a painting here and there. If you click on “Friar’s Artwork” you can see some of my stuff.
One of these days, I’m going to host my own site and have a page devoted to posting my artwork for sale.
Can’t do that here, though. WordPress doesn’t like that.