Saying Goodbye To Grandma & Grandpa Lindsey

 

This painting I painted as a surprise present for my wife, for Christmas.   This painting has a emotional, poignant  meaning to Donna.  Last September Shaunna (in the picture) and Christina went to the site of where my wife and her siblings combined the ashes of their parents (Sherman & Rae Lindsey),  Shaunna came to say goodbye.

As a artist I decided to use photo editing software to move Shaunna from the right of the picture closer to the tree on the left of the picture (see above picture).

 

 

 I then took the edited photo out to the studio and sketched it onto the Gesso Board I decided to paint onto.  I just did a outline sketch.   Sometimes I do a full shaded black and white sketch, but did not feel I needed it I had a pretty good idea where I was going with this painting.  I anchored the sketch with a fixative spray.

 

I then washed in a thinned paint layer to block in the main compositional elements.  As you can see I was not trying to do any work up of the image.   My goal with this stage is just to recheck the composition and its elements.  I was satisfied with what I had so I then began by painting in the ocean and distant land.  Working forward I began to paint the rest of the painting, taking time to stop and re-evaluate as I went.

Donna was thrilled with her Painting.  Nothing is better as a artist to know you have created something that has meaning to someone.  I painted this painting for my soul mate, and it came from the love I have for her.

Change Is One Constant In Your Life

The world and life keeps changing and I have to keep trying to catch up....Argh!

I am in my late 50's and technology has changed so much in my lifetime. Personal computers have changed how we interact in life and how we do business (good and bad). As an Artist we used to create our work, head to the galleries and attempt to get representation and hope they actually sell our creations. Do the local art show circut. Now a lot of the galleries have gone out of business and it is a online world ( not that this is bad ). I have my website ( www.kurtjacobson.com ) and my blog. Whether or not anyone goes to either is the question of merit. Also on Facebook and Twitter. Most artists are semi reclusive, so the online world has forced us to become more communicative with our collectors ( good thing ), and to start to take a more active roll in marketing our wares. In other words we have to consider the marketing just another continuation of the creative process. Now that is taking this "old fart" out of his comfort zone and making me expand in ways that are new to me. Now having said all that my dad is 90 and online also, so if he can do it I should be able to; right?

One part of the online world is awesome is the ability to stay in contact with all of our children and their lives. We are grandparents now ( baby Joseph Newton Rose ), and with Skype we can video call and see the family while we talk on the Internet. Shades of Startrek! Smart Phones have changed how we live also. When I grew up we had rotary phones, then the touchtone phones they were the coolest. Then the first massive cell phones, batteries lasted maybe 30 minutes, but you drove around in your car and it was cool and unique. Now everyone has a cell, you can't survive without them in the business world, my galleries can contact me with questions whether I am home or out painting or fishing. Frustrating sometimes but a good thing for business. I can upload pictures, videos, search the Internet, send texts etc all from my phone anytime anywhere.

My how life has changed.

The one thing that has not changed is we still need a break once and a while. To take time for ourselves and family. Recharge our batteries so to speak. For me that is when I paint or am out in the woods, camping, fishing or hunting. For Donna and I that is our time alone. We go out to dinner at least once a week our 'Date" we hold hands, sit next to each other in the restaurant, not across from each other and court each other. A wonderful feeling.