Skies above

Freedom, to have or not to have?

2010-03-14T13:33:00.000-07:00

How much control do you keep in your paintings? Do you, on some paintings, let the painting paint itself and are you just a vessel to the painting?, or do you go about each and every painting with a goal in mind and you see the whole scene painted like you want it to be painted and do you push in that direction and don't stop till it's completed?

I see good in both approaches. There are both advantages and disadvantages to each approach. You just have to know when to pull your cards, or lay em down. That being said, there is no harm in learning your trait to it's fullest potential. Nor should you choose to not give each painting your full potential. Never leave anything inside a painting that you know is wrong, wrong.

When i'm painting and i see that something just doesn't work ( composition, perspective, value, brush, etc) I'm usually one to wipe it away and fix it with out going any further inside the image and get rid of it and start the area over. But i'm also one to sometimes let the painting speak for itself, let it go where it wants to go with in my guidelines.

Then there are times where i'm going out to get information, which is becoming more often, and I'm looking for critical information of how and why that tree looks so interesting, or keeping a mtn pushed back far enough in the distance but keeping it's proportion and it's dominance in the scene. Just getting down the power of a 10,000 ft peak and getting it's power to read as a powerhouse that you feel at the scene is harder to achieve that you think when you try to squeeze it down to a size of say an 8 inch by 10 inch panel. What do you put in, what do you leave out, how warm is the sun light hitting it, or how cool is the shadow areas on that distant mtn, all these elements have to read accurately in a study, so when your back inside your comfy studio you have something accurate that you can paint from. This is where these rudimentary studies have their greatness. There can be alot of power posessed inside that little painting that, when used accurately and with determination, will come out when you approach a larger piece inside the studio. That's when you start to hear the birds sing with in the painting. When you know and feel like your getting everything out of each brush mark you leave that you can. Paintings like this don't just happen, they are thought out and conceived hours, days, and even weeks in the making.

Although I get a lot more satisfaction out of those well conceived paintings that have consumed my time for hours of thought. I still sometimes like the freedom's that comes from just letting a painting flow by itself. Even though those types of paintings never really amount to much more than a fun and happless experience they are still worth noting and appreciated. The freedom with-in those paintings are what excite me about them. the freedom that is heard is relaxing to me. If it works in those types of paintings, it works for me. If i'm on a big project and needing to get a lot of accurate paintings done in a short period of time, those little freedom paintings get me started in the day, almost like a warm up exercise sure to grease all the joints and to get the blood flowing. You should try it sometimes!!

Happy painting!

The Love of Art

2010-03-09T20:36:00.000-08:00

While having free time usually every night after Jen and Rebekka have long since laid their stressed minds down for the night. I get these little moments where i just meditate. This time is precious for me, it's where i can sit down and think like an artist again. I don't know if i've become too domesticated in life and have changed my mind enough to help raise a struggling little girl through the crazies in this life.

I analyze why i need art in my life. There are times where i'm not even thinking about making art, or being artistic. I'm just trying to get a point in the day where i can be an artist. That's about the only thing i have to keep me sane sometimes. Art really relaxes me, let's me shrug off the day's un-colorful events like work! lol

I personally need art on a daily basis. It is not always just in the painting process for me. Everytime i step outside on a beautiful day, or even a gloomy day, there is something that reminds me why i have and am a lover of art and the landscape. I step outside and just relax and take it all in. the smells, the feel of the sun, it all comes out to almost and sometimes painting is right in front of me. Many times behind the easel out west the scene will just paint itself and i'm just the tool. I usually just let it do it's thing and where it leads.....but that leads to another topic, You'll just have to standby .......

Paint like a bird sing's....

2010-03-08T18:09:00.000-08:00

"I would like to paint the way a bird sings"- Monet

Hello all, It's been a long long time, actually since Sept 09 since posting anything on my blog. I have been updating my website on the contrary, which you can find here, and hopefully you'll come back here with any words or comment's about the painting's themselves.

I'm going to make a goal for myself here to let all of yall know a little more about who i am as an artist and just what goes on thru my head on a daily basis. So if you noticed the first line from this blog today is one of my favorite quotes from Monet, so let's analyze this a bit.

" I would like to paint the way a bird sings"
how does a bird sing? what makes a bird want to sing? is it that that little bird is calling out to the world to bring other little birdies in? Is it just because that little bird is just happy to be alive and want's to scream out to the heavens of what a joyous day it is to be here, or there. A bird's song is a beautiful thing, a beautiful expression of what one feels at that moment. Wanting to paint like a bird sings to me means that to have the grace and freedom to not have any cares about what happens during a painting is being made. When a painting is being made, knowledge is being thrown at you as fast as light travels, sometimes it seems faster! lol. But we all must recognize whats what and put in the crutial elements of the scene that translates into a world that the viewer must instantly recognize or understand.

I'm often out painting and a nice folk walks up to me and states " what are you painting" In simple conversation i point out the scene to the person in front of them and then they look over at the painting and then looks back at the scene and a look of puzzlement often is scene on their face. Are they not seeing what i'm seeing? It could be that i'm not capturing the right elements of the picture on canvas or it could be that they are looking in the opposite direction as i am painting. What am I trying to say here is and how all this relates, to me, to how a bird sings is, if your not picking out the right elements of the scene right in front of you your missing everything that is being sung to you. When this happens I usually have failed in the picture and have to start all the way over again and wipe the scene and re-adjust my comp and all other elements to get to that point of hearing the birds sing again.

Birds song flows effortlessly and so should your brush, making (although it's Bob Ross-ish) happy flowing brush strokes.
Making it communicate well within a painting is completing the song. It's a goal in every painting to make it sing. Sometime's it happens, and other times the songs get muffled by wind, snow, clouds, and agree passerby's.

Thanks for looking in!
Tom B

Collard Greens

2009-09-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

Collard Greens
9 x 12
Oil on linen

This is also a scene from up the northfork.
one of the many new fishing holes that I've found along this great river

Perfect day...

2009-09-08T11:39:00.000-07:00

Over ripened Broccoli
9 x 12
Oil on linen
One of the best days. Started the day off painting, which i'm not to happy about it. I feel like i should have stopped about halfway through the painting and i failed in the process. It's much to overworked!
But to make the day better i did find a beautiful brook trout on the end of my line! aaah, what a way to end the day

South fork Brocolli

2009-09-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

Broccoli
9 x 12
Oil on linen

A trip down the southfork yesterday. It was beautiful weather when left town and about halfway down the river the weather turned cloudy. Seems to be some challenging aspects during the painting process a lot more than usual.

Working in the studio

2009-09-05T07:33:00.000-07:00

Garden of Eden
8 x 10
Oil on linen

Working on a larger studio piece i did this sketch to formulate an idea about a larger piece. My challenge on the larger piece is to stay loose and bold while keeping reserve held off till the last brush-stroke.

Evening on the Southfork...

2009-09-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

Green Beans
6 x 8
O/L

a nice evening along the southfork to catch the last rays.
Glorious evening!

Montana Bi-ways

2009-08-30T00:44:00.000-07:00

A short drive over the border lead me to appreciate just what's with-in a short drive!

evening light, and a sold painting...

2009-08-29T06:32:00.000-07:00

Hi guys, last night i had time to get in a fast one before venturing off to an Artist reception that my work was on show at the local Cody Country Art league. I even sold a painting!! It really is touching when someone desides to choose your work to sit and live with in their home. It's kinda like a little bit of me is living there too, so it's a very humbeling event!
Here's the sold one

Warmth of Winder
11 x 14
O/L

and the painting of the day

Daily meanderings

2009-08-28T06:19:00.000-07:00

Hi folks!
yeah, two back to back post's, wow you must say! I do try to paint something everyday, just don't always get tine to post many of them. It is my goal to start to be better marketier.

It's been a busy summer so far!

2009-08-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hi all
hope this finds everyone well, and rested up and not too hot.
here's the newest paintings.....

Afternoon Fingers

2009-05-17T09:07:00.000-07:00

Afternoon Fingers
9 x 12
O/L

After work yesterday i had a great painting session that was VERY enjoyable. The water making it's sounds right beside the easel gave me a peaceful feel throughout the painting.

Yellowstone Pool

2009-05-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

Beauty Pool
10 x 12
O/L

Made a trip up to Old Faithful on Mothers day with the family. The weather was beautiful and had the opportunity to paint while up in the area

Still Waters

2009-03-03T19:20:00.000-08:00

Still Waters
14 x 18
Oil on linen

On my day off this wk had time to sit down and work at the easel. Lately i haven't had any time to work on painting, so much going on that some things get put on the back burner unfortunately.

Melt off

2009-02-16T19:22:00.000-08:00

14 x 18
O/l

This painting was just perhaps an experiment with size of plein air to do. I had the itch to had to scratch the surface of a painting that you can really put yourself into. One that takes much longer time and much more thought about brushwork, values, and color. Well, as you can see here i made some major drawing and shape mistakes, lol. Still fun! Went to one of my fav river scene.

White Light along the Northfork

2009-02-11T05:40:00.000-08:00

White Light along the NF
8 x 10
O/L

In this painting i tried to back up and figure out how to paint in a more controlled manor. Meaning, to stick strickly to all guidlines and not dabble with the brush at all. Make each brush stroke count and emphasize the important ah ha feeling of the painting. This is always hard for me because i've painted loose for so long. But, it's always good to push yourself and try new things.

Shell Creek

2009-02-08T19:39:00.001-08:00

Shell Creek
12 x 10
O/L
Took a drive to a town that's at the base of the big horn mtns today and boy was it worth it! love the snow still hanging around and the light was incredible!
An old palet today, the Zorn palet!

Frozen over

2009-02-05T07:29:00.000-08:00

Creekbed Frozen over
6 x 8
O/L

Here's an idea I've been working on and finally had the chance to paint it.

Winters return

2009-02-03T20:34:00.000-08:00

NF of the shoshone river
11 x 14
O/L

Sorry for the poor quality on this photo, can't seem to find the camera so I had to use the camera phone. Still looking for the camera!

Glad the snow is still hanging around along the NorthFork! very special place to get to paint in!

Pahaska

2009-01-21T08:38:00.000-08:00

Pahaska warmth
8 x 10
Warm day up in Pahaska the other day. Had to dig myself out of the 3+ ft of snow tho! a lot of fun

Carter Mountain Bluffs

2009-01-18T07:01:00.000-08:00

Carter Moutain Bluffs
9 x 12
O/L

Yesterday's warmth got me outside again! man, i wish this weather would hold out from now till christmass!! Wow, I dressed for mild weather, but still got hot! More on the way as we are expecting 40-50's all week!! a painters dream!

January Thaw

2009-01-17T07:29:00.000-08:00

Shoshone river bank
8 x 10
O/L

Had a great Jan thaw day the other day, and boy was it nice, nearly 50' outside! It's nice getting the chance to paint and the paint not tack up on you like it does below 30'. This is one of my fav spots to paint at and it always brings me back no matter how many times i've painted it.

15 min last light study

2009-01-16T07:08:00.001-08:00

15 min study along the shoshone river
8 x 10
O/L

Here's a study that i did yesterday evening. Getting to the scene a little later than i had planned made me push on thru. I almost didn't even start on this one but thankfully i started to sling paint like no tomarrow. those painting sessions are always fun and invigorating even though most of the paintings are quick, they usually lend to more info because your forced to not over annalize the scene and just put down first impressions. Lot of fun!

New Studio piece

2009-01-11T08:47:00.000-08:00

High Passage
22 x 24
oil on linen

Here's what has been on my easel lately. I did a plein air of this scene a little over a year ago, and there were problems with the piece once i got it home and looked at it in normal lighting. I had a few issues with the comp and this final painting has been worked and re-worked a couple times over to get to this final point. Hope you like it!

Please note, a more accurate color match is found on my website here
www.thomasbradshaw.artspan.com

Snowed In

2009-01-05T07:41:00.000-08:00

Snowed in
8 x 10
Oil on linen

Here in Cody we have recently received a bounty of 8in of the white stuff.
Waking up to this site is a painters dream. I've always loved painting in the snow as hard as it is keeping edges due to the wet snow and many other issues that pop up....hope you like

It's a new year!

2009-01-02T07:29:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everybody!!
Here's a pic of my latest painting done on New Years day

Very hard painting cause of the wind and cold, but new equipment helped!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-31T07:10:00.000-08:00

I realise the holiday's are quickly behind us, but I want to say how productive I've been this christmas with paintings, many of them were shipped away wet and didn't have time to get photo's of them so I wasn't able to post here or will not be able to show, unfortunate, cause I believe they were some of the best paintings I've done, of course, lol.

But, if all reality I've had a great holiday season, with painting, family and a lot of great holiday food around, WOW makes one really appreciate what they have and how lucky I am to be here!! Here are a few painting's i've had time to take photo's of and post. Happy New Year!!

It's been a long time!

2008-11-30T09:46:00.000-08:00

Hey ya'll,
It's been far too long since updating the blog, i believe too long, I always tell myself to be more consistant with it, but what it boils down to is me and the loss of time, or in need of better time managment. Yeah i think that's it, better time management. Anyway, with out further excuses here's a few paintings that have been done over the past, what, month and half! wow, gone by so fast!

The wind is blowing autumn away!!

2008-10-24T15:31:00.000-07:00

Autumn Passing
8 x 10
Oil on linen

Desperate to paint today cause it's been far too long since painting plein air and this being the best time of year to get out there and enjoy the nice weather. I've been looking for this type of scene here. I just knew it existed, but didn't know how or where to find it. So had to do some exploring to get to it. Then i found one of my fav new scenes!
enjoy!

Togwotee Pass Last light

2008-10-11T21:40:00.000-07:00

Today, going from a photo i took about a year ago, which i try to shy away from painting from photos, but i made a small study of this peice to get my comp and color ideas down before attempting a bigger painting.

Northfork Aspens

2008-10-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

I've been awaiting patiently for the aspens along the northfork to reach their peak for color. I almost caught it just right, but i'm off by a couple of days. I think a couple more days to go to reach their peaks, but i've got to work the next couple and will probably miss it so i thought to get what i could down and let bigons be bigons.

Northfork Aspens
8 x 10
Oil on linen

Starburst

2008-09-28T22:43:00.000-07:00

Fall is in full swing here in Park County. The views up the Northfork are truely unbelievable. If any of you folks living in park county haven't been up the northfork i suggest you head up there for some really incredible color. With the temps hovering above the mid 60's it makes it pretty much perfect for painting.

I got started a little later than i wanted to. Not having painted lately i've been naieve to just how quickly the sun sets this time of year. It used to be you could go out at 4 and still have enough time to be lazy and find a scene and set up and drink a cup of jo and then settle into a painting, well now, it's rush rush at 4, so tomarrow i will be setting out early after we put the kids n school and then head up there to catch some good scenes for the day. So without further passing I did squeeze in one painting, although about half of it was finished up here at the house tonight, but it's still a painting.

More 2....

2008-08-31T11:49:00.001-07:00

More....

2008-08-31T11:45:00.001-07:00

What a fast strange summer it's been!

2008-08-31T11:39:00.000-07:00

Wow, time has flown by! I've been meaning to post more than i have had time but time kinda gets away from me and everytime i try and grasp it it's ever elusive self never gets within reach.

I won't bore yall here with all the stories, but here's a lot of paintings that have never gotten posted here. Hope i can get them all in here! AGAIN LET ME KNOW YOUR VIEWS ABOUT MY WORK! BETTER WORSE, ETC....

Wy skies part 2

2008-03-29T14:13:00.001-07:00

Got to do a plein air today!
I need to get it in gear, and i've been not wanting to go outside lately cause it feels like winter just wont let it's grip go anytime soon. I just keep saying to myself, it's not going to last forever!

Wanting to push myself, i took out a diferent set of colors, palet, and tried the ole Zorn palet. It consist of : Mars Black, Burnt sienna (but i used rose vineto for this one) and yellow ochre plus white. I have used it on occasion over the past couple of years, and everytime i use this palet i fall in love with it more and more, I like the muted colors, and nothing real strong in this that i have to spend time graying down. I love the fact that although i used black, when i do mix the bk with wht it creates a nice shimering pale blue, this palet is VERY SUBTLE yet very strong in the Wyoming tones that are prevelant here. It's just a fun palet to work with, I think i might add the colors to my norm palet and see what happens.

Also, Jen baught me some new linen late last year and after a couple of months of trying it out and giving it a test run i'm really starting to like it. It's got a lot of tooth to it and usually that deters me from likeing a rough surface, i've been working on somethng a lot smoother the past couple of years so i was a little apprehensive when i got it from dick blick. But, i'm really liking the stuff. It doesn't have the absorbency of the other linens i've used wich is good because your brush strokes last longer, and with the large tooth on this you can really lay on the paint! you can see it here if you click on the photo!

After the painting from the cab of my truck, the woosey that i am went to start the truck and the bat had died! Someone else left the lights of while painting, i just haven't found that someone else. but no probs jen had to come give me a jump! back home warm and steaks on the grill!!!

Fun day!
Over and out..........

New homes

2008-03-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
It's been awhile since posting anything new here, but that's because it's been a busy couple of wks preparing for a busy summer season of painting and doing a little marketing towards getting some paintings out of the house and in front of peoples eyes more. Today i took 3 paintings down to a new gallery, he already had one because he wanted to give me an ok to bring more, and the images you see here are now sitting in Jerico gallery here in downtown Cody! This marks the first gallery to take me in and display my work in a professional setting! I'm very optomistic about this new venture and i hope it will be a long relationship and expand how many people own a Bradshaw painting. I'm not really sure how to price my work now for the market but it'll be a learning curve i'm sure. So, if your looking for some of my work, now you have other ways to view and acquire my work, right online at www.jericogallery.com

Tom

Sun 2 17 08

2008-02-17T09:04:00.000-08:00

Man, has it been 5 days since posting here? time flies!
well, no excuses today, in an artsy mood so that means not much for conversation wise for the day, sorry Jen.

Woke up and struggled to get contacts wet enough to see what i'm painting. Huge day for comparing the values in this one, but now that i think about it, every painting is like that just seems that the one i'm working on right now always takes more effort than the painting before it. That usually pays off in the end as looking like it was easy but it never is that easy. Constant battles with every thought, light, dark, warmer cooler. It is been said, by annonymouse, that an artist does more thinking in an hour long painting than the average person does in a week. How relevant that is i'm not sure, but i do know that after painting, my eyes are EXHAUSTED!

Jen says' breakfast is ready! see you all tomarrow, same panel time ,same brush channel.

Studio paintings

2008-02-16T23:53:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, if your wondering where the blog has gone for the last couple of day, check my other blog! been working on a studio piece.
just click my profile view, and you'll see my other blog!
see you there!
Tom

Tues 2 12 08

2008-02-12T22:34:00.000-08:00

I didn't have to work till 6 tonight so it allowed time to get in a quick sketch of an evening shot at Heart mtn. I love the eve light that i so often do not get a chance to paint but fortunate for me the clouds stayed to our west far enough to get some last minute light that always moves way to fast.

Tonight i liked how the snakes came out, as i call them, the smaller little "foothills" leading up to heart mtn, it's always an interesting dance seeing the shadows move like eagar snakes ready for darkness.

up early for an early morn painting hopefully!
Night!

Mon 2 11 08

2008-02-11T07:58:00.001-08:00

Fire on the mtn, run boy run.....
well, this morning's scene wasn't strong enough to paint, but i've got one from about a wk ago to post that hasn't seen any eyes yet. I remember waking up to one of those red mornings,and not thinking about anything but I'VE GOT TO GET THIS DOWN!
The light moved quick as usual so i had to stick to my original concept and personal responce to the scene.

Click on pic for a larger view!

Sun 2 10 08

2008-02-10T08:36:00.001-08:00

Good morning!

Totally different painting today vs. yesterday!
Had a few issues with this one, as usual, just to keep me on my toes. I started this one a little later than yesterdays, due to Jen wanting donuts, but hey, I can't turn that down! so after making the doah (?) and letting it rise i've got time to throw up a blog.

I did have a few issues that were fighting against an easy painting, just when i think it's going to be easy, light throws a spin on things as usual. The light had risen more then i've wanted and it forces a little more thought to what decisions to make etc. but felt up for the challenge. the upright plane (mtns) was lighter than the darks of the sky, it makes no sense but nature throws abnormalities at you, and you can either bend the rules or just go with what you see. I've always been on the fence about what really should be done in this situation, sometimes following conventional wisdom, or other times going with what the painting dictates. but it's best you don't join the two, wich i think i did here a little to much.

This painting today was more centered around Heart mtn as that being the focus all else takes the back burner. All in all i mixed up a lot of paint, as usual, and went at it. adjust value here and warms and cools acording to what i saw and felt from the scene. The sky took second, but non the less it was very interesting in itself, just not strong enough to be the center of interest, so it becomes important in aiding that the painting is about heart mtn..
so here is todays blog, hope i didn't ramble on too much!
See you tomarrow!!

DONT FORGET AS ALWAYS, TO SEE A LARGER VERSION, JUST CLICK ON PIC!

Sat 2-9-08

2008-02-09T08:45:00.000-08:00

Here's a start.
Seeing the Tim has a daily blog and now that I've settled in to a new studio environment, I thought I'd start up the daily blogs once more just to get me ready for the warm weather of summer, just around the corner (I don't care what the ground hog said)

I woke up ambitious start on these daily paintings and looked outside to nothing but clouds and another day like those Virginia grays.
Jen was already up and working on computer, had my good morning kiss and hello and looked out my north studio window and found as usuall quite a scene unfolding along Heart Mtn just to the north of Cody.

I analized the scene and as usual found the sky to be the predominant screamer for me to base the painting on. It seems heart mtn really attracts some unbelievable skies around it. Ever since stumbling onto a famous artist quite a few years ago, Maynard Dixon, I have always been inspired by many of his paintings and his ability to capture unbelievably accurate sky paintings and still be able to keep his painterly recognizable style. So, nearly everytime i look out my studio window, i think about Dixon's paintings.

I almost always, 98% of time, premix my colors. Mostly due to the fact that morning light changes second by second and if i'm making the scene about color and value that it means i want to get that "ah ha" feeling with an instant, not that that happens very often, but i like the idea of trying and pushing for it. I learned the premix method acouple of years ago from Scott Christensen, and i haven't been able to break myself of it. I have done a few paintings over the year that involved not premixing, but i always find myself coming back to the premix method. I premix all of my "main" center of interest paint first. These paintings, mainly being about the sky, I always mix my sky colors first and then go with background (bg) to forground (fg) in that order. I also do something that many of my artist friends do NOT do. Work from a very limited palet of 1red, 1 blue, and 1 yellow, plus white. To me it forces me to think simply and it alieviates the problem of "which red did i use to get that", which i used to have trouble with, and having to think more about what color i used to mix a color while the light is changing so fast is not something i can do easily and it takes my head out of the painting. I've gotten into that habbit now and i no longer think of what color (red,blue,yellow) to go for and just go to the spot on my palet that will get the best results for color. When your in that habit your not mixing a green, per-say, your mixing a warmer or cooler color to match the color that's next to it on the painting.

Ok, enough rambling boy, get to the painting! Hopefully i will explain a little more about the painting in future cast but i'll keep it as simple as i can.

The clouds seem to cling to heart mountain everyday sometimes creating a funnel like shapes in the sky, very interesting how it reminds me of the movie "Wizard of Oz" and the tornado, but so often they seem to look like that as you will see hopefully from the paintings that come from these daily exercises.
Ok, I get right to the sky, it is the main center of interest, then block in heart mtn, it has a distinctive shape so i want to get is somewhat accurat the first time and not noodle around with refinements later. Heart mtn today, was in shadow, forground in light, a classic example of what us artist are looking for, mixed light.
After 20 mins the scene has become another scene right before my eyes not resembling anything that i wanted to paint. I used to chase those kinds of scenes, but learned to reframe and focus on your scene that you orig. had and stick to it. After block in came the time for refining the sky, these little six -by-eights do not take much time about 15 mins to do and then refine them to their original ideas, then presto DONE!
one painting don! ON TO THE NEXT!!!
SEE YOU NEXT TIME!