Blue Door

5" x 7" - Oil on masonite

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This one's kinda "painterly", don't ya think?

With the weather turning colder here in Texas I thought it might help me feel warmer if I painted something with a feel of the sun in it. Good thought, but it ain't workin'.

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Email the artist at: khwitmer@juno.com

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Teton Sentinels by Kirk Witmer

Oil on Masonite - 12" x 16"

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Done from a photo that was leant to me. Someday I hope I can make my way to locations like this so I can take my own photos!

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Email the artist at: khwitmer@juno.com

Sunrise on Marina Beach, Chennai India

Oil on stretched canvas - 24x30" (approx. 61 x 76 cm)

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This is the final version of the painting done from Vivek Reddy Pottu's photograph. Considerng the number of people that live in India, I would guess that it's very rare to find a stretch of beach that has this few people on it at one time.

I took some freedoms with the sky, particularly the clouds down on the horizon to make it a little more interesting.  I'm really liking the movement in the water. And for me this beach just cried out to have something scratched in the sand, so I broke my tradition of always signing in the lower right and "carved it into the sand" at left.

Click the button to buy this work.
US$450 + $32 s&h

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Email the artist at: khwitmer@juno.com

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Marina Beach - WIP (continued)

I probably ate way too much turkey on Thursday because it apparently gave me a case of "paintus interruptus". Anyway, here's the next days work, which believe it or not is the first time (that I can remember) ever painting an ocean. I had fun with it.

I should be able to finish this piece in another day. Considering the size, it's going faster than I expected.

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The Plein Air Painter's Song

This is for all those artists who like the feel of the sun on their face and the wind in their hair while they're painting......(which sure ain't my idea of a good time!)

(To the tune of “Teddy Bears Picnic”. If you don't know the tune, visit Teddy Bears Picnic on Youtube

The Plein Air Painter's Song
If you go out in the woods today, you'd better not go alone.
Mosquitos and snakes in the woods today, it’s safer to stay at home.
Beneath the trees, where nobody sees
They’ll mix their paints there just as they please.
Today's the day the artists will have their paint-out.

[CHORUS]
Paint out time for all of them,
The plein air painters are having a lovely time today.
Watch them catch their canvasses
Before the wind has a chance to blow them all away.
See them wave their brushes about.
They love to mix their paints and never have any cares.
At six o'clock they’ll pack up their gear and head on home to bed
Because they're tired little artists now.

If you go out in the woods today you're sure to have lots of fun.
If you go out in the woods today you'd better watch out for the sun.
The smartest painter that ever there was
Will wear a hat for certain, because
Today's the day the artists will have their paint-out.

[CHORUS]

Every painter that's any good is sure of a sale today.
There's lots of wealthy buyers about, just name your price and they’ll pay.
Beneath the trees, where nobody sees
We’ll mix our paints there just as we please.
Today's the day the artists will have their paint-out.

[CHORUS]

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Absolutely horrendous lyrics unabashedly rewritten by Kirk Witmer, http://www.kirkwitmer.com

Marina Beach - WIP

24" x 30"  Oil on canvas 

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You may remember seeing the the 8x10 study that I did last week for this piece. So here's the first day's progress on the larger version. This underpainting should provide a good base on which to do the glazing that will provide the glow found in Vivek's photo of an early moring sky. Spent somewhere between five and six hours on it today. I'm tired and "my dogs are barkin". Tomorrow's another day.

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Sunrise on the Beach

8" x 10" - oil on masonite

I found this image on the internet and when I contacted the owner I was given permission to paint it. (Thanks Vivek!) This little 8x10 is just a quick study in preparation for a larger work. I'm currently thinking about 24 x 30.

I did almost all of this piece in one sitting, but needed a break and had to come back later for about twenty minutes to put the figures in.

But ooohh the hazards of trying to color match from a computer screen!!! It's only when I put the original photo next to this photo of my work that I realize just how far off are the colors in my sky compared to the original.
Note to self:  "Find a better way to color match before you start the larger image."

Click the button to buy - US$79 + $7 s&h

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Still Life in a Bunkhouse

18" x24" Oil on Masonite

In the 1800's, a cowboy's bunk was his private corner of the world.

The fellow who slept here was the prosperous owner of a rifle, a shotgun,and a brand new hat.

This was a "do over" of a painting I'd done about a year before this one. The original was done from a black and white photo. Here I've changed the lighting a great deal from the original, and was surprised how much it actually improved the composition, even though placement of the contents was changed very little.  Go figure.

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Taos Pueblo, 1929

16" x 20" - Oil on canvas

16" x 20" - Giclee on canvas available

This was inspired by an Ansel Adams photograph, so of course I had to make up all the colors from out of my head.  When I had the original digitzed for reprinting I was told "yellows are the hardest colors to get right in printing", but I'd say the reprints are right on the money.



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The Fiddler's Boots

The Fiddler's Boots

oil on canvas - 24" x 30"

It's the morning after the square dance and as the sun slips in through the bunkhouse window, we can see that the fiddler must have gotten a bit tipsy on his way home and just pulled off his boots, piled everything on the floor and poured himself into his bunk.

Click the button to purchase this painting.
$800 plus $19 shipping and handling

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Scotch

12" x 12"

Oil on Canvas

This was done from a magazine add for Cutty Sark that I'd ripped out many (I wanna say about 20!) years ago, knowing that someday I'd want to paint it. I had one too many people tell me that "You should paint what you love!" So finally, I did.

Purchase this painting - US$95.00 + $20 s&h - US buyers only please

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"The Foundling" by Kirk Witmer

16" x 20"

Oil on art panel

This was one of my first serious attempts at painting back in 2008. I thought if I kept it kind of monochromatic and just concentrated on shapes and values it would be a good way to practice those without having to worry too much about color.  The only thing in here that isn't black or white or shades of gray is the lariat hanging from the saddle.  I've often thought I'd like to paint this again, but making the horse a pinto with black and white breaking up the shape of the horse.  Wouldn't that confuse your eye!?!?!?!? 



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A Live Oak

"A Live Oak" by Kirk Witmer

11" x 14"

Oil on Masonite

This painting was done from a photo I took at the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch in central Texas.

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Daybreak in the Hayfield

5x7" - oil on masonite

This is another of my miniatures. I was going for the look of early morning on an overcast dreary day, while trying to capture aerial perspective at the same time.
Let me know if you think I got it all. :)

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Burger by Kirk Witmer

12" x 12"

Oil on masonite

I did this one from a photo in a grocery store magazine.

Some folks have even told me this painting makes them hungry.

I can't imagine why.... :)

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"Done for Tonight"

16" x 20"
Oil on Canvas

"... too tired to continue, the puzzle solver heads off to bed.
In the next instant, this room will be dark..."

$375 + $18 (s&h)

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In the Tetons

"In the Tetons"

5" x 7"

Oil on gessoed Masonite

Inspired by an Albert Bierstadt work.

I've done quite a number of these little 5x7's, and my rule is "Once you start, don't stop 'til it's done."

There'll be more of these later.

Currently on my easel is an 11x14 study of this piece, in preparation for another much larger version. So stay tuned.

But it won't be on the grand scale for which Bierstadt was known!

Newest Landscape: "There's the camp!"

Two riders coming down through a mountain pass find their compadres camped in a valley just as the sun sets in the distance.
I decided after considering the two options (see August) that the sunset image told a better story than having painted this in full daylight.

more decisions... as different as Night or Day?

So here are two 6x12" quick (unfinished) studies. Can't decide which one should make it to the canvas.
The sunset scene I think should have a campfire in the distance.

In this daylight scene, that's a stormcloud opening up on the horizon.

I'll probably take a few days to decide, so y'all are welcome to chime in with your thoughts until I do.

decisions, decisions.....

I've had an odd shaped piece of canvas left from a larger roll hanging around for years.  I could have cut it up into smaller ones but the best use of it would be for a 16"x32".  Odd size, I know, which would require a custom frame, and at prices for custom framing I'll be making my own for this one.
Did some preliminary pencil sketches at 6x12", just to work out the composition.....
This is an expanded (widthwise) version that I did in miniature last year, and I'd always liked the colors I'd used, so I thought it might be a good subject for a larger version.

But I was inspired by a picture I saw on the internet and when I asked permission to use it as a source it was granted, so I think I like this better.

Oddly enough, with all the changes I'll be making, little of the original photo will be recognizable.
Next step is deciding on colors.

And so ... it begins.

I've recently been juried into a group called "Artists of Texas" (Thank you AOT, I'm honored) and they tell me I need to have a blog. Yeah, I've known for some time that I need to have a blog, so maybe this acceptance into AOT will light a blogging fire under my ... uh ... somewhere. Now I just have to think of something clever to say.  Well, tomorrow's another day.......
"neither Rome, nor a blog, were built in one day"