SMPALMERART.COM

Painting on Copper

2012-01-18T21:33:00.000-08:00

I recently was given a piece of copper and encouraged to use it as a painting surface. I buffed the surface first to create some texture and then jumped in with my oils. it was a simple piece and at first very frustrating to paint on. But once i had the first few layers down it became a joy to paint on. and the result was a wonderful luminosity that i had not had with other pieces. I will continue to paint on this surface. i love it. this piece is 6 x 12 and available. Email me for details on the purchase.

Sonoran Desert

2011-12-23T16:52:00.000-08:00

I havent posted in awhile! its because my family and i have relocated to the land of the sun! Switching from a coastal pallete to a desert pallete has been an interesting transition and what i am enjoying is the wonderful warm and cool colors that are so plentiful in the desert!

this piece was painted on location it is 9 x 12 and in oil it is called Bulldog Sunrise and painted in Bulldog canyon just outside of Mesa.

At Home on The Range

2011-10-24T14:05:00.000-07:00

The more that i continue to paint outdoors, the more i am finding comfort in pastoral settings. Ive never lived on a farm, ive never been around cows that much but it is so serene and peaceful. I guess Psalm 23 is true in that when we are led to green pastures and beside still waters that our souls will be comforted and we will know who the great shepherd really is!

This piece was done for a client as a commission. it is 14 x 18 and in Oil.

Online Painting Challenges

2011-08-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

Daily Paintworks is a website that features artists who post a painting everyday. What a challenge that is. But they also offer other challenges for artists who are looking to be stretched or paint outside their comfort zone! I recently participated in one of these challenges. the challenge use only 4 colors. ultramarine blue, cad yellow, cad red, and white. and paint flowers which i do not usually do! and do it all in under an hour. ok. my daughter is asleep...so i thought, here we go! I did a small piece, 6 x 8, in oil. and here is the result. It was a fun challenge and i will be doing more of these!!!!

Pressure Painting

2011-06-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

From Idylwild to San Clemente, another painting competition! An artist friend and i went to this one and it was a step up from many other competitions ive done! As my friend commented, "its like playing miniture Golf and now we hit the PGA "..ok maybe not that drastic but the point is made. Ive never been so nervous at a paint out. I don't know what the deal was but there was some pressure. Had a sucessful painting in spite of the nerves. this piece is showing at the San Clemente Art Gallery through friday! it is aptly titled "Pier Pressure" lol it is 9 x 12 and for sale! thanks for looking.

Painting en Plein Air

2011-06-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Recently, i have entered a lot of Plein air competitions. typically it is a 3 hour paint out where the artist is challenged to capture a scene and paint it, frame it and turn it in for judging. It is a bit intimidating since most of my work is in studio. But i love the challenge and the interaction with other artists who are proficient in this type of painting. here is a recent painting i did in Idylwild. it is 9 x 12 and titled "Morning Lily" a painting of Lily Rock. it is available if interested. thank you for looking!

North Park Plein Air comp

2011-05-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

Today is the deadline to turn in submissions for the North Park Plein Air competititon. This piece is one of the entries. it was painted on Granada street and is a piece of the New Life laundry looking south. i wanted to capture the palm trees too! my only challenge was the perspective which i am not totally happy with but the painting is finished so here goes! the piece is 9 x 12 oil and the title is "New Life"

Artwalk 2011

2011-05-02T17:17:00.000-07:00

Artwalk San Diego is an annual event and takes place downtown in the quaint "Little Italy" section of town. the event draws over 100,000 people and there are around 300 artists. I participate in this event every year and it is one of my best shows of the year! This years event was no different. Several of my paintings left my tent in the hands of my collectors and some new friends that i met there! If you made it to artwak and were unable to get one of my pieces but still want one. I will honor my artwalk prices for the next 30 days. contact me via my email. scott@smpalmerart.com and let me know which piece you would like! if you are local to san diego i can deliver if not, i will certainly ship. thank you for visiting me this past weekend!

Tools Of The Trade

2011-04-15T14:13:00.000-07:00

Well after a wonderful Masters tournament...My favorite tournament in Golf, i was reminded of a little still life piece that i had done. Just Golf clubs in a bag no big deal, but i thought about poor Rory Mcilroy and his fall from grace at the masters and then to top it off, the airlines lost his clubs en route to his next tourney in Malaysia. Which by the way, he is leading! Anyway, this piece is 8 x 10 oil on panel and is dedicated to Rory and is aptly titled "Tools of the Trade" thanks for looking.

Urban beauty

2011-04-07T22:45:00.000-07:00

There is something about painting urban scenes that intrigues me. I usually love to be outdoors with no one around enjoying the serenity of open spaces. But I find that i enjoy painting in urban settings as well because there are so many interesting shapes and colors to be found there. And for me, i enjoy putting people and or man made objects into my paintings. This piece is one of my favorites and it is also one of my favorite brews! Red Trolley 12 x 24 Oil on canvas

Still Life

2011-04-07T22:40:00.000-07:00

Still life: arranging items in a pleasing manner and then adding light and painting it. Somewhat of a departure for me. I am used to painting on location outdoors or from a photograph that i crop and create the composition i want to paint. I enjoyed the change of format and i am happy with the results. This piece is 6 x 12 oil on canvas and it is available!

Urban Settings

2011-03-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

There is something about the urban landscapes that intrigue me. the way that the light plays on the manmade structures and reflections in the streets and the people that you find there. I dont do a lot of cityscapes but when i capture a good reference photo with my camera or if i am on location and can find a good composition then its game on! This latest piece is 12 x 24 and in Oil. it is for sale and if you would like it please contact me through email at scott@smpalmerart.com

thank you for looking!

Local Color

2011-03-01T09:59:00.000-08:00

So many times i am looking for subject matter from other places and i forget how beautiful things are within a short couple of miles from where i live. Sometimes this simplest of compositions and scenes can make the most peaceful of paintings. This piece was painted in an area of east county in San Diego on an old country road. the piece is 9 x 12 Oil and is available.

The Allure of Venice

2011-02-24T07:07:00.000-08:00

This is another in my Venice series. These paintings facinate people for some reason, maybe its because it sparks a memory of a trip that they took or of a place they long to travel to. Either way, these pieces have all sold except for this latest one that is barely dry! 11 x 14 Oil and available.

Muted Color Pallet

2011-02-23T09:46:00.001-08:00

This was painted as a gift for a Pga Golfer friend of mine! Paul Stankowski won his first PGA event back in 1997 and this was the moment of victory. It was on Easter sunday and as a devout christian, he is raising his hat and giving God the glory. This pieces was 10 x 20 and i experimented with a more monochromatic pallet to give it a retro feel. i really am happy with the results.

Another Painting from the Cruise

2011-02-23T09:41:00.000-08:00

I loved painting this piece...it reminded me of the last scene in "Shawshank Redemption" where Andy Dufrain, Tim Robbin's character, is living his dream and finally Red (Morgan Freeman) meets up with him in Mexico. I should have called this one "Dufrain's Panga Service" or something like that! Any suggestions on title? this one is 9 x 12 Oil and available!

Cruise To Ixtapa

2011-02-23T09:36:00.000-08:00

We had the fortunate opportunity to go on a cruise with my parents to Mexico. what a fabulous trip it was because we had my little 16mo. old daughter along. She had a blast! while on the trip we stopped in Ixtapa for a day. I took a photo for reference and did this painting. It was at magic hour and hence that is the title! This piece is in Oil. Dimensions 12 x 24 and is available

its been awhile

2011-02-23T09:33:00.000-08:00

I have painting as much as possible but have failed to post my latest works. Here is another golf piece that i just sold in Palm Springs. I am really pursuing golf works since there is really not much good golf art out there! Not to sound too pretentious because i may be adding to the bad golf art! LOL

Tunnel Vision

2010-10-01T16:10:00.001-07:00

I love to paint subject matter that happens to coincide with my passions. When i do i paint more prolifcally and i get lost in the "zone" sort of "tunnel vision" that when i come out of it i dont know how much time has passed. this painting is aptly titled "tunnel vision" 15 x 30 oil and it is available!

Painting subject matter that you like!

2010-08-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when i am hitting the wall in terms of subject matter to paint, i paint something that i like...purely for myself. it gets me motivated to paint and get those brushes moving. and then it is amazing how all of a sudden i can turn out three or four pieces that i would have otherwise not painted! This is the latest 18 x 24 entitled "Teamwork" Oil on canvas. This painting is available if interested inquire via email. scott@smpalmerart.com. thank you for looking!

trains planes and automobiles

2010-05-31T19:55:00.001-07:00

My wife and i were on a hike in the lagoon overlooking San Elijo when a train came down the tracks. I snapped a picture and painted it today! I had never considered painting trains..but i am pleased with the results. My style is evolving and i am going for more of a painterly approach that is loose! This painting is SOLD the piece is 15 x 30 and the title is "Southbound" It is in oil! Thank you for looking.

Going Big

2010-04-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt at a large oil painting.....well, by large i mean bigger than what i am used to doing....my usual work is 8 x 10 or 9 x 12 and an occasional 11 x 14 because i am working on location those are perfect sizes. A friend and fellow painter Norm Daniels encouraged me to go big...so here it is...18 x 24....it was tough to keep the harmony of the piece together but it was fun working in a larger format!

Trying to stay fresh

2010-03-18T23:13:00.000-07:00

Sometimes i dont have the luxury of setting up my easel to paint on location, so i must resort to taking photos....this was a nice picture of an older couple looking at the map in balboa park just after the rain had stopped..... i am happy with the result...and i dont think i couldve captured this moment on location anyway...so sometimes it works out!

this was 9 x 12 OIL

venturing into new subject matter

2010-03-06T18:40:00.001-08:00

Having painted a couple of pieces with people in them...i have begun to look for images or situations when i photograph to find interesting scenes with people in them....people always tell a story and this piece is no different!
I am really beginning to paint images that tell stories. it offers the viewer more to think about!

Passion and intellect

2010-02-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

Ken Auster has a new instructional dvd called intellect and passion....he talks about using intellect at the beginning of a painting to lay the groundwork but then to lay it aside and paint out of passion...which is the fun part! This piece really came out of that passion...i had lost myself for awhile and just enjoyed things happening here! Thank you Ken Auster!

Focusing on the focal point

2010-02-10T16:13:00.000-08:00

I recently purchased the DVD series called "Intellect and Passion" by Ken Auster, one of my favorite artists! One of his points is to focus on the focal point...sounds like common sense but alot of times i get lost because i forget what i am doing! I incorporated that thought into this piece that i call "Top of the Nob" it is 12 x 16 and painted with oils. thank you for looking!

Sketch before you paint

2010-02-04T09:55:00.001-08:00

Before my brush ever touches a canvas, i have sketched a quick value study to make sure i have the subject matter that i want to focus on in the correct position. it also helps with composition and what detail to keep and what detail to eliminate! My buddy Norm Daniels introduced me to the idea of using gray scale marking pens to illustrate value and keeping things in the foreground more intense and as things move out from the painting using lighter values to show distance!

Focusing on the Abstract

2010-02-02T08:59:00.001-08:00

There are times when i need to get away from my plein air work and just express myself with color...Abstract is always fun because there is really no subject matter its is just fun to play with color and design and texture! Rules still apply ...like using complimentary colors and such but it is a freeing experience. this piece is titled "Passionate Expression"

Venice in the afternoon

2010-01-27T14:48:00.001-08:00

ok its finished...yeah. ive got a show coming up so i have to produce quite a few pieces. I like the finished piece. this is 11 x 14

thanks for looking! :)

work in progress

2010-01-25T14:58:00.000-08:00

i wanted to show a piece that is unfinished and will post the completed piece when i finish!
Having a 5 month old baby girl makes it a bit difficult to finish paintings in a timely fashion!

Needs work

2010-01-20T16:23:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine went to India and captured this photograph of a mother and daughter having a conversation....i loved the image and wanted to paint it. this is my first attempt but i am not happy with the result....i am welcoming input here on this one as i came to a stand still and had to put it down. anyway, i welcome your comments.

Capturing Moments

2010-01-15T14:49:00.000-08:00

I was at Silver Strand beach on Coronado in San Diego back in October with my family! My uncle and aunt and i were walking down the beach. I snapped a quick shot and was thrilled with how it turned out! i thought i would paint it because it captures a special moment in time. It was cold that day and my uncle was bundled up more than the rest of us because he is going through Kemo therapy and doesn't handle the cold as well. I am really happy with the results of this painting i tried to stay loose and capture the moment instead of the detail!
This painting is a 9 x 12 oil framed in a plein air gold leaf frame.

Gone to the Dogs

2010-01-05T17:21:00.000-08:00

Karin Jurick recently said "The way to achieve great joy in life is to paint dogs". she even said "quote me on that" so i am and it is true. This is a friends bulldog, his name is dozer, when he was a puppy. Dozer has been featured in another one of my paintings, surfing on a wave. He is full grown now and living the good life. The truth is that i could not stop smiling while i was painting this one! Thanks Karin, i needed a little pick me up!

Black and white

2010-01-03T07:07:00.000-08:00

What i find helpful when painting on location, is a real understanding of shadows and light areas. Sometimes photographs darken shadows and bright areas too bright.
Shadows can be filled with color and it is fun to attempt to capture it. This was a piece that i did at San Juan Capistrano Mission. The area where the old mission had suffered when the earthquake hit back in the early 1900's.
This painting is available and is 11 x 14 and framed.
If you would like to buy it please click on the buy now button.
$245.00 and $20.00 to ship.

thank you for looking!

Weather to Be or Not To Be

2009-12-31T07:50:00.000-08:00

That is a great question when it comes to painting! And no its not a typo this time, i meant to spell Whether as Weather because that is the question. Stormy days can add mystery and mood to a painting, especially when it is a familiar place that people recognize. This piece was done at Cabrillo National park in San Diego, out on the bluff at Point Loma. It was Raining and Stormy but the colors were amazing and the warm light on the lighthouse was my point of interest.
The painting is 11 x 14 and is available! the title is "Cabrillo Light" This one comes framed for $245.00 plus $20.oo shipping thanks for looking

Gray days can be Great days

2009-12-30T08:31:00.000-08:00

Gray days create mood and texture to a painting that sunny days cannot compete with.
I was at Birdrock on such a day at around sunset when i captured this painting. Now i must admit that the sun broke through a little bit and lit up the homes on the bluff, but for the most part it was cloudy and gray with purples and reds and blues. I did have to come back to the studio and punch the colors a bit but it was a memorable day captured on canvas.

This painting is in a private collection

Fleeting Moments

2009-12-29T18:46:00.000-08:00

Another example of painting fast was this piece done at sunset on shelter island in San diego.
I had to establish the shadows first and then add color like a madman before the light changed. No such luck, but i tried to stay with my original image that i had started with. By the time i broke down my easel and tripod i could hardly see the panel i was painting on!
This painting is 9 x 12 and available for sale $150.00 unframed. Shipping $15.00

Rapid Fire Painting

2009-12-28T08:26:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you have to paint fast, whether it is a plein air contest, you have to be somewhere, or the light is changing rapidly. I have found that when you paint quickly that it forces you to paint shapes and color verses details and images and in my opinion that is how we should paint anyway! here is a painting that was under a time constraint because i was in a contest. I had two hours to walk around balboa park find a location, set up my gear, paint, tear down my gear, and make it back to the gallery to check in! This is by no means a perfect painting but i think it captured the mood and the moment. I welcome your critique! This painting is for sale! $150.00 unframed and $15.00 to ship

Christmas Gifts

2009-12-25T09:06:00.000-08:00

This painting was a commission from a friend! When i saw the photograph i couldn't wait to do it, because i knew it would have special significance for my friend! It was special because they were best friends and his friend the one without the hat, passed away a couple of years ago from cancer! This picture was taken when they were young, and the title was "fishing buddies". His wife gave it to him last night and he called me and told me it was the best gift he had ever recieved! A painting......not a lexus with a bow, Paintings can be great gifts that will outlast the recipient....who knows, maybe the mona lisa was a christmas gift! I love to give my artwork to family on the holidays, because i am giving them a peice of my heart! God Bless you and have a hopeful new year!

different strokes for different folks

2009-12-21T17:21:00.001-08:00

'this painting was done from a photograph provided on the blog Different Strokes From Different Folks, where artists are encouraged to paint or draw their own interpretations.

It was a real challenge becuase portraits are really not my thing. However, it seems that when i push myself i learn so much more than when i am doing something that i am already comfortable with. the image dosen't really capture the exact representation of this women, but i think it captures the essence of the photo.

Never give up

2009-12-20T07:55:00.000-08:00

sometimes i have a tendancy to give up on paintings.....especially on location....but i have found that if i set them aside and come back to them, new life can spring from something i thought was dead.

Paint what you love

2009-12-18T20:15:00.000-08:00

I have found that when painting subject matter that i really enjoy that the painting process is effortless, and the process is effortless as well. This painting was done at Cardiff, one of my favorite places. My brother and friends and i used to surf here all of the time. Swami's looms in the background and it is one of those peices that brings up so many memories from the past!

Dogtown San Diego

2009-11-11T17:23:00.000-08:00

This coming Sunday, is the launch party for a friends website http://www.dogtownsandiego.com/. The site reaches thousands of dog owners in San Diego and keeps them up to date on events, charities, cocktail hours and businesses that are dog friendly. I have coordinated the art portion of the event. There will be several artists there who do pet portraits. Hotel Indigo is the location from 1pm to 4pm downtown! Should be fun and in honor of the event i have painted a piece of "Dozer" aka "Da Bull" surfing at a local contest in San Diego

Hitting the wall

2009-11-11T15:51:00.000-08:00

every now and then, i feel as if i have hit a wall in terms of knowledge and skill set. I do need to take a work shop and improve my skills but the artists that i really enjoy, like George Coll, live out of state! i do read alot and that helps.....

This painting was done from a photo of a friend walking through yellowstone parks geyser park. Once again, i was drawn to the sihlouette and dark foreground with a very bright background. I grow with every painting.....thanks for looking!

this piece is 9 x 12 and available for sale. $150 unframed $15.00 for shipping.

capturing the sihlouette

2009-11-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

I have always avoided adding people into my paintings becuase i feared that it would ruin what i was trying to do. but i am learning that people captured walking away or even towards the canvas, in shade can add a very interesting element to the painting....and create a story! i really like where this is going.

it has given my purpose in painting a entirely new direction.

Expanding Horizons

2009-11-03T19:50:00.001-08:00

Today, Norm Daniels and i showed up at Balboa Park around 9am to get a painting in before our gallery meeting. we set up our easels and had aprox 45 minutes to get something on canvas. Trying to caputure the mood as the light changes is the challenge with plein air painting.

I am happy with the results of this peice because it truly was an exercise in spontaneity!