Apples and Figs

8x10"

Oil on gesso board
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This was to going to be a quick study but as I started noodling with the details I forgot myself.I think the smoothness of the gesso board and the feel of the oil paint flowing on it felt too good for me to stop.

Altoids

4x6"

Oil on canvas panel

Dead Soldier

4x6
Oil on canvas panel

Vase & Sticks

4x6

Oil on canvas panel

When Jack Becomes Art

18x24"

Oil on canvas

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I was originally going to do this as a small painting but thought it would be more impressive as a larger piece. 

Detail 1

 

Painting reflective and translucent surfaces are always a challenge because of the distortions and warped imagery they produce.  Painting chrome is another one. 

 

Detail 2

 

  I like painting these types of surfaces. 

 

Detail 3

 

This painting took some time to do because I had to break down my studio at two different times to have our wooden floors replaced due to a moisture problem which caused a lot of damage.

 

Detail 4

 But I finally got it done!

 

 

Background laid in.

 

When I started this painting I washed in a raw sienna ground for the base over my penciled rough.

3/4's there.

 

This painting was at a good size so I had to do a lot of rotating while using a maul for support.

 

Working on the last 4th.

 

Here I'm working on the final stages.

 

 

Quick Studies in Oils and Acrylics

The Yard #1
3.3/8"x5"
Acrylic on illustration board

 This was painted one lazy afternoon while lounging in my backyard.  I've always loved painting in acrylics because of its fast drying and setup qualities.  Doing quick sketch studies with this medium is great because you can throw down a wash or value setting and then lay an opaque layer on top and go from there.  It’s been a long time since I last used acrylics and had to re-acquaint myself to the value shifts between wet and dry colours.  I did this one on a scrape piece of illustration board that I cut up into smaller pieces for this purpose some time ago.  I will definitely be doing a lot more of these in the time to come as I think this is a good exercise for the 'o hand, eye and brain noodle-thingy-communication.

Bowl of Bangles
5x7"
Oil on canvas panel

On that same note of doing quick studies and getting loose and all, I did this one in oil using my new pochade case; getting away from my cigar paint box setup and comfort zone.  Time to get “old school” and tap into that once familiar “vein” of creativity and discovery and play around with the medium.  This painting is of an old hollowed out decorative coconut shell that my wife is currently using as some sort of holder for her bangles.  Nice!

White Rose

5x7"
Oil on canvas panel
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 I played around with the lighting on this one a bit to capture its essence.  Because it was already in a state of wilting and losing petals I wanted to catch what translucency it still had before totally drying out and falling apart. 

Detail

We have several rose bushes in our front and side gardens and this one was begging to be the subject given the fact that most of the roses weren’t in bloom.

Relic The Profile

12x16"

oil on canvas
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The first time I saw the bust of this Indian head I’ve wanted to paint a portrait of it.  It was an artifact a friend of mine had in his home.   

Detail 1

A piece he brought back from one of his many trips, over the years, to India.  I was able to sit in and do a few studies of it, as well as, take a few photos for further reference to use later. 

Detail 2

 I started the under painting late on Friday evening after I finished my Pencil work. 

Here’s the final pencil sketch in all of its glory.

Here it is getting the full mud treatment of burnt umber and turps…

Sorry "stupid-phone" shot 1

Nice and swirly…

Sorry "stupid-phone" shot 2

Evened out …

Sorry "stupid -phone" shot 3

 

Initial Rub out ala “Flemish”…

Sorry "stupid-phone" shot 4

Working on the final color stage.

Orange & Martini featured on RedBubble.com

6x6"

Oil on hardboard

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Looks like this one was eye catching, it got picked to be featured on the homepage at RedBubble.com.  “One of our homepage curators picked your image because they thought it was brilliant.”  Thank you RedBubble!  Time to crack a beer, cheers!

Check it out! RedBubble.com

The Old One Eighty #2

5x7"
Oil on canvas panel
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This is another angle of the rusted out 1940's Packard I photographed while in Jerome, Az.  again, it had a lot of character so I took a whole oft of photos.  Painting this was interesting in translating smooth to semi smooth surfaces along with heavily rusted areas to a canvas panel.

The Old One Eighty

5x7"
oil on canvas panel

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I saw this car while in Jerome, Az.  It had a lot of character so I took a whole lot of photos for reference.  Cropping in on the headlamp from a low angle made for a nice dynamic painting.

Retired Fifty-seven

5x7"
Oil on canvas board
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This thing was pretty beat up and looks to be missing parts of the grill and body trim. I've seen this thing parked in the same spot for over a year and had it in the back of my mind to finally do a painting of it.

The Couple

5x7"
 Oil on canvas board
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The photo doesn't quite do it justice but I love how the hues came out in this painting.  I like the small vase and knew that one day I was going to paint it.  Then one day my wife brought some cuttings in from the yard and that sparked my interest right away.  I had to paint them before they started to wilt.  I haven't painted in over a year due to a massive kitchen remodeling and a hectic production schedule from various studios I contract with.  So this makes a great piece to kick off with back into the painting mode.

Studies in Oil by Maurice Morgan

Ok, here we go folks.  I just finished editing this thingy and posted it.  Hope you like it.  I am now off to my next lot of painting after a long hiatus.  Cheers.

Key West Vendor Wagon

8x10"

Oil on Canvas

 

This little courtyard area was very colorful and had a lot going on.  Really got my creative juices going.

Blue Curacao

5x6"

Acrylic on foam core board

I did this painting about two years ago and I still love the contrast between the blue and red hues.  I love painting in acrylics, from time to time, because of the fast drying capabilities of the medium.  I’ve exploited acrylics professionally earlier in my career and know all the tricks of creating different effects.   But to just use it as a pure medium loosely, painting without regard to controlling it, to capture the moment is always fun and rewarding.

 But oils… I will always love the fluidity, texture, smoothness, brilliance, the application and the aroma of turpentine, linseed and varnish in creating a vision on a canvas or board.

   

One Down

5x7"

Oil on Canvas Board

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Glass is always interesting to paint.  Lots of contrast between hard and soft edges within the highlights and shadows.

Detail 1

Detail 2

Shell Mode 3

4x6"

Oil on canvas board

The setup for this painting incorporated a couple of color cards to alter the hues within the surface of the shell.  This made for some interesting painting time.

Flower Shot

5x7"

Oil on canvas board

A shot of love.  Something this world needs a lot more of.

Reclining Shells

4x6"

Oil canvas board
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Back to the oyster shells.  These are always interesting to paint due to their various textures.

Detail #1

There were a lot of intricate areas to play in during the painting. 

 

Detail #2

A lot of transitions between rough and scaly to smooth and silky.