Practicing Art and the Fair

City Landscape Study - Oil on Clayboard

Old House - Oil on Board

Male Figure Study - Colored Pencil on Canson Cream Paper

I always look forward to the Minnesota State Fair. It's great for all the obvious reasons like the food, people watching, exhibits and of course the smell of the livestock, but one of the very best parts of the Fair is visiting the Arts Building to see all of the fantastic work being done by Minnesota Artists. It is both enlightening and humbling. So many great works of art are created each year at the Fair and you really can get a feeling for the sort of talent and trends in local art.

Every year I say to myself, "Next year I'm going to submit a painting or drawing". And every year I find another excuse not to. Every year as the Fair comes and goes I wonder if next year will finally be the year. The honest truth is, I'm not too comfortable with rejection. Of course it ain't life and death, but when you practice art it's important. Maybe next year.

Here are a few paintings and a drawing that I've been working on lately. I'm trying to practice some different techniques with both oil and pencil. In these paintings I'm practicing some "rubbing out" of the oil paint before it completely dries. In both the cityscape and the house painting you can see where the paint has been rubbed out or removed. The house painting is not complete yet.