Wishing everyone a happy Easter and Resurrection Day! The above image is from a colored pencil drawing I did a few years ago. Hope you all have a safe and blessed holiday!
Denny
Happy Easter/Resurrection Day
Category: Decorative art
Christmas Hummingbirds
One of the commissions I did last year for Christmas was to paint a hummingbird on a teaspoon. My Mom had already picked out a nice sugar spoon that she wanted me to paint a bird on, so I painted them together. My client and her recipient as well as my Mom all loved them, and I hope you do too! Let me know in the comments!
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Do YOU like it?
Do YOU like it? was first published in July of 2017, and thought I would re-post it as it is always relevant. I hope your New Year is off to a good start!
Make no mistake, but everyone’s tastes are different. Whether it is art, clothing, music, food, you name it and we each have our own individual style. While this is the way God created us, to be unique, it can also ruffle a few feathers, so to speak. Our uniqueness gives the world great variety and color and it would be a truly boring place if we were all the same! Whats more, we all have our own opinions, especially when it comes to art.
People buy art for many reasons, maybe a piece has their favorite color, or it matches the sofa in the living room. Perhaps the subject matter reminds them of a special place, or a particular event or person in their life. Whatever the reason, it is their reason and yes, they have to live with it. I am often asked by friends or family what I think about a piece of art they are contemplating purchasing. I may not care for it for whatever reason, but I try to help them make sure it is quality materials, and asking where they might be displaying it (as a general rule, paintings should not be in direct sunlight). If pressed about whether or not I like it, I explain that it isn’t about what I think but what they think and how they feel about the piece.
Recently, a friend of mine brought over a painting for me to look at that she had purchased at a thrift store for $1. It would look good in the kitchen of her new apartment. She was so excited about her find, but before she showed it to me, she explained that it was of a rooster and when she saw the piece it reminded her of a rooster I painted on a mural a few years ago. She had always loved that rooster, so this painting really touched her. She said that it was ‘not like the way you paint’, and thought possibly a child or a beginning artist had painted it. I told her that was okay, and if she liked it, that was all that mattered. Upon seeing it, I agreed that perhaps a child or beginner could have painted it, and explained that it was a point and time in that artist’s life, style and ability, and the art she chooses for her home doesn’t have to be like what I paint.
I asked her if she liked it and of course, she did. I replied that is what really matters, and truthfully, it is all that really matters, the fact that she liked it. I explained to her that I have seen a lot of art that I didn’t particularly care for, but that doesn’t mean that someone else shouldn’t like it or buy it. Furthermore, if she found something she really liked for a dollar, then more power to her! She phoned me later to tell me she had asked a couple of other people what they thought, and they said the rooster was too skinny, that the painting had a lot of issues. With that, she donated it back to the thrift store and is on the hunt for something else. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.
I hope you are surrounded by artwork and things that you love that bring back fond memories. It really doesn’t matter who did it, how much you paid for it, etc. The bottom line is, do YOU like it?
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Do YOU like it?
Make no mistake, but everyone’s tastes are different. Whether it is art, clothing, music, food, you name it and we each have our own individual style. While this is the way God created us, to be unique, it can also ruffle a few feathers, so to speak. Our uniqueness gives the world great variety and color and it would be a truly boring place if we were all the same! Whats more, we all have our own opinions, especially when it comes to art.
People buy art for many reasons, maybe a piece has their favorite color, or it matches the sofa in the living room. Perhaps the subject matter reminds them of a special place, or a particular event or person in their life. Whatever the reason, it is their reason and yes, they have to live with it. I am often asked by friends or family what I think about a piece of art they are contemplating purchasing. I may not care for it for whatever reason, but I try to help them make sure it is quality materials, and asking where they might be displaying it (as a general rule, paintings should not be in direct sunlight). If pressed about whether or not I like it, I explain that it isn’t about what I think but what they think and how they feel about the piece.
Recently, a friend of mine brought over a painting for me to look at that she had purchased at a thrift store for $1. It would look good in the kitchen of her new apartment. She was so excited about her find, but before she showed it to me, she explained that it was of a rooster and when she saw the piece it reminded her of a rooster I painted on a mural a few years ago. She had always loved that rooster, so this painting really touched her. She said that it was ‘not like the way you paint’, and thought possibly a child or a beginning artist had painted it. I told her that was okay, and if she liked it, that was all that mattered. Upon seeing it, I agreed that perhaps a child or beginner could have painted it, and explained that it was a point and time in that artist’s life, style and ability, and the art she chooses for her home doesn’t have to be like what I paint.
I asked her if she liked it and of course, she did. I replied that is what really matters, and truthfully, it is all that really matters, the fact that she liked it. I explained to her that I have seen a lot of art that I didn’t particularly care for, but that doesn’t mean that someone else shouldn’t like it or buy it. Furthermore, if she found something she really liked for a dollar, then more power to her! She phoned me later to tell me she had asked a couple of other people what they thought, and they said the rooster was too skinny, that the painting had a lot of issues. With that, she donated it back to the thrift store and is on the hunt for something else. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.
I hope you are surrounded by artwork and things that you love that bring back fond memories. It really doesn’t matter who did it, how much you paid for it, etc. The bottom line is, do YOU like it?
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I usually don’t do this…
Back in February I was contacted by F.R.I.E.N.D.S. (Florida Research Institute for Equine Nurturing Development and Safety) to see if I might be interested in helping with a fundraiser they are having in June. The help they were wanting was to paint a pig. As in a little ceramic piggy bank. Since the organization supports horses and a couple of other farm animals, and most equestrians love farm animals, they decided on the piggy banks for artists around the country to get creative. The only requirement was that they had to have them by the end of March.
The fundraiser is an online auction that is from June 1 to June 15, 2017. For tickets (if you plan on being in the area) or more info, please visit their website by clicking here.
I usually don’t do too many fundraisers, not that I am not wanting to give, but I am usually busy or already have my giving lined up for the year. I gave it some thought and immediately had a couple of ideas come to mind: a Jump Hog (for the English riders) and a Trail Hog (for the Western riders). I asked for two and immediately set to work. Below is a record of the process and the end result. Would love to know your thoughts on these!
I wanted to mold saddles on the banks, and leave the coin slot opening intact. I started applying blobs of drywall paste to start forming the saddles. This had to be done in small applications as the blobs of paste would start sagging down the sides and flattening out. So, that meant a number of apply/dry sessions to get the desired forms.
Next, it was time to shave with an artist’s knife and sand for a clean, smooth finish to prep for painting.
I then began painting with latex house paint, added a couple of layers of satin acrylic varnish, and finally added a few adornments for reins and bling!
This was a really fun project, and I hope they bring a good price for the fundraiser. Hope you all have a blessed week!
All photos and artwork ©2017 Denny Martindale, All Rights Reserved
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Thankful
Yes, I am rather late with this post, but Thanksgiving (even though it was last week) is a season, in my opinion, not just one day, that we should be thankful. I have been busy with a few commissions for Christmas, and have been fighting what I thought was allergy/sinus issues for over a week. However, on Thanksgiving night, a severe cold hit and needless to say my weekend has strictly been some much needed rest and hot tea with numerous herbal remedies. Finally on the mend now, so I thought I might write a post on what I am grateful for.
I am always grateful for the love and support of my family and friends, who are my constant cheerleaders. They really help out when I need it, doing everything from helping to set up at shows, assisting when I just need an extra hand, to critiquing my work. I asked my brother one time what he thought of a sketch I had done for a watercolor painting of a cutting horse and cow. I loved his honesty when he stated, “Why is that horse chasing a deer?” Made me re-examine my sketch and yes, I erased the cow and started over.
I am also thankful for my clients, who not only help support my artistic habit, but also have become good friends, even if over long distances. I guess I am thankful too for technology, as it has opened up a way to connect with clients farther away, even overseas. It is an awesome experience. My clients also push me in a sense that I learn something new in each piece of artwork I create, and to them I am grateful for the opportunity.
Not only am I thankful for the support my clients give, but also for the stories I am privileged to have them share with me. One client had me do a portrait of her husband’s beloved mixed breed dog, a true Heinz 57 as we like to call them. She related to me a story that happened shortly after they had gotten Flint, who used to make a warfle like noise.
They were at a dinner with their priest and other parishioners when someone asked one of the couples in attendance how the season had gone with their registered show dogs. With great flair and exuberance, they elaborated the wonderful show season the dogs had that year, inserting their registered names at every chance. The priest then asked my clients how it was going with their new dog. He is a great dog, they replied, not really wanting to elaborate that he was a mixed breed. Then the owners of the show dogs asked what breed he was, and what was his name? My client’s husband who has a wonderful love for humor, stated that he was a one of a kind Czechoslovakian Sport Spaniel, (no, there is no such breed) and his name was Flint Warfle I. The show dog owners were quite impressed, as was the priest. For Christmas that year, the priest gave them a blank photo album. On the cover he had inscribed, “The Complete History of The Czechoslovakian Sport Spaniel”.
I also loved the story this fall from a man who collects spoons. I had my booth set up at the Art On The Fly Fest in Fly, Tennessee, and a gentleman and his wife came in to look around. He noticed my painted spoons and asked if I had any that said ‘Oneida’ on them. I knew I had at one time, but I wasn’t sure if they had sold or not. He started to browse through them and immediately came upon three miniature spoons and said “Yes, these are Oneida”.
Upon looking at the backs, they were stamped ‘Oneida’ and he said he would take them. He was happy that they said ‘Love, Joy, and Peace’ in a Christmas theme as they were going on his “Spoons” themed Christmas tree. He said he had worked 34 years at the Oneida Silverware company in New York, and every chance he got he would purchase Oneida spoons that an artist had worked on. He was so happy to get them, and I was honored to have them placed on his tree!
I am also thankful for the people who look at my art and are appreciative of it, even if they aren’t able to purchase anything. My last show this fall a young woman and her friend entered my booth to browse. She was really impressed with my work and we chatted about the wonderful weather we were having so late in October. I mentioned I liked her shirt, and she replied that she had purchased it at a store on the base she was stationed at. Wow, she really didn’t look much out of high school, I thought, but she had done a tour and was leaving out again the following week and wanted to go to college when she returned. I am thankful for her service even more than her appreciation of my art. God bless Katelynn!
Finally, I am thankful to the almighty God Who gave me what talent I have, and am honored to do it for His glory. Truly, I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. I pray you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving season, and hope you have a blessed week ahead!
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A Bavarian Carriage Tour, or Kutschen-Tour
Earlier this year the familiar little guitar strum (that’s what it sounds like to me) on my phone went off notifying me of activity on my Etsy account. It was a message from a lady interested in commissioning me to paint a bucket for her. As we messaged back and forth regarding details, I discovered she lived in Bavaria, as in Bavaria, Germany! I am always amazed at how we can connect with people from all over the world, and am so honored when they appreciate my art.
She wanted the images to be of her and her husband driving her horse and carriage. The tricky part was she wanted the bucket in a particular size range, and, she wanted it to be oval. I said I would do some checking and get back with her, and I really didn’t think it would be too difficult to find something that would work as there are a lot of oval metal buckets out there.
I got online and started looking, perused numerous antique, junktique, and thrift stores and anything else that might have something that would work. My cell phone was starting to load up with numerous pictures of buckets, but none of them were the correct size. Finally, one popped up and it met all the necessary parameters. Thank you Jesus! I immediately sent my client photos and a description and everything was a go. As it turns out, I believe it is a vintage galvanized mop bucket, similar to the one the janitor used in our elementary school. The bracket underneath sat on a dolly or coaster of wheels and had a wringer mechanism on the top for the mop and the janitor would just roll it from room to room. Fortunately it was in good condition, so I immediately set to work cleaning and prepping it for paint.
Upon completion, I boxed it up and sent it on it’s way, praying for a safe and timely arrival. About a week later I received a notification that it had passed customs and arrived at her door. However, she stated she wanted to wait to open it until her birthday in a couple of weeks and would notify me then. My anticipation of her seeing it and letting me know how she liked it grew, and I was grateful when she replied that it was absolutely wonderful. I said I was honored to paint it for her, as I am with all of my clients. Below are a few photos of the Bavarian Carriage Tour Bucket.
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Freedom, Independence, and Happy 4th of July!
Happy 4th of July, or, Independence Day, whichever you prefer! In honor of this wonderful holiday, I thought I would share with you the milk can that I painted late last summer titled ‘Freedom Can’. This full sized milk can features Old Glory as the background, with an eagle on one side and a horse on the other, then is topped off with 7 stars. It is painted with latex house paint (even the antiqued effect on the top rim, handles, upper band and bottom) then protected with two coats of spar urethane. I hope you all have a safe, happy and blessed 4th of July!
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Abby and Cassie
One of my longtime clients brought me a handful of photos of two of her cats that had passed away to see if I could use them to paint her a portrait of them. We reviewed them and decided to use one of them as kittens sitting on her bed. They also happened to be sitting on an afghan that her mother had made for her. Below are some progress pictures showing the original photo with the drawing, all the way to the finished piece.
Thank you for visiting, please feel free to leave your thoughts by clicking on the link to the comments section above!
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Painted Spoons and my Etsy shop
It has been a busy fall thus far, with two art festivals in the books and another one this Saturday in Lynnville, TN and a commission for a pet portrait as well. My booth at these shows not only has examples of my pet portraits, but also greeting cards featuring my artwork and photography, fine art giclee prints of my work, and some of the metal items I have painted on. I also revamped my Etsy site with these items for purchase as well, and you can visit it by clicking here. One of the items I have enjoyed as of late is painting on old metal spoons that I pick up at flea markets and yard sales. They make a wonderful ornament and/or gift.
The spoons are usually silver plate or stainless, often times having a dent or some mark or defect and are not in complete sets. I do a vinegar wash on them to break surface tension and remove oils, then apply a bonding primer then paint with latex house paint and seal with spar urethane.
I hope you are doing well and would love to hear from you. Also, please keep Paris and the world in your prayers. God bless!
Martindale Artworks' Blog 