Paintings

[Watson]

Like some others of you here I have a long time interest in art, painting in particular. I have accumulated a lot of paintings, acrylic and water color, and drawings of many sorts. Some are good and some I think are good. My avatar is one that is good. More abstract ones approach the realm of the beholders eye, but I have sold some of both, including a mural for a restaurant. (Which when out of business, not my fault, so I never got fully paid on that one.)
I have painted local senses on the face of a couple of clocks, and painted senses on the bottoms of old draws because of the great texture of the wood. I have also made prints of these painting on my PC and sold many locally, while actually fishing, (and painting).
I have looked through the storage and pulled a few oldys out to hang. My kids were by and they liked the three new paintings, for the abstract eye, with brush and knife work. No, not new, but in storage since before they were even thought of.
So, if any members are interested in my paintings, I'll be looking to make them available to purchase. The clocks went home with the kids, sold for a hug.

[zetreque]

I didn't realize your avatar was a painting, but now that you mention it I see it as one. I have never been interested in buying art, but if you get them scanned and online I would be interested to take a look at the style you enjoy. Some of my art ends up being too abstract for most people to understand it, but I see it clearly and thoroughly enjoy my own art.

[Watson]

Yes I'll try and get some on here. I'll start with some of the more abstract ones, from a more rebel-ish period.

[Braininvat]

Please do. Look forward to it. Have done some painting, enough to better respect those who master the art. When I visit any city, I have to spend some hours in the local art galleries. Once bought a piece from an artist who, when I wrote the check, had me make it out to the gas company. He said he didn't like his income to leave a paper trail. He just picks whatever bill the painting's price will be a bit over that. He puts his account number on the check - they don't care who wrote it. The extra is credited to next month.

[zetreque]

The thing about writing checks out directly to pay the guys bills sounds familiar but I think it's funny and cool. Seems kinda difficult though, I guess he pays in cash when he can't sell art. I would thumbs up that post if I could.

[Watson]

Yes that is a very creative idea, in some cases, effective for the street art vendors and graffiti vandals.

[Eclogite]

So you are complicit in helping him avoid paying his taxes and thus aiding him in stealing from his fellow citizens. And zetreque thinks the idea is cool. Questionable ethics from both of you, but if it aligns with your political and economic beliefs I'll content myself with a raised eyebrow.

[Braininvat]

Clarification: he wasn't ducking taxes, his income bracket was not high enough to pay them anyway. If he had been a prosperous artist, I wouldn't have gone for the idea. We are talking about keeping a talented guy working in the way that contributes best to society. I take ethical matters seriously. It made him happy to live below the radar of an information age, and hurt no one.

[Darby]

So you are complicit in helping him avoid paying his taxes and thus aiding him in stealing from his fellow citizens. And zetreque thinks the idea is cool. Questionable ethics from both of you, but if it aligns with your political and economic beliefs I'll content myself with a raised eyebrow.

Just to chime in, this ...

Once bought a piece from an artist who, when I wrote the check, had me make it out to the gas company.

Is technically "barter", and AFAIK is not illegal under US law. I wouldn't advise doing it to excess and rubbing it in people's faces, but it is legal, and it is a fact of life for many households on tight budgets and/or and for illegal immigrants without credit history or bank accounts. Granted that one side of the above exchange involved funds sent to a third party not involved in the barter, so that stretches the definition slightly, but not (AFAIK) past the breaking point. I could be wrong, but I dont think so.

In other words, federal law does NOT require citizens to use federal money as the basis of exchange of goods and services ... such things can be exchanged directly, without the need to acquire {and pay tax on} an intermediate exchange medium {i.e., cash}. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and speculate it would be legally impossible for the government to outlaw barter ... the SCOTUS would strike it down faster than a 13 yr old playing wack-a-mole. Discourage yes, outlaw no.

BY some estimates, barter actually makes up 10-15% of our economy, and the percentage is far higher for less developed countries, and approaches nearly 100% in some countries.

[Watson]

I have posted a good sampling of paintings on twitter. I initially used fake information to sign up because I didn't know what twitter was all about. But, I kind of grew into it.

https://twitter.com/DWiliamson

[vivian maxine]

Bartering is not illegal. Failing to report the exchange at fair market value is.

https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc420.html

[Watson]

Polar Bear cub, recent painting.

[Watson]

Park Pavilion, painted 1998

[Watson]

Vintage Steam train

Lake freighter, lost in a storm.

More pictures at https://twitter.com/DWiliamson/media
Most are to big to fit here.

[Watson]

Cecil, the tame Lion, and magnificent creature killed by small man as a trophy for his own sick and selfish enjoyment.

[vivian maxine]

What a sad ending. But don't you love that facial expression? He is literally talking cat. He looks much better than the one who cured me of going to zoos.

[Watson]

A recent painting of the Brooks Range in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Painting, my new commitment.

[zetreque]

Hey. I've been there!
:)

[Watson]

Did I do it justice? Working from a twitcure, so I didn't have the full experience.

[zetreque]

Looks good.

I remember the banks of the Chandalar River being a bit steeper so this looks like the north side of the brooks so probably accurate. :)

and you got the glass mirror reflection in the river. OMG it was the most amazing sight ever in a 4 hour sunset, and a speed boat!

[zetreque]

Reduced size and quality to upload to forum.

[Watson]

This is the image I had to work with.

[zetreque]

Did someone you know take it?
What is a twitcure?

[Watson]

Haha, no twitcure is a picture twitted to me on twitter. Made up word. Don't know who took it, but I liked it as soon as I saw it, and was ready for a new inspiration.

I should spell it twicture.

[Watson]

A recent painting. An old barn is a common sight on the prairie landscape, and of coarse the big skies. This one is about 14x14 painted on a wood panel from the bottom of an old dresser drawer. It was not primed so it is raw wood showing through, and not brown paint.

[Braininvat]

I like the two layers of air. The use of unprimed wood seemed to work out....looks like bare earth. The "face" of the barn imparts a sort of animistic tone, very appealing.

[Watson]

Thanks. The raw wood does add an interesting quality, but it changes the painting technique since the wood sucks the moisture out of the paint or brush.

This one is 20x24 on canvass. It is a local scene, I was able to sit in the grass and paint, but it was several summers ago.

[zetreque]

How long do these take you to paint?

[Watson]

That all depends. More abstract ones can take a few minutes, but you may spend hours doing many before you hit on one that is any good. Even then, whether it is really any good is subjective. I am fortunate that all mine are good.
Others, are more detailed, less abstract and take more time. Then it is a matter of how well the brush and paint cooperate with the canvas, but this is always the case.
The more detailed paintings take a long, long amount of patients.

How long does it take? The barn in the frozen field took about thirty years to paint. Thou, I only started it recently.

[zetreque]

Fair enough. so when you say "recent painting" we can assume it took you 30 years to paint. :)

I left that question simple and vague. I guess I was after what your personal average is and I know that's a difficult question to answer still because you would probably not want anyone to assume you spent less time on certain paintings or more on others.