Cool Blue Christmas December 26, 2011

Post Christmas Blues; and my other lover hovers...

I...must...go,,,get...my...paints!

The True Christmas Spirit December 18, 2011

Tis the season, spirit's tappin';

Try to witness miracles happen.

Mother Nature; when she calls,

Reveals to us orb-like balls.

Light the way for us to see;

The metaphor of a Christmas Tree. 

Deep and meaningful is it's light;

Guiding the hopeless through the night.

Relax, enjoy this time of year.

An attitude of gratitude, 

Will bring great cheer.

Claude Monet in Spirit December 17, 2011

Sailboat at Petit-Gennevilliers

All I know is that I am motivated by that which makes my heart sing.

I love art, so I study it, and make it a priority to surround myself with it.

I buy lots of art books with pictures of paintings made by the great Master Painters of the past.

In a way, they become my mentors...

As I seek out my motif's,   Nature reveals to me similar patterns of what may have been witnessed by one of my mentors when they walked the Earth.  I am at choice to use these patterns in one of my own paintings; (i.e. STEAL THE IDEA) and develop my art work with this influence at the core of it's configuration.

The other morning I walked outside my home and saw this view at Sunrise. The cloud patterns (Alto Cumulus) reminded me of patterns in a painting I'd seen before by French Impressionist Painter, Claude Monet.  This scene lasted only for a few minutes, but I captured it on camera, with the intention of sharing this idea of reference with you.

Alto Cumulus at Sunrise  photo: T. Van Stein

Presenting this evidence serves to keep me on track with my tact of being an artist; aligning present moments with the past, in a way that affects my future in a positive way. 

Mastery is Memory

Lion Eyes December 14, 2011

Imagination is Everything

Calm Between Storms December 13, 2011

 A Silvery Day in Paradise.  

It's good to be above ground!

Gingerbread Barber December 12, 2011

Freshly Baked Gingerbread House
Victoria Street, Santa Barbara California.


Passion beyond words! 

Lunar Eclipse Over the Artist's Home December 10, 2011

Lunar Eclipse Over the Near Beach Hotel: Carpinteria

A nice omen to begin one's day.


Fifty years ago I was born the night of a Lunar Eclipse. Is it possible, this is why I pursue the Moon in my nocturnes?

They say coming events cast their shadows...and in this case, the Earth over the Moon.

Teaching Day October 26, 2011

 Fun day painting by the Pacific Ocean on Santa Clause Lane Beach. Lesson: Small Timed Sketches.  I made everyone aware that  Albert Einstein strolled along this beach many decades ago, and Pablo Picasso appeared to me in a dream while I was painting a seascape on this very beach.

Meet Parke Meek Oct. 21, 2011

Hand crafted by Parke Meek, this DC-3 Gooney Bird shined through the storefront window at Jadis Props in Venice.

The Museum was closed, but the view through the window was inspiring.

thomasvanstein.net

Plein Air Painting on a Silvery Day: Demonstration Painting October 18, 2011

Painting, with Palette

Bella eyes a ground squrrel

Silvery Day Demonstration for John Iwerks Class:   This last Saturday was a foggy day, so I used a limited palette; using four or five colors, and white, in order to mix my grays. Creeping up on the highlights, I pushed my color in the end of the demo in order to convey the effect of light; intensifying the various highlights in each of the various masses.

I will eventually finish the 11"x14" painting in the studio.

WaterColor Demo #5 October 17, 2011

Substituting for Kaaren Robertson's Watercolor class the other day I set up the still-life with a light source, with an amber gel (filter) to warm up the light a bit.

With all the doom and gloom and negativity going on in the world, I thought I would begin the week with an image of something rather pleasing to look at.

Hope it brightens your day!

Still Life with Flowers
11x14, w/c, 2011

Collection of the Artist

Eyes Wide Open: Venice Beach Sept. 30, 2011

With my head on a swivel I spied this sign in the window of a house on Electric Avenue.


It's amusing to see what Venetians place in their yards to catch the eyes of passers-by.

The Ghost of Johnathan Livingston Seagull, Venice: Sept. 21, 2011

Speaking of rearranging shapes; on that dark dank night I contemplated walking out on the Venice Beach Pier. Moving forward I wondered what unknown things awaited me out there in that misty dead end.


With images of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" activating my monkey mind, I took the long walk to the very end until I could stroll no further. 

It was out there, on the edge, in that solemn balmy void, that I was greeted by what looked like a bird from hell.  After taking his picture, he spoke to me and said, "so... you think you know hunger?" I thought for a moment, then before I could  retort he blinked, then flew off into the night; nevermore to be seen again, at least by my eyes.


After receiving this poignant message from the aviary master, I too felt rearranged, and my mind began to race. I thought to myself, what the...was that Johnathan Livingston Seagull? Did he mistake me for Richard Bach? Clearly, it wasn't a crow,  and I know I'm no Poe.


So, alone with this thought, I turned to walk off,  and scurrying from the pier did I go.


Now, when I teach art, I attempt to convey to my students that every experience an artist has in his life is transferred onto their canvas through each and every brush stroke. 

In this transformational, somewhat life-changing epiphany,  I contemplated just where this fine feathered emissary from the animal kingdom would work his way into my art? Physically, it didn't matter, however I would think of him with every bird shaped brush stroke I may paint in my future paintings.


Instead, remembering his original challenge to me about hunger, I decided I would stop in to a restaurant at the base of the pier... and think some more over a burger and beer!

Venice Beach: Chards Sept. 20, 2011

Not all that is broken's a loss;
Pick up the pieces-- don't toss.
Rearrange and assemble;
Each shape's like a symbol.
A pretty mosaic is the cost.

Odyssey to Venice Sept. 14, 2011

Wall paper...Malibu Inn

John Fante's Hangout, Malibu Inn

 

Hot Rod in the Hood August 28, 2011

Looking out of the Kitchen Window I caught a glimpse of  a gleaming persimmon colored 1932  Ford Sedan Hot Rod parked across the street at the Spot.

Persimmon Colored Passion is a bright idea...and so is the care and craftsmanship that went into this work of art.

www.thomasvanstein.net

Heart Rock Cafe August 25, 2011

My Heart Rocks!

Look what the Earth gives up?

I sometimes wonder and wander the beach.  Every now and then I catch one, or two...maybe three hearts of stone. I know it's kinda silly but hey it's cool.  It's kinda like cloud dispersing, or like seeing the Virgin Mary  or Jesus  in a stain on a wall or in a potato chip.

All it takes is imagination, and a keen eye.

In my irrational search for the meaning of life, here's what I've realized about Heart Rocks:

Some are perfect, some askew;
Some are old and crusty, some are fairly new.
Some are dark, some are light;
Some look like they glow at night.

Some are hard; (well duh, they're stone);
Some are brittle and lite like bone.
Some are smooth and some are glossy;
Some feel porous and some seem saucy.

Some look perfectly cliche' in shape;
Some are deceptive; (they're more like, fake!)
Some feel way too heavy to hold;
Some are warm and some are cold.

Some lay obvious, some remain buried.
Hearts shaped rocks are wide and varied;
I search for them because it's fun;
I see my heart in every one.

On this, my 50th Birthday, I hope I don't get stuck between a rock and a heart space!

www.thomasvanstein.net