The Little Arkansas in Fall

The Little Arkansas in Fall - 20 x 20 oil on PVC

This seems to be the final version of "The Little Arkansas in Fall" which is the last in a series of seasonal paintings I have done of the river behind my studio. I should set up my "good" camera and use it to make photos of paintings instead of using my cell phone camera. But it will give you a good idea of what the painting looks like.

I tried to show the sweeping vista of fall colors which surrounded the river in November. I think that landscapes are inherently abstracted by the very subject matter. This painting is far from a photo rendering of the subject.

I hope to show this painting somewhere outside of Kansas. But then I would have to get some travel insurance and stay at an hotel somewhere. I'm tired of staying at hotels and traveling and have never liked the idea of insurance. Perhaps someday when I mortgage the house.

Let me know what you think...... thanks...

Little Arkansas in Fall

Oil on PVC. Progress on Little Arkansas in Fall. Still more to paint but I think I am starting to get good depth and color. The fall colors are easy to work with although the reds can easily overwhelm the painting. Perhaps I'll finish this one by Thanksgiving.

I hope to take a better photo next time. This one was done with my cell phone and doesn't show as much detail as I prefer.

We try to paint something everyday in the studio.

Little Arkansas in Fall

A work in progress. "Little Arkansas in Fall" is the fourth and last in the series of paintings I have been doing which show the four seasons of the Little Arkansas River which is next to my studio. It is oil on PVC panel like the others. At this stage I am still working on underpainting and some compositional elements.

Let me know what you think. Comments ???

The Annunciation

"The Annunciation" is a large egg tempera on wood panel Icon which I finished a few days ago. It is still lacking the shellac finish which will be applied in a few months after the egg tempera is completely dried.

In The Annunciation the Angel Gabriel comes to the Virgin Mary and tells her she will deliver unto the world the Christ Child. The Holy Spirit is represented by the white dove suspended between the hands of the the Angel Gabriel. The lilies represent the Divine Trinity.

In the sixth month the Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a Virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you.- Luke 1:26-28

Comments please ?????

A View from the Studio

The Little Arkansas in Fall

The view from James Butler Studios. I'm thinking about painting a view from my studio and this might be it. Perhaps later when all the leaves change to fall colors. It won't be long now......

Elwood Beagle - guard dog

Elwood guards the James Butler Studios when he is not guarding the sofa in front of the television. He likes playing with his half brother Jake and friends Max and Angus. Elwood just celebrated his second birthday. A recent graduate of Wagin Tails obedience school, he looks forward to a career in computers.

Haystacks at Yoder

Haystacks at Yoder 16 x 16 Oil on PVC panel by Butler Sept 2008

Evocative of impressionist artists such as Monet, Haystacks at Yoder captures light and color on a late summer day near Yoder Kansas.

After looking at the painting hanging on the wall for a few days, I might make a few small changes but essentially THIS IS IT..... Finished at last.

Let me know what you think....

Exploration Place Exhibit

The inspiration for the three largest paintings was a trip to Italy. Pompeian Courtyard illustrates leaves made translucent by the warm sun. Palatine Facade is a centuries old building in the ancient area of Rome. Each day we passed #4 Aventina, a residence, on our short walk from our hotel to the metro station. The small painting, Victoria Park, is a charming storefront on E. Douglas, Wichita, KS. These paintings are part of an exhibit by Jan Vavra on view in The Egret Room at Exploration Place (no admission fee needed for this area of the museum) Wichita, KS through Oct. 25th.

Early Planting

Well, this is finally done. The last revision of "Early Planting" 16 X 22 Oil on PVC. I like the composition and the colors. This one will be shown at the upcoming exhibiton at Exploration Place here in Wichita.

I'm thinking about making some Giclee prints but I really don't know if there is a market for them. Some artists abhor Giclee prints. I've never sold them before but I'm open to ideas. Ultimately, the original is the only one that will be worth anything in the future. Giclee prints might help promote the original though.

Boy Koi

This is a small 6 X 16 oil on pvc painting I did to experiment with water effects. I'm not sure what I want to do with this other than keep it in the studio. Trying to capture the surface tension of water is like roping goats. Just when you think you finally have it - it slips away. Well, it's just an experiment but I think it did help with my understanding of the properties of light and water.

Let me know what you think. Comments??

Early Morning Spring Planting

Oil on PVC 16 X 32 - Here is the painting which I have been working on for a few days. As you can see I have used some of Monet's "haystack" colors especially in the background. The colors of an early spring morning are a counterpoint to the somewhat monochromatic dresses and aprons of the Amish women working. This painting says many things so you will have to sort out your own meaning based on your own experiences.

Let me know what you think???

Haystacks at Sunset - Frosty Weather _ Claude Monet

I've always liked the colors in this particular painting by Monet. I'm thinking of using some of these colors in a painting of some Amish women working in the field.

I believe this painting by Monet is in a private collection somewhere but I can't seem to find who actually owns it. Anyway, it's one of my favorites.

Painting by Van Gogh

This is a Van Gogh painting that is in the Chicago Art Museum. I had not seen this one before and frankly don't know very much about it. The painting shows a lot of strength and vitality. The sky is especially interesting.

Comments anyone ????

Chicago Art Institute

Waiting to get into the Chicago Art Institute. It opened at 10:00 a.m. and we were there by 9:30, waiting to pay our twelve dollars. But it was worth it even though most of the Impressionist collection had been moved to Dallas/Ft Worth while the museum is renovating several galleries. We spent most of the day at the Art Institute but we did manage to squeeze in some shopping at Macy's (Formerly Marshall Fields) before going to dinner.

Chicago is a great place and the people were all (almost all) very friendly. If you go to Chicago just park your car and take the wonderful Elevated (Metro) system. It's cheap, fairly clean and seemed to be safe. Wish we would build a system like that in Wichita.

This is one of the few paintings by Claude Monet that was not sent to Dallas/Ft Worth. To bad they didn't park all those Impressionist works here at the Wichita Art Museum while they are renovating the galleries in Chicago. But I suppose we are much too PROVENCIAL.

Little Arkansas River in Spring

Well, we are finally back from vacation. Chicago, Atlanatic Iowa, Atchenson Ks, a whirlwind tour. More about that later,

I have worked some on my River in Spring painting and I think it has been improved. Still some work to do with adjusting the green colors and perhaps some more work on the river.

Let me know what you think

Jan Vavra - Artist

Jan Vavra at work. Jan is the other artist in Butler Studios. In addition to painting she also teaches art classes. Here she is working on something for an upcoming watercolor class.

Little Arkansas in Spring

More work today on the "Little Arkansas in Spring." Lots of good spring colors and rapid brush strokes. At this point I think I will let it set for a couple of days and think about it. I know it needs some color adjustments to balance the greens.

Generally, I like the painting although I usually prefer working on figure studies or portraits. Landscapes are not very demanding and even relaxing to paint.

Let me know what you think. Comments???

New Painting - Little Arkansas in Spring

The river behind my studio has been inspiration for several of my oil paintings. This photo shows the very beginning of a new painting of the Little Arkansas River - in spring. At this stage of the painting I have blocked in some colors and I'm beginning to define shapes with brush strokes.

I'm using oil on pvc panel 24" x 22" which has been sprayed with XIM primer.

My goal in this painting is to keep the colors light and use brush strokes to define shapes and to draw the eye the focal point. The large triangular shapes help define the focal point.

Much more work to be done here......

Let me know what you think. Comments?????

The Little Arkansas in Spring

The Little Arkansas in Spring. A view from James Butler Studios of the Little Arkansas River. Perhaps it will be the subject of an oil painting.

Comments????

Saint George Icon

This is the final (?) version of the Saint George Icon. Egg tempera on wood panel. After a few more weeks I will coat it with shellac thinned with denatured alcohol to preserve the surface. I hope to show this one in a liturgical exhibition which Karg Glass hosts every year.

Icons are quite interesting to paint. Many hours of research was required before I could even start the sketches for Saint George. Perhaps learning about the saint depicted in an icon is as important as learning about the technique used to paint it. Anyway, I have learned more than I thought possible about 11th century Icons during the process of painting Saint George.

Let me know what you think. Comments ???

Mermaid Mosaic

This is the famous mosaic which resides in the middle of the floor inside James Butler Studios. I finished it about two years ago. It was my first attempt at a real mosiac and it took me FOREVER to complete. I would sit on the deck for hours with small colored vitrious tiles and a tile cutter working on this design. Anyway, it's finished at last. It is in the style of some roman mosaics which I saw at Pompeii during my last trip to Italy.

The mosaic is about 28 inches in diameter. It is evocative of the river which flows past the studio a few yards away.

Let me know what you think... Comments???

James Butler Studios

Inside James Butler Studios.

Some works in progress as well as some older pieces on the walls. The studio has very good north light from two sets of double french doors on the north wall which lead you out to the patio and garden and eventually the river.

The studio is not huge (about 500 sq feet) but also has a large garage style sliding door along the east wall to facilitate moving large pieces into and out of the studio.

In the center of the floor is a large circular mosaic which I finished about two years ago. (photo tomorrow - I promise)

Let me know what you think.

Comments???

Finding Vincent

This is an oil painting on pvc panel (26 X 34) I finished a couple of years ago but have never shown outside of my studio (until now). I had always admired the dynamics in the very famous "Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh and wanted to try something inspired by his painting but with a Kansas connection. Since it has so many elements of the famous Van Gogh painting in it I would never sell it as an original work so it will always hang in my studio as inspiration. I call it "Finding Vincent."

Comments??

St George Icon

This is a photo of the (in progress) St George Icon which I have been working on for a few days. It is still very much in progress but you can see the composition and generally the color scheme. Egg tempera is certainly interesting to work with The colors are quite strong and are very durable and long lasting. However, on the negative side, they are somewhat difficult to use. Every day I want to paint something I have to grind new colors and mix them with egg yolk. Nothing out of the tube here. Then everything must be carefully cleaned at the end of the day.

Preparing the wood panels is also a long tedious process.

But I started this as a way to learn 12th century painting techniques and I have certainly learned a lot. Next time I visit the Icons in the Philadelphia Museum I will be much more appreciative.

Let me know what you think... Comments????

Exploration Place Exhibition

James Butler Studios will be exhibiting oil paintings by Jan Vavra and James Butler at Exploration Place in Wichita during the month of October. The exhibition opens the last Friday of September and runs through the end of October. Several new works which have not previously been exhibited will be on display.

For more information please E-mail tassie_jim@hotmail.com and ask for exhibition details.

Moon Gate O Fortuna, Velut Luna

"Moon Gate" is a sculpture which sits outside of James Butler Studios on a bluff overlooking the Little Arkansas River on the edge of Wichita KS. It is about eight feet in diameter and is constructed of cedar painted red.

"Moon Gate" was inspired by traditional Chinese circular gates built into doorways and constructed of stone.

Inscribed with "O Fortuna, velut Luna statu variabilis, semper crescis aut decrescis," from Carmina Burana the "Moon Gate" is an elegant yet stark connection to the lunar cycles which guide our lives.

"Moon Gate" was designed and assembled and installed by James Butler Studios. The basic carpentry was done by Bob Krause, a local craftsman.

Comments Anyone?????

Koi

Jan Vavra is the other artist who works in James Butler Studios. Here is a watercolor she finished a few days ago. This is the third iteration of the watercolor "Koi." There is also an oil version.

Let us know what y0u think. Comments???

Fisherboy

This painting of "Fisherboy" is a small 14 X 11 egg tempera on wood panel painting which I used as a kind of testbed for tempera techniques. I feel the composition could be better but I wanted to try several different techniques with egg tempera .

Let me know what you think. comments???

update

Lately I've been working on a painting which has been a test bed for egg tempera technique. I'll post a photo soon. it is a painting of a man fishing along the river. I've learned quite a bit about egg tempera technique while working on this painting.

Let me know if you have any questions about using egg tempera on wood panel.

La Mexicana

"La Mexicana" is a portrait I did a few months ago of a young Latina girl with gang tattoos. I especially like the punk hair style. This portrait has never been exhibited and I'm looking for the proper venue in which to show it. It is oil on PVC panel and I tried to use the same techniques that were used by Vermeer in his painting of the "Girl with a Pearl Earring."

Comments?? Let me know what you think....

St George Icon

This is an image of an Icon of St George which I have been researching. It's given me some ideas about painting an Icon of Saint George. The preliminary sketches I have been doing are not complete but when they are I will post some of them. Although I like the sky in this Icon I plan to use different colors for the dragon and make the dragon more dramatic and menacing. The color of the dragon should be more yellow and brown. Let me know what you think.

Icon Virgin Mary

I recently painted a small Icon of the Virgin Mary. It is painted on wood panel with egg tempera. I used a limited range of colors and kept the composition simple.

Let me know what you think.

Comments????

Archangel Michael Icon

This is the final version of Archangel Michael Icon. I have changed the wings and modified slightly the red cape. I think this is better.

Comments????

Piscatory Road

Piscatory Road is an oil painting I finished a couple of months ago. This is a painting about atmospherics. Lots of small brush strokes and stand oil glazes. It is a large painting on PVC panel.

Let me know what you think!! Leave a Comment..

Archangel Michael Icon

This is a small Icon of the Archangel Michael. I've been working on it for a few days. It is egg tempera on poplar panel 10" x 8" and I've tried to remain true to the traditional methods regarding preparation of the panel and painting the figure in egg tempera.

Egg tempera is difficult because it drys so quickly. I can only prepare small amounts at one time because they dry in the pot after a couple of hours.

I still need to work on the the wings a few small details on the Icon. I want to use a warmer tone on the wings.

Comments or questions????

stone wall

No work in the studio today. I worked building a stone wall around the yard instead. Lots of work but I did enjoy it quite a bit. I like working with stone and would like to try some sculpture someday soon. Comments anyone???

Exhibition at Exploration Place

I had an exhibiton of 13 paintings ongoing at Exploration Place, a local interactive museum/education center here in Wichita. The exhibiton was supposed to last through the end of April. A couple of weeks into the exhibiton Exploration Place told me to remove the exhibit because they wanted to exhibit Steve Murillo's work instead. The few people who saw my paintings liked them and I was disappointed that they had to come down so quickly. I wish Exploration Place had honored it's agreement to exhibit my work through the end of April. Well, that's how it goes.

Jan Vavra, the other artist at James Butler Studios, had her paintings removed from Exploration Place also. She was equally disappointed that Exploration Place had broken it's contract with her to exhibit her work through the end of April.

Well, now we are looking for somewhere to park our paintings for a couple of months. I suppose they will wind up on the shelf in the studio instead of in exhibition.

wood panel preparation

The first step in preparing a wooden panel for use with egg tempera
is to seal the wood with rabbit skin glue.

Here is a recipe for rabbit skin glue. You can purchase the dry powder glue from
"Natural Pigments" which sells on the internet.

Ingredients:

rabbit skin glue (dry)
water
powdered alum

Mix One part dry powered glue to about 10 parts warm water
Let it set for at least two hours until it turns into a gel.
Warm the gel mixture (do not exceed 150 degrees) until it liquifies
Make an alum solution of one part alum to 25 parts water
Add alum solution in a 1 to five ratio to the glue solution.
Alum will make the glue waterproof
Paint the liquid glue onto the wooden panel and let it dry thoroughly.

I generally use either poplar or beechwood panels.

questions answered

Just a reminder to let you know that we will be happy to answer any questions you might have about egg tempera or oil painting. James Butler Studios is located along the bank of the Little Arkansas River north of Wichita Kansas. We are a group of two artists who work and reside at the studio.

Post any questions in the comments section and they will be answered promptly.

Grandma's Legacy

Grandma's Legacy is a small 5" X 7" oil on canvas painting done by Jan Vavra who works in James Butler Studios. She will soon be teaching a class about the techniques used in this painting. In the class, the students will do a painting of their own based on Grandma's Legacy.

If you have any questions about this painting please leave them in the comments section and Jan will answer them.

Art Questions

I'm still looking for people who want advice about painting with egg tempera on wooden panels or oil painting. I did paint some more on the impressionist figure study I'm doing with egg tempera on wood panel. Hope to post some photos soon.

Leave questions in the comments area and I will answer them asap.

Icon Boards

I've been trying to have some blank Icon boards made locally. I want to try to replicate (as much as possible) 11th century icon painting technique. So the boards should be made from beech or poplar and should have oak cross braces in the back. The first two places I went didn't want to make them. There were production woodshops. I suspect the order was too small for them to mess with. However, I have now found an independent woodworker near where I live who is looking at someway to make them for me. Hope he won't be too expensive.

If you have any questions about painting icons please leave me a quesiton in the comments and I will answer it.

Art Advice

No photos to post today. If anyone wants technical advice re: oil painting or egg tempera please leave a comment and I will answer your querry. Hope to hear from you soon.

My Studio - James Butler Studios

Here is a photo of James Butler Studios. It is situated along the Little Arkansas River just north of Wichita, KS. Last summer I added the patio in front of the french doors. In the middle of the patio is buried a 100 year time capsule - something we did a few months ago.

Monday Icon Michael Archangel

Damp cold weather today. A few sketches only. Perhaps tomorrow will be better weather and I can work more in the studio. Still have a few things to do with Icon Michael Archangel.

icons and impressionist painting - Final Friday Comments

Since it has been raining all day I have spent my time in the studio working on two completely diverse projects. I finished the Icon of Michael the Archangel (soon to post a photo) and worked some more on the egg tempera impressionist painting on the wood panel.

Then we went to lunch a quincys bar and grill and talked about renovating the kitchen.

A note about the Final Friday gallery crawl last Friday. We stopped by Exploration Place to look at our work (mine and Jan's) which we had delivered two days earlier. None of my work had gallery cards which would include prices, media etc and there were no signs directing visitors to the gallery. Also, there was nothing in the Friday Wichita Eagle about the exhibition. On the positive side, we did get to meet the new Director - Al Meloni and he seemed very impressed by out work in general. There was some discussion about painting another mural at Exploration Place. Hope it works out.

Spoke to Marilyn Grisham at the Fiber Studio on Commerce Street. She said she had looked at my promo CD and had no interest in exhibiting my work. Perhaps her gallery would not be the best venue for my work anyway. She is seldom open and rarely sells anything because she never promotes exhibitions.

WSU shift space did have some interesting pieces by KU grad students. They are starting to have some very good exhibitions on Final Fridays. Hope to see more of them.

Well, enough of that. Let me know if anyone out there has been on a recent Final Friday gallery crawl.

oil painting restoration

Today I worked restoring a painting that I finished a few years ago. It was the first painting using oil on PVC panel that I tried. Apparently the primer was not the correct one to use with PVC as the linseed oil had started to leach from the oil colors. I changed primers long ago so that problem has long ago been corrected. Anyway, I was able to repaint a the few places that were damaged on the painting and it now looks like new. After it dries for a few weeks, I will recoat the painting the retouch varnish.

I anyone else has used oil on PVC panel please let me know if you have had the same problem.

Icon Boards

This is a photo of the kind of boards I'm using for

my attempt at painting icons. I've been using the most authentic materials I can find - natural pigments ground into egg yolk - rabbit skin glue - chalk gesso - beech wood panels etc. It's very time consuming but can also be rewarding. I'll try to post the progress I'm making painting icons.

New Exhibition at Exploration Place

Well, I've got a new exhibition going at Exploration Place here in Wichita. It starts Friday, Feb 29th and runs for two months. Some old paintings and some new. The exhibition was a last minute thing so I don't know how much publicity it will generate. In the past Exploration Place has been very good about promoting exhibits. Anyway, I would rather have my work out in the public rather than sitting in my studio on the shelf. Hope people stop by to take a look. It is a free exhibit open to the public for two months.

Let me know if you go my to see it.....

Exhibition at KU. Here is a photo of part of an exhibition of my work hosted by the KU School of Medicine here in Wichita. This exhibit has run for two months and will end Feb 29th. I highly recommend KU as a venue for artists to exhibit. Anita Peeters does a good job of promoting the exhibitions and is very helpful with the installation and opening reception. It is a first class place.

Cold again today. Even the beagles don't want to go outside. They prefer to stay indoors and watch the squirrels through the sliding glass doors.

Max Phillippi Portrait of a Dog

This is a small painting I did for fun a few months ago. "Max Phillippi" is a portrait of the neighbors dog I did as a birthday present for Dan Phillippi. Dogs present some unusual problems when painting their portraits. You really have to work from a good photo and try to make them seem animated. While this was a fun portrait to work on, I don't think I would like to paint animal portraits exclusively. But it was fun.

Better weather today. I think I will take the Beagles for a walk later. Perhaps by the river.

tete-a-tete

Here is a small painting I finished a few months ago. I call it tete-a-tete. Two amish women in a conversation. Lots of color and light etc. Let me know what you think.

Today it's still cold with snow on the ground. The weathermen called for sunny weather with 55 degs temps but I guess they missed it again. Surely the snow will stop when spring comes, which is only a few days away.

Marlene en Quince

This is a portrait (oil on PVC) of Marlene, a waitress in a local Mexican restaurant, who just turned fifteen and was celebrating Quince. Lots of blues and good flesh tones I think. I enjoy painting portraits and they do keep me from refinancing the mortgage. I would like to have more commissions though. Any ideas out there?? Perhaps I should consolodate my loans and only paint portraits for a living. Let me know what you think....

Red Boots

Red Boots - Oil on PVC Panel

Red Boots has already been sold although it is currently on exhibition at KU. I liked working on this painting and it is one of my favorites. Three figures and some mystery about the small girl behind the two bigger girls. Is she being left behind by her older sisters?? Perhaps....

Let me know what you think....

More cold weather today... Really getting tired of this winter stuff....

Missy the Modern Woman (oil on PVC panel) is a painting I finished about three years ago. It has been shown in a couple of exhibitions in Kansas and continues to be one of my favorite paintings. Missy is a model I used from an agency in Wichita which worked really well. I currently looking for a female model with lots of tattoos. I want to do a painting of a "punk madonna."

Today is freezing ( 20 deg) outside and I have a head cold so I probably won't be going to the studio today to work. Just stay home and take care of the beagles and do the laundry. Let me know what you think of Missy the Modern Woman !!!

Here is a painting I did last summer of the river behind my studio. I've always been impressed by Monet and have tried to develop my own "impressionist" style. Well... I have to take the dogs outside for a bit. Let me know what you think of this painting.....

This is a painting of Lorraine Sewing. Oil on PVC Panel with lots of color. She is a check-out clerk at Food for Less in Wichita but I used her to model for this painting because she had strong latina features and good skin color. (note: all my work is for sale. If you are interested let me know)

This is God's Girl - oil on PVC Panel. It is part of a series of paintings I did about two years ago of Amish women working. The Amish, it turns out, don't like to have their image photographed or painted. They are not superstitious, they just don't want to be singled out as someone "special." So it hasn't been easy painting their portraits.

Let me now what you think of my work.

My First Post

This is it. My first Blog. I hope to post a diary of sorts about my daily struggle to create paintings and other artworks. Maybe this will help the world understand the creative process that shapes me as an artist. Constructive criticism is appreciated - even desired.

Well, today is Tuesday and I'm working with egg tempera on gesso wood panel. I usually paint with oils on PVC panels so this is something different. I had done a couple of Icons earlier and now want to try impressionist work using egg tempera on wood panel. It's a major departure from oils and egg tempera is sometimes difficult to work with. Very time consuming (and egg consuming as well). I'll post some photos of some of my work as I go along.