Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Quote of the Week


"Christmas comes but once a year, and when it comes, it brings good cheer..."

Are you still feeling it?

Monday, December 25, 2017

Alex sez: Merry Christmas!



Here is my artistic little table-top tree decorated with watercolor ornaments.
I made the ornaments years ago for a much bigger tree, so I had to resize some of them to fit.
It's amazing what can be done with some paper & paint.

Friday, November 10, 2017

Quote of the Week


"Life is a great big canvas and you should throw all the paint you can on it."   Danny Kaye

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Dia De Muertos


More images from Dia De Muertos

Tulsa festival poster

Ready for festive make up

I'm going to try making some of these little guys from playclay.

In honor of Frida

I love the use of boxes. Each is its own compartment.

A personality bigger than life.

Collage musicians

Welcome to the foods of Mexico

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Day of the Dead


I had no specific design in mind when I decided to make this altar. I had the paper mache skulls (more about those later) & the thrift store painting to start with. I moved in some plants & lawn ornaments, flower pots & bottles & it just came together.




You can see it in person today at 1817 Southview Ave. It's in the car port. I'm not serving hot chocolate.

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Happy Halloween


Halloween paintings decorate the BART Center.






Thursday, October 19, 2017

Pretty with a Twist



I found these recently at a student art show.

Here are two pretty girls who became part of an art class assignment.

The top girl shows a regular assignment of drawing patterns. Using them to produce shadows and form as well as decoration.

The bottom girl is a study of adding interest to the subject with color.

They both are subjects well-drawn.

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Pretty Faces


I normally don't do "pretty". I usually work in a bold dynamic style. But recently I've been paying more attention to pretty. What would it take to paint a pretty face like this one I found in St. John's, Newfoundland?




Thursday, October 5, 2017

Remember Peter Max?


Remember Peter Max? Those iconic images of the 1960's like Lady Liberty done in pure color and reproduced in posters galore.
Well, he is still painting. And it's his color that continues to attract me to his work.
He is represented by Park West Galleries.

I'm editing this post on Sat 10/7, because when I saw it on the blog it was very obvious why I liked Peter Max's use of color. It's the same as my blog banner.

Friday, September 15, 2017

Color of the Week



I found these Shamrocks in Iceland. The saying is that: Iceland is green & Greenland is frozen.
Iceland is green because it is covered with mounds of moss, but few trees.
These Shamrocks were in the botanical garden. They're about as green as the ones in OK.

OK Shamrocks from my yard.

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Art Crawl II


It was my first time to take advantage of the Tulsa Art Crawl in the Brady District.
The Tulsa art scene changed dramatically during the five years I lived in the western part of the state. The Brady District is alive with all kinds of places to explore art. And the Art Crawls are popular; it was a challenge to find a parking space.
Here are a couple of things that particularly caught my eye.

I love it when I'm given a chance to participate.


Valerie, who loves to draw, really studied this drawing.
 

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Art Crawl


Last Friday night I went on the Tulsa "Art Crawl", and there was Vincent & he brought his friend Picasso.


Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Quote of the Week


" People say that they don't like abstract art when the truth is that they don't understand the principles of design."  Alex True

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Hot/Cold


A heat wave has hit the whole country with dangerously high temps for the next few days.

Maybe concentrating on this drawing from a recent art show will help keep us cool, or make us desire something sweet.


Saturday, July 15, 2017

Car Art


I'm thinking that Henry Ford was a very practical man. His cars were a means of transportation. Yet today we exhibit them like works of art.







                                     
                          And aren't they glorious!

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Quote of the Week


"Your first job is in the studio, always."
                                                                        Unknown                                            

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Kehinde Wiley


A Saturday trip to Oklahoma City and this is what I saw.



I like the chain, painted with whites & grays.



My favorite because of the color combo: blue & orange.

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Starry Night


I went to a quilt show last weekend, and practically the first thing I saw when I walked in the door was this Starry Night fabric made into placemats. I guess van Gogh would be pleased?



Saturday, June 24, 2017

Studio Sign

The flowers in this strawberry pot next to the studio door looked so great that I was motivated to finish the Studio Sign.

 

A inviting way to say, "Welcome to my studio".

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Quote of the Week

"Music is not limited to the world of sound. There exists a music of the visual world."
                                                 Oskar Fischinger

Sunday, June 18, 2017

From Slab to Print

While I was out & about today, I met someone who asked me about my art. I hesitate to answer because it's not an easy process to explain, and usually when I try to explain the listener's eyes glaze over & I know I've lost him/her totally. But today I was asked all the right questions by someone showing interest.
It's still hard to explain. I'll just call it magic.
                                                         


 from slab.............


Forecast
copyright © Alex True 2016 
















to print.






Saturday, June 10, 2017

Happy News

It's always Happy News for an artist to know that someone liked your work enough to buy it. 

I was just notified that the Rochester Contemporary Art Center has sold one of my 6x6's.

I posted on 4/11/17 about submitting 4 of my clayprints to their 6x6 Show. Check out that post for images of my submissions.

I wonder which one sold. Was it this one?



See what this unique show is all about at www.rochestercontemporary.org

Thursday, June 1, 2017

June Flowers


The April showers extended to May showers and the forecast is for more this week. The flowers in my garden have finally taken off with growth & blooms.

This quilt designed by Carrie Randall celebrates all that is spring.

Designed by Carrie Randall
You can find Carrie at www.quiltershideway.com

"Quilts are an art form of considerable elegance, and if nothing else encourage patience."   Diane Jonhson

Monday, May 29, 2017

Memorial Day


If Vincent had the opportunity to celebrate Memorial Day with us he would probably decorate graves with sunflowers.



Sunday, May 21, 2017

What Is Art?


I heard this today: Art is a myth. 
Art is what you can get away with.

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Vincent & Pointillism

Self Portrait
Vincent van Gogh
technique: Pointillism

Pointillism= a Post Impressionist  technique where the paint is applied in small distinct dots of color. This technique uses to eye's ability to blend color. Up close you see dots, but back away and the colors blend.

Friday, May 5, 2017

Van Gogh Again?


I let Vincent into my life and now he's following me everywhere. Today I went to the Philbrook Museum in Tulsa and there he was waiting for me in the gift shop !!!!


Wednesday, May 3, 2017

My van Gogh II


I did some more work on this painting. Actually, I'm pretty satisfied with the hat; now if I can just leave it alone. 


Monday, May 1, 2017

My van Gogh

My van Gogh in progress
I started this several years ago when I was considering it as the subject for a banner. I'm very insecure about portraits; very inexperienced. But after reading 
Vincent & Theo I decide to continue my effort. I'll record my progress here; keep watching.

Sunday, April 30, 2017

April Showers


Rain, rain !
Alex True © 2017
All the rain inspired this journal page.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Quote of the Week


"There's something of that mysteriousness that one gets by looking at nature as if through the eyelashes, so that the forms simplify themselves into patches of colour."   Vincent van Gogh.

Friday, April 21, 2017

Vincent and Theo


I'm reading the book Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman.


Self Portrait
Vincent Van Gogh
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

The author writes this book in a very interesting way; dividing the story up into short vignettes, and writing in an almost poetic style.

This book presents a Vincent who is given repeated opportunities to succeed by his extended family, but seems too immature to stick to anything. Of course we now know that he was most probably suffered from Schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, and had his personal demons to contend with.

The author describes Vincent's younger brother, Theo, as his "champion, sympathizer, confidant, and friend".