"Good to the Last Drop"

6" x 8" mixed media on paper mounted on canvas

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Remember that red cup? It is like two blog posts ago, well, here it is and it is one tough cup painting.
It has been through the ink wash, more paint, pastels and I'm not really sure of all the materials. I know I've used steel wool at one point to remove some stuff I didn't like and isopropyl alcohol to remove stuff too! Yes, the red cup has even been through a name change... "Good to the Last Drop".

Whew, hope I can handle another cup painting! I hope you can too!

-jM

"Black Cup"

8"x6" acrylic on paper mounted on canvas

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Black coffee cup. I started this painting with black acrylic, thinking about a black coffee cup that we have in the cabinet at home. Then I was going to paint back into it. When I looked at it the next day, I decided that it looked done! So I have declared it finished.

My homage to Franz Kline!

Off the subject and just for fun check out this video about Bob... maybe you have seen it. Be sure to watch past the first set of credits.

-jM

"Yellow Cup"

8" x 6" mixed media on paper mounted on canvas

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A "Yellow Cup", yup, made this one up right out of my brain. Having a loosey (like Lucy) time.
This little painting has gouache, acrylic and dry pastel. I found dry pastels in my studio the other day and wow, so soft. I have them right where I can find them again!

Red Cup after ink washed off

Here is the red cup after I washed off most of the ink. This is the piece that I really laid the gouache on thick before I inked it. Next, I will go back into the painting again to finish 'er up.

Talking country today... giddy up cowboy.... nope I don't have cowboy boots or a cowboy hat...
hmmm...

-jM

All 100 Apple Paintings in One Place!

Here it is my video of all 100 Apple Paintings from one to 100!

I hope you like it. It's not too long, but it sure did take me a long time to make it!

I am working on putting together a little book of the paintings, it is just taking me a while to write the introduction and the ending. I'm on a roll though!

Tomorrow, I will post another coffee cup and what I've learned from the gouache project!

-jM

Are you ready for this?

6" x 8" Mixed media on paper mounted on canvas

Okay, I may have made a mistake... or maybe not. The above image is the final piece with a bit of work added... some dry pastels, more gouache, ummm, black india ink pen.

Ink washed off

Here is the painting with the ink washed off and no additional work. It seems to me the whole piece got a little dull on me, so I thought I would try again!

Red Cup before ink

Here is a quick study of just the cup, but I used solid red for the cup. I laid the gouache on really, really heavy this time and hopefully I let it dry enough before I poured on some india ink.

Red Cup with india ink

Okay, not a great photo again, but I do hope you get the idea. Rather than brushing the ink on, I poured it on then kind of allowed it to flow around by tipping the paper different directions. I also left some areas free of ink. Control areas I guess they would be in the experimental (scientific) world. In the first picture, the white line that indicates the horizon or table top has no paint on it. It is the white of the gessoed paper. I wanted to see if the ink would make a black line out of the un-gouached places.

Okay, tomorrow I will wash the gouache! 

Two experiments here: 1. Will laying down the gouache thicker allow the painting to come out brighter, and 2. Will the un-gouached areas become ink black?

Tomorrow....

-jM

"Nesting Cups"

5.5" x 7.5" mixed media on paper

This is the first step to one of the next cup paintings. This is a photo of the painting before I put ink all over it. Below is a photo taken with my ipod (ie; bad photo) of the painting with india ink spread over the surface!

India ink all over the surface!

Tomorrow, I will carefully remove some of the ink from the surface by running this painting under a stream of running water. Scary...... Most of the painting is acrylic, but then I went back onto the surface with gouache and some gold ink. A little experimentation here... this is the before and tomorrow....

I will show you more!!

-jM

"Jane's Favorite Cup"

7"x5" mixed media on canvas panel

This morning I received an email that just had a couple of photos of a coffee cup. Hmmm.... a nudge, I think so! The email was from my sister Jane, hmmm.... maybe this is her favorite cup? Or maybe this is just one of her favorite cups.... or maybe, this is the cup she was using this morning! Maybe she will tell...

Thanks Jane!

-jM

"Study this Mess"

6"x6" oil on canvas panel

How about this little messy pig. This painting is the beginning of something big... I hope, I joke, I mean I hope I will do better than this with a little more practice. I just had to get back into the saddle and just start making painting part of my daily routine, whether it's painful or not!

Patience, patience, patience! And I decided that it is only fair to share it all with you! "Full Monty", well... almost.... at least show you the beginnings of paintings that I feel I will definitely have to work back into some more.

I picked up a book from the library today, it is titled "Alla Prima" by Richard Schmid, have you heard of him?
I'm looking forward to seeing what he has to say, the book itself to purchase is quite expensive. I really want to find out... why.

Going away for the weekend, I will catch back up with you on Monday.

Have a lovely weekend!

-jM

"Apparently..."

8" x 6" oil on canvas panel

This little gem is from Saturday's time at the easel in the workshop. No cup in this painting, but the blue vase is one that I believe Connie said her son made. It is a beautiful turquoise color and sat completely still while the sunflower just moved it's little face all around the place. Guess it was following the sun!

This is the last of the paintings from this past weekend, guess it's time for me to get back into the studio and get to work!

-jM

"Strawberries and Tea"

6" x 8" oil on canvas panel

Well, I made it through a three day workshop and man am I mentally exhausted!

This is the painting I produced today and well, not like my typical stuff lately... but change is good. I did learn a lot of new and different ideas. Like the way a painting reads and the way you would like the viewer to read your painting(s). And setting up still life's and the lighting! I love good input.

This photo was shot quickly today, I will try to get a better photos of the studies I did this weekend, later this week.

It was nice to work in oil again. I really do like it.

Oh, yes, that is a coffee cup on the right, the handle is hidden on the back side.... or maybe this is a European cup? Hmmm.... take care!

-jM

"Sunflower in a Cup"

6"x8" oil on canvas panel

This weekend I am attending a painting workshop in Noblesville, Indiana, that is being taught by Qiang Huang. It is tricky trying to step outside the box and try something new, but I recommend it to any artist. It is good to always continue learning. He presented some really good information today and I am looking forward to tomorrow!

Fresh ideas!

Yes, there is a red cup in this painting, the sunflower is sitting in it! One of the easier cups I've painted lately... maybe because it is mostly hidden?!

-jM
Thanks Connie for letting borrow your camera!

"Tyger & Coffee"

Mixed media on old book page

This morning, Tyger and I were having our coffee. He asked if I could get some tuna flavored coffee. He is quite serious about this request, he really likes tuna.

Later, he asked if I was serious about inviting Myra and her dog Tiny for coffee. I didn't say anything. I'll let Tyger chew on this thought for a while, it is a long drive from Texas. And, I don't know if Tiny can drive a car!

From this image it looks like Tyger has the magical cup. It's floating! I may go back into this sketch or I just may do another... or both!

I'm enjoying this old book sketching. Who knows, one of these images may turn into a painting yet!

-jM

"Coffee Shop"

Mixed media on old book page

Looking for a good coffee shop. I'm pretty sure Myra told me about quite a few good ones to visit, but I've forgotten. I knew I should have written them down in my sketch book. Oh.... I'll find them, come on memory, kick in gear!

I think I'll just wonder around town and see what I find...

-jM

"Kathleen's Red Cup"

Mixed media on old book page

Here we are, another page out of the old book.

I received a nudge from Myra last Friday, asking me "where are you!". Basically, she was asking if I was still painting or just being a slug on a log!

I was in Cleveland, OH for a family reunion, in a hotel, but I had my book and a few painting materials with me. So! On Saturday night I did a quick start of this red coffee cup.
I found this cup in Kathleen's free stuff pile when she moved studio's last Spring. It has a little chip in it but I've glued the piece back in place and it's almost good as new.

I love that red. Kathleen has some pretty red hair too, so it only makes sense to me to be Kathleen's red cup. Well, this is a simple version for now but I have a feeling, things are going to get a little more involved and complicated here!

Thanks for the nudge Myra!!

-jM
PS: I received a gift cup today from Carol and it's her birthday! Hmmm... chocolate chips! Cookies...

"Just Judy's"

Mixed media on old book page

Just Judy's is a local family run restaurant. We love it! The price is right, the food, especially breakfast, is perfect. I had my book with me and started this sketch of my coffee cup. I was barely started and my breakfast arrived so I had to finish this at a later time.... here is the result. I really took a look at the handle but breakfast got here so fast, I'll keep looking.

I have a bit of a dilemma going for myself. I'm painting these coffee cups in my old book and I don't know if I should count these as part of the coffee cup series or if they are studies for the coffee cup series. To me they all look like finished paintings, but....  I just don't know....

-jM