Second Saturday Art Show!

October 10, 2015 is Second Saturday again!  And once again, I will have new artwork on display at the Patris Studio and Art Gallery,  3460 2nd Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95817.  Also works by Patris,  Abigail VanCannon ; Scott Martin, David Peterson and several other Sacramento area artists will be included.  I have four paintings in the show.  All are ready to hang in your home or office.  Three still life paintings are beautifully framed and the very large landscape is on a heavy cradled panel with painted edges. 

It starts around 6 PM and will include wine and live music.  See you there!

Late Summer Afternoon at Delevan  Oil on cradled panel  23 x 45

The Copper Kettle  Oil on linen panel 12x12

Late Afternoon in the Garden   Oil on linen Panel  12 x 12

Quiet Evening   Oil on stretched linen   16 x 12

My Art Site: Bruce Hancock Fine Art

My Paintings to be in a New Show at Patris Gallery

I'm very pleased to say that four of my paintings have been accepted into a new show opening this weekend at the Patris Art Gallery 3460 2nd Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95817.  http://patrisstudiogallery.blogspot.com/

 
The show is entitled " STUDENT/INSTRUCTOR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE SHOW" and will exhibit the work of some of the notable instructors who have conducted workshops at the Patris Studio as well as those students who have benefited from their teaching.  I'm in the latter group, having taken workshops from Fongwei Liu ( http://fongweiliu.com/ ) and Qaing Huang (pronounced Chong Wong http://www.qh-art.com/ )  These are only a few of the very high quality artists and teachers that Patris has brought to Sacramento.  I can say without reservation that the two workshops I took were absolutely integral to my growth as an artist.  

The show will begin with a Second Saturday reception from 6 pm to 10 pm on Saturday, August 8th.  I look forward to the possibility of seeing you there.  The paintings below have been accepted for the show and are framed and available for purchase at the Patris Art Gallery. 

Home From the Sea   20 x 24 oil

The Lights of Noyo Harbor    18 x 36 oil

Carney   11 x 14 oil

The End of the Evening   12 x 12 oil

My Art Site: Bruce Hancock Fine Art

"Helen" Oil Figure Study

 Another open studio day at Patris Studio and Gallery.  The rain came down in torrents at times.  Inside the studio there were only four painters plus Helen, our model.  It was warm and peaceful.  The sound of the rain on the roof was soothing and welcome in our drought parched valley.

This was another 2 to 21/2 hour oil sketch.  Good practice.  Once again I felt that the morning was successful.  I've fallen in love with the Isabey Mongoose Brights that I have and this evening I ordered several more, including some new sizes.  The chisel shape is wonderful and the feel of the brush on oil primed linen is magic.

Helen   Oil Sketch on Linen   16" x 12"

My Art Site: Bruce Hancock Fine Art

Model A Flat Bed

I had a lot of fun doing this small sketch of a Model A Ford flat bed.  I took a picture of the car at the Amador County Fair this year.  Regretfully I forgot to get the exact identification.  I think it's about a 1927 model.

Late next month, I'm going to be painting by invitation at the Ironstone Winery Concours d'elegance, an annual event in Murphys, California.  I'm told that last year there were some 400 classic cars entered!! I imagine there will be chances to paint a few of the classics, so I'm trying to practice a little.  This sketch took about an hour, a little too long, I think.  I'm aiming for about 30 -45 minutes.  Overall, I managed to keep the shapes simple and to maintain a lot of contrast, which seems suitable for a quick sketch. 

This was done on Ampersand Gessobord, a perfect surface for quick studies and sketches.  I plan to take a lot of these panels with me to Murphys. 

Model A Ford flat bed    Oil on panel  9 x 12 

My Art Site: Bruce Hancock Fine Art

Finally I set up an online Art Website!

Just finding time and energy to paint is struggle enough, it seems to me.  But art study and professional exposure are important as well, and I've finally begun to devote some much needed efforts on both. 

It's time to begin to establish a presence as an artist that will set the stage for the next phase of my artistic journey.  My friend Ruth Andre ( RuthAndre.com ) has long been sending me marketing (exposure) tips; she is quite accomplished at it.  And my online 'mentor' Dan Edmondson has included a huge amount of information about beginning to establish yourself as a engaged professional in his "Art Masters Program."   So armed with good advice I have finally taken a first,  small step and set up an online art website. 

I chose Fine Art Studio Online as my online service provider.  I'm sure there are other equally competent services out there...and I checked out a couple of them...but in the end I selected FASO because they seemed to provide all the necessary tools in a convenient and accessible way, and, maybe most importantly, nearly every current artist that I pay attention to and follow seems to have selected FASO as well.  That was important to me. 

I still have quite a few 'tweaks' to do to the website and many more paintings to upload, but it's in place and fairly presentable so check it out and follow along as I update and polish it.  You can find it at brucehancockfineart.com 

My next effort will be to set up an inventory tracking process.  I'm currently reviewing several programs set up do keep track of paintings, gallery submissions, sales, etc.  I'll keep you posted on that. 

Thanks! 


My Art Site: Bruce Hancock Fine Art

Texas School Boy, 1942

I've long been intrigued by this photo of a Texas School Boy, c 1942.  Over the long holiday weekend, I decided to try it on a smaller scale.  The actual photo is somewhat different, and has several other boys in it.  I made a couple of sketches and decided to paint the one boy and move him to the left.  This left quite a bit of area to the right with nothing in it.  The original canvas is 9 x 12, but I am going to crop it to 9 x 9 as I have done in this photo.

I used a fair amount of walnut oil medium in the painting, which makes it very glossy.  I was also painting on a canvas that I had gessoed several times in addition to the manufacturer's gesso.  This makes for a hard non-absorbent surface which I am growing to like.  The paint sits on the surface and retains gorgeous color in most cases. The walnut oil drys very slowly, which allows for several sessions over a couple of days of wet blending.  That was helpful.  I will probably continue to develop the overalls a bit, and the windows bug me so I may revisit them as well, but here is the work in progress as of today.

Texas School Boy 1942  (work in progress)  Oil on 9" x 9" canvas panel

UPDATE: Sacramento Fine Arts Center "Ars Gratia Artis"

 UPDATE: December 2012:  Ars Gratia Artis is over for another year.  By all appearances it was a success.  A room full of excited ticketholders waited for their number to be drawn and a change to get one of the paintings they had put on their list of favorites.  I'm pleased to say that "Point Cabrillo Morning" was the second painting selected in the show.  "On The Edge" was selected a few selections later, but I missed it!  I think I was talking to a friend at the time!  

I selected a beautiful ceramic sculpture done by Diane Mattar.  I've been in several workshops with Diane and it was a thrill to get one of her works.  I'm looking forward to next year and a chance to get another piece of fine art at a catalog print price!  Don't miss out.    

I was pleased to donate two of my paintings for the cause this week!  The Sacramento Fine Arts Center (aka SFAC) will be holding its annual fundraiser entitled  "Ars Gratia Artis”  I have no idea what that means, but I do know it's a heck of an opportunity to get original fine art for a pittance....

It works like this....Members donate artwork to the SFAC, which then sells raffle tickets for $65 dollars each. At a reception on December 2, 2012 at 1-3 pm, tickets will be drawn one by one...and each purchaser will be allowed to choose an original piece of art.  There will be dozens and dozens to choose from.  You can see the artwork on display during gallery hours November 20th to December 2nd.  Don't miss this....!  

You can purchase tickets at SFAC, 5330-B Gibbons Dr., Carmichael, CA 95608.   You can also buy them online with paypal at http://sacfinearts.org/arsgratia.html  Or, if you are local, I have a couple of tickets available.  Email me and I'll get them to you.

Here are my donations....maybe you'd like to have one for $65?  Heck, the frame is work that almost!  Sign up!!

 

"On the Edge"  12"x 16" Oil on canvas Panel with frame

"Pt. Cabrillo Morning" 16" x 20" Plein Air Oil on canvas Panel with Frame