Fire Sun 2

Fire Sun 2 is my second sun art for 2015. This is 12 x12 acrylic on canvas, mounted on hardboard. I am planning to mount & frame this in a floating frame, similar to last years sun - but as of right now, it is not framed. This piece is currently for sale via DPW auction (without a frame) and you can find it by clicking here.

This is the same pattern & design as yesterdays Fire Sun 1 - except the background is blended more & less intense. It makes the design of the sun really stand out, I think.

I originally had planned for this to be a mixed media piece, with the sun highlighted by beads and/or stones. But the base painting turned out so well, I've decided not to touch it! (but I do have an idea now, for next year's piece). Of course, every year, I start with 1 idea and then the artwork takes on it's life & winds up being very different than the original idea. This piece is no exception.

So which sun art do you prefer?

Fire Sun 1

Having caught up on my past sun arts, it's time to post the new ones for this year! And this year I got inspired and created 2 new suns!

The first one, shown here, is acrylic paints on a 10x10 stretched canvas, with 1-1/2 inch sides. The sun itself is done with gold iridescent paint, outlined by a dark red (alizarin crimson to be exact).

The design is actually based on a tattoo pattern that I found - loved the twirling points. I had this idea of doing a hot, fire red/orange/yellow background with the sun sitting centered. I had so much fun doing the background that I got a bit lost on what to do with the sun itself. It was simply white for quite a while, but as many said when they saw it, it looked "unfinished" somehow. The gold really adds a nice touch - but it looked lost until I anchored it with the alizarin crimson outline.

This piece is for sale via a DPW auction, you can get to the page by clicking here. Tomorrow (or the next day) I will post a photo of Fire Sun 2 - the alternative sun art to this one!

Celebrate-Sun

This is the last of my previously done Sun artwork - done last year. This one is different in that I ventured a bit into mixed media. This artwork is 12 x 12 on canvas board, mounted to a gold floating frame. The photo here is unframed - I will try & get a photo in the daylight of it framed - it really finishes this piece off perfectly!

This piece is available for sale - click here to go to the DPW page for this piece.

The entire process of creating this was really made up as I go. It started when a friend on Facebook posted some quilting patterns. Since I was already pondering what to do for the sun art challenge, this design caught my eye. I decided to use the pattern to create a sun.

First I painted the entire piece a light, very mellow yellow as a background. Then I sketched the pattern - followed by outlining it with gold ink/paint. Then each diamond shape of the sun is a separate piece of tissue paper, but to size, then adhered with glue. Then the entire canvas was covered with a light wash of the same mellow yellow as the background. The stenciled shapes in the background were added & then the entire piece was sealed multiple times. The small jewels were added at each point & intersection.

If you look carefully, you'll see that some of the tissue paper says "happy birthday" - which is where this piece gets it's name. It's a true Celebrate-Sun!

-------------------------

In the next day or 2 I will post this years suns paintings - this year I did 2 different versions of the same design. I couldn't make my mind up, so I am submitting both to the challenge.

@ Sun - SOLD

This was the 3rd sun I painted for the CBS sun art challenge - done in 2013.

They say that art imitates life (or is it the other way around?) - but this one lived up to that saying very much so.  I had been doing a great deal of coding at my day job when this challenge first started. All of it in HTML language, all of it for the web. It had me thinking of combining the code & the art.

First I was going to use all HTML codes within the sun body & rays - but quickly realized I did not have the time for such a large project. So I narrowed it down to a single character that pretty much said "CODE" -- the @ sign!

I had painted the background a light yellow at first, and then intended to paint the @ sun in various shades of yellow. But decided I wanted more substance to it - so broke out the palette knives & the iridescent gold acrylic paint. The photo does not do this piece justice!

This piece had been on display at a studio in Ohio, when it was purchased by the woman who organized the event. Thank you again Rusty, I hope you are enjoying your @ Sun!

Sun Flower

Previously done for the 2012 CBS Sun Art library, this little dahlia sun sits smiling with eyes closed. Resting, no doubt. This is done on an 8x8 stretched canvas, with 1-1/2 inch gallery wrapped sides. And it is still available through my DPW gallery/auction.

I do love dahlia's, and I am amazed that they sit quietly in my basement, sound asleep, through out the winter. Very soon, I will start to see signs of growth again & by April I will be putting them out in the sun for warmth & light. They will grow all summer, as they do every year, and flower to give me their show of color. Then, in the fall, they go back dormant again - and I put them down in the basement where they sleep throughout the winter.

I have had the same 2 pots of dahlia's cycling for the past 5 or 6 years! Love them!

Celebrate-Sun

"Celebrate-Sun"

Mixed Media on 12x12 canvas panel

Available through DPW gallery

This is my 2014 submission to the CBS Sun library, which is handled through The Artists Challenge Gallery. Each year the web group does a specific challenge called "Sun Art." The photos of the images are packaged & sent off to CBS television station. They choose assorted "suns" to display throughout their Sunday Morning Show. This is my 4th year doing this challenge!

This year I wanted to do something different but was not sure what. When a friend on Facebook posted a quilting pattern I was inspired.

The quilting pattern was first sketched out on canvas. Then the entire background was painted with a light yellow acrylic. The shapes of the sun are pieces of colored tissue paper "pasted" in place to the paint, then a light yellow wash over them. Outline of the shape done with gold inks. Background stencils with additional acrylics (some iridescent). Entire piece was then sealed & then small gems were added to various key points. Since one of the tissue paper designs is a "happy birthday" -- this sun is for celebrations! 

Here's a closeup look:

This was difficult to photograph and I'm still not sure I caught it well. I think this would look wonderful in a "floating" frame. Right now, it is for sale without the frame - but the price will increase once I do frame it. 

What do you think of this years sun? It's a bit different from my usual work. Does it seem cheerful & does it make you smile? 

Sun Flower

Acrylic on 8x8 stretched canvas

1-1/2 inch gallery wrapped sides painted

Can be displayed as is or framed (frame not included)

Available through DPW gallery/auction

This is a fun little painting done in 2012 for the Sun Art challenge over on ACG. One challenge each year is dedicated to "Sun art" - a depiction of the sun. Digital versions of these images are then sent off to CBS television where they are stored in their library - then throughout the year, they select different "suns" to be used during the CBS Sunday Morning show. 

This is my second sun art submission. My first submission in 2011 did air once, this little one has not aired yet. This is also the only 1 of the 3 submissions I've done that is still for sale.

This painting also spent part of it's summer on display Studio 14 in Tipp City Ohio, from 7/12 through early fall, as part of an exhibit of all sun art done by the ACG group. 

Since we are destined for yet another snowstorm here in the Northeast, I decided that we need to prevail on the sun to lessen the impact. Or better yet, send that storm out to sea! 

Sun Art

Every year the Art Challenge Gallery group does a Sun Art challenge. And for the past 3 years I've participated in the challenge.

Images of the suns are sent to CBS television, which use them at various times throughout their Sunday Morning show with Charles Osgood. Usually before & after each segment within the show, they air a sun image. There are so many suns, in different styles, media & design. Simply google "CBS Sun Art" and you'll find some. There are also youTube slideshows of some as well.

The image above shows the 3 sun paintings I've done. "Rainbow Sun" on the left was the first, painted in 2011 - and I'm thrilled to say it did air once on 8/5/12! The middle image is "Sun Flower" and the right image is my latest "@Sun."

I am in the process of packaging up these 3 pieces of art and shipping them out to Tipp City, Ohio. The Studio 14 gallery is exhibiting the sun art that the Art Challenge Gallery artists have submitted to the challenges throughout the years. The exhibit is from July 12th through September 1st.

Very exciting to have my work in a gallery - I am sad that I am too far away to see it in person (and can't really swing a vacation right now, but then, maybe?). 

@ Sun - SOLD

Acrylic knife work on 12x12 gallery wrapped canvas

Image continues on 1-1/2 inch sides

Available through DPW Auction/Sale

This is my 2013 submission to the CBS Sun library, which is handled through The Artists Challenge Gallery. Each year the web group does a specific challenge called "Sun Art." The photos of the images are packaged & sent off to CBS television station. They choose assorted "suns" to display throughout their Sunday Morning Show. This is my third year (& sun) - my previous two suns have not been used by CBS (yet) - perhaps this third one will be the charm!

I had a hard time deciding on the type of sun I would paint. So many options - I could express spring time, or Easter. My past suns were (a) Rainbow sun dancing across the sky & (b) a flower sun (not a sunflower) with a sweet face. 

As I thought about this, I read that some artists were experiencing a block on doing the Sun piece this year. I felt similar, but I always think you should incorporate a part of your life into your work. Especially concept pieces such as these. 

So, lately, I've been doing a great deal of coding at my day job. All of it in HTML language, all of it for the web. First I thought to paint a sun using all HTML codes. Ok, yeah, right - hello, how much time do you have to create this piece? LOL! Ok, reality check - I chose to narrow it down to a single character - a symbol of today's world of communications. A universal icon of email, internet & code. The @ sign! And so, "@ Sun" was born! 

I used my knives on this one, along with some gold iridescent paint. Mixed in with a bit of cad yellow, pale lemon yellow & Indian yellow. I will say it glows in the sunlight!