marlboro country

I didn't feel like going out to paint any landscape today but I wanted to paint something. Here's another painting inspired by the same stack of old Playboy magazines that my friend down the street found. This time I painted one of the ads rather than the nudes. I think I'm sub-consciously giving the "western art" genre the finger with this one. Repainting it made it fun for me, I used it as an excuse to throw some paint around, and that's what it's all about anyway! I think it needs a little more work but I'm happy with it so far. oil on canvas, 48 by 36

figure drawing at the Hive gallery

Yesterday was the 3rd Thursday and that means from 8 to 10pm there is LIFE DRAWING at the Hive gallery! Drawing the figure is one of my favorite things to do. Here are a few 5, 10, and 15 minutes drawings of our model Amy. sharpie, graphite, white-out and chalk

Let's Paint TV, Venice Beach Edition

I went out with John 'Mr. Let's Paint TV' Kilduff to Venice Beach today for some street LPTV. Venice is renowned for it's laid back, endless summer, hippy vibe, but if you've ever visited you also know it has a rough side. Still that just makes it all the more real! It was quite an adventure, it felt even edgier than doing it in downtown LA, especially as the other local performing regulars sized John up and staked out their turf, but in the end everyone loved it! I think we were only out about an hour painting, and I spent 20 minutes of that taping John doing the show, so here's basically a 30 minute portait of Venice and Let's Paint TV! Also a shot of both easels and my painting more even more roughly laid in. I still like it! I'll be adding video of the event once John edits it and puts it on youtube. What a hoot! oil on canvas, 18 by 14.

South Pasadena Art Walk

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I tell you, there are so many art walks! Today I was at one in South Pasadena. I decided since the painting I did of the Rialto is at the SoPas gallery, why not paint another landscape at the art walk for fun? Here's a photo of the lay-in, my sophisticated kindergarten drawing, and the same painting a couple hours later. It's Buster's again! The corner of Mission and Meridian. oil on canvas, 12 by 24.

Let's Paint TV, the street edition

Last night at the Downtown LA Art Walk was a blast, some good old fashioned nitetime alla prima plein air urban landscape! John was doing his show with the P.A. blaring and painting a great shot of 4th and Spring and I did a painting of John painting his painting. Here is some video of the evening, it gives you a feeling for the madness and joy of painting and life. oil on canvas, 24 by 12

back at cindy's

I put more on the painting of Cindy's today. It needs more work... I like that it's more resolved but still rough. oil on canvas, 48 by 24.

cha-cha lounge

Yesterday the light wasn't working to paint more on Cindy's, so I stayed home and put some paint on a composition from a bar called "Cha-Cha Lounge", it's right across the street from the Red Lion which is a favorite place of mine. It's all based on drawings on location and memory. It's really rough and still work in progress but, like the Footsie's painting, I'm still pleased with it! oil on canvas, 30 by 48.

Cindy's Coffee Shop

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This place is right up the street from me. The light this time of year is so amazing and so fleeting! I was up in Pasadena at the Art Center College of Design today helping one of my students out who missed some class time last Tuesday. I brought all my painting gear because I was thinking to paint a view of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl from the campus, but I looked all over and didn't see anything interesting to me. So I drove around a few places and then felt like I struck out and headed home. When I passed Cindy's and I knew I wanted to try and start a painting of it. I pulled over and with about 45 minutes until the sun went down, slapped this onto my canvas... no detail, no lettering, no finish, just trying to start getting a feel for the light at that time of day. I'll get detail later, the hard part is trying to get the color right! It's a fairly big plein air at 48 by 24 inches, but I think I did a decent lay-in given the short time span.

let's paint tv

Let's Paint TV is the future! If you have a lot of computer work to do, paying bills, finding recipes, responding to e-mails, I recommend that you have this show playing in the background on your web-browser. It really helps you to get to the point in life! I was working the camera and played sidekick on this episode. If you need to fast forward to full blast, start at 26 minutes ...

hello worldwide visitors to my blog!

It's fun to know that folks the world over get to look at my art. I wish I could meet you all! I just uploaded a bunch of new photos to my Flickr site, I hope that they give you much viewing pleasure. Please give it a visit at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alex-schaefer-art/sets!

life drawing

I went to Art Center to take in a couple hours of life drawing. Here are a few 2, 3, and 5 minute poses. I did them a few days ago but I didn't like them until now!

20 minute portraits at the Brewery and the Hive

I was at the Brewery Artwalk yesterday. I planned to bring back the landscape I'd started earlier in the week but I learned very quickly that painting was not kosher during artwalk! It's "Pay to Play" only! After setting one foot on the Brewery premises I was sternly interrogated by a resident "Where are you going with that?? Do you have permission?!" I didn't know I needed it but you learn something new every day! So apparently during artwalk artists are only allowed to paint inside the designated studio/gallery spaces and not in any of the public spaces. I can understand even if I didn't like the rude way I had to learn. That lady must be the pitbull at the homeowners association! I'll bring the landscape back on another day and finish it... Fortunately I brought a backup bag of little canvases and changed course painting 20 minute portraits instead of landscape! I'm always glad and somewhat amazed when people sit for me at these events but I'm glad they do and folks like to watch the painting evolve before their eyes... I worked until it started raining and then packed up. Later that evening I was at the Hive opening and did another. At the Hive there's always less worry finding a model because I know so many people there and they are willing to sit for me.

p.s. this undate from Mat Gleason, editor of Coagula, regarding the Brewery Artwalk:
"Dude, we have SO many people piggybacking on the event and we all pitch in money to pay for promoting and insuring the event, so when other artists show up, brewery Residents can be pretty territorial. Plus - there are no PUBLIC spaces, it is all private property and the landlord insists that art only be shown in leased spaces."