Daniel Gerhartz Study.

I wanted to try something a bit looser and "prettier" than what I have been doing lately. So for practice I decided to do a study of a Gerhartz painting. I love his use of color and the look of sunlight on the hair. Not exact but I think got the gist of it.

9x12" oil on canvas paper

"Hells Comin!" With Frame.

For more info or to purchase go to My Website.

A little progress on my newest western. I'm still not sure about the background and have a lot of work left on the figure but it's looking better!

WIP "Davy Crockett" Commission.

Another work in progress. This is the block-in for a "Davy Crockett" I am doing for a commission.
I love the sketchy way it looks now and am almost afraid to touch it:) I don't think the client would go for it though.

(was Daniel Boone to begin with but nobody will notice. Shhhh! Fess Parker actually played them both on TV :)

Makes me want to sing! "King of the wild frontier"!

To Purchase click on the Daily Paintworks link on the right or go to  My Website.

9x12" Oil on Linen mounted to hardboard and comes framed.

 

 

New work in progress "Bohannon".

Another western gunfighter themed painting. Still a lot to work on. I don't usually do paintings from TV or film but this guy "Bohannon" from the western show "Hell On Wheels" just looks the part a tough cowboy!
I'm not quite sure what to do with the background yet, but it's coming along.

Gunslinger Finished!

I finally finished my two-gunned hombre. At least I think so, or until the next time I look at it and decide it needs fixing.

It turned out well and I think this is my best yet. Now all I have to do is mount it, frame it, pray and fast till it sells. ( I might be a few pounds lighter next time you see me.)

I think I'll call it, "Fast". Also because "Slow" just doesn't have the same impact! Or maybe something tough sounding like "Cold Steel".

Texas, guns, and cowboys...what more could you ask for?

"Texas Charm"

Gunfighter Update.

Here is the latest progress on my gunfighter. I am still working on the folds in the shirt. They do not look quite right and I went a bit too dark. So I went over the shirt with a very thin white to give me room to re-work the shadows.
Also I have never painted hands before and they are a little problematic. (Who knew!)
I spent the majority of my painting class today sucking the last ounce of artistic charity out of my instructor trying to get the hands to look human and not like Snausages.

I am happy with the face, hat, and most of the right gun. The rest still needs a bit of tweaking.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

WIP Gunslinger

Slight progress!

WIP Two Guns

This is my current WIP. A portrait of a western "two-gun" gunslinger. This one is going to be fairly detailed. Which is time consuming, fun, and frustrating.
Most of what I have been doing lately is playing around with older unfinished paintings because of my injury but it's nice to be able to start an original piece.

WIP Indian Chief 9x12 oil on canvas.

Here is a WIP of a painting I actually started when I first began to oil paint but never finished.. Still not quite sure what to do to it yet to make it work. Much of the detail on the clothing and feathers need to be finished but I really want to make the face look right. I'll keep plugging away!

Artists Might Want To Copy And Paste This On Facebook.

Today, 09/07/2013, in response to the new Facebook guidelines and under articles L.111, 112 and 113 of the code of intellectual property, I declare that my rights are attached to all my personal data, drawings, paintings, photos, texts etc... published on my profile. For commercial use of the foregoing my written consent is required at all times. Those reading this text can copy it and paste it on their Facebook wall. This will allow them to place themselves under the protection of copyright.
By this release, I inform Facebook that it is strictly forbidden to disclose, copy, distribute, broadcast, or to take any other action against me on the basis of this profile and/or its contents. The actions mentioned above apply equally to employees, students, agents and/or other staff under the direction of Facebook. The contents of my profile includes private information. The violation of my privacy is punished by the law (U.C.C. 1 1-308 - 308 1 - 103 and the Rome Statute).
Facebook is now an open capital entity. All members are invited to post a notice of this kind, or if you prefer, you can copy and paste this version. If you have not published this statement at least once, you will tacitly allow the use of elements such as your photos as well as the information contained in your profile updates

Finished Tonto

Tonto (from The Lone Ranger movie). I started painting this long before the movie came out but decided to redo the whole thing. This is the finished piece. I love painting Native American and western themes because I find them full of variety, character, and color. Even though this isn’t a traditional painting I still like it for what it is…fun.

9x12 oil on canvas

Redid the background on the Castro look alike.

I don't know if that improved it any:)

WIP - updating Tonto

I haven't been able to paint much over the last couple of months due to an injury. And when I do I just have to sort of peck at it instead of slow smooth brush strokes. So I decided to update one of my very first paintings. I'm not nostalgic over keeping it because I have the photo.

Here is what my updated Tonto is looking like at the moment. What do you think so far?

Still life from class.

Here is a 12X16 still life I have been working on for far too long in my painting class. I'm almost finished!

Portrait 6X8"

I started this portrait on a dark background and I love the effect. I saw David Kassan do this.

Playing around with edges. Small 6X8.

Here are a couple of new portraits.

The first is a 6X8" oil and  the second is a 9X12" oil.

Self Portrait

I was experimenting with colors and paint thickness and did this self portrait.

Small still life and 1st flower.

This the first time I have tried to paint a flower. I kept it small, 6"x 8", and loose. I tried not to get bogged down in the details. I like the way the flower and bowl turned out but the cup and saucer need a bit of work (ellipses can be a challenge). I also rubbed out the scratchy background strokes.

1st figure drawing class...ever.

I'll post the good, the bad, and the ugly. This figure drawing proves it. Looks like something from a Bela Lugosi movie:) It was a fun class (plus everyone kept their clothes on) and this was the best drawing to come out of it. I like painting much better than drawing but I know this will make me a better painter.
It does look like the model and I'll just have to develop the skills to render him properly.

Boy, I still have a ways to go!

Copy of a Sargent head study.

Here is a loose copy of a Sargent painting "Head of an Arab". Colors are off because of the poor reference, but it was a fun exercise. I still want to work a bit more on the beard and lips.

A New Renaissance.

This is from a music school called Harvest Sound that has some great instructors. I think this sums up what God is doing in these days and in in the near future. It's a long post but also very encouraging.


Change is coming; great change and reform are coming to the church and to the world. Part of that change is the rebirth that is coming to the arts. Creativity will be a powerful vehicle for reaching our culture and the world with the message of Jesus Christ.
Looking back historically to the time known as the Renaissance in the 14th and 15th centuries, this was an era emerging from a thousand-year period of stagnancy called "the Dark Ages."
The Renaissance was a time of great renewal, revival of creativity, enlightened thinking and literature--all motivated by a "pursuit of eloquence." The Greek and Roman classics became a model for eloquence in all areas of life. From these ancient cultures the Renaissance scholars found new inspiration and instruction, and many positive changes occurred which we still benefit from today. This "happy century" greatly transformed government, education and Christian theology, and conceived some of the highest forms of art and music that man has ever known.

While the focus of the Renaissance was on restoring culture, humanity itself became the center of attention. If we took all that the first Renaissance produced and boiled it down into one word, it would be "humanism," which is ultimately self-centeredness. Humanism today has flooded much of our modern culture and has gone on to deny the relevance or even the existence of God.
The Lord began to speak to me saying, "I Am the Creator, the Originator of all things, and I am going to use My creativity to proclaim My holy message to the whole earth." He said that the Renaissance which is coming this time will not be inspired out of a "pursuit of eloquence" but out of a "pursuit of obedience" to Him. It will not produce self-centeredness, but God-centeredness. The new Renaissance will not bring glory to man, but to God. "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD" (Hab. 2:14).

The Wave

As I was praying about this soon-coming Renaissance, I began to see a tremendous vision in the spirit that charged me with great excitement and fear. I saw a massive tidal wave on the rise. As it moved to shore, it built quickly in size and momentum. I knew instantly that this tidal wave spoke of a mighty movement of God. It looked both dangerous and exciting. It was much larger than anything I had ever seen or imagined, and I knew there has never been anything like it before. I was sure that when this wave hit the shore nothing would remain the same--everything would be changed.
I asked the Lord what this was and what it meant, and He said, "This is the moving of my Spirit that is coming upon the whole earth."
"Men will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along" (Isa. 59:19). The breath of the Lord speaks of His Spirit, which move like a mighty flood.
"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams; your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD" (Joel 2:28,29,31).

Obedience Required

I then saw people in the water with surfboards. Some were wading in shallow waters and others were standing on the beach, but I knew only those who were in the deep waters would be able to catch this wave. The waters spoke of the Holy Spirit. Then I saw that the surfboards of those who were waiting in the deep waters had the word "obedience" written on them in bright red. Many people did not have boards. I knew that they would certainly be overcome by what was approaching. Some were waiting in the waters with all different kinds of surfboards, but they did not have "obedience" written on them. I knew that their hopes of riding this wave would also be futile. It would take great faith to ride this wave, because at first glance many would want to run in fear for cover. One would have to be willing to risk it all (have true faith) to ride this wave. In reality, those who shrink back in fear are in much greater danger, for the safest place would be in riding the powerful crest of the wave.

True Worship, Humility and Brokenness

Just as no surfer would dream of going into the rugged waters of the surf with his hands full, neither can anyone hope to ride this wave with idols in hand. Only true worshipers of God will be able to keep their balance and stay on top of what is coming. We must have no idols before Him! The Lord God must have first place and first love in our lives. A Webster definition of worship is "extreme devotion and intense love." To worship the Lord means to love Him! Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love me, you will obey what I command." Our obedience is the evidence of true love and devotion (our worship) to God.

I knew when this wave started to break it would be all about positioning. If we were in the right position we would catch the ride of our lives, and if we were not, the wave would be devastating. I asked the Lord where we must be when the wave hits. He said that we must be in a position of "humility and brokenness." I knew then that to be in the water (the Spirit), even with our board of obedience, would still not be enough to catch the ride. It would only produce self-righteousness (the worst form of pride) if we were not found in the position of true humility and brokenness, for God only exalts the humble. In order to catch and not be crushed by the power of what is coming, we must be broken of our will and ways, be humble in heart, and committed to radical obedience to the Lord.
"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (Hab. 2:14). This wave will flood the earth with the Lord's glory and the knowledge of Himself. It will be a wake-up call first to the church, which is the Lord's mercy. This will not be the final judgment; even though many self-built houses will collapse, this is the Lord's mercy giving people time to repent and rebuild--His way. Jesus said, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock" (Matt. 7:24). This wave of the Spirit will test the quality of each man's work. Some houses will collapse; some will stand. Whatever is left standing after the impact, God will use to flood the earth with His glory.
God is going to use divine creativity to spread His holy message, the gospel. This will be poured out through His purified vessels, His people. There is a tremendous anointing that is coming, not only on music, but also on all forms of art. From Genesis to Revelation we see God moving in creative ways. Creativity is what He ordained and what He enjoys--just as when Solomon was building the temple for the Lord, and it was adorned with the most beautiful visual arts. "Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled craftsmen" (2 Chr. 2:7).

Divine Creativity Is Coming!

After enduring a stagnant "dark age" of creativity where the best creative work we have done has mostly been cheap imitation of the world, divine creativity is coming back into the Lord's temple, His people. Music and art are primary ways of communicating with our culture. This is the "sound and sight" generation, and art is a language of symbols, sounds and images which can transcend the limitations of the intellect and reach to the heart. Modern thinking can be rigid with opinions and can cause division and factions and suppress the truth. A verbal or even written message can be rejected or dismissed quickly because of our reasoning or prejudice. But art is not so quickly dismissed. One song or painting can mean a myriad of different things to different people.
Music and art speak as a "language of the spirit" that can penetrate where other forms of communication cannot. A creative expression takes time to be absorbed into any intellectual conclusion, and before the head has time to figure it out the heart can already be moved. I personally have seen the Spirit use music to melt the hardest of hearts--in prisons, clubs, the inner city, and in churches. It allows us to "feel" God's love and presence. We can taste and see that God is good. Many times, before the listeners fully understand or even know what to believe, they have experienced a touch from the Lord. The anointed arts are truly one of the most powerful evangelism tools the Lord has given us. Creativity that is born of the Spirit will give birth to spirit. Jesus said in John 3:6, "Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit."

The music, dance and creativity of God's people will carry the message of the gospel and the very presence of God to the ends of the earth, for the Lord "inhabits the praises of his people." The Lord loves music. He has chosen it as our way to approach Him. He didn't say to come into His presence with teaching or preaching but to "Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs...Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name" (Ps. 100). We are told many times in His Word to "praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp" (Ps. 149:3). In Psalm 32:7 we see that the Lord Himself even sings over His people: "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."
We are told that the Lord goes into battle and inflicts punishment on the nations to the sound of music. "The voice of the LORD will shatter Assyria; with his scepter he will strike them down. Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing rod will be to the music of tambourines and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm" (Isa. 30:31,32).
In Isaiah 42:10,13 we see the Lord Himself will rise to make war and triumph over His enemies at the sound of praise song that reaches to the ends of earth! "Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth...The LORD will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies."

The Counterattack

Satan has constantly used music, media and arts to bombard our world with an onslaught of his hideously polluted messages. We have seen the moral fabric of our nation be eroded away mostly by messages and ideas that have been first introduced and ushered in by the creative arts. It is now time for a mighty counterattack!
The creative worshipers are the first army that will be sent out for this last battle. Even now a massive army throughout the world is being purified and prepared and is about to be released into the highways and byways of our cultures. They will be sent forth not in the ways of the world, but in the humility and brokenness of Christ. The Lord will soon ignite and inhabit all forms of creativity. His people will begin to prophesy through song and dance, to evangelize through film and video, to teach and proclaim the truth through drama and painting, sculptures, multimedia, literature, etc. It will come as a tidal wave like we have never seen before. But this time it will not be celebration of the arts, eloquence, or of mankind, but of Jesus--our exalted Lord and eternal King. For those who are committed to the "pursuit of obedience," and who above all things will make it their "goal to please Him" (2 Cor. 5:9), they are truly in for the ride of their lives!
The rebirth, renewal and revival of the arts is on its way--inspired this time not by ancient culture, but by the God of all the ages and the God of all creativity.
The Renaissance is coming! Let's catch this wave for His glory!

Warm up Sketch

Here's a quick warm-up sketch with charcoal I did before painting. I didn't spend too much time on detail and I'm starting to work a little bigger in my sketching.

The Artistic Renaissance Spirit is Being Released

I believe we are on the verge of an cultural Renaissance where true christianity will become relevant for a season. One that will truly glorify God and effect culture in a way that has not been seen before. Here is an article by Shawn Bolz written several years ago which I believe shows Gods heart for the years ahead. Imagine paintings that release healing to the admirer or art that releases a supernatural experience to the onlooker that reveals the Kingdom. The possibilities are endless. I hope to be a true "Renaissance Man" and paint anointed scenes like this someday!
 

The Artistic Renaissance Spirit is Being Released

By Shawn Bolz - Sept 7 2007
The Renaissance Spirit Is Being Released In the great renaissance period of the Middle Ages God used creativity, art, music, and science to bring society out of a dark age. He wanted to bring people into a higher way of thinking and advance the world for His purposes. He used the creative arts to forerun culture. Music and science not only imparted culture faster then the church or politics could, they also developed areas of society that were previously completely overlooked.
Great Art Brought Great Perspective It was the first time people's eyes were open to SEE the word. Great artists were commissioned for the first time in history to paint a living picture of Biblical truth. They defined to the world for the first time what heaven, angels, biblical stories, and even Jesus Himself might look like. It birthed in all of Western society a deep personal connection to the truth of God. They were no longer limited to just the readings of the church, services, and their own imaginations. A great example is Michael Angelo's Sistine Chapel, which granted a walk through of the entire Bible for the most common men to see. There were now projects that inspired hope and devotion, like never before, that imparted kingdom culture.

The Scientific Boom Many modern scientists began to define true science that helped progress the minds to grasp the deeper meaning of life for the first time. Technologies were invented by men and women who were given the grace to become great progressive thinkers.  Some of these Renaissance men and women probably felt as though they were born very much outside their time. They thought years beyond the time they lived in and were able to see the world through a much more mature, progressed lens than the average man. Many faced horrible persecution for believing truths that seemed basic to them, but were revolutionary to the world.

The Modern Renaissance Men and Woman are being released Again there is a renaissance being released that is going to bring society out of a dark age. The whole world is about to progress further into maturity and advancement. The forerunners of this great change will once again be in the music, art, and scientific arenas, which God has consistently used throughout history to prepare hearts for social transformation. He uses these areas to preach and impart justice, love, and an ability to be willing to adapt to the ever-changing world around us.

There are many people being released right now into the entertainment industry, who have invitations to become great inventors, musicians, and artisans that will shift, what we call, the secular venues. I went into a vision and saw God looking down at the earth. He wasn't looking at the church and then the secular world as though they were divided. He was looking at His Kingdom and everywhere it was affecting the earth. Sometimes this was clearly within church structures, but equally important, the influence was in secular areas and industries. I realized through this that many people are being invited to think past the calling of the church structure alone and that the great commission is to preach the good news to the entire world. God is releasing the Spirit of Heaven to come down to earth and be the Spirit of Renaissance upon men and women.

Imparting Culture He is releasing renaissance men and women who are going to help forerun the transforming of society through bringing a release of a new culture, a higher Kingdom culture onto the earth.

The whole world is searching for what mature love looks like. What does a thirty-year old marriage look like? What does a healthy father to a son or daughter look like? What is brand new love supposed to look like? God is raising people up in the music and the entertainment industry to tell parables through music, television, and movies that answer these moral and social dilemmas in the nations. Everywhere from Hollywood to Bollywood, God is beginning to anoint the efforts of Christians telling true stories.

Many of those being released to tell the stories are not using the gospel message directly, but instead they are preaching Christ, sometimes using words. To put it another way, they are Christians doing kingdom minded projects that can affect society, not Christians doing church projects. This is important to understand because Jesus told many parables that imparted a new way to think and a new understanding of kingdom. Those stories also imparted a culture and way to live. He didn't always explain these stories to everyone, sometimes the interpretation or preaching only came to the disciples, but the stories stood for themselves as powerful tools.

God Wants to Speak through the Entertainment Industry
What would happen if the greatest love songs of all time on VH1, MTV, and the radio came from Christians, who were in love, which painted a picture of what true love looks like? What would happen if we showed the value of the life of an unborn baby through showing real stories in epic movie formats about the life of a child and the struggle of the parents over that unborn life? What if you made a beautiful, but tragically real movie about abortion that could be seen in movie theaters around the world that wasn't meant to be edutainment, but a true parable? How much more would it preach the message of life than many of the other outlets the pro-life movement has tried to use?

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words As I saw this, I looked in the Spirit and I was in an art gallery looking at a masterpiece. I knew it was a picture that had not yet been created yet. I could feel that God longs to partner to artists on the earth to bring forth new masterpieces that will once again bring enlightenment. The picture I looked at was absolutely amazing; as I stared it spoke to me on many levels. I heard the Lord say that old phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words, and these pictures will be worth a thousand sermons.

The Store House of Heaven and the Creative Power of God! I had an encounter again in a place that I call the storehouse of heaven. It is the parabolic place that I have seen before where everything has already been prepared and provided that would be needed here on earth to give Jesus the fullness of His glory. The place I went into was the room of creative miracles. In this place I was looking at aisles and aisles of body parts all destined to creatively grow on someone who was missing them here on earth!

In this same area of creative miracles though, I could see that the same power that would create a limb or internal organ is also the same power that will release creative art projects, new sounds, scientific breakthroughs, and inventions! This is amazing that it takes the same virtue and power to heal as it does to be creative; furthermore, we have the same access to bring forth renaissance projects as we do to bring forth healings!

Co Creators with Christ God wants to add His nature (2 Peter 1:4) to our abilities to release Kingdom projects that will impart culture. He wants this culture to prepare us for societal transformation. People in every industry are going to be gripped by amazing projects that will not only show the reality of God to impact peoples lives, but will leave lasting impressions of that reality by the activation of new technologies, sound, art, and entertainment, that will move society into a new and higher place.

I pray that God makes you one who will be filled with His virtue in your gifting and talents, that you could forerun this great move of God by imparting a higher culture. I pray that your eyes will be opened by the Spirit of Revelation on how to access that great store house of heaven and become one who not only prays for heaven to come, but participates with the process! May you become a Renaissance Man (or woman)!

Written by Shawn Bolz 

www.expression58.org

A couple of Bob Ross type paintings.

Landscape

This is from another YouTube video.

Quick Sketch

This is supposed to be a quick study from a video. I don't know how quick it was but it has that look!

I like this one, It's Tonto from the new Lone Ranger movie. I need to go back and fix the raven on his head, I couldn't get the feathers right.

The Terminator

Here's Arnold as the Terminator. I think this was my second one.

Third Oil

Here is one of my favorites. I think it was my third oil. I started out doing portraits but have been trying other things as well.

 

My First Oil Painting

In November 2012 I heard the Holy Spirit whisper to me to express myself and try painting. I can truly say the thought of painting had never occurred to me before. But what the hay, I thought I would give it a try. First I tried watercolors, and then acrylics, and finally oil painting. This is the one I like the best. So, for someone who has shown no real talent for art, I was a bit shocked and blessed to learn that I would enjoy it.