Posted by Robert Bissett at 8:36 PM

A photo of Loi is used in the book to explain several important skill. First, 'connect the dots'...how to locate any point in the photo where it goes on your canvas. Next, 'no name shapes'...to convert 3D reality to a 2D painting you must look for abstract shapes. Finally, simplify the photo in to just a few value-shapes, add slight variations in value within those shapes. This is the last one.

Fine art prints of my work available at Fine Art America.
On paper or canvas, optional matting, framing and glazing.
From $22 for ~6x8" and up.

Haven't been painting much this past month. Since the weekend on the Zodiac I've the image of a painting in my head. This afternoon I dug out the acrylics and did this from memory in about half an hour. I used Pthalo Blue and Cad. orange lt. Started out smearing paint with a sponge, hit it with a couple squirts from the spray bottle, added white and just played around using a painting knife...that's it. Loi took a ride on a long boat at one point that Saturday and snapped a picture similar to this view. I looked at it once last week and I think that's what inspired this. Thanks Loi!

Zodiac, San Juan Is.
10x10"
Acrylic on canvas

Worked on the new book off and on during the past week. The working title is 'Real Art Real Easy, Take the Mystery out, put the Magic in'. A series of exercises to teach yourself to paint or to paint better. The focus is on what you must do before picking up a brush to have a good chance of making a nice painting. I'm on page 25 at the moment and it's been fun so far. I'd like to have it ready for the workshop I'm scheduled to teach in October.

Fine art prints of my work available at Fine Art America.
On paper or canvas, optional matting, framing and glazing.
From $22 for ~6x8" and up.

I'm making available for free a high resolution image of a recent painting for personal use. Make a print for your wall, use it as wallpaper on your monitor, put it on your website or blog... "Fall Bouquet"

The three days we spent aboard 'Zodiac', pictured below, were very interesting. My first time in the San Juans and first time on a really big 'windbag'....136 feet long. It takes twenty-five hands to raise and lower the sails, so we were part of the crew and had to move smartly. Food was good and the weather was fair...like sailing on a lake. A light breeze was the most we had. I managed to do a couple sketches...

Right after disembarking on Sunday we raced to Anacondas to catch the ferry for Sydney which lies just north of Victoria on Vancouver Island. This is the long way...it makes two stops, Orcas and Friday Harbour, a beautiful trip!  Then a two hour drive to just south of Union Bay for a three day visit with Loi's sister, Lisa. We could see the sound from the second floor. It was just a two minute walk to the shore.

Then another race to the ferry...Duke Point near Nanaimo to Tsawwassen, an hour wait at customs, down to I90, over Snoqualmie Pass and across the State of Washington. We stopped at Ellensburg for dinner and left about six thirty. We could see cumulus building up far to the east all afternoon and it wasn't too long before we were in it...a down pour of Biblical proportions! Pressing on, exhausted, we made it home about eleven.

I've been spending a lot of time doing 3D visualizations on the computer for a proposal, a hotel to be added to an existing casino. Client reaction has been positive so it may go...

This is being done as part of Dragon Speed Design Group.

Fine art prints of my work available at Fine Art America.
On paper or canvas, optional matting, framing and glazing.
From $22 for ~6x8" and up.

Posted by Robert Bissett at 4:36 PM

Posted by Robert Bissett at 8:36 PM