Now I'm Doing This

   Okay, the computer reinstall snafu has pretty much been fixed ( I lost almost all the photos from my newest paintings when I overwrote my back up drive). I'm back on track, doing a new watercolor and a new acrylic every day. Every day. Wow, I had no idea what it would entail. I've decided they should all be faces, since that's my favorite subject. I've been using the same reference for each daily painting lately. It's odd to me just how different they are, even with the same reference and the same point in time:

Which were also from the same picture reference as:

 It's kinda interesting to me how the result depends so much on the media and the size. I'll be talking more about my daily paintings in future blogs. Assuming anyone is interested.


AKO ANG HARI
   DOUG

From Hell's Heart

  Okay, here;s what's up. I tried to get the last little bit of performance from my ancient laptop, since I'm apparently unable to procure a newer model ( which almost seems impossible to me, almost anything I could find would give me a better performance). I backed up what I needed on my external hard drive and set out to reinstall my Linux based operating system. I failed to completely wipe the drive the first time, which only added to the bloat on an already overtaxed system. I picked another OS and tried again. No luck. the third try saw me install , but the drive seemed small. It didn't occur to me to stop and think it out, I was hell bent on getting this thing up and running to assist me in my take over of the internet. Okay, something's wrong. I'll figure it out. I pull out my disc that has Xubuntu Linux ready to install. It works like a charm. Drive completely wiped, new OS installed, a leaner/meaner machine. I went to pull my files off of my external drive so I could reinstall my trust computer programs and continue to post my paintings on a daily basis. But, wait...what's this? Files? Files? What the f...Shit, now I know. I inadvertently installed an OS over my files. The files I specifically backed up. Gone. I can get them back. Everything had been posted to Facebook ( I think. God, I hope). So, I'll likely spend the next week or so getting all the pictures back, resized, posted, backed up. Just what I need. More frustration. I am still painting and posting everyday link Some cool stuff, like this:

I'm painting enough to keep my sanity and tune up my brush skills. I'm looking for big things.

AKO ANG HARI
      DOUG

Motivation

  Motivation. Sometimes it's my biggest enemy. I've been working on some good art habits the past several months. I draw Those Guys every time I go to work (four days a week). I do a Zen drawing every night. I've started doing a watercolor a day:

It's gone well for me. I've done almost a month's worth of them. I'm getting to the point where it's a habit. It's been kinda hectic some days. Those Guys, Zen, and a watercolor all in the same day requires me to put effort in to my art. It's good in that I don't spend a huge amount of time in the preparation. I get my paints, my surface, and a rough idea of what and I get to work. So, naturally I've decided to add to my daily routine. A small acrylic painting. Ideally a face, but that's not locked in. Hence, this early effort:

I can't say it's the best I've ever done, but I love the colors and I enjoyed painting it. I'm just gonna build myself up until I'm huge.

I've also reopened my Shopify store. link 

AKO ANG HARI
     DOUG

It's As Easy As This

  I've been thinking quite a bit about my process. It's pretty much always the same. I see a new media, or technique. I try it for myself, step by step the way everyone else does. I get comfortable with it and start making a few tweaks here and there. I may skip a step, or do some out of order. It usually works for me, like I have some sort of artist's intuition to tell me what will work and what won't. Sometimes I don't have the proper materials to do what I want to do, so I McGuyver a new material or technique. People will ask "how did you think of that?" Well, I'm not really sure. They often just come to me. Sometimes at odd times (which is why I carry a notebook, for ideas and painting titles). Every once in a while an idea hits me that that burns through my soul and I just have to try it. As soon as I get my hands on materials. I was once sitting in an Italian restaurant (I'd name them, but they painted over the mural I painted. I am that petty), drawing on a bar napkin with a pen when I looked over at the ashtray on the bar and thought "I bet the ash would make an awesome middle tone gray". I won that bet.

   So, anyway, after I get comfortable with a medium or technique, I start spicing things up. Maybe out of boredom. Maybe out of curiosity. I start 'breaking the rules'. Like, "Don't use black paint. It mixes horribly with other paints", or "Don't use the same color in more than one corner of a painting":

  I can use the same color in EVERY corner of a painting. Part of it is the old adage "learn the rules so you can break them" or "If you don't know the rules you aren't constricted by them". I'm not sure that's my case, at least not completely. I get an idea, or start on a new painting, and something just tells me what to do next. Or, if I don't know what to do, it tells me how to get an idea of what to do. It might tell me to use the color that fits in the least, or maybe to use
 a layer of white strokes. I hear "it needs more black" a lot.
   Most of this is stream of consciousness. I'm not sure it turned out at all like I planned it. My thesis was " I have no idea how to explain my process. There's a voice in my head that tells me what to do." A voice that has no actual voice. It's kinda like it just pops into my head. Thanks for putting up with all this. If you have questions or ideas for future posts, please let me know. Here's a new painting for putting up with me:

AKO ANG HARI
    DOUG

Just Checking In

  I've been putting in some effort to cross of some of the things on my to-do list. I've been making myself do some of the less glamorous things on there. I've updated both my websites DougBaltz.com and DougBaltz.net. They're not quite where I'd like them to be, but they are getting closer. I'm thinking more about selling my art than I am about pushing my art to a new level (although I'm always doing both, to a certain degree). I've even done some new Doug Shoes projects. Mickey Mouse shoes for a two year old:

And some combat boots for an army combat medic:

It's nice to be doing some footwear again. It's been a long time. I'm not sure I could have picked two more different subjects.
   I've also dug out my watercolors again and started doing daily paintings. I'm really happy with the way they've turned out. Watercolors give a lot of people trouble, but I've always had good luck with them. I'm not sure skill is the right word, luck seems to be a better fit. No matter how skilled you are, there's always a degree of luck with this media. Water, ruled by the chaos theory, carries pigment over your paper. The paper that's never really truly level. It's very exciting. At least to me:

  That's pretty much what I've knocked off the list this week. Now, I;m gonna go cross off "post a new blog"

AKO ANG HARI
      DOUG

I Keep Forgetting This Part

  So, I've finished the commission painting that I worked on for over two weeks. I never thought I'd get done, but I finally crossed the finish line. Carrying a well received painting I might add. I also fought heat exhaustion for a week. Probably just as much fun as it sounds. I pieced together the code for an email list sign up. An email list I should have been putting together at least three years ago, I'm mighty excited about it. I also finished another hand on face painting. A two-fer.
I saw this on a friend's timeline and knew it would make a great painting. I think I'm right:

  After all the hand on face excitement I decided to do some painting just for me. Over a few three foot by two foot canvases that had paintings I no longer liked. I wanted this one to be the one that calmed my nerves and eased my fevered brain, but it zipped out of my brush before I knew it:

  I think it's really cool. Pretty much like I pictured it. I do have another relaxation painting going. It's been easing me back to sane for about ten days now. It'll probably be done really soon.
   Seriously though. You should sign up for my email ravings. Insights into my process and the way I think about things. Previews of new art. Work in progress pictures. Tons of other stuff too. The kind of behind the scenes stuff a real fanatic would appreciate.


  AKO ANG HARI
     DOUG

I'm Starting Another Level Of Service

   So, I'm gonna start an email mailing list. I plan on emailing in progress pictures of my art, advanced viewings of my new works, and a chance to buy my work before anyone else. It'll likely have some behind the scenes stuff. Some of the thought processes that go into my art choices. I'm sure it will evolve over time. I hope it ends up being the coolest thing ever. Anyway, if you're interested send me your email address here and I'll start sending you some artistic tomfoolery. Thanks for stopping by.
   AKO ANG HARI
      DOUG