Blue Ridge Parkway Artist Reflects on Favorite Author and No Chrome Dome...

Blue Ridge Parkway Artist

Please click on my latest Youtube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEBHLjiPURQ

Please Check out My Story on Youtube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k77zseKBEc

I don't have much to say about anything going on in the world.  I am encouraged by some events and discouraged by others.  I guess Dickens first line in Tale of Two Cities will always apply to this planet.  It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the epic of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way– in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. 

I am, like many, a big Dickens fan and I have been fascinated by the sources for his novels.  They are mostly about specific events in his life.  Every one knows that David Copperfield is based on much of his life but I'll bet not many people know that the character Estella from Great Expectations had her origin in the young actress Dickens left his wife for.  The character Tiny Tim was based on one of his girls that died when she was very young.  His father spent time in a Debtor's prison like the father of the main character in Little Dorrit.  There are many more examples.  He wisely drew from his own life and created some of the most memorable and fascinating characters in literature.

Fall on the New River Original Soft Pastel  painting SOLD

https://kendall-kessler.pixels.com/featured/fall-on-the-new-river-kendall-kessler.html

Wall Art Prints and Prints on Household Items  Available at  KENDALL KESSLER ART

 

Sun in Water   Original 7" x 5" Oil painting  $75

https://kkesslerart.wixsite.com/website/blank-1/sun-in-water

Be sure to check out my Independent website!  The link under Sun in Water  will take you there!

 

 

Life with The Word and Bird Man - Clyde Kessler

When I was young there were two things young guys did not do to their hair.  They did not shave their head when they experienced hair loss and they did not dye their hair a different color.  Yes, they let it grow which really shook up the previous generation but that was it. 

Times have certainly changed.  Now most guys have short hair but there are plenty that don't and they have no problem with changing the color.  The famous violinist David Garrett is really a brunette but he dyes his hair blonde. 

I don't have any problem with hair dye or long hair but I really have a problem with shaved heads.  I don't know why but I prefer to see some hair. Anyway, Clyde still has plenty of hair and I told him that I would hate it if he shaved his head if he started to go bald. 

He pulled his beard.  Does it look like I am going to use a razor any time soon? 

I don't think I will be seeing a shiny Clyde chrome dome in the future.

 

I would greatly appreciate a Google review if you like my work!  Here is the link!

https://goo.gl/rV7F9a

 

Be sure to check out my Special Promotions at the bottom of the blog that end Saturday!

 

Please check out Clyde's book!

 

The book can be purchased on Amazon!  Here is the link!

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Fiddling+at+Midnight%27s+Farmhouse

 

 

 

 

Fiddling at Midnight's Farmhouse   Original   Acrylic  painting  NFS

Prints on Paper, Canvas, Metal, and Greeting Cards Available at  KENDALL KESSLER ART

Link to this Painting   https://fineartamerica.com/featured/fiddling-at-midnights-farm-house-kendall-kessler.html

 

If you like my work but don't have any more room on your walls be sure to check out my paintings on just about anything but the kitchen sink on

Zazzle!

Here is the link!      http://www.zazzle.com/newriverartist

 

 

Check out my My Paintings on Ebay 

www.ebay.com/newriverartist

If the address  does not work, put Kendall Kessler in the search!

 

 

 

 

 Be sure to check out my Special Promotions that end Saturday!

 

40% off Regular Price with a 30 Day money back guarantee!

 

 

 

 

The Lodge at Peaks of Otter    Original 16" x 12"    Oil  painting  $384

Prints on Paper, Canvas, Metal, and Greeting Cards Available at  KENDALL KESSLER ART

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-lodge-at-peaks-of-otter-kendall-kessler.html

 

Click on the 30" x 40" canvas print size for the 40% discount.

 

Jumbled up Wildflowers 12" x 9" Oil Painting $246

Wall Art Prints and Prints on Household items and Clothes Available at  KENDALL KESSLER ART

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/jumbled-up-wildflowers-kendall-kessler.html

 

 

Click on the 40" x 30" canvas print size for the  40% discount.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beauty and Danger   Original 20" x 16" Oil Painting  $670

Wall Art Prints and Prints on Household Items and Clothes Available at  KENDALL KESSLER ART

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/beauty-and-danger-kendall-kessler.html

 

 

Click on the 50" x 40" canvas print for the 40% discount.

 

Thank you for looking at paintings by an artist of The Blue Ridge Parkway

 

 

 

 

Blue Ridge Parkway Artist is Sad to Hear of the Death of Peter Tork and Too much Rain...

Blue Ridge Parkway Artist

Please click on my latest Youtube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEBHLjiPURQ

Please Check out My Story on Youtube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k77zseKBEc

I was so sorry to hear of the death of Peter Tork. I was not a big fan but I admire anyone that can be successful in the music field.  The show was just a two year hit but it was fun and after a struggle he was able to obtain work when it was taken off the air.  Music has always been an important part of my life and I play my piano every day and hope my fingers can keep going.  So far no arthritis.  My grandmother and great uncle attended Peabody Conservatory which is difficult to get into and they both taught music. 

My niece is married to the celebrated composer, Atli Orvarsson, who makes an excellent living composing music for movies.  The most prominent one that comes to mind is Pirates of the Caribbean. 

The music world has changed quite a bit.  There was a time not too long ago that accomplished musicians that played with rock and roll bands were not accepted by orchestras.  Now there are cross over musicians like David Garrett that play classical and popular music.  I like all music and own a lot of music CDs. 

My latest wildflower painting is just about done.  I have two stages of it on my website and after some tweaking I will post the final version.  I think I may switch to some abstract acrylic paintings for a while.  Oils is my main medium but it is such an intense experience I like to work with mediums that I just use water with.  Time to switch on that exhaust fan!  The studio is full of the smell of mineral spirits.

Winding Magenta  Original 24" x 18" Oil painting NFS

Wall Art Prints and Prints on Household Items  Available at  KENDALL KESSLER ART

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/winding-magenta-stage-two-kendall-kessler.html

 

Lily Glow   Original 24" x 18" Oil pastel painting  $884

https://kkesslerart.wixsite.com/website/blank-1/lily-glow

 

Be sure to check out my Independent website!  The link under Lily Glow  will take you there!

 

 

Life with The Word and Bird Man - Clyde Kessler

Clyde always keeps me posted on the weather.  He has been studying weather patterns since he was a little guy.  His mom said he was usually right about his predictions.  I am, of course, hearing a lot about all the rain we have been having. Today he said there is so much rain the ducks are lining up to get on boats.

 

I would greatly appreciate a Google review if you like my work!  Here is the link!

https://goo.gl/rV7F9a

 

Be sure to check out my Special Promotions at the bottom of the blog that end Today!

 

Please check out Clyde's book!

 

The book can be purchased on Amazon!  Here is the link!

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Fiddling+at+Midnight%27s+Farmhouse

 

 

 

 

Fiddling at Midnight's Farmhouse   Original   Acrylic  painting  NFS

Prints on Paper, Canvas, Metal, and Greeting Cards Available at  KENDALL KESSLER ART

Link to this Painting   https://fineartamerica.com/featured/fiddling-at-midnights-farm-house-kendall-kessler.html

 

If you like my work but don't have any more room on your walls be sure to check out my paintings on just about anything but the kitchen sink on

Zazzle!

Here is the link!      http://www.zazzle.com/newriverartist

 

 

Check out my My Paintings on Ebay 

www.ebay.com/newriverartist

If the address  does not work, put Kendall Kessler in the search!

 

 

 

 

 Be sure to check out my Special Promotions that end Today!

 

40% off Regular Price with a 30 Day money back guarantee!

 

 

 

 

The Lodge at Peaks of Otter    Original 16" x 12"    Oil  painting  $384

Prints on Paper, Canvas, Metal, and Greeting Cards Available at  KENDALL KESSLER ART

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-lodge-at-peaks-of-otter-kendall-kessler.html

 

Click on the 30" x 40" canvas print size for the 40% discount.

 

Natural Rhythm 40" x 30"Oil Painting $2430

Wall Art Prints and Prints on Household items and Clothes Available at  KENDALL KESSLER ART

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/natural-rhythm-kendall-kessler.html

 

Click on the 50" x 40" canvas print size for the  40% discount.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dream Horse   Original 16" x 20" Oil Painting  $670

Wall Art Prints and Prints on Household Items and Clothes Available at  KENDALL KESSLER ART

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/dream-horse-kendall-kessler.html

 

Click on the 40" x 50" canvas print for the 40% discount.

 

Thank you for looking at paintings by an artist of The Blue Ridge Parkway

 

 

 

 

Blue Ridge Parkway Artist, People Art, and Now I can't find my Shoes...

My Artwork

I do not live on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  I live near it and so much of my artwork is about this gorgeous mountain region.  I prefer Blue Ridge Parkway Artist to Southwest Virginia Artist so I am going to stick with the slightly innacurate one.

I have been blogging about so many different aspects of the Blue Ridge Mountains that I thought I would take a break and focus on the other kinds of artwork that I do.  I have never understood what people mean when they talk about artist's block. 

 I just wish I had the time to paint all the things I want to paint.  I am never at a loss as to what to paint and I am never bored.  I love what I do and I am determined to get all of it out to the world!

As usual, my main gripe is I wish someone could add more hours to the day!

In addition to mountain paintings I also paint people I know and genre scenes so I will blog some about them.

I come from a family with many artists and musicians and I play the piano every day for my own fun and to keep my fingers going.

A contemporary musician I greatly admire is the internationally acclaimed violinist David Garrett.  The portrait I did of him is my only celebrity portrait.  It is based on a photograph that was taken at a concert in San Diego.  

I contacted the woman that took the photograph and she gave me permission to use it.  I contacted David Garrett's estate and received permission to paint him.

David Garrett     Kendall F. Kessler

See more of my work that is available to purchase at  KENDALL KESSLER ART

Life with The Word and Bird Man - Clyde Kessler

I spend a lot of time looking for my glasses.  I have to have everything carefully put away or I can't find a thing.  

I usually don't have trouble finding my shoes but lately I have been leaving them in places that I don't usually put them so now I am looking for them as well.

My husband has had his glasses on and actually asked co-workers where they were!
We ain't what we used to be!

Check out my YouTubes and Headaches...

I have been working hard on some YouTubes of my work in spite of two sick guys at home.  My husband is better but my son took a few days off last week and then started a secondary infection that swelled his throat up so much he could hardly talk.  Anyway, I am proud of my efforts and I hope people keep checking them out.  The first one is on my Beautiful Nude Series which includes "Reaching Out" which was picked out of over three million works of art on Fine Art America to be on The Mindy Project.  The second one is on my portrait work and includes my recent portrait of world famous violinist David Garrett and the third one is on the beautiful Blue Ridge Vistas that I have made and sold many paintings of.  I live in the most beautiful place in the world and I never tire of painting it and adding my own special interpretation.

A new commercial about a help center got my husband and I joking around as usual.  The center is called The Headache Center, and , of course, the purpose is to help people who suffer from headaches but we couldn't help cracking jokes about how this must be  the place to go if you need a headache.  This week only, two for one sale! Buy one headache and get the second one free!  No offense to the center but I think they might consider adding the word Relief to the name.

I am working on a portrait this week that I didn't finish a long time ago.  Yes, artists do go back to old work sometimes which is why it is always good to sell them.  Sometimes revisions kill the initial effort.  Fingers crossed!

Check out my Second Video on Portraits and Mice in there...

I am pleased to have posted my second video.  This one is on my portrait work and includes my recent portrait of the virtuoso violinist David Garrett.  I think the photography turned out well and the music helps to enhance the discussion of the paintings.   The next one will be on my many landscapes of The Blue Ridge Mountains.

I came so close to throwing the computer out of the window yesterday.  I don't understand the ridiculous problems I encounter when trying to do simple things on it.  Why does the software change?  Why did my tutorials disappear on Aperture?  Why did the button that said workable movie disappear on my Canon software and was replaced with an upload to YouTube that would not accept my username and password?  Argh!!!!!  My husband came home, fiddled with it for a while, found my video and placed it on the desktop.  All I can say is I better leave this life before him or I may take a hatchet to the computer and then I would really be in a fix.

He explained to me that there are mice running around on the computer.  Each one is vying for the same piece of cheese in the software and they thumb their noses at the ones that don't get it.  I think some computer geek needs to invent a computer mousetrap.  The mouse we use to click is enough!

Don't forget to watch The Mindy Project!  It is a great show and since my drawing, "Reaching Out", is on it, I can say it has great artwork on the set!

Copyright Disappointment and Judge Judy Terrorists

A while back I decided I had better research copyright issues in the internet age and was quite surprised by what I found.  Like many art students I was taught that if a photograph was changed by 10% an artist could use it in an interpretive work of art.  Not so anymore.  If it can be proven that an artist used someone's photograph the artist can be sued.  If an artist wants to make a portrait of a celebrity then the artist needs permission from the photographer and the celebrity to make a portrait.  I decided I wanted to make a portrait of David Garrett so I contacted the photographer for permission and David Garrett's estate for permission.  I figured I wouldn't be able to sell the portrait or sell prints and I stipulated that in the request.  After I finished the portrait I found several artists selling prints of David Garrett so I contacted the estate again for permission and was turned down.  I guess all those artists that are selling prints of celebrities either have permission or they don't think they will be taken to court.  I'm way too chicken to try to sell the prints so I have the portrait on my page as an example of my portrait ability.  Oh well.  I don't think I will make any more portraits of celebrities unless the celebrity contacts me for one.  That would be nice!

My husband and I are probably one of five or so people in the world that don't have cable and don't want cable but I think digital TV was started as a conspiracy against the few hold outs that refuse to have a cable bill.  If there is any kind of strong weather the TV reception starts and stops which is really irritating but we don't watch that much TV so it isn't that big a problem.  I do like to watch Judge Judy when I am fixing dinner.  I like watching her rant and rave and some of the idiots on the show are great entertainment.  The other day the weather was fine but the show wouldn't come in.  My husband thought it was probably Judge Judy terrorists that couldn't take hearing her say one more time, "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!"  They took her out.  Actually, the show came on the next day so he was wrong.  We still don't have cable and I think we can hold out forever in spite of all the fancy offers on TV.

Back to Chasing Mineral Spirits Out and Ants Do Not have Teeth

I like pastels but now that I have finished my portrait of renowned violinist David Garrett, I am glad to be putting up with a noisy exhaust fan so I can paint in oils.  I read somewhere that visually oriented people have trouble with distracting sounds which is probably why I have to force myself to turn the exhaust fan on.  I also have a hard time with vacuum cleaners and I always cover my ears when the jets go over.  I like all mediums but oil paint is what I love the most.  Happy to be back, especially after a vacation with more aggravation then fun.

As soon as the weather gets warm we have trouble with ants.  This year is much better than past years.  My husband cut back a tree that was scraping the roof and found a number of ants nests near the house.  We hardly have any in the kitchen but we have a good number in the bathroom on the other end of the house.  I jokingly asked my husband if they wanted to brush their teeth.  He asked me what I would want to do if I spent my time crawling around in the dirt.  But, of course, ants don't have teeth.  They have a mandible.  My husband countered with how do you know?  Have you ever really looked that close at one?

I think that as time goes on we are turning into George Burns and Gracie Allen. We certainly are not anywhere as near talented as them, but our humor does resemble their style . I'm not sure which of us is which.

Check out My Portrait of Violinist David Garrett and I Think it Did More Than...

I am so pleased to have finished my portrait of David Garrett and I hope everyone can see the visual music I put into this work. I greatly admire David Garrett and his efforts to bring classical music to everyone. I am so impressed with all musicians that make the sacrifices that are necessary to playing beautiful music. I come from a family that has a lot of artists and musicians and I am an amateur pianist. I have two relatives that attended Peabody Conservatory and I grew up on classical music. I love all kinds of music but I like classical the best and David Garrett's new CD Legacy is fantastic!

People often say that their get up and go, got up and went. Well I think mine got up, keeled over, knocked over some chairs, rolled on the floor, and then went. Just kidding around! Actually today is the second day in a row I have not had any pain in my leg! I am hopeful that this problem I have had since August is not permanent! We will be at the beach soon and it would be great if it were gone. I have my fingers crossed, legs crossed, arms crossed, and eyes crossed. Of course, all that crossing may not be such a good idea. Don't want to stir up any more aches!

I Knew That Would Not Last and If There Were an Award...

When I started my latest painting I tried going back to a more traditional approach  using very thin layers and not letting the brushwork show.  Every once in a while I do that at the beginning of a painting and then decide it isn't me so I pile the paint on with expressive brush strokes .  I am very pleased with the energy in this painting.  I was listening to David Garrett's cross over version of Vivaldi's Summer and I think I captured that bursting expression that is in the music.  It is no wonder I entitled it "Tulip Dance".

My husband and I try to look reasonably put together when we go out but in our home we dress in clothes people probably wouldn't even give to Good Will.  My favorite pair of pants has a few holes, splotches of paint, and balloon out in the back.  My favorite shirt is baggy and has a hole in the shoulder with some other kind of stains.  My husband has a stained,  baggy shirt I doubt anyone would be caught dead in and the pants are a saggy mess.  If there were an award for worst dressed couple in a home environment, we would win it hands down.  My husband said he would beat out homeless people that haven't had a bath for ten years.