The start of painting #2

I've started the underpainting to painting #2-a still life with paint tubes and brushes.  The goal in this painting will be to lead the viewer around the painting using repetition of color and directional line.

Completed Painting #1

It's finally finished!  This is my first still life painting that I've done while studying abroad.  It's taken quite some time and I've made several revisions, but it's finally finished.

Oil on canvas 330mm x 550mm 

St. Patrick's Day...in Ireland!

Yes! I celebrated St. Patrick's Day in Ireland! For as long as I can remember it's always been something I've wanted to experience and after a full day in Wexford, Ireland, I couldn't have asked for more.
My fellow travelers included fellow international students, Anna Meeks, Costa Lau, Ana Milojkovic, and Wil Lewis.  And back in February, we set out on a plan to travel to Ireland in particular Cork. 

Unfortunately travel plans didn't work out to make it to Cork and we ended up staying in Wexford however, this proved to be a very good decision.  Instead of a hostel we stayed at the Maldron Hotel which turned out to be somewhat of a resort complete with sauna, jacuzzi, and pool.  Being that we arrived early in the morning, the fact that they let us check in early was an excellent way to start the trip.

After time in the sauna and pool to relax and a long nap to unwind from the long ferry ride from Fishguard to Rosslare, the group set out to experience St. Patricks Day with the people of Wexford.  We had some delicious food from a restaurant whose name escapes me and then were met with a bit of a downpour which produced one of the most beautiful rainbows I've ever seen.  If you've seen the YouTube video of "Double Rainbow Man", our reaction was very similar.

After dinner it was on to the night life.  Being that it was still early in the evening, places weren't crowded just yet.  We had just finished watching Ireland's Rugby game in which they suffered a horrible defeat, and were looking for drink, music, and overall a good time but things just weren't happening.  But thanks to the suggestions of a few, we ended up at a place called Metro 17, the same place where we watched the Rugby game, and had an absolutely amazing time.  There was live music including a band that played music we all recognized and an atmosphere of people who were just looking to have a good time.

Our trip was soon coming to an end and by 9am the following day it was time to board the ferry back to Wales.  Overall it was an experience of a life time and one that I wouldn't hesitate to return to and experience all over again.  After all, we are all young and have our whole lives ahead of us.  If we think of it as the only opportunity we'll ever have to travel, then we are limiting ourselves already.  Never eliminate possibilities in the future that haven't even happened.  It would be a real waste of time.

Dinefwr Park and Cardiff in two days...

It's nearly impossible to see everything there is to see in Dinefwr and Cardiff in just two days but you can still see quite a bit.

Dinefwr is a combination of things.  It's a 12th Century castle that's been destroyed and rebuilt over time and conquered by more people that I can count on one hand, and it's also an 18th Century landscape park with the Newton House as it's anchor.  Unfortunately the group didn't have enough time to visit the castle-that will be remedied very soon-but we did get to tour the Newton House and it was amazing!

At ever corner was a piece of history, from the beer cellar and distillery to the the dank basement rooms where the servants were once quartered.  Perhaps the most incredible view was not the ornate furnishings of the house or the exquisite artwork in the paintings of the family, but the landscape and architecture of the garden and outdoors of the land surrounding the house itself.  Don't get me wrong, I've been out of the landscape business for several years but if you paid attention carefully, you could pick out what plants and trees were planted by man and not indigenous to Wales.  Nevertheless, it was convincing enough to induce several jaw-dropping moments and camera battery draining photo opportunities.

The following day, the full group of international students from both the Carmarthen and Lampeter campuses traveled to Cardiff but made a stop to visit St. Ffagans to explore an outdoor style museum meant to mimic the past.  How far in the past? The dates escape me but are easily found on the internet.  We had the chance to see everything from the outer walls of a former fortress to the dark and dreary woolen factory basements.  The added smell of farm and old wool only added to the effect.  It in no way made me cringe and scrunch my nose in disappointment.  We did however visit the gardens where flowers will be in full bloom come spring and summer and several out buildings and pagodas in which a few of us inscribed our legacies for eternity.

And finally we traveled to Cardiff, Wales.  Cardiff, compared to Carmarthen, is much more city like and metropolitan.  Several hordes of people walked in the streets thank to the Wales vs. Italy rugby match-Wales won easily 27-12-and the town was spotted with arcades or 'malls' with shops similar to those found in malls in the States or even in Carmarthen.  Unfortunately we only had a short amount of time being that the game started at 2:30pm and most time was spent in a pub watching the game, but I wouldn't trade the time for anything.

I can't wait to get back to all the place the group has traveled this year.  With Easter break and St. Patricks Day in Ireland coming up, there won't be many trips left besides an excursion to London.  It's been an absolute pleasure experiencing all these destinations with fellow classmates and now life long friends.

Exploring the city of Bath, England...

This past Saturday the International Cultural Program had the opportunity to spend a good amount of time in Bath, England.  Forgive me for not being much of a history buff, but my best guess is that it's named Bath because of the Roman baths that seem to be the main attraction-I could be totally wrong, but I'm fine with my logic.  (For more accurate information, use Google)                                                                               

The Roman Baths are essentially typical early Roman architecture with mostly Doric columns, albeit it's hard to tell because of the amount of preservation and reconstruction, and houses a natural running hot spring that has been channeled into an open air bath large enough to have a family reunion and a few friends over.

Inside you'll find various private baths and cold baths for the bravely ancient and several former pieces of decor and structure that have been preserved and are now on display.

After grabbing a bite to eat, the group of guys I walked around with eventually made it to the Royal Crescent.  The Royal Crescent is pretty self explanatory.  It's a larger than life building housing many residents willing to pay a fortune for a posh yet sensibly located apartment/condo living space-hence the name Royal.  The latter is because of the shape of the building being arranged in a crescent shape.  Thank goodness it wasn't in the shape of an octagon.  But in all seriousness, it was an absolute wonder.

Finally we made our way to the Bath Abbey.  The Abbey-for those is the states it's pretty much a gigantic cathedral-is jaw dropping and dripping with Gothic architecture mixed with current renovations and updated technology.  The flat screen televisions do contrast with the vaulted ceilings and mini baldachins, but alas, it is the 21st century and it is by all means a functioning place of worship and not just a tourist attraction.

After picking up our jaws off the aged floors of the abbey, and grabbing a great cone of ice cream, it was time to head back to the university.  Although it was a very long bus ride, we had the pleasure of listening to the Wales/England rugby game.  For those in the states that may not know, Rugby is Wales' national game and the Wales/England game is a huge deal.  It was close all the way and despite a late scare, Wales came out on top 19-12 with one of the most amazing tries I've ever seen.

It was a long but fun filled and adventurous day in Bath and I wouldn't hesitate at the opportunity to venture to Bath a second time.  Next stop, Cardiff-the capital of Wales!

The beginning of a new painting...

The beginning of a painting is one of the most important parts in the process of painting.  It sets the whole tone for the project and chances are if you have prepared well enough physically and mentally, your vision will come through and onto the canvas.  For this project I have a ways to go.  I'm currently letting the under painting dry and also the color blocking dry then it's on to full color.  There will be more to come very soon.  In the mean time, enjoy the process with me!

Beginning to paint...

I've been in Carmarthen for a few weeks now and have settled in quite nicely.  Myself, along with fellow international students, have traveled to a few unique destinations including Aberystwyth, Swansea, and the Gower and while doing so have seen everything from castles to boardwalks to massive bodies of water.

Besides all of the wonderful sites to see, the main focus remains furthering my skills as an artist and concentrating on academia.  I was able to gather 99% of materials needed to begin a painting-the remaining 1% is a tube of cad. yellow that I forgot to pick up at the local art supply store.  In edition to paint, a friend of mine and university-mate Meghan directed me to a cool warehouse full of random things in order to find a piece of glass such as one found in a frame.  And the trip was indeed a success!

To make a palette from a piece of framed glass is quite easy: take out the glass, put a white paper backing and cardboard on one side, then finally tape everything down around the edges with a strong duct tape and you're set.  In short, you want to use a glass palette for oil because it's easy to clean and makes mixing paint fairly simple.

But before I started painting on canvas, I chose to make an ink wash by dropping some India Ink in a bowl of water and doing 30 minute or less sketch-paintings.  Sketch-paintings or pre-paintings are useful tools to figure out where you want your light source to be in your still life and they also help compose your painting so that you don't waste paint on the final product.

All in all I'm very pleased where this project is headed.  I really enjoy the subject matter of glass and trying different techniques and color palettes to achieve my vision.  There's a long road ahead but it's a much welcomed challenge.

The Gower Peninsula and Swansea City adventure...

This past weekend the international student group got the opportunity to visit Gower and Swansea City.  Gower is a peninsula with miles of gorgeous beaches and rocky terrain located about an hour and a half, by way of car, south of Carmarthen and just west of Swansea.  The moment we arrived we were met with the typical rainy weather of the season and cold blustery wind but that quickly faded as our jaws hit the soft grass in awe of the picturesque landscape.

As we walked along the grassy and muddy path, we were met with many sheep and their many, many presents they left for us.  Despite the animal landmines, we pressed on to the rocky coast and eventually the site of a seemingly endless ocean.  It was then the sun tore through the clouds and warmed our frozen faces which now bore broad smiles of wonder.

Unfortunately, by the time some of the group reached the shore, it was time to turn around and head back to the bus to travel to Swansea.  However, on the way back it felt as if we had been watching a black and white television and someone decided to switch the program to full color.  The grass was a gorgeous green and the sky became a beautiful blue-jaws back down to the floor.  Personally, all I could say was "wow" over and over.

After a short bus ride we arrived at Swansea.  Most of us famished ended up at McDonalds and ate whatever we could.  To be honest, I have no idea what I ate.  Hunger satisfaction aside, we began to stroll through town and the idea of a group photo scavenger hunt came about including photo-bombing a couple, stand behind a till, and storming a castle-all of which we accomplished with ease.  A couple hours later, however, it was time to say so long to Swansea and come back to our second homes in Carmarthen.

What was only a short day seemed like several hours, even days because of how much fun and inspiring it was to be in such a beautiful place.  This coming weekend there isn't a planned trip and the next weekend we go to Bath where I plan on sketching the architecture as best as I can.  In the mean time, I also plan on starting my first oil painting here in Wales and I couldn't be more excited! It's been a life changing couple of weeks here in Wales and I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.

The town of Aberystwyth, Wales...

The town of Aberystwyth, Wales can be described in so many ways with so many different adjectives that it would be impossible to list them all.

Aberystwyth is a little beach town with many attractions ranging from several centuries old architecture to the modern aspects of the colorful houses along the coast.  The international student group, and myself included in that group of course, went on a very cold and rainy day yet the colors of the architecture seemed to burst through the rain as if they were artificial rays of sunlight giving off warmth.  I guess one could say the smile and awe they brought upon me was in fact the warmth.
The warmth felt from the buildings and atmosphere was indeed the first reaction, the first thing I felt and the second was what I call "artist mode".

Artist mode might be something fellow art students or art lovers will recognize but just haven't put a name too.  It's best described as when you look at a building or landscape and start to think "how can I draw or recreate this in a creative way?"  Being that it was raining, it would have been impossible to sketch in person-something that will be remedied on a later visit.  So I took a few pictures and began sketching with different media.  I chose a little section of shops to start off with and used a new set of felt tipped pens thanks to the recommendation of a fellow artist, classmate, and good friend.

Once again, the Welsh landscape and atmosphere hypnotizes ones self and pushes you as an artist in a different and challenging direction.  I can't wait for the months to come!

Studying the structure of landscapes...

I've been studying the landscape of Carmarthen in my first week and by first observation it's simply breathtaking.  Even on a dreary, rainy morning you can see for miles, most of which is made up of farm land consisting of sheep.  But amongst the landscape are houses, fences, several kinds of trees-whose names escape me-and of course grass!

Each sketch usually takes about 10 minutes to do.  They aren't super detailed by any means but are instead meant to capture the structure of the landscape.

Back at my school in America, I studied how the light seems to dance across a still life as if it was carving a path for the viewer to follow-I hope to do the same with landscape painting and/or sketching.  And what better place then here in Wales and what better time than the end of winter and the beginning of Spring coming very soon.

The little things...

The semester has officially begun and class started without a hitch.  Morning coffee at where else but Starbucks (they are officially everywhere), Cinemas of the World class was informative and we screened "The Devil's Backbone" and were informed a bit about our project, and I managed to join the gym and did some heavy lifting and a bit of cardio.
Tonight begins a new adventure-Rugby.  I've never played before and tonight will be the first time I've ever practiced....ever. But being a bit of a "try everything once sports nut", I can't wait.  It's these little things in life that add up to being even more enjoyable as a whole.
So enjoy the little things in life and experience new things-no matter the outcome, positive or negative, you're that much better off for trying.

Sketching the landscape of Carmarthen...

Sketching the landscape of Carmarthen, Wales has become one of my favorite things to do anytime of day especially in preparation to paint for class at  later time.  Every where you look there's beautiful landscape and interesting architecture that leaves you stunned even if it's something you've seen everyday.

I was walking to the reception building yesterday morning to grab a soda early in the morning when something in the distance caught my eye.  As I set my soda on the ground and grabbed my pen and pad I began to sketch the hills and trees and houses being gently kissed by the suns light as quickly as possible.  Ten minutes or so later the sun had escaped behind the always reliable clouds and the moment was gone in reality but in memory and on paper, I would always have it with me.  It just goes to show if you walk around with your eyes open a little wider, you'll see such incredibly simple yet complexly beautiful things.

Arrived in Wales in one piece...

I finally arrived in Wales in one piece! First of all, the flight was amazing, a bit turbulent at times but overall a success.  I arrived to London about 11:30am and by the time I got through border patrol and hopped a bus at 4pm to Trinity Saint David in Carmarthen, Wales, It was 9pm.  It was then I found out Wednesday is the night of the week.

The students, the faculty, and so far everyone in Wales has been so kind and friendly, I couldn't have asked for anything more.  I've already met some wonderful friends and people around town-I just can't say enough good things.

Orientation wraps up this weekend, class begins Monday, and the journey continues for the next four months.  More to come very very soon!

*pictured above is the remnants of a castle toward the center of town overlooking a river.