AJBenjamin: 2010

Friday, December 31, 2010

AJBenjamin Guest Stars!

Abigail!

Jonah!

Benjamin!

AjBenjamin Contributing Guests this week: Very special people to me came for a visit and we got started painting...

More from AJBenjamin Guests!

....and more from the mix....FANTASTIC!!

....keep posted as there may be more in the future from these young bright stars!

;-D

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Elysian Park Sky Scrapers

whew! Struggling struggling but teacher A, help with the color of the sky and....victorious!

Was really struggling with this one at the site and pretty much threw down my brush near the end and pronounced it a failure! But my very sweet painter buddy encouraged me to finish...and I'm glad i did! thanks M!

EchoParkLakePalms

Alittle Wayne Thiebold or Greg ____(? his colleague I can remember the name right now). Very Poppy. I didn't intend it to be and was just doing a sort of underpainting but I like it.

BuenaVista SkyScrapers

This is kind of sketchy but I really dig the colors and even the weirdness of it.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Descanso Gardens Agave

We all ended up painting a large Agave at different view points.

This is coming out a little Wayne Thiebaud a little David Hockney in the dayglow colors. But you should've seen it before...it even had magenta pink in it...now all covered over. I like it! it was like painting from the seat of my pants and soooooooooo much fun!

Oh and BTW, it's not finished yet. We are trying out another new technique where we'll paint in the background next session at a new location! Weird and I don't quite get it but I'm sure it'll be interesting....stay posted!

Vista Hermosa Park, Echo park

So this is a little childlike and not so professional. But I like it because it catches the light and general feel of what was there.

GriffithPark Observatory

A bit of a collaboration with my Teacher Aaron Donovan. It's working, I think.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

SilverLake

New Technique still. It's kind of fun but what I'm finding is that I'm not looking as much to really see what is in front of me. It makes for a clearer painting, though.

BaxterLakeView

Still wasn't able to finish using the new technique.

EchoParkLake

I am trying out a new technique that my teacher has shown us. I'm a little resistant and wasn't able to finish this one. But I kind of like it.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Absract Collage

A stab at abstract. Not easy and amaturish.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Topanga Grassy Hill

Monotype after a Photograph I took up in Topanga. I printed in my class. Like how the scratching of the grass came out. It's a bit romantic but still like it.

Michaeltorena Agave

Here is a close up detail of one of the Agaves on Michaeltorena. I love that concrete wall...something about a plain surface but when the light hits it and all the shadows, it comes alive and is ever changing...not at all a static thing.

Also done quickly on site. But for this one, I brought back home and worked on it a little more. I've been wanting to try to abstract my paintings but I'm not there yet. Seems I'm just getting more realistic. But as I get bolder with the color, I feel like it comes together more.

Michaeltorena Cacti

There is this big poured in place concrete wall over on Michaeltorena Street and a bunch of cacti in front. I did this very quickly and may not resemble at all...but I DO like the colors if not the gesture.

Out My Front Door

Yikes! I was in a fast and furious mode when I painted this. I mean furious as in I needed to get out some aggression and just went at it. It's really really bad.

But I decided to post it anyway because what I did learn is that too much of something is not a good thing. It needs some breathing space and all the values are the same...basically too too much!

a good lesson for me, though....!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Olvera Street

Once again, I was starting to like it at the site but now that I have it back home...it's gawdy! It's too much! Needs editing!!!

At least I was able to catch the light somewhat and have a sense of space I think.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Michaeltorena

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Abstract GreenBottle

Abstract Octo

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Green Bottle

Trying to catch the translucency of the bottle. At the same time trying to give it lightness and energy. I think I accomplished those things....I like it!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Bottle XL

An quick interpretation of the Bottle Painting Done X-Large.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Bottle

My Linseed Oil Bottle. Hey this is fun!

CoffeeCup

And now for something completely different....a Still life!

It's difficult to get outside to paint sometimes during a busy day. Really, it's the weekend or after 7pm that I can paint. So I thought I'd try a still of my coffee cup. In the back is my bottle of Linseed oil which adds a brilliant spot of brightness and contrast.

I think I did have a breakthrough in the Chinatown painting and now I'm really excited about painting again. I'm going to try a bunch of still lifes for the next few I think.....

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Chinatown Abstract

I did this as a quick sketch of the Chinatown painting. I like it!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Chinatown

I was rather pleased at the Site with this one and my teacher said something about a 'breakthrough' for me. It's not bad...not bad...slowly slowly....I progresss...

Chinatown with the brightly colored buildings was our site today. I was a little put off at first by so many people millling around and all the architecture, that I shuttled off to one corner in the shade hoping to hideway alittle from the crowd. I also sat down for this one, which I think helped too. All in All I'm pretty happy with this one.