New Year's Jive - original figurative oil painting

Starting 2020 off the right way, this little jive couple keeps the dance going on 6 x 8" Gessobord with lots of brushwork describing their energy.  Thanks so much for looking - and Happy New Year!

All Out Jive - original acrylic figurative painting

I know - it's a little crazy looking - but I love the abandon and just went with it.  I like how this fella dances and the girl has just returned to the floor after a jump.  Didn't have room on the panel for both of them to be airborne.  Was listening to my workout music while painting and it is definitely jive - the only problem is that I should use it more, rather than just listening as I paint!  This piece is on gessoed panel, 7 x 5".  Thanks for looking!

Wild Jive - original figurative oil painting

This painting is what listening to oldies will do for you - what a way to spend a couple of hours on Friday afternoon.  The music is from my workout playlist, so it's all pretty lively.  On 8 x 8" Gessobord.  Thanks for looking!

Mad Jive - original oil figurative painting

She looks a little wild, hence the title.  The struggle to make things loose continues.  This one is 7 x 5" on Gessobord.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Happy Jive - original figurative oil painting

It was gloomy all day, so the perfect thing to do was immerse myself in the film noir offered on Fridays in June on TCM.  Can never get enough of this genre.  My posting is sort of opposite the way I spent my day, though - happier and more colorful, for sure - this piece is on archival canvas board, 11 x 14".  Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

Jive Lovin' - original figurative oil painting

I should have let this dry a little because it's really shiny, but I didn't.  Oh well.  It's on 6 x 6" Gessobord.  Thanks for stopping by!

Jivin' on Seventh - original oil figurative painting

Listening to my jive music while painting this one - boogied at the easel, I did.  It's 8 x 10" on archival canvas board.  Thanks for stopping by!

On My Easel - Jivin' Night - original oil figurative painting in progress

Have you ever listened to "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by the Andrews Sisters?   Wow!  What a great song - I played it many times while painting this piece, along with more of my jive and rock 'n' roll goodies.  There's a good bit of work to do on this - work on the figures plus take out some of the little tiny brushstrokes in the background - and the music will just make it fun!  These dancers are on 9 x 12" stretched canvas.  Thanks for stopping by!

On My Easel - Jivers Again - original oil figurative painting in progress

More work to do on this, but should finish tomorrow and will just replace this with the final version.
Love those jivers - they always get me going - it's 9 x 12" on canvas - thanks for looking!

JiveHappy - original ink figurative drawing

My little jivers are back with a vengeance - well, actually, they are never far away.  I think all my little characters know I love them!  I've been doing lots of sketches that may or may not end up as paintings.  I'm a firm believer in drawing just for the sake of drawing - so whether they become paintings doesn't really matter to me.  This one is ink on 6 x 6" Bristol board.  Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

Daily News Jive - original mixed media figurative drawing

Just fooling around here, using the stock pages from the newspaper as a drawing support.  I've tried many different ways of using newspapers as a drawing background - maybe it's the straight lines of the printed paper and the sober stock market news reporting vs. the squiggly ink lines of figurative drawings that attracts me.  Often, I will spray with 'make it acid free' or use various acrylic mediums over it to make it longer lasting.  For this one, it will be bonded to mat board with Studio Tac after spraying with the acid free stuff.  I used ink with some Crayola and oil pastel - it's about 4 x 9 1/2".  Thanks so much for visiting my blog! Sold

Little Friday Jive - original oil figurative painting

My little jivers - always cuttin' a rug - this time, on 6 x 12" canvas.  Thanks for stopping by!

More Jivin' - original mixed media figurative drawing

Well, the jivers are still jiving and I'm still following them around!  Initially, I had planned to do something with Caran d'Ache watersoluble crayons, but all I could find at my studio were the wax crayons by the same maker, so the best laid plans etc. etc. - anyway, this quick little drawing was fun to do.  It's on 9 x 12" cold press watercolor paper.  I used ink, graphite and wax crayons.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Joyful Jive - original ink and watercolor figurative painting

My little jivers showed up today in ink (applied with a very thin dowel) and watercolor.  Done quickly in order not to overwork, it's on 9 x 12" cold press watercolor paper. I know, I know, I could go back and make lots of corrections, but I'm not going to because I love crazy lines and there are definitely lots of them here!  Currently, I'm listening to Barbara Tuchman's The Proud Tower on audible.com.  I can't decide whether it's better to listen to something or to draw in complete silence.   Do most artists like it to be quiet when they draw?  That would make an interesting survey.  Any thoughts on this?

On My Easel - Jive Practice - original oil figurative painting in progress

Much to do on this painting, but I sort of like this stage - not finished and sort of raw.  Maybe there should be shows for unfinished works - could be called "Beginnings".  My fear is that this painting will be killed, so I'll set my timer and do nothing to it after the buzzer goes off.  Absolutely nothing.  I promise myself.  The surface here is 12 x 12" stretched canvas.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

More of Those Crazy Jivers - original ink and oil pastel figurative drawing

The first time I saw this jitterbug/jive/lindy step, I was dumbstruck.  Maybe the second and third times, too.  The guy - usually lower to the ground than this jiver - sort of scoots or hops along while the girl holds on tight to his hand to give him balance.  Anyway, it's unbelievable and I just can't help but wonder about his knees.  A fun thing, though, and I love it, because I adore what the jivers do as they jitterbug through life.  This started as an ink drawing and I was really happy with it.  Then, I thought about a little color - that's where the trouble usually starts for me, because my lines end up covered and ruined.  But I added just a smidgen here and there, so the lines wouldn't be obscured, and it seems to work???  It's on Bristol board paper, about 9 x 7 1/2".  Thanks so much for stopping by!Sold

Jive on Green - original acrylic figurative painting

Here's just a sort of fun thing I did over the weekend - 12 x 16" acrylic on board.  Thanks for looking!

Watercolor Jivers - original watercolor and graphite figurative painting

Okay, it looks like I was just totally goofing off, but my jivers like to show up in any medium, so this time they danced on Yupo for the unbridled fun of it.  This little painting is about 4 1/2 x 10".  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Sweet Jive - original charcoal figurative drawing of dancers

This drawing is set to become a painting (oil on canvas or panel).  I don't always do this, but the painting usually goes a little quicker when I have a plan of sorts.  Plus, I just love using my vine charcoal - this time, it's Coates brand - to squiggle my dancers into being.  (They're always there, of course, but I give them a little nudge.)   Drawn on Strathmore Drawing paper, it's about 10 1/2 x 8 1/2".  Thanks for looking!

Jivin' Their Way - original oil figurative painting

I really loved doing this one - well, of course, I have fun with every single one of my jivers, but this one, especially.  Maybe it's because I sense their joy. The painting's not dry yet, so is a little fuzzy-looking in the photo.  "Jivin' Their Way" is on 8 x 8" archival canvas panel.  Thanks so much for stopping by! SOLD