I need a new camera

With a better camera this painting would look so much more like the original.

Krista Betland

Labor day weekend I went up north and was lucky enough to paint Krista Betland.

So here is the third of the three. I am a little burnt out on painting this girl so I think I will move on to something different like an abstract. I usually need to do something new for at least three times to nail it. I personally like the first of the black and whites but others have told me differently. This one is a little looser than the last two. I almost didn't finish it but I had to just give myself and hour to finish it. It helped because you get moving that fast you see progress quickly and it is motivating. I find it funny that every time I sit down to paint I still need great faith in my own abilities. I have to often tell myself in the preliminary stages that I am in the preliminary stages otherwise I get discouraged and never want to finish the work.

When you got a good thing going...

Black and white, with a little gray somewhere in between.

This one I did in black and white because I felt like I could use a little help with my values. It is very difficult to convert what you see in life to not only the correct color but the correct value (by value I mean how dark or light the color is). One of my favorite portrait artists, John Howard Sanden, teaches that you should try to use 9 values from almost white to almost black. This keeps it easier to replicate. You really need to simplify what you see other wise you get very over whelmed. I am very happy with this painting because not only did I get the values very close I also drew it out with my paint brush accurately.

Where do store all these? Are they for sale?

A friend recently asked me these questions. I store them in my studio/bedroom. I would love to sell them or accept commissions. Spread the word to all your family, friends and business aquaintances. I could always use the money to fly out to see Alaya as often as I can afford to.

#3

The story behind these three is... I was bored at about 11pm the other night and I was sick of watching movies so I decided to give myself an hour and a limited set of colors to use and just push out whatever came out. I referenced a photo but I wanted to get away from just striving to replicate what I saw in the traditional sense but I wanted to try to put a little interpretation into it. After an hour of work I took a break and stepped back. I really liked what I had started so I put in some more time. After all was said and done I had put in two hours. This was the standard for the next two. This was the story of #1. The other two followed the next day. For some reason the next two I had a harder time with distorting the proportions. I find it funny that I spent so many hours practicing how to draw and paint "realistic" and now I find myself fighting to get away from it.

#2

#1

The finished abstract

This the finished product of the one I had only started. I was very excited creating this painting and then as soon as it was finished I was already starting something new and I lost all interest in this one. I guess that is just the story of progress.

Alaya as Mary

Although this isn't a painting I had a cell worth contribution to this little cutie.

Serena and Alaya

This was a portrait I did of a mayor out in Riverton UT

Sorry if the picture isn't the greatest on the last three. I had people other than myself at the helm on those.

This is what I am currently working on. It is an abstract piece I have applied the landscape techniques I wrote of. The color on this and the landscape is a little off but what do you expect from a photo.

My first blog!

Well I started this with the intent of using it to display "the fantastic art of Matt Gaulke" as the address indicates. Recently I have been doing landscape painting outside in the elements. I have never really done this so it has been a great learning experience. It has had a huge impact on my abstract work. I learned a ton about the value of working wet on wet which is a oil painting technique to describe applying wet oil paint right into wet oil paint already on the surface. Anyway this just the beginning and I need to keep the element of mystery behind myself as an artist so I will disappear from here.
P.S. I lost my camera in the divorce so the pictures will come soon...