Drawing Invitational at Roanoke Island Festival Park

These are some of my sketches. chick here for info on Roanoke Island

Pretending to be shrimp

That is how I feel sometimes.

Oil on canvas 6"X16"

Sketchy Bluecrab

I do a lot of little doodles like this. It's a habit.

colored pencil, black marker, caulk on envelope

Priceless.

Business Like Posture(SOLD)

I painted a crab again today somewhat blue.

oil on canvas panel 6"X16" (SOLD)

Think Happy Thoughts

"Son, there are a lot of things in this world that you are going to have absolutely no use for." I am having fun with my new bug buddies. I left the doors to my "studio" open and the lights on to welcome them. I wander around my garden searching for subjects. Anyone watching me would surely think "Hehold, a man searching for bugs to paint in his "studio"" . I feel the cheery name helps to compensate for the subject.

Oil on linen 12"X14"
This painting is no longer available

The color of crab (SOLD)

Acrylic on canvas 11"X14" (SOLD)

Cat Fight Dancing(SOLD)

This subject was a fun study, and agreeably a "chancy" subject. This is my cat on my dock. I just practiced painting shapes.

Acrylic on canvas 20"X20" (SOLD)

Crab Encountered (SOLD)

Yesterday this crab looked more like cows pulling a wagon.

If you chick here you will see what I mean.

Acrylic on canvas 24"X24" (SOLD)

Bumble Bee (SOLD)

Oil on canvas 6"X8"
This painting is sold.

Spring Bug

(to let you feel my paint)

Oil on canvas 6"X8"

Yellowfin (SOLD)

I have enjoyed this.

oil on canvas 24"X12"
this painting is sold.

Shrimp Traffic (SOLD)

Wanchese Industrial Seafood Park

on Roanoke Island (named after Chief Wanchese) the Indian Guy. Chick on this if you are interested in The Lost Colony

I think they found it. Name dropper.

oil on canvas 16"X16" (SOLD)

KDH Cooperative Painting Workshop

If you are one of the 8 people taking my painting workshop on April 20 & 21, listen up.

I want you to bring your own photographs to paint. Bring several. When you are making the selection of those photo's, think in terms of 2 dimensional flat design. Use a critical eye and decide if what you want to paint would look like a pleasing design in black and white. If you are using a digital photo, (hopefully) crop the photo to have the same proportions as your canvas before you print it. I think this will make the workshop more rewarding. If you have sketches, please bring them also. I hope this is self explanatory. I am looking forward to meeting you. If you have any questions call me. Bring at least 2 canvases with you.

Sincerely,

Rick

Amphetamines and Rust (SOLD)

With a name such as this, one must not be too flippant with words.

Oil on canvas 12"X24" (SOLD)

Worried Shrimp

Oil on canvas 16"X12"

One Bass

Oil on canvas 24"X12"

One Bourbon One Shrimp One Beer (SOLD)

oil on canvas 12"x20"
This painting is sold.

One Bourbon One Scotch One Crab

Look man. Oil on canvas 14"X14"

Stranded in this needless space

oil on linen 12"X24"

This painting is no longer available.

Breakfast of Champions(private collection)

 Thanks Cora.
I have given this painting to Cora's father.
oil on canvas 12"X12"

Stuck inside a Holstien

oil on canvas 8"X10"

Romancing the Crab (SOLD)

Oil on canvas 14"X14" (SOLD)

Reflections on the Beach Road(SOLD)

On a clear summer morning along North Carolina Highway 12, the first rays of sunlight bounce off the Atlantic Ocean.

Oil on canvas 20"X20"

This painting is sold.

Artificial Bait

Oil on canvas 10" X 14"

Wanchese Trawler (SOLD)

Oil on canvas 14"X14"
this painting is sold.

Beach Master(SOLD)

Oil on canvas 14"X14" (SOLD)

Mixed, Up, Confusion (SOLD)

".....if the work speaks for itself, don't interrupt"
. We're in the big time now, Jack. We're not just a couple of macho men from the flea market."Rico Suave

Oil on canvas 24"X16" (SOLD)

Toy Horse

For a while I painted something else, and then I painted this.

Oil on canvas 10"X10"

Nuclear Sheep (SOLD)

Here is a better shot.

More sheep on Bitter Lake. If a photographer saw how I photographed this he would shrug his shoulders and walk away.

Oil on canvas 24"X12" (SOLD)

Honky Tonk Chicken (SOLD)

I chased this rooster around the barnyard on Bitter Lake.

Oil on linen 14"X14"
this painting is sold.

Whalebone Junction (SOLD)

She deserved a better board. I turned the board around and added a local surf shop's logo. The Jolly Roger with eye patch and surfboard cross arms.Whalebone Surf Shop. Named after Whalebone Junction. A whale once washed up at the intersection of US Highway 64 and NC Highway 12 (The Beachroad). Thus the name whalebone. Way Rad, Dude!

oil on canvas 16"X16"
Chick here to see other artist versions
This painting is sold.

One size fits all (SOLD)

It won't be long before these little ocean front bungaloos meet the wrecking ball or the Atlantic Ocean. I don't know the name of this complex. I will find out the name. If you know, tell me. Nag's Head? Virginia Dare Trail. aka (The Beach Road) Oil on canvas 24"X12"
This painting is sold.

Call your mother (on Bitter Lake) (SOLD)

Here is what I did to it.

More of those sheep on Bitter Lake. The only white is the white of the canvas. I like it so far, but adding white to color is the turning point. I would say that I have the composition pretty close, and the tones seem as good as I know how to make them. Color should only enhance what I have so far. At least that's what suppose to happen. Thanks for looking.

oil on canvas 24"X12"
this painting is sold.

Rooster Face

These birds are a blast to paint. I do feel that there is also a challenge in these birds. I don't use any reference material. That's my excuse for having so much fun! There is a party every day in Rick Nilson's studio.

oil on canvas 8"X10" $85+S&H

Worried Rooster

Oil on linen 10"X10" $145+S&H

Akimbo

My counselor is confident. "If I just keep trying, you will improve."

Oil on linen 10"X10" $100+S&H

In the kitchen with Louie

Louie makes me a cheese steak sandwich.

oil on linen 10"X10" $100+S&H

The Trigger Fish

This is a stuffed triggerfish that is suspended from the ceiling fan next to my easel. My bathroom door has a stained glass transom. Oil on linen 14"X12"in mixed media. What a set of choppers. I realized that if I had to explain to you what was happening here, well then, what was the point?Not for sale

Stupid Dog

I tried to give this guy a "pastey skinned sunburned slack muscled" look. I was going for a look of contempt in both figures. I added the dog. Odd, painting the dog took all of 1 minute, and then I stood back and smiled. Oil on linen 14"X14"
this painting is no longer available

Autonomus Crab

The scientific name for blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) translates to "tasty beautiful swimmer"

Oil on linen 20"X20"

Nag's Head Oceanfront (SOLD)

I just painted shapes. Here are some of them. oil on linen.

12"X24"

(SOLD)

Hoochie Coochie Crab

I think this painting is better than the photo shows.

Oil on linen 14"X14"

The Summer House (on coming from grey) (SOLD)

fin.

This is an under painting. I find it is easier for me to control the paint if I start with a grey scale such as this and then add color. I think it has something to do with my training using markers. If a painting is as complex as this, adding white too soon, for me, is like inviting certain failure. I have probably washed away more paint than I have put on this piece thus far. I think this is a distinct advantage that linen has over canvas when using oil paints, and for me represents the biggest difference between oil and acrylic paint. The process of painting that I use is probably the brand of a studio painter, as opposed to painting on site. The next time I paint on site, however, I will do a line sketch with markers on paper to establish the composition and the contrasts before I begin painting. I read this in a Kevin McPhearson's book. I have been working with the oils more of late because it seemed better suited for painting outdoors. The type of painting that I have been doing in oils, of coming from grey to color,(shown above) as opposed to coming from color to the correct shades and intensity of color, was brought to my attention by Mike Rooney. (It made sense to me at the time),but I did not distinguish myself as that type of painter. I realized later that he was describing my style of painting. I don't know if this makes any sense to you. If it does or doesn't you owe yourself a painting demonstration or a workshop with Mike. I learned a lot of interesting things about other ways of painting from Mike. I welcome every opportunity to talk smart with other artists. Hey, it works for me! He has a lot of video's here Jerry'sArtaRama Check out his free stuff and his cd's.

Oil on stretched linen 14"X14" (SOLD)