Painting Blog by - Ernie Kleven, Artist

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-21T11:31:00.000-08:00

"Winter Wonderland" C. 2011 Ernie Kleven

AND

HAPPY NEW YEAR

May 2012 bring you

great happiness and prosperity.

Ernie and Nancy Kleven

http://www.erniekleven.com/

ernie@erniekleven.com

I'm back at my easel!

2011-11-27T12:57:00.000-08:00

I've recently completed a Design workshop by Margot Shultzke. It was an 8 week program of 1/2 day each Wed which was very rewarding. I'm looking forward to taking another one next year if I get back from AZ in time. I had started a portrait of "Alex" back in March and hadn't finished it. I was kind of "stuck" but was able to complete it with Margot's encouragement. Here is the final result if you haven't seen it on Face Book.

"Alex"

I posted this on Face Book but not without a problem. I first posted the wrong picture which had a
blue cast to it and of course, couldn't remove it, so I had to post it again with the correct image.
I also wanted to post it on my Artist page which I did, but to my surprise, it appeared "again" on my Personal page. Now I have three images posted??? Unfortunately Face Book doesn't allow you to correct mistakes, at least to my knowledge. In all honesty I haven't taken the time or applied the effort to learn all of the facebook intricacies of which there seem to be hundreds.

And then there is the "learning curve"! Man, I seem to be facing one of those every week. I received an I-phone from Nancy awhile back and am still learning the finer points of that. Now Nancy and family gave me an I-Pad for my Birthday (Thanksgiving Day) and there is even more to learn. I guess that good though. It keeps the mental cobwebs from becoming too dense. Still sometimes my brain could just use a rest. In spite of wearing out my brain I do love what these remarkable tools can do.

On another subject I painted a landscape of a Montana sunrise I observed early one morning a couple of years ago. I had just returned from my morning jog and saw this scene over my daughter's home. Because of the lone pine which had so much character I call this "Sunrise Sentinel". That particular tree stands in her corral.

"Sunrise Sentinel"

My thought for the day:

Tolerance

"I accept myself just as I am, I'm not here just to please others,

and I accept others just as they are, they are not here just to please me!"

- Ernie Kleven -

ernie@erniekleven.com

Display Panels E-Manual

2011-04-07T17:32:00.000-07:00

"hi, ernie - wanted to show you my finished gallery - we got your manual, made a few small changes to fit my needs. The panels get lots of positive comments, and the gallery is beautiful. Thanks -"
I am so pleased to show the Art Display Panels made by a purchaser of my E-Manual. Etty Pacifico has recently opened an Art Gallery/Art Supply store in San Luis Obispo, CA called Art Central. She used her ingenuity & my E-Manual plans to make the large wall display below.

I'm blown away by how great this looks. The panels are covered with indoor/outdoor carpeting which gives a warm professional look. It is a combination Art Gallery and Art Supply Store. She operates it under her married name, Etty Pacifico and it is called "Art Central" and is located at 1329 Monterey St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. She publishes the Art Central Blog. Click on it to check it out. She also paints watercolor under her maiden name, Etty Klinger. You can see Etty's Website here.
Nancy & I have returned to Loomis, CA where I am busy filling orders for my Display Panel E-Manual through eBay. Click here to see my E-Manual listing on eBay. Now that the rains seem to have subsided I plan to begin painting my miniature personal 6" x 8" destop paintings. They will be designed to both sit on a desk or hang in groupings on the wall. You'll be seeing some soon. Well, th-th-that's all for now.

Quote for the day: "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are!" by Theodore Roosevelt

Please forward this Blog to anyone you feel might be interested in it and your comments are welcome. If you are a visitor and you would like to be added to my Blog email list please email me at ernie@erniekleven.com. Also please visit my website at http://www.erniekleven.com/ On the other hand if you wish to be removed from this list please reply with "Cancel" written in the subject line.

Art Masterpieces in Parisian apartment

2011-02-27T19:57:00.000-08:00

Can you even imagine walking into this place? How exciting would that be? "For 70 years the Parisian apartment had been left uninhabited, under lock and key, the rent faithfully paid but no hint of what was inside." Click on hotlink below:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/8042281/Parisian-flat-containing-2.1-million-painting-lay-untouched-for-70-years.html

I don't wish to be arrogant enough to include my work in the class of the above. Still I want to keep you abreast of my progress. Below is a copy of my recent magazine cover of a desert campfire scene published in Jan 2011. I painted this 2 years ago after I witnessed the scene during a TV filming of our group by the "Retirement Living" show. I saw the beautiful colors of the setting sun on the mountains on the monitor and was disappointed to find the mountains cropped out of the frame when the show aired on TV.

Thought for the Day: "The purpose of our lives is to add value to the people of this generation and those that follow."
by Buckminster Fuller. What a wonderful idea to aspire to.

Since it's been so long since my last post I want to get this out quickly but I feel I should tell you that I recently spent time in a Phoenix hospital having neuro surgery to prevent a stroke. Before Christmas I took a nasty fall on my head which almost caused me to black out. It was the day before we were to leave for Orange County, So Calif. to spend Christmas with family so I didn't go to the doctor though I had a low grade headache and was quite sore for awhile.

Last week I began noticing some weird things like my right side wasn't functioning normally. My coordination was off and my right foot was dragging a little. My headache returned and I had a loss of energy and overall weakness. The final straw was when I lost my speech for about five minutes. All I could do was to utter gibberish. I tried and tried and after five minutes or so my speech slowly returned. We went to the local fire station in Quartzsite and had the EMT examine me and he advised us to go to the Parker hospital about 30 miles away for a CT scan. It was there that we learned I had a pool of blood on my left side pressing against my brain. They immediately called for an airplane to medivac me to a trauma center in Phoenix. I couldn't see Nancy because she had been waiting in the truck with Taco, our little Chihuahua, I just had to call her on the cell phone and she had to drive home alone to our 5th wheel parked in the desert. Son Keith drove over from Orange county to help her along with some good friends who took care of Taco while she visited me in the hospital.

The procedure was sort of simple. The team of Neurosurgeons had to drill through my skull to drain the blood and relieve the pressure which took about 20 minutes. (they had a really sharp drill) I was in ICU for 2 days laying flat on my back to let the wound drain completely and checked out on the fourth day with no discernable damage. I have to return for a another CT scan and staple removal on 3/9. Otherwise I feel great and very lucky. My guardian angel came through yet once again.

The Whale Said "Thank You"

2010-11-27T10:45:00.000-08:00

The Whale Said "Thank You"
If you read a recent front page story of the SF Chronicle, you would have read about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth.

A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallon Islands (outside the Golden Gate ) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her. They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles.
She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed them gently around ~she was thanking them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.
The guy who cut the rope out of her mouth said her eyes were following him the whole time, and he will never be the same.

May you, and all those you love, be so blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by people who will help you get untangled from the things that are binding you. And, may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude. I pass this on to you, my friends, in the same spirit.

The best part of this story is that it is true!

Please forward this Blog to anyone you feel might be interested in it and your comments are welcome. If you are a visitor and you would like to be added to my Blog email list please email me at ernie@erniekleven.com. Also please visit my website at http://www.erniekleven.com/ On the other hand if you wish to be removed from this list please reply with "Cancel" written in the subject line.

The Death Of Our Refrigerator

2010-10-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

Those of you who are friends on my Facebook already know that we had our refrigerator in our 5th wheel die about ten days ago. Fortunately we have a chest freezer on board so the frozen items were no problem and the high temps outside here in Victor, MT are in the 40’s range so an ice chest worked temporarily though inconvenient. The replacement cost new is around $1200 so I did some shopping. In the meantime I tried to console Nancy that the refrigerator under these conditions was more of a convenience than a necessity. Her glare would have made an Oak tree wither. That ploy wasn’t going to work.

While searching for some kind of a deal for a good used or refurbished unit I found that I could purchase a re-built cooling unit with a 3 yr warranty for
$440 incl shipping. I requested the instructions be emailed to me in advance to see if I thought I could do the job. Upon looking at them I could see it wasn’t going to be a cake walk because there is just enough clearance between the refrigerator and the breakfast nook to get it out. Then it had to be lowered to the floor and placed face down in the living room so the cooling system could be removed from the back. $750 is a huge savings so we ordered it. It arrived within a week.

Friday I went hunting in the morning and began work on the unit after lunch. With the help of my wife, Nancy, and some leverage principles I remember from my high school physics class (some memory, huh?) we used a 10 ft 2x4 and a step stool to lower it down to the floor. (I’d have to draw a picture to explain that.)

By 7 p.m. I was bone tired and though I wanted to finish the job Nancy & I both decided on the wisdom of waiting until morning. One problem was the hole in the outside wall which we blocked with pillows. Fortunately the really cold weather was yet to come so we survived the night just fine.

The following morning I got right to it and using the same levering system the unit slipped right into the hole. After hooking up the electric and propane lines we turned it on. About an hour later we could feel the freezer actually getting cold. It was WORKING! Once again a challenge was met and overcome with "patient persistence", my favorite phrase.

My Quote for the Day:
"Concentrate all your thoughts on the task at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to focus."

~Alexander Graham Bell

Please forward this Blog to anyone you feel might be interested in it and your comments are welcome. If you are a visitor and you would like to be added to my Blog email list please email me at ernie@erniekleven.com. Also please visit my website at http://www.erniekleven.com/ On the other hand if you wish to be removed from this list please reply with "Cancel" written in the subject line.

BEST WISHES FROM MONTANA

2010-10-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

"Daffodils In The Woods" 12"x 9" Oil on Canvas Board. c. 2010.

This was the last painting I was working on before starting work for the Census. Now that it is finished I thought I would share it with you.

As most of you know by now I just updated my Facebook site which languished for many months because I didn't think I had time to mess with it. Guess what? I was right! I've spent the last couple of days (not ALL day) trying to get it set up the way I want it. I must have taken a dumb pill before starting because I feel like I did when I was first introduced to computers. Everything was Greek to me then and this is the same now. Eventually I suppose I'll "get it" but for now........OK so I'm stupid or maybe too old, eh?

At this very moment it's raining. I like the rain. I like to sleep in the rain. Heck, I just like to sleep. One thing about the rain however is that I'm on a Hughes Internet satellite dish and there is a red type on the bottom of my screen telling me I've lost my connection. It just left. Whew! You almost didn't get my next thought. Yes I do have those.

I am quite pleased with the initial sales of my display panel making E-Manual which I have been marketing for only $29.00. People are delighted to be able to save over $100 on each panel they make. So far my activity has been limited to eBay but I'm trying to expand my reach which was one reason for my facebook site. My handle on eBay is Ernie$$$ if you'd like to check it out.

"River Orange" 8"x 12" Oil on canvas board.

c. 2010

This is a painting I just finished before coming to Montana last week. I guess I kinda like orange because I seem to use it a lot lately. This was inspired by a photo but I changed the colors to guess what - orange.

My next series will be smaller 6"x 8" inch paintings which can be either hung on a wall or set up on a desk or mantle. I call them "Personal Miniatures" and I'm anxious to see how they will be received by my collectors. You aren't a collector yet? Don't feel bad. Not everyone is a collector of mine, though I wish they were.

Gotta go! Here is my quote for the day: "The best time to give advice to your children is
while they're still young enough to believe you know what you're talking about." by Evan Esar

I'm back in BIG SKY COUNTRY!

2010-09-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

It's so nice to be back in the Bitterroot Valley. It's been awhile. It took two days (leisurely days as we limit our driving to about 5 hrs and then look for a place to spend the night) to get here via Salmon, ID.
We hadn't even left the town of Lehi, UT when we were treated to one of the heaviest hail storms I've ever witnessed. Naturally it waited until we pulled out from the protective cover over the fuel pumps. Then about two hours later driving up I-15 we heard a flap, flap, flap, of one of our 5th wheel tires coming apart. We immediately pulled over to the shoulder and limped up to the next off ramp and stopped to change a tire, a process of which I've become expert. I looked in my side view mirror and saw flashing lights directly behind me. It didn't look like a highway patrol car. It was a box van???? It turned out to be what I call a Freeway Angel. He offered to help. Help? All I had to do was pull out our spare and he did the rest - even aired up my spare with a compressor he had in his truck. I couldn't believe our good fortune as he informed me there was no charge - just a free service compliments of Utah. Wow! He directed us to the nearest tire shop where we purchased a replacement tire, had lunch, and we're on the road again in about an hour. We stayed overnight in Idaho Falls and arrive here in Victor, MT the next afternoon.

Wood turned pens by Lane: During our stay in Lehi, Lane showed me his collection of wood turned pens. I was so impressed that I promised to display them here on my Blog. They are custom made for each customer who selects not only the pen style but also the exotic wood for their one of a kind pen.

Here is are some samples of his handiwork. Reading from left to right, first is the Slimline model turned from Olive wood from central Africa, next is the Wall Street model made from Cobola wood from Central America, third is the Cigar model made from Tulip wood of Brazil, and fourth is the Rifle Cartridge pen made from Wenge wood out of South Africa. The Slimline uses a Cross pen refill while the rest use Parker refills. I am so impressed with the fine craftmenship of these pens I wanted to share them with you in case you needed an idea for a Christmas gift. They retail for $50 and can be ordered direct from Lane by calling 1-801-722-8914.

I subscribe to a email newsletter called "FineArtViews"which recently had the following post in it which I want to share with you. It explains certain art viewpoints which I myself have observed and find strange. I think the title should have been "What is a Painting" See if you agree.

Thinking Like A Realist
by Shawn Sullivan

This post is by guest author, Shawn Sullivan. This article has been edited and published with the author's permission. You should submit an article and share your views as a guest author by clicking here.
We've promoted this post to feature status because it provides great value to the FineArtViews community. If you want your blog posts listed in the FineArtViews newsletter with the possibility of being republished to our 12,000+ subscribers,consider blogging with FASO Artist Websites. This author's views are entirely his own and may not always reflect the views of BoldBrush, Inc.
What is a painting? Technically it's an object that has paint on it. In the early part of the twentieth century modernist painters attempted to come to terms with that fact by increasingly flattening the illusionistic space within their paintings. The logical conclusion of these efforts was Minimalism - where the object becomes the art. When you have an all white canvas all that can be discussed is the support, how it's mounted to the wall, even the brushstrokes themselves take on this object like quality.

The realist painter can never think of a painting as an object. It is all about the illusion. The painting is a window where things are to be viewed that exist on the other side of the picture plane. What the painting is painted on, the thickness of the brushstrokes, these things are all secondary to the success or failure of the illusion. Has the artist convincingly placed the viewer in the world of the painting?

One of the problems that the modernist critic has in recognizing contemporary realism is that they are unable to see past the picture plane. They want to talk about the realist painting as an object. How is it made? Are the brushstrokes thick or thin? Was it made by a man or a woman, or a person of color? They have lost the ability to enter into the space of a painting. They lack imagination.

Although the illusion of reality is the ultimate goal, it is not achieved in the same way in all paintings. Besides the illusion of depth, all realist paintings have what can be thought of as the artist's atmosphere, the air between the picture plane and the thing depicted. In some paintings this air is very crisp; there is a stillness, a pin dropping would sound like a gunshot. In other paintings the air is very thick. The things depicted are in a state of flux. Molecules are whirling, light is bouncing, nothing is what it seems. Of course there are thousands of variations between these two extremes. That's what the modernist critics are missing when they take a realist painting at face value. To them it's an object denying it's an object; a modernist sin.

Some realist painters think that if they play the modernist game they will be accepted. Their work will be relevant. They believe that adding a non-objective, abstract expressionist like background, or making a painting that comments on current events is a way to appease the modernist critic. The modernist critic will never accept realism because they simply cannot see it. Their way of looking at paintings as objects first is opposed to an illusionistic way of seeing. The realist painter who flattens the space of their paintings to seem avante garde is, in effect, killing the illusion and creating an object. Objects can be decorative. The best realist paintings never are. The realist painter who paints topical subject matter in an attempt to seem current has turned their painting into a document. A document is an object.

One of the differences between looking at a photograph and looking at a painting is that photographs always draw attention to their inherent flatness, even when they depict vast space. This is why paintings that are done from photographs often have that compressed space look to them. The camera does not see things in the same way that a human eye does. The camera does not perceive.

One of the problems that the internet age has caused for realist painters is the huge amount of paintings that are being viewed in a photographic state. When a photograph or digital image of a painting is presented, it also will struggle with that problem of inherent flatness. One can see this effect creeping into the work of contemporary realists where paintings are being made to look internet ready and the "air" of the painting is not being considered because in a reproduction it does not exist.

As realist painters, it is important to hold onto the qualities that make our way of seeing the world unique. It is important to go to museums and galleries and see great paintings firsthand. Stand before a work of art and dive into the space of a painting. Breathe the air that the artist breathed. Feel the warmth of the light as it washes through the painting.

A realist painting is not an object first and a painting second because a great painting is transcendent. It doesn't matter what the subject matter of the painting is because, ultimately, the subject is the artist striving to present their truth of the world and their attempt to come to grips with things that cannot be put into words.
----------------------------------------------
This article appears courtesy of FineArtViews by Canvoo,
a free email newsletter about art, marketing, inspiration and fine living for artists,
collectors and galleries (and anyone else who loves art).

This article originally appeared at:
http://fineartviews.com/blog/22939/thinking-like-a-realist

For a complimentary subscription, visit: http://www.fineartviews.com

While I'm not a realist painter, I am a representational painter, which can be close. As such I find the observations of so called "critics" interesting. Why can't everyone just be "real" instead of trying to impress us with gobbledygook? Just my two cents worth.

Please forward this Blog to anyone you feel might be interested in it and your comments are welcome. If you are a visitor and you would like to be added to my Blog email list please email me at ernie@erniekleven.com. Also please visit my website at http://www.erniekleven.com/ On the other hand if you wish to be removed from this list please reply with "Cancel" written in the subject line.

-----------------------------------------------

On The Road Again

2010-08-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. Here I am finally on the road again. Currently Nancy & I are visiting with our family in Lehi, UT. From here we plan to meander North to Montana. I'm sad to report that I've yet to get back to my easel with any regularity but will soon. I have been busy with my "Build Your Own Display Panels" promotion.

I wrote a manual for building your own full size panels for under $20 and saving over $100 that it would cost for professional ones. So far I have sold some manuals on eBay and plan to expand my operation over the next several months. Here is a photo of some of them set up at a previous show. I have submitted an article to an art magazine about them for publicity. Wish me luck.

I received an email the other day from my Editor of the national magazine that published one of my paintings on their cover last year. They now want another for the Jan/Feb 2011 issue but naturally I couldn't find it in the inventory that I carry with me so the only other possibility was that it was left in our Loomis storage shed. I mailed the key to my Grand-daughter so she could retrieve it for me. While was searching in our storage she called to say that it wasn't there??? She couldn't find it anywhere! Now I really was in a panic. I again searched the nooks and crannies of our 5th wheel. It wasn't in any of the usual places and then I looked where I never store paintings, in what I call our attic which is an overhead storage space. There it was! I must have put it up there at the last minute while preparing to travel here. Whew! A lesson was learned - never again will I let that happen. If I can't carry my paintings with me I will make sure I at least have a high resolution image with me in my computer inventory file.

My how time flies when you're having fun!

2010-07-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

Once again time has passed me by. I'm shocked when I look at the date of my last post. I do have an excuse of sorts. I have been working full time as a Field Operations Supervisor for the 2010 Census and have just completed my final project. It was fun and an experience I'll not soon forget. I was responsible for for 9 Crew Leaders and their approximately 125 Enumerators otherwise known as door to door census takers. Our project was Non Response Follow Up or as the government called it, NRFU. You have to learn a bunch of acronyms when you work for the government. We were charged with contacting those people who did not return the their mail questionnaires.

One thing soon became obvious - dang, there are some angry folks out there. And they don't mind killing the messenger. Of course there many nice folks also and some who made an effort to contact us because they realized the value of being counted. The angry ones, well some eventually came around but the others..............we just had to guess. Too bad!

Back (33 yrs ago) when I left corporate life I swore never to return. Government I've learned is worse. Whatever decision is handed down today will be changed tomorrow as some higher up manager speaks their piece. And attorneys......do you know they rule the world? Nothing gets by them and their humble opinions, many of which seem to defy normal logic. My personal opinion is that they simply find ways to justify their paycheck. I got along by simply rolling with punches and not taking anyone too seriously. Anyway that part of my life is now over.

NOW I'M BACK TO MY ARTWORK! It's strange how my head and heart were not into my painting during this time. I don't know why but I have to live with the results.

DISPLAY PANELS: A couple of years ago I designed and built my own display panels for Art Fairs and etc. My panels cost me less than $20 ea. whereas professionally manufactured ones cost over $120 plus shipping. A set of 8 panels which is a minimum for a normal booth would therefore cost over $1,000. I've been thinking for awhile now about drawing up some plans and marketing them for $29 each and now I'm doing just that.

I've placed an ad on eBay and will write an article for an art publication in hopes of generating some interest. I may place some ads later if there is a large enough response. I won't go into the many advantages of these panels. They are covered with indoor/outdoor carpeting and are light enough to set up easily. The two on the left are set up as a corner and the set up below was one I used in Mammoth Lakes last year.

By The Campfire

2010-02-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

20"x 16" Oil, c. 2009 Ernie Kleven.
If Nancy and I weren't staying in Northern California this winter we would likely be around a campfire just like this. This is a scene reminiscent of one several years ago in Quartzsite, AZ when a TV crew from "Retirement Living" came by to film our activities for their show. The setting sun was still on the hilltops as we gathered around the campfire making a striking scene which is burned into my memory. I've made a few changes to the composition with my "artistic license" but this gives you a flavor of the scene.

As a matter of historical accuracy this group was the Big Sky Chapter 28 of Escapees RV Club. The Chapter represents Montana, Wyoming, and the southern half of Idaho. They along with thousands of others put on RV Rallys every January in the desert around Quartzsite. The small community of Quartzsite swells from approx 2500 inhabitants to estimates of 500,000 or more each January.

I will now deviate from my art for a moment to share with you who are peanut butter lovers my personal recipe for the greatest peanut butter ever. It is very simple. I use a food processor and virginia peanuts. Dry roasted will work but give a slightly different flavor. The secret is using olive oil which marries well with the peanuts. A cup of peanuts to which I add a tablespoon or two of oil adjusted for texture, results in crunchy peanut butter to die for. I keep it in the refrigerator because no preservatives have been added. If you make several batches a little less oil will be required after the first one. Let me know if you like it.

Back to art. Awhile back I shared with you my pallet which is Jack White's "Double Primary Pallet". His wife Mikki Senkarik uses it to paint her gorgeous works. I've learned some things just following her blog. http://mikkisenkarik.wordpress.com/category/original-oil-paintings/

Jack recently shared with me his methods of successfully marketing paintings on eBay. I am now beginning a series of miniature paintings for that purpose. Wish me luck. I'll keep you posted.

Please forward this Blog to anyone you feel might be interested in it and your comments are welcome. If you are a visitor and you would like to be added to my Blog email list please email me at ernie@erniekleven.com. Also please visit my website at http://www.erniekleven.com/ On the other hand if you wish to be removed from this list please reply with "Cancel" written in the subject line.

A Cruise for 2010 in My Imagination

2010-01-08T16:55:00.000-08:00

After the holidays and during the long winter days ahead our thoughts may turn to the warmer climes of a Caribbean Cruise. Unfortunately I have never been on a cruise so this is how I imagine a cruise ship anchored in the harbor of a Caribbean island might look like at sunset. I like to dream sometimes don't you? Can you picture yourself enjoying the peaceful sunset from the deck with a cocktail in your hand. Ah-h, the good life, eh?

When I paint a scene like this it is like being there. Even if it's only in my imagination and what an imagination I have. If you only knew the things I can imagine. My entire life is but a dream. Just ask Nancy, my wife. I am a dreamer. I always have been and I always will be. Once when I was a young lad my mother sent me up to the grocery store just before dinner. When I didn't arrive home when I should (It was only a 1/2 block away in a small town) my dad came looking for me. He found me standing in front of a store window day dreaming away. I don't do that anymore - walk to the store I mean :-).

PS: "There is an occupation known as painting, which calls for imagination, and skill of hand, in order to discover things not seen, hiding themselves under the shadow of natural objects, and to fix them with the hand, presenting to plain sight what does not actually exist." (Cennino Cennini 1370-1440) I borrowed this from Robert Genn's Weekly Letter.

If you would like to be added to my Blog email list or have a comment please email me at ernie@erniekleven.com. Also please visit my website at http://www.erniekleven.com/ On the other hand if you wish to be removed from this list please reply with "Cancel" written in the subject line.

George Allen Durkee

2010-01-01T12:09:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! To begin 2010 I want to share a most interesting artist with you. He currently lives in Murphy, CA and has graciously agreed to come to Auburn next Tues morning (Jan 5th) and put on a painting demonstration for the Placer Artists League (PAL) of which I'm Co-Chair in charge of programing. The time is 10:00 a.m. and the location is the Placer Arts Building, 808 Lincoln Way, Auburn, CA. For those of you who are local there is no charge and everyone is welcome. Here is more info about him:

FROM SAN FRANCISCO STREET ARTIST to PAINTING JUNKYARDS
George Allen Durkee gave up a successful career painting streetscapes in San Francisco to, as he put it, ".....to keep his work fresh." He needed a new challenge which he found in junkyards. Even his streetscapes were kind of funky but he really went wild in junkyards. He even went so far recently as to have "40 or so collectors" over to his first Annual Junkyard BBQ. It was a huge success. (photo available)

George recently authored a new book Expressive Oil Painting-An Open Air Approach to Creative Landscapes which is published by North Light Books, a well known and respected publisher of art books. He has had articles published in The Artist Magazine" and "The American Artist" magazine. He is co-owner of an Art Gallery in Murphy, CA with his artist wife, Sharon Strong. I have this book and it is great for artists of every level.

George says he was no child prodigy, "I didn't get into painting until I was twenty-five". There was no art school available so he signed up for a mail order course. "You're just kidding yourself, " someone told him, "You'll have to wait 'til your dead before your paintings will be worth anything." "So began the unorthodox career of this accomplished California artist." His paintings are worth plenty and he isn't dead.

"When I stopped last summer to watch George Allen Durkee painting in San Francisco, I knew I'd discovered a different kind of artist. Durkee is the Coca Cola of urban Painters - the real thing. His paintings are so energetic, so full of life, that I wanted to discover just how it is that this solitary painter, standing alone on an ordinary street corner, could conjure up such inspiration. Last October (1995), I met with George and recorded to my delight the following conversation......Rex Lampman". (Taken from George's website: http://www.gadurkee.com/)

"Some people paint barefoot in quiet, sky lit studios with flowered rugs and music to match their moods. Me, I'm a more public kind of painter. That's why I pilot my motorcycle, loaded with art gear, south across the Golden Gate Bridge, into San Francisco. My studio is the sidewalk, and my music is the cacophony of characters clomping on the San Andreas Fault. I prowl the city streets on my Honda, searching for the perfect subject. I can't tell you what I look for, but when I find it, I know because I want to rush in...to start mixing paint right away. I see the spot! Jumping the curb, I park my bike. The pavement shudders as a bus rolls by. Unfolding my easel I claim half of the sidewalk - pedestrians detour around. From the box locked to my Honda, I slide out six finished paintings and prop them up in view of passersby.........." (taken from his article "Scenes From a Sidewalk Studio" published in The Artist Magazine.)

"The faces behind the red door of the Art Gallery in Murphys bring life, love and art to the country and the world. Artists George Durkee and Sharon Strong share the cozy two-story gallery on Main Street, filled with mystical masks, colorful landscape paintings and even a small sitting area............"

"At age 14 Durkee ran away from his home near Seattle to lead a more independent life. He lived on the streets and in a hideout in a park in Tacoma. During this time, Durkee had no interest in art whatsoever. 'I was interested in girls,' he admitted, wearing paint-streaked jeans during an interview at the gallery. It wasn't until age 25, while working on a farm pruning apple trees, that Durkee discovered art. He was living in Yakima and his employer, Irene Watkins, was an amateur artist and a 'Sunday painter." (From an article by Kate Gonzales, calaverasenterprise.com, 2/15/07)

"......It's not enough to paint things the way they really look. We have photography and video cameras for that. Artists need to go beyond simply reproducing the physical appearance of things. Emerson said, 'Art is nature seen through a temperament.' Art is painting the guts of a subject. We cannot be overly concerned with perfection. Painting is messy. The painting will be whatever it turns out to be................." (From George's 8/25/07 Blog, We Walk on Quicksand.)
There is much more to be gleaned from George's website http://www.gadurkee.com./

If you would like to be added to my Blog email list or have a comment please contact me at ernie@erniekleven.com. Also please visit my website at http://www.erniekleven.com On the other hand if you wish to be removed from this list please reply with Cancel written in the subject line.

Goodby 2009, Hello 2010!

2009-12-26T15:24:00.000-08:00

This portrait was an interesting challenge for me. This pretty young girl's grandmother commissioned me to paint it for a Christmas gift. The biggest problem was working from a dark 5"x 7" photo and interpreting the look of her teeth under braces. I had the painting checked several times during the process to verify correctness. Fortunately the client is happy with the end result. Would I do it again? I'm not sure. Ask me next year. Actually I had fun doing it. I never thought I would ever say something that sounds so masochistic but it's true. With every new challenge comes knowledge gained from the experience and I love challenges so I must be getting smarter, right? ........Don't answer that.

Nancy and I had a nice holiday with family members who live locally. We always wish the entire family could be there but that's never possible anymore. That's kind of sad.

What's ahead for 2010? As I mentioned in my last post we will be staying here in Loomis, CA over the winter and I plan to build up my painting inventory for the Art Fairs this summer. This, of course, will depend on the progress of the economic recovery. I want to paint some larger paintings which seem to do better in the West. Most of my current works are smaller 8"x 10" to 16"x 20" and some of these I'm selling at auction on Ebay to Easterners where, I'm told, smaller works sell better.

Ebay is a tough art market because customers there are looking for bargains and there is so much work available world wide. In the future this may change as marketing art on the Internet becomes more acceptable to collectors and there is no reason why it shouldn't. Naturally you have to use good common sense just as you would any purchase and make sure the seller is legitimate. In most cases you are guaranteed satisfaction or your money back. In my case I even refund the shipping cost of returning it.

Please email me with your comments at ernie@erniekleven.com. Also you may click on http://www.erniekleven.com/ to go directly to my website to view other works of mine.

Early Morning Color, Oil Painting

2009-12-12T14:43:00.000-08:00

Have you ever walked along a quiet frozen creek in dead of winter? I have and it is amazing. The crunch of the frozen snow under your feet warns of your advance keeping the animals and birds v-e-r-y still. Stop for a few minutes and the forest comes alive with bird calls and squirrel chatter. The air is crisp and Jack Frost bites at your cheeks and fingertips. You feel alive, really alive and it is good.

Memories of scenes like this live in my mind from days of my youth in North Dakota and adult hunting outings in Wyoming, Idaho, & Montana. I remember a time when I was a Boy Scout in Cavalier, ND when in the dead of winter I and a couple of my buddies decided to try winter camping in the woods of my friend Bill Well's uncle's farm. I had to borrow a sleeping bag and the zipper didn't work. It was a really cold night and I would get up every hour to re-start the fire to warm up. I was elected to sleep with the canteen to keep it from freezing but guess what? It was frozen solid in the morning. We were only a mile outside the town limits but we had to hike back in a blizzard and temps about 10 deg below zero which was common in those days. That memory is as clear as if it were yesterday.

As usual I've been re-miss in keeping up with this blog. I've have another painting just completed which I will post next and I've been working hard on a portrait I was commissioned to do of a granddaughter for her grandmother. It is a present for Christmas so it has to be completed in time to dry. I'm almost finished with it. Right now I'm nitpicking it finding little corrections to make. I'll post that on a future blog.

Normally Nancy & I would be preparing to leave for Arizona for the winter months but we have decided to stay in Loomis, CA through the winter this year. The winters here are mild anyway, just a little wet in normal years. In fact it is raining as I write this. It has been 12 years in a row that we have travelled to Quartzsite, Yuma, & Wickenburg during the winter months so this will be quite a change for us. I expect to be working the Census beginning in March through June or so. I did Census work in 2000 and it was fun with a little adventure added here and there as some individuals feel they don't have to give census information. I have news for them.

Well that's it for this time. Oh yes remember the paintings I posted for auction on eBay? One was shipped to upstate New York and the other to Virginia. You missed a great buy if you didn't bid on those two. It's customery to leave a comment, positive or negative, about the transaction and I was please to receive this from the last one, " Painting is a real gem! I feel lucky to have won it!" Thank you so much.

As always please feel free to forward this blog to your friends and family and should you choose to discontinue receiving it simply reply with the word, cancel, in the subject line.

If you would like to be included on my mailing list please email me at ernie@erniekleven.com. Also you may click on http://www.erniekleven.com/ to go directly to my website where you may view other works of mine.

Coming Home

2009-10-23T16:26:00.000-07:00

"Coming Home" is the title of my recent 9"x 12" Oil painting which I'll probably use for this year's Christmas card. I absolutely love painting mountains and having been raised in North Dakota painting snow comes pretty natural to me. There is a waterfall dropping into the lake which is mostly frozen over except where the moving water passes through it and spills over into a small stream which then passes under a one lane bridge leading to a snow covered cabin.

I'm working on another vertical painting which is yet untitled. You will be seeing that one shortly.

In the meantime if you didn't bid on my last eBay auction you missed a great buy. It went to someone in upstate New York. I have placed another small framed painting of a old barn and wagon with again an opening bid of $19.99. The retail value is $249 including the frame.

If you want to check this auction out just click on the hotlink below. It is an 8"x 10" original oil on canvas and framed as you can see. The title is "I Remember When" and I certainly do. These old barns are rapidly disappearing from the countryside and being replaced by all steel structures, not nearly so attractive to my way of thinking.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180422536030&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

All works are copyrighted and all rights reserved by Ernie Kleven.

If you would like to be included on my mailing list please email me at ernie@erniekleven.com. Also you may click on http://www.erniekleven.com/ to go directly to my website where you may view other works of mine. Feel free to forward this to your friends and any comments are welcome.

A Bargain For You

2009-09-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

I can't believe time slips by so fast. Aside from the email I sent you by mistake the other day it's been a whole month since my last post.

The news is that I've just completed another publication rights sale of my newest painting, "RV Rally Campfire" for a future magazine cover, the date yet to be determined. Since the rights they are purchasing are "First Publication Rights" I can't publish it here until after the magazine comes out. I think I mentioned before that it has 16 figures of people in it so it was an ambitious project for me.

I am again setting my display up every Sat morning in front of the Blue Goose Produce bldg on Taylor Rd in Loomis, CA. I hope to continue through Oct as long as the weather is good. If you are in the area come see me and buy some fine fresh produce while you're there.

I've also been juried (accepted) into the 2nd Annual Placer Valley Wine & Art Party, Oct 17, at the Fountains in Roseville between 6 & 11 p.m. It's a fun evening and I'm looking forward to it.

I mentioned prevously that I would be cleaning out my inventory by posting some of my older works on eBay. The above painting entitled "High Country" has been posted with a beginning bid of $19.99. It is a bargain since the retail price is $299. Check it out and place your bid by clicking: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180409409859&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

I'm sorry I didn't get this posted sooner but I had some trouble uploading the photo of the painting. Computers are great. (when they work)

If you would like to be included on my mailing list please email me at ernie@erniekleven.com. Also you may click on http://www.erniekleven.com/ to go directly to my website where you may view other works of mine.
© Ernie Kleven, All Rights Reserved

If you are an artist click on this: http://snurl.com/bfby2
for great marketing info. from Allyson Stanfield's book, I'd Rather Be In The Studio

ART - IF YOU LOVE IT......BUY IT

2009-08-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

"Blue Lagoon At Sunset" 11"x 14" Oil. This is a 2007 painting this is sold but I like it so much that I thought I would include it since it was a painting that was sold to someone who fell in love with it and bought it just as is expressed in the following article.

One of the great email newsletters about art that I receive is the “Fine Art Views Daily Newsletter” available at http://www.fineartviews.com/. Recently they had the following great article written by Jan Blencoe. Do yourself a favor and visit her website to see her wonderful work at http://www.janblencowe.com/.

“One of a Kind” by Jan Blencowe

Lately, I've been reading a lot about the twin subjects of pricing artwork (a subject for artists) and reasons to buy artwork. Pricing paintings is a task for the artist and for the art gallery. Understanding why it's worth it to invest in a piece of original art is important for everyone.

ART – IF YOU LOVE…..BUY IT!

In our utilitarian culture, it's imperative to remember the long term value of owning something that feeds your soul, brings you joy, enhances your quality of life, touches your heart, brings beauty into your environment and uplifts your spirit.

The value in a piece of art is twofold. First, it's about possessing something unique, a one of a kind creation, the very special expression of one human being to another. Because of the singularity of an original painting, my advice is, if you love it; buy it, right then and there. I say this because I know, as an artist, that I may never paint another piece like the one that is calling to your heart. I may or may not paint another with similar subject matter. There are many elements, some technical and some emotional, that will not be the same, and in fact can't be recreated. If the painting is beyond your present financial means, don't let it go. Ask the artist or gallery if they can arrange a payment plan for you. I would readily arrange a payment plan for you, and I suspect that many galleries would also do so, especially if it's obvious that you love the painting.

Understand and value the rarity and uniqueness of an original painting. You will be the exclusive owner of a one of a kind creation. Among all the mass produced products in the world when you purchase an original painting you will own the only one in the world! There are few things that fall into that category.

The second long term benefit is what art will bring to your life. I've heard some people describe a favorite, cherished painting as an old friend, with whom they have a visual conversation. I've heard others say it was amazing how the painting seemed to reflect their mood. When they were feeling introspective and solitary, the painting seemed to embody that emotion; when they were lighthearted and joyful the painting seemed to take on those qualities. Others have found having paintings in their homes gave them a place to focus their gaze during times of stress or illness and they gained peace and comfort. I find the same is true with books, music, poetry even favorite movies. In fact all the arts seem to share the ability to nurture us on a very deep level. Over the course of a lifetime you can gain much from art. Investing in art is investing in your long term inner well being.

If you would like to be included on my mailing list please email me at ernie@erniekleven.com. Also you may click on http://www.erniekleven.com/ to go directly to my website where you may view other works of mine.

My Daughter's Gourd Art

2009-08-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

This week I thought I would share my daughter's beautiful Gourd Art with you. She also does painting, woodburning, and any number of other artistic things. Visit her website at http://www.visionsinwood.net/

I just finished the Mammoth Lakes Pacific Fine Arts show this past weekend. The turnout was disappointing as you might imagine since the economy is in the toilet. For this reason I don't plan any more Art Fairs for 2009. Hopefully 2010 will be better but I imagine it will take a little longer to recover from this recession. Fortunately good art will retain it's value and even increase in the future and there are still those collectors who are aware of today's bargains.

I'm thinking of trying eBay again to reduce my inventory. If I do there may be some real bargains to be had. Please send me an email if you wish to be notified as I put paintings up for auction.

In the meantime I will continue working on my new painting for a magazine cover. It is a campfire scene with a number of human figures which takes more time to paint.

I'm also thinking of trying miniature ACEO paintings. They are 2.5" x 3.5" and will be original oil paintings. ACEO stands for Art Card Editions & Originals and are becoming popular among collectors, especially on eBay. They are like baseball cards of which you may be familiar.

Nancy & I are camped at 7600' near Mammoth Lakes. Family members will begin arriving this weekend for our annual family campout. We have been doing this for a number of years now and it is always a blast. The temps have been very low this week but it is supposed to warm up beginning tomorrow.

If you would like to be included on my mailing list please email me at ernie@erniekleven.com. Also you may click on http://www.erniekleven.com/ to go directly to my website where you may view other works of mine.

My Painting On RV Magazine Cover

2009-07-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

Here is my painting on a national magazine cover that I promised in my last Blog. The scene is one I happened on in one of the Escapees RV Parks in Tennessee a few years ago. I had my camera near the door but the scene was developing so rapidly I didn't have time to open the door; I had to shoot it through the screen. Even Photoshop can't remove the screen (at least I couldn't) so I decided to paint it. A few months ago I offered Escapees, a large International RV Club, first rights for a cover and they jumped on it. At first they planned to use it on their Sept/Oct issue but to my surprise they chose to use it on their 31st anniversary July/Aug issue. They also gave me credit at the bottom of the cover as well as on the Contents page which was very nice. The crazy part is that one of the ladies had a white parrot on her shoulder which first caught my attention but by the time I finished the painting I had forgotten all about that. There was so much going on in the painting anyway I decided to leave the parrot out.
They want to see some more of my work so I'm now working on a campfire scene in the Arizona Desert. Also I am now looking for other markets to sell one time publishing rights of this painting. I will have this 18"x 24" Oil painting on display in my booth at the Mammoth Lakes Art Fair the last weekend of this month. Later I will make full size Giclee` prints on canvas available by special order and smaller ones on paper as well. Ever onward!

If you would like to be included on my mailing list please email me at ernie@erniekleven.com. Also you may click on http://www.erniekleven.com/ to go directly to my website where you may view other works of mine. © Ernie Kleven, All Rights Reserved

Double Primary Palette

2009-07-14T17:18:00.001-07:00

As I promised in my last Blog here is Jack White's "Double Primary Palette" which I have used for several years, the use of which has kept the colors in my paintings bright and vibrant. There is nothing more discouraging to an artist than to be mixing several colors for just the right hue only to have the color suddenly become muddy. Sometimes this happens on the painting itself if you are painting wet on wet. You'll sometimes see this on paintings that seem dull and lifeless.

I contacted Jack for permission to share this with you and he being the generous and outstanding person that he is, granted it without hesitation. The critical part of this palette which Jack discovered after much research is that those base colors he selected include other primary colors within them. For example Phalo blue has Yellow in it and Lemon Yellow has Blue in it so when you mix the two you get a pure Green. In fact you can create any number of Green hues with this palette.

In case the type is not clear in the photos here are the base colors: Ultramarine Blue (warm), Phalo Blue (cool), Alizarin Crimson (cool), Cadmium Red Light (warm), Cadmium Yellow (warm), Lemon Yellow (cool), & white. Just double click on the picture for a larger view. If you have any questions email me.

Some of you may remember in a previous post that I told you I had a national magazine interested in a painting of mine for their cover. They planned on publishing it in their Sept/Oct issue but surprised me by using it in their special 31st Birthday July/Aug issue. I will include a picture of it in my next post.

If you would like to be included on my mailing list please email me at ernie@erniekleven.com. Also you may click on http://www.erniekleven.com/ to go directly to my website where you may view other works of mine.

North Star Art Fair Completed

2009-07-09T16:02:00.000-07:00

WOW! What a beautiful location for an art show. I had a corner site on the skating rink surrounded by trendy stores and condos. I had my panels set up in a square so I could come out from either side. This didn't work as well as I had hoped because I couldn't see the people as they looked at my paintings in front and not all of them were willing to walk through the inside. That means I have a new plan for the next show in Mammoth Lakes at the end of August.

I did discover that people are interested in my painting pallette which holds the 3 primary colors plus white from which I create every other color in my paintings. The former State Artist of Texas, Jack White, researched and created the "Double Primary Pallette" - a warm & cool selection of each primary color - red, blue, & yellow. With these special oils you can mix any together without the colors becoming muddy as is true of some other pallettes. This is why my paintings are always bright and pure of color. I may do my next Blog with a picture diagram of how this works.

While at the North Star Art Fair we camped on the Truckee River and grandaughters, Kayla, Sharona, and their families joined us over the 4th of July. We have now moved on to the Mammoth Lakes area and are staying in a Forest Service Campground called Glass Creek where we have spent many wonderful times with the family over the past 40 years. I have set up the Directv dish and the Hughesnet dish for the Internet so I'm just going to kick back while getting ready for the next show. Hope you are all enjoying your summer as well.

Art Fair at North Star Village, CA

2009-06-19T11:23:00.001-07:00

I'm excited about being a part of this first Northstar Village Art Festival put on by Pacific Fine Arts. It is to be set up within the skating rink (not presently in use) and on the sidewalks of the surrounding shops. You can see a map on the Internet by clicking here: http://www.northstarattahoe.com/info/ski/the-village/village_directory_summer.asp If you live in the Auburn, CA area you will receive a postcard via regular mail.

Nancy and I will take our 5th wheel up to Truckee and stay in a campground along the Truckee R. After the event we will mosey on up to the Mammoth Lakes area where we plan to stay in our usual campground through August. I do have another Pacific Fine Arts show in Mammoth Lakes the first weekend of August. At this time I believe this will be my last Art Fair for 2009. I was afraid to overcommit this year.

Locally in Loomis I am setting up my booth Sat mornings at the Blue Goose Farmer's Market. It's only a few blocks from where we are currently parked so it's easy for me to haul everything and set up for such a short event. Also it's good practice. Setting up the canopy & panels by oneself is somewhat of a challenge but it's doable unless like last week when gusty wind kept blowing over my panels before I could get them secured. Fun, fun, fun!

"Twilight Time" 16"x 20" Oil

2009-06-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

"Twilight Time" has been beautifully framed and will be available this weekend at the Town & Country Art Fiesta. I will have my canopy set up in Space 302 in front of William Glen & across from Trader Joes in the center of the Town & Country Village at Fulton Ave & Marconi in Sacramento. The hours are 10-5 Sat & Sun, June 6th & 7th.

I have always loved this scene because I can feel the tranquility of a quiet summer evening in this rustic cabin after a relaxing day of fishing on the lake. The boat is tied to the dock, the fish have been cleaned, and I hear a loon off in the distance. The sun is slowly setting between the mountains and my dinner will be ready soon. A glass of wine and good company. Ah-h, it doesn't get much better than this.

It was such a pleasure painting this one that I have had it photographed and it is ready for printing on canvas. A 16"x 20" unframed, numbered, & signed limited edition of 50 is available on order for only $125 including S&H anywhere in the US. The framed original will be listed this weekend at Town & Country for $799.00 plus tax.

If you would like to be included on my mailing list please email me at ernie@erniekleven.com. Also you may click on http://www.erniekleven.com/ to go directly to my website where you may view other works of mine.

Autumn In The Woods

2009-05-24T14:58:00.001-07:00

This is a 9"x 12" Oil on Canvas. I started this last fall and finished it about a month ago.
It's been months since my last post but that will change now that I'm getting back on track. I was very busy doing a painting for a magazine cover and developing a new marketing program for this economy. Also my work as Co-Chair of the Placer Artists' League in Auburn, CA has temporarily doubled while I've been filling in for the other Co-Chair who resigned for health reasons.

Currently I am preparing for the Town & Country Art Fiesta in Sacramento the weekend of June 6, 7th. Some of you locals will be receiving postcard invitations for this event. I may try to create an email rendition of the postcard also if I can.

During 4th of July weekend I will be doing a Pacific Fine Arts show at Lake Tahoe-The Village at North Star, a Ski Resort between Truckee and Tahoe, CA. Then the first weekend in August I will be doing another show in Mammoth Lakes, CA. You may have noticed that I'm doing fewer events this year trying to get caught up.
If you would like to be included on my mailing list please email me at ernie@erniekleven.com. Also you may click on the title to go to my website where you may view other works of mine.

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Bodie, Snow Covered Wreck, 8"x10"

2008-12-30T20:35:00.000-08:00

This old car is in the Calif Ghost Town called Bodie which is 20 miles off of Hwy 396 near Mammoth Lakes. This old mining town is almost perfectly preserved above the treeline in the Sierra Mountains. It was actually occupied up until the 1930's and was in recent years taken over by the Calif State Parks system. It has been kept in it's original state for the most part so there are no restaurants or the usual tourist shops. It is far enough off of the beaten path to reduce the number of tourist visitors. Yet because of it's well preserved state it attracts it's share of visitors with cameras. I have been there many times to photograph the many old buildings and etc. I now am painting many of them to create a series.
I am intrigued by old buildings and antique cars. Perhaps because I remember many of them from my younger days. Am I old? You betcha! I just turned 76 last month. I'm the modern day Grandpa Moses. You've heard of him haven't you?
If you would like to be included on my mailing list please email me at ernie@erniekleven.com. Also you may click on the title to go to my website where you may view other works of mine.

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Snowbound, 11 x 14 Oil

2008-11-28T13:11:00.000-08:00

"Snowbound" is a 2006 painting of mine which I dug out to use for our Christmas Cards this year. I remember it like it was yesterday ........While I painted I imagined being in the cabin with a roaring fireplace. The sun is slowly fading behind the mountains. The outside air is frosty and bites my nostrils when I briefly step out to bring in more wood for the fire. Dinner is cooking on the stove and I am savoring life with a hot buttered rum. "This is perfect - life is good", I rumenate. I gaze through the frosty window and see a lone coyote tramping through the snow. Are you with me? I hope so! I so wanted to share this with you.
I have this framed in a rustic free form frame not shown. Framed it is priced at $499. For questions email me - ernie@erniekleven.com. And visit my website at http://www.erniekleven.com/. Don't forget I have Gift Certificates available in any denomination AND I will personalize them with both you and the Giftee's name printed on them.

"At Day's End", 11 x 14 Oil on Canvas

2008-11-14T14:26:00.000-08:00

This painting is framed in a one of a kind rustic frame also made by me. I always enjoy doing paintings like this because it's such a peaceful setting. I can imagine myself there on the deck sipping a drink before dinner and thinking, "What A Wonderful World". The fisherman are returning from a good day and thinking of doing what I'm doing when they get home. How can life get any better than that?

I am now making note cards of all my work. They come folded to the 4" x 5" size with an envelope and are blank inside for your message. They are printed on brilliant matte photo paper. A description of the artwork is printed on the backside and I am offering them for $3.00 ea or 6 for $15 postpaid. Check my website http://www.erniekleven.com/ or this Blog for a selection of available images.

Also I am offering Gift Certificates in any amount in time for the holidays. They come personalized with both the recipient and your name printed prominently on each certificate. Quantity discounts are available for businesses such as R.E. Brokers and Home Lenders who might want to include them with greeting cards to their customers. Contact me for prices at ernie@erniekleven.com or call 1-916-205-2195.

I guess that's all for now.

High Sierras Oil Painting

2008-11-05T11:53:00.000-08:00

Finally I'm back on my blog. I have been so busy working art shows that I quit trying to paint a new scene everyday. Instead I will now post paintings I done over the summer to let you know what I'm up to.

I did this painting while in the mountains near Mammoth Lakes, CA this last August. The idea was to make it look like it was painted on the end cut of a real log. The scene is painted on the same board as the frame so it is all one painting. The log look is a process call Trompe l`oiel which means "to look like". The entire painting is 22" in diameter and the edges are 1" deep and made to look like bark. I am pricing it at $875.00. PayPal, Credit Cards, & creative LayAways accepted.

Last month I did a show in Sacramento at the Convention Center. It was a huge show with lots of great looking art. Here are photos of my display.
You can see this painting displayed in the second photo. Unfortunately the news the week before was all about the current financial crises so needless to say people were not opening their wallets for many purchases.

Email me: ernie@erniekleven.com
or visit my website: http://www.erniekleven.com/

Reflections of a Rising Sun

2008-05-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

SOLD
This painting was inspired by a scene I viewed while on my early morning run. I carry a small digital camera with me for this reason and I have created quite a large resource file as a result. I will also do plein air painting and/or sketching when the occasion permits or calls for either. My memory is still pretty good though (I'm 75) so having a photo for an assist works pretty well for me. I may do a larger canvas of this one because I really do like how it turned out. Apparently others felt the same as it sold to someone on my email list within a couple of hours of my emailing.

The painting was created with professional Winsor Newton oils on a 8"x 6" MDF 1/2" panel which has been archivally primed. The 1/2" edges are painted black so the painting can be attractively displayed as is without framing. Finally the painting has been varnished to protect the surface. These smaller paintings are scanned so the color should be very close to the original however, monitors vary so I absolutely guarantee your complete satisfaction. If painting does not sell at 10 day auction it will be posted on my eBay store for 30 days.You may visit my website at http://www.erniekleven.com/or Email Me ernie@erniekleven.com

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California Citrus

2008-05-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

SOLD
California Citrus is inspired by orange groves in the Sacramento foothills of Loomis. A former painting of Persimmons was from this area as well. Fruit production has been a crucial agricultural product in the area from the days of the Gold Rush. While many were searching for gold others were planting the future of the area from which fruit was shipped all over the nation for many years.

Click Here To Bid On Ebay

The painting was created with professional Winsor Newton oils on a 8"x 6" MDF 1/2" panel which has been archivally primed. The 1/2" edges are painted black so the painting can be attractively displayed as is without framing. Finally the painting has been varnished to protect the surface. These smaller paintings are scanned so the color should be very close to the original however, monitors vary so I absolutely guarantee your complete satisfaction. If painting does not sell at 10 day auction it will be posted on my eBay store for 30 days.
You may visit my website at http://www.erniekleven.com/
or Email Me

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Alpine Meadow

2008-05-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

SOLD
This pristine alpine meadow is so wonderful in the Spring when the snow begins melting. The animals are out grazing in the sunlight, seeming to enjoy the crisp cool mountain air. What a great place to be with a fishing pole on hiking.

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or Email
Me

Joshua Tree National Park

2008-04-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

Huge boulders were piled by giants in Joshua Tree National Park, CA. Just kidding! They once were covered with sand and the sand over time eroded away leaving the boulders piled in the strange formations that you see today. In Spring colorful wild flowers carpet the valley floor. It is a worth while place to visit.

Click Here To Bid On Ebay (Opening bid is only $29 with no reserve)

The painting was created with professional Winsor Newton oils on a 8"x 6" MDF 1/2" panel which has been archivally primed. The 1/2" edges are painted black so the painting can be attractively displayed as is without framing. Finally the painting has been varnished to protect the surface. These smaller paintings are scanned so the color should be very close to the original however, monitors vary so not to worry. I absolutely guarantee your complete satisfaction. If painting does not sell at 10 day auction it will be posted in my eBay store for a limited time.
You may visit my website at http://www.erniekleven.com/
or Email Me

"Imperial Dunes" Original Oil

2008-04-03T16:58:00.000-07:00

"Imperial Dunes" is an area of huge sand dunes in Calif near Yuma, AZ. The view is from an abandoned mine in the Picacho Mtns nearby where I was camped this past winter.

Click Here To Bid On Ebay

The painting was created with professional Winsor Newton oils on a 8"x 6" MDF 1/2" panel which has been archivally primed. The 1/2" edges are painted black so the painting can be attractively displayed as is without framing. Finally the painting has been varnished to protect the surface. These smaller paintings are scanned so the color should be very close to the original however, monitors vary so not to worry. I absolutely guarantee your complete satisfaction. If painting does not sell at 10 day auction it will be posted on my eBay store for 30 days.
You may visit my website at http://www.erniekleven.com/
or Email Me

"Picacho Mtn Mines" Orig Oil

2008-03-13T20:34:00.001-07:00

SOLD
This scene is from the Yuma, AZ area but over the state line on Ogilby Rd in CA. This painting took me a little longer to do and I have been traveling so it's been awhile since my last posting. This was gold mining area and there are many exploratory holes all over.

"Desert Garage" 8"x 6" Orig Oil on Panel

2008-02-23T12:57:00.000-08:00

SOLD
This abandoned garage is located in Quartzsite, AZ next to another abandoned old bldg, the Post Office. Both are waiting for the inevitable bulldozer. This is typical of buildings from a bygone era. One wonders how many travelers stopped here for fuel and a cool drink on a hot 115 deg summer day. Hopefully you weren't having mechanical problems as well, for fixing them might have been pricey.

"Sunlight Catcher" Original 8"x 6" Oil

2008-02-19T17:25:00.000-08:00

SOLD

The morning sunlight is caught in the leaves of this vine which weaves over the remains of a doorway and adobe wall as it shines across the desert. It punctuates the beautiful sunrise.

"Desert Runoff" 8"x 6" Original Oil

2008-02-16T20:05:00.000-08:00

This runoff of water occurs when it rains as happened a few weeks ago. It's interesting to watch the flow build as the water seeks the path of least resistance. As an afterthought I should have added a small animal drinking - something to remember for next time.

"Quartzsite RVng" 8"x 6" Original Oil

2008-02-14T14:08:00.000-08:00

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
As I look out of my window this is a typical scene of RVs in Quartzsite, AZ. This sleepy town on I-10 west of Phoenix grows from a few thousand to over 500,000 people in January every year. It began as a rock & mineral swap meet and now boasts a huge RV Show and various swap meet type venues thruout the town. The traffic on the street during the busiest time, the last two weeks of Jan, is bumper to bumper. The same is true in the checkout lanes of the three small grocery stores. Come March when the climate begins it's slow climb to the 120 deg of summer, RVs are seen leaving in every direction for home or parts unknown only to return next year.

Grape Leaves 8"x 6" Original Oil

2008-02-08T15:15:00.000-08:00

SOLD
I said in my last Blog that future paintings would be of desert scenes. I lied. Not intentionally but I had this scene from Loomis left in me to do so here it is. The morning sun is shining through many of the leaves causing a beautiful effect. There also grapes which may not be visible in this thumbnail image.

"Foothills" 8"x 6" Original Oil

2008-02-06T20:36:00.000-08:00

Here it is! A painting of the beautiful Arizona mountains with a body of water thrown in for good measure. I love painting mountains! That's a simple fact. You'll learn that as we continue on this journey. The weather here in Quartzsite, AZ has been on the cool side along with the rest of the west. We plan to be here another couple of weeks so there will be more desert scenes to follow.

You may bid on this 6" x 8" oil painting on panel on eBay by clicking on the following: Click Here To Bid Opening Bid is $24.99.

The painting was created with professional Winsor Newton oils on a 6"x 8" MDF 1/2" panel which has been archivally primed. The 1/2" edges are painted black so the painting can be displayed as is without framing. It has been varnished to protect the surface. These smaller paintings are scanned so the color should be very close to the original however, monitors vary but I absolutely guarantee your complete satisfaction. If painting does not sell at 10 day auction it will be posted for sale on my eBay store for 30 days.

Angelican Church In Loomis, CA

2008-02-01T13:56:00.000-08:00

As promised before leaving Loomis, CA here is the painting of the Angelican Church. It is small and somewhat unobtrusive although only one block off of busy Taylor Rd. This scene includes the pine decoration over the entrance that was left on from the holidays.

I am now in Quartzsite, AZ and have been for two weeks. I have participated in two RV Rallies for the Escapees RV Club. One was for the Big Sky Chapter representing MT, WY, & ID for which I am currently president. The weather has been cooler than normal but not wet like it's been in Loomis since we left. I will soon be painting the local color which is mostly brown. :) Still there is much of interest. This desert was busy with military activity during WWII. In fact in nearby Bouse there was once a huger marker on the desert floor to guide the pilots home from the bombing and strafing range.

You may bid on this 6" x 8" oil painting on panel on eBay by clicking on the following:
Click Here To Bid Opening Bid is $19.00. What a deal!

The painting was created with professional Winsor Newton oils on a 6"x 8" MDF 1/2" panel which has been archivally primed. The 1/2" edges are painted black so the painting can be displayed as is without framing. It has been varnished to protect the surface. These smaller paintings are scanned so the color should be very close to the original however, monitors vary but I absolutely guarantee your complete satisfaction. If painting does not sell at 10 day auction it will be posted for sale on my eBay store for 30 days.

"Shelter" 6" x 8" Landscape Oil on Panel

2008-01-17T14:21:00.000-08:00

Look closely for the "Shelter" and outhouse. I am struck by the colors and the mood of this painting. I haven't been at my easel for severals days while traveling. We are now in Quartzsite, AZ and as soon as I finish my upcoming series of an Angelican church in Loomis, CA you will be seeing views of this RV capital of the world. Every year in Jan this small community along I-10 grows to over 500,000 with RVs all over the desert.

You may bid on this 6" x 8" oil painting on panel on eBay by clicking on the following:
Click Here To Bid

The painting was created with professional Winsor Newton oils on a 6"x 8" MDF 1/2" panel which has been archivally primed. The 1/2" edges are painted black so the painting can be displayed as is without framing. Finally, the painting has been varnished to protect the surface. These smaller paintings are scanned so the color should be very close to the original however, monitors vary so I absolutely guarantee your complete satisfaction. If painting does not sell at 10 day auction it will be posted for sale on my eBay store for 30 days.

"Peeking Sun" Original Oil

2008-01-11T21:19:00.000-08:00

This is of the sun peeking through the leaves and lighting up some flowering ground cover. This is completely from my imagination but inspired by some bushes outside our front door.

You may bid on this 6" x 8" oil painting on panel on eBay by clicking on the following:
Click Here To Bid

The painting was created with professional Winsor Newton oils on a 6"x 8" MDF 1/2" panel which has been archivally primed. The 1/2" edges are painted black so the painting can be attractively displayed as is without framing. Finally the painting has been varnished to protect the surface. These smaller paintings are scanned so the color should be very close to the original however, monitors vary so I absolutely guarantee your complete satisfaction. If painting does not sell at 10 day auction it will be posted for sale on my eBay store for 30 days.

"Breaking Through" 5"x 7" Original Oil

2008-01-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

This painting may have been inspired by recent storms in Northern Calif where we are at present. We are still planning to leave for Arizona but because of the stormy weather and my wife Nancy's stubborn cold, we keep postponing our departure. (We have to get over the mountains through one of three passes so the weather is critical.)

Click Here To Bid On Ebay

The painting was created with professional Winsor Newton oils on a 5"x 7" MDF 1/2" panel which has been archivally primed. The 1/2" edges are painted black so the painting can be attractively displayed as is without framing. Finally the painting has been varnished to protect the surface. These smaller paintings are scanned so the color should be very close to the original however, monitors vary. Not to worry. I absolutely guarantee your complete satisfaction.
If painting does not sell at auction it will be posted on my eBay store for 30 days. After that it will be moved to my website and priced accordingly.
You may visit my website at http://www.erniekleven.com/

#7 "Sawmill" 7"x 5" Oil on Panel

2008-01-03T16:57:00.000-08:00

This is the Lausmann Sawmill in Loomis, CA. I was intrigued by the lines created by the piping. We had planned to leave for Arizona today but some huge storms are pinning us down for the next few days. That's OK because I still have more paintings of this area I'd like to do.

Click Here To Bid or BUY NOW for $125.00.

The painting was created with professional Winsor Newton oils on a 7"x 5" MDF 1/2" panel which has been archivally primed. The 1/2" edges are painted black so the painting can be attractively displayed as is without framing. Finally the painting has been varnished to protect the surface. These smaller paintings are scanned so the color should be very close to the original however, monitors vary so I absolutely guarantee your complete satisfaction. Please visit My Website or Email Me if you would like to receive an email with new paintings BEFORE they are published here.

"Burger King" 7"x5" Oil on Panel

2007-12-30T20:50:00.000-08:00

SOLD! This one took a little longer to paint because of the additional detail, holiday activity, and now a common cold, yuk. The store is located in Loomis, CA just off of I-80 East of Sacramento. Soon we'll be leave here for Arizona for some warm sun. $95.00 on my eBay store.

Click Here To Buy

The painting was created with professional Winsor Newton oils on a 7"x 5" MDF 1/2" panel which has been archivally primed. The 1/2" edges are painted black so the painting can be attractively displayed as is without framing. Finally the painting has been varnished to protect the surface. These smaller paintings are scanned so the color should be very close to the original however, monitors vary so I absolutely guarantee your complete satisfaction. .
You may visit my website at http://www.erniekleven.com/
or Email Me

#5 "Sunset Thru Trees" 8" x 6" Oil

2007-12-23T21:31:00.000-08:00

"Sunset Thru Trees" The 5th painting of this series was inspired by a previous painting of sun shining through some leaves. This scene is entirely from my imagination as are many of my paintings.

Bid Now

The painting was created with professional Winsor Newton oils on a 8" x 6" MDF 1/2" panel which has been archivally primed. The 1/2" edges are painted black so the painting can be attractively displayed as is without framing. Finally the painting has been varnished to protect the surface. These smaller paintings are scanned so the color should be very close to the original however, monitors vary so I absolutely guarantee your complete satisfaction. If painting does not sell at 7 day auction it will be posted on my eBay store for $85 for 30 days.
You may visit my website at http://www.erniekleven.com/
or Email Me

"Persimmons" 5"x 7" Original Oil

2007-12-22T11:37:00.000-08:00

SOLD

"Persimmons" was inspired by a scene in Loomis, CA I recently saw one morning. I was struck by the colors and composition of the fruit hanging on it's tree almost barren of it's leaves. $85.00

Buy Now

The painting was created with professional Winsor Newton oils on a 6" x 8" MDF 1/2" panel which has been archivally primed. The 1/2" edges are painted black so the painting can be attractively displayed as is without framing. Finally the painting has been varnished to protect the surface. These smaller paintings are scanned so the color should be very close to the original however, monitors vary so I absolutely guarantee your complete satisfaction. If painting does not sell at 7 day auction it will be posted on my eBay store for $85 for 30 days.
You may visit my website at http://www.erniekleven.com/
or Email Me

"USA At Night" Loomis, CA Gas Station

2007-12-21T15:00:00.000-08:00

This original painting is of a service station in Loomis, CA. I noticed it while jogging early one morning and I thought it would make a nice painting.
Bid Now

The painting was created with professional Winsor Newton oils on a 6" x 8" MDF 1/2" panel which has been archivally primed. The 1/2" edges are painted black so the painting can be attractively displayed as is without framing. Finally the painting has been varnished to protect the surface. These smaller paintings are scanned so the color should be very close to the original however, monitors vary so I absolutely guarantee your complete satisfaction.

You may visit my website at: http://www.erniekleven.com/

Mountains In Pastel

2007-12-16T14:11:00.000-08:00

Sold
This original painting "Mountains In Pastel" was painted directly from my imagination. I fell in love with the pastel shades of the distant mountains so I supported them with water and small beach in the foreground.

$85 Click Here to Buy Now

The painting was created with professional Winsor Newton oils on a 6" x 8" MDF 1/2" panel which has been archivally primed. The 1/2" edges are painted black so the painting can be attractively displayed as is without framing. Finally the painting has been varnished to protect the surface. These smaller paintings are scanned so the color should be very close to the original however, monitors vary so I absolutely guarantee your complete satisfaction.
You may visit my website at http://www.erniekleven.com/
or Email Me

Sunlight Thru The Trees

2007-12-15T11:01:00.000-08:00

This is my first "Painting A Day" effort. Sunlight Thru The Leaves was inspired by a similar scene outside of my dining room window. While I was eating breakfast the rising sun caught the leaves just right to make them translucent. I couldn't wait to do this painting and I'm sure it will be the source of many other works.

$85 Click Here to Buy Now

The painting is created with professional Winsor Newton oils on a 6" x 8" MDF 1/2" panel which has been archivally primed. The 1/2" edges are painted black so the painting looks great hung as is without framing. Finally the painting has been varnished to protect the surface. These smaller paintings are scanned so the color is very close to the original however, monitors do vary so I absolutely guarantee your complete satisfaction.

You may visit my website at http://www.erniekleven.com/

The beginning

2007-12-07T11:21:00.000-08:00

This is my first post of many to come. My first painting should be posted in another day or so. It will be offered up for auction on eBay at an opening bid of $95. Should it not sell it will be available for $80 thereafter. Since I will be in a traveling mode most of the time I may not be able to post every day but I will do my best. I plan to do scenes of the places I visit during our wanderings. This should be fun. Here is an example of my work. This is an 8"x10" on canvas mounted on board unframed and is available from my website at my normal pricing.