Case's Blog

It isn't often I decide to paint a still life. Monday, I made a snack of ice cream with maraschino cherries. I wouldn't ordinarily choose a sweet treat like this for a snack, but we still had some leftover from my son's birthday party, so I thought I would do the family a favor and help deplete the ice cream supply. When I had finished preparing my snack, I noticed how pretty the scene was. Yes, of course, I took a photo of the bowl of ice cream and cherries and decided to use it as a still life reference:



Yesterday, I began work on the painting. This is 18" X 24" canvas:



Here is my progress from today:



I also included a shot of some of the details:



I will post more photos as I progress on this one.

Last weekend, as I mentioned in my previous blog entry, I participated in the Paint the Town event put on by Arts Alive. Today, I finished up the piece while I hung out with my friend Kirsten in her spiffy studio. What a fun day it was!

This piece and many others will be on display at Poudre River Arts Center on North College Avenue in Fort Collins this weekend.

"Old Town View"
Oil on Canvas
16" X 12"

I began a portrait painting class at the Art Students League of Denver today. I attend from 9:00am to 12:30pm, so it was quite the scene, me trying to get there on time. I managed to forget an important element of painting: the canvas. Fortunately, another student from the class graciously gave me an extra canvas she had brought. I am excited about this class. I know I am going to learn a tremendous amount about painting portraits. Unfortunately, there is no class next week, but in two weeks, class will resume.

I have posted my progress on the piece I am doing for this class, right now.

The image below was taken when I was about 30 minutes into the painting:



Now, here is where I am, currently, with this piece:



In two weeks, I will post how it progresses. Perhaps I will finish it, by then. (I know...she needs arms, yes?)

Also, my good friends, Kirsten Savage and Rachel Herrera (who are exquisite artists, if I do say so) invited me to come up to Fort Collins, CO last weekend for an event called "Paint the Town." It was put on by Arts Alive and was quite the success! The artwork that came out of this event will be displayed at the Poudre River Arts Center, September 7-8, 2007 (that's this weekend!) Poudre River Arts Center is located at 406 North College, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, so please come check out some fabulous interpretations of downtown Fort Collins!

...or at least that is what I would call it.

Yes, the following is evidence that I may, indeed be departing from the land of sanity. Me tell think you what. How some isn't this me something indicates.

When I was little, I use to look through my mother's fashion magazines. One of my favorite subjects to draw was that of the fashionable female form. I made my own books full of fashions I had drawn and called them magazines. Once, I even wrote to several fashion designers, including hand drawn fashion pages. I was 14, and received one or two encouraging responses from designers. Today, I was inspired to reach back and so as a nostalgic glimpse into my beginnings in art, I have included the sketch I created today:

"Lady 80s"
Mechanical Pencil on Sketch Paper

I started this painting a week ago, and just finished it. The paint is still very wet. Do you remember the first snowstorm that hit the Denver area this past winter? Well, I took a picture of the tree outside our place during that storm while we were snowed in. I then took that picture and played with it in some digital photo editing software. Once I thought it looked neat enough, I printed it and used it for a reference for this painting:




"10th Street"
20" X 16"
Oil on Canvas
$550.00

I also took a closeup photo to get an idea of the brush strokes in this painting:



I rather enjoyed this. After some internal deliberation, I decided I should post the reference picture, to give an idea of what I am working from:

I have no images for you today. That is because I have been out for the last week with no access to anything (computer, canvas, paint, etc.) It feels a little bit like muscle atrophy right now, not having painted or created anything physical. Sure, I have created some thoughts in my head, which some might consider...interesting, I suppose. Nothing truly unique or earth-shattering. So, consider this my first non-post post.

I enjoyed that.

What is this?



I'll tell you what it is...it's a VERY LARGE CANVAS. Very large, at least compared to what I am use to. Dakota constructed the frame out of sturdy stretcher strips and some supports he cut at home depot. We stretched it and VOILA! 5' X 5' bliss. I can't wait to start working on that one. I'm going through more gesso than I had anticipated, but it will be worth it. When we come back from vacation, I will be ready to start throwing paint on it...well not throwing, but, you know.

I moved the canvas into my studio to gesso. As you can see, its impressive stature dominates any room it inhabits. Especially in our modest dwelling.



Now for progress. The changes to this painting have forced me to think of a new name. Somehow, it isn't so much about the human in the image as it is about the relationship of the human to the rest of the piece. This is why I call it...

(please forgive the image quality...I just wanted to get it out here)
"Mercy in Disaster"
16" X 20"

A friend came over this weekend and re-shot all the images for my paintings this weekend. I was so grateful, that I traded him one of my paintings in exchange for his generosity. We will be seeing some better quality in my digital images now. Thanks, Aaron!

I am considering using my palette knife a little more. I have only completed one painting with only the use of a palette knife, and it was done around two years ago:

"Jungle Hunt"
24" X 18"



With my love for portraiture comes my love for imaginary friends. I spent the last week painting whatever came to my mind and in some cases, the faces of people came to my mind. The first is still in progress and I fail to find a good name for it, quite yet. The background on this painting was done in acrylic, but everything else is and will be oil. For now I am just calling this one "Queen."

"Queen" (In Progress)
16" X 20"



The following painting has changed directions a few times. In the end, I determined that a night time setting was what I wanted to portray. This is another "imaginary friend" of mine.

"Night Stroll"
16" X 20"

I thought it might be nice to start a weblog (blog) about my creative process for any who are interested. I am likely to post paintings, musings, rants, antecdotes and jokes. I will leave the comments to anyone who wishes to comment.

First of all, if you don't know me, my name is Casey Reifschneider, but I go by Case and sign all of my work with "CASE." Soon, I will post an "Artist Bio" page, but for now, just know that I am Case and I paint in oils. A gallery of my previous and current work will be available, soon. I will be sure to post a notice, here on the blog when that happens.

Portraits are among my most enjoyable pieces. The expressions I find on the faces of people I know and don't know fascinate me. There is so much to every tiny line and shape in the human face. Each one is so different and so distinct!

Today, I completed a portrait. I started this yesterday and it is on 16" X 16" canvas, painted in oil.

"Dakota"



I also thought it might be fun to look at a portrait I created a little over a year ago. For me, this one invokes feelings of anticipation and warmth. I hope it creates happy feelings for you, too. This portrait was painted in oil, on 18" X 24" canvas.

"Expectant Thoughts"



And, some detail, to indicate the texture of the piece: