New Web Site coming

I have a new website called http://www.risnerart.com/ and its under construction. It will have a gallery of my work and other items for attracting art buyers to my art. I recently sold a commission work, as yet untitled, and its turned out well. I did it on December 1st. A studio but

alla prima. I like the earth tones in the foreground and the violet browns and grays of the tree in the background. I like doing knife work and give the sky some texture and energy that is really there but hard to describe with a brush.

Shows over and did ok

My first solo show is over and I did OK. I sold two painting out of it and generated some modest interest. The big one Red Sun Blue Snow sold as did one I did in Italy called the Italian Door. Nothing beats a good sale. I have been painting and have a couple that I like and will upload sometime soon. I got the leaves before they fell.

10-11: Plein air artists

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009910119990 This is a story from the Toledo Blade Sunday Oct. 11, 2009 about local plein air artists and the joy of plein air painting. The Ohio Plein Air Society is mentioned and I am interviewed. It is all part of spreading the word to the world. I am but a voice that cries out from the wilderness!

Teaching Plein Air

I started teaching a small plein air class at the Dairy Barn Art center in Athens last Saturday and ever Saturday till November 7. Just 3 students so far and all are artists who want to get more pratice in plein air. Teaching is the best way for me to learn new things. I lectured about equipment, surfaces, paints and brushes, and we than went we and painted outside for an hour in the beautiful weather.

Time to Solo

Last Friday I had the opening and reception for my solo exhibition at Studio 4 in Nelsonville, Ohio. From 6 PM to 9:30PM about 60 people came through and 2 painting sold. I am pleased. I have 24 works: oil on canvas in frames and oil on water color paper in mats. Prices range from $1000 to $100.

The title of the show is Red Sun Blue Snow after the title of the largest painting, a 30 x 40, which is visible on the right side of the picture above. It sold as did a painting of a Italian stone cottage door at night. Everyone seemed to have a good time and the wine and cheese was consumed rapidly. A few of my friends came to offer there moral support which was very welcomed. The show goes on to October 24 so please come.

Columbus Museum of Art and OPAS Show

Last night was the opening of the Ohio Plein Air Society's juried group exhibition in the lobby of the Columbus Museum of Art. The theme was to document the Russell Page sculpture garden before it is destroyed by a new expansion project for the museum. About 40 to 50 of our artists submitted works and 18 works were chosen from 13 artists. A art auction will be held next Friday and part of it will go to the museum fund.
The opening went very well and I am sure many of the patrons of the museum were impressed by the quality and skill of our artists. I am very proud of this society.

30 Painting in 30 Days

On Sept 1st I decided to do 30 painting in 30 days to get myself motivated and to make up for lost time in August. Well 2 down and 28 to go. I don't want to just do 30 painting but to do 30 painting that use what I have learned this summer in Italy in the correct manner. Old habits are hard to break especially if they are bad habits. For example just jumping in and throw paint on the foreground, than back ground, back to foreground and oh yes some middle ground work. In other words have a plan and a method of get down a design, determine the values and where the darks and lights go, start from the back and get in down and move forward. Painting is a discipline, a Zen and sometimes excitement or impatience's can get in the way. I study a copy of American Artist Workshop, Spring 2008, article of Maddine Insalaco, one of my instructors in Italy and how she put down the overall design, blocks in with dark colors the major forms, puts in the light values, redefines the design, works the details with values and moves step by step to a completed work. Painting is the act of defining the problem (the subject) and arriving at a solution.

I have a painting now in the High Road Gallery in Worthington, Ohio as part of a group show of the Ohio Plein Air Society. Its a juried show. The painting was done shortly after I came back from Italy using the palette and techniques I learned there. I like it.