Bob

8" x 8"

Oil on panel

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Lilly Bloom

8" x 8"

Oil on panel

Wildflowers and a letter of thanks

12" x 12"

oil on canvas

I did this painting right after I moved to NC and it hangs at my lake house in FL. These wildflowers bloom all around the area and are just gorgeous.

I was thinking about what I'm thankful for because I guess it's Thanksgiving and that's what we should do and I always do feel energized and centered when I do - I really should do it more often. I am overwhelmingly thankful to be in a relationship with someone who is unselfish, unconditional, who just loves for me to paint and supports me no matter how much time I spend doing it.  I'm thankful my son who is creative and living his life to the fullest he is able to right now. My mom who is always just a phone call away for advice and to make me laugh. My sister, who constantly inspires me with her strength. My friends, who inspire me creatively. All of you, who keep me painting. The universe that is constantly taking care of me and my sobriety.

Nikita (in progress) Commission

18" x 24"

Oil on canvas

Painting at the Lake

Since being at the lake, I've had a lot of time to work on Christmas commissions and enjoying every minute. 

If you are thinking about a pet commission, now is the time to put in your order so the painting can be done by Christmas. I do offer framing at a reasonable price if needed and it always a nice presentation for a gift. Just email me and let me know.

Sunlight

9" x 12"

oil on canvas panel

Everyday when it starts to get cold Chumley searches for spots of sunlight to sleep in. One of his favorites is my chair in front of the computer. Unfortunately for him the chair spins and when he jumps up it starts up - it's quite funny to see and once it stops he goes to sleep until I need to sit, then he goes off and finds another sunlit spot.

By the Sea

Here is a better shoot - I just took it outside for better lighting.

By the Sea

8" x 8"

oil on panel

I didn't bring my tripod so I couldn't get a good shot of this. Will send a better one another time. 

This is taken from a photo shoot I did about a month ago - I was able to get a lot of really great shots for future paintings.

Yesterday's Paintings

I forgot to include a preview of the book.

Here it is:

Preview the Book

"Yesterday's Painting" Book Release

I have put together a book with 52 of my favorite paintings from the last year! Click below to see a preview. It comes in softback, hardback and image wrap.

Also, Get 20% OFF PLUS FREE SHIPPING
Use promo code HOLIDAY at the end of the checkout process to receive 20% off your books, plus we'll cover shipping charges up to US $7.99.

Yesterday's Pa...

a collection of pa...

By Clair Hartmann

Book Preview

Sleeping Fox

Here is a little experiment I started and wanted to share it with you - I'm probably going to change quite a bit before it's all over.

Also, I hung some of my work at "The Smudge Pot" on Wrightsville Ave.  - stop in for a great cup of hot chocolate or a coffee some time and see the art!

Well, I'm leaving for FL a day late - should be there tomorrow if everything goes as planned.

Manny And Jampa & Downtown Dog 98

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I'm getting ready to mail these out, so I wanted to scan them in and post the final images. I'm really proud of these two paintings. I feel as far a pet portraiture this is the direction I'm wanting to take... lot's of detail in the fur, spending more time on the paintings, etc.

I can really see the where the Downtown Dogs have brought me as far as skill and mind-set and that the 100 dogs was a long exercise to get me here. I really love working in detail and getting "lost" in the painting.

I'm taking a few of the Downtown Dog paintings that I wasn't completely happy with when they were done with and going back over them and adding more detail.

Here is one I just completed. The original was flat and "un-puppy like"

Now he looks cuddly like a puppy should.

Sleeping Dog

7" x 5"

acrylic on panel
view auction

This week I'm going to Florida for a few weeks to spend Thanksgiving with family. I will still be posting daily and I going to diligently work on commissions and of course, will post as they progress. 

I have found a woman artist that you should check out. She teaches at the NY Academy of Art and is incredibly talented.
http://www.alyssamonks.com

Added to "Perez Fine Art Gallery" Online

Just wanted to let you know I am now in Perez Fine Art Gallery online with some artists that I really respect.

Check out the "Emerging Artists" section.

See Barbara Kacicek's page, she's a really great artist.

"Pancho Pieta" Update

9" x 12"

Oil on canvas panel

Still have a lot of work to do on this - studying up on mixing flesh tones. I really don't feel comfortable with it yet - it's a lot harder than it looks. Flesh tones have so many colors and transparencies. It has to look alive and not "plastic", I've been looking at artists like Jeremy Lipking and Michael Klein who are the masters of people painting, trying to see how they do it with developing my own style.

If you would like to see their work, here are their sites - amazingly, they are both very young, but incredibly talented.

Michael Klein:

http://www.michaelkleinpaintings.com/PaintingList.html

Check out the "At Rest" painting

Jeremy Lipking:

http://www.lipking.com/gallery.htm

Cameron's Art Museum's "Toying with Art" Show

Well, I'm officially in a real museum!
The show went great and I've posted some photos from last night.
Cameron's "Toying with Art" Show Photos

"Jampa" Commission

8" x 8"

Oil on panel

The woman who commissioned this painting owns Pug Wine in California.

Downtown Dog Purse & Cameron Tomorrow!

Local artists have come together for the YWCA, transforming "OldBags"into artist designed purses, Silent auction at St. Thomas Hall 4-6 Nov. 12.

http://www.ywca.org/site/pp.asp?c=drLSK0PFLuF&b=448085

"Pancho Pieta" in progress

9" x 12"

Oil on canvas panel

I saw this photo in a friend's photo file and asked if I could paint it - I love the contrast of the two figures.. this kind of tough guy with this helpless little dog. It reminded me of Michelangelo's Pieta in a way - really just hit me right.

I worked on this last night and a little tonight. It'll probably take me quite a while to finish  - If it comes out the way I'm thinking it should - it'll be a good one to submit to competitions.

"Naomi" Painting in Progress

24" x 30"

oil on canvas

I started this commission and thought it was going pretty good, then realized the whole body was off, the head was too big, legs were too small, etc. She looked short and squat taking away from the "regal look" she needs for this portrait. So, I started over on another canvas.

I painted on this for about 4 hours and I already feel better about this - it has (as my sister puts it) good cha-cha.

I'll send more photos as it progresses.

Don't forget about the Toys Show at the Cameron Thursday!

Under a Gray Sky

9" x 12"

Acrylic on canvas panel
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Manny Completed

8" x 8"

oil on panel

Manny Update

8" x 8"

Oil on panel

After the Storm

16" x 20"

Oil on canvas
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Manny in Progress

8" x 8"

Oil on panel

This is a commission I started tonight for a client in Florida. So far I've just laid in the color, tomorrow I'll define the color and shadow and then add in the texture of the fur.

Got some new brushes tonight and loving it!!

Garden Pepper

11" x 6.5"

Acrylic on panel

view auction

My pepper plant is finally putting out peppers. I got the seeds from a red pepper that I bought last year at the grocery store. It grew all summer, but every time the plant would get a bloom it would fall off, I heard tomatoes did that when it's too hot, but not peppers. Well, I guess it's true for both.

Cameron Art Museum

I will be displaying my "Pooch Puzzle" at the Cameron Art Museum's "Toying with Art" show Thursday, Nov. 12th from 7:00 to 8:00 and through March 28th.

Here is the puzzle if you haven't see it yet.

Lost Dog - Downtown Dog 101

8" x 8"

Oil on panel

I have found that I painted an extra dog that was never accounted for or posted. So now I have 101 Downtown dogs!!

A Farmer's Market regular had emailed me and asked if I had painted her dog and I knew I had, but couldn't find the post, then realized I had never included her. She was so excited that I had, loved it and bought the painting.

Today I hung some of the Downtown Dogs at Great Harvest Bread company. So stop by, get some coffee and scones and enjoy the art!