BULLFROG POND, LARGE OIL PAINTING BY TOM BROWN

"BULLFROG POND"
12x16 INCH ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING
BY TOM BROWN

Email for purchasing details:
tombrownstudio@cox.net

SOUP, IMPRESSIONIST PAINTING BY TOM BROWN

“CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP”
5x7 inch original oil
To purchase this painting email me at: tombrownstudio@cox.net
SOLD

Thanks for looking. Have a tasty day!

DAILY PAINTING, DEMONSTRATION & CAREER TIPS BY TOM BROWN

“AFTERNOON PINES, BIG BEAR”
6x8 inch original oil painting
For purchasing details, email me at mailto:tombrownart@gmail.com

SOLD

In response to many requests for more step-by-step demonstrations of plein air painting, I invite you once again to look over my shoulder as I work. This piece was painted high in the mountains near Big Bear in the late afternoon. The golden-orange sunlight turned the pines a ruddy brownish green that I wanted to capture.

I knew these lighting effects were very temporary. So rather than take time to set up the full-sized easel I normally use in my TV shows and Plein Air workshops, I used the $20 pochade box from my CD “PLEIN AIR PAINTING MADE EASY.” It is entirely self-contained and holds a fresh panel, a wet palette of paints and my dipper cup. There is no setup time; I merely open the paintbox and I’m ready to go.

Using a diluted wash of ochre I sketched the composition, then quickly blocked in the darkest darks using a mix of cadmium red and ultramarine blue. I also indicated foreground shadows with a transparent wash of the same colors, emphasizing blue in the mixture.

The next step was the most critical. I “captured the fugitives” (elements that are likely to escape while I’m painting). In this case it was the colors of the pines, sky and distant mountain (step 3). By carefully placing these important color notes at the point where they intersected in the painting I was able to evaluate whether they worked well together. This was a key to colors throughout the painting.

Then I could proceed with confidence. As I worked I echoed key colors throughout the panel for color continuity and paid special attention to little touches of magic that charm the eye; details like carefully placed tree trunks and limbs, interesting edge treatment, etc. These factors keep a painting interesting over the years, and keep collectors coming back for more of these little treasures.

One of the key factors in a successful long term career as a fine artist is to keep collectors happy (no, make that THRILLED) with your work.

Paint first of all for yourself. Paint from the heart, whatever excites or moves your spirit. But only let collectors have your best work. This will reflect well on you and help create a large and loyal following.

I sell small paintings like this to enable new collectors to sample my work at affordable prices. Many times it leads to commissions. And when I accept a commission, I always deliver my VERY highest quality of work. And I always deliver in a timely manner.

If you want to keep collectors happy, you must paint from your soul. Paint what you love. Only then will your work thrill, excite and delight collectors. And in the end, you will both be happy.

Hope you like this short lesson. Let me hear from you if you found it helpful or interesting. mailto:tombrownart@gmail.com

CALIFORNIA IMPRESSIONIST PLEIN AIR PAINTING

“OH, MY ACHING BACK”
8x10 inch original oil painting
To purchase this painting email me at tombrownart@gmail.com

These field workers labor in the heat of the sun the entire day, and it must be back-breaking work. I painted this from the edge of the field where they are picking, directly from life. These fields have been working farms until now, but soon they are scheduled to become housing developments and I wanted to capture this on canvas before it was gone forever.

Thanks for looking. Have a peaceful day.

DAILY PAINTING, PLEIN AIR LANDSCAPE BY TOM BROWN

“PARADISE REVISITED”
6x8 inch original oil painting
SOLD

I feel very fortunate to live in a paradise like this, and to be able to capture some of the beauty in paintings. If you’re an artist who hasn’t yet tried painting outdoors from nature, I strongly encourage you to give it a try. There’s nothing like plein air painting, and your work will come alive. By the way, you don't need lots of expensive equipment like a French easel to get started. I can tell you how to get set up without spending a cent. Email me if you're interested.

Email me at tombrownstudio@cox.net if you’re interested in this painting or if you would like to commission me to create a special painting for your home or office.

If you’re interested in my instructional CDs on OIL PAINTING FOR THE BEGINNER or my CD on PLEIN AIR PAINTING click the headline above. Details are on my website.

Thanks for stopping to look.

Today’s thought to smile about:
Old photo albums

LARGE PLEIN AIR LANDSCAPE, HOME, TREES, DAILY PAINTER

“HOME SWEET HOME”
18x12 inch original oil painting, ready to frame
If you wish to purchase this painting, email me at tombrownstudio@cox.net for details. Shipping is free, and I accept PayPal or personal checks.

This is a larger painting than I usually create on location but I felt inspired by the location and beautiful weather. This canvas has very soft, muted colors and bold brushwork. I think it will bring a breath of fresh air and sunshine into any room.

I painted this while conducting my usual Saturday morning Plein Air class. Pictured above are some of the other artists who joined me. We had a wonderful time painting together; thanks for joining me everybody!

Today’s thought to smile about:
A cure for the hiccups

ROSE & LOVE LETTER DAILY PAINTING

“LOVE LETTER”
5x7 inch original oil painting
SOLD

I wanted to show the way the light filtered through the bottom part of the letter, and I liked the way the rose cast shadows on it. This is a very simple composition that seems to have an interesting story, and the color of the red rose is a nice focal point.

If you wish to purchase this painting, email me at tombrownstudio@cox.net for details. Shipping is free, and I accept PayPal or personal checks.

Thanks for looking.

Today is NOT the day, but I will offer a FREE PAINTING GIVEAWAY this month. Keep watching my blog every day. When I post the notice, you will have 24 hours to email me your entry into the free drawing.

Today’s thought to smile about:
Love stories

DAILY PAINTING, EUCALYPTUS STUDY BY TOM BROWN

“THE COLOR OF SUNSHINE”
6x8 inch original oil painting

SOLD

For the price of a poster you can own this original oil painting that will bring a breath of fresh air and sunshine into any room of your home.

To purchase it, email me at tombrownstudio@cox.net. I accept PayPal and personal checks. Shipping is free to anywhere in the USA.

The trunks of eucalyptus trees are an artist’s delight. The bark peels off in multi-hued layers of unlikely colors like mint green, mauve, burgundy and more. It’s truly a joy to paint.

I did this and a number of other studies of eucalyptus on location in preparation for a large commissioned piece I am about to begin. By working swiftly and intuitively from nature I am able to capture the essence of the subject. I use this information to keep the freshness in the larger painting done in the studio.

Today’s thought to smile about:
Little children squealing in laughter

DAILY PAINTING, CONTEMPORARY STILL LIFE BY TOM BROWN

“THE COLOR OF GLASS”
6x6 inch original oil painting
To purchase this painting, email me at tombrownstudio@cox.net
SOLD

Two things to watch for this month:

1) I will post the next installment of art-career tips that I hope will be useful. The focus will be online marketing and expanding your market. This is the best time in history to be a professional fine artist, and I’ll show you why.

2) I will do another FREE ART GIVEAWAY this month. You might be the lucky winner. Here’s what last month’s winner (Kim V.) said:

“Thanks Tom! Earlier this week I entered a contest to win a free oil painting created by the very talented Tom Brown and I won!
If you haven't seen Tom’s artwork you don't know what you’re missing! His work is dynamic with lots of bold color and brushwork. Not only is he an extremely talented artist but he is an amazing teacher as well….”

The “rules” are simple: Keep watching my blog every day. When I post the notice, you will have 24 hours to email me your entry into the free drawing. There are no strings attached; even shipping is free.

Today’s thought to smile about:
Collections of glass bottles

LARGE NEWPORT BEACH HARBOR SCENE DAILY PAINTING

“BALBOA HARBOR & PAVILION”
18x7 inch original Plein Air oil painting
To purchase this painting, email me at tombrownstudio@cox.net
SOLD

This 18-inch-wide Plein Air painting is larger than I normally work when I am on location, but I felt the scene required it to capture the expansive feeling of the harbor.

I painted this from the edge of Balboa Island in Newport Beach during a Plein Air workshop I was teaching. Among the interesting passersby I met during the morning was a couple in their 80's who were on their honeymoon. Love is grand!

Thanks for looking, and if you’re interested in purchasing this painting please email me for payment details.

Today’s thought to smile about:
Watching an old couple in love

LARGE PALM TREE STUDY DAILY PAINTING

“LARGE PALM STUDY”
Approximately 11x14 inches
Original oil painting on unstretched canvas
To purchase this painting, email me at tombrownstudio@cox.net

SOLD

This palm tree study was never intended to be completed; I did it only to capture specific information about the interesting textures and color changes on the trunk where fronds had been trimmed. I also wanted to record how the baby palm was sprouting near the base of the large palm tree.

This is like a glimpse over my shoulder so you can see the artistic process in action. It is much larger than most “studies” but I had a large canvas and I was feeling particularly loose and free. I also needed to work big enough to capture all necessary detail.

Today’s thought to smile about:
Palm fronds rustling in the breeze

DAILY PAINTING, SANTA BARBARA LANDSCAPE BY TOM BROWN

“VIEW FROM THE MOTEL”
Approximately 9x7 inch original oil painting
To purchase this painting, email me at tombrownstudio@cox.net
SOLD

During a recent trip to Santa Barbara I painted this view from the balcony outside our motel room while waiting for my wife to dress for breakfast one morning. What a view!

By the way, today I am listing an alternate email address where I can be contacted. I was recently made aware that gmail (which I previously used) may prevent people from contacting me if they do not have a gmail account. I was unaware of this until a helpful viewer contacted me the other day. (Thanks, Robert.)

If anyone is interested in purchasing a painting, or my CD on plein air painting, or my beginner's oil painting CD, etc. you should be able to easily contact me through this email: tombrownstudio@cox.net

Today’s thought to smile about:
Squeaky floors in an old bookstore

DAILY PAINTING, CONTEMPORARY STILL LIFE BY TOM BROWN

“FRESH COLORS”
6x6 inch original oil painting
To purchase this painting, email me at tombrownart@gmail.com

SOLD

Today’s thought to smile about:
James Thurber quotes
(Example: “Don’t be a nonconformist like everybody else.”)

DAILY PAINTING AND DEMONSTRATION BY TOM BROWN

“OLD COUNTRY ROAD”
6x6 inch original oil painting
SOLD

This painting demonstration is for artists and non-artists alike.

Today I invite you to look over my shoulder as I paint on location. I hope you’ll find it interesting whether you are an artist or not. This old country road spoke to me with its charm and I couldn’t wait to paint it. I pulled off the road and got out the $20 pochade box that I show in my CD on PLEIN AIR PAINTING.

I like to begin paintings by sketching the large shapes, and stating the darkest darks so I can judge other values as I work. Then I quickly “capture the fugitives” (anything that is likely to escape while I’m painting). In this case the clouds were moving rapidly and they added a lot to the scene, so I wanted to capture them as soon as possible.

I chose a toned panel for this piece so that I could paint the clouds immediately after sketching the scene (see step 1). This isn’t possible on a white canvas and I couldn’t afford to wait. With that critical element resolved, I could slow the pace and carefully place the darkest darks (the underpainting for the foreground tree).

In step 2 I began establishing the spectrum of greens: deep, brownish greens in the foreground tree and lighter, more muted greens in the distance. This added considerable charm to the scene as I studied it, and I felt it was important to get the relationship right. That’s the kind of detail that keeps the painting interesting day after day, and year after year. Collectors of my work have commented that there is always something new and special to discover in my paintings because of this.

In step 3 broad areas of color and value were established for the mountains and sky. As I mixed and compared these colors with each other I was careful to assess their relationship to all other areas of the composition. Any spot of color in a successful painting needs to work with all other areas of color.

As I moved into the final stage (step 4) I made sure to echo the most important colors throughout the entire painting. For example the colors of the mountain range are echoed in the shadows across the roadway. This helps create what I call “color continuity,” and unifies the entire painting so that all parts work well together.

As I brought the painting to completion I carefully added what I call “spots of magic” here and there. For example, notice the accents of color and light on the tree limbs at the left. These may seem like minor details, but they are very important. This is the kind of thing that makes a viewer fall in love with a painting every time they study it. Finally I scrutinized the painting one more time and decided it was time to sign it. Done!

One more note. Always think in terms of painting for two viewing distances. One is how the painting is seen from across the room or across a gallery. You want the painting to have strength, beauty and charm when seen from this distance. I call this “wall power.”

The second viewing distance is when the painting is seen up close. When someone spots your painting and hurries over to study it more closely, they should find additional layers of “close-up charm” that create unexpected magic. This is the result of brushwork, color, surface texture and many other factors. This keeps a viewer coming back again and again to savor your painting. Pay careful attention to this. Collectors will love you (and your work) for it.

Hope you like this short lesson. Let me know if it was helpful or interesting; I’d love to hear from you. tombrownart@gmail.com

The fine print: If you want to buy this painting or if you want to buy my CD on PLEIN AIR PAINTING, email me for payment details. I accept PayPal and personal checks, but I ship only to the U.S.A. Thanks.

Oh, and keep an eye on my blog for another free art giveaway next month. You might get lucky!

Today’s thought to smile about:
Free art lessons

TOM BROWN DAILY PAINTING, FREEWAY PALM TREES

“DRIVE-BY”
6x8 inch original oil painting
To purchase this painting, email me at tombrownart@gmail.com
SOLD

There is something about freeway overpasses that draws me to paint them; I just can’t help myself. For this one I decided to work so loosely that it borders on an abstract. The buildings in the background are merely suggested and there is very little detail anywhere in the painting. I sometimes like this quality of vagueness because it leaves more to the imagination. I am interested in your reaction; let me hear from you.

I also have some nice paintings on eBay. Click the headline above and check them out.

Today’s thought to smile about:
Wild palm trees growing in the most unusual places
(When I lived in the Midwest I never saw palm trees.)

IMPRESSIONIST COUNTRY LANDSCAPE DAILY PAINTING

I am including a snapshot I took on location after completing today’s painting. The clouds had changed quite a bit by then but I wanted to show it anyway.

I also thought you might enjoy seeing this painting in one of my handmade frames. The oil painting measures 6x6 inches, and the framed size is 12x12 inches. I feel the frames give these little gems much more presence on the wall.

Thanks for looking. I welcome your comments. If you are interested in purchasing this painting (with or without the frame), email me at tombrownart@gmail.com

Today’s thought to smile about:
Watching cloud shapes

CALIFORNIA PLEIN AIR PAINTING, FREE ART GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

“A GOLDEN MOMENT”
8x4 inch original oil painting
To purchase this painting, email me at tombrownart@gmail.com
SOLD

Today is NOT the day, but I will offer a FREE PAINTING GIVEAWAY this month. Keep watching my blog every day. When I post the notice, you will have 24 hours to email me your entry into the free drawing.

Artists frequently ask me for guidance and help with their careers. The answers I give apply to most artists, and include many elements often overlooked or not fully understood by many artists.

I am certainly not the ultimate authority, but I have accumulated a good deal of experience and information that may be helpful to others. This comes from selling through top galleries across the country for over 20 years and exchanging information with many top names in the business.

If there is enough general interest I will be happy to post a special blog entry later this month that most daily painters (and even established professionals) could benefit from. Let me hear from you if this is of interest to you.

Today’s thought to smile about:
Small pleasures that cost nothing

LOS ANGELES LANDSCAPE, FREE ART GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

“L.A. SENTINELS”
6x6 inch original oil painting, ready to frame
To purchase this painting, email me at tombrownart@gmail.com

To see my eBay paintings, click the headline above.

If you are interested in a larger painting for your home or office, I would be pleased to discuss it with you. I generally offer small plein air paintings like this online, but I often work in larger sizes for privately commissioned paintings. For example I am currently working on a commission for three 30x60-inch paintings that are to be permanently displayed in the lobby of the Irvine Civic Center.

Here’s a reminder: Today is NOT the day, but I will offer a FREE PAINTING GIVEAWAY this month. Keep watching my blog every day. When I post the notice, you will have 24 hours to email me your entry into the free drawing.
SOLD

CITY CLOCK LANDSCAPE AND FREE ART GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

“TEN TO TWELVE”
5x7 inch original oil painting
To purchase this painting, email me at tombrownart@gmail.com

Artists frequently ask me for guidance and help with their careers. The answers I give apply to most artists, and include many elements often overlooked or not fully understood by many artists.

I am certainly not the ultimate authority, but I have accumulated a good deal of experience and information that may be helpful to others. This comes from selling through top galleries across the country for over 20 years and exchanging information with many top names in the business.

If there is enough general interest I will be happy to post a special blog entry later this month that most daily painters (and even established professionals) could benefit from. Let me hear from you if this is of interest to you.

Today is NOT the day, but I will offer a FREE PAINTING GIVEAWAY this month. Keep watching my blog every day. When I post the notice, you will have 24 hours to email me your entry into the free drawing.

Today’s thought to smile about:
Watching a magician do sleight of hand

CITY LANDSCAPE AND FREE ART GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

“THE HUM OF THE CITY”
8x10 inch original oil painting, ready to frame

SOLD

I am offering this at a special “pre-auction” price if it is purchased before it goes on eBay tomorrow. Please email me if you are interested: tombrownart@gmail.com

Today is NOT the day, but I will offer a FREE PAINTING GIVEAWAY this month. Keep watching my blog every day. When I post the notice, you will have 24 hours to email me your entry into the free drawing.

Today’s thought to smile about:
School popsicle day