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A little of what I've been up to.
June 25, 2016

Hello!

* Its not the How, But the WHY?

* I never have time.

* Brain Storming, what?

* Latest New Work

* My New FaceBook page!

Here's your latest edition of Easy Oils Blast! A blast of new information, paintings and demonstrations in oil painting.

So lets get started with some really great information!

It's not the how, but the why.

One of the top questions I am asked, "How do you create these works". Especially from other artists. I'm pretty eager to explain my process until I see that glazed look come over the eyes of my listener, and I realize I've explained too much.

A better question by some patrons is a little more difficult to answer. It is the "Why?" question. Why do I paint, or why do I paint flowers, and why with such realism?

Well, let me explain the why.

My tastes in subject matter have changed a little over the years. I've always done the still life, and a few landscapes, but a common thread thru them all has been the flower. (You can read more about the large format flowers in my bio. It's an interesting little story)

Recently, however, the meaning really goes much deeper.

I've lived long enough to realize just how precious life is. And in a world with so many troubles, I'm constantly reminded of the blessings we are afforded. Having lost loved ones, I count every day a blessing when both feet hit the floor in the morning to start another day.

So is the same with the flower. It is such a short lived beauty. And being able to capture the beauty of life within that bloom that will last for generations, well, that's basically what I bring to the table. I do hope you enjoy their beauty.

Having said that, lots of things have happened since I last wrote. Numerous paintings are now in Homes across the US and Canada! (Does that mean I can call myself an internationally acclaimed artist?)

I've done a few landscapes and am experimenting with the knife. These will be subjects I post to this teaching site when I think I have a better handle on things.

I never have time.

I remember a famous author, and someone that the world will greatly miss, Steven Covey, was describing through a demonstration how we usually manage our time.

He set about placing a gold fish bowl on a table with the bowl filled 3/4 of sand. Outside the bowl were 5 big rocks.

He told the participant that the rocks represented important things in our life. (birthday parties, weddings, church functions, etc) The sand represented all the little things (mowing grass, watching tv, gossiping) that fill up our time during the week, and the bowl represented our life in general.

He asked the participant to fit the big rocks (important things in our life) into the gold fish bowl (our life) along with the sand (time wasters).

No one could do it.

He then took the gold fish bowl, dumped out the sand, then put each of the big rocks into the bowl. (Yes, they all fit!) He then proceeded to slowly pour all the sand back into bowl, and yes, it all fit!

The demonstration is to show you plan your week with the big rocks first (important things) and then allow the little things to filter in.

You can see this demonstration on this You Tube video.

You Tube Video Steven Covey Big Rocks

I talk about this wonderful tool in more detail on my page on time management. The link is below.

Really, I still use it today, even though I know there are tools similar within most smart phones, I simply love the feeling of paper and pen.

Read more here on this powerful tool that will help you plan your time for painting in the studio!

Time Management Techniques

Brain Storming? Huh?

Have you ever seen the movie "Apollo 13"? If you haven't, I highly recommend it. Mainly because how it loaded with factual information that has been dramatized for sure, but doesn't take away from the importance of the information portrayed.

In one scene, NASA officials realize, they boys aien't gonna make it. They will succumb to carbon dioxide poisoning before they reach home.

The flight director (I think) pulls all the engineers together into a room, he throws down what he knows the astronauts have in their possession, and he tells the engineers to develop a scrubber (scrubs carbon dioxide out of the air) to help them survive.

They call that Brain Storming, (they actually teach that very incident in our American history of space exploration as a turning point in problem solving) and it is now taught in all engineering schools using different tools, (mind mapping for one) in order to help accomplish a goal or task.

(Like, becoming rich and famous with your art!)

Click the link to find out more.

Mind Mapping page

Latest new Art Work

So, how often do you purchase art instruction or are you at a level on competence that you feel you need no more help?

Me? I actually budget for art instruction throughout the year. My color coarse from Richard Robinson really helped in the creation of this commissioned work. No black is used, instead, certain colors are used in the shadows, and it really made the painting glow!

Have you been riding the fence about expanding your knowledge base? If you don't grow, you won't get very far.

Really, how can you get better if you are practicing old methods? It's like the old golf pro said, practice, (in the case of golf) can only make you better at screwing up if you don't have the correct swing in the first place.

And when it comes to mixing your paints and finding the right colors for a painting, here's the best color instruction ever!

Mastering Color Lessons.

You can check out my review of his coarse right here: Color Course Review

One of the best packages that explain a detailed and step by step approach in achieving realism in your oil paintings is right here.

For less money than a dinner on the town which is consumed and you feel hungry again later, you can have a library of instruction that shows a timeless method of oil painting! Of course, in the painting above, I had to include my favorite subject! Flowers!

I would ask this of you. With each of my paintings, there is a little story behind it. The reason or the circumstance that went into it's creation.

If you take the time to read these short stories, you will invariably get a glimpse into the life and times of a baby boomer coming of age, and with his faith, the loves of his life, and his continued love of his craft, perhaps glean some of the wisdom and enjoy a bit of his wit as he paints his life around him.

Wow, maybe I should add that last statement to my bio!

Click the link below to see these newest paintings. Delmus Phelps Fine Art site

Something I forget to mention. With opening a new studio, I also had to get rid of my antique star trek flip phone for a new modern smart phone.

Because its a smart phone it had this cool little camera. And with it, I click a lot of pictures.

I do post a great deal of what I'm actually doing in the studio/gallery daily! So follow along with me to see new work as it happens.

Follow me on INSTAGRAM "@delmus_phelps_fine_art" to see some of those pictures as I work.

Sorry for all the underscores. I'm a baby boomer, and once I set up the account, my kids reminded me of what a pain it is to add those underscores to find me. I then reminded them they hey, follow me, and you won't have to keep typing that mess in. I'll just appear in your feed.

They were impressed.

Who said you can't teach an ol dog new tricks?

New Paintings Email Signup

I have a new website dedicated to just my new paintings! I also have a blog about those paintings, and the story behind their creation. Please join me in signing up for this email/newletter that will keep you posted of my latest works!

Click here to jump over and sign up!

As always, I promise no spam, just beautiful paintings and why I painted them. (And sometimes the "how" I painted them)

My New FaceBook page! Pinterest?, Facebook? Twitter? and all that jazz!

I've created a new Facebook Page! Would you come and see it? It's all about my new paintings and my travels in creating them. I hope you will join me! Just "like" the page to have my new works added to your Facebook timeline or news-feed.

This really is a great resource, as I find new techniques and other interesting art, I will post them to the Facebook Page. And of course, more of my hillbilly humor is thrown in for free!

Delmus Phelps Fine Art facebook page

What are they all about? This is a social media site similar to facebook, or tweeter, but it's based on images only. This is an artist's dream! Soooo many pictures, but not enough time to see them all.

The buttons above send you to my page, but once your registered, you'll have your own page to set up and start collecting your favorite images!

If you really like a painting or image found on the site (Easy Oil Techniques), feel free to push that little button underneath the image!

It will post the image to the Pinterest site. You do need to go through a simple registration process, but you will not be disappointed. The pictures available are simple amazing and will truly get your creative juices flowing with ideas for your next painting project!

Facebook Like it please!

Don't forget the great addition to the site is the Facebook application!

If you're a Facebook Fan, then you'll appreciate this. You can "like" a page, and comment on it's contents so your Facebook friends can see what all the hub-bub is about, and where you spend your valuable hours learning on how to paint great things!

Spread the word! Click on the like buttons and give me your comments on the site! You don't even have to leave the site, it's all right there for your convenience.

And our readers love 'em!

Also, in the upper right hand corner of most pages, you can find my Facebook page, and follow along activities that I post in-between ezine issues.

I'm now on Twitter! I find that if you reply to me rather then direct message (DM), I'll be able to find you easier. I get so much spam these days, I rarely check my direct messages in twitter any longer.

You can follow me, and I'll follow you back, but do reply to me that you are following so's I can follow you back! just tweet an "@delmus" in your tweet box!

Follow me on Twitter

Well I hope the information was useful to you. Future ezines will be in a similar format, just different information.

Let me know what you think! Have I helped you in any way? Twitter me, or drop me an email. I would love to see some of your work!

Till next time!

This is Delmus Phelps wishing you a happy painting day!

If you missed the 1st issue of the ezine, you can get it here, Ezine Back Issues.