New Chapter/New Gallery

It is with mixed feelings that I will be leaving the Stutz studio/gallery after six years of painting and working with the Stutz Artists Association. It was a pleasure to work with the staff and the many artists I came in contact with. My next passage and chapter in my life will be the opening of a gallery/studio in the Carmel Arts District. I will be featuring my work as well as other artists that I have long admired. The 1,650 sq ft will give me adequate studio space as well as area to teach classes and workshops. I will miss that great morning light I enjoyed in my Stutz studio for sure. The gallery will be called "Eye On Art" and will open in September. The grand opening is planned for October or November and I hope to see many of you there.

Tennessee Valley

Oil
12"x16"

Did this painting over the weekend while visiting family in Franklin, just South of Nashville. The landscape there is so great with the rolling hills. I was able to find this area where the land had been cleared to show a nice small lake and valley. The hills in the background blue down with miles of atmosphere between the canvas and the heavily wooded forrest.

Rainbow Woods

Oil
20"x24"

I completed this painting last night during a painting demo at Renaissance Fine Art and Design Gallery. There were many that braved the heat and had an opportunity to see 3 floors of gallery works Kathleen Stevens has so nicely put together. Add it to your list of galleries to see in Carmel. The painting is part of my recent abstract series, bold in color and shapes.

River Watch

Oil
12"x16"

Painting this week with my class down at the White River, I selected the view West looking towards the bridge at College Ave. The blue heron caught my eye as he stands so still on the fallen trees or at river's edge.

Mellow Yellow Day

Oil
18"x24"

I started this painting late last week in the studio and had an opportunity to complete it at a painting demo on Saturday night at the Renaissance Fine Art & Design Gallery in Carmel. I enjoyed pushing the yellows in this abstract representation. The gallery is Kathleen Stevens' new venture in Carmel, Indiana.

Abandoned Farmhouse

Oil
18"x24"

I started this several weeks ago and never quite finished it. Had an opportunity to complete it at a painting demo on Saturday night at the Renaissance Fine Art & Design Gallery in Carmel. The gallery is Kathleen Stevens new venture in Carmel, Indiana.

Peaks of Autumn

Oil
30"x40"

This is one of my studio paintings I have worked on in the studio in between a lot of summer plein air works. The recent larger works are taking on more of the abstract design shapes that I enjoy working in.

Afternoon Shadows at the IMA

Oil
12"x16"

This was the 3rd and final day of painting over the 4th of July weekend. It was a hot one and I kept moving forward to find the shade. I liked the view of the larger open space beyond the path and road and the design of the ever changing shadows in the foreground.

Evening Light at the IMA

Oil
12"x16"

This was the painting completed the second day at the IMA. I love this view standing on the walking bridge and looking down at the service road and the new entrance to the IMA 100 Acre Gardens. The colors are cooler than the first on and a slightly different view of the road.

Shaded Passage at the IMA

Oil
12"x16"

I've been painting for the past two days at the Indiana State Museum Gardens. The weather has been perfect and this spot on the walking bridge is always in shade. As soon as I saw the dappled light and various greens from shade to light, the location was a must to paint. It must have been a major field trip for children under 5, because about 100 passed by during the painting time to look and comment. I am still hearing "I like your painting" ringing in my ears. I learned to paint and smile at the same time. Life is good.

Confetti Trees

Oil
12"x16"

This was the Estridge painting demo I did two weeks ago at Clay Terrace. I had a sign up that indicated the painting could be purchased by bidding, starting at $125. After the painting started to take on a nice look, I looked over and no bidders. I took the sign down...not about to let it go for that price.

Secret Beach in Michigan

Oil
12"x16"

On the first day of painting, our guest took us to a small beach south of Douglas and I painted this North side of the beach. I tried to capture the grasses growing up to the tree line.

Ready on the Kalazamoo

Oil
12"x16"

I had an opportunity to join painter friends in Saugatuck, Michigan to paint for 2 days. The site locations are endless, and in this work I stood on the dock and paintd a sailboat on the other side of the Kalamazoo River.

Clark Gallery One Man Exhibition

For those of you that live near Wabash Indiana I am having a One Man Exhibition and reception at 6pm at the:
Clark Gallery
Honeywell Center
ONE MAN EXHBITION
http://www.honeywellcenter.org/10Gallery_JerryPoints.html

June 23-July 14 2010
275 W. Market St.
Wabash, IN 46992

Public Reception: June 23, 6pm

Butler Gardens and Pond

Oil
12"x16"

I painted at the Butler Campus in prep for my class Tuesday. I found some shade and privacy behind Clowes Hall. Worked quickly and managed to finish in 2 hours. As I finished, 4 cars showed up with about 20 people for a photo session on the bridge. Lucky timing on my part.

Noblesville River View

Oil
12"x16"
FLASH!...Had to edit today. I was awarded Best of Show.

This was the painting I completed Thursday for the Noblesville Paint-Out. Found a remote area just West of downtown at the White River looking up to see just a glimple of downtown. Loved the trees and the dappled light breaking through. Yes...that is the color of the river.

Towering Sycamores

Oil
12"x16"

Yesterday during the morning I painted near the White River looking west to the neighbor's house. The sun was casting long shadows and the trees looked great isolated from the house in shadows and dappled light. The Sycamores in this area near the River started growing in a wooded area long before the houses were built and grew straight up before reaching the sunlight.

Late Evening at the IMA

Oil
18"x24"

This is the 2nd painting of the bridge at the Indianapolis Museum of Art Gardens. I really like the design of the composition and wanted to do a larger work and try to capture the look of the large pines shading the bridge. From this spot, just left of the Lilly House, one can look down to the canal and White River and view the various plantings. A painters dream and nightmare at the same time.

TC Steele House and Garden

Oil
12"x16"

Saturday was the Spring Paintout at the TC Steele Home and Gardens down in Brown County. The flowers were in bloom and there were many painters scattered around the grounds. It was a beautiful morning and most artists finished one work before the rains came at noon. I found an area to paint from the South side with flowers in the foreground and was pleased with the result. I will include this work in the Plein Air Exhibit which opens June 4 at the Stutz Art Space Gallery

Site Unseen

Oil on Linen
30"x40"

This is a studio work that I started about a week ago and worked on it between some plein air sessions. It is a new direction that I am exploring with more abstract images and shapes that make up the landscape. I enjoy this process in that I always feel fresh when I start back into the painting. The brush work is expressive and the end comes when everything comes together. I am getting some entries together for an upcoming juried exhibit and one that is usually on the conservative side, but who knows what the unknown juror may think. I welcome any input. Does it have any WOW factor? is it going too far for a landscape? First impressions? I tend to like my latest work which impairs my judgement. HELP.

Painting at the IMA

It was a warm day Monday and 4 of us drove over to the IMA to paint. This spot was where I settled for the 2nd painting.

Overlook at IMA Gardens

Oil on Linen
11"x14""

This was the 2nd painting Monday at the IMA. Coming up the hill from the canal, found this great view looking at the small bridge looking down at the stream that flows to the bottom of the hill. I was drawn to the design of the composition and the evergreens behind the couple that paused to take a look.

Canal at IMA

Oil
9"x12"

Went to the IMA grounds on Monday to paint and did the first work at the lower level looking across the canal. A quick study of about 1 1/2 hours.

New Painting

May and June are going to be crazy months in terms of getting ready for my One Man Show at the Clark Gallery, Honeywell Center in Wabash, opening June 23. I am trying to complete some larger works as I will be entering existing large scale paintings in the Hoosier Salon and Indiana Heritage. I started a 30"x40" studio painting today and probably need another day of painting to finish.

Bastian

Graphite

Every now and then, I step away from my paintings and return to the joy of drawing. This is one of my grandsons who lives in Germany. I took the photo 2 years ago and captured one of his innocent childlike looks. That compared to his determined, competitive look last year as he wanted me to play goalie while he kicked goals past my slow moving response. (OK, so I let him win)

Stutz Studio - B300

Countdown for Stutz Open House. Did manage to hang all new works in gallery. Tomorrow, I clean the studio side. A look at B300.

Harmony Walk

Oil on Panel
16"x20"

Just returned from the "First Brush of Spring" paint-out and workshop in New Harmony, Indiana.. I find these gatherings filled with sparks of creativity, painting with friends in a beautiful, spiritual setting. We shared ideas, critiques (a few glasses of wine) and a charged inspiration to paint, paint, paint as we return to our respective studios and haunts.

Thanks for the 15 students in my workshop...I hope there are a few concepts that you will hold onto in your upcoming paintings. The painting above was from the view looking toward the Wabash River. I did this painting the following day of the workshop and received one of the painting awards among some really great works.

Harmonic Hues

Oil on 2" Cradle Panel
8"x24"

Preparing for the Stutz Open House, I always do a few small works. And, I try to have fun with it in terms of color and design. Click on the painting for a larger view and a walk through hues galore.

Thank You Kathleen Stevens

A special thanks to Kathleen Stevens for her blog mention of my works she chose for inclusion at St. Margaret's Hospital Guild's Decorators' Show House.



A Walk With Penrod: Jerry Points Fine Art
By Kathleen Stevens

Dappled Afternoon

As our walk with Penrod draws near its end at St. Margaret's Hospital Guild's Decorators' Show House, we get a rare and wonderful glimpse of how an afternoon in Indiana may have looked to our beloved Penrod. The works I am sharing with you this evening were painted by Jerry Points, Fine Artist and gifted instructor. I remember the first time I saw one of Jerry's works, I realized that I had found an artist that loves trees just as much as I do. The way that Jerry paints trees and nature is an organic mixture of contemporary elegance.



Indiana Sycamores

Point's artwork possesses a contemporary edge that makes it a riveting focal in the minimalist setting, while his works are equally at home in the most traditional venue. This rare duplicity is due to his excellent use of color and light, and the captivating brushwork that is a Points trademark. His plein-air work has captured woodland and floral settings internationally, with award winning results.



Laundry Day

From large complicated compositions to the simplistic setting of "laundry Day", Jerry's work has the ability to take us to new places with his painting, drawing us in with rich palette and natural line. His reflective work is nothing short of amazing. A silent tribute to the natural world we sometimes take for granted, Jerry's work reminds us of the natural beauty that surrounds us everyday... something he teaches weekly at the Stutz in his painting classes and workshops.



Winter Sycamores

Jerry is a full time Artist working daily from his sunbathed studio and gallery at the Historic Stutz Building in downtown Indianapolis. I invite you to see more of Point's extensive body of award winning works by going to jerrypointspaintings.com and jerrypoints.com and Stutz Artists Association Annual Open House on April 23 & 24th. You may also contact Jerry directly by going to jpoints@indy.rr.com

Lilly House at the IMA

Oil on Linen
16"x12"

Tuesday set a temp record at 82 degrees, so packed up the gear and headed to the IMA grounds. Still early Spring before all of the leaves are out, and found an obscure area on the East side of the Lilly House. Painted for almost 3 hours and it felt good to get back into the groove. Warming up for the one day workshop I am teaching in New Harmony next week.

2009 Plein Air Paintings

Here are three of the paintings completed last year in the Summer Plein Air Painting Class offered through the Stutz. Contact me if you are interested in the 2010 class.

Summer Classes

STUTZARTSPACE
Plein Air Painting - All Levels
Jerry Points
Tuesdays: May 11-July 13, 2010 (10 weeks)
1-4pm
$300

In this class you will learn how to interpret nature in terms of paint, using value and color to create form. The aim of the class is to teach you to think, see, and express light and form. Color relationships, design/composition, simplifying, and the benefits of painting indoors/outdoors will be discussed, as well as how to design and build a painting with visual impact. The class will offer demonstrations and individual instruction. We will focus on values, shapes, edges, and color as they relate to painting, working wet into wet. We will develop a painting from beginning to end and learn to complete a painting within a three hour session. The first class will meet at
StutzArtSpace, followed by meetings at various locations around Indianapolis.

For questions and a supply list, please e-mail Jerry at: jpoints@indy.rr.com.

STUTZARTSPACE
Urban Sketching- All Levels
Jerry Points
Thursdays: May 13-June 10, 2010 (5 weeks)
1-4pm
$150

This class will include drawing basics of material selection, keeping a sketch journal and learning drawing techniques to better draw and record nature and architecture and various objects that make up our urban environment. Check out the Urban Sketchers Blog at www.urbansketchers-indianapolis.blogspot.com.

With your approval, your sketches will be included on the blog postings. The first class will meet at StutzArtSpace, followed by meetings at various locations around Indianapolis.

For questions and a supply list, please e-mail Jerry at: jpoints@indy.rr.com.

Marsh Madness

Oil on Linen
18"x24"

I have been painting marshes all week and since we are in the middle of the NCAA Basketball Tourney, I decided to have a play on words with the 3rd in a series and call this Marsh Madness. I went more abstract on this also with the use of the square brush.

April Ad for American Art Collector

As many of you in Indiana know, April 23 - 24 is the Stutz Open House with over 90 artists showing work in their studios. The Stutz Artists Association was contacted by American Art Collector to see if we were interested in advertising along with editorial on the Open House. As it turned out we were given a 10 page spread. This is my 1/4 page ad....but they also featured a 1/2 page of one of my paintings in the editorial. Issues will be out in early April.

Twilight on the Marsh

Oil on Linen
18"x24"

Yes, I know, a little crazy after posting a great marsh painting by Scott Christensen, but I was inspired to paint from some reference photos I had taken. It also brought back some memories from the workshop and how he uses complementary colors to knock down the intensity of a particular color. This was a one day work with 2 hours today to make some color adjustments.

Scott Christensen

Just came across one of the videos from Scott Christensen, a fantastic painter. I had an opportunity to study with him a few years ago. A great teacher and devoted to the master painters that painted before him. If you ever get the chance to study with him, don't miss the opportunity.

Yellow Roses

Oil on Linen
11"x14"

For my last painting class at the Stutz, my students had requested flowers in a vase. I painted along with them to show how we may stretch a little in the September class. With that in mind, I used the palette knife and was more liberal with the brush work.
Right up front I want to acknowledge Richard Schmid as the master and those that follow fall a bit short of this master painter and teacher.

My theory has always been that a work, no matter what media, should first attract the viewer because of the image and good design. Other factors would be color, composition, contrast, yada, yada and of course technique. I have observed painters that rely heavily on technique and what I would call overuse of the brush or palette knife. In some cases they just can't draw and this liberal use of the knife is simply a cover up. My other pet peeve is brown paintings, but that is another entry.

Confetti Fall

Oil on Linen
30"x40"

I completed a similar abstract like this late last year, but with a total differrent color scheme and wanted to do another one as soon as I got a breather. I enjoy working with the color combinations in this series. Total abstraction is a nice relief also. Any thoughts?

Sycamores in Southern Indiana

Oil on Linen
24"x36"

What a contrast of painting a sunset in Hawaii one week and a snow scene in the following week. (OK...no more about Hawaii) We have had so much snow here in Indy in February, that it was nice to capture the beauty of snow instead of the dreaded shoveling, cancellations and delays that usually come with the Winter storms. Not having painted too many snow scenes, I tried to capture the blue and purple shadows on a bright sunny day. And, I wanted to contrast the cool foreground with a warm evening sky.

In the process of looking at what other painters were doing, I discovered some of the works of Emile Gruppe. Wow, what a painter. He died in 1978 and painted in Florida and Vermont. His Vermont paintings are fantastic. He wrote 3 books and I have ordered one on brushwork. All 3 out of print. Will share more after I read through it.

Art at the Stutz

There are 2 Art Events at the Stutz March 5, as a part of 1st Friday. The opening of the "Art From the Fourth Chakra"will be at the Stutz Art Space. When finished there, walk One Flight Up for a 2nd floor gallery walk. I will have works at both exhibits. The 2nd Floor exhibit is a teaser for the Stutz Open House held April 23 and 24. If you have ever attended the Open House, you know how enjoyable it can be seeing art in over 70 artist's studios. A "must see" for the year.

ISM Indoor Art Fair

Here it is for those of you that missed seeing the show. I was unhappy with sales this year as I was well under previous years. Reasons...I suppose the slow economy, and a definite cutback on the museum's marketing. Will I do it next year...don't know yet. For friends and patrons that did purchase my work and have in the past, I want to say "THANK YOU", because without your support, it would be hard to continue. Don't get me wrong, I love to paint and go to the studio everyday, but the utmost compliment any artist can receive is: "I would like to buy that one."

What is FUN Painting

At the Indiana State Museum Indoor Art Fair this past weekend, I sat for many hours (those of you that have done art fairs, know what I mean) and watched people and listened to comments made about the paintings on display. Art being very subjective, people usually don't offer up comments if they are not thrilled with your art, but body language and comments can be very revealing if they do like it.

I didn't think about it too much on Saturday, but during Sunday, I started thinking about a word description that I kept hearing. And, that word was...FUN. I finally ask a few people what they meant by the one word description of almost 40 paintings. Their replies were: "It looks like you really enjoy what you are doing", "It just looks like you're having fun". "The subject matter (the cupcakes and cows) are fun subjects and happy...they make me smile."

Now, to a non-painter that was as a very honest assessment of "first reaction". But, to a painter, I suppose (this is my story and I'm stickin' to it) those comments really mean that I have finally reached the point in my painting that the struggle is not evident...my brush work is direct and has meaning and the work has a fresh look and not overworked. This was especially true in the plein air works that were completed within a 3 hour window.

So...thank you public. My takeaway is to continue having "fun" painting and to try to carry this spirit into the larger studio works.
And...paint more cupcakes. They always bring a smile.

Hawaii Sunset

Oil on Linen
9"x12"

This was the painting I completed after returning from my 2 weeks on the Big Island. We watched the sunset almost every night from poolside in a villa at the Mauna Kea Resort on the Big Island.

Hawaii Commission

This was a very enjoyable commission that usually only comes once in a lifetime for an artist. Actually, as it turns out it was my second trip to the Big Island of Hawaii to work on paintings for the owner of a beautiful villa at the Mauna Kea Resort. In 2006 I spent 2 weeks painting "en plein air" completing 8 paintings that were purchased to replace good, but dated art from the 60s. And, 4 years later I was back to do a major work for an area outside the master bedroom. I had planned on doing a 4'x6' but found out after arriving that there was no way to really get the full 4'x8' sheet of 3/4" birch plywood cut down.

So the project turned into a full 4'x8' sheet. The finished work can be seen from the large oval pool as well as the dining room and living area. And, at night we discovered it glowing with the down lights from above the work. I was there 2 weeks and managed to finish it in 9 days, painting about 5 hours a day. Still time to enjoy the pool and the fantastic beach at the hotel. Every day was fantastic weather and was the only state among the 50 to be void of snow.

Hawaii Mural

The finished Mural to the left and the 2nd stage and start of color application to the right. The first stage was to mount the 4'x8' panel to the wall, and paint the front and edges with a white primer. This was basically the blank canvas. I didn't really have time to do compositional sketches and decided to wing it and paint as I go. I guess this is where years of experience as a graphic designer really helped

Hawaii Mural

At the stage on the left I continue to build the images from bottom to top. Adding the clouds in preparation for the images that will fill the transition from green to blue. The panel was only 12" off of the floor, so the first few days I was basically on my knees or crouching to paint the early images. Ouch!

Hawaii Mural

Continuing to work up from the bottom and looking for color contrast and balance. At least I'm standing at this stage. A lot of looking from 10 to 20 feet.

Hawaii Mural

Near the finish. Finally the last stages of the composition. Added the last plants and flowers and decided that I would put a green glaze at the botton and a blue glaze at the top. This gave an added richness to the painting. I used gloss acrylic medium with the acrylic colors. Not too much pigment to keep the necessary transparency. I finished with 2 more coats of clear acrylic medium. Since the mural does not receive direct sunlight and is protected by an 8' overhang it should be fine for at least 2 years. Hmm...maybe I should go back in a few years to "check it out" and give it a few more coats. ALOHA!

Edward B. Gordon

The beauty of the internet searches. I came across an artist from Berlin, Germany that is doing a daily painting as well as his studio painting. Please take a look. In addition to his painting, notice his organization of paints and palette knives.

Sycamore Series

Here are the 3 paintings that will be displayed together at the up-coming St. Margaret's Hospital Guild Decorator's Show House. Larger images can be seen below. Each painting is framed in a traditional 3" wide black frame and listed for $900 each. The series (3 paintings) will be offered at $2,400.