Today being September 11, I thought I'd post a painting I have recently done of New York City. I remember where I was on 9/11, and I do feel that anything and everything we can do to honor the firefighters, police and other servicemen and women of this country should be done. If you personally know anybody like this, make sure you go out of your way to thank them today!

"Long Island Bay" is a smaller 12x16 painting I did. It is for sale, if you are interested, as well as the original, prints will be for sale.

Inspirational Ideas for the Everyday Artist

Some ideas for inspiration!

We.
Have.
All.
Been.
There.

...

Artists often hit that block- the one where you pace around your studio, looking at your table or desk, trying to figure out what the hell you're going to do next- Well, I have decided to scour the depths of the deepest caves in my brain, so that I may compile this list of things to do when you are working on art in any media.

My best advice is to write some of these down on sticky notes, and then put them into a jar. This jar becomes your "Inspiration" jar. Simply draw a sticky note from the jar, and have whatever is written there be your theme for the next work you do.


The list: 25 Ideas to jog the brain

1. A favorite nursery rhyme
2. An item which describes you
3. An animal, but not in a conventional way
4. A play on words
5. Two things you would never associate together
6. Article of clothing
7. A word, any word
8. Two words that sound the same but are spelled differently
9. A letter of the alphabet
10. A number (Arabic)
11. Something you see every day, but in a different way (color, shape, size)
12. Two things, one big and one small
13. A historic place
14. A landscape
15. A surreal landscape
16. A portrait of a person made exclusively out of objects
17. A sound
18. An abstract painting
19. An emotion
20. Any subject, but only using ONE tool
21. Any subject, but only using ONE color
22. Any subject, but using AT LEAST 2 different media
23. Any subject, but done blindly (without looking at your work as you progress)
24. Any subject, but viewed backwards (through a mirror)
25. Any image, but upside down


Alright, I guess I'll post a picture of something I've been working on in the studio.

"Sun Sail" is 18x24, Acrylic on canvas- My challenge was twofold in this work: 1. Only using 1 brush, and 2. No blending of lines. I think it may be a style I adopt...

Update:

After relocating to the Boston area, I have finally set up a new studio location and am working on a number of big projects. With this change comes the following:

1. Commissions- Thinking of having something special painted? I will soon have specific guidelines and prices for each and every detail along the way!

2. Prints- Want a copy of my work but don't want to break the bank? High quality archival prints are on the way for a much more affordable cost! They also come in multiple sizes!

3. New work- I've been painting like a fiend, and lots of new work is available to sell!

4. Fall Fallout Sale- Lots of my work will be going on sale to make room in the studio for new stuff! Looking to buy a piece? Now may be the time!

"Desolace" is an original Acrylic on mounted canvas paper, which will be available both as a print and as an original. This is the first painting in a series of limited-color nude dancers I am working on

"The Sandman" is an original Acrylic on canvas, which measures 18x42" This piece was done as a surreal interpretation of the Old English Nursery Rhyme, "The Sandman". Both prints and the original will be for sale.

"Fishing for Dreams" is an original acrylic on canvas, measuring c. 40x22". This piece is part of a series of imaginative landscape scenes I am working on, and will be available in different sized prints, as well as the original.

"Navi" is an original abstract acrylic on canvas. It measures 18x24, and is available for purchase. Although there is a bit of glare in the photo, this painting looks marvelous on the wall, if I do say so myself :-)


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The following 2 paintings are part of the series I am working on called "Affordable Art". Did you know that less than 10% of families in America own an original painting in their house? The goal of this project is to make original art available to everybody, at a price that won't break the bank! Each of the following pieces in this series are original acrylics on canvas, and are priced accordingly!

"Lone Hero" acrylic on canvas 10x10". $50

"Lamppost" acrylic on canvas 6x8". $50

It's been a while since I've posted on here, so I thought I'd write a catch up which should fill in the holes.

...

Plenty of new stuff in the works- A few new paintings finished, as can be seen below, plus a number of commissions that are constantly being worked on. I have also began selling high quality archival prints of my work through FineArtAmerica. If you are interested in one of my works which was already sold, or perhaps don't want to break the bank for an original, an archival print is the way to go! All prints are available in different sizes, on canvas, framed on high quality archival stock, or even just as a poster print. Greeting cards are also available in sets of 25, 10, or individually. I get a very high percentage of the cost for each of these, and am very pleased with the work FineArtAmerica does. Please visit them and see for yourself!

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/alexander-knutrud.html?tab=artwork


I am also beginning the process of recording videos of certain techniques I use for YouTube. At some point soon, an AcrylicAlexander channel will be up and running!


This painting, entitled "3 Balloons" is done on masonite with little 1x2", 1x1" and 2x2" canvas pieces in a mosiac style. It was done as a mother's day gift. Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

This painting, entitled "No Fracking Way" is my first (and hopefully last) work with a political theme. It measures 16x20" and is acrylic on canvas. It is for sale.

Alone

This smaller (for my typical work) piece measures 12x16" and is on canvas. Depicting a sole barn near the forest edge, this work is for sale, and can be seen on my Etsy shop

Www.Etsy.com/shop/acrylicalexander

A much overdue update

Learned today that when your mother asks why you haven't been updating your art blog, it's been too long of a break.

Some new finished works on the way!

Dragon.

Commission on canvas. Slow going, but progress is being made!

Another shot

Finished and framed! On to the next painting!

Finished the falls!

Taughannock falls, painted in acrylic. Commission.

Inkstudy on aged parchment

Aged ink study done with India ink and brushes. 22 x 30". This work is for sale. Contact me if interested.

Nude study 1

Thought I'd post something that isn't a landscape in acrylics... A 30 min nude study I did about a month ago. Cheers!

Work in progress 2

This is the other part of my hard work today... A commissioned work of Taughannack Falls outside if Ithaca NY. Slow going, but feeling more and more successful... 16 x 20".

Work in progress 1

As usual, I spent a great deal of time painting today, and came up with nothing finished, but plenty half baked...

This is an acrylic on canvas measuring 20x16". I think I will add a figure standing on a rock outcropping, although I am not entirely sure yet. Done using open acrylics by Golden. Absolutely amazing paints, which I would highly recommend to anybody of any skill level!

A sunset at sea

This impasto acrylic was done exclusively with palette knife, and heavy body acrylics and medium. It measures 16x20", and has been sold.

More acrylics.

Just a couple works up on display at the gallery attached to the corks and more wine bar where I work.

Sandy pond is an acrylic measuring 16x20" and was done using a heavy glazing medium to try and achieve an oil like effect.

Paradigm shift is an acrylic measuring 18x 24", and uses heavy influences of one of my favorite surrealist acrylic landscape painters, Tim Gagnon.

Both works are for sale. The prices are set in the gallery, but are not completely stone etched- contact me if interested.

Working from photos.

A friend sent me a photo. I painted it.

This photo was taken midway through the process- it is not finished at this point, although I will repost a photo of it when I get it returned

Acrylic on canvas measuring 36" x 12". This work is currently on loan.

Frames that make you wonder

For a piece I recently sold, I tried to make my own frame. Using cherry oak, I worked out a unique design to mount an abstract work, with the goal being to fit the work as much as possible. Keeping some of the cherry oak showing was important to both the client and myself... It really is a beautiful wood to work with. I think it was a success, but also a great adventure to try my hand at carpentry!

Courage

Since I posted this as part of another post earlier in the week, I should probably post it now. This piece is called "Courage", and is a painting of a foxhound deciding to face the shadows of an ominous wood. To me, this painting represents that moment inside each and every one of us where we decide to stand up to fear rather than flee.

"Courage" measures 18" x 24" and is for sale. Contact me if interested.

Charcoal still lives

Done for a class a while back in 2011. Measure 16" x 24".

Watercolor studies

Amongst art lovers, oil painting is considered the trade of masters. Amongst artists, watercolor is considered the untamable beast that we all dream of conquering. Having been taught by a watercolor artist grandmother all my life, I always aspired to be able to paint in watercolor. It's still a work in progress.

Both works on 9" x 12" 180 g cold press.

Illusions of light

This was a gift for a friend. I enjoyed doing the background greatly, but also used it as a great vessel to learn color versus tone. All together not a strong piece, but still contains great color... It was an important lesson to learn.

Ink study

Just a quick black India ink study I did back in 2010. I was also going through a Van Gogh obsession.

Measures 6" by 18" and is done on 180 g watercolor paper with India ink and white acrylic.

Find the path

This was an acrylic I poured a lot of time into. I considered this work a large step towards defining a style for myself. Nature, light and imagination have always been my main inspirations, and this painting really shows that.

"Find the Path" measures 12" x 36", and is for sale. Contact me if interested.

Why the right tool helps

Although I am a large believer in concept that the pilot and not the plane fly you to your destination, you can't fly across the Atlantic in a paper glider. Below I am posting a painting I did about 3 months ago. It was done using Liquitex BASIC acrylics, a student line made with the intent of being affordable. Although I do like these paints for certain uses, they are heavily diluted, and the color spectrum is less accessible both for blending, mixing, and layering.

A few days ago, I decided to touch this work up, using Golden acrylics, a professional level acrylic paint, and the best paints I've ever used. The resulting difference is remarkable- see for yourself!

Lesson learned. You get what you pay for. Like everything else in life :)

Ps- this work may look a little less detailed than other things I've put up. It's because this painting is only 2" x 8" working that small is a different experience too.

This work is for sale. Contact me if interested.

Floating canvas work

So I decided to try and paint using a float canvas. Traditionally, wrapped canvas is set with four flat sides, and many artists choose to either hide these behind a frame, paint them black (my preference), or white. On a float canvas, the edges taper back, and are used as painting space to continue your work all the way to the wall. This creates an illusion of your composition ''floating'' in 3 dimensions.

Admittedly, this is wicked awesome to see in person, but my honest opinion is that this is a huge pain. Painting a float creates many logistical problems of how to hold the painting without getting fingers on edges, and blending across the edges is also tedious. For a commission, sure, but I doubt I'll be jumping for these at the shop again.

This work measures 10" x 30", and is for sale. Contact me if interested.

Red light district

So I don't venture into the abstract impressionist vein as much as other painters do, but there is always a time to push the boundaries in our lives- this is how we grow. This is done on canvas board, in acrylic. I used a pretty heavy knife technique which lends itself to acrylic work coming out of the late 50s through 70. For many artists and critiques, this is the definitive acrylic technique, with traditional work being a borrowed style from the oil world. I beg to differ- it is the pilot, and not the plane who takes you through the sky.

This work is for sale. Contact me if you are interested.

Roots.

Today, while cleaning my studio, I came across the first acrylic painting I ever did. Oh boy... So this is from summer of 2007. Clearly, I had absolutely no idea what o was doing, but honestly that is what I love about this one! It is a great example of how far you can improve if you keep dear the goal of making great art. I will post it side by side a newer work.

Nuthin 2 see

If you've played borderlands for either xbox or ps3, then you probably appreciate this just as much as I do. Done in illustration markers (prismacolor), this was a gift for a dear friend who always knows how to cover your back from crazed shotgunners (with his trusty bloodwing, of course)

Without a paddle...

This acrylic on canvas was done in 2011 and really marks my first successful painting, as far as my standards go. It currently hangs in my parents' house ("awwww")

Einstein

One of my favorite people to study and idolize... Portrait done in charcoal as a Christmas gift for one of the few people that idolize him more than I.

Still life

Okay, so an art blog titled "acrylic" should be, well, acrylics... This graphite drawing depicts my trombone and some wine. Took about 10 hours.

Searching

A watercolor done back in 2009, this study really reminds me how much definition a work can get from tone, rather than color spectrum.

This work is for sale. Contact me if interested.

His Best friend

A somewhat trite work... Acrylic as usual, this piece really helped me hone my skills with clouds... The secret, as I learned well after completing this, is to bot be afraid of darks, for without dark, white clouds look stupid...

First snowfall

This was an acrylic on canvas done in 2011 as a project to test a few new techniques for oil, applied to acrylics. Enjoy!