Traveler: A Wood Cut-Out Painting and it's Process

https://tomsarmo.blogspot.com

Traveler

Acrylic on layered wood cut-outs, 11" x 14" framed

One of many pieces being created for Character and Narrative, an exhibition coming to Foothills Art Center 

August 16 - October 20, 20019

Each piece of the cityscape and the three characters were cut out using a scroll saw. All of the wood pieces and the frame were primed with terra cotta primer. The paint is Maimeri Polycolor, a very light-fast and opaque sign-painter's paint.

I like this piece a lot. Below you'll find the process sketches...

https://tomsarmo.blogspot.com

...which I began on my iPad. Initially this was going to be a traditional painting on canvas. Somehow these little guys with backpacks didn't hit the mark for me. So...

https://tomsarmo.blogspot.com

...I began sketching some scary fellows, which weren't right either. But the little guys in the bottom center were promising. In the meantime...

https://tomsarmo.blogspot.com

...I started thinking about the town--on paper. And I could finally...

https://tomsarmo.blogspot.com

https://tomsarmo.blogspot.com

...start painting!

Thanks for checking it out, and please follow me on Instagram @tomsarmo_art

Art Critic--Another Death Image

http://www.tomsarmo.com

Art Critic (detail crop). Mixed media (Colored pencil, India ink, white gouache) on toned paper.

http://www.tomsarmo.com

Art Critic

What can I say--I like drawing skeletons  :D

Thanks for the visit!

A new Goblin-in-Progress

It's been awhile since I've been able to do some off-the-top-of-my-head sketching. There have been--and still are--a lot of projects in the hopper, but I had an idea for a new work that couldn't wait.

https://www.instagram.com/tomsarmo_art/

If you've visited before, you've seen some of my wood cut-outs for a spiritual gallery; I want this fellow to be a cut-out too, and he's going to be two-sided!

https://www.instagram.com/tomsarmo_art/

The initial red pencil under-drawing gives the pen and ink a bit of color, which I like a lot. After the red penciling, I outline the whole drawing--fixing it up as I go--with a Pentel Brushpen. That gives me a good variance of line. Then the highlights go on with a Signo white pen. The crosshatched values go in next, with a lot of layering to blend the tones.

http://www.tomsarmo.com/

Here's the initial red-pencil backside. It was a good challenge to figure out the back of his feet and hands--they had to match the silhouette of the front view.

https://www.instagram.com/tomsarmo_art/

Here's a collage shot of the completed rear that I posted on Instagram, and I'd appreciate it if you'd follow me there, as I add work regularly.

https://www.instagram.com/tomsarmo_art/

And here's the front. I'll add color with acrylic inks, then mount the drawings on wood prior to the cutting.

Thanks for checking this out!

St. Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio

St. Francis and the Wolf. Mixed media wood cut-out.

It will be varnished, then framed in a shadow box.

Lately I've been working again on spiritual pieces for a local gallery. When asked to provide a St. Francis with wolf, I jumped at that. St. Francis was the name I chose at confirmation, because at the age of 12 becoming a veterinarian was at the top of my occupations list. 

Also, St. Francis has been a favorite subject of mine. His mission was always peace, and his life and teachings celebrated the natural world. He saw even poverty and death as friends rather than enemies to be feared. Best of all, St. Francis was a free-spirit--an eccentric--who rejected the greed and short-sightedness he observed in mankind, and he generously embraced those whom society rejected.

The image was first drawn in red pencil on toned paper, then inked. After highlights, I sprayed the drawing with archival acrylic spray. Mounted on wood, the piece was cut out using a scroll saw. The color--translucent acrylic inks thinned a bit with water.

The legend of St. Francis relates that he tamed a savage wolf that was eating up the folks at Gubbio. You can check out a fascinating and thorough examination of the story here:

Francis of Assisi and the Wolf of Gubbio

Thanks for checking out my blog, and supporting the works I do.

Little Guys on Cardboard

http://www.tomsarmo.com

Been experimenting--trying out some glazing techniques I want to use on a project this coming spring. These two fellows are painted on some cardboard rolls I'd stashed under the table in my studio.

http://www.tomsarmo.com

Painted the cylinders with a mixture of ochre and sienna, drew the guys with a brush and black acrylic, then painted them in grey monochrome.

http://www.tomsarmo.com

Followed that up by using tinted glazes to add subtle color variations. 

I have a few more I want to work on--good thing because it's pretty fun.

Thanks for checking it out!

Angry Goblin Process

A bit of a sequence to this artwork with some less-than-steller iPhone photos.

The drawing began with red colored pencil--Verithin Poppy in this case. White highlights added with a Signo white gel pen. Crosshatching was next.

The finished ink drawing is lightly sprayed with acrylic gloss coating, then color added with transparent acrylic inks.

I like the way the red pencil shows in the final work, and also how the acrylic washes 

soften the india ink lines.

(A follow-up to last week's post: Still experimenting with zero Facebook (outside of keeping up with local events). Continue to feel much lighter and have slept incredibly well this past week. That may be a coincidence, but nonetheless I have no desire to go back to Fb. Not posting on Instagram, but am keeping up with those I follow. IG doesn't seem to bug me as much as other social media, maybe because it's mostly photos of art.)

Thanks for the visit!

Details!

http://www.tomsarmo.com/home

 A little fellow--a tiny detail from The Wizard.

Helikon Gallery's director and fellow illustrator Cayce Goldberg suggested we produce a book to go along with my exhibition, and I was blown away by his creative approach to book design. Filled with full color paintings, the book features many close-ups and details!

http://www.tomsarmo.com/home

 Bringing the reader's attention to the details within the artworks was only one of his ideas--and it was a lot of fun! As we worked on the book, Cayce searched the paintings for small, interesting components, which he then added to individual pages.

http://www.tomsarmo.com/home

Here's a shot of one of the interior pages. The skull is a detail from the painting, The Hermit.

http://www.tomsarmo.com/home

This is the back cover of Innate Tapestries: The Endless Stage, with cut-out details from The Hermit, and other complete paintings within the book.

http://www.tomsarmo.com/home

 Detail crop of The Owl and the Pussycat.

For me, a great deal of the enjoyment came from revisiting my own paintings in a new way. Studying the details close-up is not what I'm used to--often, painting is a process that's sort of unconscious working, so I'm not always totally aware of what's going into the artwork. That sounds strange, but it's true.

 

http://www.tomsarmo.com/home

Detail from The Voyage of the Aeolus.

 

Combing the works for details led to some pleasant surprises about how my hand works with the media, too.

 

http://www.tomsarmo.com/home

Here is a blown-up detail of the cricket from the painting, Pinocchio...

 

http://www.tomsarmo.com/home

 ...and the complete painting in the book.

 

I hope you found checking out the details enjoyable--thank you for visiting and supporting my art!

 The signed, 96 page, limited edition book is available here:

The Art of Tom Sarmo

 

Thanks again!

 

My Solo Show and Book Release at Helikon Gallery

https://helikongallery.com/gallery/archive/the-endless-stage-tom-sarmo/

My first ever Solo Exhibition is coming up soon--on June 14th!--and I'm excited to be showing a variety of works! Plus the gallery has published a limited edition, 96 page book filled with my paintings, sketches, process works, and a few of my thoughts.

https://helikongallery.com/gallery/archive/the-endless-stage-tom-sarmo/

 Here's the link to the book (and you can pre-order!):

The Endless Stage book

https://helikongallery.com/gallery/archive/the-endless-stage-tom-sarmo/

 From the book:

The theater’s stage begins and ends at the imagination in this 96 page treasury of paintings, drawings, sketches, and process work spanning 3 years. Tom’s distinct style of art casts a suite of lively characters from the familiar to the fantastic, inhabiting lusciously illustrated settings with a unique, humorous magic. This unprecedented collection of artwork represents the first major retrospective of Sarmo’s beloved artwork.

https://helikongallery.com/gallery/archive/the-endless-stage-tom-sarmo/

https://helikongallery.com/gallery/archive/the-endless-stage-tom-sarmo/

Here's a detail crop of one of the nearly 40 original works in the show...

www.tomsarmo.com/

...and there are some original landscape-y ones too!
Included in the exhibition are many of my sketches and preliminary drawings with insights into my techniques and processes.

From the gallery:

Helikon Gallery is pleased to present two exhibitions opening June 14: 'A Modern Baroque' in the main gallery and 'The Endless Stage: The Art of Tom Sarmo' in Gallery 101. Along with the two gallery shows, our retail shop will feature a new Shop Showcase with new art by Kayla Edgar. All shows will open with a free reception, with complementary food and drink as well as open artist studios.

Here's the link to the exhibition:
The Endless Stage

I've seen preview work from A Modern Baroque , and it's an exciting show--plus I love the fresh work of
 Kayla Edgar !

In addition, Helikon's Studio Artists will be there with open studios and much art to enjoy.

 If you are in Denver--even anywhere near--you won't want to miss this event! 

https://helikongallery.com/

Here are the particulars:

Where: 
Helikon Gallery

3675 Wynkoop Street

Denver, CO 80216

When: 
Opening is Wednesday June 14th from 6 - 10 pm
First Friday is July 7 from 6 - 10 pm

If you can't make it to the opening, the show runs from June 14th to July 22nd.

For hours:

Helikon Gallery
And:

 Helikon's Facebook

I would love for you to join me and Helikon Gallery for this event; free and open to everyone!

https://helikongallery.com/gallery/archive/the-endless-stage-tom-sarmo/

Hope to see you there--your support of my work and the work of all artists is much appreciated!

and thank you for reading!

Recent Drawings from My Sketchbooks

http://www.tomsarmo.com

Some recent, selected works from a variety of sketchbooks. 

These fellows are spontaneous drawings from my head, with the exception of the blue lantern--drawn using an actual lantern as reference. 

Sketching is almost as good as meditation when I'm needing a bit of peace. I've been doing a lot of sketching lately.

I wish peace for you as well.

Thank you for checking in!

A Feature in Imagine FX

 I was very happy to learn that my submission to Imagine FX magazine resulted in a feature in the January 2017 issue. 

In a regular section called Fantasy Illustrator Exposé Traditional, several of the editors pick and critique several traditional-media fantasy illustrators.

Everyone who contacted me from the magazine was genial and considerate, and as you can see, the feature is concise and very nicely done. If you are a fantasy artist working traditionally, what are you waiting for? Submit!

Here's their Facebook page

Imagine FX Fb

and their Instagram

@imaginefxmagazine

And thanks for checking out my blog!

A New Victorian Watercolor Techniques Workshop

http://tomsarmo.blogspot.com/

One of my great loves is watercolor--the liquid flow of the color from the brush, its transformation as the grains fill the tiny hollows in the paper, its extreme versatility, and its ease of transport and clean-up.

And I love to share my experience with it in workshops! 

Coming this May; a two-day watercolor workshop: Victorian Watercolor Techniques for Artists and Illustrators, at Foothills Art Center in Golden, Colorado--a beautiful art center and gallery located just a few minutes West of Downtown Denver.

http://tomsarmo.blogspot.com/

There's a huge variety of watercolor techniques used by the artists and illustrators of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. I've studied and experimented with their techniques for years.

This is a detail by Arthur Rackham. 

I'll cover his watercolor techniques, and those of some of his contemporaries in the workshop!

Two other favorites: Helen Allingham (top) and William Henry Hunt (below).

Both of their techniques will be explored in the workshop, as well as the techniques of Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

If you are after upping your game in watercolor, studying these masters will get you there!

http://tomsarmo.blogspot.com/

I will also cover my techniques for safely presenting watercolors without the expense of mats and frames. There'll be a ton of useful info!

 

http://www.infectedbyart.com/

 I'm very happy that my watercolor illustration was picked to be in next year's Infected by Art 4, and excited to be able to share my watercolor knowledge in this upcoming workshop at Foothills.

 

I hope you'll join us--click on the link below for more info:

Tom Sarmo's Foothills Workshop

and

thanks for stopping by!

Night Scares

http://tomsarmo.com/

Growing up, I shared a bedroom with my older brother. His sleeping presence didn't help me with my night scares though. I was probably ten years old when these fellows emerged through the wall, marched across the room in line, and disappeared.

Nature, Sparks, and Fire

Nothing renews my faith like nature. God is everywhere, but the line from the natural environment to the Creator is direct.

Not gonna lie, election day made me restless. So I got out of the studio for some exercise, and found some peace and beauty at the canal that winds its way through the city. It has always held mystery and adventure for me--it's the place I went as a kid to scramble around and find snakes, frogs, and salamanders. My mom would wait at the front door for my return and yell, "If you have a snake with you, go right on back and let it go!" Most times, I had to go back.

 Yesterday, exploration--as usual--trumped my lame effort at exercise. But it was a gorgeous day, and my camera-eye was wide open. Found this creepy bug-faced root hiding beneath the bank.

I should spend more time drawing out of doors, but I'm about as good at that commitment as I am to exercise. Just getting outdoors though, has a great effect upon my art and spirit.

At the end of the walk, this beautiful old house came into view. 

A lonely building buried in the trees--even better than snakes and frogs!

A small detail of my latest painting--inspired by the weird way autumn creeps into the trees almost without notice. Hoping to finish this artwork today, now that there's some relief from the politics.

Gerard Manley Hopkins is one of my favorite poets. He loved to draw as well, and was totally in love with the natural world.  I'm heading up to the studio, and will leave you with some of his words:

“All things therefore are charged with love, are charged with God and if we knew how to touch them give off sparks and take fire, yield drops and flow, ring and tell of him.”
-Gerard Manley Hopkins