Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Software Products | MyMemories Digital Scrapbooking

Software Products | MyMemories Digital Scrapbooking: Save money on this neat software use coupon code: STMMMS88388


Saturday, August 27, 2011

Another Artist Reviews My Art

 Recently via Twitter I meet up with another artist who does his art blog using video. He selects artists to to review and  I was lucky enough to make a mention in his blog. Thanks @ComputerArtMan, aka Jeff Mueller, Digital Artist. He recently visited New Orleans and could feel the city through  my art.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Paddle Faster Skeleton Canoe 2 T Shirts from Bluecat Canoes

Paddle Faster Skeleton Canoe 2 T Shirts from Bluecat Canoes


I canoe and for a number of years did canoe tours in the Honey Island Swamp in Pearl River, LA. I have art and designs of my canoeing the swamps. Here is "Paddle Faster" with a banjo on shirts, posters, cards and more.

Paddle Faster Skeleton Canoe 2 shirt
Paddle Faster Skeleton Canoe 2 by figstreetstudio


 I have a bunch of "canoe" shirts at this link on Cafe Press too-http://www.cafepress.com/figstreetstudio/4358103


Sunday, August 21, 2011

USSR Symbol Tee Shirt from Zazzle.com

USSR Symbol Tee Shirt from Zazzle.com

RT @elopeneworleans: Mid City Art Studio, corporate rental in New Orleans info- http://ht.ly/68InG

Mid City Art Studio of JK Schwehm Artist




Although our old Fig Street Guest House closed due to Hurricane Katrina I have now begun to open a Mid City Art Studio on N. Solomon St off Canal right on the Streetcar line. I use the "studio" to stay overnight in New Orleans when I have to be in New Orleans for weddings, art, or business. It serves as a New Orleans office, wedding chapel and I am able to sub-let it to people as a corporate rental when I travel away from New Orleans. For the details on when the "Mid-City Art Studio" is available e-mail me or telephone me, email is MidCityStudio@figstreet.com, phone is 504/617-6359. Close to Jazz Fest, City Park, and streetcar ride to French Quarter. Reasonable rates for corporate style rental with all that is needed for a week or weekend stay in New Orleans JK Schwehm Mid City Art Studio Here is some info on Google Local with a map- Google Local Map of Mid City Studio (and wedding place)

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

How Van Gogh Influences My Art

Art comes from inside through inspiration. As a friend and I discussed "mood" plays a part in my ability to paint. Like music and candles on a romantic evening. Or the sound of rain falling softly on a tin roof during a spring rain shower. The smell of coffee in the morning. Poetry always inspires.  For me to get the artistic juices moving on all art projects I need "mood". I visit museums, read books, view art, read poems, play music. One of the best sources are the colorful paintings of Vincent Van Gogh. I have several books of his art and other "Post-Impressionists". After reading and looking through them I then get inspired and use what I learned to paint something of my life, growing up or living now. Places, people, things that have affected me in some way. Hopefully the "mood" that I set comes through in the painting and then affects the viewer. Maybe in a different way but the base of the mood is there, whether it be happy, sad, or whatever.

Take a look at a few of these images. My latest self portrait was inspired by me seeing myself in a mirror when I was dressed one day in a straw hat. It reminded me of Van Gogh yet I could not place how or what of Van Gogh  was the "mood". So I did a photograph looked it over and discovered this. (See pictures for comparison.)



Compare what I did above to this Van Gogh painting of "Porträt des alten Bauers Patience Escalier, 1888, Oil on canvas.




See the influence? Yet see the differences too. At first when I saw myself in a mirror I remembered a Van Gogh self portrait of him in a straw hat so I looked in my book but the "mood' was not in that painting. Then I saw "Patients Escalier" and voila I had it and painted it. There are more moments like this in my paintings and I will have to discuss them in another blog post.



 As you see this is the painting that first came to mind but it was not the correct one and expresses a different mood. My mind was aware of the similarities of a Van Gogh but consciously I thought this one when it was another deep inside. All I needed was "Patients".


Magnolia Tree At City Park Poster

Magnolia Tree At City Park Poster

by figstreetstudio





Saturday, August 13, 2011

West End Park, Lakeview, New Orleans

  Growing up in New Orleans I would play in some of the great parks. In my neighborhood of Lakeview I could ride my bike to West End Park by the Yacht Club. There were shelters to picnic, a big fountain, and band stand for shows on Friday nights. During the day you could play in the park, fish, or my case wonder at where all the boats have been. Places I saw, played, or wondered at are subjects of my art both fine and graphic. This is my memory of West End Park, the Stone Bridge. There are several in New Orleans Parks built during the WPA era. This one is severely damaged now. looks like someone tried to salvage some of the stones as it made it through Katrina OK. I hope people will complain about the damage so it will be repaired. City Park has one sililiar and it was recently repaired. I hope you enjoy my painting of this place of wonder.