Harley Davidson Motorcycle by Darren Maurer

6" x 8"
Here is a Harley Davidson motorcycle tank. The deep burgundy color of the bike made this a challenging painting to finish. The piece really didn't start to "pop" until the light colored reflections and highlights were added. This is painting 134 in my Painting A Day Series. The painting is a commission piece so it won't be available on eBay.

I added an animated banner link to the artist's group I was invited to participate in at the top of my page yesterday and would once again urge visitors to check the new web site by clicking the banner or clicking this link. www.dailypaintersguild.com

Mason Jar & Brush by Darren Maurer

6" x 8"

Here is one of the many containers in my studio that I use for brushes. I liked the simple quality it had with just a single brush standing upright in the jar. This is painting 133 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Sold

Some other exciting news recently has been an invitation to join a very talented group of painters. We call ourselves the Daily Painters Guild. Click on the animated banner in the right hand column of this blog page to visit. We have some big things planned for the future and have already attracted a lot of attention from some collectors and galleries. Check it out!!

Rusty Dodge Pickup Truck by Darren Maurer

6" x 8"
This is an old Dodge truck that has been parked for quite some time. There is hardly any paint left on it anymore and the rust has taken over the entire body, although, the chrome pieces have weathered very well. The sun light on the rust doesn't reflect but the chrome still picks up the reflection of anything nearby. I like how the headlight looks in my painting. I'm sure there are many forgotten stories about this truck. It was fun to paint. This is painting 132 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Sold

Jointed Creek Chub Pikie #2 by Darren Maurer

8" x 10"

I decided to set up a simple still life with an old fishing lure and tackle box. The tackle box was a find at a flea market a few years ago. The lure is a favorite of mine out of the thousands of antique bass baits that were made. The old wooden lures with their finely cracked enamel finishes all have a history with them. They remind us of a different place and time and maybe even a favorite fishing partner. Old lures always make me think of my grandfather that I spent many hours fishing with growing up. I thought about the many trips and adventures we had while I painted this piece. I think I will do some larger pieces similar to this one for a show later in the year. This is painting 131 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Sold

Commission Painting

Here is one of the commission paintings that I've just finished. The story goes like this, a local couple that I have been lucky enough to know for the past few years wanted to know if I could stop by their home and talk over a commission painting. When I arrived they explained that her family was originally from eastern Iowa and they owned land there. A house was built on the property in the 1830s and her grandparents made it their home. The house survived until it was torn down in the 1950s. Now my friends have given the town a corner of the property and had a new public library built in the very spot that this grand house had once existed. They wanted a painting to hang inside the library to honor the home. They explained that there were no photographs of the home and I would be working from an original painting that was done by her grandmother in the year 1895. Before I saw the painting I thought, "Oh boy, what have I gotten into now?" When they showed me the 111 year old painting I was instantly taken with it. The artist was very gifted and had done a great job capturing the feel of the house and it's surroundings. I took the little painting (size 8" x 14") home and began to layout the 16" x 28" canvas that would become the painting to hang inside the library. I tried to match color and style to a certain extent. It was not an easy painting for me to work on. After a challenging few weeks I finally put the last brush stroke on it and called it finished. The couple was thrilled with it and can't wait to frame it and get it into the library. The small painting is the original and the larger one is the one I did. It is oil on canvas.

Clementines - Painting A Day by Darren Maurer

5" x 7"

Here are two clementines casting shadows on a dark blue surface. This painting 130 in my Painting A Day Series.

Back In Business!!!!

6" x 8"
I have finished the larger commission pieces. I can't wait to back into working on the miniature oil paintings. I will post the commission that I did of the old house later this week. I used another painting for reference that was painted 111 years ago in 1895. The original artist is the grandmother of my client. It was an interesting job to say the least. I also finished my first miniature for this year. It is a commission ordered for a Valentine gift. (Nothing like cutting it a little close, eh??) It is a special wine with a glass from the client's collection. I will deliver it tomorrow and she can give it to her husband on Wednesday. I have been making a list during the off time and have several interesting ideas to paint. Stay tuned! This is painting 129 in my Painting A Day Series. Commission Painting Sold.