Friday, January 21, 2011

"ARNI'S MILITARY SERVICE"

"ARNI'S MILITARY SERVICE"
24X30 acrylics
This painting Chronicles my entire military career. I was in the National Guard  for 6 years from 1966 to 1972. I was in a detached unit of the 223rd engineering Battalion. The main unit was in Aberdeen , Mississippi but I was in a smaller unit about 20 miles from Aberdeen, in Okolona, Mississippi.
My basic training was  done at Fort Polk La. thus in the painting you will find the shape of La. My ATT training was at Ft. Leonard Wood in Mo.. You will also find the shape of Kansas in the picture.
You will find a patch of Spec 5 rank. an Eagle with the olive Branch. a hammer for the construction battalion. You will find a folded book which I did a lot of books while t Fort Polk. You will also find a cooking pot. I was a cook all four year after I got back from basic.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

ARNI'S THEATRICAL EXPERIENCES"

"ARNI'S THEATRICAL EXPERIENCES"
24X30 ACRYLIC
This painting represents all my theatrical experiences since the first grade. I was in plays in Elementary, and high school and in college. Several  years after I finished college and started my family, all my children got interested in theater. While getting them to and from auditions and shows my interested peaked again and I started acting again. Let's have some fun with this one. I'm gonna tell you what I've painted in here, you find it and tell me what show you think it represents. Or I'll tell you the show and you tell me how it is represented in the painting. OK?
What represents my first grade play?
A submarine
A bird
The Rainmaker
A church
A star of David
The best Christmas Pageant Ever
Lyric represent the professional theater where I worked a master scenic artist.
The ECT represents the community theater where I did most work.


Wednesday, January 19, 2011

"ARNI'S EMPLOYMENT HISTORY"

"ARNI'S EMPLOYMENT HISTORY"
24x30 ACRYLIC
In this painting you can find my entire employment history. My first job was a shoeshine boy, this is represented by a shoestring running throughout the painting. my many jobs in the food and restaurant jobs are represented by forks, burgers etc. then the printing jobs and retails sales are in there. If you like playing these games with me. see what you can find and ask me about them. I'll tell you.
Let's have some fun.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

EDMOND YOUTH EXPRESSIONS ART SHOW WINNERS

THESE ARE FOUR OF MY AWARD WINNING STUDENTS AND THEIR WORKS. THIS SHOW IS A STATE WIDE SHOW AND IT IS A JURIED SHOW. THERE WERE 644 PIECES SELECTED THIS YEAR WITH. MY STUDENTS WON A TOTAL OF 7 AWARDS GIVEN.



Monday, January 17, 2011

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARTIN LUTHER KING

This is a painting that I did and posted last year on the 15th of January, Mr. King's birthday, in my daily blog. It was in celebration of Mr. King,s birthday. He would have been 77 years old today.
In this painting there is a line portrait of Him. his bible, a peach, and several other thing important to his contributions to the causes he loved and died for. Hidden in the painting is the opening lines to his famous "I HAVE A DREAM" speech and also the last part of the speech.
I would love to donated this piece to a museum that would give it a perfect place of honor.

Monday, January 10, 2011

"MEN AT WILSON'S" & "WOMEN AT WILSON'S"


These are two award winning paintings of people from Aberdeen, Mississippi
"MEN AT WILSON'S  & "WOMEN AT WILSON'S"
22X30 inches Watercolor
If your from Aberdeen you probably remember that Wilson's Grocery store was the gathering place for people on Saturdays. Men would usually sit on one side of the door and the women on the other side.
These were painted sometime in the early 80's and won several awards each during their circuit.
Jim Hussey won the "Men at Wilson's" and I don't know where the other one is. I'm thinking I put it behind another painting when I was short on a frame maybe and don't remember where it is. Do you know any of the people in these paintings. Wilson's was one of my favorite place to go to buy ANYTHING or just to visit.

Friday, January 7, 2011

"JULIA AND CHILD"

"JULIA AND CHILD
15X22 Watercolor
This painting won 4 first place awards the first two years I entered it in shows.


This is Julia Randel and on of her grandchildren. Julia was living on Matubba St about as far out as you can go before the old road turned going to Prairie.

She was a client of mine when I worked in insurance while living in Aberdeen. I consider her a friend more than a customer.

Every time I would go back to visit relatives in Aberdeen I would go by and see Julia, The day her granddaughter was sitting on the porch with her is recorded er. I knew at that time that it was an award winner.

On one visit both Julia and the house were not there.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

"ALLIE REYNOLDS"

"ALLIE REYNOLDS"
22X30 Watercolor

This painting won three first place awards during it show circuit. Several asked about show circuit. Generally shows will not accept works that are two years old so about two years is the circuit. After that you might get accepted in some smaller local shows but not national regional and generally any juried show.

The painting was done for the cover of a book being written about Allie Reynolds. Allie had just been made an Honorary Crow Chief when I did this portrait and he wanted it done with the headdress on. I had already done two other portraits of him.

Allie was from Oklahoma and played baseball with the Yankees in the 50's. He was a pitcher and is the only guy to ever pitch back to back no-hitters in a world series. he still holds 5 Yankees records may never be broken. He was called "THE CHIEF" because of his Native American status. He is the only guy who's name was on the corner of Yankee Stadium that is not in the Hall of Fame, and that's a shame. No one seems to know why.

The book was not finished at his death and was never published.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

PACK RAT"

"PACK RAT"
22x30 Watercolor on high plate illustration board.
This painting won 2 best of show and 3 first place awards during the two years it was on the show circuit.
This place is located somewhere on a back road between Altus and Blair Oklahoma. I have been to it 3 times but have never gotten inside to look. It has been closed each time.