Jim McVicker Paintings

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Laughing Self

Laughing Self 36x36 oil on canvas

I painted this self portrait in January 2012. This canvas

sat in my studio for a couple of months as I kept adding

palette scrapings intending to paint my portrait surrounded

by all the paint. I thought I would paint my frustration

with the many things in life that just don't make any sense

and the insanity that is so much a part of our human existence.

I looked in the mirror for the expression to convey those feelings.

Laughter is what came to me. All the bird shapes just seemed to

appear as the painting evolved. I had a great time working on this

piece. I'm so thankful for the Arts, Love and all the

stunning Beauty on this planet and beyond.

If you don't laugh, you'll cry.

Detail

I liked this photo with the sepia tones. It's interesting
to see all that color as values and to see how it sits behind
the figure. The form really shows against the flat shapes.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Portrait of Roland and Self Portrait at 60

Roland

18x14 oil on linen

This is a portrait I just completed of my friend

Roland. It was painted in my studio this

December 2011, with three afternoon sittings.

Self Portrait at 60
24x18 oil on canvas
I had my 60th birthday earlier this month, November, and could not
resist painting another self image. The painting evolved
over a period of several days as I stood in front of the mirror
observing myself. Life and Painting are a great adventure. I
hope to get another 30 good years.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Portrait and Figure Paintings

Eric 11x6 oil

This is an early portrait, 1981, when I was

first attempting to learn how to paint portraits.

George Van Hook and I shared a studio in Arcata,

Ca. and we had at least two models coming into

the studio each day. It was a great time and really

helped me get my chops up. I have posted several

portraits from over the years. There are some gaps

as I don't have digital images of a lot of work.

Helen Botino, oil detail 1989

Bill McBride oil 8x6 1995

A Visitor, watercolor 14x11 2002

Self-Portrait, oil 2007 10x10

Self-Portrait, Oil 12x9 2010

Ken, watercolor 14x11 2008

Edward, oil 54x48 2009

Self-Portrait, oil 68x48 2008

Mike Galarda, oil 72x48 1996

Self-Portrait, oil 16x12 2011
I have a dual personality when it comes to painting and I often question
my motives for what I paint. Although I consider myself a traditional painter, I respond to
abstract paintings and expressionist paintings, as well as realism. I find much contemporary
realism to entrenched in 19th century painting, and many painters
rather dogmatic in their anti 20th century view of modern and contemporary art.
Every so often I need to step outside my own boundaries and see where
the work goes. I don't make it happen, it just does. Maybe it's because I'm approaching 60 that I have painted
five self-portraits this year. I have posted three recent self-portraits that have been very exciting to paint and come from my other side.

My Father, oil 20x16 2009

Paul Rickard, watercolor 14x11 2010

Profile Self-Portrait, oil 16x12 2011
This started with a lot of palette scrapings and took off from there.
It's hard to show all the texture in a photo.

Self-Portrait, oil 20x18 2011

Detail

Self-Portrait, Outside Noise oil, 2011 16x12

Healing Room, detail 2007
This is a detail of the painting I did of Terry when she was recovering
from the terrible fall she had in 2007.

Terry, oil 2001 detail

Painting, Terry's Studio 2002 60x54

The Last Song, oil 1993 22x17

The Pirate, oil 1993 54x48

Jazz, pastel on cement sidewalk 2011
This was drawn on the sidewalk of the Arcata Plaza for
the North Coast Children's Services fundraiser. It from an old
black and white photo of Billie Holiday, Lester Young and
Coleman Hawkins. It was a fun piece to do, but back breaking
and tough to draw on the rough surface of the sidewalk.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Solo Show, George Stern Fine Arts

July Sunlight
24x32 oil on linen

   Garden Prayer
   30x36 oil on linen
   I have posted several paintings that will be in my show at
   George Stern Fine Arts, 8920 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood,
   California. The show opens on September 10 and runs through
   October 1st.
   I spent the entire summer working in our yard painting the garden
   and the views from our yard. Terry is the model in the garden paintings.
   I'm also showing works I've painted around our home in Loleta and
   up the coast in Trinidad.
   The still life paintings and my self portrait were painted in the studio.
   Most of the work is from this past year but the show includes works from the
   past three years, paintings I haven't shown. There will be around 35 paintings
   exhibited and most of the work should be on the George Stern web site once the

show opens. Thanks for taking a look. www.sternfinearts.com