May 25th at 12:46 pm ..

I mustered up some creativity and focused it on ending the artistic drought I had fallen into.. yet again. I grabbed a pre-cut piece of 5.5" BY 7.5" watercolor paper and began sketching something.

As some of you may be aware, I like to collect and admire pocket watches. I only have a small collection, but enjoy it immensely. Some of the work and some of them do not. Either way they are still intriguing to me in both their beauty and craftsmanship.

Behind the face of a pocket watch, lies the complex inner mechanics of a brilliant mind's work.. a movement that is swift and true.

I was admiring a few of the watches in my collection, when I came up with an idea of a unique pocket watch painting. I had recently stumbled across a painting that was painted in a stained glass style. I like it but was unsure how to go about achieving the same look.

This was my inspiration picture. An 1894 Elgin hunter style pocket watch, I purchased not all that long ago. If your interested in a little more about that, Check the post out here, The Time Has Arrived .. Or Should I Say Timepiece?!

I knew I wasn't going to be able to nail the look on my first try, so some of the pressure was off. I grabbed the pencil, drew a rough image of the watch ..

Then just randomly and not so randomly drew in the chain links..

Then the broken glass pieces.. not the best job, but not too bad for having no clue what I was getting into..

A little recognizable, yet a little whimsical. Loose yet focused was the overall look I was going for.

One thing left now.. Finish it with some pretty oil paints!! and maybe that's where I went horribly wrong. You'll just have to wait and see. The next post will either bring you joy or frighten you. Hopefully I did better than I expected for a first try at this style painting.

I can tell you this much, I used a lot of different colors...

Fast Forward One Day ..

July 19th, 2020 .. and I am FINISHED!!!!

I'm not thrilled with the end result, for it was not what I had originally envisioned in my mind. On the other hand, I put a lot of time into this small piece so I am still proud of the result never the less. I was really quite surprised (and I don't know why) about how long it took me to get from drawing to finished painting.. 18 Hours collectively over several weeks.

How Did I Get Here ..

Otherwise known as the process. Here are a ton of pictures I took along the way. Feel free to look through them all or scroll on past. My feelings won't be hurt, knowing that there are quite a few of them.

After the initial drawing, which did change slightly after I started in with the paint, I grabbed a brush and got to work. What I always loved to do (sarcasm) I found myself doing again.. painting inside the lines. At least the lines were my own.

I Took A Break ..

And stood back to take in the work thus far.

What I don't like:

My Messy Work Area
The Gold Chain
No Refreshment Close At Hand

I Do Like:

How Colorful It Is
My Keyboard and Phone Are Free of Paint
Looks Like Less Unfinished Areas

Moving Onward ..

Now The Paint Is All Applied ..

I am not feeling the blurriness of the piece. It seems too loose and informal to me. I felt like it needed to have some more defined lines, especially the chain, which I still do not really like.

What to do? What to do? Got It!! Sharpie!! I pulled out my fine point Sharpie and began tracing the lines. Maybe this little step, which also took longer than I thought, will help bring the piece closer to what I was envisioning from the start. Maybe (slight grin)

DONE!

Am I 100 percent happy with the finished piece? Nope. Am I happy that I was creative and pushed myself to do something out of my comfort zone? Yup.

After adding my signature to the piece, I felt much better. Maybe it was just because the long, more steady handed process was finally over. Not sure I'll be doing another one of these, but I am glad that I didn't bail half way through this one (like I had considered doing).

A Final Crop Of The Photo ..

And I am calling this post done too! Thank you for reading along why I relived the process of the piece and what inspired it. Maybe the next piece will be a landscape.. where I feel most comfortable anyhow.

'Stained Glass Pocket Watch' ~ By B D Miller

Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!

All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.

About Me ~ The Artist

My art work incorporates a wide variety of subject matter, including landscape, seascape, cityscape, and still life images. My works are the product of a continuing process of exploration through which I seek to portray personal and visionary interpretations of my surroundings. My paintings are impressions of places and events from everyday life, an interpretation of my imagination, and personal responses to what I see and feel on a daily basis. More recently I have invested generous amounts of time into my landscape painting. I am surrounded by natural and man made beauty, which inherently presents itself in the tri-state area, and almost demands that I paint it.

Not everything is art. Art is not everything, but it comes close. Art is everywhere and all the time. Art makes you experience the beauty of the world, the people in it, and the places we call home. Art itself is so influential that it can tell stories, show feelings, and express passion or fury. Art exists in addition to language; expression of sensations and thoughts, revealing a way of thinking too subtle and delicate for words.

For me art requires love, honesty and perseverance. In return, it reveals some personal, non-analyzable, and creative untamed passion. For the public, art with its magnificent beauty, improves mood and health and builds better human beings and communities. It engages the intellect, softens the heart, strengthens the soul and frees the spirit.

If Your Interested In Purchasing Any Of My Work:

They can be found for sale on

Saatchi Art

Or

Etsy

If you don't see the piece in either shop, It may still be drying. Let me know and I can upload it as soon as possible to be available. Or you can always make me an offer (in SBD, Steem or any other crypto) in the comments section of this post. If we agree on a price, I will then ship the painting to you. (shipping costs will be determined by your location).

“People create all kind of fancy watches and clocks, never stopping to realize they’re building monuments to the greatest of all thieves.”

– K. Martin Beckner (A Million Doorways)