About Me

My photo
Paramus, New Jersey, United States
No, this in not a blog about gardening in any way, but a journal of my journey to become a professional landscape painting artist. For years, I’ve given my paintings as wedding gifts without thinking of profiting in some way from it. I worked for 18 years at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC as a computer programmer. I have been a painter since 1990, coincidentally, when I started working at the Met. I watched Bob Ross do his thing on Channel 13 in New York and decided I could do this, too. I have no formal training. I incorporate Bob's wet-on-wet technique for sky and water. My subject matter is covered bridges, lighthouses, fishing village scenes, barns, etc. Maine, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Nova Scotia and Spain are some of the places I have painted. My style is detailed and sometimes people think a photo of the painting is an actual photo of the scene. I hope to continue and grow in this medium. I also like to cook & dance. I am also a committed Christian. I am taking commissions - painting your landscapes style photos or your vacation home. Prices on request. contact me - Jackmck@juno.com my website is www.artofjackmckenzie.com

Monday, August 25, 2014

New painting - Hilton Head Sunrise

I'm always trolling my friend's FB pages for pictures to paint. This was on Tammy Ingis's page. This is one that n matter what I do comes out lighter than I want it. The darkish fog/clouds by the horizon came out darker, which brightens the entire picture and I kind of like it that way. As Bob Ross aleays said, "the are no mistakes, only happy accidents"
 
As usual you can buy a Mug from Zazzle with this image on it.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Exhibit #4 of the First Baptist Summer Art Gallery

The is the final exhibit of the 2nd annual First Baptist Summer Art Gallery. I took down most of my work. I kept one and added a new one: Nantucket Lighthouse - A View From the Ferry V.  The newest exhibitor is one of our youngest - 11 year old Alexandra (Alex)  Ward with 7 abstract art pieces. She and her mother came up with a very simple elegant artist statement that I just left as it was.  This is the "press release" I posted on the church's FB page:

First Baptist Hackensack Summer Art Gallery
 Press Release from the Office of the Curator
 Release date : 8/24/2014
 Subject: Fourth and final Exhibition of the Summer Art Gallery - the   Art of Alex Ward
 For: Immediate Release
The Curator is pleased to announce the fourth and final exhibition of this year's Summer Art Gallery. To the reduced works of Carolyn Obrien, Jack Mckenzie and Olivia Grace Feliciano,  we add the abstract work of 11 year old Alexandra (Alex) Ward. Alex provided the following artist statement. Normally I try and refashion the artist statement into a 3rd person museum-like wall tag, but her statement was too simply elegant to touch and says everything

                                                                The Art of Alex Ward
"My name is Alex ward and art is my favorite subject, because it always inspires me. I normally draw abstract art but sometimes like reusing cardboard to create 3D figures. Last year I got a bunch of patterned duct tape, and now I am obsessed with it. I like to make hair bows out of duct tape and update my clothes with it too. I’ve been doing art since I was about 2 years old and I loved it then and now. My dream is to inspire other kids to be happy making art."

The SAG will come down the 1st Sunday in September. The  Curator is looking forward to more people young and old participating next year. See you in 2015

The pictures - Alex's  art board description

 
her art
 
 
                                                                    Alex and her art

                                                            The re-arranged board

 

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Art Posters - "Blessed are the weird" and others

As I've said before on this page, I really like the Art Therapy without borders page on Facebook. They always come up with these art posters that are encouraging to us who ply the artistic route of life. The first one, I would prefer the word creative, but I does speak to how many of the world see us, but they come to see us, read us, hear us  and enjoy what we do all the time
 Given yourself permission in anything is a powerful idea. Other may try to withhold it, but it only yours to take or give


Its a challenge all the time to stand before an easel, a block of granite, sit before whatever writing device you use, from pen to tablet, to stand before people and produce what is rattling around inside you into a coherent form. Continue
 Speaks for itself

Monday, August 18, 2014

Art Poster - How to feel fulfilled as an artist

I saw this on artist J Beaudet Studios FB page   who go it from Jeffrey Dunne FB page . We artists need a lot of encouragement, because there are a lot of dissenting voices out there. Do you fit any of these things, in particular the subtitle. Are you sabotaging yourself?

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

New Painting : Nantucket Lighthouse - A View from the Ferry V

This fifth in a series of paintings of the Brandt Point Lighthouse at the head of Nantucket Harbor. Is for the vantage point of the upper deck of the ferry. Its 11 x 14 oil in canvas board and has a price of 200 dollars. Every September my friends and I stay at the hostel and bike the island.





Friday, August 8, 2014

Aug 7th was National Lighthouse Day. Missed it, but...

As stated many times before in this space, one of my favorite things to paint is lighthouses. I somehow missed the fact that Aug 7th was national lighthouse day. I went to work on the day shift (unusual for me) and came home to find out about it. So to make up for it, I'm posting my portfolio of lighthouse paintings a day late. Enjoy! Never too late to enjoy a lighthouse.






















Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Guest Artist - Art parody - David Irvine and "re-directed paintings"

I love art parodies and mashups - where a classic painting is redone with cultural characters. Nighthawks by Edward Hopper is one such painting that gets riffed on so many times.

This is a set of  mildly interesting paintings you might fine gathering dust in thrift shops that Artist David Irvine has made them more interesting  by adding pop-culture characters to them, as he calls them "re-directed". They may clash with the painting or fit right in, but they do make them more viewable. You'll fine more at Bored Panda and the artist website gnarledbranch Here are two of my favorites


Enjoy anything Monty Python


Sunday, August 3, 2014

Exhibit #3 of the First Baptist Summer Art Gallery

I put up the third exhibition of my church's 2014 Summer Art Gallery. This is posted on the church's FB and Twitter pages 
 
First Baptist Hackensack Summer Art Gallery
Press Release from the Office of the Curator
Release date : 8/3/2014
Subject: Third Exhibition of the Summer Art Gallery
For: Immediate Release

The Curator is pleased to announce the third exhibition of this year's Summer Art Gallery. This time we have 3 artists displaying their work.

The Needle work of Carolyn Obrien
Carolyn has been doing needle work for over 30 years. She has been a member here for many years and her daughter Dawn O'Brien Beckley was raised here and married in this church. She have always enjoyed creating with her hands, sewing clothing is her first love. Now she enjoys using needle and thread to create these works of art. She has included several of Dawn's creations also which hang in her home,

The Art of Jack McKenzie

Jack is long time member of FBH, active in many areas and is the Curator of this gallery. He's been painting since 1990 when he watched Bob Ross do his thing on Channel 13 in New York and decided he could do this, too. His subject matter is covered bridges, lighthouses, fishing village scenes, barns, etc. from places like Maine, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Nova Scotia and Spain. Jack usually paints from photographs and likes to paint in bright colors that can inspire an on-the-spot visual vacation.

A Painting by Olivia Grace Feliciano
We have one work by Olivia. She is entering 2nd grade at Hackensack Christian School. She loves to be creative and especially loves to draw and paint. This oil painting is titled Snow Falls. It was painted over her spring break in April 2014