Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Ablaze

SOLD


Ablaze
5X7inches
oil on wood panel

This painting is after a photo I took in the Golden Gate State Park, not far from Golden, Colorado. The park is a beautiful place to spend some time.


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Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Garden of the Gods

Garden of the Gods
5X7inches

oil on wood panel


This painting is after a photo I took in the Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs, not far from Pikes Peak. The park is filled with ancient red sandstone formations. The painting features the brilliant blue Colorado sky (which you have to experience in person to fully understand) and the beauty of the natural wonders that abound here.

Bill Brauker
A Painting a Day


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Monday, December 3, 2007

First Flight


SOLD
First Flight
9x12 inches
Oil on canvas

The Wright Brother's first flight. That's Orville flying, and Wilber running along side. (They flew four times that day, taking turns as the pilot.) I have always loved that iconic photo and just felt a need to paint it. I love flying, (I remember standing in my yard in Michigan as a small boy and watching planes go over.) and find it incredible that this little flight, just 104 years ago (Dec. 17, 1903) was the start of the amazing feats that have been done in the air since.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Late Afternoon Sunshine

Late Afternoon Sunshine
5X7inches

oil on masonite panel


This painting depicts the late afternoon sun, illuminating the sunny side of a canyon floor, in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. There was one small tree on the shoreline and a steep cliff behind it with other trees jutting out from it.

Below is a more detailed look at the painting.




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Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Lady Morgause


Lady Morgause
5X7inches
oil on masonite panel

Bill Brauker
A Painting a Day

I have always liked the stories of King Arthur, and life at Camelot. (I even have a web site www.kingarthurbooks.com.) Also, we have traveled extensively in England, Scotland and Ireland, and have visited many castles.

The Lady Morgause is one of the most fascinating in Arthurian literature. She was said to be the half sister of King Arthur. She and Arthur did not live together as brother and sister. A beautiful lady, in adulthood, she caught the eye of Arthur and becomes pregnant after sleeping with him while they were unaware of their relation. I've always been fascinated by her, and have twice visited Tintagel Castle, the legendary birthplace of King Arthur in Cornwall. It is a mysterious and beautiful place. Go there someday with someone you love. (The last time we were there, we stayed at Camelot Castle, which is perched high on the rocky shoreline and offers a great view of the sea and the castle. www.camelotcastle.com) --BB



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Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Walking the Dog


Walking the Dog
6x6 inches
Oil on wood panel.

This is from a photo I took this summer, of a young woman walking her dog in the brilliant morning sunshine. She seemed to glow in the distance.


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Monday, November 12, 2007

Pink Pool

SOLD


Pink Pool
6 X 6 inches
oil on wood panel


My wife Anne and I spent a night at the Hotel St. Nicholas, in Cripple Creek, Colorado, several years ago. (A wonderful place, Google it and see.) The room was dark, with just the overhead light on.

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Sunday, November 11, 2007

Foggy Fishing


SOLDFoggy Fishing
6 X 6 inches
oil on wood panel


I love early morning on a lake when it is calm, flat and misty. It seems otherworldly.

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Friday, October 26, 2007

Metro Bag Lady


SOLD

Metro Bag Lady
6 X 6 inches
oil on wood panel

This painting is based on a photo I took, of a young woman who was riding in the late afternoon sunshine, on the Metro in Washington, DC, in June. I love the way the sunlight floods through the window. And what a lovely bag lady she was.


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Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Castle Firelight


SOLD

Castle Firelight
2 1/2 X 3 1/2 inches
oil on 246# painting paper


I have always liked the stories of King Arthur, and life at Camelot. (I even have a web site www.kingarthurbooks.com.) Also, we have traveled extensively in England, Scotland and Ireland, and have visited many castles. I like to envision some of my ladies in that time and place, so am calling this one, Castle Firelight.
The actual painting has a warmer tone and more golden glow than the photos depict. --BB

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Monday, September 10, 2007

Lady Elaine

SOLD

Lady Elaine
2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches
oil on 246# painting paper


Below, is a shot of the painting leaning against an oil paint tube on my painting table.



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Tuesday, August 28, 2007

In The Spotlight


In the Spotlight
2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches
oil on 246# painting paper

I'm really proud of this one. I feel I got the lighting on her body just right, and the colors look wonderful. When viewing the photo, please lean back to get a more true look at what the painting looks like. When you sit close to the screen, the crosshatching on the paper shows more than it does when you see the real painting. I know I keep saying this, but the painting is better than the photo. --BB

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Saturday, August 25, 2007

Lady Morgause


Lady Morgause
2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches
oil on 246# painting paper

I have always liked the stories of King Arthur. (I even have a website about it them, www.kingarthurbooks.com.) This painting depicts, Lady Morgause, the half sister to Arthur. She and Arthur make love, (Not knowing that they are brother and sister) and she gives birth to Mordred, who becomes Arthur's nemesis. I think this one has a Pre-Raphaelite look to it.--BB

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Thursday, August 9, 2007

The Babe Says Good Bye


The Babe Saying Goodbye
2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches
oil on 140# watercolor paper

As a long time baseball fan, especially the, "good ole days," (before steroids and other body enhancing drugs, became part of the game) I thought this week might be a good time to bring, Babe Ruth back for a bow. This depicts him in June 1948, when the ailing, Sultan of Swat, said farewell to fans in Yankee Stadium. He died of cancer at the age of 53, two months later.

This is my first baseball painting, but I think I will do more. I enjoyed painting it, and the memories it brought back, of the millions of hours of my youth spent playing the game.

This was painted using a palette knife.


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Friday, August 3, 2007

Golden Nude

Golden Nude
2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches
oil on140# Watercolor Paper

I love gold, so this was a fun one.




Thursday, July 26, 2007

Walking the Dog


Walking the Dog
6 X 6 inches
oil on wood panel

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My wife, Anne, and I go for a walk most mornings near a small lake, close to our house. Many mornings this young woman is taking her dog for a walk before she goes to work. She can really walk fast in those high heels. This is in the brilliant sunlight, on a path near the lake.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Lady Seated by Window

2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches
Pencils, watercolor and oils
on 140 pound watercolor paper

I have been doing a number of smaller paintings for sale on eBay. This is one of my favorites.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Lady in the Manor House Window


Lady in the Manor House Window
8 x 10 inches
Oil on wood panel



This painting came about when I spotted a photo of a window similar to this on a stately English house. I imagined the lady of the manor looking down through the reflections in the glass, toward someone below.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Woodland Path



Woodland Path
6 X 6 inches
Oil on wood panel


I have been missing in action for awhile. Funny how life gets in the way. I had to fly down to east Texas (Larue, a quiet little place east of Dallas.) with my sister, Robin, to pick up my Dad and drive him back to Michigan. It was quite the road trip. He is 85 and in a wheel chair, so not the easiest traveler, but we had a good time and made it safely. After that, Robin came back out to Colorado and spent nearly a week with us. We did lots of bird watching, and hiking, and were going to climb, Chief Mountain, but when we got up there, we found 3 to 4 feet of snow on the trail, so had to cancel that. Since we couldn't go up the mountain, we drove to Georgetown and Robin bought the most perfect sweater of her life.

Since spring is popping out all over, I decided to do a landscape. This was really a difficult one to photo. The painting is much better than the photo, but at least you get the idea.


Saturday, April 21, 2007

Lady of Beauty II


Lady of Beauty II
6 X 6 inches
Oil on wood Panel.
The Lady of Beauty Series.


I really feel good about this one. I am getting a little better at mixing the right colors. To me that is the hard part. I can visualize what I want to see, but duplicating the exact colors is the challenge.


Friday, April 20, 2007

The Lady of Beauty Paintings


Lady of Beauty I
(White Dress)

6 X 6 inches
Oil on wood panel.
Lady of Beauty Series

I am beginning a series of paintings called, Lady of Beauty. I got the idea from the amazing life of, and the paintings depicting, Agnes Sorel, who lived in France in the 1400s and was the mistress of King Charles VII. Anyone who loves diamonds will be thankful to her, also. (More about Agnes in the story, below.)

The paintings will be done from photographs, and live models when possible. So if anyone is interested in becoming a lady of beauty, let me know.

The two (depending on your viewpoint) famous or infamous paintings are mentioned in the story about Agnes.



Here is some information from, www.agnes.com, regarding her life.

Following the Black Plague of 1348, which killed a third of the population of Europe, a stable and prosperous period reigned. People took advantage of the pleasures of life. The Renaissance allowed people to glorify life, and specially, to glorify the beauty of the female body. Erotic paintings, by Renaissance standards, represented noblewomen with low necklines set off with high (and tight) belts.

It was then that Agnes Sorel (1422 – 1450) became the first queen of fashion and luxury. As one of the “concubines of the Renaissance monarchs” – she was the mistress of Charles VII of France – Agnes became the first royal favorite among the people of France. She played an important political role and exerted an invigorating influence on the king. It was Agnes who encouraged Charles VII to help Joan of Arc battle the English.

Agnes became famous for a painting, by the French painter Jean Fouquet (c. 1420- c. 1481), which shows Agnes with one breast uncovered, a surprising indiscretion, with an infant. The painting was called Virgin and Child. One century later, an anonymous painter portrayed Agnes Sorel in the same pose; this time, the child was missing. This was particularly erotic because the painting gave the impression of Agnes undressing. And so, Agnes may have launched the extravagant fashion of one breast in, one breast out, in the paintings of the time.

In the mid-19th century, Agnes became the first woman ever to be allowed to wear diamonds, which were extremely rare and greatly valued. The gem was deemed so precious that women were forbidden – by law – to wear or posses them. During this period, only princes, kings and emperors wore the precious gem because it held a symbol of power, courage and virility. But love and desire made shambles of the law. You see, like most women, Agnes loved diamonds and wanted to wear as many as she could lay her hands on. And because the king was as fascinated by Agnes as he was by the precious stone, the law was conveniently forgotten.

Although she died at age twenty-eight, Agnes became the symbol of beauty, luxury and intelligence. Agnes Sorel was a decidedly erotic madonna. Unfortunately, with Agnes we have only a half-legendary story: Rumor has it that Agnes was poisoned by Jacques Coeur (1400-56), an alchemist who circulated counterfeit gold and money with King Charles VII (1403-61). This, however, was never confirmed nor denied.



Saturday, April 7, 2007

The Red Bedroom

The Red Bedroom
6 X 6 inches
Oil on wood panel.

This is the favorite room in our house. Several years ago we painted it red, after we got tired of the off white it was. Do yourself a favor and put some color into your life. You will be happy you did.

Below is a detail of the painting. I really like way the shadows play on the wall.


Regarding the three larger prints on the walls, the one on the left is, Norham Castle, by JMW Turner. The one in the center is, The Luncheon of the Boating Party, by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and the large one over the bed is another Renoir, from, The Bather, series.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Front Range

Front Range
8 X 10
Oil on wood panel.


This is a view of the front range of the Rocky Mountains, viewed from Standley Lake, in Westminster, Colorado, which is located half way between Denver and Boulder.

It was a bright, afternoon, with the mountains a hazy blue, almost disappearing in the distance, and some big clouds above.



Friday, March 16, 2007

The Pond Under Gray Skies

The Pond Under Gray Skies
8 X 10
Oil on wood panel
This one was fun, thick impasto, layered on with a palette knife, and some brushwork in the trees. This is a view of, The Pond, a small lake in Arvada, Colorado, near my house. I worked from a photo, which I took on a cold, gray morning.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Big Ben

Big Ben
4X6 inches
Oil on wood panel.

London is such a great place, even when it is wet. My wife, Anne, was born there, and we travel back as often as possible. This is a rainy view of Big Ben.