Construction of the stone Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin began in 1500 with the building of the Ivanovo Tower; the main work commenced in 1508 and by 1515 a grandiose building was completed. The oak walls that formed the old fortifications were destroyed by a huge fire in 1513. (source Wikipedia)
“The Finnish sauna is a substantial part of Finnish culture. There are five million inhabitants and over three million saunas in Finland – an average of one per household. For Finnish people the sauna is a place to relax with friends and family, and a place for physical and mental relaxation as well. Finns think of saunas not as a luxury, but as a necessity. Before the rise of public health care and nursery facilities, almost all Finnish mothers gave birth in saunas.” (source Wikipedia)
The body of the koryushka fish (European smelt) is typically 15 to 18 cm long, slender and slightly flattened on either side. Larger fish may reach 30 cm in length. Smelts have a slightly translucent body. The back and sides are grey-green to pink in colour, the flanks bright silver. The tailfin has a dark border. The smelt lives for up to six years. One characteristic is its intense smell, reminiscent of fresh cucumbers. (source Wikipedia)
This Hammock in Fiji was just outside the beach front bungalow I lived in for 11 days in 2011.
It’s hard to get bored of Italian Facades.
Russian Carrots are one of the worlds healthiest foods. There’s some truth that carrots are good for your eyes. (Ok – I’m not web MD – but Yoast has instructed me to be more articulate.) Studies have shown carrots reduce the risk of lung cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer. Carrots are good for your eyes. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene. Enjoy a Russian Carrot Platter!
This shack is across the dirt path from my wife’s Russian dacha. Started this painting using sketching fundamentals. Then with auto painting in painter 2017, oily blender, born bristles and soft glazing. After the auto painting I overlayed the freehand sketching fundamental. Hmm like oil and water. My freehand sketching fundamental does not match the cloned auto painting. But so much fun, Ill take it!
Barn
Snowy wood barns are in a secret spot somewhere where no one can find. I have looked and have never found these snowy wood barns. Painted from a dream.
Imaginary winter-scape was painted following along closely with a video tutorial by Karen Bonaker of the Digital Art Academy. It is hard for me to follow instructions without wandering off on some tangent. Im very excited about this new technique Karen is showing us in Painter 2017.
Every where one looks there are more dacha flowers. Every corner of this tiny piece of land explodes with beauty every July. Every other corner is crammed with fresh growing scallions, carrots, tomato’s and potatoes. This is great spot to eat fresh salads every day. This place with more dacha flowers is a great spot on this planet.
The grand opening of kartushas-first-christmas-presant-httpsyoutu-bea2ofh1kopee. Merry Christmas All!
Last year my wife took a photo of this Russian snow market. This week I turned it into this painting. I’m not sure Russian snow market really exist. But it sounds good so I’m going with it. I added the snow storm.
Here is my imaginary christmas tree as seen from my studio window.
Our baby girl Kartusha is 11 months old today. This will be Kartusha’s first Christmas. She has her own Christmas tree. Today she picked out a wooden toy train at the local toy store. Again painted in Painter 2017 I used the new glazing brushes and both new texture categories. I also took all my own source photos except for Santa. Kartusha giggles constantly and makes life so nice!!!!!
Not sure if these 3 seasonal landscapes are Russian or American. Not sure if Figaro is Italion, Russian, American or some one else? But sounds nice tonight.
Christmas logo for Nick’s Shop. The text was created using the 3D module in photoshop. The painting was created using the texture cover brushes in painter 2017.
Visit Nick’s Shop @ https://www.redbubble.com/people/ntartworks/shop
This is something different. A study using clip art and the texture cloning brush variants in Painter 2017.
Hmm not sure if I like it. But I hope some of you do? Lots of possibilities with this technique!
This priozersk landscape was painted digitally using Corel Painter 2017. Priozersk is a small town 3 hours north of Saint Petersburg Russia where my “photo smudged wife” is from.
My photo smudged wife was painted in corel painter 2017. She is always a happy available model as she was on this summer day. I think I really “blew her nose” however!
Kartusha fall afternoon Cape Cod. Almost 10 months old. Life is good. Painted in Painter 2017. Photo smudged her cute little face.
This imaginary seascape was created using Corel Painter 2017. This program has a very tough learning curve. After you get past all the technical crap Painter 2017 requires one to learn the fun begins. This imaginary seascape was created with a simple 2b pencil and the new glazing brush variants.
Cape cod beach umbrella and fiji sunset.
Learning the ins and outs of Painter 2017.
Pushing colors to a limit beyond the comfort zone of most human beings.
And having so much fun doing it!
Here is a portrait of my flowering pet plum tree. I call this painting my flowering pet plum tree portrait as it was painted for an on line class about “Pet Portraits”. Digital Art Academy (DAA). I don’t have a pet. This guy flowers for about one week a year just outside our house here on cape cod as I walk bare foot to our outdoor shower. Like to make sure we are home that week every spring.
Loving this photo blending technique even though I thought it would be a bit like cheating but happy it is not as bad as doctoring someones will!
https://nicholasthompsonartworks.com/myfatherarchitectbenjamincthompson/#.V9nPwzswfXg
Half tide rising continues continuously here on cape cod and all over this planet. So many painterly scenes waiting for an artist to describe visually. This is just one of them here on cape cod in Provincetown a few years back.
Just another Sandy Neck Dune. Many nice moments. So happy this is my semi private spot.
Damn all you 30 to 100 thousand dollar motorboat tourists who invade us every calm day in July and August! My $900 12 foot aluminum motor boat is just fine on a splashy atlantic ocean day and can be lifted up by one drunk idiot – me! The best moments in life have been spent here in Barnstable Harbor. So happy this spot is ours. Why don’t you all learn that the tides go up and down by 12 feet twice a day – idiots!! Don’t get calmed, just open your eyes and watch the tide line!
My last trip home from Russia some guy sat down behind me on jam packed crowded Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Boston. I had just made my connection from Saint Petersburg. Some random guy sat next to a young pretty thing one seat behind me. I was jealous, (even though I was newly married). He chatted away to her for almost the entire seven hour flight. I could not sleep because of his chatter. Learned all of his secrets and that he was a married MIT professor. When the plane landed and we were debarking I turned around and said hello to him and the pretty young thing. He ignored me and looked down his long nose, did not acknowledge me.
He quickly turned away from my face and looked down his short cute nose at the young pretty thing and said “funny what some random guy will say!”
From that moment on I have felt like “some random guy” on this planet!
This painting includes one & a half russians. Grandpa is visiting from the “motherland”. Kartushka is 7 months old, in control of us all. She is half Russki, half Amaeriskanski. Hope you all will wish her luck on this planet?
This abstract watercolor sailboat floated contently in Barnstable Harbor the other evening.
Muddy sand flats-sun-tide going down – every second here on cape cod is another painting waiting for you all to paint! here is Nick’s todays attempt (ps I dont work for the chamber of commerce here)
An “Inky Landscape” of Barnstable Harbor with Corel Painter brushes created by Skip Allen. Thank you always Skip. https://skipallenpaints.com
This is a theme and variation on an abstract self portrait I did in about 2 minutes the other day. Started on an I pad-pro using Paint-storm. And then took the image into Corel painter 2017 and used the new interactive gradient tool. So much fun.
Watercolor Canoe is my latest attempt at digital painting using Corel painter 2016. The source image was taken in Provincetown Massachusetts several falls ago. I am pleased with my progress but there is lots of room for improvement. A bit muddy and a bit to much paper texture. Soon I will nail it.
A beach umbrella and four chairs on a sand bar.
This is another digital watercolor sandy neck beach in Barnstable Harbor on Cape Cod. Painted with Corel Painter on july 25, 2016.
At the beach the other day the sand was glowing. The water was a bright turquoise. People were bathing and having picnics. And the boats were bobbing.
Cape Cod Deep Winter Photo is an image snapped on new years day 2011. That cold cape cod winter and for the following few years I was experimenting like hell, that day with HDR Photography.
Some of the sliders buttons and filters in Photomatix Pro were pushed to the limit by a guy who had a few to many bloody marys that new years afternoon. Now those sliders buttons and filters need to be revisited and softened. Five years later I see this image needs a serious attitude adjustment. Visual attitude adjustment is my goal from now on, at least tonight. I hope to find time to rework many of my old HDR Photo’s in the future. Cape Cod Deep Winter Photo and many other of my attitude adjusment needing photo’s are posted very early on in this blog.
Art Cape Cod on a windy winter afternoon. The frozen beech is a tropical paradise for year rounders. Sunscreen, a polar jacket and a few “capecodaaaz” are recommended!
