iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 7h

It's October! Time for some daily watercolor practice. Today, it's an abstract piece with watercolor and brush pen with black ink. Watercolor and ink on 6"x9" hot press paper

An abstract watercolor with a bunch overlapping circles. Portions of the image are pitch-black, other areas are watercolor colors that blend together.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I did a landscape painting from a photo I took in The Catskills. I've heard people say, "I can tell when an artist paints from photos." I feel this. I am good at color matching, but I don't have a strong enough mental palette to build life-like vibrancy from photos. Oil on panel, 9"x12"

An oil landscape painting of a clump of trees on the left with a lone, thin tree on the right. The sky is blue and there is a woods in the background.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I'm trying to do more linocuts without clear outlines. I think this reads. Linocut ink print on paper, 8"x10"

A linocut print of a frog on its back. Black and white.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

I revisited a pig that I previously painted. I applied thicker paint at the end of the painting than I usually do, so the glare was difficult to minimize in the photograph. Oil on board, 9"x12"

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Due to popular demand, I repainted the goat. Oil on board, 9"x12"

A painting of a screaming goat on a pink background

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

How exciting - @cashlock.com worked with me to use one of my paintings as a cover for his new album, World Worth Saving. What a treat to get to participate in a project like this! One of many, I hope. Thanks @cashlock.com!

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

I am really having difficulty with these prints. Too much ink or too little. I did four pulls off this carving today, and this was the best one. Linocut ink print on paper, 8"x10"

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

I painted the linocut pigeon I previously carved and printed. Oil on board, 9"x12"

An oil painting of pigeon walking on an orange background

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

I did another pig. I use the last pig I painted as the reference for the next one, so like a copy of a copy, some things get lost over time. I could stand to use an actual reference. Oil on board, 9"x12"

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

I am trying to get back into oil practice, so I wanted to revisit my most familiar motif. I think the drawing is a little off, but the round belly rendered well. This pig is extra lumpy. Oil on board, 7"x11"

An oil painting of an incredibly fat and lumpy pink pig on a yellow background.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

I had trouble printing this one. The first pull was under-inked, but the second was way over-inked. I think some ink half-dried between pulls. I carved this with a single v-shaped knife except for the little round parts in the center of the flowers. Linocut ink print on paper, 5"x7"

A slightky splotchy black and white linocut print of some flowers and branches.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

The sun is just a guy in the sky. These are two phases of the same cut. I think I improved my inking, although parts of the face are over inked. Linocut ink print on paper, 8"x10"

A black sun on a black background. There's a face in the sun.

A sun on a white background. There is a face in the sun.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

This print is based on a photo I took of a gardner next to the woods. I wanted to do some more big shapes of light and dark. Linocut ink print on paper, 8"x10"

A black and white print of a person standing at the edge of the forest. The person is dwarfed by the size of the trees. The sky is visible above.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

The bird feet! Linocut ink print on paper, 8"x10"

A black and white print of a bird's foot

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

I did a variation of this print with a background. It's kinda messy, but I did manage to line up the space I left for the blue print in the middle (after one failed alignment attempt). Linocut ink print on paper, 8"x10"

A linocut of a pigeon. The bird is blue and the background is orange with some white bubble looking things.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

These are my first attempts at layering the ink. I didn't anticipate the blue being transparent to the background. In the darker print, I mixed in some black with the blue. Linocut ink print on paper, 8"x10"

A monochrome dark monkey over an abstract orange background.

A monochrome blue monkey eating an apple over an abstract orange background.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

I did this carving of a pigeon tonight. When I was learning to draw, I liked to practice drawing bird talons in ink. Time to bring it back. Linocut ink print on paper, 8"x10"

A black and white ink print of a pigeon.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

I got a press and did some test prints with the monkey stamp. What a difference the press makes. The lines are crisp and with good coverage. Linocut ink print on paper, 8"x10"

A monochrome orange print of a monkey eating an apple.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

I did an abstract linocut with orange ink. I think this may lead into some more interesting ideas. Linocut ink print on paper, 8"x10"

An abstract linocut print of squiggles. The ink is orange.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

I painted this goat during Christmas vacation. The painting was in a pile and I had forgotten about this dude. I was a big fan of this goat's beard and skinny, but strong neck. Search YouTube for "screaming goats" to hear the painting. Oil on linen panel, 8"x10".

An oil painting of a gray goat yelling. The background is pink.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

I went vertical today in the same spot I've painted many times. I sometimes like to paint in very wide aspect ratios, but this image is the opposite - much taller than it is wide. I'm getting the hang of painting on this paper. Oil on paper, 3.5"x6.5"

A painting of a stream going towards some mountains and trees. The image is tall and thin.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Another painting in the same spot with the same materials. I got the hang of the paper a little better today and had more control. Oil on paper, 3.5"x6.5"

An oil painting of a creek bank with plants and rocks.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

I did some plein air painting today. My local art supply store, Binders, had a demo day, and I was sold a notebook with thick, multimedia paper that the artist said would stand oil paint. It worked, but the paint definitely wasn't as easy to push around as on a panel. Oil on paper, 3.5"x6.5"

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

I painted some eggs. Oil on board, 9"x12"

A couple of fried eggs merged together on a mauve background.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Some swamp sunflowers from my garden from last year. Soon they will be back. They're always the last to bloom. Oil on board, 8"x10"

Clusters of yellow flowers, stems, and leaves

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

I did an oil version of the owl. It's an interesting motif. This is the second owl, using my owl watercolor as a reference, so I think I'm part way through a series now. I need to do some sketches and learn to draw this guy better. Oil on board, 9"x12"

A painting of an owl straight on, perched.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

I wanted to try a wet-in-wet technique I had seen demonstrated where the paper stays wet throughout the painting. It makes for an interesting workflow and effect. Watercolor on 5"x7" cold press paper

A watercolor painting of an owl. It's a little cartoonish.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

I'm revisiting old motifs. I like this paper size, but these kinda cheap ones I have always tear a little when I remove the tape. I need to get some higher quality stuff in the same size. Watercolor on 6"x9" hot press paper

An abstract painting of a bunch of jagged edges. The colors are mostly warm.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

I glazed these clouds to make them more fluffy. I haven't tried this kind of glazing before, and it wasn't exactly the result I was hoping for. I wanted to do more of a softening effect. Oil on board, 9"x12"

An oil painting of some clouds over water.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

A couple of lemons. I took the reference from a sparkling water can - Limoncello flavored. The painting is called "Limoncello", but you gotta pronounce it in the voice of @taylordotbiz.bsky.social Watercolor on 5"x7" cold press paper

A watercolor painting of two lemons with leaves and flowers on an abstract spiral background.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

I haven't done one of these pig paintings in a few months, so I took a crack at one last night after I finished the plums. Oil on board, 7"x11"

An unrealistically fat pig looking left. The background is flat blue.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

I did another painting of of plums on a tree. I like the colors in these paintings. Go Nicks! Oil on board, 11"x7"

Two plums on a branch with some leaves on it. The blue sky is visible in the background. One plum is green and the other is just starting to turn red.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

My plum tree is flush with fruit right now. This painting was to memorize the moment. Thanks to @georgeouthwaite.bsky.social for posting their apple blossoms - it gave me some hints. Oil on board, 11"x14"

An oil painting of a bunch of branches covered in leaves and plums of various ripeness. The background is the blue sky.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

I've been busy and traveling and haven't had the opportunity to paint in a few days. Tonight, I did a small study from a photo I took in the desert. Oil on linen panel, 5"x7"

A painting of the desert. In the foreground are scrub bushes. Then a far away mesa and the sky above with clouds. It's evening and the sky is yellow near the horizon.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

I did two linocut carvings of the monkey from the drawing. The first was predominantly white, and I tried to make all the dark lines with negative space. The second was predominantly black with the lines white. Linocut ink print on paper, 8"x10"

A black and white print of a monkey over an old economics assignment printout. This was the first attempt.

The same monkey, but much more black. The background is blank white archival paper. This was the second attempt.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

I haven't been drawing enough, so I spent some time practicing for my next painting. I drew this on the back of an old printout from grad school. Using disposable materials lowers the pressure of producing a fine finished product. Instead, I focus on the process. Pencil on paper, 5"x7"

A sketch of a hunched over monkey holding a round fruit with a bite taken out.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

I wanted to do the waves again, but without rubber duck this time. This is my first oil painting on a square panel. Oil on board, 11"x11"

An oil painting of a dark sea. There are choppy waves.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

I painted this today in Oakland Cemetery. All my plein air paintings kinda look alike - probably because I tend to always use the same limited palette that isn't appropriate for all the shades of green around here. I need to switch it up. Can you ID the background skyscraper? Oil on board, 9"x12"

A painting of a bunch of green trees, bushes, and whatever in a wooded cemetery. You can see a couple of graves and monuments, and far off in the distance, is a single skyscraper, an Atlanta icon.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

It's time for some sardines. I think this painting would look good in a frame. The large negative space needs some boundaries. Oil on board, 9"x12"

An oil painting of four sardines in a can, most of the way open. Three sardines are pink, one is blue.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

It's pretty enjoyable to sit down and listen to an album start to finish while painting a single painting. I do like a motif. Watercolor on 5"x8 1/2" hot press paper

An abstract painting of a bunch of overlapping lines ranging from yellow to dark red. The rare negative space is light but slightly turquoise.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

I've been rolling this motif around in my head for a couple days, so I needed to get it out of my system. Maybe it would have worked better in oil. I accidentally painted on the smooth side of my nice chunky cold press paper. Woops. Watercolor on 5"x7" cold press paper

An abstract bunch of wavy lines with a color gradient ranging from yellow to deep, desaturated red

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

It's time for a moody clouds series. I remain chunky. Oil on board, 9"x12"

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

That makes 5 of these flower paintings. I'm out of the oddly-cut panels, so it's time to be done with the series. I mislabeled a couple early in the series. They're all 7"x11. Oil on board, 7"x11"

An oil painting of a flower and leaves on a black background

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

I'm still working on this series. It was a busy week and I didn't get to paint until tonight. I am trying to work more in series, and I have one more board set aside for this subject. I'm about ready to move onto something new. Oil on board, 7"x11"

An oil painting of a pink flower. Black background and some leaves with a few thorns on the stems.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

I like the way the updated app is showing groups of photos, so let's see how it looks with progress pics. Oil on board, 7"x11"

Progress pic of a couple flowers. Just the sketch.

Progress pic of a couple flowers. Block in. Black background.

Progress pic of a couple flowers. Flowers have some details

Progress pic of a couple flowers. Leaves have detail.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

I did this painting a few years ago based on a photo I took of a friend visiting me during a difficult time - back around 2007. He was lighting the grill with a bottle of lighter fluid. It's not how I paint today, but I liked it. I gave him the painting last year. Oil on canvas board, 8"x10"

A painting of a man spraying lighter fluid into a grill. It's nothing but flames and washed our light.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

I have more of these oddly-measured panels, so I'm doing a series from the same reference book. Oil on board, 12"x8.5"

A painting of an orange rose on a black background.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

This was an offcut of my standard sized panels I didn't want it to go to waste. It's gonna be hard to measure to frame though since the size is very imprecise. I used a 19th century watercolor of a rose as a reference. I wanted to do something chunky. Oil on board, 12"x8.5"

An oil painting of a couple of orange roses on a vine. The background is black.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

I wanted to do a larger painting in one sitting, and I'm enjoying these abstracts, so I based this on a watercolor I did last year. I don't love it, but maybe it will grow on me. Maybe it needs a stronger composition. I used a brush, palette knife, and some cardboard. Oil on board, 14"x18"

An abstract painting. On the left is some rust color, then a irregular and angular cream stripe. Some zebra lines of desaturated purple, another irregular cream line, and then more zebra stripes with a couple of chromatic yellow spots.

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omarzak.bsky.social @omarzak.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

I shifted the palette around from the last paintings. I cut and gessoed the panel from a masonite board. The tooth on a gesso board is finer than a canvas, so paint behaves differently. The initial block-in was too thin, and it took a few layers to get those darks really dark. Oil on board, 14"x18"

An abstract painting of a bunch of irregular geometric shapes. There are three large shapes - blue, green, and yellow that are brighter than the rest. The colors of the smaller shapes are varied but tend to follow the largest shape they are near. There is an impression of bright lights in the shapes.

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