Three Cedars 037

This is the first plein air piece of the season. After the frog swallower last night and this morning, my workshop atendee, Elizabeth and I went out this afternoon to paint. It was eerily warm, considering that tomorrow they are calling for snow flurries. So, it was warm and very wendy, but beautiful. I am glad Elizabeth had a chance to get out of my studio and do what she came down here for! I was very pleased with this piece, it is very simple, to the point and full of great color and texture. I am looking forward to getting out in the open again tomorrow!

The Soaking 036

I had a friend down today for a workshop, she wanted to learn plein air style painting. She had been taking painting lessons, but of another school... the type that takes too long! After being sick for 2 weeks, I was glad to be feeling better and looking forward to getting outside for some painting. Only problem, 5 inches of rain in 24 hours. It did clear up, finally, and we were able to get outside. This piece was actually done inside before we went out. I painted it from the window, it was a good warm up piece.

Cypress Bay Resort 036

This one makes up for the days of inactivity and the days that will follow without paintings, it wiped me out. I did this monster in one night, it is the largest painting I have done in over a year (24"x30"). I have completed dozens of small works and a few medium sized pieces within the year. This was also my first use of my newly developed deconstruction style on a canvas this size. Of course, I want to paint twice this size and larger, but I don't have pockets deep enough or a studio large enough... some day! I hope to get enough of these pieces together to shop around the galleries in Atlanta, so if you buy it, I will have to have it back for "The Big Show."

This piece is based on a picture I took at Kentucky Lake in Tennessee (yeah, I know. They do a lot of that up there), Jules was living there at the time and the sign begged to be painted, it is old and the paint is oxidizing and it has been hit by a drunk driver or 2, thus the beat-in arrow in the front.

Pears 035

This piece is going somewhere I really want to go, the abstract side of things. I was most pleased with the end result of this piece, as it would be very difficult to determine what it is!

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Orange on Green 034

It has been a busy week! It was all I could do to squeeze this out the other night before dinner and then I got a cold, I am a huge baby when it come to being sick. I get ill very rarely, but when I do... sofa and tv here I come. Needless to say, I caught up on all the old episodes of Heros and Top Chef that I missed. I hope to make up the deficit this weekend by painting 2 a day and starting another piece in the sign series. I also have a show coming up at The Point of Art Gallery in Union Point, GA. It is a small gallery started by Anne Jenkins and her husband, they are both Katrina refugees and also own Art Gallery LaPlace in Washington, GA. Point of Art was featured several months ago in Southern Living. The theme is "Rites of Passage," so if any of you have any brilliant ideas for a piece, let me know!!

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Avocado... again 033 SOLD

I love to paint avocados. The avocado has created many of my favorite shades of green. I am pleased to say that, to my memory, my parents never owned and "avocado green" appliances. I wanted to try it on blue to see how it reacted with the greens, and I like it. However, I think I was subconsciously thinking about Pearl Jam's last album cover.

Abstraction: Savannah Morning 032

I love what happens when you squint at a landscape and it all gels together and forms those abstract shapes of color. I didn't really do that with this piece exactly, I really just wanted to use the same color masses and arrange them in an interesting way.

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Savannah Morning 031

You may recognize this from a pic I posted while in Savannah. It was a partly cloudy morning and like most Savannah mornings, the air was heavy and hung like a wet t-shirt over the landscape. I pulled of President Street on my way out to Tybee to catch this one. To the left of it was President Street and to the right was some huge industrial complex spewing smoke. I got several pictures form this spot I hope to use later...

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Hot Tap 030

It was great to break the stride with a larger piece. This is a companion piece to Cold Tap, although this is a larger painting... 18"x18". I attacked this one a bit more with the palette knife when I was done, always a scary proposition.

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Brown Bottle and 029

While I was in Savannah I found several old bottles to add to my still life collection. This one had a great shape too it and was a wonderful orange brown color. I could wait to get it home and use it. This is a new attempt for me, the painting of glass. I was very pleased with the outcome.

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Back to Basics 028

After a week off of painting, I thought I would ease back into it so as not to disappoint myself. I am back to brushes and palette knife, instead of straight up brushwork. I was happy with the outcome.

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Last of Savannah... for now.

I left Savannah on Wednesday to drive to Nashville for Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt, which was amazing. As I was leaving, I was emotionally overwhelmed, I did not want to go!

I attended SCAD from 1991 to 95 and plan on going back to finish my masters. I had been back many, many times to visit, but never alone. When I left Savannah in '95, I was READY to get out! I was tired, stressed and ready to begin a new chapter. Being back in that beautiful, old, sultry city was so amazing, walking the streets both day and night with my camera, enjoying the great food and the colorful characters. I really miss that place, and upon my departure, I felt it. I was thankful for the trip, but I leave a piece of my heart there. Someday, I really hope to return. I tried to remind myself that the weather was mild, not the usual 99 degrees with 100% gnats and humidity, and that i was only getting the best of what she had to offer.

Again, I did not one bit of painting, not because I didn't have the time or materials, but there was so much to see. Also, knowing that I have a trunk full of clothes and supplies to get me though 8 days and moving Julie back from Paris, Tennessee, where would I put my paintings?? Excuses, excuses.

I can't wait to get back home and sift through my pictures and begin anew. I haven't painted in over a week, almost the longest run in over a year, and as you know, it ain't like riding a bike. I am back on the palette knife, so I am very excited about getting back to it.

These are the last few pics that I have chosen to share...

Savannah, GA

I have been in Savannah, GA for since Saturday attending the Muse (measuring unique students effectivley) conference. It is the first meeting of its type, focusing on art program assessment. I am either a fool or ahead of my time, I am the ONLY representative of a secondary school.

When I packed, I brought enough canvas for 8 days, all my paints and my plein air "bag 'O tricks" sincerely hoping to do some painting. It is beautiful outside, 75 degrees and gorgeous. BUT, there is too much to see and do!! Having lived here for 4 years, I have been running around with my cameras taking pictures of all of my favorite city spots. Tonight I am headed to the Isle of Hope for some sunset marina and sal water marsh pictures.

So, in leiu of daily paints, here are a few pictures I intend to use for paintings.

After the Storm 027

Most of the recent landscapes have been a manifestation of my imagination and it's desire to have open window weather." I am lucky to live in a location where I can see great distances without much of an obstructed view. I love to watch the weather roll in and roll out and I am very much looking froward to the green season...flowers, grass, billowing clouds. For now, they hide in my head and come out when I need them to.

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Yellow House 026

For the past 7 weeks or so, I have been unable to access my photo archive of over 12,000 pics and references on my external drive. Thanks for the crappy OS update Apple! Officially, that is the only negative thing I have ever had to say about Apple, I love them! Sorry, Apple. Needless to say, when I got my external drive up and running I went directly to my pics from my New Orleans vacation this summer. I found a ton of pictures I wanted to paint, this is the first one that caught my eye.

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Sunday Lunch? 024

Jules informed me that I did not like beets because I had never had them cooked the right way. I still haven't. Not because Jules did not cook them right, but because I stole them to paint. Maybe next time. I love the red violets against the green in the leaves, what a beautiful root...

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Upside Down 023

I love to paint mushrooms for some weird reason. Fungus is great. They cast an interesting shadow and their body shapes a re very diverse. Thus far, their colors have been pretty earthy, I hope to find some wild colored ones soon, maybe when spring gets here!

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Habeneros 022

Found these little guys in the local Ingles down here in Woodbury. They usual have the most unbelievable produce, but during the thick of winter my choices are slim. I am ready for some new color and produce! I enjoyed the challenges put forth by these guys... the hard line and defused shadows as well as the relfected lict and colors the slick surfaces picked up...

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