Castaway

Castaway, 18"x24", oil on linen panel, NFS

I painted this same '59 Caddy years ago. Thought I would revisit it on my last linen panel for OPA Regional. Gotta say, I'm very happy with it.

Maritime Morning

Maritime Morning, 18"x24", oil on linen panel, NFS

While I was painting the lighthouse in Ponce Inlet, right across from me were these beautiful maritime forest trees, shaped by the wind and lit with that warm morning side light. I made a mental note of the colors and snapped a few images just in case I wanted to paint them in the studio.

Of course, the more I thought about it, the more I wanted them to be by entry for the OPA regional show. This was painted on the new linen panels I just got.

Signature Linen

The siZe constraint for the OPA regional show is 18"x24", so my piece Sky View is WAY too large. I ordered some Signature linen (CL 15DP) panels at 18"x24" to do 2 new pieces for consideration. I had painted on linen before, but this stuff is the bomb. I am afraid I am hooked on linen now, the paint just slips and slides all over it with little or no effort, something I really like.

Mine were mounted on 1/2" gatorboard and light as a feather. They were expensive, but worth every penny... somewhere around $48 a pop.

Beach Painting

Julie and I just got back from the family vacation in Ponce Inlet just south of Daytona. Our house was at the south turn of the original Daytona Road Course where NASCAR had their first sanctioned races until they were moved the super speedway in Daytona in 1959.

Ponce Inlet is beautiful and a great place to paint. You have the beach, and the on the backside you have the river. Lots of boats, sunrises, sunsets and of course, the lighthouse.

Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, 203 steps. Great view from up there, too.

Easel system by James Coulter, artboxandpanel.com

Big and Little Heels

Ma's Heel, Study, 6"x8", oil on Raymar panel, $125

Ma's Heel, 12"x16", oil on RayMar panel, $250

Had this shoe from my grandmother, Ma, in the bag of shoes I keep at school for the kids to draw from. I brought it hope, painted a small study and then went for the larger piece.


I have enjoyed using my shadow box and using transparent red oxide and ultramarine or burnt sienna and ultramarine for my grays and blacks.

I have been trying very hard to work on my draftsmanship and my use of color and value. I feel like I have been making my own rules for the past couple of years. I am ready to take it to the next level. I am not using the palette knife nearly as much as I have been. Mostly, I use it to mix my paint and then modify my edges... not to mention adding some texture!

Das Little Cowboy Boot 334

Das Little Cowboy Boot, 12"x16", oil on RayMar panel, $250

My students have been drawing these little boots for years, thought I would bring one home and put it in my little light box and give it a shot! Really happy with the outcome!

Yellow Tomatoes on Lavender 333

Yellow Tomatoes on Lavender, 6"x8", oil on RayMar panel, $125

Love these little bunches of tomatoes you find at the grocery... different siZes and colors. They are great to paint.

Little Red 332 SOLD

Little Red, 24"x30", oil on museum wrap, $1100, SOLD

Paul Hornung 331

  

Paul Hornung, 24"x24", oil on museum wrap, available soon my eBay auction

Did this portrait of Paul Hornung for a friend of mine, Keith Dunnavant, who is a writer and also has the site Crimson Replay. This is the first of a seriesof 12 players that will be featured on a new site of his.

Each month that a player is featured, that portrait will be available at auction on eBay. More Details to follow.

Hidden 330

Hidden, 11"x14", oil on RayMar panel, $200

Painted this from an old photo I found. The town I used to live in was too abundant in painting inspiration and I took a great deal of reference material. Some I painted on location, some, like this, I had to do from photographs.

Meriwether Field, Evening 327 SOLD

Meriwether Field, Evening, 11"x14", oil on RayMar panel,  $200

This one reminds me of our old farmhouse. Good memories of all the early evening strolls with the dog and cat in tow... not to mention all that sky.

Green on Pink, 326

Green on Pink, 8"x8", oil on RayMar panel, $150

Playing with texture and color here. Really wanted to just lay the paint on in thick daubs.

My First Podium Finish...

Orange Slices, 24"x24", oil on Museum Wrap

However, if this was an automobile race, one would not get a podium finish for 4th place, or as I like to call it, the 3rd looser. Seriously, I was thrilled to have placed in anything and I was honored just to get juried into another show. This one is called The American Still Life: Yesterday and Today, juried by Kevin Grogan from the Morris Museum. The show is up until July 4th at The Bascom in Highlands, NC.

Chucks

Chuck's, 12"x16", oil on Ray Mar panel, SOLD

Did this commission for a friend of mine and I am very happy with the outcome. I put an APB out for some well worn, what Chucks. A fiend on mine has a very active teenage boy who only wears white chuck hightops... a kid after my own heart.

 I love shoes... them more worn the better. I enjoyed this so much, I have pulled all of my old shoes I have been collecting in my classroom and plan on doing a series of them. My father is also known for his shoes, specifically saddle oxfords. People in town loved them so much, they would go to the former Brothers, LTD on the court square to order "Boyd Shoes." According to one of the proprietors of Brothers, LTD, Ellis Mansour, Newnan was the per capita sales leader of the infamous shoes. Dad retired them once after many resoles to the basement his studio only to be unearthed years later by a friend who nailed them to the wall of his studio. I can't wait to get my hands on them. I also have a pair of 1940's Foot Joy wing tip golf shoes I used to wear in high school. Man, I got some grief for those... but I looked sharp! Also up for painting is a pair of brown Dr. Martin's I wore in high school that have about a thousand miles on them.

Mitch's '61

Mitch's '61, 3'x6', oil on gallery wrap, SOLD

Painted this commission for architect, Mitch Ginn. Mitch owns the most beautiful '61 Corvette I have ever laid eyes on. This piece is a monster at 3'x6' and a pleasure to paint. Mitch and mary Jane were great to work with, as well. The best client are the ones who know EXACTLY what they they want or want you to do EXACTLY what you want. The Ginn's knew exactly what they wanted.

Back in the Saddle, Again... Again

Wow, three weeks away from the blog and I don't know what to do with myself. After a series of unfortunate events including kidney stones, rain shortened kayak trips, a death in the family, and lipotripsy,  I am ready to start posting. I never stopped painting, just lost the will to post.

The first week of April I took my annual pilgrimage to the coast of Georgia with my friend and fellow teacher, Gail Jones. We take a group of 7th graders to Skidaway Island every year to sea kayak as part of our interim experience at The Heritage School where we teach. The group at Sea Kayak Georgia have become good friends over our years of coming down.

The camping/kayaking was shortened due to rain. I was sad and glad to be home a bit early since it was the beginning of spring break and I just got a extra day.

My wife and I were married in late may last year. Shortly after our wedding her father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the young age of 59. Those of you familiar with this cancer know how cruel it can be. My wife left the day I returned to go home to take care of him in his final days at home. He fought the good fight, continuing to stay very active until February when the cancer spread to his liver.

I was to follow the next day after unpacking and getting things together. Much to my dismay, I  had a kidney stone attack. I had one before, ironically 6 years earlier and after returning early from a snowed- out interim trip. Someone is watching out for me, for sure. I was very disappointed that I had another one and that I would not be able to get to Tennessee to be with Julie and her family.

 After my first attack, 6 years ago, I vowed never to experience them again. I really got myself together. I quit smoking and drinking and ate better, I took up painting and exercising in their place. I will say that my stones that I just pass were much better looking than the ones I had passed earlier, but I have missed out on some good single malt scotch drinking.

Regardless, I was stuck at home and could not get out of the house until the stones passed. The trip to Tennessee, where Julie's parents live, is 6 hours away and kidney stones are nothing to have outside of your house. I would not even let my own mother come sit with me due to the language that was coming out of my mouth.

After a week of phone calls, CT scans and blood work I got into a Urologist after my father in law passed away. I was disappointed to hear that my stones were to big to pass and they could not Zap them for another 2 weeks and even more saddened by the news of my father -in-laes passing and the hopeless feeling I had from passing a stupid stone while her was fighting for his life.

I was glad to know they were stuck and with a wish and a prayer (and a pocket full of Percocet) I went to Tennessee to be with my Tennessee family.

I am back home, kidney stone free and ready to get back to the blog. I have a small collection of pieces I did while home during Spring Break and pieces I completed before break and after my return from Tennessee.

Jerry loved the water. I did this piece for them for Christmas. He was  Great American.
Jerry Knott
1952-2011

The General, Revisited SOLD

The General, Revisited, 12"x16", oil on RayMar panel, SOLD

Did a smaller painting of the Lieper's Fork General Lee for a friends son's birthday.

ACCEPTED!

Orange Slices, 24"x24", oil on museum wrap

I may have missed the deadline for OPA National, but I did not miss the deadline for the American Still Life show at The Bascom Art Center in the Highlands, NC. Not only did I make the deadline, my piece made it in!

Jimi, with Apologies to the Photographer...

Jimi, 24"x24", oil on museum wrap, SOLD

I did this portrait of Jimi as a commission, first time in a while i have tried some type of portraiture. I pulled this image from the internet, which I hate, so if anyone out there knows who took this famous picture of Jimi, I would love to give them the credit they deserve.

Tree Study, Roger Dale Brown Workshop

Tree Study, Roger Dale Brown Workshop, NFS

Did this piece as an exercise in keeping the mass of the tree together.

Lieper's Fork Barn, Roger Dale brown Workshop

Lieper's Fork Barn, Roger Dale Brown Workshop, NFS

Last piece done for the workshop...

Sunset, Roger Dale Brown Workshop

Sunset, Roger Dale Brown Workshop, NFS

Still have some work to be done to this image, but liked the way it turned out. Sunsets are HARD!

Wyoming Road, Roger Dale Brown Workshop

Wyoming Road, Roger Dale Brown Workshop, NFS

This is the first of the images from the workshop. We did a small paint-a-long pieces to warm up before this one. We worked from a projection of the image for a couple of hours and then put it away only to get it out later. It is amaZing what you see after you put it away and give your eyes a break.

Roger Dale Brown Workshop

Judith and David paint the barn

Julie wanted to go home this weekend to Tennessee and a favorite painter of mine, Roger Dale Brown, was having a Larger Studio Painting Workshop in Franklin where he is based.

Larry and David

This was my second workshop with Roger Dale Brown and Beverly Ford Evans. It was a small crowd, so we all got plenty of attention.

Beverly Ford Evans

Roger and Anne GoetZe

I came home with great information, helpful criticism and a strong will to paint... not to mention complete exhaustion.

Roger's Palette in his Open M

Three Oranges and a Plate on Blue 319

Three Oranges and a Plate on Blue, 8"x8", oil on RayMar panel, $150