Fortress of Solitude

After a months of pondering, wondering, seeking, searching, hunting, packing, planning, painting and unpacking...my Fortress of Solitude is complete and the house around it is not far behind. 


As much as we hated to leave the country, we packed up and headed back to Newnan, my hometown to buy a house. We are now closer to the school where I work, closer to UGA where Julie is working on her PhD and dangerously close to my folks. We will miss not having neighbors, the wonderful people, our chickens and garden, the beautiful landscape and the stars at night. I will not miss armadillos, coyotes, deer in the road, a 45 minute one way commute, a dirty car, chopping wood for 3 fireplaces and mowing several acres with a push mower.


All I need is to have Directv installed in the studio and I am all set! I am sure Julie will be so pleased not to see my art stuff in front of every TV in the house.

Above are images of the new space, once an quasi sunken carport. I am using an old dresser as a tabouret, perfect height and 19"x25" of mixing space, very necessary when you use a palette knife on large canvases. I have also cut pieces of wood that are screwed into studs on the wall at different heights from which to hang canvases of different sizes. I have a TV with Directv and Netflix streaming to keep my from the front of the rest of the TV's is the decent parts of the house.

I also have all of my art books out, my guitars have been rescued from under beds and my still life items are out where I can see them. A couple of great chairs and a sofa and a mirror behind me where i will be painting. I do need to make space for my newly constructed shadow box, I made it 24"x24" and it may just be too big. My old space at our farmhouse was great, however it was too small. I do miss the fireplace!

All I need now is motivation! they say painting is like riding a bike... I say it's like riding a horse and then falling off and breaking something. It takes a little effort to get back on...

My Alter Ego

Vacation Motor Hotel, Clarksville, TN © 2009 David Boyd Jr.

Many of know that I am a bit of a shutter bug. It mostly came out of a fascination with the camera at a young age and most recently, the purchase of my first digital SLR to coincide with my first large purchase of a painting over 3 years ago.

Ever since, I have had my camera at my side at all times. I mostly use the images for reference, but recently started entering shows. I have been accepted to the past 2 Nature Undisturbed shows and well as the last 2 SlowExposures shows.

About a year ago I started a blog for my photos called dirtroadphotographer, but decided I could only focus on one passion at a time and have neglected it ever since.

I have dabbled in digital photography using Photoshop, Aperture, SilverFX and several camera types from digital to film to my cell phone. I have even started an AP photo class at the high school where I teach.

Last week I got one of those emails that make me grin from ear to ear. Chris Curry, owner of A Novel Experience in Zebulon, GA and one of the founders of SlowExposures emailed to see if they could use one of my images from the entrants I had sent for last years show as the central image for the marketing materials this year. Even though it was not selected for that show, it resonated with them. I am thrilled, honored and humbled to have been asked. The image happens to be one that I planned on turning into the largest Googie Art sign painting I have ever done of my favorite sign of all time, the Vacation Motor Hotel.

For publishing purposes, I changed the image to black and white.

Moving Sale Gratitude

WOW! Things went quickly today! I am blown away by the sheer number of pieces that were sold to good homes. I am very humbled and dumbfounded by it all. Thank you all so much!

This was a very special sale, don’t expect one until I move again... and after this one, that will be NEVER!

Painting is a very fickle business. There is not a great deal of “profit” involved in the monetary sense, but the the enjoyment of creation and expression is priceless. To be a painter it takes a village, and that village is you. No painter can make it without a base of support. If I cannot sell paintings, I cannot afford to paint. Thank you all for that and continue to support the arts whenever you can, we all need it!

I look forward to the move and new inspiration and time in the studio. I will miss being out in the country, but I am looking forward to what is on the horiZon in the up and coming art scene in Newnan, GA.

MOVING SALE!

Julie and I are moving back to the big city of Newnan and I am cleaning out the closet and the walls! Some of these are old favorites and some are pieces that got lost in the stacks. There are several large pieces, some medium siZed and tons of small plein air and still life pieces.

These pieces are priced to move and I will not mention prices here, you will have to see for yourself. First come, first serve... I have set up a PayPal button for each piece, practically the only way you can be assured to piece is yours... otherwise you will be at the mercy of the email on my laptop and smartphone.

Go to my website and click on the MOVING SALE! page. if you want to email me about making an offer on a piece or other questions, you can do so here.

Hope you find something you like!

Playing Hokey 303

Rarely, but sometimes I will paint during my classes. The kids are always interested and curious about what I do and how I do it. I painted this one from a really bad cell phone image (so I thought you should see it that way, too!) but the kids really enjoyed it!

Newnan Coweta MagaZine

Newnan Coweta MagaZine did this great write up on me for the November/December issue. I have been holding off on the posting as I try to make myself look less creepy and more sober... to no avail. However, let it be known that I have been clean and serene for over 4 years now :)

Wesley Woods Open House

While house hunting, Julie and I found a great farmhouse that we fell in love with... however, it needed time and money... 2 things we do not have. Even though it hurt our hearts to pass on it, we did become friends with the owner, Beth Lever. Her folks had lived in the house and she and her brother were fixing it up to sell it.

Beth is head of marketing at Wesley Woods, a beautiful retirement community here in Newnan. She asked if they could use my work to decorate an independent living cottage for their open house this Sunday and I happily agreed. I have a special place in my heart for people who work with the elderly, having a grandmother who had Alzheimers and one that was incapacitated by a stroke. They do great things at Wesley woods for our seasoned citizens of all ages.

The work is a mix of pieces that I have kept over the years for personal reasons. I have paintings that have been accpted into OPA shows and works from the Southern Living Idea House in the mix as well. If you missed OPA or the Idea House, go to Wesley Woods this Sunday!

SOLD First Light 302

I have been wanting to paint another large landscape after the one I painted for the Southern Living Idea House. I think I have redeemed myself for now...

SOLD Bascom's 301

Did this painting for a patron of mine. They are the proud owners of MANY large Boyd pieces. Her parents met in this store in south Georgia. This will add to the decor in her mothers new condo.

SOLD Neighbors Barn 300

Did this commission for a workmate of mine... I am a sucker for old barns and they know it. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, but I must say I think it turned out well. I am tackling a larger structure this weekend.

Big Egg Little Nest 299

Got this egg from a client when I dropped off a painting. It proved to be the MOST difficult subject ever. After 2 failed attempts and scrape-offs, I decided to put it in a more logical setting. The first 2 made it look like a a pear. I cursed to myself a threw it in a nest and here you go. It is a chicken egg in a barn swallow nest, so don't bother to point that out to me! Just goes to show that the top 3 words in real estate sometimes work with still lifes as well... location, location, location.

Clementines and a Bowl 298

Sorry for my absence. The holiday season puts me on the road a great deal. My wife and I live in middle Georgia and her family is in western Tennessee. So, needless to say painting has been sparse and the paintings I do this time of year are usually Christmas presents and cannot be put on the blog as of yet. We have also been house hunting... we all know how great that is.

Trying to get back into the swing on small daily paintings, but I am beginning to feel like they have run their course... at least for now. I am seriously considering doing a 365 blog of plein air paintings... but we are moving back to the city. May have to be cityscapes!

Anyway, glad to be back!

Frank's Red Hot 297 SOLD

Winstons 296 SOLD

Gay Dolphin 295

Finished up the large version. I wanted to do something different so I painted on linen instead of canvas which I loved, but I don't think I can afford it. The surface took the paint very well and with minimal effort. I also made small changes from the sketch like lightening the sky so the sign stood out more. That was about the only change.

Stand of Pines 294

Did this commission piece for a friend that "Just wanted something of mine, do whatever you want." Love those clients. I had been wanting to do a larger, vertical daytime version of the Stand for a while now, I think it is awesome and I wish I could keep it. I guess that is what happens when you let a painter do, "whatever you want."

She has a beautiful gold frame for it as well. When it is dry enough, I will put in the frame for the full effect.

Study, The Gay Dolphin 293

Fellow painter, Martin Pate, turned me onto this sign while we were staying in Myrtle Beach, SC for the Oil Painters of America Regional Show last month. This is a study for a larger painting to come.

Tin Gin 292

Some open air buddies of mine came down for a visit and an afternoon of painting. I have been trying to get people to come to my neck of the woods before all the cool old stuff is gone... although I don't think things are going to be cleared to bring in new industry or business, but because at the rate of decay, some of this will not stand for long. We drove around for a bit before settling on the Cotton Pickin' Fair Grounds. I did a quick 6"x8" color sketch and that night, did a larger 11"x14" piece of the whole building.

OPA Lamar Potts Shack 291

One of my favorite places to paint. Got a ton of reference material here . There is a great red barn there, too. My shack is a little bit too purple, I still have a lot to learn about painting buildings and shadows!

Chandler Road Field OPA290

Last Saturday, Millie Gosch hosted the first ever OPA Paint Out in the state of Georgia. It was great fun! Here is the first painting from early that morning.

Chandler Road Hay Bales 290

Field study from the final day of Roger Dale Brown's workshop last week.

Autumn Lake 289

One of the larger plein air pieces I have done. Roger Dale Brown gave me some great pointers on painting water... reflections are vertical and light is horiZontal... and no hard edges in the reflections. This one tipped over in a wind gust and had Gamsol spilled on it. That's what I get for stepping away from the easel in a wind. I took it home after cleaning up and fixed the ruined areas. Gotta love oils!

Movalli Inspired Marsh 288

Movalli covered a 24"x30" canvas in about 30 minutes and it was brilliant... so I tried. I love the less is more theory of painting as well. His palette was simple, cad yellow, yellow ochre, cad red, ultramarine, and pthalo.... he may have had aliZarin, but digress. He used only 2 brushes... 90% of the time he used a number 12 bristle and and at the end, for about 5 key strokes, he used a number 8.

I came home and wanted to try, not that I paint slowly, just a bit more deliberately I guess. I had these 18"x24" canvases sitting around , so I vowed to put the to good uses using some of my marsh reference photos from the weekend.

Marsh Studies 286 & 287

Marsh I, oil on panel, 5"x8" 

Marsh II, oil on panel, 2.5"x5"

While in Myrtle Beach for the OPA show, Martin and I went out to Cherry Grove to do some plein air studies. Martin did a large piece and I focused on doing 2 smaller studies in hopes of producing larger pieces later this winter

Oil Painters of America, 10.17.10

Julie and I talk with Atlanta artist Charles Walls

My nook shared with Bill Farnsworth's piece on the right

The Wall

The overview of the show

It has been a couple of weeks since I last updated the blog, so I will be brining it up to date in the next few posts.

The weekend of the 17th, Martin Pate, Julie and I traveled to Wilmington, NC to view the OPA Eastern Regional show that Martin and I were accepted to. We stayed in North Myrtle Beach and did some painting when we weren't at the show or an event.

Friday the event opened, you can see my shoddy camera work to get a feel fro the space. There was a great crowd. CW Mundy was there as was Neil Patterson and Robert Movalli, who was the judge. Kevin MacPherson had a piece in the show but was not there. Movalli studied with Emil Gruppe and co-wrote 2 books with him. I own one called Brushwork for the Oil Painter.

Movalli demonstrated Saturday morning and it was amaZing... He talked most of the time and still managed to paint and 24"x30" canvas. He worked so quickly... both the drawing and the painting. See the video for clips of his demo. He never stopped moving and he talked to the canvas, so the audio stinks.

Anyway, it was a great experince and I could not have been more humbled. My '59 Caddy hanging on the wall, sans frame, with the likes of MacPherson, and CW Mundy.