Another very hot day!

"Blacksmith at Work"  9" x 12"

Finding  this scene was part luck and part magic. Grapevine has a local Blacksmith that I have been dying to paint, but I had never seen the doors open, let alone someone inside. I was lucky to finally have this happen, but why did it have to be 105 degrees outside when it did? I think you can see the heat in the painting!

There where two men inside, but nobody was as stupid as me to stand outside directly in the sun, so I had to move them there in my minds eye. So the "magic" came from my imagination. 

Do me a favor and don't tell anybody.

Stockyard #2

"Leddy's Boots"  9" X 12"

Here is another painting from the Ft. Worth Stockyards. I haven't done many street scenes, so it was a challenge. Like always, there are things I like about it and things I don't. I was drawn to the sign. You would think twenty-five years of designing signs like this one, would make me find a different subject.  Well, you don't see many of these on my Blog do you. :?)

Large Plein Air

"Things Are Always Brighter" 12" X16"

I painted this at my default stomping ground, Nash farm that is blocks from my house. This is a little larger than my normal size, but I had no problems finishing it. I think I will try this painting again. I would like to loosen up the barn wall and add more color shifts. I did luck into some interesting "junk" on the left side that is not normally there. This was a very strange looking tractor that doesn't have the normal large radiator up front.  I think it would have helped me render the form and make it more recognizable if it had. Next time I may magically place it in there. That is one of the perks painting has over photography.

Painting at the Ft. Worth Stockyards

"Texas Caddy"  8" x 10"

I was invited to go paint the historic Ft. Worth Stockyards with a group of painters the last couple of weeks. This car was sitting on Exchange Blvd. right in front of the Stockyards. I get asked all the time how I choose my subject. I was drawn to paint this just because I wanted to paint the horns on the front grill. Sometimes a complicated scene like this gets painted for the tiniest reasons.

A very hot day!

"Burned Out"  9" x 12"

I've been wanting to paint this old firetruck for some time now and finally did. To make it more of a challenge I waited for the temperature to be 105 degrees. If I hadn't managed to find some shade, I may not have been here to share this post. The siren on top was reflecting right into my eyes and I hope I was able to capture that.

"Getting Married" 11"x 14"

After completing an oil painting of the this same subject a few months ago, I was approached to do a watercolor version. The difficult part was the oil painting and reference photo were in a cool blue palette and the lady commissioning me wanted more warm colors and less blues to go with her home decor. Unfortunately, the church is too far away for me to paint it plein air, so I  was forced to paint from photos.

I was not able to locate any other photo references that helped me out, it seems the church is always in shadows. I ended up working from the same cool photo as before and just changed it in my head as I went along. I was confused on what to do with the sky so I ended up just de-emphasizing it. You would think painting from your mind would be easier, but for me it is very difficult and I realize why I prefer to paint on location.

In the end she was pleased and that was my top priority.      

Clouds & More Clouds!

"Cloudy Day"  9" x 12"

 Texas has been blessed with some great big fluffy clouds lately, so I knew it was only a matter of time before I painted some. The top painting was finished in a little over an hour, then I simply rotated my paint box 180 degrees, looking out across Grapevine Lake. What did I see? You guessed it...more clouds. I squeezed out the bottom painting in about 30 minutes.

I hope our big cloud  luck continues so I can paint some more!

"Smells Like Rain"  8" x 10"

Big news! I've been juried into the 2010/2011 Plein Air Southwest event. Sponsored by the Outdoor Painters Society, this event spans several months and has events at the Grand Canyon, Ouray (CO), Prescott (AZ), the Texas coast and Dallas. I have been a member of the Outdoor Painters Society for 2 1/2 years now and this will be the first time I will hang in one of their shows, so I'm very excited!

The list of participating artists includes names like fellow O.P.S. members John Cook, Bob Rohm, Ann Hardy, Jill Carver, William Kalwick, Jr., and several juried in like Steve Atkinson and Michael Chesley Johnson among many others. ( check out the photo for all participating artists )

All paintings will be Plein Air work from mid-August up until the Quick Draw at the Dallas Arboretum next April. I will have 3-4 pieces on exhibit. This is a huge step for me and I can't wait to see my work hanging with this talented group of artists. It's time to get to work!!!

The show opens April 8 at Southwest Gallery in Dallas. 

Here's a link to the show page: http://www.pleinairsouthwest.com/Index.html

Miniature Painting

"Bird w/ Flowers" 4" x 6"

This was a miniature painting that I painted for my wife for her office desk. I bought a small frame, took the glass out and sanded it and then applied several coats of white Gesso. This made for a surprisingly slick surface that I had problems painting on with my normal Hog hair brushes.  It turned into a fun exercise that forced me to lay the paint down and leave it alone, otherwise it scratched right off. It turned out kind of pretty, especially in the heavy dark wood frame, but I don't think I will be in a hurry to paint on glass again.

Blacksmith Wagon

"Blacksmith Wagon" 9"x12"

I think I made a rookie mistake. 

I changed the brand of my oil paints from Gamblin to Le Franc and my paintings have suffered. I don’t think anything is wrong with Le Franc paints. I know several great painters that predominantly use them. My mistake was to change all of them out and add two new colors to my palette at the same time! I have since read recommendations about adding new brands or new colors to your palette, one at a time. I didn’t think it mattered so much, but I found out it does. Plein air painting is difficult enough, so anything that slows you down or makes you unsure will really cause you problems. I have been struggling with my darks, never feeling they are dark enough. I tried adding Sap Green or Viridian to darken my basic Ultramarine Blue / Alizarin mixture to no avail.  Le Franc paint also feels too light and whipped compared to what I’m used to. All of this resulting in wasting paint trying to get my mixes right. Recently, just adding Gamblin U.B. back has improved my work.  I think I will go back to Gamblin as my primary brand for now and try using the other brands only one or two at a time.

Anybody else experience anything like this?

"Plein Air Artist" web site informed me they are featuring my painting "Porch light" on their front page. It's always nice to get recognition, especially from so many great artists. Thanks Donald! Go visit and join in.

Colorado Blue

"Colorado Blue" 8" x10"

A sketch from a Colorado trip last year. My family had so much fun that I wish we could return this year.Instead, we are leaving for vacation in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It is another favorite destination for my crew. I'm taking my paints!

Porch Light

"Porch Light" 8" x 10"

I spotted this house while driving around with my wife. I quickly turned the car around and took her home to grab my brushes.  ( She's very understanding. )

I loved the color of the roof and the cottage garden look of the yard. The home owner seemed surprised that I wanted to paint her house, but after a reassuring her I wasn't trying to sell her something, she made me feel welcome.

Normally I try to establish my center of interest first, but I received a little surprise myself when her porch light came on towards the end of my painting. All of a sudden I had a new focus. This is part of the fun of plein air painting and something you don't get from painting photos.