Autumn Pasture

I like the layering of land masses as they recede into the distance. It is fun to create this illusion on canvas with color, value and perspective. However, this scene did not come alive until the addition of light playing off pasture grasses and trees. Once again, it's all about value relationships.

24x36, oil on panel.

Yellow Bike

I wanted to do a large (36x48) casual themed painting and decided a bike would be a nice subject. It is a composed painting, my thinking that a picket fence as a backdrop would set the tone.  It started out as a pink and blue bike with some foliage in the background that I never really liked. So I decided on a yellow bike and continued to work the background trees as live oaks. Been working on this painting off and on for a couple of months now and making ongoing changes. This is kind of an unusual approach for me as I generally finish a painting I start (alla prima) with a few slight adjustments the next day when viewed with a fresh eye.

Marsh Magic

Looking forward to exhibiting at the upcoming Telfair Museum Art Fair Nov. 12-13, Savannah, GA. Public invited. It will be a great show to visit. A great mix of all kinds of wonderful works of art.

I was inspired by the beautiful coastal marshes in the region when I visited last November. I wanted to paint that inspiration. This painting is oil on gallery wrapped canvas, 36x36.

Southern Crepes

It seems everywhere I look there are crepe myrtles in bloom. We have had much hot weather and several thunderstorms of late and I suppose that has brought about even more blooms than usual. I wanted to try to capture the essence of these plants and came up with this off center composition.

This is painted on a 28x22 canvas wrap.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Well, I wanted to paint one more piece for the upcoming "Tomato Art Festival" in Nashville, August 13. Yes, that's right, there really is one.  A fun, tongue in cheek, piece seemed to be in order. Wow! Does that smell good, or what?
10x20, oil on canvas, gallery wrapped

Tomato Posse

The tomatoes formed a posse and went out to capture the outlaw eggplant. They have hemmed him in and the approaching sheriff will take him into custody. Wow! I feel so much safer.

oil on gallery wrapped canvas-16x16

Sunday Stroll in Paris

Beautiful architecture, narrow streets, quaint shops, the aroma of age. This is Paris. I tried to capture a piece of that in this palette knife painting. How fun.
Oil on 14x11 panel.

Five Tomatoes-16x16

I seem to have more interest in doing still life subjects lately. I saw these tomatoes at the market yesterday and thought it would be fun to set up a still life and paint the subtle light effects and color variations. My wife had a tomato knife that I added to the composition which gave a nice spot of dark to an otherwise relatively high key painting. There are plenty of lost and found edges which I think helps to hold interest in a simple composition. The subject and the style is unusual for me which made it fun!

Hanging Basket

Loved the light/dark patterns here. Happy summer!

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas, 16x16.

Pear/Apple on Abstract Background

It seems I am always thinking about a new way to present a familiar subject. I had some abstract designs that I had done a while back and decided to make them "representative" by imposing a familiar subject, the pear and apple. I haven't seen this done and thought it would make an interesting approach.
Something different for the kitchen. Each is 10x10.

A Good Day to Wear Red

This street scene was fun to paint, capturing reflections on a misty day. This scene was one where, as a painter, you must remind yourself that you are not painting buildings, cars, and figures, but rather shapes and values. There is a lot going on in the scene but I think the strong focal point makes all the supporting elements believable. Actually I could have simplified those elements even more.
Painting is 10x8 on mounted canvas.

Arrangement in White

Sorry to have been away from my blog for many days. I have been busy painting for shows and considering new approaches to painting. I really feel like you can get in a rut by following the same procedures that you get comfortable with, even approaches that generally produce satisfactory results. When you have deadlines it is even more difficult to take the time to experiment in an effort to take your work to a new level. Anyway, that's where my thinking has been.
This floral still life was fun to do because of a free approach using some abstract elements and letting some of the paint run and drip. A very limited color palette and a strong light/dark design produced a bit of drama. It is 40x30.

Sweet and Savory

I recently attended an art workshop with master painter Quang Ho. Quang is a gifted artist and wonderful educator. I came away with a new appreciation and better understanding for ALL types of art.

While there I painted this still life of a pear and two onions on a mahogany dining table.  I wanted to do a simple, uncomplicated painting so I set up just three items. However, it turned out to be more difficult than I anticipated as I was dealing with both shadow and reflection. The room was lit only by the late afternoon sun. The painting is on a gessoed panel and is 11x14. I will keep this one as a remembrance of the experience.

paintings for art competition

I was excited to have two paintings accepted into the Energen Corp. art competition, open to all artists of Alabama. This one, titled "Bottega-Favorita" (22x17), depicts two diners entering a favorite restaurant in Birmingham, AL, which is housed in an historic building. The scene is at night and presents a different kind of lighting than I am used to painting.....more dramatic with the spotlights and street lights. This painting won an Honorable Mention award.

A second painting is a street scene in the Montmartre village of Paris. You will always find many artists set up in the village showing off their painting skills and selling their work to tourists. This painting focuses on the adjacent shopping area on a misty day in February....people milling around regardless of the weather. The painting is titled "de Montmartre" and is 20x24.

Coffee with Cream & Sugar

I do a lot of paintings related to food and wine, mainly the chefs at work or a sidewalk cafe venue. Then I thought about the food itself. I don't do very many still lifes but I thought it would be fun to do some with a little twist. So I dug around and came up with props for this one. Not really trying to do a super detailed painting but just an interesting composition.  I really had fun doing something different, at least different for me.
So the next time you are having artist's block, go to the pantry and see what you can come up with. This one is 15x12 oil on gallery wrap canvas.

A Cool Morning Walk

In this painting I am experimenting with more random and sometimes unexpected color in a landscape. I like the way it adds energy to an otherwise plain scene. The figures give a place to bring your attention. I like the feeling of it.

The Art of Hollandaise-30x24

 I had a really fun time and wonderful show at The Art Event in Nashville. They had a great turnout, as the weather turned sunny and nice for the weekend event after several inches of snow and freezing temps.
 This painting was used in the promotional material to advertise the show and was sold before the show began.

 I had a chance to observe chefs at the culinary school here in Birmingham on a day when they were cooking egg dishes. My inspiration for this painting came from watching these two chefs prepare Eggs Benedict. They were totally into the task. It was great fun to capture the scene.

Chefs at Work-two more

Here's a couple more chefs at work with different background colors.

Chefs at Work

 The Karin Jurick workshop got me thinking about unusual compositions. I wanted to create some chef images that would be fun and interesting. So I thought about painting the subject at the very edge of the picture space against brightly colored backgrounds. I think they are pretty cool and a bit unexpected. I have created about a dozen of them and they seem to work best hung as a set of 2, 3, 6 or 9. I will share some of them with you............Each is 10x10.

Best Friends 21x11

While walking in Paris I found myself behind these two ladies. You could just tell they have been best friends forever.

A backlit scene can be fun to paint and produce drama with the silhouette formed by the source of light. This one didn't come together easily. I came back to it after several weeks with a fresh eye to make adjustments. I am pleased with it now.

Lunch at the Winery 8"x8"

 September is a wonderful time to visit the California wine country. The warmth of the sun, the smell in the air and the beauty that surrounds you is unforgettable. All your concerns and worries melt away, at least for awhile.

This couple is about to enjoy a delightful lunch experience at the winery. The challenge in this painting is to capture that feeling, in that setting. The strong California sun is evident, creating strong light/shadow. The white umbrella provides partial shade to the diners. Some of the foliage is in sun, some in shade. This painting is primarily done with palette knife... lots of thick paint and texture. Fun.

Preparation

While walking in the historic district of Savannah I noticed this waiter preparing the patio for evening dining at Ruth's Chris Steak House. I liked the setting and made some color modifications to create a stronger image. For example, the building facade was a cold grey, probably limestone, and I changed it to a warm ochre. I also changed the panel behind him to a grey-green to enhance the red color of his tie. I left the umbrella black because changing it would only serve to take attention away from the subject.

The painting is done primarily with a palette knife and is 10"x12".

Road to Success

I know several couples who enjoy walking together. They all have successful marriages. Seems to go hand in hand. It is a good way to share the day and get the benefit of some exercise.
I am honored to be the featured artist at The Art Event at David Lipscomb Campus  School in Nashville, TN, Feb. 11-13. It's a wonderful event that will showcase 45 different artists with art sales benefiting the school. (For more information, including location and show hours, please go to www.dlcs.lipscomb.edu)
If you are in the Nashville area during those 3 days and you like art, you will enjoy checking it out.

I enjoy doing paintings that have walkers or joggers as the focal point. I've done several for this show. My latest one, done today, features a couple sharing time together. Its an impressionistic scene, using color and value to direct the viewer's attention. The painting is 9"x12".

Roses

A Southern cottage with a picket fence just begging to be painted. I couldn't resist. I changed the door to red to add a little interest. It was fun to paint this 9x12.

Pink House Bar 16"x16"

Good morning art friends,
Thank you for your comments about my artwork.  I appreciate your interest and time. Regarding the post, "Needs a Title" most liked the title "Too Many Cooks" and I do to, so I'll go with that.

Last November I had the opportunity to exhibit my work at the Telfair Museum Art Show in Savannah. It was a beautiful weekend and walking in this historic city was a delight. I passed the Pink House restaurant (one of Savannah's favorites) several times on my walks from the hotel to the museum and thought this scene would make a nice painting. The challenge here was to make it interesting in spite of its symmetrical design. I thought moving the big arch left or right would just look off balance. At any rate, I think there is enough going on to hold your interest.

Along the Seine 14x11

Today's post takes us to Paris where the little lady in the lavender coat is out for a Sunday stroll. The tourist with the backpack is checking her out. All the sidewalk merchants have their kiosks open for business. Great memories.

Needs a title

This kitchen scene has multiple chefs and a cluttered counter. My initial design thought was for a more abstracted image but I got a little caught up in all the counter items. I tried to make them interesting with a bit of color variety. It is a 40x30 gallery wrap.

Should I title it a) Chef Whites or b) Too Many Cooks or c) Kitchen Clutter or something else altogether?

Restaurant Reviews

What does a chef do when he gets a break? Well, perhaps he enjoys a glass of his favorite Pinot Noir while he checks the newspaper for his restaurant's reviews.

Tried to say a lot in a small space here (6"x6").

In the Kitchen

Back in the studio today after a weekend of watching football and dealing with icy, snowy weather, very unusual in this part of the country (Birmingham). Can't wait for warm weather to return.

I do a lot of paintings in the food and wine genre- chefs, waiters, sidewalk cafes, etc. This one is small (5"x6").  Small paintings are great fun, allowing for quick, expressive brushstrokes. In this case, keeping it loose and not overly defined helps to suggest movement.

Red, White & Blue

Enjoyed doing this painting. I like the small figure balanced by the big house. Why is it that scenes with reflections and umbrellas grab our attention?

Walking in the Rain-24x12

I enjoy doing street scenes because of all the levels of perspective that create a believable scene. Here I made one side of the street cool and the other warm to add the perception of the backlit light source falling more directly on the warm side. It also adds interest. Originally I had all the figures and umbrellas dark with no color against the backlight. An artist friend of mine suggested adding red to the center umbrella and I thought that was a good idea, strengthening the focal point.

First blog-"Winter Warmth"

In my series of blogs I would like to give you a little insight into my thoughts about how I create art. Ultimately art is a statement from the artist to be interpreted by the viewer in the way they see fit. Their response to it can create an emotion or meaning on so many levels, in so many ways. So interesting. It should be fun to share some art with you as I create it and why I change and edit paintings along the way. I look forward to hearing any of your comments.

Although I enjoy doing plein aire paintings most times that is not possible for me. So I paint from photographs, memories and gut feel for a subject as it speaks to me. This painting is oil on panel, 12x24, and titled "Winter Warmth" The photo I took in Paris was on an overcast winter day. I decided to edit the scene by showing a late sun pattern from the right hitting the buildings, street and some foliage. I like the way it turned out.