Saturday, December 29, 2012

Friday, December 21, 2012



                                          Ouch........

Thursday, December 20, 2012


At the Royal Mews. On a half sheet of cold press Arches.

Saturday, December 15, 2012



Sunflowers using my new squirrel hair brush.  I used the Isabey Squirrel Quill Mop brush. On a half sheet of cold press Arches.

Saturday, December 8, 2012


What to do with the background of a cityscape?  The statue of Oliver Cromwell was dark almost black, so that is what I used.  Washes and a blurred background has Cromwell as the center of interest.

Sunday, December 2, 2012


Another attempt of water lilles.  Loose seems to work best for me.  

Friday, November 30, 2012

Friday, November 23, 2012

Tower in London


At the Tower in London.  I wanted to bleed the color and not be so hard edge.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Beach house



The best piece of the four paintings I did in Mel Stabin's workshop.  Mel offered advise on the palm trees but did not paint anything.  The advise was using various brush strokes to create the leaf "look".


Sunday, November 4, 2012

Monterey CA


A composite scene from Monterey, CA.  I had an epiphany with this painting.  It has to do with the wonderful markings on the rocks.  There are grays, blacks and whites.  The whites are around the top and drip down.  And usually under sea gulls!

Friday, October 26, 2012


A new direction with the water lilies.  More water and blurred edges.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Wrightsville Beach



A beach scene from Wrightsville Beach.  I tried to model this from the California style from the 1930 -40s.  Simple and suggestive but still powerful.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Lilies two


Another attempt of those water Lilies.  Working with making the darks more interesting.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Jenny Lee in London


A restaurant in London.  This image was tried several times and this is the second version..

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Friday, August 24, 2012

Victoria Station


Another attempt at Victoria Station, London.  Working the darks and using the flags adds to the interest.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Stage for Wicked


We are just back from vacation, summer camps and volleyball fun.  At least the fun was for my 12 y/o. We had a chance to go back to London and this time it was for a week.  With the gloom of a possible lay off for me we decided to take the gamble.  We went to see "Billy Elliot" and "Wicked" while we were in London.  I shot a few photos before the show "Wicked" began and this is somewhat what the stage looked like.  No pictures can be taken during the show but I thought even before the show it was an interesting view.  I did pay attention to my values and I wanted a dark around the yellow of the curtain.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Head at Grapevine


A scene from the old jail in Grapevine, TX.  The pattern of the bars with the flatness of the shape up top creates some interest.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Wrightsville Beach Bridge


A favorite subject matter, the Wrightsville Beach bridge.  This is near Wilmington, NC and the bridge is green, as least the metal part which draws. 

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Flower


Did three pieces over the weekend for the upcoming SWS show.  I did not pick this piece to enter afterall.  Flowers are more difficult than you think!

Exploring in the Boat


Using an old B&W photo is fun inspiration.  I kept the figure in a B&W mode with just a slight hint of color in the remaining picture.  I also kept the grid system to make a flat unified feeling.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Victoria Station London


Approaching the subject matter a little differently with a darker shadow type of world.  This type of image was a little difficult to capture.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Magnola Gardens


A view of Magnola Gardens in Charleston, SC.  I did focus on the darks and this piece was a little darker than usual.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Warf at Monteray CA


I need to adjust values since this isn't a bad photo.  The painting is a little light.  I did get two new lamps which I'll soon begin to us.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

SF Chinatown redo


It does look different than my prior efforts but I only believe it is marginally successfully.  It is different than the last smaller one done a few months ago and I am somewhat happier with the design of the cars.  A looseness of application is welcomed too.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Paris Restaurant


A restaurant I noticed because of the sign.  Trying to loosen up and used a "Kingman" like style for the figures.  Note the artist's page Dong Kingman.  I do like the dark areas and I am pleased overall with the piece.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Beach at LB


Another viewing of Laguna Beach.  This does show a little difficulty with values.  It probably would have been a stronger piece with stronger darks.  My photo bulbs may be burning out or there may be a white balance issue.   

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Workshop





I had a workshop with Keiko Tanabe this March.  She was wonderful, above is a few examples she did  during the three day workshop.

Take a look at her web page.
http://ktanabefineart.com/

Friday, March 16, 2012

Calabash Shrimpboat


Another painting of the shrimp boat scene at Wrightsville Beach.  I took a photo of this many years ago and t'm trying to see it a different way. 

Friday, March 9, 2012

Dear 18th Annual TEXAS NATIONAL 2012 Entrant

Good news - see below:

Dear 18th Annual TEXAS NATIONAL 2012 Entrant:



Congratulations! Juror, Dave Hickey has selected your art work(s) (LISTED ABOVE) to be in the 18th Annual TEXAS NATIONAL 2012 Exhibition and Competition. The exhibition is Saturday April 14 – May 26, 2012 at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House, 329 East Main Street, Nacogdoches, TX. Over 1,660 works of art were submitted to the competition from artists in approximately 46 states and 109 artworks were selected for the exhibition. We will send notice of your acceptance to a newspaper in your region.


This show is at Stephen F. Austin State University whih is about a four drive from DFW.  I will be shipping the piece there.  I was accepted in 2006 but not in 2007.  This was the first time I entered since 2007.

The peice is the same one which was in the juried show at TCU.

April 1, 2012 It appears a lot of people worry about their art work arriving safely.  I forgot my some of my packing foam and asked via email to let me know if it arrived OK.  I heard nothing but an email did go out to everyone saying that only those would be notified if there work was damaged.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

WB Bridge



A bridge scene at Wrightsville Beach.  A difficult one for me.  The value was to light and I kept trying to darken it.  This I believe made the color not as rich, maybe a little muddy. 

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Sunday, February 12, 2012

WB from Hotel


An image from several stories up at the beach.  A perspective and design challenge. 

Friday, February 3, 2012

Night Driving



An enjoyable piece which could have been a little darker.  I did apply the yellow last vs. working light to dark.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Me and Katie


How very difficult it is to try to capture a likeness and a feeling.  I would want me younger and my daughter cuter but this is what I have.  I just have to chalk it up to practice:)  

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Skull on wooden mount


A little bit western this time.  I've done cow skulls many times and I had one which an art teacher had given me.  This image was actually seen near home, I am in the West ya'll.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Windsor Castle


I first tried this in the workshop with Leslie Frontz and I wanted to try it again.  I need to in general pay more attention to value but here I am not to disappointed.