Varnish

I sat down to varnish today finally. I've had several paintings that need it, but its been so cold I couldn't do it outside. The house stinks now and I felt lightheaded all afternoon - jk! - but the work is ready to go to galleries now.

As I was varnishing this restaurant scene, I was struck by the difference it made in the colors. So I thought I'd share. The left side is varnished, the right is not. Its quite dull in comparison. When you thin your paint with OMS or some other solvent, you break down the oil - so the paint will dry duller. Since I paint a lot of fat over lean, my paintings can really vary from gloss to flat, so I like to varnish everything to bring the colors to life, create an even surface, and of course, protect the painting from dirt, dust, oils, smoke and other environmental hazards.

Discussing Tonight's Menu

20x16 oil on linen

Walking down Congress Ave. in Austin last Saturday during Sketchcrawl, I looked into this sun-drenched restaurant and fell in love with the color and light. What a beautiful setting... the white table cloths, the vibrant, happy walls and the rich woods made me think I was looking into another country. I should probably have at least checked the name of the place. DOH!

Another cafe scene is on my easel and almost done. I have to adjust my shadows which I made too dark for the cool light. A very different atmosphere from this painting.
I'll show it later today.

Summer Solstice '09

12x16 oil on panel - sold
Ask Castle Gallery about this painting.

Castle Gallery in Fort Wayne, Indiana, will be hosting a summer artist's reception on Thursday evening, Aug. 20th. If you are in the area, you should definitely get over to see the gallery and meet some fabulous artists.
Timing was such that I am not going to be there... until a week later! On the 28th, I will be in the gallery for a visit. More details next week.

All to Ourselves

12x16 oil on panel

Ask Castle Gallery about this painting.

Loved the light of this setting. It looks like a fresh spring morning. Much like the one here now. Its actually rather hot in Texas at the moment! We're to have another record high today of 87. I believe spring has arrived. The birds are singing happily and the trees are all budding out. As usual though, after an extremely warm day, we can expect a cold front to move through tonight. Not too cold though. I am not ready for upper 80s frankly anyway!

Yesterday, I got to spend a very pleasant afternoon with Jody Hemphill Smith and Mark Smith of Castle Gallery. They are visiting Austin this week and came to my studio to see my lovely (ha!) workspace and picked a few pieces they wanted sent to their gallery - like the one above. I also got to introduce them to my friend V Vaughan when we visited her studio. Its always fun to see the working environment of other artists. I'm envious of those large well lit spaces some have, but comforted to know that most of us labor in cramped, untidy, unused rooms. I think if I had more space, I'd just fill it with more clutter.

Daily Grind - My Etsy Sale

20x20 oil on linen - sold

I have some larger paintings here in my studio that need homes! They have come back from galleries and are just in the way here, so I am offering them at 50% off retail. Please take a look at my Etsy shop and consider how you will be helping me clear a path through my studio.
These are really good prices for good paintings and I hesitated doing this. I could donate them, but would rather I know the buyer and get a little income from them. Or they can remain here stacked against the wall. Your help is very much appreciated!

As a reminder, should you ever be unhappy with a purchase, I will gladly take the painting back and give a full refund.