Empty Tables

7x5 oil on clayboard
$100 + $10 s/h via Paypal - sold
This is a favorite painting place... Halcyon coffee house in downtown Austin. They almost always have the doors open to the sunshine and fresh air, and the interior is warm with lots of woods and yellow walls. This is from the back looking towards the open doors where the cooler light of morning is coming in.

Figure Sketches

20 minute poses - 6x8's - oil on panel
I went to a figure session yesterday and did these two paintings. I decided to just focus on the faces rather than the whole pose. For those who are not artists or do not go to figure drawing sessions there is typically a period of warm ups where we draw quick 5 min. sketches and the model changes poses for each. After warming up, the model poses in longer periods which last up to an hour or even more in some sessions. Sometimes the model will assume the same pose at another session so artists can continue work on larger, more involved paintings. Its so nice to have facilities where artists can get together and share a model like this. And this session works out with my daughter's schedule, so I will be going again.

Table for Two

7x5 oil on clayboard
$100 + $10 s/h via Paypal - sold

This is a scene from Reed's Jazz and Supper Club in Austin. I love the warmth of the red walls and curtains with the tiny little table lights casting a glow all around. It was early yet in the evening and most of the tables were empty. I am working on a larger and more complicated scene from the restaurant and this "sketch" helps me work out composition and color.

One Thing Invariably Leads to Another

Hello all - I updated my google groups email recently and naturally had broken links from this blog which I overlooked. Thanks to a friend who wanted to sign up for the weekly emails and alerted me, I've fixed the links and the sign up process works again.
If you tried to sign up and got a message that the group did not exist, do try again.
Thanks! Robin

Sweetish Hill Bakery

7x5, oil on clayboard
$100 + $10 s/h via Paypal - sold

Three for Tea

7x5, oil on clayboard
$100 via PayPal/$10 shipping/insurance - sold
This little scene is in an old house converted into a tea room in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The room is full of light from large windows on two walls, but the light was very cool and I have discovered that I can't paint cool light very well. I painted this scene four times until I was satisfied with what you see here. Naturally, my digital camera does not quite do it justice. Once again, its the yellow/blue factor.

Art & Music

I wonder if all artists listen to music while painting? I suppose some might like quiet, but I prefer music and it really varies a lot what I choose. Sometimes I just leave it on a sort of "mix" radio station but rapidly tire of commercials. We have a really great NPR here - kut.org - and the morning host, John Aiely, (whose name I am sure I just butchered) plays a really ecclectic mix and frequently has sort of themed days. Say its summer and we've had a rain finally, he can find some of the most interesting and strange references to rain and play them.
Some music/songwriters create works that bring to mind all kinds of imagery. My current favorite is a new CD I just got by KT Tunstall - the one with "Big Black Horse and the Cherry Tree". Now that title alone brings forth some great images. I find that most of the music I like creates a great deal of visiual imagery and tells stories. I am an avid reader and a wanna-be author and enjoy being transported into other places. And I think that is why my latest works are so frequently of the perfect sort of reading nooks. Could be a latent desire to escape from a pretty hectic life, too, but we'll leave that to the psychologists out there to figure. Maybe someone who will write an essay on my life when I am dead (something I absolutely forbid btw). But who can resist a quiet corner to sit and catch their breath?
Last night in bed I was listening to my headphones to the classical station and they played Rachmaninoff's piano concerto #3. Needless to say, it took me an hour to calm down. Its an absolutely incredible piece and I have had days where its on in the studio and my brush is nearly out of control gesturing along with the cresendos and rapidly changing tempos. Other things often heard in my studio: Jamie Cullen, Mark Knopfler, The Blue Nile, John Scofield, any classic jazz, The Waterboys, WinterHours, Bowie, Sarah McLachlan, Joni Mitchell, Schumann, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, etc. etc.
Other selections might include the Backyardigans if my daughter is keeping me company.

Warm Welcome

7x5 oil on clayboard - sold
This is the entryway at Laguna Gloria, a part of the Austin Museum of Art. The home belonged to Clara Driscoll and sits in a lovely spot overlooking Town Lake. The grounds house the AMOA school. In this scene, the bright windows beyond the cool, dimly lit foyer beckon one to enter. More to come from here!

New Year's Plans
I think I am back on track to at least doing one small painting a week for posting/sale. I am actually doing more artwork - but I very much want to find some more gallery representation in another state and am building up more larger works in order to hopefully send some out. So keep in touch, sign up for email and look for me to post Sunday/Monday for awhile.
I also have a benefit auction I am painting for - Make a Difference 2007 for the Lutheran Social Services girls' home, New Life. Its a great charity and I am going to have 2-3 pieces donated for auction.
I want to express my very heartfelt thanks to those who have taken interest in my work. While I might not be burning up the blogs and ebay with auctions, I am really pleased with my growth in recent months. I've reached a much larger audience than I ever had before and am a part of a much larger community of artists.

Cozy Corner

7x5 oil on clayboard - sold

This is another scene from the Driskill Hotel in Austin. Its a darker scene, but I liked the pattern the torchiere light cast upon the wall. It feels like a good corner for a rainy day. They just needed a fire in the fireplace.

Work In Progress

This is a gallery piece, 12x16 I think, which I began before Christmas. Its from our favorite tapas bar here in Austin -- Malaga. I thought my viewers might like to see how I begin a work. Always with a line "sketch" in paint. This time I began with the flesh tones and lightest lights. I am pleased with the drama the scene creates just like this. I hope to maintain it throughout the work.