Figure Study

7x5 oil on black clayboard
nfs (yet)
This is a sketch for a larger work. I had intended to complete the background but really liked the drama of the two figures standing together in the middle of the black board so stopped with it here. Sometimes that is the most important part of painting...knowing when to stop.

Early Outing

24x20 oil on canvas

This painting was rather cathartic... its loose and large and it felt good to use large brushes and really push the paint around using my whole body. Its a little indistinct and impressionistic and I tried to keep it light in tone by not using too many darks. I think I needed to open up a bit after working so small in the last months.

Cafe Patterns

7x5 oil on clayboard
$100 + $11 s/h - sold
This little scene is sort of a nod to Pam Ingalls - one of my favorite contemporary painters. This was all about the checkerboard pattern on the floor and the blue light from the window on the warmer tones inside. What fun it was to paint.

Abstracted Thoughts

12x12 oil on panel
I've been working this week, just not on small, blog works. Commissions and "larger" pieces have taken up my time. This scene is another from the Blanton. I liked the pose this woman adopted while she studied this very large painting. I made it much more abstracted than it really is, but I had fun doing so.
Next stop, the Texas coast for some R&R with artist friend, V Vaughan (and Anna). We are going to pose for V's class on the beach there. I hope - Anna does not sit still much. :-)
Speaking of the coast, I thought share a watercolor my mom did recently and emailed me. This is where my talents originated.

Modern Woman

12x9 oil on board
I've missed doing the museum scenes, so today after finishing two small commission pieces, I had fun painting this well-dressed woman, viewing some enormous nudes in the American Contemporary section of the Blanton. I need to find the artist and title of the piece.

Time Management

I believe most of my viewers here know I have a young daughter and she is at home with me most days. I take her to a "preschool" 3 mornings a week and when we are on time, that leaves me about 3 1/2 hours to paint without interruption.
So I guard that painting time very carefully. It adds up to less than 12 hours a week that I can really focus on painting. Then there is business stuff that I have to squeeze in during family hours; photographing work, shipping, buying supplies, bookkeeping, responding to emails.....SO that said, I want to apologize if I do not get back to every comment left on my blog. Blogger doesn't make that process very easy. From now on, I will respond to comments in the comments section if there are questions. If you want to ask specific questions or converse with me, send me an email to cheers_art@sbcglobal.net.

A Seat by the Window

7x5 oil on clayboard
$100 + $11 s/h

This couple is seated at the 1886 Cafe in the Driskill Hotel in Austin. I like that you can see more diners enjoying their meal on the patio beyond.

Joie de Vivre

5x7 oil on clayboard - sold

This was such a joy to paint. And one of the greatest joys in life is to be floating in such emerald water, the warm sun sparkling almost blindingly and the water lapping over a youthful body full of power and potential.

Water's Edge

6x6 oil on clayboard
$100 + $10 s/h - sold

I saw this cute little girl as we walked along the beach at Siesta Key. She was small enough that she still had some baby fat like pudgy hands and feet, but the scarf on the head was so "grown up".

Waitin' on a Wave

7x5 oil on panel
$100 + $10 s/h - sold

I am a little early for spring break here, but its about that time. Normally that meant a trip to Siesta Key for us but this year we've rented the house in June and I have to wait that much longer. I love the beach and hope to live close to it at some point in my life.

A Day at the Park

6x8 oil on panel
$100 + $10 s/h

I began this painting twice - months ago - and abandoned it. Saturday I went back to it and finally finished it. I knew it was a sound composition, but for some reason could not make it work. There is nothing like the feeling when a painting is going along well... you are on top of the world, feeling empowered and quite like a force of nature...but when it doesn't work out, it is crushing. I am pleased that I finally finished this one.

Cafe Josie

11x14 oil on clayboard - sold
I had lunch with a friend last week. Its something I rarely do because when I don't have Anna at home, I paint. And taking Anna with is fine, but there is little chance for adult conversation. So this day I gave myself the day off and enjoyed meeting my friend... though I realized halfway through that I am still a rather distracted lunch companion... scoping out painting scenes, taking photos, composing in my head.
Cafe Josie is tucked in behind a coffee shop and gallery off Sixth Street. The food was delicious and the decor very warm and inviting, making me feel like I was in the tropics. The waitress carrying the red hibiscus tea in front of those windows really caught my attention.

Tea Room

7x5 oil on clayboard

$100 +$10 s/h - sold

Taking a page (literally a card) from Robert Burridge I gave myself permission to play a little today. I need to loosen up and explore more color harmonies so I tackled this image with the neat lighting and all the chair legs using lots of color and not caring about counting every chair leg. It was a lot of fun to paint and that carried over to am interior scene that has been sitting for awhile.


12x12 oil on gessoboard - available - email me