Color Guard

12x9 oil on cradled panel
sold

Happy Halloween everyone! I've been running around like crazy the last few days between a weekend campout, Halloween prep, school activities, etc. I hope this isn't the slippery slope into the holidays. I need to be doing more painting! 

Stripes

12x12 oil on cradled panel

Available at Gardner Colby Gallery.

My thoughts and prayers are with the people in my favorite city (NYC) and the whole Northeast dealing with Sandy. What a terrific storm. I hope all will be well soon and that the damage is soon cleared up. Be safe, my friends!

Morning Stroll

12x12 oil on cradled panel

Available at Gardner Colby Gallery.

Foggy Top

11x14 oil on panel
$500 unframed
Available from my studio

This was such a beautiful setting. I saw it driving in and out of Bushwhack Road in Kerrville and wanted to paint it. The morning I did so was very foggy. The fog would move in and out over the hillside and I wanted to capture that haze, the muted tones and the lost edges of the hillside. The little metal roof sometimes would just glow too. Now, tonal paintings are not my forte' but I often like to try a higher "key" painting and this was a good exercise. I had a couple of fun ladies pull over where I painted along the roadside who were thrilled that I had chosen this subject. They'd often thought it needed painting. Another person pulled over to see if I had car trouble. Nice people out there in Kerrville.

Figure Sketch

V.... sketching, chatting on the phone, etc.

Still get together with V....Vaughan regularly to sketch and talk shop. Last week, she was taking care of all kinds of business - and sketching her rodeo riders - and was an inviting subject herself to sketch. I think the top one needs to be a painting.

Mike's Tractor

11x14 oil on panel
sold

This was my second painting of the weekend paint out. My first is really not worth showing - or keeping. But this tractor and old gnarled oak just intrigued me. It was a challenging scene to paint. I was sure I wasn't going to be able to do it. AND my new friend Mike wanted to watch me work! After a rocky start, I settled down and figured out how to paint the tree and the background and then began to make some marks on the tractor until it began to look like a tractor! Its loose and colorful. Sometimes its a lot of fun to leave things in the sketchy phase and don't retouch those bold color "test" marks. 

I'm about to head out to another type of farmland - Indiana - to celebrate my inlaws 50th wedding anniversary. Will be mixing a little business in there and plan to meet a collector about a commission of her favorite restaurant. What a cool job I have! :-)

Road Block

10x10 oil on panel  
$425 framed
Available at the Kerrville Arts & Culture Center

Another painting from my weekend in Kerrville. This one also hangs in the show at the KACC until Nov. 3. Just like my figurative works, I prefer closer views to vistas when painting outdoors. This sunny ranch road and gate looked so welcoming hugged by all the bright greens of the surrounding trees. 

Don't Fence Me In

11x14 oil on panel
$700
Available at the Kerrville Arts & Culture Center

What a weekend! My painting above won first place in the plein air painting event judged by Albert Handell. I am "gobsmacked" - to borrow a fun word from the Brits. Its a good word. I am still so amazed. There was a lot of talent out there - some 70 artists attended I think - and some really lovely paintings were created during the event. I am thrilled for the KACC for putting together such a good event. I hope they continue and I will definitely go back. We had access to some amazingly beautiful hill country properties. 

Above is the painting in progress along with a cute couple of goats that roamed around keeping us company. I just loved the ramshackle scene and the old gnarled oaks. I was more comfortable than ever working outdoors and didn't get lost or forget how to paint. I was able to apply what I normally in the studio quite naturally. BUT I stopped before I thought I should. LOL
That might be the key. I loved the looseness of this scene. I didn't want to go too far. 

Albert Handell (in the cap above) was the judge and he is leading a workshop in the area this week. I left three paintings at the KACC and if there are sales a percentage goes to support the excellent art community and arts center in Kerrville.

I've put a photo album of the event on my Facebook page - check it out!

A Gem of a Building

Much to my surprise, I was the winner of the quick draw challenge yesterday evening! We had a block of downtown Kerrville to choose from and 90 minutes to paint. I loved the old buildings and particularly the sun on this white stone with the bright Texas sky behind it. The building (from 1890) houses a jewelry store. Ron Rencher was the judge for the quick draw. I'm pretty pleased with the win. My first ever such event! Perhaps my trips to NYC have paid off!

10x12 oil on panel  
$550 framed
Available at the Kerrville Arts & Culture Center

Guadalupe Morning

I'm participating in a plein air painting event in Kerrville, Texas this weekend. We've had access to some beautiful spots on the river and on private ranches. I painted the one below at the river this morning and then two more out along bushwhack creek. Yep.

I'm recruiting my strength for a quick draw event at 5 pm tonight. Will be a fun challenge as its downtown and during a public block party (a monthly wine share!)

 

Sparkling River

12x16 oil on panel  
$850 framed
Available at the Kerrville Arts & Culture Center