AM I BLUE? - Eastern Bluebird

"Am I Blue?" 8x10 Watercolor

 

I love birds...and one of my favorites is the Bluebird! This little guy is all "puffed up" against a cold north wind. From 1983 to 1986 I lived in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.  In addition to mountains, pine trees and rishing rivers,  my subject matter included birds of all types...songbirds, gamebirds, ducks, geese, hawks, eagles....if it had feathers, I painted it.  When I moved back to Texas, my subject matter turned more toward the plains, Hill Country, farms and ranches.

In the application of the final few strokes, I realized how much I've missed  painting these joyful creatures - So, look for more of my feathered friends on my blog and website! 

105 E. University - A Family's Story

105 East University - The Traugott Home

9x12 Watercolor

My work in the studio this week was a "labor of love"....a home "portrait".  This painting is of a 1920's  bungalow on a quiet street in one of Waxahachie's historic districts. My clients purchased the home as newly-weds and as the family grew in numbers, it became necessary to find a larger home. 

Two weeks ago, on the day they sold the house, they contacted me and comissioned a painting.
Intimate conversations with clients are as important as sketches and photographs. As I snapped photographs and made quick sketches from several angles,  I listened carefully as they talked about the house - and after a short while, I began to see the home through their eyes. It was evident they are excited about the move to their new home, but at the same time, there's the sadness of leaving their first home; one filled with love and laughter and children.  A photograph gives me technical information, but there's no emotional connection....it doesn't share memories. It doesn't tell "the story".

Elements in the painting - the big tree and dappled light; the flower gardens; the red door; faces in the picture window - are all connected to a family memory. Everyone - except the family - will see a  painting of a house...but the family will see and remember "the story".

Commissions like this one give me great pleasure.  I'll deliver "105 E. University" tomorrow to it's new home with the knowledge that it will continue to tell "the story" in the Traugott family for generations to come.

Friday Night at Uptown Village

Friday Night at Uptown Village

9x12 plein air watercolor

A couple of weeks ago, the Ellis County Art Association was the "featured non-profit" organization at the Uptown Village shopping center in Cedar Hill, Texas.  Every Friday night throughout the summer this upscale shopping center sponsors a music concert - the price of admission is a donation of money or supplies for the featured organization.  We were honored with a special location under a tent with a table for our information pamphlets and brochures.  

When the music concert started, another artist and I set up our easels and began a painting demonstration on the Uptown Village lawn. There we were - among more than a hundred adults and children - painting to the beat of a really good blues & jazz band! The scene was chaotic; children running & playing in a water sprinkler; the music was so loud it was impossible to carry on a conversation; adults singing along and dancing to the music. I've participated in many a plein air event with people looking on, but this was by far the most distracting painting situation I've ever been in.  It was about 7 pm so I only had about 90 minutes before the light disappeared.  I decided to keep the composition as simple as possible; an umbrella table with figures in shadow, a street lamp, a backdrop of buildings and a pedestrian couple in the sunlight.  Once I finished the drawing, the painting came together quite easily although this definitely tested my ability to focus and concentrate!

It was a fun evening which resulted in a very generous monetary donation to our association by Uptown Village.  As a token of appreciation, I gifted this painting to the Uptown Village Center's marketing director. She was surprised and delighted with the painting and promised to give it a place of "honor" in her office.  

I've mentioned this many times before, but it's worth saying again.... I really, really love what I do!

Persimmons 9x12 Watercolor

Persimmons - 9x12 Watercolor

This still-life subject was a good one with lots of color.  Persimmons laying in a cobalt-blue dish; gorgeous....and inspiring!   This is from life; painted alla prima (all in one go).   Most of my watercolors are alla prima - forcing a quick sketch with focus on large shapes, and getting color, value, and temperature right with the first wash....no 'fiddling' with it!  I seldom do still-life paintings so I was very pleased with this one.  It's available! Go to http://www.dailypaintworks.com/ and place your bid. 
P.S.  This is a re-post from December 2010. for the purpose of announcing the availability of the painting. 

A Page from my Plein Air Sketchbook

Today’s plein air session is a good example of making the most of a sketchbook page.  The day was overcast and threatening rain at 9am when I arrived on location just south of the courthouse in Waxahachie, TX.  Anticipating a downpour before I could complete a painting on the “good paper”, I decided instead to work in my sketchbook….under the back door hatch of my Expedition.  I paint out of the back of my SUV often using it for protection from sun – or in this case - from rain that was already beginning to fall. It takes some pretty ugly weather to cause me to pack up and call it a day….especially when the day has only begun!

My favorite sketchbook size is 11 x 14 -  it gives me several options; I can use the entire page for one composition, or divide it up into 2, 3 or even 4 “minis”.  In about an hour and a half, I completed the 4” x 9” vertical on the left “Crossing on S. College” and the upper right  3” x 7” horizontal “Viaduct – Crossing on S. Rogers”.  - by this time, the rain was falling pretty hard and it was almost time for lunch, so I packed up & met 2 other artists (painting from their SUV’s as well) for lunch.  Afterward, we all went to Getzendaner Park, for the annual Chautauqua Assembly and set up our easels under the exhibition tent and spent the next couple of hours painting a “portrait” of the Chautauqua auditorium. The lower right 4” x 6” titled “Chautauqua” completed my day’s work in the sketchbook. 

Did you notice that even though I never saw a ray of sunshine today, I used my artist’s license and created a “bright & sunny” day with blue skies & fluffy clouds. 

Getting the color “right”…

It’s been way too hot to paint on location lately, so I’ve been spending more time in the studio. Today, I started color research on the Sedona, Arizona area.  I’ll be participating in the 6th Annual Sedona Plein Air Festival October 23 through October 30.  The internet is great for research and gave me a wealth of information on Sedona and the surrounding landscape. Looking over the photo images “Googled up” on my computer monitor, I discovered 2 things……(1)painting Sedona, Arizona is going to be REAL different from painting Texas…. and (2)  I don’t think the “Texas colors on my palette are going to be very useful on location in the Sedona area.  Even the greens are different.  After playing around in my palette for a while, I finally came up with some mixes that will probably be alright, and entered the following color notes in my sketchbook: 

This note gives me 2 choices with mixing Quinacridone Pink & Winsor Yellow; depending on whether I want a “flat”, even wash (on the left) or a variegated wash (on the right).  This mix, thinned with water makes a nice “glowing” pink-orange.

In this sample, I’ve used Quinacridone Pink and Lunar Earth for the light side of the “rock” and for the shadow,  a varigated mix of Lunar Blue, Carbazole Violet, and Cobalt Blue (all colors are from Daniel Smith)

The color notes here are using the above mixes with some Yellow Ochre added to the one on the right.  

 

 

Here’s a thumbnail of the red rock mesas/cliffs typical of the Oak Creek Canyon area of Sedona.  I’m close but for better color accuracy, I plan to add several more “granulating” Primatek earth colors by Daniel Smith to my paint supply.  A perfect excuse for shopping….don’t you think?  Of one thing I’m certain….an artist can never have too many tubes of paint!

New Work – 209 North Grand, Waxahachie

I’ve been practically chained to my studio easel for the past week, working on a “home portrait” commission.  This “Grande Dame” is one of dozens of  historical homes in Waxahachie.  The owner purchased the home only recently and plans to begin a complete restoration in the coming year.

I began with several on on location sketching sessions.  Above and below are sketches and preliminary color study completed on location.

This was a particularly difficult project in that the home sits on a huge lot with giant 100 year old trees all around it. The grounds haven’t been landscaped in perhaps 25 years…a lot of shrubs & bushes have grown too big.  The house is in need of a lot of repair and a good coat of paint, so part of my job was to visualize what it will look like when the owner finishes the restoration later on this year. The entire 2nd story and most of the roof aren’t visible from the street….which was the best vantage point for painting.  I had to stand up close to the front of the house, and look straight up to see how the roof, turret, and porch came together.   I snapped about 20 digital “close up, detail” images and combined with my sketches, I was able to get a drawing completed.  I trimmed bushes, cut down and relocated several trees…resulting in a much better composition. I included a couple of the owner’s personal yard decorations…the flag in the flower garden and 2 lawn chairs to finish it off.  I like the way it turned out – it’s been a good week in the studio!

      “209 North Grand Avenue, Waxahachie” – 16 x 20 Watercolor

Merit Award for "Little Devil River"

The year-long paint out "Plein Air Southwest", sponsored by Outdoor Painters Society, culminated last weekend with an exhibition consisting of about 150 paintings submitted by more than 40 artists. The show opened with an artists awards reception on Friday night. My Painting, Little Devil River, was recognized with a merit award by juror, Gaye Faulkenberry, President of Plein Air Painters of America. This is one of 4 paintings I have in the show at Southwest Gallery in Dallas, Texas. The show will continue until January 2010.

"LITTLE DEVIL RIVER" - 11" x 14" - Watercolor.

Plein Air - Downtown Historic Cedar Hill

This was one of the nicest days we've had this Fall in north Texas. Taking full advantage, I went to Cedar Hill to spend the day and paint en plein air with Visual Artists of Cedar Hill.

The subject of my painting is a building on a downtown corner...named "Southwest Corner Gallery". Owner of this cute eclectic gallery and gift shop are Bill & Vicki Watkins. Bill spotted me painting and came over to see and to show me a book with some photos of the building back in it's "heyday". Originally the building was a bank and it's now a local "landmark" famous for being one of the banks Bonnie & Clyde robbed.

"Southwest Corner Gallery" 9x12 Watercolor

Below is a snapshot of my plein air setup with painting almost complete. Right after I took this photo, Bill came back over with his camera and took a photo of me as I finished up the last couple of strokes. Great day on "the Hill"......

1st Place Award - PAINT CORSICANA

Last weekend was spent doing my favorite activity...painting en plein air! Corsicana is about 40 miles south of Waxahachie so it was an easy day trip to participate in this fun, fun event. What made it even more fun is winning the 1st place award. About 20 really good painters competed in the 2-day event. The 1st day I completed 2 paintings: : Corsicana Skyline and Navarro County Courthouse. It was a long day; didn't get home till about 6pm. The next morning, decided to paint in the downtown area; the light was just right and completed painting #3: Saturday in Downtown Corsicana.

"Corsicana Skyline" 9 x 12 (sold)

"Saturday in Downtown Corsicana" 11x14 (sold)

Honorable Mention Award

"Navarro County Courthouse" 11x14 (Available)

1st Place Award

This is the 2nd year for Corsicana Art League to sponsor a paint out and the event was a great success, with a well attended wine & cheese reception, nice cash awards, and a few sales (I sold 2!). Plans are already underway for next year and expanding the painting period to a week! WooHoo...can't wait! The exhibition will be on display at the Corsicana Visitor's Center until the week of October 19th.

FIRST PLACE AWARD!

The weather this week couldn't have been better for the paint out in Waxahachie!  50 artists submitted 223 paintings completed in the 10 day painting period.  Below are 4 more paintings completed since my last posting.  The event was judged yesterday afternoon by Mr. Bruce Peil, and I'm delighted to announce that I was awarded 1st place!

"114 E. University" - 6" x 8"

This little "gem" won 1st Place in the paint out competition! It was late afternoon and I only had about an hour left to paint, so I decided to paint a small one.  The colors in the brick columns contrasting with the planters & greenery caught my eye first....then I noticed the porch steps were ceramic tile of various reds, browns and siennas with glorious sunlight splashed across them.  Everything was there and ready for me; color, sunlight, contrasts, & shadows.  I loved it, painted it "as is" and entered it at the last minute into the exhibition.  Sure glad I did...it's a winner!!  I'm pretty confident this little painting will find a home soon!

*****

"Texas Theater" -  11 x 14 

This landmark building was originally built in the late 1800's and has undergone several "face-lifts", the most recent in the 50's.  It sits on the north side of our courthouse square and provides great entertainment including live musical reviews. I painted it about mid-day so the shadows were more downcast rather than slanted.  It sold the next day.

*******

"Looking down College Street" - 9" x 12"

I see this scene almost every day as I'm returning home from errands.  In my mind, I've been putting this composition together for more than 6 months and finally got it down on paper day before yesterday.  It sold today.

*****

"Waxahachie Depot" - 11 x 14

This is an old railroad depot building that was purchased and restored by Nay Corporation and their offices are now located within.  It was quite a challenge with all the brick detail, windows and various angles; not a long straight wall anywhere! It sold today.

It's been a very good 10 days work!!!!  ............Did I mention before that I love my job?

 

Waxahachie, Texas - Paint Out

Beginning last weekend, more than 50 artists gathered for a 10 day paint out in my home town of Waxahachie! Thus far this talented group of painters have produced 60 paintings, and we're only midway through the event.  Here are two that I completed over the weekend. 

"Sundown at the Sign of the Texaco Star"

11" x 14" Watercolor

"Boyce Feeds"

11 x 14" Watercolor

I have 2 others plus a "quick draw" painting that still need to be uploaded from my camera....been too busy painting to do the "techie stuff" online.   Maybe tomorrow or the next day I'll get them all posted. 

New Painting - "Down Rush"

Last summer, I purchased several tubes of "open" acrylic paints. The term "open" meaning that they don't "set up" or "skin" over as fast, giving the artist more painting time.  I'm used to quick drying paint....nothing dries any quicker than watercolor :-) . However, my "issue" with acrylic has been the shift in value after it dries; it drops down about 3 shades darker.  Watercolor shifts "up" (lightens) about 3 shades when dry. So, switching between acrylic and watercolor is a real "brain-drain"..taking me waaaaay out of my comfort zone.  So, having said all that, I played around with them for a few days, then set them up on my shelf.......going back to my favorite medium...watercolor.

Looking for something different to do during some rainy days, I decided to give them a try again.  All week, I've been "practicing" with acrylics, making color samples and testing for the shifts in values from light to slightly darker ....and "Down Rush" is today's result. 

"Down Rush" 

Acrylic on Linen 6" x 8"

 I had so much fun that I've started another one...stay tuned!

Another day at Kocian's Corner

Kocian's Red Tractor

A few weeks ago, I spent the day painting at James & Melinda Kocian's country estate. My subject that day was the red tractor parked in front of their implement barn.  The day was pretty windy and I had one hand on my shade umbrella and my body braced against my easel. All in all, the painting was pretty successful, I think.  Another paint out is planned there in May. 

On Location in Fredricksburg, Texas

I love ALL of Texas...but the Fredricksburg area in the Hill Country is one of my favorite places to paint and last week, I spent 3 glorious days there working on location (en plein air).  My cousin Connie Bernhard and her husband Dennis have a 500 acre ranch just west of Harper (22 miles west of Fredricksburg) and they provided "room and board" during my stay. (am I lucky or what?)  Their ranch is beautiful with rolling hills, a creek, sheep, cattle, and 2 llamas; "Tony" llama, and "Dolly" llama. Dennis' old home place is on the creek and I want to do several paintings of that location with the original outbuildings later on this year.  The painting  of the red barn is a "shearing barn" on their ranch.  The next one is a scene on the banks of the Little Devil River, north of their property about 8 miles.

                                                                

                       

The next is of a building on a historic site just east of Fredricksburg.  I liked the wagon under the overhang with distant hills.  The next painting is out on Grapetown Road.  I have no clue exactly where it is; The small rock structure out in the middle of a pasture with distant hills in the background made a nice composition. I'm planning on making another trip in the Fall when there's a lot of color all over the area.  My cousin's home is on a hill overlooking a beautiful valley; I have the perfect spot already picked out! 

Blue Ribbon for "Outta Gas"

Great news!!!! My painting, "Outta Gas" won First Place in watermedia category Friday night at the Visual Artists of Cedar Hill, TX annual open exhibition.  What a great way to finish up the week! 

"Outta Gas"

16" x 20" Watercolor

HIDDEN FALLS

HIDDEN FALLS

16 X 20 WATERCOLOR

Whew! 2 long days in the studio, but it was time well spent, I think. This painting is one I've had "in my head" for about 10 years. The waterfall is well hidden in the back country of the San Juan mountain range in southwestern Colorado.  I love that part of Colorado; it's the least traveled and affected by tourism. 

While I'm "on a roll", I think I'll get back to the easel.....in my mind's eye, there's another painting that's been waiting for me; it's time to begin the journey.  I need to get all the studio time I can right now....next week I'll be 4 days in the Georgetown, Texas area with family.  I'm taking my painting gear, hoping to get in a little plein air time.

An Evening with the DeSoto Art League

I love giving demonstrations!  Last Thursday, I was the guest artist for the DeSoto Art League in DeSoto, Texas. I'm a member of this lively and friendly group of artists, so I'm honored to have been asked to give a program. They "tested my mettle" with questions and comments throughout the 1 hour and 20 minute demo.  

I began my program with comments about how I set up my palette, color choices, brushes, and paper.   I also announced that I intended to complete as many mini-landscapes as was possible in the time alloted me...and that my paintings will be donated to the group as door prizes.  This prompted a round of applause!

In this photo, I'm discussing the different types of support available to watercolor artists now; I brought this small painting from my studio... a 6x9 on cold press watercolor board.  

  In this photo, I've finished up the demo and have completed 4 small 6x8 landscapes.  On a roll and in my studio, I can paint as many as 6 in about 90 minutes, but the interaction with the group slowed me down a bit....I completed each one in about 20 minutes; not too bad! My purpose in the "quick-draw" format was to demonstrate that not all paintings have to be "masterpieces"...watercolor is a perfect medium for quick, spontaneous color and value studies.    It was fun watching as the names of the door prize winners were announced....all 4 winners had great big smiles on their faces.  As I said....I love giving demonstrations! 

Atteberry's Home

9" x 12" Watercolor

I've been working on a commission for the past couple of weeks and I finished it yesterday.  This is a portrait of Bill and Kathy Atteberry's home in Midlothian, Texas.  I started the painting on location, returning 2 more times to make sure I had the roof and porch lines correct.  The home faced the East with a "ga-zillion" trees in the front yard that kept the entrance in shadow all day. The only time sunlight hit the entrance was for about 45 minutes around 10:30 am, therefore my time on location was very limiting. On the last trip, the sun was filtering through the trees highlighting the American Flag.  Up to that point, I hadn't really committed to an area or "center of interest".  Shadows on the lawn leading to the flag on the porch was the perfect lead-in to the painting.   I presented the Atteberrys with their painting this afternoon; they were delighted with it.  Bill said that I had "nailed it".  That's about the best compliment a patron can give me.  

SATURDAY AT KOCIAN'S CORNER

What a glorious day....70 degrees, clear skies. Our Saturday plein air group gathered at James & Melinda Kocian's home in the country....about 3 miles northwest of Waxahachie. Melinda, a fellow watercolorist who's "comfort zone" is in the studio, recently decided to give plein air "a go" and joined our group. Kocian's Corner has 3 or 4 old outbuildings, rolling hills, lots of trees, a creek, and a 30 acre lake. We all "scattered" in different directions; some went toward the creek, the rest headed toward the old outbuildings.

My painting is the back side of James' equipment barn where he keeps his red tractor (another painting, another day). The tree shadows falling across the red/rusty tin roof was a painting waiting to happen. Raw Sienna, New Gamboge, Ultramarine Blue, Brown umber, and Burnt sienna are my "winter palette" colors. Beautiful during the last of January, we can't wait to capture this wonderful country estate in all seasons! Today was the first of many days of painting at Kocian's Corner. "James' Equipment Barn"

Plein Air Watercolor

300# Rough Arches

11" x 14"