Plein Air Show Downtown

"The Red Chicken Coop" Oil on Linen 8x10 in.

I am pleased to be particpating in a wonderfull show with Plein Air Austin in the Chase Bank building.   I saw the show last night and its a great selection of work all painted from life. If your in downtown Austin please stop by and see the show.

"In the Plein Air Tradition: Art on Location"
July 12th – September 13th, 2009

Corridor of Arts, Chase Bank Building
700 Lavaca Street, Austin, Texas

Another from Michigan

North of Charlevoix, Oil on Linen 6x8

I painted this on a pretty cloudy and grey Michigan day and temps were only in the low 70's. That weather feels strange after living in Texas. As I painted the sun came out in the distance which I tried to capture in the piece.  I was up there delivering a painting for the Crooked Tree Art's center's De Art auction. They are a great arts center that does a lot of promote and teach art in that area. If you ever get up to Northern Michigan the Petoskey Charlevoix, and Harbor Springs area is really nice with many nice galleries and beautiful views of Lake Michigan.  

Up in Michigan,

"Bridge Study" Oil on Linen 6x8 in. 

I am up in Northern Michigan for a week of painting and hanging out where I grew up. After living in Texas for a few years its fun to come back and paint the area that first got me hooked on landscape painting. Yesterday I went out painting with a good friend of mine Ken Cadwallader. He is a really fine painter who still works the old fashioned way doing all of his work from life. I went out with him while he worked on a 30x40 of a bridge at a Grand Rapids park. He goes out and works for a few hours on day on each piece while the light is good then returns consecutive days until he is done. I took the easy route and just did a little 6x8 study of the bridge. 

Island Palm II

click to purchase 

Island Palm II original oil 6x8.  I was down on South Padre for my fathers sixty ninth birthday recently and I did this little painting. Funny how when I am there I always end up painting palm trees but I love there shapes and colors and each one is unique. This one was also done on a new surface for me shellacked illustration board. This surface has a neat feel to it, almost like oil primed linen and its really inexpensive to make. A lot of painters use musem board which is pretty expensive but the illustration board is much cheaper and also 100% rag and acid free. 

Small Study,

Tree study, oil 5x7

Its been a while since I have posted anything. I have been painting a lot but its been more larger on location work that I might post down the road a little bit. This is  a little study I painted after a run at town lake last week. I usually park in the lots by Barton Springs and this tree caught my eye. BTW the Marble arts Music festival went well. I sold a painting and had a lot of fun out there. I just got my work back and might post some when I get them photographed. 

St Patricks Day Painting

Zilker Park on St Patrick's day oil on linen 8x12 

Here is one that I painted on St Patrick's day in downtown Austin. The day was beautiful with the spring green is really starting to come out. 

   I also wanted to let everyone know that this weekend I will be participating in The Marble falls Bluebonnet Music and art festival. There is a plein air paint out as part of the festival with a silent auction of the works on Saturday night.  What could be better than good music and art. This is why I love Texas.

Island Palm Sketch

"Island Palm study" oil on canvas panel 6x8in

This is a little plein air of a palm tree on South Padre Island I painted on Friday morning. I ended up painting a larger version for my demo. I brought studies and photos of other stuff but I really like how this turned out so I decided to enlarge it. I have also decided to sell some of my small plein air works on ETSY. For those unfamiler ETSY is like EBAY but only offers handmade or vintage goods. If you are interested in purchasing just click on the link or the gallery on the side of my blog. PS I am having a problem getting the image on ETSY so it should be up as soon as I get it fixed.

Mcallen Art Walk Demo

Yesterday I gave a demo for my gallery in Mcallen Tx for their Friday night art walk. The whole event was a lot of fun but I forgot it can be a little nerve racking painting with so many people watching. Being a plein air painter I am used to onlookers and questions but there were several hundred people constantly coming thought the gallery. The art walk here is pretty amazing I have never seen one where so many people come out for it each month. Anyways the painting came out well. I did a larger version of a study I did on South Padre in the morning.  My thanks too Becky Guerra, Aimee and the rest of her staff. They did an excellent job and made me feel very welcome. 

Sunset Finished!!!

"Laguna Madre Sunset" oil on linen 16x20

I got this one done just in time to take it to my gallery in Mcallen. If was not for taking them to a gallery I would probally still be working on them most of the time. It seems there is always somthing you want to fix. I remeber hearing once of a famous artist who took his work back from a collectors house because he saw somthing that he needed to fix at a dinner party. Well here it is. I hope my demo goes well. If you are in Mcallen please stop by and check it out. I will be painting from 6-9 

Nuevo Santander Gallery 

Sunset in Progress.

I am doing a demo in Mcallen Tx on friday night for there art walk. This is a sunset over the Laguna Madre that I am working on right now. Its almost done but I want to go in work the clouds a bit more. Its a 16x20 in Linen. 

Thoughts of spring and summer

Beach Sign Oil on Canvas 12x16

This is one of a sign buried in the weeds and grass down on South Padre Island. It was painted from a photo I took last November and I liked the different kind of composition and subject matter.  Often we look at the sky clouds and the big vistas for painting ideas but there often great subjects right at our feet. 

The Red Bridge

"the red bridge" oil on linen 18x24

This is a painting of one of the red bridges down by town lake in downtown Austin. This was a studio painting that took a couple of weeks. I would work on it let the paint set up then work on it some more. I like to work this way indoors because I can get effects that are impossible to get when outdoors working alla prima. 

COLD DAY in Austin

"Spicewood Farm study",  Oil on Linen, 11x14  

This is one from last Thursday painted at the spicewood springs horse farm. It was cold temps in the forties but after years of painting in the snow in Michigan it felt like a day at the beach. The sun was out when I arrived but it soon clouded up. The cool lights and warm shadows were a nice change of pace. 

Something from Michigan

red barn at sunset oil on canvas 9x12

     This is a little plein air I did back in September when I was visiting Michigan. I have been feeling a little homesick lately so I thought would post this one. I love Austin but there is a relationship I have with the land I grew up in that will always hold a place in my heart. There is a feeling I get when I paint up there that I get no where else. Anyways I don't mean to ramble on but I think some of the true landscape painters out know what I am talking about.  I think that is one of the things that landscape painting and plein air work that makes it so great.

 

HEY CUPCAKE!!!

Hey Cupcake oil on linen 11x14 

    This is a cute little trailer down on South Congress in Austin. I did this painting on new years day, they were closed and traffic was light so I could get a good view of it and complete it en plein air. Sure is nice to go out painting in January when the temps are in the 60's and Michigan is being pounded by snow.