"Highway 20 Sky"

It's my painting I can change it if I want to. The version above is the latest. I wanted to make the road a little more interesting and break up the mass of trees. It worked I think. (If I didn't think it worked I would have gotten rid of it.) What do you think?


16 x 20

I take regular trips to Panama City in my other business. I think the fastest way from Tallahassee is on State Road 20. It's a two-lane trip right through the middle of rural North Florida. There are a lot of acres of planted pines and scrub oaks. If you have driven it enough times you remember previous views that are now obstructed by rising pine trees. This is one of those areas where the trees were harvested and not replanted. Its a different kind of composition. I want to believe that it is not bad to be different.

I was reading one of my favorites blogs by a successful artist and he explained that people don't want to visit your blog just to have you talk about your art. They want instruction or something. Unfortunately, that assumes I have some gem of instruction. Since I don't, and since I'd like people to visit I've decided I would try include gems of instruction from other artists. Like a hall of fame of meaningful quotes. That way you can be assured of finding something worthy when you visit.

This one is from Robert Henri. He is a famous American painter and teacher.

"A landscape has got to mean a great deal to anyone before it can be painted in any worth-while way. It is harder to see a landscape than to paint it. This is true because there are lots of clever people who can paint anything, but, lacking the seeing power, paint nothing worth while."

From The Art Spirit page 209

Hmmm? When I read something like this I wonder where Professor Henri would come down on "Highway 20 Sky"? Am I seeing? Or, am I clever?

Thanks for looking.

"Morning Haze"


14 x 18

This is St. Augustine Light from Vilano Beach on a hazy morning. I really like this one. I like it's simplicity, and I also like it's complexity. After painting it I thought about making that idea my trademark. You know, like Thomas Kincade is "the painter of light". (Okay don't get me started). Well my trademark would be "the painter of subtle complexity" or "the painter of the subtley complex". (I'm working on it). It is sad that in today's world you feel like you have to be better at marketing something than you are at doing something. But anyway, back to the painting, it's just a strip of land, some depth, a lighthouse and a reflection. Does it need more? It's my painting and that's all your getting. If you want birds and clouds, a bouy and a sailboat in the foreground set your GPS for Vilano Beach inlet and take your canvas and paints. When I was there that day . . .

Thanks for looking