MOTTO FOR 2011

Life is full of magic . . . find some

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

"Across the East River"


36 x 36
View from the St. Marks Wildlife Refuge looking west across the East River to the St. Marks River. This is a beautiful place. I think the small islands were made when the channel was dug. The St. Marks channel comes out just on the other side of those islands. This is also a great place to fish. The East River is fabulous place to catch a redfish or a trout. I am just trying to paint the space.
Thanks for looking.

Monday, April 26, 2010

"St. Marks Dusk"


18 x 24

This is the view from the boat ramp at St. Marks Wildlife Refuge. I waited as long as possible to leave because the light was great. That same trip as I was leaving I saw a giant hog near the entrance booth. He was a monster. I took a photo and his body was more than half way across the one lane.


(You thought I was kidding?)

I had another encounter with hogs at St. Marks one morning a couple of months ago. I had gotten there early before sunrise and was painting with Chuck Manning, another plein air painter from Tallahassee. As the sun rose I started to hear hogs waking up in the bog across the canal from where I was painting. They were grunting around obviously looking for food. Every once in a while, one of the hogs would find something and then there would be blood curdling scream as the other hogs tried to take what the one had found. My mind thought back to the big guy in the road. I would glance at Chuck to make sure he felt that we were safe, and he contiunued to paint contently. Nothing to fear. As the hogs moved farther away I yelled at Chuck to comment on the hogs and he stared at me blankly. Then he pulls an ipod headset out of his ears and asks "what"? That made me feel safe.

Thanks for looking.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

"Bait Bucket"


22 x 28
From a photo taken at Canaveral National Seashore. The surf was up that day. A lot of white bright color. A lot of motion in the water. Not easy to see in this photo, but it is there. This one should be at the Chain of Parks Show this weekend. See you this weekend. Keep your fingers crossed for the weather.
"Slow down today, enjoy what you have."
From the inside wraper of the Dove Chocolate I just enjoyed.
Thanks for looking.

Thursday, April 08, 2010

"Starting the Day"


18 x 24
Here's a new piece that I think will be in the Chain of Parks Show. I like it. I like it's simplicity. It's interesting to put out new work. I posted some new stuff on facebook and one of the face to face comments (not computer generated) was essentially 'I wish you would put up some of your nicer stuff'. Ouch. It reminds me of the famous "shrinkage" episode from Seinfield. (No not for that reason.) In that episode one of the side stories is about the ugly baby that the parents are proud of and the doctor (who Elaine is interested in) calls 'breathtaking' (after he says the same thing about Elaine). But the parents believe the baby is perfect. That's the same with artists. Our works are our babies. Sometimes we can't see them with an unbaised eye. Or maybe they are just perfect, but there is a different one that someone else sees as more perfect. (I'll choose to take that comment that way.)
Thanks for looking at my ugly babies.

Monday, April 05, 2010

"I-10 Near Madison"


5 x 7 Postcard Series
It is going to be a busy April. I am going to participate in the Chain of Parks Art Festival here in Tallahassee on April 17 and 18. It is a traditional outdoor festival so hopefully the weather will cooperate. It takes a lot of work to get ready. Picking out peices, ordering frames, all that stuff. But I am really looking forward to it. It's a benefit for the Lemoyne Art Center so come check it out. Plus they have kettlecorn!
Then the next day, April 19, I start a week long paintout in Evinston, Florida. Evinston is a tiny town south of Gainesville just off of 441. I drove through this weekend to check things out. I like the area. It is definitely that old Florida feel. Heres a link to the website: www.Evinstonpaintout.org Come check it out if you are in the area.
Thanks for looking.