"Cattle Guard"

8 x 10

From the Evinston Paint Out. This was done on the last day and was so wet I never even put it up. That is an interesting thing about paint outs. What do you do about the really wet paintings? What do you do about people leaning against them? (Sir I'd like to frame your shirt.) What do you do about paintings sticking in their frames? (Permanent framing solutions.) What do you do about bugs and grass and leaves? ("I've just started experimenting with mixed media").

I like this painting. There is a lot going on, but there was hundreds times more going on in real life. I am finding simplification to be more and more the most important part of good plein air painting.

Thanks for looking.

P.S. Just a reminder that I will be attending the Canaveral Seashore Paint Out next month in New Smyrna Beach. It is the week of November 7 through the 13th. It is a benefit for Canaveral Seashore and here is link to the website: http://canaveralseashorepaintout.blogspot.com/ I will be there painting all week long.

"Where I Ride"

8 x 10 (plein air)

"Where I Ride" refers to where I ride my mountain bike most of the time. I am very lucky to live in a neighborhood that is next to a state park. That state park had property given to it that is full of singletrack and doubletrack trails. I can leave my house after work and ride through miles and miles of trails without repeating anything. It's great exercise for me because it doesn't beat up my knees like running does. (Although crashing on a mountain bike (which is not an unusual occurrence), can certainly make sore knees look inviting). I have stuck to this form of exercise, at least 5 times a week, for going on two years. I felt in good enough shape earlier this month to enter a mountain bike race over at Tom Brown Park. The race was part of the Florida State Championship Series with racer from all around the state participating. There were numerous categories, and the one I fit in was the 50 plus grand masters in the "base" level. (Three levels: Expert, Sport, Base) I was lucky to win my race against 16 other similarly categorized riders. Yeahhhh!

So this painting is from a field at Phipps Park near the Red Bug trail. I painted it earlier this year standing out in the field on a Sunday afternoon. If you head over this hill and follow this path it spits you into the woods with a nice descent through a couple of rough trails. The key is to get some speed and then get up on the petals for balance and hold on (but don't grip the handlebars too tight or you will be wondering whether its better to have sore knees or numb hands).

Thanks for looking.

"Contours"

11 x 14

I keep painting this stuff. I guess I was always fascinated watching rows go by as I drove in the back seat of the car. Rows of orange trees, rows of planted pine trees, rows of nursery plants, rows of crops. I am easily amused. Does anyone else do this?

Thanks for looking.