MOTTO FOR 2011

Life is full of magic . . . find some

Friday, June 20, 2008

Summer 100 (16 of 100)
"At the Dock"


6 x 8
This is a sketch using a different palette for me. Just doing something different. This is paynes grey, windsor red, yellow ochre, cad. yellow light and ti. white. Trying something different which is part of the plan for this summer.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Summer 100 (15 of 100)
Big Sky - Florida


48 x 48
Okay this is big. This ain't no little 6 x 8. So here's the problem: in this Summer 100 thing, this one counts just as much as a 6 x 8. Maybe I should change the title. One hundred 6 x 8 paintings would be 4800 square inches of paintings. I could call it the Summer 4800, and this one painting would be 2304 square inches. Oh, quit complaining. The thing is I got three of these 48 x 48 canvases recently and I have done two of them and they came out pretty good. This one is from a photo from St. Marks. I like these lonely looking clumps of trees. They look like survivors. Just going to have to keep working. ( I do have these really little sample canvases. Maybe I can use those to counterbalence these big ones.) You don't care do you?
Summer 100 (14 of 100)
"Wedding Thingie"


6 x 8
Its one of those wedding thingie things. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Summer 100 (13 of 100)
"Bradley's Pond"



6 x 8 (Plein Air)
This is looking across Bradley Pond on Centerville Road.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Summer 100 (12 of 100)
"Wedding Party"



10 x 8 (plein air)
Painted this on Saturday morning at a park in Tallahassee. It was set up for a wedding but no one was around. After I started people started showing up with flowers and other stuff. Puts some pressure on you to finish, and I did.
Summer 100 (11 of 100)
"Park Fountain"


8 x 6 (Plein Air)
What's not to like about a park fountain.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Summer 100 (10 of 100)
"Boathouse Series 1"


8 x 10
I like these boathouses. They aren't as easy right now because the water is so low.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Summer 100(9 of 100)
"Metal Roof"


6 x 8 (Plein Air)
From the lake looking east from Dina and Dave's. The photos not great. Just trying to make that metal roof look like a metal roof.
Summer 100 (8 of 100)
"Early Summer Lake Weir"


6 x 8 (Plein Air)

Another from a great weekend at Lake Weir. This is the same as reading a great summer book to me.
Summer 100 (7 of 100)
"Ma B's Boathouse"


6 x 8 (Plein Air)
From a weekend at Dina and Dave's. More skyski. Fun, fun, fun.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Summer 100 (6 0f 100)
"Piedmont Goose"


8 x 10 (plein air)
WHY: A sketch from trip to Atlanta. My wife was shopping and I went to Piedmont Park. This is the second painting. The first was okay but ended up being a wipeoff. I may wish I hadn't done that when this summer 100 thing gets tough. A group of Canadian Geese came struting down the sidewalk. This is result of about 10 seconds of this goose standing still. That allowed me to do the head and neck and then I had to put the rest together by waiting for other geese to get to the same poise.
Summer 100 (5 of 100)
"River Heights"


8 x 10
Looking across River Road in Cocoa. Just a sketch.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Summer 100 (4 of 100)
"Looking West"


5 x 7
This is a small 5 x 7 on masonite. Doing a lot of stuff lately from some trips to St. Marks. Posting a couple a day until I catch up.
Summer 100 (3 of 100)
"Path to the Water"


8 x 10
Why: This is at St. Marks, just down from the lighthouse. I like the bright water through the trees.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Summer 100 (2 of 100)
"From the Flats"



11 x 14
WHY: From the same fishing trip. Simplified painting.
Summer 100 (1 of 100)
"The Light"


6 x 8
Decided that I'm going to give myself a goal of doing 100 paintings this summer. So this is starting back on June 1 and will go through August. I know, you're saying its already June 12. Well I just got behind on posting and I'll have to catch up. I'm pretty close to one a day so far. This is from a photo I took on a fishing trip on a beautiful spring day. It's better in real life. The photo doesn't capture the contrast between the water and the reflections of light on the water.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

"His Place"


8 x 10
WHY: I really like these birds. They always hang around on the highest bush in the area.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

"Another view"


11 x 14
WHY: Why else. Beautiful, symbolic, peaceful.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

"St. Marks View"


16 x 20
WHY: This is a view of the lighthouse from back down the road to the light. The sun was setting and I like the idea of the lighthouse being dark.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

"Canaveral"


12 x 16
Why: Took a bunch of photos while I was in Titusville last month with the idea of possibly sending something for an exhibition involving national parks. This is from Canaveral National Seashore. Its always been cool to me the way the natural condition of that place has been saved except for these very modern things that are happening.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

"Progress?"


8 x 10 (plein air)
Why: Sunday afternoon plein air painting. Was going to the coast after reading an article about a plein air paintout down there. But decided to go closer to home. Really I didn't have any cash in my wallet. Didn't want to get down there with no money. This is from the first entrance to Phipps Park on Millers Landing Road. The good guys say you should be able to paint a beautiful painting about just about anything. This one I got lucky on, I think. Althought I can hear someone saying okay who wants a painting of a power line? Anyway a great exercise if nothing else. Plus I got to paint and listen to my Ipod in a very nice place.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

"Light on the Star"


11 x 14
Why: I like the light on the one tree out front like it was the star performer. Used Dioxzine Purple in the shadow and liked the way it worked. It drys really dull so you really have to hit with varnish when it drys. (This is artist talk. I use it to make you think I am an experienced professional.)

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

"#200"


16 x 12
This is from a digital photo taken last year at Tomoko State Park. Really pretty place. Old, old Florida. Like where you could imagine a Spanish galleon coming down the river. This is titled "#200" because this the 200th post on this blog. That's pretty cool all by itself.

Thursday, May 08, 2008

"Canaveral National Seashore Vista"


11 x 14 (Plein Air)
WHY: This is a plein air done last Sunday in Titusville. Great day but they started doing controled burning and the light went away. I love the process.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

"Intercoastal Shrimper"


16 x 20
WHY: This is another one done on gessoed masonite. This is a scene from St. Augustine. Why is it that old fish shacks and boats look quaint and artsy when you certainly don't think of the fishermen as being artsy. I like the green in the foreground and the green stipe on the outside boat. (I can take some credit for the green in the foreground. The green stripe is compliments of Mr. GiGi who does all the art and design work for the boys down on the docks.)

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

"Highway 50 Landscape"


16 x 20
This is from a photo I took last year. It's from the area west of Titusville on Highway 50 going to Orlando. This area is low with palm trees and grasses and it is flat as a pancake. This was done on gessoed masonite which is a surface I don't normally work on. In the the past I did not use meduim with my oil paints except for MS in an underpainting. Using a medium really made this surface work for me. I have done a number of newer pieces on masonite and I am liking the results.

Monday, May 05, 2008

"Rust Bucket"


6 x 8
WHY: Small piece on gessoed material board. Just staying busy.

Monday, April 28, 2008

"The Other Side"


36 x 36
WHY: This is looking across from the road to the Lighthouse at St. Marks. The sun was setting and throwing light on the tall pine trees. You can see the top of the levy where you can walk. I painted this with a neutral grey base for the background trees and I think that is why the trunks of the trees and the green foilage stand out. I like this one. It has a nice feel. And here is the battle. Do I add something else and refine some of the look or do I leave it as is. Check back later.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

"Ragin Cajun"


12 x 16

WHY: This is from some photos taken on Sunday morning of the Larry Moore workshop at Mayport in Jacksonville. This is an old boat that had some great lines. Trying to unify this with alot of grey as a neutral and then put in some bold colors and they should stand out. In this case its the blue paint at the waterline. Remember its all about putting brush to canvas. Just thinking about it is good but doing is better.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

"Morning Dip"


24 x 48
WHY: I had this great photo of these herons hanging around together on a foggy morning.

Friday, April 25, 2008

"River Road"

16 x 20
WHY: This is River Road in Cocoa, Florida. This has got to be in my top five all time favorite roads anywhere. I think it used to be old A1A a really long time ago. My wife's father grew up along this river and road and it's just plain fun to paint.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

"Night Tug"


11 x 14
WHY: This was from a photo taken at dusk at Palm Beach Inlet. I worked on glazing a couple of layers of color.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

"Weathered"


36 x 30
WHY: This was from a photo taken at Crescent Beach last August. This was an old palm with fronds weathered by the wind and sun. Trying to capture the feeling of the wind and sun.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

"St. Marks Walk"


10 x 12
WHY: This is a studio piece from a smaller plein air. I like the blue in the left side water against the warm orange of the bushes. Late sun-setting light in a pretty place. Can't hardly mess that up.

Monday, April 21, 2008

"Path to the Beach"


9 x 12
The WHY: This is a "just do it" painting. No real plan. From a photo I took over near Grayton Beach. Just a hot day with a pretty blue sky. My thought was lets try and make that blue sing against the hot ground.

Friday, April 18, 2008

"Blue"



12 x 16
The WHY: I really like the light against the side of this building. Probably more successful in the earlier plein air piece done on location. Here I'm going for a higher key look. From a digital photo taken while painting last week.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

"Palms Up Close"


8 x 10 Plein Air
The WHY: Done at the Larry Moore workshop. This was a scene that was right in the area where Larry had done his demo. It was under a picnic shelter. I liked the backlit light on the palm fronds in the upper left.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

"Double Black"


10 x 8
The WHY: For my push into the Colorado art market. This was from a digital photo I took while going up the lift. Wanted to give that feeling of light and inpending doom.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

"Breck Background"


8 x 10
Another painting from the trip to Breckenridge last Christmas. I have to say these were fun to paint.

Monday, April 14, 2008

"Wet Morning River Road"


16 x 20

Sunday, April 13, 2008

"The Turn"


8 x 10
River Road on a wet rainy day.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

"Family Tradition"


8 x 10 (plein air)
"Sun Worshiper"


8 x 10 (Plein Air)
Always hard to do figures in plein air unless you have a deal with the model. This was just someone sitting with her kids. She left after about ten minutes so I had to do it from memory.

Friday, April 11, 2008

"At the Park"


10 x 8 (plein air)
From Hanna Park in Jacksonville.

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

"From the Boardwalk"


14 x 11 (Plein air)

Monday, April 07, 2008

"From the Old Atlantic Blvd. Bridge"


6 x 8 (plein air)

Saturday, April 05, 2008

"Shrimp Shack"


16 x 12
Plein Air painted in Jacksonville last weekend. Spent the weekend painting at a Larry Moore Workshop. Had a great time and learned alot. This was done after class on Hecksher Drive.

Friday, April 04, 2008

"South Georgia Barn"


6 x 8

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

"Early Fog"


36 x 36

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

"Apachee 1"


8 x 10
Apachee One cabin at Ridgecrest. This is the first cabin my young guys started in. The trail at the bottom goes to Egypt.