Barton Springs

Barton Springs, 6 x 8
SOLD

I'm a little shy about posting this attemp, because I had a hard time with it. Plein Air Austin had a paintout Saturday at Barton Springs, and I didn't see how I could paint Barton Springs without including people. Therein lay my dilemma, since I haven't done much painting of humans in landscapes, plein air or otherwise, and certainly not on such a small scale. So, I tried only for rough values and colors when we were out there, and finished it in studio, from photographic reference. I had a really hard time painting the human figures at this size, which is no doubt apparent. In addition, I had to depict the kick-boarder from memory. Finally, I had problems getting the paint opaque enough on the smaller details, most notably in the figures and the white rails of the lifeguard chairs. Painting wet into wet was one part of the problem, I think, and size, the other.

Oh, well. Hopefully the experience has taught me something, though at this point, I'm too worn out to think what that something might be.

No Lifeguard On Duty

No Lifeguard On Duty, 6 x 8
SOLD

I started this painting Tuesday morning outside one of the pools at the Riata apartments. While I liked where it was going, I wasn't ready to post it before spending some time this evening cleaning it up.

Please, Come In

Please, Come In, 6 x 8

$85
email to purchase

Today we were once again at Laguna Gloria. Our group likes it there now that the weather's hot, because there's a snack bar where we can get COLD drinks. It's supposed to be another hot one today, but it wasn't bad this morning in the shade. This is the front entrance to the main building, known as the Driscoll Villa.

Back Porch

Back Porch, 6 x 8
SOLD

Today I spent a few hours across the street from one of the offices at the Riata apartments. Its design is reminiscent of farm and ranch houses built by German immigrants to central Texas in the late 1800s. It's kind of ironic, but they didn't make apartment offices like this when I was growing up. Nor did they care as much about preserving local foliage. Both wonderful trends, however late.

Burning Off

Burning Off, 6 x 8
$85
email to purchase

Typical to Austin for about nine months of the year, low level, early morning clouds are hurried overhead by southerly winds from the gulf. This time of year, the sun wastes little time evaporating the morning dew into such clouds, as it did today at Laguna Gloria, our paint-out rendezvous point this time around.

Coronation

Coronation, 6 x 8
NFS

With the temperature reaching 100º F in Austin today, an indoor still-life seemed the way to go.

Four's a Crowd

Four's A Crowd, 6 x 8
SOLD

This still life was begun near the end of Carol Marine's workshop last week, so I had to bring it home to complete. I had hoped the pea pods might have reconciled by now, but the rift appears to be permanent.

Low Cover

Low Cover, 8 x 10
SOLD
A quiet and occasionally misty morning at West Lake Beach marina.

Emerald City

Emerald City, 8 x 6
SOLD

Wednesday, our group painted at Zilker Botanical Garden. It was a beautiful morning, though spring is definitely over. (It's getting hot!) There were several summer camp groups of different-aged kids running around, and I have to mention that every one of them seemed to enjoy being there as much as we old people did. But then again, who in Austin doesn't know how to enjoy beauty?

Vacation Rain

Vacation Rain, 30 x 24
NFS

My daughter, Natalie, was four years old when we went on vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina (does it look at all familiar, Trish?). The photograph this was painted from was taken on the ferry from Hatteras to Okracoke, and Natalie was more than a little skeptical that the weather would clear enough for her to swim at the beach.

In the Barn

In the Barn, 8 x 8
SOLD

It's a great time of year in Austin. I've lived here on and off since the sixties, and sometimes it's still hard to believe how many beautiful spots there are within five minutes of the center of town. West Lake Beach is one of them.

Still Life with Scallions

Still Life with Scallions, 6 x 8

I am just back from a three-day still life workshop with Carol Marine at Andreeva Academy in Salado, which I learned about from Julie Davis. Carol is terrific, both in painting and in teaching, and packs an enormous amount of both into a relatively short time. The group of attendees was tremendous and I made many friends whom I look forward to keeping in contact with. The still life above was one I completed during the workshop.

Bull Creek Park

Bull Creek Park, 10 x 8
SOLD

We dodged the rain last Wednesday at Bull Creek Park. The earlier part of the outing was overcast, which gave me fits trying to find the different value masses. Finally the sun came out, so I stuck around in hopes of coming away with something worth taking home. It wasn't until later, of course, that I realized I had wound up with much more than just a painting, no matter how it turned out.

Green Pastures

Back Entrance, 8 x 10

This painting was also done in Laurel Daniel's plein air class. Green Pastures is a beautiful old restaurant in south Austin. With a Shakeresque exterior set on a sprawling property reminiscent of an antebellum southern plantation, I found this location uniquely beautiful. There was plenty to paint there, but I was struck by the workmanship and design of the eaves off the back porch.

—Stephen