Summers Past No. 2

Summers Past No. 2, 8 x 8

commission

Here is the second painting, this one of Matthew's younger brother, Jeffrey. The style of this painting came out a bit different from the one posted yesterday, for a few reasons. Among Jeffrey's favorite childhood memories were piñata parties given along Cypress Creek in honor of his and other relatives' birthdays. While I didn't have much in the way of compelling reference photography, I did have enough to give me an accurate sense of the setting, where various trees, paths, the creek, etc. were in relation to each other. Considering how well family members know this place and how much time they've spent here over the years, this was important. 

I also had a sharp photo of one of said colorful piñatas in motion, as well as photos of Jeffrey at prime piñata-busting age, though none showed him whacking, or primed to whack, a piñata. Taking these elements into account, yet painting quite a bit from imagination, I ended up emphasizing the bright colors and movement of the piñata and carrying this through to the rest of the composition. The result was a more whimsical piece than the first. I think this is okay, since the paintings will reside in the respective homes of each brother, both of whom are now young adults living on their own.

Summers Past

Summers Past, 8 x 8
commission

This is one of two small commissions I just finished. A family friend, who is mother to two boys who are now young adults, wanted to give each a painting as Christmas presents. Both commissions depict memories of the boys' favorite summer activities at their grandparents' property along Cypress Creek in Wimberley. This painting is of the older brother, Matthew. I will post Jeffrey's picture tomorrow. Click here to view a plein air study I did along the creek last June.

Fruit Bowl On Deck

Fruit Bowl On Deck, 16 x 20

purchase

These papayas, apples and lemons were home grown in Tahiti. The painting is from a photo sent to me by a very good friend I met at a workshop last spring. 

Back Yard Wedding

Back Yard Wedding, 8 x 10

NFS

Earlier this summer, my niece, Melissa, was married here in Austin. The words summer and Austin would explain the presence of hand fans among the guests. The three ladies shown here are my mother and two of my five sisters. Angela, at right, is mother of the bride.

Big. Fat. Donuts.

Big. Fat. Donuts. 6 x 8

SOLD

Hello world! I'm glad to finally have something to post after way too long a layoff. Work has put a crimp in my free hours to paint, but I'm hoping that is going to change. This picture was a commission by a gentleman named Robert Flowers who helped his daughter move to Austin from Atlanta a few months ago. Robert and his wife like to collect paintings from cities they visit and they were intrigued by all the snack trailers to be found around Austin. This is Gourdough's, whose tagline is, you guessed it, "Big. Fat. Donuts." Thank you for the referral, Laurel.

Summer Plans

Summer Plans, 8 x 10

available

I caught these boys last year in Ohio during a break in their summer activities. They were more than happy to strike a pose for me.

Afternoon Ride

Afternoon Ride, 5x7
purchase 

I found this red motorcycle parked in front of the Firehouse Grill in Malvern. It is one of an endless number of cycles we saw while in Ohio. The rolling countryside and summer sunshine no doubt contributed to their ubiquity.

Minnows Anybody?

Minnows Anybody? 5 x 7

purchase

This was painted from a photo I took at Stony Brook Harbor on the North Shore of Long Island over Labor Day weekend, 2008. Typical of kids this age, this brother and sister were excited to be the owners of a big bucket of minnows. As young entrepreneurs, I think they were even more excited about the prospect of turning a tidy profit off their sale.

Poolside Prep

Poolside Prep, 8 x 10
SOLD

Even on 100º-plus days, some people need to baste for awhile before plunging into the cool waters of Deep Eddy swimming pool, adjacent to Town Lake (recently re-named Ladybird Lake in honor of the late former first lady and beloved Austinite, Mrs. LBJ).

Lifeguard On Duty

Lifeguard On Duty, 10 x 8
$200
email to purchase

I waited all morning for the lifeguard to show up at this chair. Since he didn't make it until after noon, I painted most of the picture with the chair still empty. Finally, I asked one of the lifegaurds if one of them would be willing to sit in this chair so I could get a photograph. This is Ben, who was more than willing to help out.

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.