and another.....

5 x 7"
oil on masonite

One of my favorite paintings of the week - done fast and with a flat, honker brush and a wide range of color - letting the orange ground peek through a bit more. When I need some inspiration, I look at other painters' works - with landscapes, I pour over Doug Braithwaite's to remind myself that you don't have to nitpick to get the point across.

Have a great weekend all ....... see you next week.

more play....

16 x 4"
oil on masonite

I'm guessing that chefs enjoy the after-hours, when they can play with food, not worrying if someone will hate the dish. And for artists, I strongly recommend, not only painting almost every day - but add to it the dismissal of what will sell. That can cause you to freeze up - lose your rhythm. It happens.

With repetition, you don't necessarily create a masterpiece, but you do adopt a sense of using the chosen medium, to know when to quit, to know when not to quit. This week I've worked with different tools, big, fat brushes on little panels, painted on different grounds, painted fast and painted slow. I've enjoyed it. Then again, I always do.

More to come.....

more play....

6 x 6"
oil on masonite

The one yesterday was an accidental result by the way - I was pleased with the top portion, the sky and treeline, and had done something totally different below that and hated it. I wiped that off and just wanted more simplicity - picked up the palette knife that I usually ignore and played.

Same with this painting - feeling out how to balance some tighter brushwork with some loose texture. Just exercising the brain - working through a block - enjoying the freedom.

Playing with Paints

4 x 14"
oil on masonite

I'm in the mood to experiment with palette knives, color and subjects. I'll show more as I go.

"Belle"

5 x 7"
oil on masonite

You would know I don't normally paint figures like this young woman - frankly, it isn't something you would usually see while walking through a city. I happened to be in Washington Park, in Charleston, watching some plein-air painters - and a local artist, Rhett Thurman, had arranged for a model to pose for her. Wishing I had my paints with me, I could only wonder how I would approach this. As goofy as it sounds, with a photo as my guide, I pretended I was in the park and just went for it - staying as loose as possible.

Please click here to the auction page, where there's an opportunity to place your bid.

"The Hunt for Red October"

8 x 8"

oil on masonite

I've been getting used to painting on this orange-red ground. Just like with the black ground, I play with the edges showing slivers of what's beneath, and the red is powerful in that respect. Especially with skin. At the same time, I'm working on a spring show - most of the prep requires thinking too hard and not enought painting. But..... I did my first piece which is a bit larger than my usual - quite frankly, just to see if I could - and I love it. Can't wait for you to see it.

This new piece The Hunt for Red October is a scene from the beaches of Hilton Head Island - a man with a good book and his best friend patiently waiting for some playtime.

Please click here for a larger view and purchase information.

a note ........ Howard/Mandville Gallery's Small Works Show opens tonight in Kirkland, Washington - please give them a call if you're interested in either of the two new pieces I painted for the occasion. I would greatly appreciate your consideration.

"Terminal Pace"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
on hold

I really love this painting. For starters, I painted on a burnt-orange, just for something different, and small glimpses of that show through. Much like you see in Carol Marine's paintings. I love that. Also the current challenge on my Different Strokes blog - take a look at many interpretations.

Travelers and their shadows in the Reagan National Airport in Washington DC.

The Auction

Back from Charleston, trying to catch up....

It felt like the best time of the year to be in that city. It's a place you should walk about and it's simply easier when it's cooler. You spot little gems like this along the way.



Saturday morning, I headed to Washington Park where I met up with a Charleston artist, Tate Nation - a delightful person to know. He introduced me to lots of his friends and fellow painters who were participating in 'Painting In The Park', doing Plein Air demonstrations and open to the public to enjoy. Those paintings were also part of the Charleston Art Auction that evening - with proceeds going to local high school art programs.



The auction was so cool - frantic pace once the man with the microphone gets started. Happy to report both of my paintings sold. It is a trip when I see my pieces up there - it's a very exciting event for me.




Just wanted to check in - I'll be back to the paints tomorrow.

"Left Wingers & Right Winger"

16 x 8"
2 - 8 x 8" framed together
oil on masonite

From the lobby bench in the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. Please click here for a larger view and purchase information.

also...... I'm headed out of town, to sit nervously in my seat at the Charleston Art Auction this Saturday night. Here are the two paintings I've done for the event - I'm crossing my fingers.

'Lost At Sea'
sold

'Out Matching'
sold

A larger view of each can be found here.

Thanks to all for the great feedback - they both sold at the auction. I'm so very happy.

"Coffee Grounds"

8 x 8"
oil on masonite

A reminder of warm sunshine and the simple pleasures in life. From the beaches of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Please click here for a larger view and purchase information.

"A Dose of Zen"

5 x 5"

oil on masonite
sold

Owning a business can be gratifying at times. And sometimes the weight of responsibility can suck the life out of you. A hefty repair bill was my dose of reality today, wondering how, in this age of operating at a bare-bones capacity, I'm going to pay for it. I've had better days. So I came straight home, made a pot of strong coffee and got lost in my paints. A dose of Zen.

"Thursday Nighthawks"

12 x 11"
oil on masonite
sold

Probably the most-beloved painting in the Art Institute of Chicago - Edward Hopper's 'Nighthawks' - being viewed closely by a patron on the museum's Free-Thursday night event held every week.

This painting will be included in the 19th Annual Invitational Small Works Show at the Howard/Mandville Gallery, opening November 14th. Please click here for a larger view.

"Forwarding"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

I'm back home and back at it - warming up with this new painting of some fast-paced walkers on the corner of North Michigan and East Chicago Avenue, part of the city's Magnificent Mile.

Chicago is my favorite city, hands down - always filled with energy and always friendly. I must mention, if you haven't been to the Art Institute to experience the new Modern Wing, it is a must-see. You'll notice works of art that have been in storage for too long and a well thought out rearrangement of the collection, proven to be a great way to spend a day or two. Make the trip - you'll absolutely love it.

"Romanticizing"

12 x 9"

oil on masonite

For the Annual Invitational Small Works Show at the Howard/Mandville Gallery, I chose to paint my favorite subject including two of my favorite paintings in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. To the left is 'Arab Chief' painted by Mariano Fortuny y Carbo - a striking portrait that just floors me and in front of the young couple is the very romantic 'In the Luxembourg Gardens' by John Singer Sargent. The show opens on November 14th.

Please click here for a larger view and purchase information.

"Botanical Study"

5 x 7"
oil on masonite
sold

You probably know by now, I can't walk by a person on a bench without thinking of painting them. When I was a teenager, I spent hours sketching people on the train, the Amtrak lounge in Union Station - pretty much everywhere I'd go. I couldn't get enough. Good practice, I just didn't know it at the time.

From the National Botanical Gardens in Washington DC.

Neil Hollingsworth

'Blocks'
by Neil Hollingsworth

My good friend Neil Hollingsworth is showing new work at Anne Irwin Fine Art, here in Atlanta - opening reception is tomorrow evening. His eleven paintings include a variety of objects that are beautifully placed and lit, then painted with such precision and sensitivity. Please stop in the gallery and treat yourself to viewing this gorgeous work in person.

Also worth mentioning are Neil's smaller paintings, currently on eBay - an opportunity you can't miss out on.

"Roofscape"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

I try to offer a variety of subjects on my Different Strokes From Different Folks challenges - the most current being the multi-level, multi-colored rooftops of downtown San Francisco. It is truly a subject that I'm in love with - mostly from witnessing how other artists transform 'just a bunch of buildings' into beautiful works of art. As I said on my blog, when I see city rooftops I understand Richard Diebenkorn. It's also an image that can swing from totally abstract to super realism - and I'd love them all. When you have a minute, take a look at what other artists have contributed.

"Ballet Company"

5 x 7"
oil on masonite
sold

A dapper, young man taking a long look at Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's 'Ballet Dancers' - from inside the Art Institute of Chicago.

"Out Break"

5 x 7"
oil on masonite
sold

From the sunny front steps of the National Portrait Museum in Washington DC.

"Ladylike"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

A beautifully poised subject to paint - from the lobby bench in the Art Institute of Chicago.

"Sounds of Silence"

8 x 10"
oil on masonite

A vacationing couple enjoying nothing but the sounds of silence - from the beaches of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Please click here for a larger view and purchase information.

"Facing the Music"

8 x 12"
oil on masonite

With a lot of abstract expressionism, I see or feel music. Especially with large paintings. This woman was viewing Cy Twombly's 'Winter', part of his 'Four Seasons' series in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Please click here for a larger view and purchase information.

"Lost At Sea"

14 x 9"
oil on masonite
sold

You can really get lost in a good book - especially on a summer's day in a beach chair. One of life's simple pleasures. What I love most about this new painting is the three generations of women - each with their favorite read. From the beaches of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

This painting is included in the upcoming Charleston Art Auction, taking place November 7th.

Please click here for a larger view.

also worth mentioning...... I have recently joined The Sylvan Gallery, located on King Street in Charleston. Please stop in when you're in this wonderful, southern city.

"Out Matching"

12 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

A couple, with a mutual love for yellow pants, browsing the galleries in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This painting is one of two that will be auctioned in the annual Charleston Art Auction, taking place November 7th - my second year participating in the event and I'm very excited.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Hat's Off"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

I am back home and picking up where I left off - enjoying these smaller, more-painterly pieces of bench sitters. I made it to my 30th high school reunion - a weekend I won't likely forget. It was incredible.

More new paintings to come - I'm back in the game.