SOLD-Western Union Schooner

sold

this is the Western Union schooner out of key west.  dont quote me on the exact details but i think it was first built way back in the maybe 20's/30's/40's??? it hauled the underwater cables as they were being layed in the keys. then it was used briefly as a ship where troubled youth worked in a program up in new england. the key west locals missed the boat and realized how a piece of maritime history was gone so they bought the ship and got her back in key west.  since then (one or two decades) she has taken tourists out on sunset cruises. my buddy gary is the ships musician and asked me to come along on a sunset cruise and play some tunes with him. as the sun turned fiery orange and the sky went crazy with color we played somewhere over the rainbow on ukelele's for the passengers. we were totally powered by the wind and there was no sound except the ukes and the water hitting the front of the ship. then gary gave us a celestial lesson showing us the major planets and constellations in the twilite sky. magical!  it was one of the best nights i had in the keys. thanks gary! if youre ever in key west you gotta go out on her at sunset. she's a beautiful schooner and seeing the sunset from a mile out in the ocean (south towards cuba) is something you'll never forget. and also you can say youve been the furthest south you can go in the united states without entering international waters!

The Buildup- 9x12 

email for price and availability

SOLD-Other Side of the Tracks-7x9

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note: pleased to announce that i'll be one of the featured artists in the Cape Cod Life Arts Edition. the magazine will hit the newstands nationwide in early june. the article was superbly written by mary grauerholz and will go out to the magazine's subscribers worldwide. i'm so honored to be included. the cape cod market is hard to break into and twice as hard if youre not a fulltime resident. a big thanks to my gallery owner Liz Rowley at Elizabeth Rowley gallery for making this happen after just a few years selling up there. Thanks Liz, youre the best!

the painting above was done while i was "crawling around" looking for something to paint in raleigh. i spotted this view while crossing over a bridge on boylan avenue. i love the railroad track signals against the majestic raleigh skyline in late spring.

SOLD-Historic Seaport Key West-7x9

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SOLD-Afternoon Light on Elgin Lane-7x9

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Great workshop in fort pierce yesterday and today i drove up to savannah where  i'll paint downtown this evening. thanks jimmy craig for the tip on a decent spot to set up my mobile"studio"   :D

then into charleston tomorrow morning!

 the painting above is again street in key west to paint, Elgin Lane. the good thing about painting on this particular street is that  its so narrow (so there's not a lot of traffic) and the bad thing is the streets are so narrow (so when someone DOES come down you have to move all your stuff out of the way)

the guys that live where the fence on the left is, begged me not to paint the house on the left. they think its an eyesore and were adamant that they didnt want me giving it any attention. then when i didnt concede to them they wanted to know why i would paint such a ramshackle house? i was like, "dude look at the light on it" (thinking duh-h-h to myself)

He then stared at me quizically for several seconds before shaking his head and cursing me under his breath.

Pretty in Pink and Turquoise-8x10

i'm proud to announce i have a new art dealer who will be representing my work in stuart florida. the name of it is Peters Gallery on SE Ocean Blvd. also represented there is my buddy Peter Vey (we're also together in Key West at Gallery on Greene). if you happen to live or be traveling thru the areas of stuart/palm beach/fort pierce check out his work and mine. just left a few paintings with them on my trek thru the Treasure Coast area of the sunshine state on my way back to NC

if interested in this painting please contact Peters Gallery (Stuart Florida) at 772-286-0696. $900 very nicely framed

South Florida Corner in Morning Light- 8x10
if interested in this painting please contact Peters Gallery (Stuart Florida) at 772-286-0696. $900 very nicely framed


coming up!
having a new works show at City Art Gallery-Greenville NC, in May. its a 3 Person Show w/ Chip Hemingway and Hillarie Lambert and the reception is Thursday may 3. doing a short demo also. 


workshops at:
Jerrys Artarama raleigh nc sat. may 5, Nags Head may 7-10, Goldsboro may 12, 
 pinehurst NC may 18-20 and in Elizabeth City may 31-june 1


email me if youre interested

SOLD-Back Alley Neighbor

7x9

more of the colorist "out of the comfort zone" experiment. all the color seems strong to me but the warm shapes are really different color for me. not sure if i like it or not. hmmmm

Shell Motif #3

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Workshop Update

One bed left at the Bald Head Island retreat house. This immersion experience will be a very memorable painting workshop. in about 10 days from now you could be eating, drinking and sleeping painting. enjoy the artist lifestyle on one of coastal NC's premiere painting locations. only $50 per night accomodations (includes use of a golf cart. and a ride (to and from) the house to the ferry, too) $300 for the workshop. email me to reserve a spot.

SOLD-A Little Help from my Friends

7x9
Titled this because my painting buddy john clayton was rubbing off on me on this one, when he was down here. he helped me push past my comfort level in color. thanks john for your influence and help. had a blast painting with you!

today i want to discuss a little talked about subject in the artistic realm, and thats  your muse. a muse is commonly referred to as some impish pixie that makes you want to paint, play music, write and create (in general)

your muse is very important to the process. have you ever had a spell where you just didnt want to create anything. some use the word inspiration, as in "i had no inspiration". i know what they mean but you must remember the old adage "painting (writing or whatever) is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration" this is certainly true if what you create also feeds you and puts gas in your car. i think working everyday at your craft is what gives your muse something to work with. and travel to places that your muse loves. for me thats key west. i love key west for several reasons, a million really. its a creative town. my muse works overtime here. i want to paint. i want to play music, also to think about life in a far different way than i do in northern latitudes for some reason. the tropics 

have a way of reminding you to cheer in unison with people nearby when the sun goes down. when's the last time you cheered the end of a beautiful day? appreciate the little things that make life, well, life.
 it reminds you to take a nap in the middle of the day, when its so hot. and without guilt because you know you'll need the energy for the nighttime (day part two) that happens after another breathlessly beautiful sunset. down here you are constantly running into poets. musicians, artists, writers, and their overactive muses. a menagerie of eclectic "characters" assemble here, in this judgement free zone and can ranges from the buttondown polo shirt crowd to barefoot, shaggy haired, beachbum types all attending the event. also noticed that signs telling you not to do things are an oddity here. probably because it wouldnt do any good! its the 21st century version of the wild west pretty much.

i said all this to say. if you have a hard time getting your muse to help you out, take him/her/it to a place where there are thousands and thousands of other muses running amuck. yours is bound to get excited and start giving you words, music, paintings galore.  

but for me right now....its getting hot and its past my naptime!

then gotta get up and paint that golden hour painting ive been wanting to do for weeks. go muse!

Shell Motif #2
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SOLD-Road Past Key West Marina-6x8

i love this little scene. you go past these houses that are built on floating docks. so theyre like house boats but theyre built just like houses. how would you like waking up there every morning? then jump in your boat for a bit of fishing before lunch. i bet sunsets are incredible from these folks back deck!

SOLD-Boca Chica Canal #3

7x9

had to go back to this canal and do some more painting. it was calling out to me. last time there was a thin veil of clouds. this time i did it in beautiful, clear sunshine. i love the reflections in the mirror-like water.

Shell Motif #1 

SOLD

this is a commissioned piece. first of four

SOLD-Up the Block on Elgin-7x9

$OLD

Workshop Updates

West Palm Beach April 9 and 10- Plein air Loose and Colorful in the mornings and outdoor still life in the afternoon

Fort Pierce- Paint Camp sessions-Paint along with me in acrylic as i show how to mix color, do an underpainting and pop light to the scene.

Bald Head Island Plein Air Retreat- Thurs April 26- Sat. April 28, this one will be a retreat with tons of painting during the day on beautiful Bald Head Island, and lots of "hanging out" time after class. we'll cook together and talk art into the night. one of the students allison has offered to rent for crazy low price two more spots at her house and its first come first served. so if you werent coming because you were afraid you couldnt find a place to stay, well now you can come and hang at the house with us for the whole three days. let me know quick as there are only the two spots.