Changing a Field Sketch-nodp

done plein air

below you'll see the studio version of this field sketch. rarely does it happen that i like one done in the studio from the one done plein air, but this one was the exception. on the below painting, i popped up the color, increased the constrast,  changed to a less square format, zoomed out on the scene. changed the phone pole position to a less obtrusive spot, and put the foreground in shadow. it has much more dramatic lighting  now and a much better painting i think

the two lessons here are nature doesnt always give you the best painting, and that studio paintings can look just as good or better than the plein air version

SOLD
the studio version

SOLD-Davis Seafood in Late Afternoon Light-6x8

6x8

on a totally unrelated note. did y'all see my rant against facebook i posted on my facebook page when i realized i didnt know one person on the first seven pages of my wall? now today i realize that everyday i see a message on my Hotmail homepage that says "youre friends havent done anything interesting lately".

 i'm just saying.....

workshop news : there are a few seats left in the upcoming elizabeth city nc workshop next thursday and friday.

SOLD-Calm Waters-6x8

SOLD

a watery scene as the sun starts to climb. putting a little of the sky color into the water is a neat trick for making them look related and believable. try it sometime. 

Meadows Afternoon
9x12
now at Peters Gallery Stuart Fl.


and from today forward, if you ever disagree with something i've said on this blog, to save time lets assume i'm always right.

Workshop News

a pic from the Pinehurst NC workshop

may is a busy month for teaching, 

just got back from the rolling golf course lined hills of pinehurst. they have a golf course there that cost $400 for eighteen holes! wow. that must be some course. instead, this hardy group braved the elements outside to learn values, how to simplify, and how to "give a black eye" to a landscape painting that wont cooperate! way to go girls, you rocked. this was a beautiful horse farm with stables that we painted at for a few days. the horses loved having all that excitement near their stables. 

New Workshop planned for Monhegan Island Maine in 2013 sometime in early September. come stay on monhegan with us for three or four days and paint at an artist colony visited by some of the countries greatest landscape painters (from robert henri to jamie wyeth) for 150 years. email me if you want to join us

there are spots available in the upcoming elizabeth city nc workshop next week (right after memorial day) if you'd like to come. email me to save a spot

SOLD-From Sue's Old Backyard-6x8

SOLD

this one fell off the brush. did it 8x10 plein air and then painted this one in the studio from both the outdoor study and a photo. love the feeling of light on this nags head cottage in that last few minutes golden light that is so beautiful. will probably do this 16x20 when i get back from teaching in Pinehurst. speaking of that i still have one seat left if you can do Friday thru Sunday this week. email me if you'd like to learn values, composition, color and how to simplify things when painting outside.

SOLD- Historic Seaport Key West-6x12

SOLD

a blast from the past, historic seaport key west. liked this panoramic canvas which is twice as wide as it is high. brings back great memories of my toasty winter! this is where the Western Union is docked just up from Schooner Wharf Bar and Turtle Kraals.

Note:
there was a last minute cancellation and one seat has opened up in my upcoming Pinehurst NC workshop which starts this friday and goes thru sunday. price is $300 for three days and we'll cover some more intermediate stuff so if youve already taken a class with me this ones for you! email me to hold the spot.

Maine Workshop in Bar Harbor

always wanted to paint Maine? here's your chance. i'll be doing a five day plein air workshop near Bar Harbor Maine september 3rd thru the 7th. we'll cover the basics like value, color mixing, choosing subjects, block-in and equipment tips etc. then later in the week, brush work, adding variety to large shapes, how to work quickly and see the abstract shapes. also talk about marketing and making it in the art business. if youre interested in the workshop email me and we'll talk.

Workshop in Corolla

have been in Corolla on the outer banks this week holding a workshop. thats the reason for the lack of posts on here. we paint all day and then do a session from 8 to 10 pm. Here we are doing a plein air session today.one of the cool things about where i'm staying is that there are wild horses walking all around and you have to take a four wheel vehicle thru two miles of deep sand on the beach to get to this beautiful house we're holding the workshop in. i'm having a blast to say the least, Thanks Dawn for the cool digs and great food.

SOLD-Capt. Phillips Side Yard-6x8

SOLD

funny how most folks think all we painters do is paint. actually with all the other stuff you have to do to teach and hang in galleries, its a struggle to find time to paint. this is from the other day back in familiar waters, swansboro. the traps on the right bottom remind me of my painting days in maine last september. they can be hard to paint. you really have to just squint and paint what you see since theyre made out thin wires and you surely wouldnt want to try to paint what you "know" they're made out of.

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

SOLD

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

SOLD

SOLD-Afternoon Light on Elgin Lane-7x9

SOLD

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

SOLD

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
SOLD

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.

SOLD-From Gary's Yard-6x8

SOLD

a painting from a buddys yard. he lives on the boat to the right. i liked this painting for its somewhat abstractness and blocky stroke work. no fiddleing with it. BAM! as Emeril Lagassie says!