Wednesday, August 24, 2011

MADISON PAINT OUT

In May I participated in the Madison Artists Guild Plein Air Paint Out.  Madison is a great town for plein air painters.  There are beautiful subjects to paint everywhere you look and I had a wonderful time.  At the end of the day all the completed paintings were judged and cash prizes were awarded. I was honored with second place and $60 for my watercolor called "Afternoon Dream".  The owner of the house which I painted actually bought the painting from me.  I had a fun time painting in Madison and it was great to go home with some money in my pocket.


PAINTINGS IN RECENT SHOWS


I have been fortunate to have two of my paintings represented in two shows this month.  I was honored to have my acrylic painting "Industrial Alley" accepted into the South Cobb Arts Alliance 24th National Exhibition.  The Georgia Watercolor Society has also included my watercolor painting "American Export" into the members exhibition in Athens, GA.  Both paintings are from my "Twentieth Century Industrial" series which reflects the vanishing American era that I grew up in juxtaposition with the contemporary world.

I identify more and more with the American scene painters of the 1930's and 40's like Charles Burchfield, Edward Hopper, and Grant Wood.  The stories they tell in paint fit in well with the times we are living in now.

INDUSTRIAL ALLEY, 18X24 ACRYLIC, $450
                                                      
AMERICAN EXPORT, 26X20, WATERCOLOR, $425

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Horsing Around With The Horse



My experience painting horses in Cartersville, GA.

There were four horses for us to paint.  I chose the one in a corral all by himself, thinking that at least he would not run off on me while I painted him!!  I had to get in the corral with him without knowing what he would do.  Instead of wondering off to the other side like I thought he would do, the horse was very curious about me and what I was doing.  He figured out how to open my toolbox that held all my art supplies and started to go through my paint.  He also thought my brushes were interesting.  I did not know if he liked my painting of him or not, but he knocked it off my easel.  And then he stuck his head over the easel putting his nose an inch from my face, making it impossible for me to paint.  I gave him a hug and a pat and pushed him out of the way, but he kept coming back.  Eventually he stood still long enough for me to do this painting of him and I became the "horse whisperer" for the day.  His name is Magnum!!