Back In The Bend

Had another extraordinary day in Totty's Bend. Got up early enough to see morning light and rising fog. This time of year the temperature changes make the landscape very dramatic and moody. From the color of the foliage to the fog and mist due to the collision of a temp difference.

This was painted on a high spot on my "haybale friend's" farm overlooking the Duck River as it curves around to form the lower end of Totty's Bend. The fog was following it right along the treeline and was about the only fog left as I finished the painting. Like everything else this time of year, it just goes by too fast.

Workshop / Show

A quick post to let everyone know I am teaching a workshop in conjunction with a one man show at Brazier Fine Art in Richmond Virginia. The dates are Thursday night the 20th for the reception and the workshop begins Friday morning and is a three day workshop ending Sunday afternoon. I think the show will hang for a month so if you're anywhere near Richmond over the month of November stop by or if you would like a hands on plein air landscape workshop I am sure the girls at Brazier would be glad to sign you up. 804-358-2771 and tell them I said "hi".

Frost!

Finally, after an August and September that felt like they would never end with 95 - 100 degree days the norm, we finally got officially into Autumn.  Not on the calendar but weather wise. I always measure the calendar at the end of the year by certain events and changes in the weather. Dove season was always the end of summer for me. Activities, schedules and weather would change after that opening. Then the next was the first frost. Autumn began in earnest and the woods and fields started a different look and feel. Opening day of deer season was another milestone when cold weather was close behind. Real cold weather, winter weather. And then the first snow which meant that deep, short days, bone chilling cold for the next few weeks. After that it was waiting for that first 70 degree day to change in the other direction.

Yesterday we had our first significant frost so I forced myself out of bed early enough to enjoy it before the sun burned it off and I have to say it was worth it. The sky was crystal clear and the creatures were out. I saw more wildlife than I have seen in months. I guess they were glad the summer was over too. After riding awhile I wound up painting in Totty's Bend at a friends farm who had called to let me know he had round bales on the ground. As I painted the sun was burning the frost off the tops and creating vapor that I tried and found out frost vapor is a little tough to paint.
Now that we have had that first good frost things will start to change rapidly over the next few weeks and there is not a better place to catch the show than here in middle Tennessee.

CSOP - 4

I recently had the good fortune of painting with Pam Padgett and Paula Frizbe. While we were preparing for the Leiper's Creek 10th Anniversary Show we planned a couple of paint outs, one in Leiper's Fork and the other a road trip to Bedford County, specifically Bell Buckle, Wartrace and Normandy. The area there is full of things to paint. It is small little towns surrounded by rolling hills, haybales and bovine.
Other than the occasional Cumberland Society paint trip I don't get to paint with these two very often. Our schedules keep us moving in different directions but it is always fun to paint with other artists of their skill commitment and experience and hopefully we can make it a regular occurrence.

10th Anniversary Show @ Leiper's Creek

Just wanted to let everyone know Lisa Fox at the Leiper's Creek Gallery is celebrating the gallery's 10th year. Congratulations! There will be a celebration at the gallery on September 10th and hopefully all the artists will be able to be there. Would love to meet them. I know there will be tons of new work there from each artist and will be a great evening in Leiper's Fork so drop by and say "hi".  Festivities begin at 5.

Update

Not much to say here. I've gotten behind with my posting and just wanted to try and catch up with some of the work I have done over the last month. More to come later.

Parasites

We have an insect here in the south that I think anyone who has been outdoors any length of time has been eaten by. It's the chigger. I always thought they were a cousin to a tick but apparently are more akin to the mite. When they are larvae is when they attach themselves to the "host" and "feed on the fluids of the skin cells". And just by where they seem to go on one's person, I would say they like dark and concealed areas. Just guessin'.
The reason I feel so compelled to write of the chigger right now is the fact that I am sitting here writing this and wearing out a good set of fingernails scratching and digging at my "dark and concelled areas" that I mentioned earlier.
I painted with the Chestnut Group yesterday getting ready for the Land Trust Show in October on the farm of Bill McEwen. Bill has a fabulous farm and a more fabulous wife, who was our host most of the day. We had a good crew turn out and scored a little lunch at the Duck River Market in Shady Grove. But before all this began I was offered bug spray and refused. For some reason I feel impervious to chiggers and it has never worked out for me. Ever. But I will say, for some reason, it has been a light chigger year for me. Not too many this year. And the reason I posted the picture above is the fact that this was painted during one of the most aggressive chigger attacks I have ever been under. It was painted a few weeks ago and it took awhile to get over that one. When I see this painting I shudder. And itch.
This painting and about 15 others are about to make a trip to Charleston, SC to be in a two man show with Ken Pledger at the M Gallery. I will be leaving on Tuesday and the opening is Friday night. The show will hang most of the month of August so if you're in Charleston drop by the gallery and take a look. And if you get a whiff of Deep Woods Off or DEET, that'll be me.

Huntsville Museum of Art

I just got in from the Huntsville Museum of Art after delivering paintings for the Plein Air Painters of the Southeast's exhibit "A Sense of Place" which runs from August the 7th to September 23rd. There will also be, in conjunction with the show, workshops taught by members of PAP-SE given during the month of September. Anyone interested in taking one of the workshops should contact The Huntsville Museum of Art for details.

Speaking of the museum, I had no idea Huntsville had such a nice facility for the arts. This thing was gorgeous. I had heard some of the art community in Nashville talk about how nice it was but after a private tour today due to the fact they were closed, I was very impressed. I plan on getting on the mailing list and hopefully making the one and a half to two hour drive from time to time. Not bad at all for a day trip. If you get a chance in the next month or two drop by and see the show.

Carnton Show

Here are the only paintings I got done for the Carnton Show with the Chestnuts next week. Time was short these past few months and I had a million things I was trying to accomplish and get ready for.
We here in Tennessee have tons of wonderful Civil War significant locations and properties in our area and are fortunate to have them, so hopefully we can generate a little money to help maintain them. They are treasures that once gone are gone and I think we should do everything we can to preserve and keep them.
There should be around 200 pieces in the show when all is said and done so if you get a chance drop by the Carnton Mansion next week and take a look.

Happenings in Middle Tennessee

Recently I have had the good luck to attend a few quality happenings here in our area.

As I was painting the painting above in the Leiper's Fork area I could hear a sound check in the distance.  If you ever hear a sound check in the Leiper's Fork area, run to it. I guarantee it will be a show like none other. The area is full of talented and pedigreed musicians and when they get together it is a show. The sound check I had heard was for two bands to play on the back porch there in the fork. The Hog Slop Stringband and L'Angelus.  To say these bands were talented and tight would be an understatement. If they come anywhere near you, go.

My second southern cultural experience was the Tennessee Shakespeare Festival's rendition of "Comedy of Errors". It is Shakespeare set in late 19th century S.C. and it is clever and funny and is held under a large tent on the campus of The Webb School in Bell Buckle Tennessee. Take a picnic, bottle of wine and a blanket and make an evening of it. It is a great way to spend a summer evening.

And thirdly, I spent July the fourth at the Nashville fireworks display downtown. What a fireworks show! Geez. We have friends that have an apartment on the hill at Lea Street at the grassy field above the old KDF building. Great view and easy parking. Sweet. Thanks Sherri. Something else that if you haven't done you might want to try at least once. It's awesome. The roar and bang factor is phenomenal. We were a half mile away and it shook the whole building we were in. As it was happening I imagined the din and concussion of Paris streets during the Franco Prussian war of 1870, Gettysburg, or the charge of the 4th and 13th Light Dragoons, 17th Lancers and the 8th and 11th Hussars straight up a mile long valley in Balaclava into and through a line of cannon in a constant state of fire. What could that have possibly felt and sounded like? I was flinching at a firework show a half mile away. Not being from a military background it is incomprehensible to me what can compel a soldier to complete a mission in that type of chaos and shock. They call it bravery but to me bravery is living your life openly as you are, amidst bigotry and hate, it is sitting at the front of the bus when society tells you you don't have the right, or stepping up with courage and dignity and taking that first step in a long and arduous battle with cancer. Those things take courage. Combat is something else entirely, something I don't have a word for or understand. Is it training? Teaching the mind to do something that is completely abnormal to every ounce of fiber in the human psyche that says flee? All I know is that it is possible and works because every time we as a nation stand up and point and say "there, there is your enemy" the military strap on their boots, set their jaw and hurl themselves at the dogs of war.
"Theirs not to make reply,
  Theirs not to reason why,
  Theirs but to do and die:
  Into the Valley of Death"
Tennyson

Painting Flowers

I usually don't paint flowers. I struggle with some of the color with my three color palette and the drawing and rendering can be a little complicated and delicate. When done right though they are of course gorgeous. I submit Richard Schmid and Dan Gerhartz right off the top of my head.
But I do have a couple I like to paint. And they are both weeds. Mention them here in Middle Tennessee and the farmers cringe. One is the Creeping Buttercup and the other is the Thistle. The thistle has about as much character to me as anything. They have a long Celtic history and are the national flower of Scotland and are prickly and tough and will grow anywhere with a little sun. And when they bloom they're beautiful . Beautiful, tenacious, delicate and full of character. Yikes, I just described my two daughters to a tee.

On The Shoulders Of Giants

As plein air painters, being exposed to crowds and having contact with the public as we paint, we are all asked questions about what we do and how we do it. But I have noticed there are certain questions that are asked repeatedly:
Whatcha' doin'?
How long you been doin' that?
Do you know Bob Ross?
The first two I understand. They're pertinent. But the last?
When asked the third question I always respond with this "yeah, I know who he is" that is laced with a tone that says,"I can't believe you asked me that. I am a serious artist." And I am asked this question over and over and over. I have thought about putting a counter on my blog and keeping up with how many times I am asked, "do you know Bob Ross?"
But I had an incident recently that has caused me to re-think my response to the question.
I had a slow leak on an outside faucet and called a plumbing company to come and fix it. When the plumber shows up, he walked in and saw my easel and painting set up and didn't ask "where's the leak?" or "what's the problem?' Nope. The very first thing out of his mouth,"Do you know Bob Ross?"
I started to respond with my patented smug "yeah" but then I noticed here is a guy standing in my studio and we have started an artistic dialog thanks to Bob Ross. He goes on to tell me that he has a mother and cousin who paint consistently due to the Bob Ross t.v. show exposure. And that is usually how the stories go when people talk about Bob Ross. "I have a cousin..." or "I have a mother-law..." or a neighbor or a retired executive or bored housewife or, or, or...  There are thousands and thousands of people out there who Bob Ross made believe they could be artists and he got them up off the couch and in front of the easel and got them started. Thousands. I have them show up for my classes and workshops. And I bet almost all the other artists I know, at some point, have had Bob Ross started students. Bob Ross exposed people to art that may never had the opportunity or resources to begin an artistic life. He got them started. And some may argue the artistic merit of his style and methods but you have to admit, he has had a huge impact on art in this country. People don't come up to me and ask,"hey, you know that John Singer Sargent guy?" I've never been asked. But how many people out there got to John Singer Sargent via Bob Ross?  How many has he started on that quest and journey and constant lifelong pursuit for the betterment of their craft?  I guarantee  more than anybody else you can think of.
So the next time I am asked, "do you know Bob Ross?"
"You mean that artistic titan that has had such an impact on the arts? You mean that creative powerhouse with that quite soft hypnotising demeanor? The guy with the afro?"
"Oh hell yeah I know him."
Just don't ask me about Thomas Kinkade. I'm still working on that one.

12x16

A 12x16 done afield. That is massive for me.

After calming down from that first initial burst of frenetic paint application to block in the big stuff it didn't seem to be any more time consuming than a 9x12.  Go figure. Granted it wasn't the most complicated painting I have ever done but again having only about 2 hours in it was quite surprising especially since I didn't abandon the number 1 brush I use. You gotta' dance with the one that brung ya'.

The other photo is mid-painting in a field of roundbales.  It's that time here in Tennessee. Roundbales seem to be everywhere you look.

The Three Hour Time Limit

I have an imaginary time limit when I paint outside. If I have painted for three hours I generally have a problem or just finished fighting a problem. I tell myself that if I don't have it done at the end of three hours stop and re-group. Quit fighting it. Such was the case a few weeks ago on the painting above. The distant trees and hills went just fine. Like clockwork. But when I started laying in the foreground field my head just couldn't make it happen. I tried rows to the left, rows to the right, foreground textures, vegetation, rocks, posts, trees, etc., etc. Nothing made me happy and the three hours had expired so I scraped off the bottom half and when I got back to the truck I threw it in the tool box and there it stayed for about two and a half weeks.
Last week I revisited the same spot at the same time, fetched the half painting from the tool box and painted the foreground field in about 15 minutes. 15 minutes. That was all it took. I don't know if I was tired or frustrated on the first attempt but putting it away and recalibrating my head made a difference. I typically don't have the patience to go back a second time or try it later when I get it home. I am ready to move on to the next one. But I do believe in stepping away for awhile to let your head clear. I think it saved this one.

Heat Sissy Steps Up

I have always admitted I am the biggest heat sissy that has ever plein air painted. I'm an eskimo. So if you would have told me I would be painting outside at 2:00 in the afternoon in 96 degree heat last Thursday I would have called you a liar. Yet there I stood, painting, sweating and whining.
Anne Blair Brown had called me the night before and suggested we go downtown for a few cityscapes. We would meet at 8:00 so I assumed I would be back in an climate controlled environment by 10:00. My bad.
We painted first on Rutledge street downtown. The area I picked had one small shade tree and that was the only shade I saw in that area so that's where I set up and apparently it was the same shade that most of the homeless use. Spent an hour talking to "homeless Mike" and he actually had some very pointed questions about what I do for a living. It was 10:00 and he had just finished his first stove pipe so I noticed the questions becoming a little less pointed.

After finishing that painting and regrouping at the Farmer's Market my painting posse, Anne, Cathleen Windham and Bitsy King all turned to each other and said,"what now?" Being the only man I couldn't be the one to snivel and cry about the heat so I said "whatever". That's how I wound up standing on the bank of the Cumberland River in 96 degree heat. All and all it wasn't that bad in the shade and I got some paintings done and got to use the heat for an excuse to spend the evening with the "posse" at an East Nashville establishment for conversation and libations.

I will say this about the summer though. There is a thick humid density to the atmosphere that you don't get as well in the winter that is fun to try and paint. It creates real grey atmospheric perspective that is a challenge to try and pull off but when you stick it it looks fantastic.

Commissions

I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to do a few commissions over the past few weeks. It's always fun to get to attempt to capture a piece of land and it's individual characteristics. Each landscape I step up to has a certain personality. They are all a bit different. If you don't believe me, ask the guy who farms it or hunts on it or just spends his free time walking around on it. You could drive them there blindfolded in the trunk of a car and as soon as they got out would know where they were. Thats why when someone asks me about my philosophy on painting landscapes I like to say I paint portraits. Portraits of the landscape. I try desperately to capture the look and feel and characteristics of that land and region and "personality" of that place. Lately I have have gone nutty on Douglas Fryer landscapes. He paints the landscape as it looks and feels, with all it's weather and textures and moods. Doesn't try to glamorize it or fluff it up. Paints the character of it. Guarantee, just by looking at his landscapes I would know where I was if I were ever blindfolded, thrown in the trunk of a car, driven to Utah and thrown out. And please, just take my word for it.

Also, while painting in Charleston with PAPSE I met Richard Oversmith who has an acquaintance that is the colorman and proprietor of Blue Ridge Oil Colors. His name is Eric Silver and he was kind enough to send me samples in the colors I use. After using them they reminded me of Holbein paints. Bear in mind I am no expert and I am sure Eric would answer any questions you may have, but compared to the Windsor Newton paints I use they seemed more soft and buttery. If you want to check 'em out, www.blueridgeoilpaint.com.

Chestnut Demos

Just a quick blog to keep the momentum. These were a couple of demos I did for the Chestnut Group about two weeks ago during their "Paint Your Heart Out" series of workshops. Had a great class except for the heat. Painting mid to late afternoon in 90+ degree heat was a bit miserable but everyone came through like troopers.

A New Look

Thought I would change the look of my blog a bit and maybe it would inspire me to post more. I don't think it is the look that prevents my posting but the free time necessary.

We had a great opening for the Cumberland Society Show at Leiper's Creek Gallery last Saturday night. Large crowd, great party and brisk sales. I saw a lot of people I hadn't seen for awhile and the gallery looked fabulous with all the art hanging in it. Proud to be part of a group of such accomplished artists. The show will be hanging at the gallery until the 29th so if you haven't been, drop in and take a look.

I have been trying to get to the field when I can and due time limitations this time of year, my field work has been sparse. Thanks to some extraordinarily cool weather a week ago I got to paint full days. However a lot of it was in a slow drizzle. The paintings posted here were all done in that cool spell. I have the feeling though the cool spells are gone for awhile.

CSOP Show

A couple of paintings I will have at the Cumberland Society Show at Leiper's Creek Gallery starting the 14th of May. I am as excited about seeing the other artist's work as I am mine. I haven't seen but a few of the pieces they have done for the show and I remember when I would go to their shows before I was part of the group how motivational it was for me. That was how I learned. Just gleaned their paintings to death. So I think it will be a motivational experience for me. That and a couple of sales would be highly motivational.

Apple

I got an iphone recently due to the fact I washed my old flip phone in the washing machine and for anybody wondering, yep, that's bad for them. Loooove the new iphone. Can do itunes, weather, texting, well, you all probably know because I feel like the last person alive that didn't have a smart phone. So I used the camera feature to photo my paintings for this blog entry and I'll be damned, better photos than my digital camera. And I just stood them up under a florescent light in my garage. No sweat, no hassle. It seems like every Apple product I have ever bought has done that. Taken out the sweat, taken out the hassle.

The pieces here are 6x6's I did yesterday. I have been seeing some beautiful 6x6's done for the Randy Higbee show and have about 20 6x6 panels that I have never used so after seeing the show pieces got motivated. It is a wonderfully fun size to paint to. Oh, and you know how I say if you do this long enough you're going to find a jackass. Found one! Apparently if you drive by his house more than once he is going to pull you over to find out if you're going to steal his push mower or dirt bike or whatever he has laying in his yard. After he pulled me over I "explained" the situation to him and left him a business mailer with my contact info just in case he becomes a collector at some point. Got some great 6x6's I can sell him.