Class II

Just a quick post to let everyone interested know I will be teaching again at Leiper's Creek Gallery on Tuesday and Thursday nights starting March 23 and March 25. It has been great fun talking art every week twice a week. I actually learned a bit myself and found out I can crank out a pretty good demo in 30 minutes to an hour.

Again, it will be a landscape class as it pertains to plein air painting. Basic drawing, seeing masses and the big shapes, three color palette and values, values, values. Anyone interested should contact Kay Keyes Farrar at dkisfarrar@charter.net.

16x20

A quick post. Gotta' pick up my 12 year old at school.

This is a studio piece that is 16x20. Huge for me but lots of fun actually. It didn't hurt that it all just fell into place and I didn't have any areas in it that I had to scrape and paint and scrape and paint and....well you get the idea. I am also pleased with the feel of it, the moodiness. Typically I have a hard time getting it and controlling it in the studio.

Back At Poole Knob WMA

With the snow on the ground, I am going to get all I can out of it. Went back again this morning and hopefully will be able to go again in the morning. There was this wonderful cedar thicket that had snow hanging on it and was hanging with the weight of the snow and was just beautiful. Maybe it didn't get warm enough to completely get rid of it but I am afraid I may have missed it by not doing it this morning. But then I wouldn't have the one I have. Life goes on.

The game warden's curiosity finally got the best of him this morning and he had to stop and ask.

"What's goin' on?"

"I'm working."

A brief moment of silence and then that look of comprehension.

"Oooohhh, you're paintin'! How 'bout that!"

After showing him a few paintings and explaining it all, he was overly friendly about helping me find spots and suggested quite a few.

I have found that once most people find out you're a painter they're fascinated and incredibly accommodating. The only thing that seems to sour the conversation is when they ask,"How much you want for it?"

More Tennessee Snow

Believe it or not we have had yet another snow.

I woke up this morning with every intention of studio painting and looked out the window to see another snowfall. I immediately grabbed my gear and headed for the Poole Knob WMA. There are paintings everywhere there. Everywhere you look. This morning with the snow it was almost overwhelming. After having scratched out a good spot and getting one started it began snowing. Hard. It actually snowed so hard I couldn't see the tree line in the distance. I have seen other artists put falling snow in their paintings, and do it well. But having never tried it I didn't know technically how to pull it off. Stippled? Splattered? Itty bitty brush? Suggestions? I have seen it in some of Marc Hanson's paintings and it is sooo delicate. Different sizes and values and the pattern they created was very even and rhythmic.

I think I may practice a bit, let this painting dry, and then give it a test run. If I get good at it though, I am afraid I will like the look of it so much I'll get carried away with it. If ya'll start seeing it in some of my July and August paintings e-mail and tell me to stop. Thanks.

The other painting is from last week during the clouds in the same area, Poole Knob. Like I said, so many paintings.

More Snow Painting

My youngest daughter was out of school yesterday so she and I got out rambling and wound up in Poole Knob Wildlife Management Area. It was completely empty of people because of the snow and mud I believe. But it was gorgeous with the snow on it. We took a little time to throw some rocks on the pond and then I got to work. I enticed my daughter to go by promising her the opportunity to drive the truck. She did. And very well. I think she liked driving in the mud and snow and I see a four wheel drive vehicle somewhere in her future. Out of all the girls we have in our home, from ages 17 down to eleven, I explained to them all if anything happens to me and ya'll need to drive me somewhere, let the little one drive. She is right now the best in the bunch.

The only other person we saw in the area was the Game Warden. He only waved and kept going, so apparently painting there is allowed or because I was painting in the snow and mud thought I was mentally unstable and my daughter and I left before his back-up arrived.