"Haylight"

7 x 5"

oil on panel
sold

It's New Year's Eve and I'm gonna get a little personal for a change.

My year started with an evil gall bladder that eventually was removed.  I lost my brother who died too young.

A couple of months went by and after bracing for the third bad event to strike - I realized time was passing me by and I needed to dust myself off and get back to being positive again.

From that point, everything got better.  It always does.

This new painting is from one of the best moments of my year - as simple as it was.  I returned to my mom's family, after years had gone by of neglect.  My aunt and uncle still live on a peaceful, beautiful farm in Roxie, Mississippi - a place I visited all through my childhood.  My uncle took me for a spin on his ATV, out in the fields, through the woods, down to the creek and just as the sun was sinking, he stopped.  I didn't have to tell him how beautiful it was - the shadows, the oranges and golds, the peace.  He relishes this every day.  It was just a wonderful moment in my year.

~ Happy New Year to you and may you always relish the beauty in life's simple moments.

"Leftist"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold
 

The trick to actually getting a painting finished - a crock-pot.

Homemade split-pea and ham soup.  Yum.

From the landing in the Art Institute of Chicago, a woman takes a break on a bench.

May your days be Merry and Bright

Wishing you Peace & Love

"Blind Date"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

I painted in shorts and a T-shirt today.

On the first day of winter.

From the second floor in the American Art Gallery in the Art Institute of Chicago, a couple spends the evening together enjoying the art and each other's company.

"200 Faces, No. 131"

4 x 4"

oil on panel
sold

A new addition to my ongoing series BUST-ED.

More Calendars are Here!

calendars are temporarily SOLD OUT-

more available in the New Year.

Thanks to all for your purchase!

"That Toddling Town"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

I have a great feeling of achievement when I can complete a cityscape like this.  I hold my breath a lot when I tackle the buildings and the traffic.  You can hear me chant 'just keep swimming, just keep swimming' the whole time.

"The Grill"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

I'm in the mood to paint scenes in Chicago - starting with a waiter working at The Local - Chicago, a great restaurant I frequented during my last visit at the corner of E Delaware and Mies van der Rohe.

"200 Faces, No. 130"

4 x 4"

oil on panel
sold

Finally back to the paints with a new addition to my ongoing series BUST-ED, painted on a lipsticky-red ground, so great for skin.

2014 Wall Calendars

~ temporarily SOLD OUT ~

Holy Turkey - the calendars sold out again and I admit, I'm astounded.  I'll put in another order today for more.  Thank all of you and I'll post when more arrive.

~ Happy Thanksgiving to All

"200 Faces, No. 129"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

A new addition to my ongoing series BUST-ED, paintings inspired from mugshots.

I honestly did not think I could pull off the hair on this young man, which is why I considered this portrait a big challenge.  It took some patience and experimenting with old brushes and a palette knife.  I love the end result, which is more evident in the real painting than the image - it has some wonderful texture.

"The Matriarch"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

From the Art Institute of Chicago, a mother and her two daughters resting on a gallery bench.

"200 Faces, No. 128"

5 x 5"

oil on panel
sold

Staying loose and keeping limber with a new addition to my ongoing series BUST-ED.  Painted on a turquoise ground color.

"The Little Black Dress"

8 x 10"

oil on panel
sold
 

This new painting will be included in the upcoming Small Works Show at the Anne Irwin Fine Art Gallery in Atlanta - opening November 22nd.  This young woman is connecting with John Singer Sargent's 'Lady with a Rose (Charlotte Louise Burckhardt)' which hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. 

I am very proud to be featured in the full-page ad in the Atlanta magazine Simply Buckhead, promoting the show.  Please come to the opening if you can, there's over 200 pieces showcased. 

Please click here for a larger view.

Break Time

Hi ya'll ~

I'm doing other stuff and will return to painting the last week of October.

Meanwhile ~  a friendly reminder I have 1 Tabletop Easel  left.

See you back here soon.

"Plaza Sunning"

8 x 8"

oil on panel
sold

I've talked about this before - how many artists will be very happy with a finished painting and the same reaction isn't felt by the audience.  It happens to me frequently.  

Such was the case with a recent painting I did of this woman.  On my first attempt, I played around with a thick, red ground and proceeded to pull off the lighter areas with thinner and darken where needed, with a touch of tinting.  And I liked it a lot.

(first stab)

But it seemed no one else did.   

So I've been staring at it all day and wondering what to do with it other than fling it across the yard.  And at a rather late hour in the afternoon, I started adding color and the more I did, the more I loved it.  That doesn't insure a shared opinion by others, but I'm happy.

A woman taking advantage of a sunny lunch hour in the plaza in front of the John Hancock Building in Chicago.

"200 Faces, No. 126"

4 x 4"

oil on panel
sold

A new addition to my ongoing series BUST-ED.

Again, I painted on a pink/orange ground.  Around the forehead I washed on tones and as I moved down the layers became a bit thicker with oils.  Just moving the paint around in different ways to feel out the results.

"Lincoln Highway/Red Maple, Pennsylvania"

5 x 7"

oil on panel
sold

A new addition to my ongoing series The Lincoln Highway.  I was driving on Highway 30 around Lancaster, Pennsylvania when I pulled off the road to sip on a cup of hot coffee, in front of this old building.  As I sat there sipping, I saw this painting in my head right away.  So simple, so colorful, so Zen.

"The Old Guard"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

What prompted this painting was the Hitchcock movie 'Vertigo', which we watched for the 107th time.  Jimmy Stewart follows Kim Novak thru the Presidio and down to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge where she jumps into the bay and he heroically rescues her.   Brett and I and the pups were at Crissy Field beach when I snapped the photo.  It used to be the National Guard headquarters years back.

"Borrowed Time"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

My good friend and neighbor enjoying the last few days of pool time.

"Feather Head"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

Painting came a little easier today.  I don't know why but I relish a day like this.   And yes, this quirky guy really was dressed for a day at the museum, I don't make up these things.

From the Art Institute of Chicago, a colorful guy in his feathered cap viewing Van Gogh's 'Portrait of Joseph Roulin'.

and..... wishing my good friends, Karen & Neil Hollingsworth, a successful opening tonight at Tree's Place Gallery in Orleans, Massachusetts.   Here's two of my favorites that are in the show.

'Night Owl'

by Karen Hollingsworth

'Sunbeam No. 2'

by Neil Hollingsworth

and.... Brett has 2 brand-new Tabletop Easels ready to purchase and 2 brand-new AlterEasels. If you're ready to get painting,  I think you'll love either one of these - it makes the experience a lot more pleasant.

Paint On Tabletop Easel

 Paint On AlterEasel

"200 Faces, No. 125"

4 x 4"

oil on panel
sold

A new addition to my ongoing series BUST-ED.

"200 Faces, No. 124"

4 x 4"

oil on panel
sold

I haven't painted in a few days, I've been building an ark.  If you live in the southeast, you'll understand.   And I needed some warming up, adding a new portrait to my ongoing series BUST-ED.

"Big Hair"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

I felt like painting a figure today - and she has great form and color.

From the lobby bench in the Art Institute of Chicago.

"Harbor Light"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

If you're ever in Chicago, take a boat ride out into Lake Michigan - it's so worth it.  As you're leaving Navy Pier, you'll cruise by the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, built in 1893 for the World's Columbian Exposition and moved to this location in 1919.   

"Berettas"

9 x 9"

oil on panel
sold

This was totally intended to be a study of this figure and I got a bit carried away. 

From the Art Institute of Chicago, a young woman feels a connection with 'On The Terrace' by Auguste Renoir.

"All Of Me"

12 x 4"

oil on panel
sold
 

I had one more long panel, perfect for my sardine.  I've painted the head, the tail and the head and now I get to do the whole fish.

I signed it lightly, underneath the fin on the bottom right so it can be displayed horizontal or upright, which looks cool too.

a closer view of the left half

a closer view of the right half 

"Lincoln Highway/Grand Island Bungalow, Nebraska"

5 x 7"

oil on panel
sold

I fully intended to stay much looser on this and got carried away a bit.  I just love little houses - this one spotted as we drove through Grand Island, Nebraska on the Highway 30.

A new addition to my series The Lincoln Highway.

"Lincoln Highway/Cattle, Nebraska"

5 x 5"

oil on panel
sold

There were hundreds of cattle on this rich, brown dirt - so striking from the highway.  I picked my favorite two for now.

A new addition to my series The Lincoln Highway - in Nebraska.

"Lincoln Highway, Colorado/Nebraska Border"

5 x 5"

oil on panel
sold

This landscape is from the old 1913 route of the Lincoln Highway, close to where it meets up with the current route in Nebraska.  Just wonderful, flat, calm land with seldom glimpses of a homestead.  This will be added to my new series The Lincoln Highway.

"Lincoln Highway, Lincoln Park, San Francisco"

5 x 5"

oil on panel
sold

Carrying on with my new series The Lincoln Highway - a stunning view of the Golden Gate Bridge from Lincoln Park in San Francisco - the westernmost point of the Lincoln Highway.

"Painted Lady"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

A visitor reading up on the exhibits in the Art Institute of Chicago.

"Busy Waiting"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold
 

On the first floor, in the New Modern Wing in the Art Institute, there are several of these benches lined up in front of a stark, white wall.  It's one of my favorite people-watching spots.  

Paint On Easels Testimonials

I've added several more testimonials to my webpage - artists who have recently bought Brett's custom-made easels and have raved about both the AlterEasel and the Tabletop Easel.

I adore Robert Abele's paintings and wanted to share his photo of three paintings on the Tabletop Easel and some meaningful words.  He told me his production has increased by at least three times by being able to work on more than one image at a time - so cool when we can boost our production time.

And I heard from Jill Trear who loves her Altereasel...

It's all about having the right tools. 

Please click here to purchase your brand-new Tabletop Easel and click here to purchase your new AlterEasel.

"Folly Field Book Club"

14 x 7"

oil on panel

detail

Summer reading on Folly Field Beach on Hilton Head Island.

Please click here for a larger view and purchase information.

"The Dive"

8 x 8"

oil on panel
sold
 

A boy snorkeling in the Atlantic Ocean at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

"It's Showtime"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

A sure sign of summer - perched high, looking over my uncle's garden in Roxie, Mississippi.

"200 Faces, No. 123"

4 x 4"

oil on panel
sold

After starting back with painting, I realized I needed some warming up. 

This is a new addition to my ongoing series BUST-ED. 

~ and a Happy Summer to ya'll

Way Down South

Wanted to check in - I've been visiting family in Natchez, Mississippi, attending a large family reunion.  My mom was one of 14 children, so it's a big deal.

I'd like to share a few photos before I settle back in and start painting.

I stayed out on the family farm with one of my mom's brothers and his wife.  It's heaven on earth, a million miles from any hustle and bustle.   I used to stay there as a little kid when I visited and when the sun went down at night, I was scared to death of the dark.  As an adult, it's paradise.  You can see every star in the sky.  It's just .... heaven on earth.

A fraction of the food brought in for the reunion ...

Under the Hill with the Mississippi River flowing by ....

And Nellie Jackson's famous whorehouse ...

When I was about 12 years old, one of my older cousins drove me by Nellie's on a Saturday night.  It was alive and well back then.  Patrons weren't allowed to come in through the front door, there was a driveway that took them to the back door, where they were greeted by Miss Nellie or one of her girls.

Miss Nellie ran the brothel for 60 years.  It is said she took a roll of film to the local drugstore every week to be developed and those photos were her insurance.  It worked for 6 decades.  In 1990, at the age of 87,  a 20-year old neighbor stumbled to the back door drunk and Miss Nellie refused service and told him to come back sober - it was a house rule.

The young man walked over to a gas station across the street and filled a cooler with gasoline and returned to Nellie's place and knocked on the back door.  When Miss Nellie opened the door, he threw the gas on her and lit a match.  Miss Nellie lived for a week and died from her burns - the man who murdered her didn't realize he spilled some of the gas on himself and suffered burns.

Miss Nellie was loved by a lot of the Natchez citizens for her sweet nature and generosity.  She was an avid baseball fan and was often seen around town with two or three of her white poodles.

Just a little Natchez history.