Iowa

We're happy to be home - our cross-country road trip was fabulous, Zac & Joey were excellent travelers and although it included a flat tire in Oklahoma, a speeding ticket in Texas, a car repair in San Francisco, a warning ticket in Nebraska and we managed to lock all 3 sets of keys in the car in Iowa - you learn to go with the flow.  Traveling is dynamic.  And the experience of going thru forests, deserts, farmlands, canyons and mountains is worth it.  

I set up a blog RoadRunners 2012 if you're interested in a few photos, including the workshop I held in San Francisco, which was fantastic.  If you get on the blog, rewind and start with the first post - our trip from Atlanta to San Francisco.  We traveled mostly on Hwy 40 going west, then up the coast to San Francisco, where we arrived on the 8th day.  The new post includes some workshop pictures and our trip going east then home.  We had to detour south to avoid a snowstorm on Hwy 80, then cut back up through Las Vegas, through Utah and joined up with Hwy 70 to Denver - then cut north to the Lincoln Hwy (30) through Nebraska and Iowa.  The photo above is one of the last we took, on the Grant Wood Byway, before we motivated to home, where we arrived on the 8th night.

We traveled 6,300 miles, through 14 states and we continuously saw paintings in our heads on every turn and over every mountain.  Truly the most inspirational experience of my life.  Do it when you can.

I need some recovery time and some catching up with chores - I'll be back to painting asap.

Bye For Now

Just wanted to wish you all Happy Trails, and I'll be blogging from the road and the workshop in San Francisco - stay tuned for that. Traveling is my inspiration, I'm very excited.

Speaking of traveling and inspiration - I read about this guy, Matt - who currently is blogging about 'walking every street in New York City'. He takes photos every day, it's fascinating. Last year, Matt walked from Rockaway Beach, New York across the country to Rockaway Beach, Oregon and blogged the whole trip. I admire his guts.

~ Happy Trails

"Child Seat"

6 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold 

A new painting - the simple pleasure of plopping down on the beach and playing with the gloppy, wet sand.

Please click here for a larger view.

Any Iowans Out There?

If anyone out there knows Iowa - I'm researching where the best farmland/rolling hills are?

"Mentor"

11 x 6"

oil on masonite
sold

Getting a few paintings done before the big road trip - a true big brother leading the way on a walk down the beach. I need to train Zac & Joey to do this.

For a larger view, click here.

My New Book 'ATL to NYC and back'

Just so happens, on the same day the auction ended for my last painting in my series ATL to NYC and back, I got my first copy of the new book. And you may notice, the last painting 'Ribbons In The Sky' is on the front cover of the book - I think it looks very cool.

The book is officially proofed and now officially for sale on Blurb - and soon we'll be on our way across the country, to San Francisco, where I have a workshop. I'm very excited. Surely that means a lot of new paintings, several new series and more books in the future.

here's a reminder for a couple of things -

- the workshop in San Francisco still has 3 openings, info is on the right hand column and...
- Brett has just listed 4 brand-new Tabletop Easels, expecting more would be available late May.

Thank you, in advance, for the purchase of my new book - it surely will help fund our big road trip.

~ Happy St. Patrick's Day

"Ribbons In The Sky"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

I've wanted to paint this subject for a long time. If I could easily pull off a highway when I see these huge overpasses, and take tons of photos while cars and semis are whizzing by me at 80 mph - I'd probably have painted this long ago. I love these strong, majestic structures. This is in Springfield, Virginia - the starting point for our way home.

This new painting happens to be the last of my series ATL to NYC & Back - the 50th piece. I had a hard time deciding on the last image - it was either this or our pups, Zac & Joey. They're a part of the story, although they didn't come into our lives until two days after we returned home. After spending ten days in New York City, we developed such strong dog-envy, petting just about everyone's dogs we met on the streets and in the parks. We missed that part of our lives. On the way home, we both decided it was time and two days later we adopted Zac and Joey.

But...... I really wanted to paint this subject and thought it was somewhat symbolic of the end of our trip. And knowing I'll create a book of this series, Zac and Joey will be included on the back cover. Cool beans.

I want to share some thoughts about doing this series, what I've learned, etc - I'll do that in a couple of days. For now I've got to start on that book.

"Berry Yummy"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

This was fun to paint - an addition to my series ATL to NYC & Back - an ode to blueberry pie. Our long road trip home included a stopover visit with family on Memorial Day, including good company, good food and a slice of homemade blueberry pie that Brett's mom made for us which was incredibly delicious.

"Old Jersey"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

A pair of old houses hovering above the New Jersey Turnpike, on a bright, blue-sky, Memorial Day weekend. This is an addition to my series ATL to NYC & Back.

"Bloomfield"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

I'm almost at the end of my series ATL to NYC & Back - and I just painted one of my personal favorites. I love it when that happens.

This is quintessential Bloomfield, New Jersey - little grandma houses in old neighborhoods. I love those old homes. We met up with our car, which was parked for free while we were in New York City, said thanks to a good friend, and we were soon on our way.

Workshop in Hilton Head

Just a quick shout to announce I'm holding another workshop this fall in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Registration is now available, the details can be found on the right hand column, including the contact info to sign up. You can click here for a summary of the workshop.

Also want to mention there are 3 openings to attend my workshop in San Francisco in April. You can read more here.

Would love to have you join me ~

"Arrivederci"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Whenever I'm approaching New York City and see the skyline, I get butterflies in my stomach - it is so enormous, so fantastic, so dense, so busy. It's kinda scary. I feel like I'm leaving one country and stepping into another. Once I'm there, that all turns into excitement and energy - and I am in awe. We were a part of the heartbeat for eleven days and it was unforgettable. My workshop was, again, a fantastic experience - it is the greatest city to photograph and paint.

Leaving the island, I usually feel a slight relief - back on familiar territory. This was our last glimpse of the skyline, from across the Hudson River - and we were now on our way to reunite with friends in New Jersey, and where we left our car. This isn't the end of my series ATL to NYC & Back - but it's the last glimpse of that amazing part of our trip.

"Driving While Suspended"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Not to whine, but this was downright tough. There was nearly a wipe off three different times, I just vowed to plug on.

This new painting is included in my ongoing series ATL to NYC & Back - as we were packed up and ready to leave the island, we wanted to see the Brooklyn Bridge just one more time. It is so iconic, so magnificent.

"Starbuckin'"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

After a couple of days of tightening up - I needed loosening up. I love painting both ways really. Balancing it out is the key to sanity.

As my ongoing series ATL to NYC & Back is coming to an end, our final morning in New York City began with a stop at the nearest Starbucks, where I spotted this young woman enjoying the sunny window.

"Tea Time"

12 x 9"

oil on masonite
nfs

A painting I've been working on for several days - a gift for two very nice people I know.

The Hilton Head Gang Mugshots

I'm catching up with the rest of the Hilton Head Gang - warming up with these new additions. We've got a blog where you can see the gang's different versions - they're so cool.

Roxanne "The Streak"

Chris "The Moniker"

Jennifer "JLO"

Kelley "Macgrins"

My New Book 'San Francisco'

For my workshops, I create a book for my students that includes paintings I've done from the location we find ourselves in - hopefully it inspires when they're sent out with their cameras, seeing the surroundings through an artist's eyes.

With my workshop in April fast approaching, I've got a new book 'San Francisco' now available on Blurb - it is 7 x 7" and includes 41 color reproductions of paintings I've done from previous trips to the city. If you'd like a partial preview of this new book, click here.

To explain my pause in working on new pieces, we've decided this is a great opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime road trip to the west coast - so I've been mapping it out, making solid plans and that has taken chunks of time but it should be incredible. Zac & Joey are coming too, they'll be blogging about it along the way and so will I.

For now, I'll get back to painting tomorrow. Thank ya'll.

"Stared Straight"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

After painting the cool, swirly water around "Minnie", it prompted me to add to my ongoing series ATL to NYC & Back - a woman enchanted with Monet's brush strokes on his "Water Lilies", which hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

"Minnie"

nfs

One of my four-legged friends, Minnie, my good friend's pom - she lived a long, adventurous, loved life and passed away today. I've painted Minnie before, floating on a raft with her mom. RIP Minnie.

"200 Faces, No. 108"

4 x 4"
oil on masonite
sold

A great face to paint.

"Mensch"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Mensch is Yiddish for a good guy. I loved this gentleman, I thought he looked like a good guy. Distinguished and wise in his years. I spotted him sitting outside of Central Park, looking onto 5th Avenue. Not far from where I held the workshop.

Normally, I would ignore the detail of the wall behind him - keep it simpler. But in this case, I thought it added something right. This new painting will be added to my ongoing series ATL to NYC & Back.

"Comfy"

12 x 9"
oil on masonite
sold

There are times when I can't seem to paint anything right - and I know it's because something is distracting my attention - laundry, errands, puppies and the like usually. So I just gave in for a few days and focused on my upcoming workshop in San Francisco. I made all my arrangements, worked on my hand-outs, did my laundry, ran my errands and played with the pups. Nothing like a clear head to get painting again.

This new painting feels so warm and comfy - a big chair, a hot cup of coffee and a good book. So nice.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Boat People"

5 x 7"
oil on masonite
sold

A new addition to my ongoing series ATL to NYC & Back - a group of students riding on a chartered boat down the East River. Of course I just l-u-r-v-e the shadows.

"Bench Warmer"

5 x 7"
oil on masonite
sold

Here's a little guy I spotted on the outskirts of Central Park - an addition to my ongoing series ATL to NYC & Back. I hope to do a larger painting of him, wanted to do a small study first.

"200 Faces, No. 107"

4 x 4"
oil on masonite
sold

I can't read without glasses and I've always been against wearing them when painting. Aside from squinting the entire time I'm working, the extra blur keeps me loose. But.... recently, there came a point when I caved. Just too much strain I guess. Then, the trick was NOT to get nit-pickyitis and just focus on the strokes. Not the details. I'm getting used to it day by day.

My warm-up this morning, an addition to my ongoing series BUST-ED.