"200 Faces, No. 134"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

I'm back to painting today, happily.   You may have heard it started snowing in Atlanta on Tuesday around noon.  Within an hour, the city and suburbs was in gridlock.

I liken it to every Halloween - when at 2 or 3, the whistle blows and kids load into buses and parents get on the roads and every street, highway, road is a traffic jam for hours.  That's life in Atlanta.  Add snow and ice to the situation and it's a disaster.

Us?   We were home by the time it started.  And we didn't leave until yesterday afternoon.  Zac and Joey had their first intro to snow and loved it, like most dogs.  I love snow days.

Frankly, it was too frigid in my studio to even entertain the thought of painting.  Now it's more than comfy out here.

A new addition to my ongoing series BUST-ED  -  a young woman that I ended up with a more classic portrait, chosen for her hair.  I always need practice with painting hair.

"Foam Bath"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

A reminder of warmth, sun, sand and fun at the beach in the summertime.

"Object of My Affection"

9 x 12"

oil on panel
sold

I've been working on this for several days.  I think this COLD weather has slowed me down.  I have many friends and fans who endure brutal winters in the north - I don't know how you do it.  I always say 'that's why I live in the South' but we've got temps we rarely see.  I think I'll work on a beach painting next just to channel in the sun and warmth.

As I was painting this new piece, I came up with several titles - a young couple admiring Mary Cassatt's painting 'A Child's Bath', which could mean they're contemplating having a baby, missing their baby or just enjoying the painting.  It's rather sweet whatever the story is.

Please click here for a larger view.

Stay warm, my friends ~

"Iron Side"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

A woman resting on a carved, wrought-iron bench in the Sculpture Gallery in the Art Institute of Chicago.

"Get With The Program"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

From the Art Institute of Chicago, a woman reading the museum's program with a couple of Georgia O'Keeffes beside her.

"200 Faces, No. 133"

 5 x 5"

oil on panel
sold

I'm back to painting.  Thank you for coming back to visit.

This guy was fun to paint - he has a rather biblical look.  The detail below shows how I approached the beard - a combination of wet paint underneath, then scrubbing on strokes with a dry brush, then scratching into the paint with a small palette knife.

detail

A new addition to my ongoing series BUST-ED.

"Celebrity Sighting"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

I love this story - record crowds have been 'flocking to the Frick Collection' to see the Dutch painter, Carel Fabritius's oil titled 'Goldfinch' - which is the inspiration for the novel by Donna Tartt.  It is a wonderful thing when masses of people are interested in art and get to the museums.

"200 Faces, No. 132"

5 x 7"

oil on panel
sold

Adding to my ongoing series BUST-ED, a Latino man painted on a vibrant orange ground - which I decided to keep as the background.

"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.