16 x 12 14 x 16 14 x 11   So I have a painting that didn't really work out.  I bought a bouquet of dahlias from the produce stand.  It was one of those times when I just decided to buy myself a present.  They were so filled with life and joy and they screamed to be painted.  Dahlias are, next to roses, my favorite summer flower and I painted them with piles of runny oil paints, slathering it on and covering the canvas in one go.  But when I finished, I realized I had made a rookie mistake by improperly sizing the subject for the size panel I had selected.  ..read more

Art is so personal, don't you agree?  What connects with one person is viewed as meh by someone else.  This is one reason that I enjoy putting new paintings out for public view.  I get feedback, whether intended or not.  Visitors can't hold on to those poker faces  when they are touched by a painting.  Eyes light up and smiles happen.  Back in the spring a collector stopped by to see what was new and of all the pieces on display, he was only jazzed by one.  That was my signal to take 2 of the 3 largest paintings back into the studio to see where they ne ..read more

  So today I'm thinking about being relegated to that demographic that needs to stay indoors when it is hot.  It is not just hot here - like LandonTalks says - it's Satan's armpit hot.  So that being said, these days I am painting indoors in the comfort of the porch studio from plein air studies:  finishing some that were started but not completed and also painting some larger works for sale at the fall art festivals.  In early June I painted this little 8 x 10 plein air study of Ocella Creek in Botany Bay Wildlife Management Area a day or two after heavy rains.  ..read more

  St. John's Episcopal Church, Valle Crucis, NC, painted during the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum Paint Out, 2022.   Where painting (and other stuff) is concerned, I believe that there is a lot of good to come from a bit of competition.  The act of competing causes me to commit to the idea of doing my best work and then measuring that against others who are also doing their best work.  Throw in a judge and some ribbons and voile', the Paint Out serves a healthy purpose.    Dave Santillanes spoke about this recently and what he had to say resonated with me ..read more

      A Word About Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit   "Boots on the Ground" is how the outdoor art festivals are viewed by some.  An artist paints their arms off and then shows up smiling day after day, in all kinds of weather to represent their art.  Answering questions, explaining to non-artists, interacting with the viewer, sneaking lunch,  whiling away the slow hours, sweeping, dusting, sketching anything in view, wordle, computer time with a hotspot..... and then start over again the next day.  Spoleto is 17 days straight and the artists must be i ..read more

It's been awhile since I attended conferences and conventions but I had an opportunity to attend and participate in the 32nd annual Oil Painters of America Convention which was held last week in Charleston.  I wasn't crazy about the hour long commute but felt like I couldn't miss an opportunity to mingle with some of the best painters in the US and learn from listening and watching them paint.  That alone was worth any inconvenience.  Participating in the paint out and having the opportunity to hang my painting in the same room with some of the national winners (yes, it was eas ..read more