Fall at Fort Keys

8" x 10" oil on canvas covered hardboard painted en plein air, alla prima - $85 including shipping -

It seems like ages since I've been outside painting. This is the same scene - "Camp at Fort Keys" - that I painted in September at the Tunnel Hill battlefield. The foliage is changing so fast I'm glad I finally captured it on canvas. The shadows are appearing so blue and the leaves are so firey red, it's just an explosion of color.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

"Starving Artists" ????

I'm sure Durinda Cheek will appreciate you visiting her artist blog and reading her thoughts concerning "starving artists".
http://artisttravels.blogspot.com/2007/10/starving-artists-sale.html

Alannah Michelle Lasher

This is my new little granddaughter - Alannah Michelle Lasher.

Born on October 8th, she is a most precious gift. If you'd like to see more pictures and read her story, please visit her blog - www.thelashers.blogspot.com.

****posted by her Gram, BJ***

Transitions

8" x 10" oil on canvas covered hardboard - painted en plein air on 9/21/07 -
This will be used as a study for a larger studio painting. The morning was unsettled and windy with patchy clouds skipping across the sky. It was as though Fall couldn't decide whether to encroach into Summer - or wait a few more weeks. There was a rustling of leaves signaling the transition of seasons. Patches of red foliage have begun peeking through the Summer green.

This scene is in the same meadow where I painted "Wisdom Oak" and "Just Saying Good Morning". I love this property located near my home in NW Georgia.

Contact me at beejw@charter.net

out of town for new granddaughter :o)

I will be out of town for about 2 - 3 weeks visiting my daughter in Virginia. She's expecting her first child, Alannah, early next week. I'll be away from the easel - but with camera in hand to shoot scenes in and around Richmond.

Please check in again soon. And be sure to visit our plein air painters blog at www.southernpleinairpainters.blogspot.com to see paintings featuring the scenery in Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas, and Florida. Our artists are capturing the changing of the seasons in some wonderful paintings. You won't be disappointed.

September Full Moon on the easel

8" x 10" original on gallery wrap canvas - mixed media in progress - should be finished very soon.

In working on my series of Full Moon paintings, I've researced science and historical information. Many people refer to the full moon in October as the Harvest Moon. However, the Harvest Moon is actually the full moon nearest the September equinox which was September 23rd this year. This fact puts the September full moon, on September 26th, as the Harvest Moon.

The October full moon will be on October 26th and is referred to as the Hunter's Moon, Blood Moon or Sanguine Moon.

Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Camp at Fort Keys - SOLD

8" x 10" oil on canvas covered hardboard - painted en plein air, alla prima on Saturday, September 8th at the Battle of Tunnel Hill - $85 including shipping - SOLD
It was early on the first day of battle. Tents were set up at Fort Keys and campfires were smouldering. Reenactors were beginning to stir, packing away night equipment, getting ready for the afternoon battle.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Fort Keys to Taylors Ridge

8" x 10" oil on canvas covered hardboard - painted en plein air, alla prima on 9-6-07 - $85 including shipping -
It was overcast on Thursday before the Battle of Tunnel Hill. I was set up at Fort Keys to paint the old shed and cornfield which play a big role in the reenactment. Several folks from Mississippi had just put up their tent in preparation for the battle to come. The meadow was peaceful under the early September sky; the trees showed signs of Autumn colors soon to come.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Art festival this weekend

I've been getting ready for the Creative Arts Guild Festival this weekend, September 15th & 16th. Painting, painting, painting is what I've been doing lately.

Then I realized, "Hey, all those paintings need framing for the arts festival". Well, duh!! So framing has been my main focus for several days. And it's not my favorite thing to do - but I'd rather do it myself than have it done. I think it adds a bit more of 'me' to the finished painting.

I have 3 paintings waiting to be posted. I just haven't photographed them yet. I hope to start getting them posted Monday - then it's back to the fields to paint some more.

The Road In

10" x 8" oil on canvas covered hardboard - painted en plein air, alla prima on 9-4-07 - $85 including shipping -
This little gravel road runs south at the foot of Chetoogeta Mountain from the old general store, past Fort Keys then exits back into the 21st century on US Highway 41. It is the 'road in' when the Civil War reenactors arrive for the Battle of Tunnel Hill.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Battlefield at Tunnel Hill

This is the site of the previously posted painting "Dew on the Meadow, Sun on the Rise". The usually peaceful meadow is transformed into a Civil War battlefield at the Battle of Tunnel Hill held annually on the weekend after Labor Day.

As I write this, I can hear the booming cannons - really! - because I live less than 2 miles away. After cleanup tomorrow, Meadowlawn will once again become the peaceful meadow I love to visit.

I have 4 recent paintings done at the site which will be posted very soon. The titles are "The Road In", "From Fort Keys to Taylors Ridge", "Fort Keys Camp" and "Yankee (or Union) Cannons Away".

I met a family of reenactors who set up camp at Fort Keys on Thursday the 6th. They had traveled from Mississippi to take part in this part of living history. "Hey" to Mike, Becky, Savannah and Shiloh. I hope to see you again sometime. :o)

Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Dew on the Meadow and Sun on the Rise

8" x 10" oil on canvas covered hardboard - painted en plein air, alla prima - $85 including shipping -
It was just before 8am on Tuesday, September 4th - a heavy dew had settled on the meadow. Trees were still in deep shadow, and mist hugged the distance. As the sun struck the grass, countless sparkles skipped across the scene. It was an early morning wonderland.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

May the Road Rise to Meet You

10" x 8" oil on canvas covered hardboard - painted en plein air, alla prima - $85 including shipping -
It was Saturday morning, August 25th, and I was set up at Fort Keys to paint a scene at the Tunnel Hill battlefield. Running immediately in front of Fort Keys is Hunt Road, graveled and showing bright in the morning sun. I remembered an old Irish blessing which is:

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Just Saying Good Morning

8" x 10" oil on canvas covered hardboard - painted en plein air, alla prima - $85 including shipping -

Painted August 24th, this scene is quite similar to my painting titled "Early Before the Rain". This week had seen clear bright mornings, with colors fairly singing. I love to see the way different atmospheric conditions affect a scene. The previous painting ("Early...Rain" - July 20th) was done on an overcast morning - this one done with almost no atmospheric interference - except for the brilliant sun.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Battle of Tunnel Hill coming up !!

The Battle of Tunnel Hill Civil War reenactment will be held at the Clisby Austin house and adjacent property on Saturday and Sunday, September 8th and 9th. Please check the photo slide show on the right (below) to view the property. >>>>>>>>>>>>>

Grain Moon the Full Moon in August

8" x 8" x 1/2" original oil on gallery wrap stretched canvas (NO FRAME REQUIRED) - $70 including shipping -
September's full moon rose early on the 28th; the sun had hardly set so the sky was still bright. Trees have slowly begun to show premature fall coloring because of the hard drought this summer. This scene is from my imagination with a little help from observing the moonrise on Saturday the 25th. Contact me at beejw@charter.net

The Colors of Early - SOLD

10" x 8" oil on canvas covered hardboard - painted en plein air, alla prima - SOLD -
Painted on August 23rd, an especially clear day, this painting bursts with colors of what might be called a late late Summer/early early Fall palette. The shadows were dark and the light was crisp and bold - just a wonderful day for painting en plein air. Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Country Store with Caboose and Ghost

8" x 10" oil on canvas covered hardboard - painted en plein air, alla prima - $85 including shipping -
This country store located on the Clisby Austin property in Tunnel Hill, GA, houses many Civil War relics. It is open during the annual Battle of Tunnel Hill reenactment set for September 8th and 9th. Several weeks ago Sandra and I were set up painting on the porch, avoiding the slight rain showers. There is an old pay phone, disconnected for years, beside the front door. I had just finished telling Sandra about some of the ghost stories I've heard connected with the property. Then the phone rang - twice! Disconnected for years, no outside wiring - but the phone rang twice. We both heard it.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Who Will See Us?

10" x 8" oil on canvas covered hardboard, painted en plein air, alla prima - $65 including shipping -
It was about 10am on August 22nd and Sandra and I had been painting for about 2 hours. The sun was rising quickly - and so was the temperature. We were just about to pack up when I spotted this patch of dead grasses hidden in the woods. The sun was breaking through the foliage and spotlighted the area with flaming orange and yellow. I worked quickly to get the scene on canvas. It was breathtaking - I was glad that Sandra was able to see it, too.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

An Old Irish Poem

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there... I do not sleep.
I am the thousand winds that blow...
I am the diamond glints on snow...
I am the sunlight on ripened grain...
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you waken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of gentle birds in circling flight...
I am the soft star that shines at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry—
I am not there... I did not die...

I found this Irish poem while searching for the words to another Irish blessing.

While painting these past two weeks at the Tunnel Hill Civil War Battlefield, I've been thinking about all the American soldiers who fought and died during that war. The land is peaceful now, strewn with sweet-smelling hay bales drying in the Autumn sun. If you care to look back at the past few posts, you'll see some of these paintings. There are still 5 more to be posted. The titles are "Country Store with Caboose", "Who Will See Us?", "The Colors of Early", "Just Saying 'Good Morning'", and "May the Road Rise to Meet You".

The Civil War Reenactment - Battle of Tunnel Hill - will be held on September 8th and 9th this year. Remember the boys in grey and blue.

Bright Meadow from Fort Keys

This image was dropped from the post on 8-23-07. Please click on the image for a high resolution view.

Conversations

8" x 10" oil on canvas covered hardboard, painted en plein air, alla prima - $85 including shipping -
Looking WSW from Fort Keys on the Clisby Austin property, these trees seemed to be conversing early on September 21st. The hay bales also seemed to be whispering to each other. I was listening to the buzz of insects and smelling the sweet hay drying in the sun as I painted the morning away.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Chetoogeta Hillside - SOLD

8" x 10" oil on canvas covered hardboard - painted en plein air - $85 including shipping - SOLD, thanks Dr. Tom !
This scene was painted in 3 stages. Beginning in April the general layout was done; then twice the site was revisited with additions and corrections made to include the seasonal changes. The final touches were done in studio on August 20th.

There are actually two tunnels through Chetoogeta Mountain. The one on the right is famous for being part of the Great Locomotive Chase during the Civil War, and is now part of the historical park in Tunnel Hill. The tunnel to the left was opened in 1928 to accommodate the larger locomotive engines of modern times.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Meadowlawn Hayfield

10" x 20" oil on stretched canvas, painted en plein air - $185 including shipping -
The August heat made the sweet smell of Summer hay fill the air. The meadow is quiet now but on September 8th and 9th, the annual Civil War reenactment will be held on these grounds in Tunnel Hill, GA.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Wisdom Oak

10" x 8" oil painted en plein air on canvas covered hardboard - $85 -
The old oak has seen possibly a century of modern development around town, but its feet are still firmly planted in the N Georgia clay. It has become a landmark for those who love the simple pleasures of the earth.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

painting en plein air in the summer heat

Painting en plein air in August in 95+ degree heat is a challenge. I started out early on Monday, the 13th, and parked beside the covered bridge in Tunnel Hill. The little creek was murmuring its way south, and I was pleased that there were enough trees to give shade for a few hours. The painting of the old oak still needs a few tweeks here and there and will be posted soon. When I'm out painting, I'm thinking of those other plein air painters who love the challenge of capturing nature on canvas or paper.

To quote Tiny Tim, "God bless us, everyone!"