Thunder Moon July Full Moon

8" x 8" x 1/2" (requiring NO FRAME) original oil on gallery wrap canvas - $70 including shipping - UNAVAILABLE AT THIS TIME
July's weather has been rather strange here in North Georgia. Thunderstorms almost every evening have given the sky a purple cast both at sunset and sunrise. This painting is completely imagined. I don't know whether the small forms in the distance are trees or a town. You can decide.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Colors at the Crossing ---- SOLD

8" x 10" oil on stretched canvas - painted en plein air (with a few tweaks in the studio but within the definition of plein air) - $120 including shipping - SOLD, THANK YOU !

Painting structures in the studio with the help of a T-square, plotted vanishing points, etc usually doesn't pose a problem. However, I'm trying to stretch my painting abilities by painting these structures free hand and en plein air - winging it.

This painting features the historic buildings around the Tunnel Hill, GA, railroad crossing (hidden to the left). On the left in the forefront is the Tunnel Hill Historical Center. Then behind it (L to R) are the Tunnel Hill Church of Christ and the depot (made famous during the Great Locomotive Chase during the Civil War). The orange building was originally Griffin's Sundries - Toppie made the best hamburgers in the state and was always there with her Southern lady charm. The red building was the Tunnel Hill Baptist Mission, but in later years housed Playhouse 64 and featured well known country singers in concert. The two buildings to the right are small factories.

You might not have noticed, but I left out power lines which are such a distraction to the charm of this beautiful spot in NW Georgia. I love it here!
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Queen Annes Lacey Meadow - SOLD

10" x 8" oil on canvas covered hardboard - painted en plein air, alla prima - $85 including shipping - SOLD, thanks LS Manis !!
Wednesday morning was hazy and overcast; the sun just wasn't showing through the clouds. I chose to paint this clump of trees at the meadow's edge. There just wasn't anything special about the scene and I was becoming disappointed at the outcome. But just as I was completing the foreground, the sun peeked through and the Queen Anne's lace seemed to spring up shouting "Look at us!". I smiled and instantly knew the title of this little painting.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

"Chair Affair" stool completed

The stool top is a 16" diameter, 1" thick heavy wood - possibly oak. It was sealed, then two coats of gesso were applied. Artist acrylic tube paints were used. After drying, the painting was sealed with several coats of spray acrylic sealer. Since I don't know if it will be used as a stool for sitting or a small table, I wanted to be sure it is durable.

contact me with any questions at beejw@charter.net

letting it cool

I'm almost finished painting the stool for the Why KNOw Abstinence Education program. It's resting upside down so that I can look for any problem areas. There are still the highlights on rocks, roof, etc to be added. There will probably be another 2 or 3 glazes added to the water. Maybe a tree in the foreground?? Haven't yet decided. I'll post the finished painting tomorrow. The stools, chairs and chests will be on display in Chattanooga area businesses until the auction. Any questions - contact me at beejw@charter.net

It's acrylic on sealed, gessoed wood.

Early Before the Rain

10" x 8" oil on canvas covered hardboard - painted en plein air, alla prima - $85 including shipping -
I parked at the little covered bridge in Tunnel Hill. I was unloading my painting equipment just before 7 am, searching for a colorful dawn sky. The clouds were moving fast and I saw the pinks appearing as I had hoped. Getting the sky onto canvas was my first thought. I could do the meadow and trees afterward. As the sun peeked from behind the clouds, I was seeing orange, violet, reds - wonderful colors in the trees and underbrush.

The sun suddenly spotlighted the tree on the left with all its crooked limbs and beautiful bark. Just as I finished painting and packing away, the first rain drops fell. It was truly a beautiful morning in Tunnel Hill, GA.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Red Clay Council House

11" x 14" oil on stretched canvas - painted en plein air -
This is a study of the Cherokee council house located at Red Clay Park in Cleveland, TN. The day was overcast with very brief moments of sun. The colors appeared to be muted and all the greens seemed to run together. I painted what I saw, but from the start I could see that the lighting left a lot to be desired. I do intent to return later, possibly taking this study. I was intrigued by the large tree on the left which appears to be pointing towards the council house. There is an annual powwow held at the park on the first weekend in August - this year being on the 4th and 5th. Everyone is welcome.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

"A Chair Affair"

Several artists met Saturday at Sandra's studio to paint chairs and stools for "A Chair Affair" sponsored by the Why KNOw Abstinence Education Foundation.
On September 8th at Coolidge Park in Chattanooga, TN, "A Chair Affair" will feature a day of family fun, games and activities while promoting an open conversation with parents and teens about teen pregnancy. The event will include an auction which features one-of-a-kind painted chairs, children's chairs, benches, stools, chests and adirondacks in all shapes and sizes. All of the proceeds from this auction will benefit the Why KNow program provided to teens in Hamilton County, TN, and northwest GA.

This is a small photo of my stool - still in progress. I will hopefully post the finished product within a week or so.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Back at the Pond

8" x 10" oil on canvas covered hardboard - painted en plein air, alla prima - $85 including shipping -
Sandra drove her red Jeep down the old dirt road to the back pastures of her farm. The cows watched curiously as we set up our easels. It was early and we were trying to miss the July heat. Being overcast, the day blessed us with cool breezes and shade from the old trees. The little pond was covered with scum which was a wonderful shade of blue/breen - almost impossible to match with paint pigments.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Flavors of the South

12" x 9" oil on stretched canvas - painted en plein air, alla prima - $108 including shipping -

While mixing the paints for this one, I was musing about the delicious colors of this early morning scene. The sunlight hitting the second story porch was a wonderful orange sherbet or

peach iced tea. The deep red shadow side was raspberry jam or perhaps plum butter. The darkest shadows were licorice and the new grass was limeade. Mint julep anyone??

Contact me at beejw@charter.net

framing experiment

18" x 24" oil on canvas covered hardboard - soon to be a sunset painted from a photo -
After "killing the white" on this canvas, I was searching for a frame thinking maybe I had one in stock I could use instead of buying another one. After popping the toned canvas into the frame, the 'painting' developed an instant personality. When painting in the studio, I will often try the unfinished piece in several frames - looking for that personality spark. And sometimes I'm surprised at how just a toned canvas can take on a certain look just by being viewed in a frame.

Pigeon Mountain Lake

8" x 10" oil on canvas covered hardboard - painted en plein air, alla prima - $85 including shipping - SOLD
On Wednesday, Sandra and I thought we had gotten an early start to miss the heat as we drove through Chickamauga and toward Pigeon Mountain. We were wrong. After finally finding a spot wide enough to pull off the dirt road, not get into the poison oak and not fall off the mountain - we set up our easels. About the time we uncovered our palettes, there came a dump truck "high-ballin' it" followed by a cloud of dust. Then about every 5 minutes another truck came by, then another, then another. It is interesting to note that each time a truck went by, they were driving slower and slower. We think that maybe they were on their radios telling each other, "Hey guys, there's a couple of crazy ladies on the side of the road trying to paint in this heat. Let's give 'em a break." Afterwards we had a nice lunch in Chickamauga and planned another outing soon. Plein air painting - you gotta love it!
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Meadowlawn Shack - SOLD

8" x 10" oil on canvas covered hardboard painted en plein air, alla prima - $85 including shipping - SOLD, thanks Jo ! -
This little shack sits on the edge of the meadow where the annual Civil War reenactment is held in Tunnel Hill, GA. It's used mostly for storage now, but it comes alive during the battle with horses tied to the hitching rail and Yankee soldiers on the porch awaiting orders.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Creekside Red - SOLD

10" x 8" oil on stretched canvas - painted en plein air, alla prima - $90 including shipping - this painting has SOLD - thank you Leisa!

This little creek is in Harry Griffin Park in Tunnel Hill, GA. Painting that day was a chore because of the heat and fatigue - we had been painting for several hours. I've been trying to practice "paint what you see, not what you think you see". The water flow in the little creek is low due to the drought, so the dark vegetation shows through the crystal clear water, almost making the water disappear. As I was finishing the last strokes, I noticed a red object in the lower right. I painted it, too, not thinking what it might be. Then I began noticing red in the shadows to the left. I painted it also. Walking into the water, I found the red object on the right (a Coke can) and realized that the can's color had drawn my eye to the otherwise unrelated reds in the shadows. Painting shapes and colors helps me realize the characteristics of the objects they become.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

Casey asleep on the rug

I know this isn't a painting, but I just couldn't let this photo of Casey napping on the rug get away. I found Casey in a parking lot several years ago. He had been tortured and blinded and left to survive on his own. The vet had to remove one eye and he is blind in the other. He has more than repaid me by giving lots of love. He finds his way around the house very well and can even jump up onto the bed and couch. Rather than turn and look the other way, my small act of rescuing a helpless animal in need has been a large blessing for me and all those who have met Casey.

Meadowlawn Bright

8" x 10" original oil on canvas covered hardboard - painted en plein air, alla prima - $85 including shipping - For immediate purchase, please click on the 'Buy Now' button.
This was painted on June 12th while I and two friends were trying to catch the light and shadow play on a meadow in Tunnel Hill, GA. It was fairly early but we knew it would be hot very soon. This meadow is the scene of the annual Battle of Tunnel Hill, a Civil War reenactment held every Fall in September. The late frost and recent drought has given the trees' foliage a varied palette of color. This is the same site represented in the painting posted on April 30th. You can see the changes in foliage.

Contact me at beejw@charter.net

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plein air painting site

I'm just reminding everyone to be sure to check out the Southern Plein Air Painters blog at http://southernpleinairpainters.blogspot.com/.

We're excited about recently adding several new talented artists. That makes 10 members so far from Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida. We're still searching for plein air artists from North and South Carolina and Alabama. If you'd be interested in being juried into SPAP, please contact me with your blog information. bj

painting at the ladies conference

This photo shows me painting at the ladies' conference last weekend. The finished painting can be seen in the previous post. What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday !

Tree Planted by the Waters

8" x 10" oil on canvas covered hardboard
I was invited by my dear friend, Cathy Cooksey, to be a guest artist at a ladies' conference at Scott Memorial Church of God in East Ridge, TN.

When I arrived, I expected to set up and be painting somewhere in the hallway, greeting the attendees as they arrived. Little did I know that the plan was that I would be sitting up front beside the stage and painting while the speaker gave the presentation. Talk about nervous !! I had brought a very small reference sketch of a tree, thinking that would be an appropriate subject.

As I laid in the large masses, my hands were shaking and I was hoping that the ladies didn't notice. But as the music played and the speaker took the stage, I began to calm and focused on my painting - and listening to her words of encouragement and challenge to the listeners.

Her message was that we should be the women God has chosen us to be. And that we should boldly step out and meet that challenge. All the while she spoke, I was painting - and listening.

As she was finishing, I concluded that I had indeed chosen the right subject for my painting. And the verse came to mind that put it all into perspective - Jeremiah 17 verses 7 and 8.

"Blessed is the man that trustesth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit."

After the painting dried, I framed it and gave it to Cathy with instructions to present it to the organizer of the conference. She was a blessing to all who were present.

Thanks for visiting !

I really haven't given up painting. I promise I haven't.

Last night was the artists' reception for the regional art show "A Brush with History". The event was in partnership with the Historical Foundation here in Tunnel Hill, GA. Artwork by 20 artists was on display with a total of 43 pieces to be seen and admired.

Within the first 24 hours, there were 5 sales of artwork. All the artists are excited about not only showing our work, but that there is still a market for it. Let people talk about the slow economy, gas prices, etc but we know that for every piece of art, there is a collector out there just waiting for the opportunity to buy.