The Tree - SOLD

8" x 10" oil on canvas panel, painted en plein air, alla prima, on May 19th - SOLD, thank you Janice! - I've painted this old oak tree several times, but this particular day was a playfully magic time. The tree seemed to paint itself and I love the 'cartoony' quality. Originally I had thought to use this as an underpainting and return to the site to 'finish' the work. But each time I pick up the painting, it seems complete in its own special way.

Along Life's Road

8" x 10" oil on canvas board, painted en plein air, alla prima on the morning of 5/29/08 - $80 including shipping -
That morning I was feeling kind of quirky so I did a quirky painting. The road, the trees, the meadow flowers are all real. I left out the fence and moved the pedestrian crossing sign and made it a stop sign instead. I was thinking that "along life's road" are many stop signs, but if you look around you'll see some nice scenery. I know, I know - it's kind of corny. But like I said, I was feeling quirky that morning.

hodge podge, mish mash

I have several projects going at the same time and none of them are finished yet.

I'm working on an acrylic of Old Glory for the July flag show at the Creative Arts Guild in Dalton, GA. It's 16"x20" acrylic on 1 1/2" deep gallery wrap stretched canvas. Then there are 2 (at least) plein air paintings I need to go back onsite to finish. And then there's the studio that needs 'decluttering' after these are finished.

Blackberry Morning

10" x 8" oil on linen board, painted en plein air, alla prima, on May 19th (completed at 10:15 am) - $85 including shipping -
It was a crazy morning trying to catch the colors as the sun raced across the sky. The sky was at first cloudless, then hazy, then sunfulled - everything was changing so quickly as I painted fast and tried to keep up. The shadows seemed to be playing 'peek-a-boo' as they changed colors endlessly. The only thing unchanging was the clump of blooming blackberries in the foreground.

Small Things Brought Together

8" x 10" oil on canvas board, painted en plein air, alla prima, on the morning of May 8th. The shadows were dark and the hay covered meadow was bright - what a beautiful morning to paint!!
I've entered this painting in the Creative Arts Guild's Festival Gallery show in September. It won't be available until after the exhibit closes. Hopefully it will sell, but if not I will post it again here.

Going the Long Way Home

8"x10" oil, painted en plein air, alla prima - Sandra and I painted in the late afternoon, looking East toward Chetogeeta Mountain. This road leads up toward homes built along the ridge. It reminds me of taking little detours along life's road, seeing what might be around the next bend.

I have entered this in the Creative Arts Guild's Festival Gallery show in September. I hope it sells - but if not I will post it here again after the exhibit ends.

North for the Summer

5" x 7" oil on canvas panel, painted en plein air, alla prima on May 28th around 7:30 am - $40 (painting only) - $55 (painting framed as shown).....contact me for purchase.....

Painting in the field early in the morning has its rewards. Just as I was putting my signature into the wet paint, I heard the geese honking overhead as they flew North for the Summer. While packing my painting equipment into the car, I also spotted a white tail deer loping through the tall meadow grass. What a wonderful morning for painting!

Getting Away from the Green

8"x10" oil on canvas board, painted en plein air, alla prima, on May 13th around 10am. Contact me to purchase for $65.

Painting in Northwest Georgia in the Spring and Summer presents particular challanges when dealing with greens. An artist friend describes the foliage here as being "North Georgia Green Green". It takes keen observation to find those hidden 'other' colors in the thick leafy trees.

This scene is actually a gravel road running along the Western edge of Chetoogeta Mountain in Tunnel Hill, GA. I just didn't use any green - of any kind, either mixed or tube color - when painting this quick study. Afterward I did another painting using a 'normal' palette of Spring colors. I'll post it soon.

May paintings

I promise that I have been painting. These were done earlier this month. Right now they're in drying racks waiting to be photographed and posted. I hope to post each one separately very soon.

being in the right place at the right time.....

While painting in Red Clay Park last week, I was interviewed by a reporter from the Chattanooga News Freepress. Pictures taken, questions asked - the whole thing done impromptu.

Being in the right place at the right time does occasionally happen. I was glad I had business cards with me. If you'd care to read the story, I've included the link. There is no photo here, but that's ok. I was dressed for painting - not having my picture taken.

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2008/may/06/cleveland-red-clay-spotlight/

Springhouse at Meadowlawn

This is still "cooking". I've tweaked the big tree on the left, making the trunk larger and adding some limbs. There are also adjustments needed in the background. Tomorrow's weather should be the same as today's, so I'll complete the adjustments onsite in the morning. I simply ran out of time (and shade). Maybe Sandra can join me and we can have a small paint-out.

Eternal Flame at Red Clay

Today was windy at Red Clay State Park. I had to tape my canvas to the easel so it didn't fly away! This painting isn't quite finished yet - needs some tweaking here and there. The painting on my easel is standing in the shade, so it appears darker than the trees. The subject is the eternal flame located on a knoll overlooking the council house. I may return in a few days, painting in hand, to finish.

Red Clay is a wonderful place to visit. It's quiet - a great place to get away from the rest of the world.

Place of Peace and Quietness - SOLD

24"x12" oil on stretched canvas, painted en plein air, alla prima, on April 23rd around 9:30am. -- SOLD - thanks LS Manis !!
This little church is in Tunnel Hill, GA. There are buildings around the church but I chose to leave them out of the painting. The church has been there for probably 100 years or more.

Casa de Bandini - progressing

I'm still working on this painting for the Creative Arts Guild's "Celebracion" Hispanic/Latino gallery show. I must deliver it no later than Sunday, April 27th. That's painted, dry, framed and ready to hang in about 8 days. I'm using a drying medium to speed the process. I know I'm cutting it awfully close, but I've been away from the easel for awhile - won't bore you with the details. There's still lots to do here. It's far from being ready.

South from Fort Keys

10"x8" oil on canvas covered hardboard painted en plein air, alla prima - $85 including shipping -
As we were painting at the Tunnel Hill battlefield on March 22nd, I saw this lovely patch of purple at the meadow's edge. As I painted, the dark colors under the trees on the left kept changing. Even though my initial intent was to feature the purple flowers, I loved working on the darks as well.
Contact me for purchase.

Those Bloomin' Pear Trees

10"x8" oil on canvas covered hardboard - $85 including shipping -
Sandra, Sherry, Tim and I met at the Tunnel Hill battlefield on Saturday, March 22nd, and had a great plein air painting day.
This small building is directly across the street from the Heritage Center. The pear trees are in full bloom and are amazing in all their colors of white.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net for purchase.

Casa de Bandini

This is a 28"x22" oil on canvas work in progress.

The smallest image is a 4x6 photo taken in 1997 while I was in San Diego, CA. The slightly larger image is the 8x10 enlargment I'm using as reference.
I've encountered a slight perspective problem because the photo was made using a wide angle lens which distorts verticals, causing them to curve. I've straightend those lines in the canvas layout. Something else to consider has been all the diagonals of the roof shingles, the upper railing, and the rafters. I'm seeing that I need to rework some of the angles before I paint farther.

This will be a companion piece to another work painted in 2003. My style and techniques have evolved since then and I'm somewhat anxious about matching the earlier work.
I'd be happy to receive comments at beejw@charter.net.

Tree Line Vigil

8" x 10" oil painted en plein air, alla prima, on canvas covered hardboard - $85 including shipping -
The Southwest corner of the meadow meets a tree line at the site of the annual Battle of Tunnel Hill. Here the Yankee soldiers emerge, guns drawn and cannons blazing. It was quiet when I painted this but within an hour the site showed hundreds of Civil War reenactors.
Contact me at beejw@charter.net

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