Thursday, January 30, 2014

Breathe on Me, Breath of God

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD


Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Until my heart is pure,
Until with Thee I will one will,
To do and to endure.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Till I am wholly Thine,
Till all this earthly part of me
Glows with Thy fire divine.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
So shall I never die,
But live with Thee the perfect life
Of Thine eternity.



Wednesday, January 29, 2014

O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD


O Master, let me walk with thee
in lowly paths of service free;
tell me thy secret; help me bear
the strain of toil, the fret of care.
Help me the slow of heart to move
by some clear, winning word of love;
teach me the wayward feet to stay,
and guide them in the homeward way.
Teach me thy patience, still with thee
in closer, dearer company,
in work that keeps faith sweet and strong,
in trust that triumphs over wrong.
In hope that sends a shining ray
far down the future's broadening way;
in peace that only thou canst give,
with thee, O Master, let me live.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Mother & Child

11"x14" Oil on Canvas
with Palette Knife
COMMISSIONED


Sometimes when I finish a painting, I feel a sense of gratitude to have been able to be a part of the subject's beauty. It is a joy and honor to have the opportunity to express this beautiful moment with my art. This portrait's true power is love.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Ancestral Home

 6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
COMMISSIONED


Here is when 30 days of paintings comes in handy. A client wanted her ancestral home painted as a gift for her parents. The photo reference was a black and white photograph. Thankfully, I my previous painting experiences allowed me to interpret the subject in color. 

Whew.



Sunday, January 26, 2014

Lighthouse

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD


This lighthouse in Long Beach, California is just too cute not to paint.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Fire & Ice

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD


It was a bitterly cold morning in Middle Tennessee. As I drove my kids to school, the temperature was in the single digits. On the way, we passed a field where the treetops were just beginning to be warmed by the sun. The golden light looked like fire against the cold, icy ground. It was a beautiful scene to start the day.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Bluebird

8"x10" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife



Every now and then, I come across a moment that just screams "Paint me!" 
One such moment was when  I saw this classic Thunderbird parked in the shade.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

The Lord Is My Light

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD


The Lord is my light,
My light and salvation.
In God I trust.


These words and today's painting come from a Taizé song based on Psalm 27.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Harbor

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD


Have you ever looked at a harbor and all of the boats just seemed to blend together? That was the impression that I tried to convey in today's piece.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Riverdance

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD


For today's painting, I went back to the river—this time to paint en plein air.  The light of the late afternoon was dancing all around. It was a challenge to capture the ever changing light. The result ended up quite lose and impressionistic.


Sunday, January 19, 2014

Prayer


6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD


Let my prayer rise before you as incense,
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.


Psalm 141:2

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Kicking Up A Spray

8"x10" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
NFS


It's hard to believe that my oldest child will be turning 14 in a few days. He is an amazing young man—full of energy and ability. As a baby, he went straight from crawling to running and has never slowed down since. So far, his achievements are high academics, 3rd Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo and First Class Boy Scout. His additional interests are gaming, reading, Model UN, drama, band (trumpet), snow skiing, and lastly, waterskiing. That is the inspiration for today's painting.

This is a portrait of my son slalom skiing last summer. He had just mastered how to "kick up a spray." It was a real challenge to paint. But like many of my paintings, what seemed impossible in the beginning, ended up to be a great painting. I'm really jazzed about how the spray turned out—and was surprised at the amount of detail I got in the figure.

So, Happy Birthday, my boy! Keep on running!






Friday, January 17, 2014

Enchanted Gate

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD


On one of my walks, I came upon this magical scene. The path meandered thru the trees towards a crooked, open gate. The sun was making fog rise from the wood inside the yard. It looked like the gateway to an enchanted place.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Morning Walk

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD



My neighborhood is great for walking. There are so many wonderful little walking trails, and the whole community is edged with white fences. For today's painting, I managed to capture the morning light—softened by lifting fog. 

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Tennessee Farm

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD



WHEW! Half-way through the 30-days challenge! Today's painting is one of many charming farms nestled in the hills of Middle Tennessee.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Ripples in the Rain

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD



Today, it rained—all day. Today's painting is a close up of rain on the lake. It is similar to a previous painting from my first attempt at the 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge (see "Playing with Puddles"). Ironically, I painted this piece exactly one year later.

Monday, January 13, 2014

One-handed Frog

8"x10" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
NFS



Not many people know that jumping rope is an international sport. My older daughter started competitive jump rope when she was in elementary school. Today's painting is from a photograph of her at age 11 performing a trick called the "One-handed Frog"  at the Nationals competition. Her goal is to become a All-Star. I think she is well on her way towards that goal.

See what competitive jump rope looks like by viewing this VIDEO.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

River Walk

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD



Today's painting is a treat from my neighborhood walk. Turning right at the split, instead of taking the usual left, I got a surprising view of the Harpeth river. Who knows what I might find if I take a different turn tomorrow.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Lazy Days

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD



One third of the challenge is behind me. Time to relax and take a break, at least in my artist’s mind, in these cozy adirondacks on the gulf. 

Friday, January 10, 2014

Morning Fog

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
NFS



On the lake, I love those cool mornings when the fog quietly rolls across the water. So far, out of all of my lake paintings, I believe this one is my favorite.


Thursday, January 9, 2014

Simplicity

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD



And now something completely different—a country house painted with the Zorn color palette. 

Anders Zorn was a Swedish painter during the turn of the last century. He was known for using a limited palette of only four colors: black, white, yellow ochre and red. While painting with the Zorn limited palette, I first mourned the lack of blue to make green and nice cool shadows. I was beginning to think this was going to be an epic fail. As I kept working with the palette, I discovered the color range was more diverse than I thought. The most interesting thing was that I had to think more in terms of value than color. 



In the end, I am very pleased with the painting. I'm glad I didn't give into the temptation to add blue to the mix. This little country house, in the Zorn limited palette,  is a testament to the beauty of simplicity. Though I'm not quite ready to move into the house of Zorn just yet, it was a very nice visit.




Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Classic


6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD



On our California trip last summer, I hoped to find a VW bus. On one of the last days of our trip, we finally found one. Walking home from the beach, in the late afternoon shade, we discovered this classic, red VW bus—backdropped with palm trees and terra-cotta roofs. 

This little guy was a blast to paint. Lots of challenging shapes, values and colors. What was even more fun was the Pandora California beach songs rocking in the studio.

And speaking of fun…
A few feet away from this classic California scene was this great flyer posted on a telephone pole. We laughed the rest of the way home. Have fun, everybody!







Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Roadside Barn


6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD



One week complete in the 30 day challenge! Today's painting is a quick study based on a photo I took while traveling thru middle TN last November. 


Monday, January 6, 2014

Frozen

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
Click Here to Purchase



If you can’t beat em, join em. As temperatures here continue to drop, and snow comes quietly down today, I have chosen to celebrate with a wintery painting. This is a very loose, impressionistic painting based on an unusual photo of frozen fog on trees taken by my brother-in-law. To all of you who are in winter’s path today, I hope you can give thanks for its beauty. May you be warm and safe.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

California Dreamin


8"x10" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
NFS




Still escaping the cold by painting memories of summertime travels, today's painting is from our trip to California. But more than just California dreaming, today's painting is also a tribute to the host of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge, Leslie Saeta. Leslie, an accomplished palette knife painter is known for painting California beaches, boats and palm trees. She been very inspiring to me both in terms of technique and marketing savvy. Last January, I took on her 30 day challenge and my painting career has been forever changed. This January, more than 360 artists have take up her challenge. Thank you, Leslie. And best of luck to all of you 30 day painters out there!



Saturday, January 4, 2014

Sunset on 30-A


6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD




When we visit the beautiful beaches along Florida's 30-A, I never get tired of watching the spectacular sunsets.


Friday, January 3, 2014

The Catch


6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel
with Palette Knife
SOLD



Today was a bitter cold January day. So, my artist's eye went fishing for warmer inspiration. Today's painting comes from a photograph taken from one of my plein air adventures last summer.

On the day I was painting in the Elk River, there was a fly fisherman near by. He learned how to use the fly rod from a troop of Boy Scouts years ago and has been fishing that way ever since. My wife caught a great photo of him scooping up a nice trout. As I painted the sunset on the river, the man said to my wife, "I've seen a LOT of things in this river, but I haven't seen ANYONE paint."—another testament to why plein air painting is so special. 

I love the grace and elegance of fly fishing. I suppose it brings a therapeutic serenity similar to that of painting. I guess, in a way, were are both fishermen—standing in the middle of the river—sharing a peaceful passion to bring in a good catch.