Transfiguration

8"x10" 

Oil on Panel with Palette Knife

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Luke 9:28-36

Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 

And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became 

dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared 

in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 

Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, 

they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, 

Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, 

one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, 

a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. 

Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" 

When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days 

told no one any of the things they had seen.

Mirror Dim

8x10 

Oil on Panel

Available Here

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.

1 Corinthians 13:12

Sea and Sky II

8"x10"
Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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Another plein air painting from Florida. This one was made near sunset.

40 Days: Day 20: Michigan Coast

8"x10"
Oil on Panel

Plein air with Palette Knife

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Switching gears for a bit in my 40 paintings. I took some time while on "Spring Break" in Saint Joseph Michigan to do some plein air painting. It was chilly and windy on the north pier, but it was a beautiful day to paint. 

Wisdom in the Woods

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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One of the paintings for "A Walk in the Park" event at Marcella Vivrette Smith Park, 

Brentwood, on Oct 30 from 1-5 PM.

There is much wisdom to be found in the woods. With trees as old as centuries and rocks existing for millennia, just think of the wisdom they can tell us if they could talk. Some of the large old trees in Smith Park, like this one, tell a story with every crook, knot and groove.

It is an honor to paint portraits of trees. Some of the things I love about painting outdoors is listening to the wisdom of trees and spending time with these great citizens of the world.

40 Days: Day 33: Redbuds

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will make your vindication shine like the light,
    and the justice of your cause like the noonday.

Psalm 37:5-6

Cold Creek

8x10

Oil on Panel

SOLD

We had a decent snow the other day for Tennessee. 

Today, I ventured out to the creek for a plain-air adventure. 

It was a blast.

A New Day

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

This year’s Advent painting depicts the beginning of a new day. The scriptures for this season are full of hope for a new day of justice and salvation. However, this is no soft glow over a dew-filled morning, but rather a saving light breaking through the cold darkness of a world desperately in need of grace.

More than an illustration, this painting is a prayer for the suffering, the homeless and the desperate. It is a reminder that we are not consigned to live in darkness. A new day has indeed come. It keeps dawning over and over.  When we find ourselves in a place where righteousness and justice seem lost in the dark, we have hope. The break of new day will come again.

Color Garden

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

Spring is such a beautiful time for plein air painting. Today's painting comes from the Color Garden at Cheekwood. 

Or send me an email.

Impressions of Spring

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

Here is another painting with the The Chestnut Group for the Cumberland on Canvas event. A portion of the show's proceeds benefit the Cumberland River Compact. Event Details below.

This is a reflecting pond from Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum. Here is a field shot on location.

Sycamore In Spring

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

I love Sycamore trees. I call them "Lightning Trees" because their stark, white, branches look like a bolts of lightning to me. I have been itching to paint one for some time now. I finally got my chance while painting with the The Chestnut Group for the Cumberland on Canvas event. 

We will be sharing and selling our paintings for the Cumberland River Compact April 17 and 18. Details are in the attachments below.

Foggy Mountain River

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

30 Paintings in 30 Days: January, 2015—Day 25

I just love rushing mountain rivers. Today's painting comes from one foggy morning in the Great Smokey Mountains.

Kitchen's Creek

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

$125.00 (Unframed) + Shipping

$150.00 (Framed) + Shipping

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30 Paintings in 30 Days: January, 2015—Day 19

Today was a lake kind of day.

Holy Family

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

30 Paintings in 30 Days: January, 2015—Day 3

One of my resolutions for this year is to make more paintings of biblical stories and faith-based themes—what I like to call "illuminations." Painting illuminations was where my painting career began and I'm feeling a strong calling to return to my roots. 

Still in the spirit of Christmas, today's painting depicts Joseph, Mary and a toddler Jesus walking though town. In my opinion, the art world doesn't have enough child Jesus portraits. There are tons of infant Jesus paintings, and plenty of adult ones. To me, a child Jesus, toddling around, is a great way to see the humanity of Christ. After seeing a great painting of a child Jesus in the local paper at Christmas, I decided to take a shot at painting one of my own.

The family is out for a walk. They could be going to the market or to the synagogue for worship. Perhaps they are just out for a little fresh air—allowing Jesus to see the world with his fresh little eyes. Where they go is up to you. The real point is that they are taking the time to go together as a family. The parents are patiently slowing down to walk with the young Jesus, barely able to stand on his own two feet. 

I titled this painting "Holy Family." What makes the family holy, really? Is it because Jesus is in their lives? Is it because they have faith in God? Perhaps. But are they uniquely different from other families? No. I would contend that most families could be considered "holy." 

Families today, traditional or otherwise, share the same qualities as Jesus' family. When a parent, or parents, lovingly teaches a child to understand right from wrong—that's holy. When parents slow down with patience to connect with their children—that's holy. When a family spends quality time together—even if it's via FaceTime from half a world away—that's holy. When we go to worship—that's holy. Even a loving couple without children can be a holy family. Wherever there is love, there is God. Any relationship with God in their lives is a holy family.

I hope you take some time to reflect with this painting and think about all that is holy in your life. 

Moon Over Radnor Lake

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

I had a great experience painting with the Chestnut Group the other evening. We gathered at Radnor Lake and painted the full moon rising over the lake. This was my first attempt to paint at night. It was so much fun! As I was painting, I discovered another artist sharing my easel to create his own work of art. Sadly, I had to interrupt his work and gently escort him to another spot when it came time fro me to pack up. You never know what's going to happen when you paint en plein air.

Sleepy Sheep

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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30 Paintings in 30 Days: September, 2014—Day 28

This sleepy sheep, laying around in his barn, is my last installment of paintings to bring awareness for Heifer International. But fear not. There is still one painting left in the 30 days challenge.

Sheep give families around the world wool and meat. The wool is used to make clothing and other things to sell. Sheep usually give birth to twin lambs. They can eat grass on rocky and steep land or live in a small barn where food is brought to them. Their manure can be gathered and used in the garden.

Please take a moment to visit the Heifer Internaitonal website and learn more about ending world hunger "The Heifer Way."

Sunchokes

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

for the Friends of Warner Parks
SOLD

30 Paintings in 30 Days: September, 2014—Day 17

Today,  I went to the park to do some plein air painting for an upcoming event with the Chestnut Group. I came across these beautiful yellow flowers and I just had to paint them. Afterwards, I asked the park ranger what they were. She said they were Jerusalem Artichokes, also called Sunchokes. You can read all about them here.

Sweet Gum Turning

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

30 Paintings in 30 Days: September, 2014—Day 2

On the lake, the first trees to show their Autumn colors are the ones on the banks—whose roots closest to the cool lake water. These Sweet Gums, clinging to the lake shore, are especially eager to change color—even in late August. 

Pet Projects

JAKE
6"x6" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

COMMISSIONED

LEO

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

COMMISSIONED

BAILY
8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

COMMISSIONED

BUDDY
6"x6" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

COMMISSIONED

Pet portraits are increasing in popularity among my patrons. Here are a few samples of pet projects over the past year. 

The trickiest pets to paint are black-faced animals with dark eyes. Photographs do not show the eye detail well enough as they blend into the darkness of the entire face. Since the eye is the window to the soul, this can be a real problem when achieving a likeness. Thankfully, I found a workaround to this problem with Photoshop.

When viewing the photograph in Photoshop, I go under Image and Adjustments to Levels. With the Levels panel open, I move the middle gray level way over to the left. This whacks the mid-tones way off and BINGO—the hidden detail I need is revealed.

Seaside Play

8"x10" Oil on Gessoed Panel

with Palette Knife

SOLD

Seven Days on 30-A: Day 4

Today, we traveled over to Seaside. Seaside is one of several planned communities on 30-A. The movie "The Truman Show" was filmed there. In addition to Seaside's beautiful architecture, the town also has a marvelous outdoor amphitheater. We went there to watch a dramatic spoof on Cinderella. My painting of the evening's performance was quite a challenge. I have never tried to paint an impression of so  many people in plein-air. But it was a lot of fun. 

Kids loved walking by to take a peek.

I also had the pleasure of speaking with a local art student form Panama City.