Point of Peace

8"x8"
Oil on Deep-Edged Canvas

with Palette Knife

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Some springtime colors from Tims Ford Lake in Tennessee.

40 Days: Day 35: Morning Song II

5"x7"
Oil on Canvas

with Palette Knife

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Here is a little impression from my back yard this morning.

40 Days: Day 30: Pink Magnolias

2.5"x3.5" Acrylic on Paper

ACEO

OK. I've missed a couple of days this past week. Life just gets in the way of your goals sometimes. Hopefully, this two-in-one post will make up for it. 

While frame shopping for an art exhibit last week, I found these really nice frames for Artist Trading Cards. I still had a couple of Antiphons left from December (type "Antiphons" in my search box to see what I'm talking about), So I bought a few frames to make a nice set. For the remaining two frames, I whipped up some abstract studies in pink based on the same pink magnolia from the "Early Bloomer" post. I hope you like them.

By the way, the happy little ceramic angel in the background is from my daughter's elementary school days. What could brighten a day more than spring pink and smiling angels?

Have a great day!

40 Days: Day 12: Early Bloomer

6x6 Acrylic on Canvas

with palette knife

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Spring came early this year. only to be quickly stopped by another blast of winter. 

This is a painting study from that earlier, warmer time.

Horsing Around: Empty Nest

6"x6" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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My youngest daughter has taken up horseback riding lessons. I decided to take the opportunity to use the hour lesson time to work on some quick-draw plein air painting. 

When we arrived this time, all of the horses were out in the field to graze and run around—which left the barn empty and quiet. I have always been fascinated by the value differences in this scene. The dark barn doorway contrasted by the bright, distant, atmospheric pasture makes me want to run out and play too.

Spring Creek

6"x8" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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I was blessed to have had a return visit to NaCoMe conference center this past weekend. It is a sacred place for our family. At the heart of the campground is a spring-fed creek. I spent some time standing on the creekside rocks painting this scene. I especially enjoyed the little speckles of wildflowers. 

It rained a bit on me this time. I learned a lot about what to do and what NOT to do when it rains on your oil paint palette. My wife impressed me with her creative bushcraft skills by securing an umbrella to my easel with long blades of grass.

Many artists have core subjects they often return to. One of mine is rivers and streams. The experience of standing on the banks, listening to the soft rush of water, is so renewing for my soul. And they have new lessons to teach a painter—every time.

Horsing Around

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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My youngest daughter has taken up horseback riding lessons. I decided to take the opportunity to use the hour lesson time to work on some quick-draw plein air painting of the other horses in the field.  

I totally underestimated the intelligence of the beautiful animals. As I set up next to the fence, all of the horses came over to watch me construct my french easel. But once I was ready to paint, all of the horses went far down the field to graze out of range from my painting efforts. “No matter.” I thought. “I'll just paint the field and when they come back around, I'll paint the horses in.” But when the time came to paint in the horses, their dinner bell rang and they all galloped out of the field to eat. Fortunately, they soon returned. But instead of grazing in my view, they went to the OTHER far side of the field to graze. I did my best to capture shapes and colors from far away. Once time was up and I packed everything up to leave, I looked up and they were all back in the middle to graze. Touché.

So today's post is the result of my efforts from that day.

Hopefully, next time they will be a little less shy. We shall see.

40 Days: Day 33: Redbuds

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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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

Tulip

4x12

Oil on Canvas

SOLD

40 Days: Day 18: Morning Song

5"x7" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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O Lord, open my lips. 

And my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Psalm 51:15

Order Now Online

Options

Unframed $75.00 USD Framed (3" black frame) $100.00 USD

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Tulip Blaze

18"x24" Oil on Deep-Edged Canvas

with Palette Knife

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Iris

4x12

Oil on Canvas

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Keeping the spring palette for a second day. 

This time, a delicate Tennessee Iris.

Playing in Puddles 24x24: Celebrating the Ordinary

24"x24" Oil 
on Deep Edged Canvas

with Palette Knife

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The church calendar is deep into the season of Ordinary Time. It is the longest season of the church year, turning into Advent in the fall. Some congregations go off the lectionary script and study biblical texts of their own choosing. Many congregations feel the lack of full sanctuaries due to  people being out on summer vacations. It can be a long season indeed, and let's face it, Ordinary Time isn't a very exciting name either. But rather than slouch in a summer slump, I invite you to embrace a new awareness of the ordinary.

Ordinary things are what make the church great. Warm smiles, concerned hugs, conversations of the week's events. They are all beautiful expressions of grace. And the world is full of beautiful "ordinary" moments, if you stop to see them. Jesus asks us to "consider the lilies of the field" and "the birds of the air" as reminders of God's beautiful creation and the extent of God's provisional grace. 

As a painter, I enjoy finding the beauty in ordinary things. This painting is a larger take on an abstract I painted a while ago. The painting is based on reflections in a water puddle in a school parking lot after a heavy spring rain. It doesn't get any more ordinary than that. But looking at the reflections in such a simple thing, there is a color palette of infinite beauty and grace. 

So take some time to enjoy the ordinary in you life—and be thankful.

Color Garden

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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

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Impressions of Spring

8"x10" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

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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.

Wisteria

6"x6" Oil on Panel

with Palette Knife

Available

30 Paintings in 30 Days: September, 2014—Day 26

Another one from my "This Would Make A Great Painting Someday" file—beautiful wisteria raining down through some spring trees.

Cherry Spring

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel

with Palette Knife

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Spring is here! The bitter cold is finally gone and the trees are blooming. One of my favorite spring trees are cherry trees. Their blossoms are so delicate in both texture and color. More than than their visual beauty, I prefer listening to the ever-so gentle whisper they make when the wind blows though. It reminds me of God's spirit blowing and whispering through us.

Yellow Field

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel

with Palette Knife

30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge: September—Day 9.

Today’s painting comes from a photograph I took this past spring of a field full of yellow blooms. Scenes like these are a joy for the artist’s eye. It makes me thankful to live in a world so diverse with color.

Azaleas

6"x6" Oil on Gessoed Panel

with Palette Knife

Today’s painting of Azaleas is dedicated to mothers everywhere.

Happy Mother’s Day!