secret project...

so I am working on a "double secret" project.. I can't post it yet...I really don't want to spoil the surprise...but from time to time I will post a little piece of the painting...here's the first tease....

"Home from church"

this is the 12x9 painting I did yesterday in the last day of the workshop.  I painted this once before..both from a black and white photo my father took in the sixties someplace in Europe...i'm much happier with this one, although there is one thing i'm going to tweak..maybe tomorrow..i learned so much from this workshop..and so very happy I was able to study with todd Williams!

todd williams workshop

I've been taking a three-day workshop with Todd Williams (http://www.toddwilliamsfineart.com/)...it's being held in Nashville, Indiana and i'm having a wonderful time!..todd is a wonderful painter and teacher..a protogee of c.w.mundy who's a particular fav of mine!..the first day we had a very educational slide show and a meet and greet in the morning and then todd did his demo in the afternoon.. we have been treated to the most wonderful lunches and then last night there was a wine and hors' d reception in a fabulous log cabin home in the hills..we painted outside in Nashville yesterday so you can see todd doing his demo in the first photo and then below that is my painting..9x12..i did not have an umbrella and sometimes your painting can end up a bit dark since your pupils constrict in the sunshine and it can affect what you're doing..we worked on our paintings morning and afternoon and you can imagine how much the sun moved..another challenge of outdoor painting..looking forward to this last day..painting from our photos indoors and then a critique at the end of the day...stay tuned...

todd williams workshop

been busy getting my house organized because i'm involved in a three day workshop with todd Williams...a wonderful painter whom I've followed for quite some time...today we learned and watched...tomorrow we paint..hope to have something to post later...

"Rusty 11"

30x30 oil on gallery wrap canvas

so this piece will be going to a client in Tennessee...it's drying as we speak...

"Reflections"

17x17 oil on panel

so this isn't the greatest for lighting..i was in the shade and it was getting very cold and windy..i painted this yesterday in front of the inspire gallery in carmel and met some very nice folks who were out for the monthly gallery walk...

"Harley"

10x8 oil on canvas panel

here's a little ditty i'm taking to the inspire gallery today..i did a version of this guy a couple years ago as a donation to "bria's ride"..a benefit for a little girl with some serious challenges.  not many people know that most Harley riders are very big on charitable doings...

small boat

6x6 oil on canvas panel

so i'm  heading up to the inspire gallery on main street in carmel tomorrow...planning to paint a larger boat piece..cathy asked if i would bring some small things so I have been busy..bad left elbow so I can't golf..might as well take advantage of studio time!!..these three things will never be dry by tomorrow but I have them in front of the gas fireplace in the kitchen..hoping...

"Boys of Summer"

so here's a little ditty I did today..probably will revisit this tomorrow after  thinking about it..values and such...but this is an image I've wanted to paint for a while and cathy bauder at the Inspire Gallery in carmel asked me to bring a few more things on Saturday..i'm planning to paint outside the gallery during the second Saturday gallery walk..hoping for good weather...

getting closer...

ok..so I was able to get a bit more done on this today...still have just a few tweaks to do but i'm thinking i'm pretty happy with it so far...I think I need to make it a little bit more dilapidated..if that's possible...if I can get this done in the next few days, it will have plenty of time to dry before delivery in october...

finally getting started...

so this is the start...the painting is a commission for a gal in Tennessee who has already purchased one of my large boat paintings and wanted this to go with it..I've been so busy..traveled to see our friends tim and Katie..just hosted 40 here for the Gregory family reunion yesterday so the house was a priority!..i'm supposed to be participating in the 30 in 30 challenge so i'll post this even though it's only half way done...hope to finish it tomorrow and then on to the next commission and then on to the dailies!...

a bit behind..

we just got home from Michigan..visiting friends tim and Katie..while there, we went on an adventure!..we went to Shipshewana Wednesday morning..looking for treasuers at a weekly auction and flea market in the heart of amish country..i got so much painting fodder!..we were looking for fresh eggs and produce on the way back and stopped at this wonderful farm..my new friend wilma allowed me to photograph her while she ventured into the hen house to retrieve fresh..i'm talking FRESH eggs..right out from under the hens practically!! she said they usually lay one per day and she had a lot of hens...she also had a house full of pullets..younger hens who lay smaller eggs who soon enough graduate to the big hen house...

so here we go..traveling around and behind a big barn..horses for plowing and for riding around in buggies.. cows...rabbits.etc..... to the henhouse..i explained what I was doing..the thirty paintings in thirty days project..(i'm way behind already)..and of course she was very sweet but looked at me like I was from the moon..no internet..no electricity..a life of work and toil and, as she put it, "hopefully pleasing to God"...I really hope to get to paint some of these things..have to finish a commission first...

30 paintings in 30 days...day 1.."Rooster for Wendy"

16x12

oil on canvas

so this is the first day of our September painting challenge..another of Leslie Saeta's brainchilds...we were actually supposed to come up with a theme...very difficult for me..i'm using part of this month to catch up on my "grand" project...part of it for some commissions..i may actually post large pieces in progress..we'll see...part of it for gallery pieces...and part of it for some special surprises...my friend wendy took a bunch of pictures of her special chickens and roosters...this guy looked more like a rooster to me..so he's a rooster!!...as to theme...I may decide to do some midwest stuff..my face book friend Kathy cousart is doing southern..so maybe i'll do Indiana...we'll see...stay tuned..we are heading to Michigan to see tim and Katie...so i'll be a bit behind in my efforts..but that's ok..doesn't matter if we do one every day or not..just trying to do one every day is challenge enough!!