Shinin' Thru

One of the small works I have completed last month. I painted a number of these small works last month.... most of them are knife paintings...... mostly for practice and a learning experience. I may be going out East plein aire painting next month so I thought it might be nice to get up to speed. When painting out-of-doors there is a certain amount of speed that must be maintianed otherwise the light and shodows change so much we lose the scene.... so we sketch quickly. Better to do a small picture so that we can finish up and catch the essence of it all.

Oil on Gessoed Canvas 6x8

Cherry Tomatoes

Well the tomatoes are starting to ripen. Found this bowl of 'em out there just the other day.What a treat!

The smoke has cleared away... at least for today and yesterday and the temp has warmed up into the 95 area. Best to stay indoors and paint... or take a nap... or something. :-)

 I hope your life is going well too.

Quick Draw 2013

Every year there is a Quick Draw event... artists meet and do a plein air painting which is then auctioned off and the proceeds go for the benefit of Scenic Nevada ... a group that preserves the good things to look at around the State. Last year I was invited and this year I was invited back.... thank you ladies.
Unfortunately this year the event was in the heat of July and not too many people showed up ... but the one's that did had a great time and all the paintings were sold. The food was catered by a local restaurant which serves organic and local food. There was live music donated by a local group.

Stella

I don't think I posted this painting of Stella. Sometime we try new techniques and strokes. This was from a foto last Fall. Always nice to paint the family.

Oil on Canvas panel
11x14 inches

Gardening

 This year I had a small garden in the back year... not much of a back yard but a whooper of a garden. Notice my wooden planter box.... 18 inches tall .... but the tomato plants really took off ... they are huge. The zuccini's are not too small either. may even get something to eat this year. :-)

Desolation Wilderness

Yesterday Baron and I hiked up to the Desolation Wilderness ... at least t the Floating Island Lake. Great Hike... beautiful weather....wonderful scenery . We must do that again..... sooner.

It's me again!

Hi Guys
It's me again. Someone suggested that the blog page was a way to let y'all know I'm alive and doing something so I'm back. July was Reno is art town month... lots going on. ... but I was without my truck for most of the month. I think I got hosed. The mechanic changed an expensive electronic thermostat, the water pump, the sending unit before he figured out it was a clogged radiator ... but then it may not have been a clogged radiator... it may have been a bad radiator hose that was collapsing. I'll never know.
I visited the artists lofts in the old Riverside hotel a week or so ago.  Very interesting. It was converted into apartments some time ago... that didn't really work out so the mad the apartments into artist lofts. Now they are very interesting. Several artists opened their doors for visitors so we paraded thru.
Scenic Nevada held their annual Quick Draw ... a pleine aire paint out session where we sold the paintings at auction at the end.An interesting bunch of artists and a group of fine people showed up. The crowd was not as big as last year and most of the collectors were not there so the prices were somewhat lower. Sold all of the paintings anyway.
The Artist's Coop had their Rockin' Out show. this was a show where basically the paintings wre about rocks. I entered some of my little Arches paintings.... actually sold one.

Urban Roots, which is a charitable organization, had an open house during the Art Town festivities ..... live music, a tour of their gardens and an auction. One of my paintings was there.

The above painting is an artist's view of the pass just South of Gardnerville heading up into the HighSierras.

It's a funny thing about life

A soul cannot live without loving.-Catherine of Sienna

A group of two hundred executives were asked what makes a person successful. Eighty percent listed enthusiasm as the most important quality. - unknown

It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.-Somerset Maugham

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.-Mother Teresa

We're traveling off to Navajo Land again .... Arizona ... land of wondrous piles of rocks and arches. OK... so I did not get to travel there.... but the fotos were awesome ..... still practicing for my trip to Arches National Park in Utah

Oil on canvas board 5x7

Genuine laughing

Genuine laughing is a vent of the soul, the nostrils of the heart, and it is just as necessary for health and happiness as spring water is for the trout.-Josh Billings

 Don't carry a grudge. While you're carrying a grudge the other guy's out dancing.-Buddy Hackett

Success is getting what you want. Happiness is liking what you get.-Anon.

 To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness.-Bertrand Russel

This is painted from foto references ... not en plein aire... too bad..... it would have been nice to be there in person.

Oil on Masonite Board 9x12

Navajo-Hopi Reservation

Praise in public. Criticize in private.-Anon
 Some goals are so worthy, it's even glorious to fail.-Unknown
 If your life is free of failures, you're not taking enough risks.-Anon.
 Don't judge those who try and fail. Judge only those who fail to try.-Anon.

As if I went to the Navajo-Hopi reservation I researched the picture files and came up with this interpretation of a rock pile found there.

Oil on canvas board 8x10

Happiness is not the absence of problems; but the ability to deal with them.-Anon.
When you judge others, you are revealing your own fears and prejudices.Anon.
It's not how far you fall, but how high you bounce. -Anon.
Some goals are so worthy, it's even glorious to fail.-Unknown

OK... so I did not go over to Arizona to paint this one ..... it was an inspiration from a foto .. but it is on a 6x8

Oil on canvas board 6x8