Garner Park - 2012

This is the current view of Garner Park it is one of my favorites.  Perfect weather, crisp and cool as usual this time of the year.

Garner in Fall-Revised

This painting was posted earlier this week.  I have since modified the piece and re-photographed it and posted again.  I am always experimenting with image quality and trying to have the best looking posts possible.  I have learned something...

Old Scene- New Painting

We are getting ready for our annual trip to Garner State Park in November.  I can't wait to get next to the Frio River below Mount Old Baldy.  This is the view from our campsite looking up at the old hill which I have viewed for over 50 years.  Hopefully it will still be here fifty years from now when my granddaughter Iris will tell others how her Pop Pop used to paint here. I was first brought here by my mom she was an Iris too.  Good stuff! 

Lake Tahoe, Nevada-Dallas Heritage Museum

This weekend is the Dallas Heritage Museum Art Show and Sale.  I will be showing 6 paintings along with several other artists from around the state.  This piece painted of Lake Tahoe will be shown for the first time.  It will be a great event at the grounds of the Heritage Museum near down town Dallas.  Hope you can join us.

Barton Creek- Fall

One of the most iconic locations in Austin is Barton Creek.  It has many tributaries that flow down the hilly country toward the Colorado River.  The river runs through Austin, commonly known as  Townlake, aka Lake Ladybird.  The water is beautiful, cool and clear.  When there is water plentiful in the creeks, the flow is full and healthy.  I painted this view from a photo I took many years ago. This pastel is 11x14" on Ampersand panel

The Dam Below Baldy

The Frio River is dammed up to make a fun swimming hole and place to fish in Garner State Park.  The water is clear, clean and cool a great place to spend a hot summer day.  This pastel is 11x14" and on an Ampersand pastel panel.

Painting from a small Study

Many times I'll do a small painting either in my studio or outdoors to work out problems in the layout, color or composition.  In this case I did a small sky study on location and then came into the studio and created a larger piece from the study.  This large piece was sold through the Heritage Gallery in Dallas a few months ago but I still have the study and will use it again sometime.

Head Study

It is important to practice drawing which is the basis of all 2-D art.  No matter how colorful or abstract the artist must have the most basic drawing skills.  I attend open studios where we share the expense of a model.  I sketch people in restaurants and bars.  I even sketch the talking heads on television. I not that good at it but the more I practice the better chance I have of improving.

Fall on the Frio - Garner State Park

I never get tired of painting images from Garner State Park.  We go there every fall, usually November when the park is almost empty.  This view is from our campsite, where the light changes all the color in the various species of indigenous trees.  We should have an artist paint out sometime.  This piece will be in the Heritage Gallery for the sale this November.

Glorious Frio

Glorious Frio -  Garner State Park

There are so many people who ask for paintings from Garner State Park and it is no surprise.  First of all most people who have been to Garner have such great memories that any mention of that sacred place brings on a gulf of great memories,  Also, those who have not actually been there are amazed at the images they see.  Not just from me but other artists and photographers.

Sunset on the Ranch

West Texas has beautiful skies in the early evening.  Particularly the landscape near the Davis Mountains in the desert going to New Mexico.  This scene is repeated night after night all during the year, but fall and spring is the best.

Poppy Season

There is a wild seed farm just outside of Fredericksburg Texas.  All during the year there is a procession of blooming foliage.  Once during the year the king of color eclipses every other species. Poppy, the red emperor of the garden, dominates all comers.  People, viewers, respond to this subject so strongly it almost seems strange. Red, the strongest of all colors seems to sooth us and excite us.  It is fun to paint and famous to show.

Enchanted Rock

This pastel is 18" x 24"on Ampersand board.  The subject is a creek running near the group campground at the base of Enchanted Rock in Fredericksburg Texas.  The water was flowing and created a lovely reflection of the wilderness to the left.  I will submit this piece to the Heritage Art Gallery for sale in the May sale.