Landscape of Virginia

I'll be headed up to the wild and wonderful hills of Berkeley Springs once again to visit my good friend from my early college days Dan. It seems like he wants me to paint a canvas of his new home he has had built on his property. So I will bring along a small canvas and a drawing pad and see what is up with that whole idea. Not to say that will do it, I really don't know what Dan usually has in mind until I talk directly with him. He's always the one for "special favors" and that's certainly ok, he's earned it with the friendship we had back in the day. I also have been painting a lot this summer and it's gone well. Last week I finished two painting on Monday and Tues of the Gibson's Market store that is a landmark if one ever has been to this part of Charlottesville, it's always mentioned in the directions' one might give a stranger if they wanted to go to Belmont or anywhere in Belmont. I enjoyed painting it and I was able t

I get to mess around a little more tomorrow with my paints and canvas. I will be working on a local Belmont spot that I use to stop in to get a six-pack and a homemade ham sandwich. Since those times the owner has moved on, sold the store, and is now near his end. He heard from his son, that I had done a painting of his store and the both of them were amazed that I would paint their store. I made a three foot square painting of and it was bought by the City of Charlottesville which hung it in the Parks and Rec Dept in the city hall annex. It was their that Gibson's son saw it. They called me and it inspired me to do another version of it which I will start by drawing it tomorrow. Soon I will get to work on a small oil and I'll reassess it after that to see if I want to try another small painting or maybe work on a larger one. I'll wait to see how it goes this coming week. I am thankful I've had a good summer working in oils this summer. I plan to keep

I've been work'n on the outdoor painting scenes this summer, yesterday I finished a nice small one of the local spot called "The Belmont Market" and it went well. It took about eight hours of actual painting time. But it's looking good and it only get's better the more I see it. I started out this summer with drawings then I put my brush to the canvas starting with "Spudnuts". The place is known for it's potato flour donuts which I too am an avid fan on any given morning when their flavors come wafting out of this spot. How couldn't I end up starting this summer's work of Belmont without it being first. The previous and first owner of Gibson's Groceries is now very ill. His son happened to see my painting of his local store inside Parks and Rec Dept in the City Hall Annex. His son happened to give me a call and this coming Monday I will be headed out once again to paint it. I'm looking forward to it. I've pai

It's been an interesting and somewhat busy, productive day. I finished on painting of Belmont BBQ, got a preliminary drawing of a new restaurant opening in this area by the name of "Tavola" and then pulled out a canvas and got the start of a new painting underway. There is still daylight left to do more if I so choose, but I think just kick'n back for a while aught to work. I was down in the heart of Belmont, which has become my favorite place to set up and paint this summer. I've gott'n some good work out of all the new buildings that have a new home in Belmont, but I also enjoy some of the older ones too. I can say, the work still is look'n good to me. But now it's time to celebrate the Fourth with some friends I haven't seen in a while but with whom I feel a fondness for none the less. I am thankful for a country where I can paint as I please wherever I please without fear of retribution of any kind for what I love doing. Ma

I've been doing some preliminary drawing of sites I want to paint before diving into the oils. I am able tso retouch them once I get home into something that can be seen as worthwhile if one is to favor pen and inks. I enjoy pen and ink on some good paper. I am working on these terrifically well done and new buildings that have come from the ashes of the little section of town that I live in called Belmont. They are good studies of these redone buildings, and a few of the people who are now coming to this part of town in search of something to eat. This quest to paint these buildings is taking up a good deal of my time this summer painting season, and it's proving to be a good thing. I have enjoyed the results of my oils have given me, but I have yet to even photograph them. My drawings are much easier to put into digital form so I am post them right now. More to come in short order, just give me time because right now the thing is to draw, paint and pai