Train Crossing n Rockfish

The north/south line travels passed me just a short distance away and it has had a rather unique little crossing gate house just where the road goes over it. The train seldom passes by yet this crossing captured my attention mostly because of its so tiny. There is enough room for one lineman to sit and wait to stop traffic. Now there is an electronically controlled signal but I think it maybe that the small house use to put up a man who would stop traffic once he heard the sound of the train whisel coming close by. But it is something one just doesn't see much of anymore what with the days of computer automation happening all around us, so I thought I would draw it.

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What Has Worked;

'South Street' Concert Hall

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A concert hall is always of interest in the memories who have seen starpower performances take place in its interior. Because of that fact I have painted this canvas using the sight of 'South Street' bar/music venue as a subject for its surface. This building and the pink warehouse beside it are both etched into the memories of music lovers of the city of Charlottesville. The pink warehouse was the sight for practice sessions of the Dave Mathews Band in its early days when it played in local stages. The 'South Street' bar has drawn many bands of late and is a fixture in the local music scene. Both buildings are on a street nearby the railroad tracks and were used to hold commercial products from trains delivered to this city. I found working all the color in the bricks to be the challenge. The windows also were daunting but could be worked into a suitable appearance once I put myself into the task mode of using changing color for each pane of glass within...
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The Trees Are Turning Now

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Fall. In this part of the country the trees are just beginning to change their color. Some very dark Alizarin Crimson is beginning to show up on the tops of our trees. It's the start. I am looking forward to the cool breezes and the need to put on some warmer clothes in order to bike ride around. It's just starting. I found myself checking the temperatures today just to see if I need a sweatshirt in order to ride in the evening today. I do so if it seems rather like a clear sky and we're under sixty five. We did have lower temps but the skies were cloud covered tonight. I wore my shorts and a nice shirt on my ride and I was just fine. The nice thing is on a bike one heats up under a sweatshirt so it become a comfortable manner of both traveling and also being outdoors all in one. I'm thankful to be living outside of the crowded cities where one is always near choking smoke from traffic. Granted it was a lot worse years ago when I lived in Philly...
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Hamner Crossing: The Oil

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Sometimes as an artist one will come across a scenic place that is just calling out to be put into an oil painting. Such was this spot in Nelson County right where the railroad tracks going North and South pass through the County. It has plenty of space, and visual impact one might expect from a railroad crossing. From as far back as Edward Hopper (which isn't that far of a stretch) the railroad scenes have been a real draw for we visual artist. Rails have such great and large visual props. This crossing caught my attention with its two crossing guards and lights. It is so structured and its contrasted by the chaos of mother nature all around it. So here we have order surrounded by chaos, what a site of novelty and the promise of good subject matter for my canvases. I started by photographing the scene. I took perhaps thirty or so photos from one side of the tracks but doing it from all angles. I simply walked far down the road and then walked back towards the g...
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"Scottsville's Main Street" and the Painting Done Plein Air.

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The winter season isn't known as the best season to get outside and make some art but well I went out anyway last week. I traveled down to a small town on the James River known as Scottsville. Its the home of an old riverboat station where the traders of commerce would travel back and forth down the James to Richmond to do business. The river still runs and the town is still a working community although it is doing its best to attract new business by reinventing itself. I went down their to paint last summer and it was a nice experience especially since I finished five or six good canvases working on that towns streets. I went back with canvas on break from the cold weather, it was in the forties or low fifties while I was out in a parking spot with my canvas. I had to deal with a low breeze though and I did so by putting rigging on the upper corners of my canvas. I literally tied the canvas to the Julliard easel with wire. It worked too. I spent the day painting ...
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The Best Donut You'll Ever Have

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One of the very best features of the southside of Charlottesville's Belmont section might be "Sputnuts". Which is a chain restaurant that makes it's very own receipt of potato flowered donuts. If you've never had one your in for a treat. They are excellent and people make a line out the door to get them. The place which I have often been to is very popular with our hometown crowd, it opens early and closes by noon everyday. It's original owner Richard, passed away after many many years of performing his early morning magic at this unique atmosphere. To our delight his lovely daughter has taken over the continued running of the eatery to our delight. She could usually be seen at work in the backroom kitchen of Richard's own "Spudnuts" for all the years I've been to the place. They don't cost much, about a "fin" for a dozen of regulars, but your mouth won't let you stop putting more and more of them into it...
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