Landscape of Virginia

This summer has been cool so far, but today was my first time in a while where I was outside drawing and I felt like it was time to quit because I was too hot. So it's finally hot, I continued anyway and got a nice drawing of Locol and a new shop beside it that has yet to open. I posted it. I am thankful to have made the acquaintance of a graduate of Chicago Art Institute at the Virgina Artist in Action Gallery. He's retired and lives just south of here in Nelson County. His name is David Golden Jr. and he and I talked. He was good enough to remind me of a few steps in painting that I had forgone for the sake of "getting it done and getting right to it", but they are important steps that a painter shouldn't overlook. I have been. So I made note of them and now am incorporating them into my painting routine. It's working out well. One important one is to make a preliminary sketch before committing to painting a canvas. This has been a ...

Painting the favorite spot for a nasty but groovie breakfast that only C'viller's could enjoy, that being "Spudnuts", everyone who simply walks by it's doors is taken in by it's trademark donuts. I was able to stand outside if it this and yesterday morning painting while people stopped to see how I was doing, they all talked about "how good they are", and everyone I talked to had already had their morning "fix" (if you will) of their potato flour donuts. It truly is a joy to be working on memorializing their building once again with a work of art. I really like the place and the people who have been frequenting it for years, lifetimes and those who have just discovered it. And, it's a fun building to paint with it's huge signs and open windows to see into the shop. I am working on a small canvas right now, but I will post the preliminary drawing which I did yesterday. Enjoy a food that is just not redeeming in any...

A new summer to live through is just the beginning but I have the very best feeling for the promise of my art this summer. Although I am not painting right now, I am doing art. I've discovered that doing some preliminary drawings before committing to a canvas is the way I'm going to start this summer's art season. I am taking my drawing book along on my daily journeys, and it's paying off big time. I know as long as I don't wait too long I will benefit from taking a good look at buildings and such that I might be painting before I do them in oils. A study is a time when one draws or works in charcoal before painting and it's also a time to take a closer, and more in depth look at subjects or in this case buildings and cityscape's. It's quick... and I can step back and then go further into them...I can take them home and work on shading or crosshatching and such techniques before they are "done". It works quite well ...

With the passing of a good student of mine in a rather sudden and unexpected manner, my life is on a pause cycle for the moment. I'm assessing the life I have and I see where the gifts are and how the gifts are ongoing in this process of what we call Recovery. I'm not sure how or why but life does go on no matter what, and we are only a small part of a group of people with whom we interact. Life does continue with us or without. But the people we touch do take the time to remember us if we and when we leave them. This I know. So it is that I remember a student I had named Ryan. I will occasionally stop and think well of he and I. People live, people die and people move on, but while we are here we can try to make a good impact on our friends, fellow travelers, students and co-workers, I think I enjoy letting on what has worked best for me in life's activities with my students perhaps best of all. But it comes in as a close second to making a painting onsite...

      It's been a good weekend .   Since I was quite sick Friday and Saturday both Sunday and today have been really enjoyable in that I've been feeling much better and doing a lot more.   I reworked an old painting and then I prepared another painting for a collaborative effort that we will do this week at school.   I will have the help of an Afghanistan refuge who is interested in what I do.   We've made a few canvases together on the theme of 'kites' and this is another one, but its more developed than the previous ones.   I'm looking forward to going to work and finishing it with him this week.       We also have graduation at our school branch this week.   A real thrill to be sure.  A young man will be graduating who I have worked with for the past eight years.   As a graduation present I am giving him and his mom a painting of Post High which is the painting I reworked this weekend to give it a special touch.   I'm hoping he will remember his time her...

Mann I could believe the way those baseball boys of summer played ball today at Davenport Stadium here in Charlottesville. They were excellent to say the very least about them. I sat with a friend who was nice enough to remind me that there were going to be games this weekend, and that they would miss me if I chose to do other things. Well after a minutes thought, I went. It was impressively incredible to watch the athletic abilities of these young men perform against another ACC rival which was Duke. They blew it wide open in the seventh with a grand slam homerun by Jarrett Parker who by doing so improved his RBI to 53 for the season so far. It ended with Duke (who was proving itself to be a good opponent with a win two days before and only loosing by one run in close one the day before) loosing it 12-1. This is a young team, and I'm looking for a lot more to come next year. Today they retired three jerseys and said goodbye to three outstanding players who will no...

It's a hot hot day, but nice none the less when you consider the colder weather we just got through. I was able to enjoy a full week of work. I actually enjoy my job and I don't regret being on the job from day to day. My best enjoyment besides painting is jumping on my bike and riding off to the gym, working out and then riding on back home. A cool wet shower is what follows. I use to hate "jocks" who enjoyed such things as exercise but today it's my turn and it's not a bad lifestyle to be "into". The joy is that it makes you feel good for doing it, for being active can actually make one "feel good". Another side benefit is good health. Health problems seem to go by the wayside when one exercises regularly and for a good enough amount of time per day or as I do every other day. For I believe the body needs a slight amount of rest between workouts, so I take every other day off to rest myself. It seems to work for ...