Landscape of Virginia

Today is the day I turn sixty, and believe me I don't feel it. When I realized where the time had gone I was stunned that I made it to this milestone of time alive on this earth. True, time alive doesn't equal the quality of that time being of good to excellent quality but man time alive does give one perspective on life that I hadn't been thinking of achieving but it is with me none the less. Having been here and being free, clear-headed and in a healthy state is something I learned that I owe to my spirituality and it's state. I truly think one doesn't last long if one doesn't have one's drive towards improvement headed in an everyday priority of living. I think because I always have thought I could just do a little better, that everyday I am taking on what people in my life bring up to me, and I try to be thankful for it. I don't always show gratitude for it but I do after I have had some time to think about it....most often I do.... Today ...

This is an oil titled: "A Power Greater Than Ourselves" and it's a medium sized painting but it has a meaning much larger than the image itself. It also took a lot longer to finish than many of my other paintings, and it has deeper interest in my concentration in it's making than many of my other summer's paintings. It was a joy to see come into existance.

The Summer is coming to a close for me, with schools reopening I will be going back to work starting this Friday morning. Our beloved students will return the following Wednesday. I can say that it's been a very active summer for me with me finishing many painting during this break and joyfully I loved making each one. The big change has been feeling good about the work I have done both once they were done and also while they were in the 'cooker' where I was active in the making of them. This summer I focused on making 'overall looks' to the scenes which I painted partial storefronts of last summer. Those were mere studies ( or preparations ) for what I had in mind and it was a long wait during the school year '09-'10 until I could get to them this past two months of late June, July and early August. I say two months because I both took some time to see distant places and I count June and August as only half month's work time on this summer...

  The Autumn is something that I seldom give much time to think about, but you know here in August it really isn't that far from it's coming. This painting is retouched up but was an autumn squash collection I used as a still life when I first moved into my current apartment. And so I felt it needed a little more so I retouched it again this year, four or so years later on.

The local spot that people often gather in this little town can be the shops near the edge of town at all hours of the day. It's the last stop where the stomach can be satisfied and the thirst quaffed with a cold one of any kind. It is often a meeting ground for many towns folks and where the days attitude is shared. That is why I decided our local spot on the edge of town needed to be remembered with my brush. The photo is of a painting I did complete yesterday of one of these spots on the way of most people's homeward trip from work. Many say art imitates life but sometimes it just reflects it. That's where I am at today. Tomorrow is an Opening where I will show some of this summers artwork from me.

  Even in 100 degree heat I am able to ride for a little while getting myself out to "The Store" which is in the background. "The Store" is a classic old Virginian Mom and Pop store with the design so often used of cement and cinderblock with cement holding the building all together. I use to go to stores up where I grew up in Northern Virginia but up their they are all gone. Today, I thought I would remember them with a few photos while some still are around.

Another hot morning , but one needs to brace oneself for what is to come but getting underway early so when the oven-door opens one is fully engaged in life. Painting outdoors is rather tough to do under these skies but if one is clever enough one finds ways to cope. This artist likes to get a start onsite and then finish up the canvas at home. It works when one has a good camera to capture an image from which to work when one is the comfort of the studio. I've done three or four canvases this way and it does help quite bit to be at home. Refreshments and various paints can be easily accessed so that nothing is left behind while working on outdoor scenes. Fortunately for me, I do have a good camera and a system for showing these images on an HDTV screen, from there it's easy to work on a canvas using such a system. The results are this painting of "Greenwood Station Rd." which I wasn't able to work onsite due to there was no shoulder to ...