Color Study - I don't have a title for this painting yet, this is a small color sketch. I decided not to do it so big, I'm preparing a birch panel that is 9x20"

I'm going to be painting these storefronts from this photo and another. I had this brilliant idea to post sketches, ideas, and progress on paintings as I work on them. (Duh! Other artists have been doing this for a long time!)

This is going to be a large painting, and of course it will remind you of Hopper's "Early Sunday Morning" painting. My challenge will be to make it not look like a Hopper (probably no problem there) and not look like just a copy of the photograph. I am interested in pattern, color, and light/shadow, so we'll see if I can emphasize those things.

Georgetown, Texas Church--oil, 10x8"

I liked this church building and the way the sun was hitting it.

1927 First Methodist Church Kerrville, oil, 8x10"

Jacob Collins and Myself

Artist Jacob Collins was on a panel discussion at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth. He is perhaps the most well known leader of the revival of classical realism in art nowadays, and operates a school in New York City. His website is: http://www.jacobcollinspaintings.com/

Palette Knife Alamo--oil, 8x10"

Painted entirely with 3 different size palette (painting) knives, it was a fun exercise in a technique I have never used before. The paint is so thick in places it will take a while to dry. Next time I'll try quick-drying acrylics.

Maples Hall (study)- 1890 Kaufman Bank Building--oil, 8x6"

I keep saying I am going to quit doing architecture this small, it's hard to get those architectural details at this size. I need to learn to use small brushes in wet paint! But my intention was to do a color study for a larger painting done from a photo. Painting from life gives you more accurate color and other subtleties. The late afternoon sun was hitting the building, and making the colors bright yet saturated was a challenge.

Daydreaming--pastel, 14x12"

First Place Award - Portrait/Figure in the Austin Pastel
Society's Annual Juried Membership Exhibition.

Also won a Merit Award in the Pastel Society of the Southwest's National Juried Exhibition.

Clementines with the Blues--oil, 10x8"

Started as a demonstration for students, finished later on my own time.

February Morning--pastel, 11x14"

One of three paintings exhibited in the Austin Pastel Society Juried Membership Show.

SOLD

Step 7

Changed the background. Tweaked the background. Adjusted the background. Frustrated with trying to get it to look right. Ready to finish the face, it almost is, need to revisit the red color of the shirt to see if it looks right.

Step 6

Work on the face and background.

Step 5

Adjusting colors, keeping light and dark separate, some work on the face and hair.

Step 4

I've covered nearly all of the canvas, now comes the hard part. Refining and modeling light and dark, deciding whether colors are on the cool or warm side, too light, too dark, correcting contours, determining flesh mixtures in light and shade, etc.

Step 3

More color.

Casting Long Shadows--oil, 8.5x11"

Location: just outside of Athens, Texas, started onsite last October.

Step 2

Beginning to add color.

Step 1--oil, 40x20"

I will be posting the progress of this painting of my daughter. Here I've drawn the outline on a canvas toned with Vermilion, and the darker areas are painted in with Burnt Sienna. This full length painting is the largest one I've done in a while.

Yvonne--charcoal, 14x11"

NFS

A quickly done charcoal study from life.

After Sargent--oil, 10x8"

I copied this head done by John Singer Sargent from a book. It was done as a demonstration of transferring a photo to a canvas using the graph method.