June 2023

June 28, 2023

June 2023

My latest pastel painting, inspired by a Franz Bischoff landscape painting

At the end of every month I think, “Next month will be slower,” and it just doesn’t happen. I’m still running around like a chicken with my head cut off and honestly, I don’t see that changing anytime soon. It’s okay, just something I need to get used to.

Every summer includes a fair amount of experimentation, usually in abstracts, but this summer I’ve decided to play in pastels. Maybe it’s hanging around the “dusties” or maybe it was the Nancy King Mertze demo in Denver or maybe it was just curiosity? For whatever reason, I’m really diggin pastels right now. It’s so fast and easy to layer the colors, and I’m forcing myself to choose color and not pick up any earth tones. The results are exciting, vibrant and pure. I love em.

If it weren’t for the Virginia Highland Plein Air Painters, this probably wouldn’t have happened. Luckily I have several good friends who are dusties, and they’re showing me the ropes. Grateful for that. Right now I’m taking it in bite sized pieces - copying some of my own oil paintings in pastel as well as copying paintings by artists I love - Franz Bischoff and Ovanes Berberian. Eventually I’d like to take pastels outdoors and see how that goes, but I’m not quite ready yet.

PLEIN AIR UPDATE

Our group has grown to 226 people, but only around 10% are actually active and participate. We have three shows in various stages right now. Summer Blooms is up at Atlanta Botanical Garden and we’ve had a number of sales, so that’s nice. We also have a show up at Virginia Highland Books and we have another show going up at Binders in Buckhead next weekend.

The crew at our Atlanta Botanical Garden Artist Reception

I’m also painting with the Southside Sketchers when I can. We painted in Haralson, Georgia, back in early June and it was such a cool spot. They filmed a lot of The Walking Dead on the property, which is filled with old structures, lots of great angles and textures. I saw an interview with Charlie Hunter the day before we painted and decided to paint monochromatically, following some of Charlie’s advice. He uses more of a sepia color. I chose Payne’s Grey for mine because it’s transparent and thins nicely with odorless mineral spirits.

Tanyard Creek is one of my favorite places to paint in the city. The overpass in the background is Collier Road. We were just a few blocks from Piedmont Hospital and Peachtree but you would have thought we were in the North Georgia mountains. Love this spot. Rocks, water and trees … doesn’t get any more plein air than that.

Then we shifted gears and painted in Virginia Highlands. I painted Fontaine’s again. Those bright red doors and colorful flags always get my attention. The downside is that to get that angle I have to set up right on the street corner and I probably inhaled waaaay too many MARTA bus fumes. Might be my last Fontaine’s painting for a while :)

The Virginia Highland Plein Air Painters also ventured out along I-20 and painted in Mansfield, Georgia at The Burge Club. Can you imagine how pretty this would be in the fall?

And we painted on the SCAD Terrace one Saturday morning where we were treated to some of the very best views of the Atlanta skyline. The painting you see below is going to be available for purchase at our show at Binders Limelight Gallery in Buckhead.

EXHIBITIONS

In addition to the VHPAP shows, I am participating in a group show at the Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville. They approached me last summer and invited me to show 12 of my flower paintings along with 3 other artists. I delivered those paintings this week and was asked about my process and influences.

I took a little trip down memory lane and found photos of my first flower painting back in 2015, a copy of an Edouard Manet painting.

Hard to believe that was 8 years ago. Someone recently said that the artists we are initially drawn to are our biggest influences. That’s definitely true for me. What most people don’t know is that Manet painted flowers as he was dying. His friends brought beautiful floral arrangements, then Manet painted them. As he got closer and closer to dying his backgrounds got darker and darker. He must’ve known, right? Pretty remarkable story.

OK, let’s lighten things up! I have one more exhibition announcement …

These two plein air paintings have been accepted into ART OF GEORGIA, an exhibit that features works of art created by Georgia artists that highlight the landscapes and communities across the state. There were over 230 pieces submitted, and I’m not sure how many were chosen, but I was really excited to get two paintings accepted. “Gascgoine Bluff” and “Hyde Farm” will be displayed in our state Capitol building and the Governor’s Mansion.

One last note regarding plein air painting … my friend and art instructor recently had a run in with a bear while painting out West. Bill said the bear broke the fence like it was a toothpick, then stood up at the easel before finally scampering off. Pretty sure I’d need a change of clothes after an experience like this. Does Amazon sell bear spray? (Yes, yes they do)

JUNE PAINTINGS

Work in progress

Work in progress - Master Copy of Sargent’s Muddy Alligators

PERSONAL

My friend from high school is the chief curator at The High Museum and has organized an absolutely stunning exhibition of Samurai armor. It is so professional, so well executed, you will forget you are in Atlanta. I know how much thought he put into the design, lighting, colors, etc and it shows. Next level.

This show has such a wide range of appeal. From textiles and metalwork, fashion to functionality, martial arts and history, there’s something for everyone in this show. I hope you’ll go see it.

I think that pretty much covers the month of June, so I’ll leave you with a few photos of my baby monkeys who basically spend 20+ hours a day sleeping in bed. It’s a rough life. O-doggie sleeps on my side of the bed and JuJu sleeps either in front of Otis or on Scott’s side.