I CAN ONLY GO SO LONG

before I have the uncontrollable urge to paint another red barn! If anything appears a bit out of kilter in this painting it is the roof...it narrows as it descends, and it shouldn't.


Long Gone...watercolor...6x9"

This may be my last post for several days. I expect to be totally occupied with the preparations for next weeks 7th anniversary snow in the gallery.

SAVED BY PASTELS

Sometimes, despite my best efforts, I can't accomplish what I set out to do. That's what happened in this last wc painting, everything below the tree line looked like mud, and my attempts at improving it only made things worse. I was faced with 2 options, throw it out and start over, or get out the soft pastels. I chose the latter, and once again they rescued an otherwise failed effort.

In this sketch, everything below the trees is pastel over a previously painted foreground.


Idaho landscape II...6x8"....wc & Pastel

NOTES ON TURNING 70

I’m 70 years old and rarely does a day go by that I don’t think about my mother and father. Oh how I would love to go back into time and reclaim those years that I took for granted. With the wisdom that accompanies the retrospectoscope I realize how precious and special they were. But of course that is what the years bring to us, the wisdom to appreciate that which is has past, family, friends, community, and perhaps greatest of all, freedom from responsibility. My childhood was wonderful and glorious because my parents carried the burden of responsibilities for me, for themselves, my grandfather, and the farm. I realize now, in the latter years of my life, that for them, the years were tough and trying, and that they protected me from their struggles.
I cannot help but feel some degree of guilt for not realizing this sooner, but mostly I feel gratitude, gratitude to them for being the parents that they were and giving to me all that they did. I imagine they knew that my turn to shoulder responsibility would come soon enough.


Graduation from Jefferson Medical School....1965

THE NORTH WEST,

thanks to some photos Patience took on her 1992 visit to a friend in Idaho. Browsing through my boxes of reference photos accumulated over the past 30 years I came across several pics that caught my attention. This is the first of my efforts and hopefully I will have more to follow.



Idaho Landscape watercolor....7x9"

HEY!

I just posted a painting without barns, fence posts, or barbed wire...so I felt justified in using at least one of these elements again.


Orange Field watercolor 5x7"

LOOK MA!

No trees, no barns, no fence posts, and no barbed wire!! Just another sky, horizon, and foreground.

I have learned a great deal from these small paintings, and plan on working on a larger scale after I've finished preparing for, and celebrating, our 7th anniversary event.


Dawn...watercolor...4x7"

The sky was done with Alizarin Crimson, Cobalt Blue, and Raw Sienna. I like this combo for the sunrise effect it creates.

7 AT 5

In two weeks I will be hosting a reception at Gallery 5 celebrating seven years in Paducah. The theme of the show will be the evolution of my art during those seven years. I am frequently asked why I came to Paducah and if I have any regrets with the decision to move here.

I moved to Paducah to be part of the city's Artist Relocation Program which held for me the hope of a wonderful place to live and work. Regarding a place to live, I cannot imagine a warmer, friendlier neighborhood than Lowertown, and the community of Paducah and its citizens. I have not, for one moment, been disappointed in this move.

Living and working in a community of artists has been more than I imagined it would be. The sharing, nurturing, and encouragement of colleagues has played a critical role in my development as an artist. I do not think my work would be what it is today if I had remained living in relative isolation on our Maryland farm. The artwork being produced in our community is as varied as the personalities and aspirations of the artists themselves. The lessons I have learned are not so much about materials and technique but about attitudes and commitment to art, and the respect for excellence in all of our endeavors. It doesn’t matter if the art is abstract, conceptual, or representational; what matters is the artist’s commitment to the work.

My personal goal has always been to create the best art that I am capable of creating. In Paducah I have learned that this is a goal that will always be just out of reach, for there is always room for growth.

If you are in the neighborhood on Friday, the 13th of November between 5 and 8 PM, join the celebration at Gallery 5 at 803 Madison St.