Blog

I have a new Gallery displaying my work in Houston! Reeves Art and Design Gallery is the largest gallery in Houston with all styles of work from Contemporary to Traditional. They are giving me a large show in February but have some of my paintings in their showroom now. I hope you can stop by 2415 Taft during the Holidays and see all the exciting work by local and international artists. They have all types of works on view, not just my Texas Landscapes but my Still Lives, Pleinair, and Drapery paintings as well. I pray you all have a healthy and safe Holiday and a Happy New Year!

Here in San Rafael, it's cold and rainy and the perfect day to snuggle by the fire near the Christmas Tree with my two smallest grandchildren. We have been telling made-up on-the-fly fantasy stories, reading books, and playing Uno (Super competitive) and Candyland. I can't think of anything I would rather do or anywhere I would rather be but right here with my California Families and Grandchildren. I pray you feel the same wherever you are. Gratitude is sweet the older you get. Merry Christmas, Everyone!

The Plein Air event in Schulenburg was fraught with cool, damp, and stormy weather but the in-between times made for dramatic lighting. While driving one morning I was so struck with the scene unfolding before me that I pulled over on this Farm to Market road and set up quickly under a tree. I mixed up the Grey-Violet cloud color and slapped paint on the canvas with a pallet knife. The sun peaked out from time to time throwing shafts of light over the landscape. The rain held off for 3 hours. I was lucky! Sometimes in Life as well as in Art it's best to let the moment dictate where you go and how you respond. Sticking to your original plan may not be the best option. That idea played out again the next evening. My friend Jing and I were having dinner at the local restaurant downtown when we heard beating drums and a band marching by outside! We jumped up and caught the cutest Small Town Parade go past the restaurant. Our thoughtful waiter put our food under the warmer until we got back. It was a real treat! Schulenburg is charming.

Last week was the first Schulenburg Plein Air Competition and I was invited to participate. Arriving Wednesday morning, sick and pitiful, I spent the week standing in the cold, damp, rainy weather. However; the Organizer, Amanda Danning, was terrific and I watched a Master Painter, Jing Zhao work. Jing is a top award-winning artist, juried into numerous national and International exhibitions and receiving too many awards to list here. I stood behind her while she painted this church interior. I struggled to get the perspective, value, and color right while she nailed it! This was a lesson in humility. She started most of her paintings with a Burnt Sienna underpainting while I started with a white canvas. I couldn't get the values dark enough while she was adding the lights. Her paintings glow with color and her brushwork is a delight to see. It's never too late to learn from a master. This was clearly a "First Prize Painting" but got a "Third" and the second painting below the church got nothing. There is no second-guessing a judge at these competitions.