51st & Centennial

This is a new painting.Laverte's Drive-In & Liquor store, again. This place appeals to me on several levels as subject matter. As a result, I will continue painting it until I feel redundancy creeping in. So, look for more. I think the next one will be large, possibly my entry in the upcoming Central South Exhibition. This one is 11x14, oil.

Laverte's

Not a particularly recent painting but thought it would be worth posting. This drive-in liquor store in my neighborhood is a subject that hasn't seen the last of me, painting-wise, that is. I'm feeling a pull to paint it again and if I do, it will be #4 in the series. Paint it until I get it right kind of thing. For one, I think it needs to be large; all the predecessors have been no bigger than about 11x14. A heightened sense of the grittiness of the place will also be a goal. The coolness of the architecture speaks for itself. Stay tuned.



Swimmer

I have neglected this blog for some time now. Not good. I am turning over a new leaf and plan to resume regular postings, the only way to maintain ongoing viewers. Here are some recent figurative pieces with a little comment on each.

I participated in a figurative show at one of my galleries, Local Color in Nashville, TN during Sept.- Oct. and this was my entry. 40"x30" on stretched canvas. I have enjoyed working larger of late and plan to continue. As usual, click on each image to enlarge.

Stuck on River Road

With my daughter as the model and Cumberland MotorWerks as the backdrop, my attempt here was to create a story piece. This is a large oil on stretched canvas, 32"x40".

Flynne Flying

My great-niece, Flynne, jumping on a trampoline alongside her Aunt Mollie. I opted for this radical cropping to establish my focal point, not because I have a problem with my niece, Mollie. I'll paint her again later. They are all fantastic models. Feel free to let me know what you think of this crop. The painting is 30"x19", oil on stretched canvas.

Catherine

My entry in the 2010 East Nashville Tomato Fest. As always, the only stipulation for art entries is that a reference to tomatoes appear somewhere in the art. I've been wanting to work on some figurative pieces so this became my subject. This oil on stretched canvas measures 28x22.

View Along Old Natchez Trace

This is a just-completed commissioned painting. It is a view of a stretch of road along the historic Old Natchez Trace in Williamson County, TN. Originally an indian trail, then a road during horse-drawn transportation days between Nashville, TN and Natchez, MS. It is now a popular route for bicyclists through scenic horsefarms. This view shows a spot along the Harpeth River where teenagers maintain a popular hangout with a ropeswing and swimming hole.

This painting measures 14x22. It is an oil, painted on stretched linen.

St. George Island and Apalachicola FL

Our family makes a yearly pilgrimage to St.George Island, just off the historic little town of Apalachicola. We returned from this year's trip just last week. These plein air paintings are new, the horizontal (11x14) painted on part of 2 hot days just behind our house on the island and the vertical (16x12) in Apalachicola on 1 day. I further worked on the vertical painting in the studio after our return to Nashville, trying to maintain a spontaneous feel without going overboard on detail.

Bells Bend - A Sense of Place

 

These are the three remaining entries of the four that are on exhibit at the Art & Invention show. Oil on canvas.

Right on Jefferson

This painting was part of a Chestnut Group show to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Tennessee state capitol. The exhibit took place at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and this piece was purchased by the Tennessee State Museum for it's permanent collection.

Morning Dancer - Central South Art Exhibition

This painting has just been juried into the 45th Central South Art Exhibition. The show will run from May 1- June 25, 2010 at the Tennessee Art League at 808 Broadway, Nashville TN. Please make plans to check out the show if you're in the area.

Rosa Marie - Apalachicola

This is a just finished commission. The assignment was to paint a water scene. I was also shown the frame that the picture would go into. It was a quaint fifties-era jewel made of seashells that held a great deal of sentimental value to it's owner.

With this information in mind, I knew I could not paint a water scene based on my usual Tennessee surroundings. I dug into my photo files and came up with a series of shots I had taken in Apalachicola, Florida. The finished painting contains quite a few alterations from my research, including color changes, adding, removing or repositioning of subject matter. 10x9 oil on canvas panel.

Bells Bend Bounty

A study for the show, "Bells Bend: A sense of Place", which will run from April 24, 2010 – June 6, 2010, with an Opening Reception on Saturday, April 24 from 6:00pm- 9:00pm. I'm not sure yet what size I'll paint the final, possibly will be a large piece.

Terrapene Carolina

This is one of the pieces I'll be entering in the upcoming show "Bells Bend: A Sense of Place". Held at Art & Invention Gallery in East Nashville, the show will help to draw awareness to the plight of this unique and historic ecosystem which may be threatened by industrial development. 8x10 oil on artist-built canvas panel.

Tommy Womack Band

Tommy Womack at Norm's River Road House. Norm's is my favorite Nashville music venue. A great combination of coziness, character and a really nice sound system. This is a 10x12 oil on homemade canvas panel.

Turnips

A small still-life I did as an indoor "plein air" when it was too cold to paint outside. Are the outdoor possibilities finally on the horizon? Surely! 5x8 oil on homemade canvas panel.

French Market - New Orleans

Anyone who has visited the French Quarter in New Orleans has seen the historic French Market. This is an early morning view as the vendors are setting up their shops. Oil on canvas panel.

Murphy Road Overpass

Murphy Rd. is the main drag through my neighborhood, Sylvan Park. This piece was in my Art & Invention Gallery show a couple of years back - decided to pull it from my archive and post it. Oil on canvas panel.

When Caddies Had Wings

I just finished this one. There's an industrial area just north of my neighborhood with train tracks, silos and big storage tanks. This abandoned Cadillac was deposited behind one of these sites. 8x10 oil on canvas panel.

Morning Dancer

A painting of the window sill in my studio. 20x16 oil on stretched canvas and painted in the Fall of '09.

Laverte's Drive-in

A drive-in liquor store in my neighborhood that I have painted 3-4 times and probably will again. I can't resist architecture from this era. This painting is approx. 11x14 and is oil on gessoed masonite.