Boughs of a Cedar, 8x10

Boughs of a Cedar
Maymont Park, Richmond, Virginia

8x10, oil

Summer Sketchbook Challenge: Portraits of the backs of people's heads

This summer a few artists and myself are challenging ourselves to draw regularly. We're calling it the Summer Sketchbook Challenge. Head over to the Summer Sketchbook Challenge blog to see who's in. We're always open for more. If you're interested, leave a comment over there with your email address and I'll add you to the group.

 

This was from Sunday, can you tell? :) 

A dear soul who is participating in the Summer Sketchbook Challenge is actually represented in one of the above portraits. Any guesses on who?

I'm guessing you'll see this page again at a later date when the rest of the boxes get filled on future Sunday mornings.

Summer Sketchbook Challenge: A heron & thumbnail sketches

Some painting composition planning as well as the heron at the edge of the Swift Creek Reservoir.

 

The Summer Sketchbook Challenge

The Carving Tree, 9x12

The Carving Tree

Maymont Park, Richmond, VA

9x12, oil on board
(email me for purchase info)

Seems like every couple in Richmond has their initials on this particular tree at Maymont. Well, except Mark's & mine. Are yours on this tree?

Summer Sketchbook Challenge: First day of summer

This summer a few artists and myself are challenging ourselves to draw regularly. We're calling it the Summer Sketchbook Challenge. Head over to the Summer Sketchbook Challenge blog to see who's in. We're always open for more. If you're interested, leave a comment over there with your email address and I'll add you to the group.

Here's my first page:

 

 

It's Mark being sweet and washing the dishes.

Of course I skipped the first page of the sketchbook, because it's intimidating to put something on that first page. So technically this is page 2, but sketch #1 of the Summer Sketchbook Challenge. I'll come back to page 1 once I'm "in the swing of things".

 

We've got a good little group participating. I'm looking forward to the camaraderie and gaining inspiration from each other over the summer. 

Summer Sketchbook Challenge

The Challenge: to fill a moleskine over the summer. 104 pages, 94 days. Want to join?

The Summer Sketchbook Challenge

The Long Way, 11x14

 

The Long Way

11x14, oil
sold


Based off of this little piece, which sold during the Pathways show at For Art's Sake Gallery during the month of May:

 

Winding road

6x8, oil 

sold

Light to My Path, 6x12

"Frustration is the driving force for creativity."

-Dan McCaw

 

"Light to My Path"*

6x12, oil

sold

I certainly hope that quote it true. I think it is.

To paint the light and it's effect on the landscape on a 2-dimensional surface is incredibly frustrating. What the Creator of the Universe simply spoke into existence when He said "Let there be light" and there was light, I spend hours upon hours and days and months striving to capture so inadequately.

Genesis 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

But I do feel that quote by Dan McCaw is true. The reaching for something and the frustration when the thing is unattainable gives rise to all sorts of ideas of how to create illusions with my paint. 

Click to see the blog post of the larger version of this painting:

It's such a privilege to do what I do. Today I feel blessed.

* The title of this painting was taken from Psalm 119. It says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”.