One Fern Down...

...but how many do go?

The Latest...

...painting is finished: ul 106 (reckoning) oil on panel 8x8" $2500

Pardoned From Painting Purgatory...

...where paintings go to think about how bad they are, this little 8x8" painting is back on the easel. The background trees are complete, the middle ground undergrowth is coming in nicely, and the foreground trees will be saved for last to make them pop. I'm happily back at work on this one!

The First Layer...

...of this painting felt like snapping jigsaw puzzle pieces into place, one fern at a time. Now with it completed, I can stare at it on my easel and figure out how to make the next layer smoother and more lifelike. For now, I am just happy where it is headed.

Next Up...

...a 12x12" painting for a group show at RLS in October. This is the black and white reference photo used to trace shapes onto the panel.

After Finishing A Painting...

...I usually have a bit of paint left over. I save some (balled up on the glass to the left) for touch ups until the painting is varnished. The rest I use to paint my jar lids, here using the lily pad colors. It is a nice way to say goodbye to colors I've been looking at for months.

Almost Done!

There is still about a foot of painting off camera to the right that has yet to be completed, but I am definitely getting close!

Three Photos...

...from my twelve state trip are in the early stages of editing. Photoshop does a great job of stitching these together (each image below is anywhere from 20 to 38 individual photographs) and if I decide to publish them, I will continue to edit each and fine tune the details (for example, straighten each horizon into a curve).

The top two have great promise, a pine stand from the Gulf Coast up top and a bayou off Lake Pontchartrain below. The last panorama is probably the prettiest truck stop I have ever had the pleasure of visiting.

And there are two more photographs that will most likely become paintings, but as the best paintings somewhat oddly come from rather plain photos, I've decided not to include them here. But by this winter they should be making an appearance!

Twelve states...

...in twelve days and my summer travels are over. There are few things better than getting off the highway and getting into new scenery. Here I am in a pine forest off 30A along the Gulf Coast. The edited panoramas are to follow, after finishing off some serious editing sessions.

In Small Sections...

...the lily painting is starting to look finished! But only in sections...