spider lily

Derek happened to spot a stand of exquisite spider lilies near our campsite. They look so exotic that it is surprising to find out that they are native to the south...as much a surprise as finding a passionflower.

upriver

My favorite spot for trout seeking lately is at a shallow bend in the river where the wading is easy and the banks are somewhat open. Beautiful farms line the banks, alternating with dense woods.

caney evening mist

Continuing my recent obsession with the Caney Fork River, I managed to get in a few hours of late-afternoon fishing on Sunday, leaving just as the mist was thickening on the water, rolling in the evening chill.

center hill lake

Over the weekend we camped on Center Hill Lake, luckily during a time when it was mostly deserted. We discovered a spot near our campsite where a rocky bluff dropped deep into the lake with just enough of a gentle slope that we could swim there. The water was perfect, slightly cool on the hot summer morning.

companions

This field had just been planted when I photographed it, baring its dry soil beneath the towering trees in the distance. By now there is certainly a field full of soybeans or corn, deep summer green.

distant cornfields

Another farm image...this one in honor of my friend Anne, who always chose cornfield rows when we went out to paint together in Ohio. I am finally beginning to understand the draw of those rows upon rows, the natural rhythm of the field stretching into the distance.

passing fields

Somehow yet again, too much time has passed since my last post. It has begun to feel like my summer is in a constant loop of driving to Atlanta (which I have done three out of the last four weekends) and camping. Not all bad, but just very busy! So, in the spirit of catching up, here are some new paintings. This one is from much earlier in the summer when we drove through the midwest...I am still finding all sorts of inspiration from that wide-open landscape.

fast study

Tonight in the painting class I found myself getting stuck as I reworked the piece I started last week. I took the last fifteen mintues to do a quick sketch of the model in profile, in order to get a fresh look at everything. Although I am no more pleased with this canvas than I was with the original attempt, it was still a fun exercise.

ohio field

I originally painted this farm in a vertical format several years ago, but coming across a photo of it today, I thought it would make a good daily study. I have always liked the solid white sky against the velvety fields.

farm memory

We ended up "down south" this evening in Williamson County, my former home, to go tent shopping and out for dinner with my mom. We took the country way, past several old farms that eventually disappear into a sprawling shopping area. This image from a Brentwood farm was on the top of my reference pile tonight, and I thought it was a good time to revisit it.

woods edge

We heard from our friend Lee the other day, who is trying to help us find a place to live near him in rural western North Carolina. Now that Derek is finished with school, we are preparing for the next phase of our lives, hopefully one with plenty of woods, streams, and mountains in it. This image reminded me of what I hope will be the future.

open water

I really have been painting every day, but in the excitement of the new Harry Potter release, I seem to have forgotten to actually post the pieces. Here is a river study taken from my last Ohio trip. I like the simplicity of it so much that I just might paint a larger version, even though I had only intended this as a small study.

big meadow

A student from my painting class had requested a demo on my landscape approach, so last week I showed the students how I handle a typical painting in the studio. I had a large pile of reference accumulated from the exercise, and on top was this image from a painting trip to the Shenandoah Valley with my friend Steph from several years back. We have both painted this spot numerous times, and to the best of my recollection it was called simply "Big Meadow." There was something magical about waiting for the afternoon storm to roll in, standing on a bald surrounded by the highest mountain all around. I will never forget that week.

moth

When I walked out the back door yesterday I found this moth dead on the ground, perfectly posed with its wings open. I scooped it up and brought it inside to add to my "natural history" collection. It seemed like an appealing subject for a painting tonight.

harvest field study

I am planning a show in the fall and working out several issues through these small daily studies. This is a detail of a piece which will eventually be composed of five canvases. The final composition will be a very long, horizontal image of a favorite field.

mist rising

Still immersed in a river obsession, I found this image from an outing a couple of weeks ago and liked the rosy tones and soft mist rising from the water. There will probably be plenty of water imagery in my next body of work this fall.

stones river

One weekend in the "big city" was enough for me! We headed home on Sunday afternoon and stopped by the Stones River on the way back to Nashville to get in a little fishing. It was smaller water and much easier casting than the Caney, and I caught quite a few fish before the sun set. It was a great way to clear out the stress of Atlanta traffic.

atlanta

We went to Atlanta this weekend for the opening of the summer landscape show at Aliya Linstrum. Although it was an ordeal getting there, it was a wonderful opening and a great show. If you will be in Atlanta this summer, stop by and check it out.

first flower

This is the first flower I've managed to grow from seed in this shady city yard of mine. I have tried unsuccessfully for a few years to get sunflowers to grow in the only sunny patch of garden in the backyard, but for some reason this year, a lonely mexican sunflower found a way to elude the birds long enough to grow and bloom.

peruvian apple

I have become terribly lazy in this midsummer heat and am finally catching up on posts. Last week we watched the miracle of the blooming of the large peruvian apple cactus I recently bought. I knew we were in for a splendid bloom when it started rapidly growing large buds from several strategic points near the top. We waited, checking each day for an opning blossom, and then one night, it happened...huge, delicate white petals opened wide to reveal hundreds of pistils. They only bloomed for a night or two, leaving behind their growing fruit.