Aqua Nest

Aqua Nest

This watercolor was painted for an exhibit I was juried into called Flights of Fantasy: The Artistic Bird, at Brookgreen Gardens located in Pawleys Island. The watercolor paintings, chosen from the South Carolina Watermedia Association members, will hang in conjunction with a sculpture exhibit. The show is September 6 - November 2, 2008

“Aqua Nest” is a painting that was inspired by the Southern hairdos I witnessed growing up in Spartanburg, SC.

My Dad was an avid photographer so my Mother’s hairstyle is well documented --- from cute pixies to bountiful bouffants. These images are part of the inspiration in the creation of this painting.

I also remember well my first grade teacher, Miss Johnson. She had beautiful white hair piled high in a bun. To our surprise and delight, she would randomly decorate her bun with fruit, flowers or even a bird’s nest on occasion. Whether this was for educational purposes or not, it certainly sparked my imagination.
Some Southern bouffants were so elaborate, with curls and waves; it was easy for me to imagine birds flying in and out to make nests in them! If this was more than just a childhood fantasy, I wonder if the women with the big hair would notice something had taken up residence on top of their heads!

The Beacon Drive In

The Beacon
Drive In

John White opened the Beacon Drive-In sixty years ago. He retired in 1998 after being a hands-on owner. It is a "Slice-A-Plenty" of Spartanburg, SC.

This place is a must visit if you are anywhere near Spartanburg. JC greets you when you enter and asks you to "call it out" He shouts your order to the kitchen and asks you to "Move down the line". During lunch time this place is PACKED! Somehow your order does appear as shouted...

My painting is of a fellow stirring the chili for their famous Chili Cheese Burger. If you call out a "Chili-Cheese-A- Plenty you get a chili cheeseburger on a bun on a plate buried underneath piles of sweet onion rings and French fried potatoes. Make sure you order their Iced Tea. It is served over shaved ice and is the best tea around! The Beacon sells more tea than any other single restaurant in the U.S.A

The Beacon has been a must stop for any politician running for office! Come and visit, but don't come on Sunday... they are closed.

Catching A Buzz

The top image is of the beginning of the painting.

Thought I'd give a try at show the progression of a recent painting. I've been enjoying the challenge of designing within a long canvas. This one is 15"h x 30"w. For some reason I bought several of this canvas size a few years ago and am just now painting on my last one.

This image is from Litchfield Beach. I was taking a walk towards Huntington Beach State Park and I spotted these fellows having a good time. They were hanging close together talking, laughing and drinking beer. Their fishing pole were cast and sort of forgotten. When I walked back they all seemed to be in the same stance, just laughing more. I asked one of the guys, "what are ya'll catching? A buzz?" They laughed and agreed with me.

Happy Drawing... Painting!

Spend more time drawing!

I love to paint. After drawing alot, coming back to an oil painting is like getting dessert! Drawing skills are the foundation upon which a successful painting is built. I draw alot so that when I'm ready to paint I can lay down what my mind sees without hesitation. Deliberate strokes. Pastel "painting" has been a great teacher to bridge my drawing passion with my love for paint.

The detail of this oil painting shows how drawing shapes creates what I see.

Happy drawing (painting!)

Arts with Heart

This Friday I was honored to be part of the Art with Hearts hosted by Bub-Bub.com. This event featured 11 artists. Each artist chose a local charity. Half of our sales went to support our chosen charity. I chose the Spartanburg Alzheimer's Association. Last year we thought my stepfather might have early stage Alzheimer's and that is why they were my charity. Alzheimer's is a disease that attacks the brain. Every 72 seconds someone is diagnosed. We'll never know if infact he had Alzheimer's because December 15 he had a massive brain hemorrhage and passed away 7 days later. My stepfather was a wonderful gentleman who owned and ran a drug store in downtown Spartanburg from 1948 until 1985. He loved Spartanburg and he loved people. I'll miss his sweet smile.

The Red Horse Inn

I'm eeking in one post for November!


One of the things I did this month was to visit the Red Horse Inn in Landrum, SC to paint. This is just a small study for a larger painting.

If you are looking for a beautiful place to get away you have to check this place out. The owners, Roger and Mary were kind enough to let me set up my easel. The colors were peaking. Roger and Mary run a first class property here.

We Live Here Now

The Hub-Bub artists, Arielle and Rachel are living downtown for 5 days in a store front on 100 E. Main Street. Their goal is to promote downtown and its small but growing art scene, and to highlight in a unique way what it would be like to live downtown. They are calling the project "We Live Here Now."

I dropped by today to sketch art in the making! Arielle and Rachel are two of four artist participating in the Artists-in-Residence program run by Hub-Bub. Hub-Bub has some great things happening.

Now that "I live here now" it is things like this that has me encourgaged that great things are happening in my old town.