"Rise & Shine"©2022 oil/board 20" x 37" InSight Gallery Texas Masters In 2012, we traded the upkeep of a 1907 house in Fredericksburg to move to East Texas for work privacy. The seclusion was great, but after five years, we missed Fredericksburg. We began searching for properties in a competitive market. When we stumbled on this house online, we thought, "You're kidding, right?" The house was a widow's ramshackle. However, it had one attribute above the other homes we toured—studio space. This house had bones. It took two years for workers to remove the grime and update the home to meet our needs in both design and aesthetics. I am happy with the outcome of the remodel. My studio was once a gunsmith's trophy room. The north wall was opened with large picture windows. No more dark studios in pole barns! I have light and it surrounds me. So now I begin my next group of paintings. I continue to double down. As I finish a painting, there is more I want to explore and infuse. I've always been one to take the long road, but now there is no time to meander. Inspiration demands my deadline. I have to put it down in paint before a new inspiration takes hold. I want paint seen, and examined, not grainy in appearance or with notes of hesitation, but with good, strong sureness, regardless if the stroke is soft or strong. Bury me with my brush in hand, as I am sure I want this journey to continue. Hesitations are pushed aside, and dues are paid. From my perspective, art should transcend. Much can be forgiven and adjusted. If the bones are good, then it is good, but if it breathes and has soul then it can stand the test of time. I hope to make mine such.
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