"South Texas Flight" 30" x 36" oil/board Solo Show Brush with Nature -InSight Gallery
The time flew by in preparation for this show, Brush with Nature. I focused on the light. Capturing light was an early pursuit, and I wanted it to be the core element of the show.
The Longhorn painting "Blessed with Good Rain' is about soft light and tranquility. It also touches on the importance of the water, historically a concern for the West. The first paintings tended to focus on shadows and soft light. "South Texas Flight" bobwhite quail burst into full light, as did the elk painting "Gentle Persuasion". The title is a play on words about the bull's assertive persistence. I always start with the landscape, but wildlife is the driving force. "Brush Country Formal" was a treat to paint. I thought of the tom turkey in all his regalia and his supporting cast as if they were in a western barn dance of time gone by. The show was Insightful. I wish I had another month or year to get to some of the other paintings, but I'm thankful for the deadlines and the opportunity! Hope to see you at the show! Brush with Nature - InSight Gallery - April 5 "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.
Categories All On the farm, I couldn't escape nature. The seasons of plenty and times of thrift were yearly if not daily reminders of the rhythm of life. The weather was watched with appreciation of sunshine and often with prayers for a good rain. My family took me west on trips and I fell for Terlingua, Big Bend, and the Texas Brush Country. Travel outside the state was to escape Texas' heat. Summers we left for the mountains of New Mexico and Colorado. I owe much to my sister Margaret, who also purchased my first art books. To this day she exhibits an adventurous spirit not seen since our ancestors left Germany for Galveston. ![]() Fall Showcase@ InSight Gallery marks my 5th anniversary with the gallery! I'm pleased to be with a great team of art lovers in Fredericksburg, TX! -Sept 2 2022- Nature is over the top. The ebb and flow from the mundane to the grand is captivating. All work in a concerted effort to draw us in. I seek to meld the ebb and flow of nature. If I succeed in getting my hand and eye to deliver I come close this place imagined. That is the journey and I hope others come along for the adventure! Available@ InSight Gallery Categories All |