Grill Warm Up

This was a typical scene before a huge party. Early morning grill light up and friends to lie to what more can one ask for. I often photographed my step father with his friends around the pit. He would drink his beer and chat with friends while grilling. John L was always around and the hangers on were always dapper.

Childs Play 1

The photo that inspired this painting was taken at a family event. I was inspired by the fact that these kids were playing together in the digital age. This was a game of hide and seek with two seekers. No phones attached, just kids playing and running around together.

Losing My Religion

I hope the title doesn't turn you off as its a song from my past. It was the first thought I had when I opened the image in my computer. I grew up in a small town in Texas. Like a lot of places, we had an abundance of churches. This one is around the corner from where I was raised. The painting is not true to form of course. This church is one of my many muses around my home town. Prior to the pandemic, there were rumors that it was set for demolition. Anyway, I hope you all are well and comfortable with our experimental new normal.

Study Long Study Wrong

If you have ever played a game of dominoes in the south, you have heard the term "study long study wrong". Or that is what my stepfather used to say to me when I played dominoes with him and his buddies. Of course I would slow the game down because I was and am a rookie at the gane. This painting was inspired by a photo taken during a family gathering. My brother referred to this as the grown up table. Even he was smart enough not to compete.

Grill Fire Up

My stepfather Milton has been the subject of many of my paintings. He loved cooking for friends and family. This home made grill cooked up many meals for just us or a huge party of friends. He would start early, unlike me, and the best was the food first off the grill. He liked to have beer while cooking. So by the end of his cooking, he would have barbecue toast. Thats what my mom called it. It is my hope that you are happy and healthy as you read this. Its been a rough patch for all of us. We will get through this better as a world. Remember even if you are not present for the holidays you are always with family in your heart and mind.

Church Muse

Last week I found a box of photographs from 2001. It contained some photos of the old Mount Moriah Temple Baptist Church building before it was torn down and made into a parking lot. I have done many paintings of this old building. I call it one of my many muses. If she were alive today, my mother would laugh. She knew how much I disliked going to church. Some would say that that revokes my "black" card.

Mugs Coffee Worker

This is another sketch of the interior of Mugs Coffee Shop in Commerce. I was in town for my nephew's graduation. During my off time, I roamed around the downtown area. There was a farmer's market that I also sketched. Mugs has beautiful antique furniture. It offers a nice contrast to the blue collar often eclectic customers. Graduation weekend was packed with celebrations and multiple sketching opportunities.

Mugs Of Commerce

When I was last in Commerce, Texas I visited this coffee shop called "Mugs". Great cup of coffee and beautiful little place. Their playing cards were large. It was filled with lots of places to enjoy a coffee and light snack. This group was playing a game of Uno.

Gate Keepers

I remember seeing these gentlemen at this very location almost every day as I went about being a child in Commerce, Texas. They would sit on the side of the house and check out everything. We lived "across the tracks" and this house is close to them. I took the photo that inspired the painting many years ago...perhaps in my twenties. When I was growing up, I was taught to call our community "the Norris Community". The younger generation refers to it as "the Hole".

Church Shadows

I had finished work on this painting for the night, so I put it away and started playing with ink. The next day I couldn't find it. I shrugged it off and went about the day. Later on I lifted my clipboard to find this piece stuck to the back with black ink. It came off surprisingly easy. I liked the resulting image. Thus, the title. The subject is the church that I grew up in. It was torn down years ago.

Water Tower

I usually paint when I visit my home town. For those of you who grew up in Commerce, this is a familiar image. When you first come into town from highway 50 you see a dorm and this water tower. I don't know much of the history behind it. I was drawn to this scene because of the drama in the sky. A storm was coming through and the contrast in the sky was amazing.

Pasture Family

On my last visit to Commerce I took the time to take some photos of the farmland between Commerce and Neylandville, Texas. The animals were out as were the wildflowers. Unlike a lot of artists, I love using green especially in the landscape. My mom always told me that if you see the cows sitting down, rain is coming. Its funny how I have retained so many of her musings.

Caught Lurking

My lens found this black cat lurking behind a house in Commerce. I liked the light, of course and the contrast of the dark feline.

Transformer Sunset

I painted this little piece while standing in Pam's kitchen looking out the window. I like including transformers as they are part of the landscape and are evidence of humans. I was attracted to the colors of the sky as the sun was setting.

Sketchbook share.

Outhouse With History

This old outhouse was across the street from our house. I grew up with it. The painting size is 2.5 by 2.5 inches. I love painting small because I am forced to get to the point of the painting. My work has been a bit nostalgic lately because of mother's day. I spent mothers day inside cooking, watching television and painting. The subject of my figurative work was my aunt Michelle. She passed away a little over three months ago. On the following Monday, my sister informed me that her husband had passed too. Sad times for my aunt's kids.

A page from my Khadi sketchbook. Done Friday while waiting on my car to be serviced.

Commerce Country Roads

My mother loved riding around in the country and so did/do I. As and adult I photographed those same roads and used those photos to inspire paintings like this post. I did the initial drawing in ink. I dissolved the ink to create a grey scale under painting. I used Daniel Smith watercolors and a few inks to finish it off. I used to run by this scene a lot as a kid and young adult. The barn is long gone.

Something from my sketchbook.

Sky Works

I did this little painting of a Commerce, Texas landscape a few visits ago. I slow it down a bit when I go home. Its nice learning to appreciate my home town as an adult. I see why my mom loved the place and never left. I used part of my gaza papel stash as a surface.

A sketch from my Crescent sketchbook.

Night Lights

This is a scene from my home town. During one of my recent visits I drew the back of the restaurant in front of the hotel. I was of course attracted to the light and dark patterns made my mother nature and by man. I used my Daniel Smith palette of watercolors on watercolor paper.

Late Summer Field

This is a study from my sketchbook for a larger painting. I was going through some old photos and found a few that I want to revisit or tackle for the first time. I think this was inspired by a photo from the nineties. My photography skills were not that good and they tended to be blurred. In my opinion now, that is a good photo to paint from or use as a starting point.

Thanksgiving Moon 2015

My sister called my attention to the moon on Thanksgiving night. I took photos with my phone. This is the first painting from that series of photos. Night time paintings are really a great challenge with regard to values.