Corner Music

I love revisiting old photos especially those taken during SXSW here in Austin. During the festival I keep my camera with me because of scenes like these. I remember these two young men were performing outside the Whole Foods on 6th street. I was in my car heading home and caught a few shots of them. They saw my camera and posed for me. It will be nice to see what happen next year for the festival. I'm optimistic.

Cutting Avenue

I painted this image because I like the color of the building and of course the light. Cutting Avenue is in Richmond, California. I would have to say that it's one of my many muses (that would include the entire state). We have passed this building many times going here and there. I have always wanted to paint it. Last year I challenged myself to paint more buildings. One thing I have learned thus far is that structure to me does not matter. I still go for the feels.

Last Haul Noyo Harbor

About three years ago we were hanging out right at dusk near Noyo harbor. I was concentrating on photographing people fishing and the boats coming in for the night. What struck me most about this image was the lone fisherman on the top near the light and the red lobster traps in the back of the vessel.

Tide Pool Buddies

When I can, I want to get to California. The place inspires me and I get to see Pamela. A few years ago, we were out and about on the Point Reyes National Seashore and I was busy sketching people. I was working on 8 by 6 pieces of Khadi watercolor paper. I liked how their bodies reflected in the tide pools. I used quick gesture work to get the overall form down and added watercolor later. I moved a few years ago. I threw away about a third of what I was hoarding and did a lot of reorganizing. I found an old sketchbook with value studies from 2007. Yesterday I did a small pastel from one of those studies. I was amazed at how much of the actual scene came flooding back into my mind.

In 2007 I spent the weekend in Fulton, Texas painting and sketching with a painting group. This pastel put me back in that place by the water watching the shrimpers coming in and going out. The birds of course were feeding.

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.

Almost A City

A lot has happened since my last post. We are now in full pandemic mode. Almost all of my life takes place online with very little physical human interaction. The new normal. I am using this time to reflect, paint, photograph my world, etc. I'm an introvert by nature so this sort of suits me. The threat of the virus looms everywhere. My hands are dry from washing them so much. I'm spending time in my sketchbooks too. This is an Austin image. My take on the over development of a little town. My hope is that this post finds you healthy and well.

Berkeley Botanical Garden

Last year we went back to the Berkeley Botanical Gardens. This was my first visit in over ten years. The views were still breathtaking. I was sporting a new camera with a wide angle lens. I was drawn to the palm tree and the overall atmosphere of the landscape . I was amazed at the quantity of vegetables that they had growing on the grounds. They had beautiful patches of collard greens. I was tempted to pick some to cook. That, I assume, would have been frowned upon.