Week-End of Painting in the Cold

Spent the week end and Friday afternoon painting in 30 degree weather in Cypress Mill, Texas.  And, there were 34 other crazy people painting with me from all over Texas.  Really was a fun time of sharing with a bunch of artists that I have not seen in quite awhile.  Saturday night we had a bar b que at the ranch house where many of us stayed.

Painting in the cold is doable if you have good clothing and preparation for the cold.  Remember to wear gloves that the hand you paint with has had the fingers cut from.  Good silk thermal wear is necessary and a hat that covers ears and neck.  My jacket also has a hood that I used over the hat.

Things Successful People Do that Others Don't

Having just worked with three other artists over a luncheon meeting about their work and their desires matching, here are a couple of things that we shared and all learned and were motivated by:

Be realistic about your work.  Self critique in an honest manner.  Put it aside for days.  Have another artist better than you give honest feed back.  Have a non artist look at the painting as they can give some brutally honest assessments.  Be willing to completely start over.  We All want to produce good work, but just wanting to does not make make it a reality.  We must put the hours and hours of work into our reality.  

Successful people go to work to prosper, not just to work.  They have a self-centered push to get something done.

They have exercised an incredible drive.

They never make excuses.

They focus on Goals daily, written each day.

Willing to fail, viewing failure as an opportunity to learn.

This Was a Different Direction for Me

This was done for the contractor who built The Ballpark in Arlington when Bush was the young owner.  My reference photo was 3 x 4.  The big dirt moving machine was to be in the painting, and the three standing men were minuscule  in front of that machine in the photo, so it was hard to have any facial reference with them being that small and with Ranger ball caps pulled down over their faces.  But, it still was a fun commission to do.

Palace Theater Exhibition and Sale was Great Success

The first painting to leave my space in the Palace was this one.  It went to a darling young lady that I am happy to be with in the being of a painting.  Three bird paintings left me.  And, it was especially fun to have my "Chick Filet" and "Bunny Boy" paintings go to some long long time wonderful friends.                      

Commissions

The commissions are way ahead of me.  Have a very interesting one right around the corner, with only a couple of weeks to get done.  But, I miss painting some of the things I just WANT to paint for the whim of it.  Would love to get a series done on birds.  Have a house wren that comes every year and builds her nest in my Geranium pot.  That means I quit watering.  Mother wren has gotten so used to me taking the basket down and seeing how her nest of eggs or babies is doing that she doesn't leave when this happens.  Can you believe that! !  
  A next favorite bird is the Eastern Blue Bird.  Have two nests (boxes) they come back

year after year.  Boxes must be placed far apart-500 feet or so, be on a tree or post some 5 feet from the ground.  They are a territorial and feisty little bird, sometimes fighting their own reflection in my windows.  Here are a couple of small bird paintings:

Bosque Classic Painting Went to:

Jane Adams, a Real Estate Agent with the Clark Group in Gandbury, Texas.  This National Show (with paintings from over the United States) is a very prestigious show that the little town of Clifton, Texas, has put on for many many years.  Clifton has a booming creative front.
   I have never met Jane, but hope to have our paths cross in the future.  Here is her painting:  (thank you, Jane)

Just Finished This One

This is the beautiful little redhead granddaughter of the bride's parents (her brother's daughter) that was on the trip to Virgin Gorda.  Entitled it "Porcelain and Sand" and her skin did look like porcelain.