Return to the Junction

Return to the Junction
6" x 6" oil on board

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Back to the junction of the Bullpasture and Cowpasture Rivers for this one.  Just upstream from the location of my last Junction painting in Highland County, VA. I had to wade across the river to get to a rock ledge where I stood to do the painting.  The rocks are SUPER slippery so it took all my skill to make it across without dumping myself and all of my painting supplies in the river. Sarah and the kids were downstream floating around and hunting for crayfish - my dog Rainey was laying in the shade beside me. 

Super tough to capture sufficient detail without over doing it, especially when your kids are calling for you to help them catch crayfish.  Regardless, this was one of the best days in recent memory. The more time I spend painting beside a river or sitting neck deep with a beer in my hand while my kids look for creatures, the better. Hey look - there I am!

Seldom Seen Hollow I

 

Seldom Seen Hollow I

8 x 8 Oil on Board

SOLD

I went on a three night getaway to a VRBO farm in Doe Hill, Va., Highland County.  The property is 172 acres, backing up to the National Forest.  I went alone with Rainey, my dog, and the plan was to fish, paint and rest up after the end of a grueling school year.  I did all those things, despite the fact that it rained most of the time.  This particular painting was completed in the rain.  It was not raining when I set up, but began pretty steadily the moment I got started.  So steady that it interfered with the paint adhering to the board.  It's tough to see in the photo, but there are some interesting textures, I think because of the water's impact on the paint.  I also had to try and "finish" this really quickly, but I still like the way it turned out.  Rainey is such a good dog - despite the rain and the cows lurking nearby, she never left my side. This is the view from the back of the farm, looking toward the National Forest.  I walked until I was too tired to walk anymore and never reached a property boundary that I could tell.  It is WILD back there - tons of wildlife and native plants that I just don't see anywhere else.  I loved it. Just realized you can see some water droplets if you click on the photo. I tried to blow them all off before I took the photo.

Orchards at Graves Mountain

8" x 6"oil on canvas panel


Sarah and I try to get out to Graves Mountain every year for some apple picking/wine tasting; usually around the time of our wedding anniversary.  The B&B is booked for the weekend of October 17th - our five year anniversary!

Step back from your computer to view this one.

Winterpock Grocery

6" x 8"
Oil on Canvas Panel
Sold

This is Winterpock Grocery in Chesterfield, Va.  In real life, the bright, white wall on the right says Winterpock Grocery.  However, I couldn't bring myself to paint Winterpock on the wall for fear of destroying what I feel is a pretty decent painting.  I like this one.  The photo does not do it justice!

Orange Line

8" x 10"
Oil on Canvas Panel
$50

I've had this painting in mind for a long time now, and I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. It's not pretty, but if you've ever taken the Orange Line back from DC after a long night, you might understand why it looks this way.

'Belle Isle Footbridge II'

16" x 20" Oil on Canvas
Commissioned:  Sold


I received a request for a second, much larger, version of my original Belle Isle Footbridge painting and I was happy to oblige.  The larger version allowed me to expand on the detail of the original, pictured below:



I think it turned out well.  I only used three colors to mix the entire original painting as sort of an experiment, but I went with a full palette on the new version.  I think the expanded palette helped me to create more of a contrast between the shadow areas in the foreground and the brighter areas in the riverbed.

I'm searching for more commissions so let me know if you have any requests.

"City Backyard"

8" x 10" Oil on Panel
Let me preface this painting/post by saying that my brother has a beautiful backyard. If you could pan this image down and to the right, you'd see some beautiful plants and flowers, perfect grass and a lovely stone entrance-way that my he laid himself...I could have painted a prettier painting of the flowers in his yard, but my weird mind is more interested in the morning sun shining on that ugly, run-down building in the background...So, don't let your opinion of this painting sway your mind on my brother's landscaping abilities - he's a pro.

I'd like to say congratulations to my cousin and godson, Adam, for graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University this weekend with his Masters in Occupational Therapy. Adam is one of the better people I've ever encountered. He has more energy than anyone I know and he directs it all toward helping others. Way to go Adam!!

"Relic"

8" x 10" Oil on panel
Sold!

Is it bad that painting has become an addiction for me? I'm chasing after the perfect image, the perfect light, the perfect color like a heroin addict chases after the perfect high...The thing is, I know they can never BE perfect, but I feel like I have to keep trying. Even as I write this blog I'm seeing ways that I could make this painting better. I guess this is why some artists fixate on a certain subject and paint it over and over again. What's comforting to me is that I haven't really painted that many paintings...So, hopefully, I will continue to progress toward my idea of perfection. I know it's not everyone's idea. I'm after a certain type of image and feeling that appeals to me for the same reason my favorite music appeals to me. The reason is tough to pinpoint and it varies from day to day, but with certain constants.

Ok, enough rambling. I found this old barn while I was out working yesterday near Round Hill, VA. Round Hill is a little town located about 50 miles west, northwest of Washington, DC, near the Virginia/West Virginia border. I call the painting "Relic" because the barn is located in the middle of what is now a subdivision. There are paved streets, curbs, fire hydrants and brand new vinyl siding houses all around this poor old barn.

I thought about doing this painting differently and adding in some of the new houses and paved streets. The juxtaposition of the old barn in the new subdivision is what drew me to take the picture in the first place. I guess you don't really get the feeling that I was after without the subdivision, but I like the painting for what it is...