TWO OF A KIND (BARNS)

#1, 9X12 oil on board, $350 unframed

#2, 9x12 oil on linen panel, $350 unframed

These barns are WAY past repair. The holes in the tin roof certainly won't keep anything dry.
Can anyone say why we are compelled to create one thing or another? This is the same barn, taken when I was returning from the Alabama Folk School at Camp McDowell. I can't remember doing 2 of the same subject before, although I know artists should work in series and/or explore different compositions from the same subject matter. It's one of those images that intrigues me from many angles. These paintings are the same size and I changed the format to see what part of the waning winter light I could emphasize. I still want to develop a painting featuring the big pecan tree unseen in these views. It was flaming in the sun on the top, and cool purple blues below. I just delight in ordinary scenes lit up by the usual sunset. I just happened to be there. Hmmmm..... maybe a long narrow painting next....

p/s click on the photo to enlarge to see the REAL painting.

YOUR CHANCE TO BID

Tannehill Too , 30x30,oil on canvas $1300

Big Red, 36x36, oil on canvas $1300
Huntsville Museum of Art, Rapsody in Blue Auction Gala

I've been fortunate to have these 2 pieces accepted into the Huntsville Al Museum Gala. The events start March 3 with a special luncheon, a preview party Tuesday, March 3 at 7pm, ending with the black tie Gala on Sturday, March 7 at the Von Braun Center. You would enjoy any or all of these events. If you can't make it, you still have the chance to bid on my paintings through the website = HSVMUSEUM.ORG , the Huntsville Museum of Art (Alabama). Go to the RAPSODY IN BLUE section for instructions and viewing all the artwork.

These two paintings are artists favorites, and would make a wonderful addition to your home or office.

Thanks to Dragonfly Gallery in Fayetteville Tn, and to Tina Caudle, my super coordinator for this event for help above and beyond... Once you've been to the museum, you'll be returning for the special exhibits and events.

SMALL WOODLAND SCENES

WOODLAND SCENES
6X8 oil on panel $95

6x8 oil on panel, nfs, almost finished

6x8, oil on panel, $95

I told myself I was going to work on different subject matter, but these winter woodland scenes just were insistent on getting painted. The top two are in Tennessee - out in the boonies as we say in Alabama. The bottom one is from north Alabama - a treasure of our state, the privately owned Dismals Canyon near Russelville. It's just indescribably beautiful and you would never know it's there by the surrounding countryside. Every photo taken there turns out great.

I used a relatively big brush (for a 6x8) #6 flat bristle - for these, with some palette knife scrapings to make small lines. They required more layering than I expected.

I've said it before - I LOVE winter colors.

HORSES, part 2

Group, 6x8 oil on prepared board $95
As promised, here is the finished study of horses around the hay bale. I might tweak the ears, and give the resting foal on the right a real head, but it's otherwise finished as a study. I find horses and cows arrange themselves in a nice abstract pattern if I pay attention. Like dots an dashes in Morse code.......

SOMETHIN' FROM NOTHIN'

stage 1, stage 2

6x8 inches on prepared board.....

I'm still amazed that smears of paint (or charcoal) can turn into something recognizable. This group of horses around the hay bale started with no drawing, just shapes of values spotted around. Click on the first image and you'll see no lines, just a bunch of mistakes that get corrected as I go. I try to pay attention to the really big shapes, then the arrangement of dark and light shapes. A blob here, a dark spot there, link them, and voila! it begins to resemble something. I'll post the finished version next, which is not much different from this one.

HAY DAY

Yes! I love winter colors. I confess to unsafe practices when it comes to painting. Yesterday I found this scene that made me stop the car and turn around. It's out in the country, but about a mile from a school that was about to turn out. It's another "side of the road" scene that just seems magical to me. So I wheeled around and snapped the photos before the school moms filled up the road.
Hay Line, 12x24, oil on canvas
People would really wonder when watching me make photos. They don't even turn out very good. But the faster I get to the painting, the nearer it comes to catching the feel of the day.

about 2/3 done. I was so excited and into a rhythm that I didn't photograph this one in the early stages. Many times there is a pausing place when I can evaluate the next step and get a midway photo. Not so with this one. It went together fast - in spite of me!
detail, in midstage - just chunky blocky paint. I remember an article from an old American Artist magazine - the writer said "let paint be paint". Yes, paint is a great plaything.

email if you're interested in purchasing. This one one will go to the galleries or to the Fairhope (Alabama) Arts Show in March. It can be purchased unframed before then. lroberts@hiwaay.net