"A boy and His Dog"

Hey Friends,  Here is a wee bit of heaven for ya.  We can only dream of such things.  Mostly inspired by the movie "All Dogs go to Heaven".  This fella is swinging with his best friend one last time. Convincing him there is nothing to be afraid of in Heaven.  Click Here for a closer look in Ebay.

 And now for what I did today.

 

I went to "Butts Cemetery" in the Glenvar/Fort Lewis area on Alleghany Rd. here in Salem, Va.  And painted a small sketch for a distant cousin that is to be in this area in April or May doing genealogy research on his ancestors.  Which includes some of mine.  The work he and his sister have done is amazing.  They have such patience.

He wants to visit this cemetery so I thought he might like something besides a photo.  A professional photographer may be able to do this place justice but not me.  And from the looks of that photo above, someone is doing some construction there.  See ya soon Robert.

 

Happy Trails
Travel Well

"Apple Blossum"

Hey Friends,  My latest addition to the Ebay auctions.  This one little statement among many others about what we humans are doing to our bees (and other wildlife and ultimately ourselves).
Someday we will pay when all this beauty is gone forever.  Please Click Here for Ebay.
Hope you all have a great weekend.  Spring has finally sprung here in the mountains of SW Virginia, I know 'cuz I saw a few bumble bees arguing mid-air today.  Haven't seen any honey bees yet.

Happy Trails
Travel Wisely

"GreenHill No.2"

Hey Friends,  A short post to show you what's up for auction in Ebay.  Click Here......Greenhill has a ton of views waiting to be painted.  I'll never have time to do it justice.  I scan my larger painting on my great but smaller Epson scanner and then knit the sections together in photoshop.  Occasionally the sections will show a line, such as you see above.  If I were any good at photoshop I could probably erase, paint over or blend that line.  But I don't wanna fool with it.  I think you can tell what it looks like.  And the colors are pretty true here.

Don't forget to come say hello at the Art Walk in Bedford tomorrow evening, 5-8 pm.  At the Electric Co. Co-Op Gallery.  The DLP are the featured artists.  Click Here for more info.  And Click Here for even more info.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

Heather Farm and Painted Papers

Hey Friends,  I've added this and a couple more to the Ebay auctions.  In case you don't know, the first image on my blog shows up in the Daily Paintworks site.  So if it isn't a painting, some of the people on that site wig-out.  I think this is heather, could have been heath?,   Probably neither since the Blue Ridge is in the background.  I have a license to change things as I see fit.  Artistic license's are issued along with your DMV license to drive and rubberneck.  Click Here for Ebay.

 This morning the DLP's changed the artwork at Harrogate Salem Terrace.  For you Salemites, it's the big facility, sitting on the hill behind Walmart on Main Street.

 That's Bonnie, top photo, Linda in lower photo, approving of the arrangement.  This would be a great place to retire too.  They give you so much attention and work hard to make sure everyone is kept busy.  If you are a couch potato you may not like all the activities.  Hope to see all of you there in about 30 years.  Go by and look at the artwork and meet the wonderful women working there.

After we finished at Harrogate, we headed for Longwood Park, which is beside the famous Salem Museum, also on Main Street.  We set up under the picnic shelter to make painted papers for the up coming workshop to be held at the Sedalia Center this May 31st.

The wind was howling at about 15 mph and cold enough to turn us into blue popsicles.  But we persevered and finished a stack of papers !  We hung them on a line with 2 wooden clothes pins per sheet.  Started with 1 pin, but the wind never let up and we had to go with 2 pins.  So now we have lots of painted papers for the Sedalia Workshop.  You should sign up 'cuz it's gonna be a blast.

And this Friday evening, please try to come by the Electric Co. Co-Op in DT Bedford for their Open House.  The Double Line Painters are the featured artists for April and May and the name of the show is "Spring Break".   Some of us will be painting for the crowd and some others just to answer your questions.

Happy Trails
Travel Well

"Sleeping Late"

 

Hey Friends,  A still life for the ebay auctions.  I don't paint too many still lifes.  I think because there is so much other stuff I want to paint.  They are supposed to be very educational so I hope to do more.  Especially if they are flowers and from life.  Click Here

 

Saturday as I was taking my Gran Babes home, I passed this scene but could not stop.  So I raced into the daughters driveway, threw the Babes into the yard and squealed "BYE" as I raced off.  Hoping the laundry would still be hanging there.    IT WAS, obviously.  This was as close as I could get w/o trespassing.   Some people just don't understand artists, like their family does.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

"Fan Dancer" and "Friendship"

Hey Friends,  Here are some new additions to Ebay.  I took some photos years ago at a local "Colors" festival.  This was the cutest little girl dancing with fans.  And that's pretty much all I remember of the event.  I guess that's why we take photos, huh?  Click Here

And this cutie pa tutie is like a page from the past.  Hopefully you can see and read the little sentiment.  Would be a great gift for almost anyone.  Not my usual work but I like it.  Click Here.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

"He Loves Me"

 

 Hey Friends,  My latest addition to Ebay.  This silly little girl is plucking a daisy to find out if HE loves her.  Thankfully, He does.  Click Here for Ebay.

And on another note, My Babes and I went up "My Field" (you know I've painted this field numerous times so I call it "My Field" but it's really a neighbors).  And now there are goats there and they had Babies!!  What are baby goats called?   A total of 9 babies.   We fed them bread from Panera.
We had lots more fun puttering around in the golf cart.  And it's getting a bit warmer all the time so  we will be happily playing outside for months.  Yay!!
Happy Trails
Travel Well

More Plein Aire and a Bunny

Hey Friends,  Here is my latest addition to Ebay.  Why was the bunny hiding behind the vase?  I don't remember.  Actually it was a flower pot.  And the bunny belonged to my sister, years ago.  I've always wanted a bunny since.  Click here for the ebay auction.

 And as promised here is the second piece I did yesterday.  This one is an 8x10 canvas panel, that I stained with a burnt sienna beforehand.

 Still sitting in the same spot, see the tree dead ahead with the daffodils in yesterdays painting?

 And this is the first stage, the start, as Brian Buckrell says.  This start is always pretty ugly.  But wait! - it gets worse.

Here at this stage it looks like an abandoned train car, right?  But you keep at it and at it and if no one interferes, you might wind up with something that isn't too shabby.  Look up at the end result.  This shed is really old and in the queerest place.  Almost in the middle of the stream that runs over the road.  My guess is with construction and various trees falling over the years, the stream was in a different place.  This shed is probably full of snakes now.  Yuck.
Haven't decided what to do with this painting yet.  And I'm just too tired to tell you about our trip to the Blue Ridge Winery.  I think I walked for at least a mile taking photos.  174 of them.  I've got a lot of fodder for paintings.  Just need to find the time now.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

"Rainbow" and Spring is Here !!

Hey Friends,  Here is my Babe swinging high over the mountains at Green Hill Park, here in SW Virginia.  And a rainbow suddenly appeared.  Ha.  Using the stale imagination here.  She is going to be at auction in Ebay.  Click Here to take a peek.

And here is the news of the day--"It's warm again here in the mountains, the Blue Ridge Mountains"
Yay,  I jumped in the golf cart and rode down to the bottom of the hill where the crazy people live.
I've painted here many times.  It seems to change every winter.  And in the photos you can't see the little stream of water like you can in the painting.

This shot is the block in or start.  I made the base coat blue for a change but I still like the red base better.   I painted another after this one on a red base.  I'll show you that one tomorrow.

Here more colors are added.  As you can see the real scene isn't so pretty or maybe my camera was on the wrong setting.  I'm sure everyone knows you have to add your own panache to most scenery.  There is always something wrong.  Except today it was so nice to be outside I didn't even notice how dull and gray every thing still is.  The little green sprouts are bursting forth and soon we artists will be belly aching 'cuz everything is so green.

Tomorrow, Thursday, my painting group, the DLP will be painting in a vineyard north of here.  I will give a full report tomorrow night here and on the DLP blog.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

Appalachian Trail

Hey Friends,  Just listed this little landscape in an Ebay auction, starting at a penny.  This is one of the well worn paths you would see if hiking on the Appalachian Trail here in Va.  Usually I take a photo of a sign or a marker near the area of a painting. But NOT this time. 
There were a lot of beautiful little delicate ferns growing along this section and over the bank.  Plus a lot of colorful rocks.  And bugs and snakes and gnats and birds.  No bears this time.

This is varnished and ready to hang.  Click Here for Ebay.

Happy Trails
Travel Well