No Waiting

 16x16 oil on panel

Available at Castle Gallery

This is an interior view of a Kerrville restaurant "Franciscos" that I like a lot. I painted the sidewalk in front of this restaurant during the Kerrville Outdoor Painter's event in Oct. and that painting won the Quick Draw event. I'll share a better photo of it tomorrow since its also available at the holiday show at Castle Gallery Dec. 14th.

Kitchen Konfab

14x18 oil on panel

Available at Castle Gallery

Castle Gallery will be hosting their annual Holiday Show Saturday, December 14, 6-10pm. From what I hear its always a fun party with great art, yummy food and live music!

This is a recent painting featuring the kitchen of a local Austin restaurant Roaring Fork (great name). I took some liberties with the chef hats - the togues are such fun.

Friday night I was in Marietta at dk Gallery and had a lovely time meeting Donna and her husband, the gallery staff, several of my collectors and some wonderful artists. The gallery is really a unique blend with some really exciting art. Wonderful to meet you all Susan, Holly, Elizabeth, and Jodie!

I am in love with "May-retta" too - lots and lots of painting ideas now!

The Beignet Beat

12x8 oil on panel

Ask Castle Gallery about this painting.

What I wouldn't give right now for a beignet from Cafe du Monde. I need to take another trip there. Its been too long!

Thrill of the Grill

14x18 oil on linen

I often see stories about conservators using xrays and other technology to see what is under a masterpiece painting, and to learn about the artist's methods. I wonder if that will ever happen to my work? This canvas started as a cafe scene that just didn't make it. At some point, I used some of my palette scrapings to smear over that and lay down a nice grayish ground to paint this on. Its actually rather satisfying to use that palette mud to smear over a failed painting. It also creates a really nice, smooth, oil primed surface for a new painting.

This is still the same kitchen that has appeared in the other paintings. I got a lot of mileage out of dinner at Roaring Fork in Austin. Might be time to go back now. Valentine's day?

Toque Party

14x11 oil on linen

Available at one of my galleries soon.

Ok - one last post before I go. I painted this last week. Based on a smaller painting I did last fall. This was from a restaurant in NY. Where I am going tomorrow. And I can't wait. We're staying a funky old place in the west village. So I'll be toolin' around there Friday night soaking up all the atmosphere and getting inspired.

In and Out

18x20 oil on linen panel
Available at Russell Collection

Also one of my show pieces for the Best of Texas show. The opening reception Friday was really fun. A real Austin event with live music and loads of people. It all coincided well with Texas Independence Day and South by Southwest which begins next week. The variety of art is really unique I think too. The artwork ranges from the abstract to impressionist, large to small and in between. The Russell Collection offers something for every taste. I am really proud to be part of their gallery.

Discussing Tonight's Menu

20x16 oil on linen

Walking down Congress Ave. in Austin last Saturday during Sketchcrawl, I looked into this sun-drenched restaurant and fell in love with the color and light. What a beautiful setting... the white table cloths, the vibrant, happy walls and the rich woods made me think I was looking into another country. I should probably have at least checked the name of the place. DOH!

Another cafe scene is on my easel and almost done. I have to adjust my shadows which I made too dark for the cool light. A very different atmosphere from this painting.
I'll show it later today.

The Beignet Beat

12x8 oil on panel
Ask Castle Gallery about this painting.



As promised... though i missed a day and will load up today....
This is going to Castle Gallery with me for the reception on Thursday. Its a fun scene from Cafe du Monde in New Orleans and I thought I'd show you the frame on it too. Coffee and beignets reminds me of hot cocoa, which reminds me of cool weather, which makes me long for fall. We're still sweltering in triple digits here.

As a side note: My laptop hard drive died last week and I lost all my stuff on it so if you had emailed me recently and I haven't responded... please write again!

Taking Five - Cafe Du Monde

16x12 oil on panel

Ask Castle Gallery about this painting

A favorite subject!

Soups On

6x6 oil on panel
$100 + $11 s/h - sold

This was a test run for a 12x12 I'd like to do. I am not sure it worked out well small. But its fun. Better close up actually, though much of my work is too impressionistic to look closely and better viewed framed and on a wall.
We joke when painting outdoors that we've painted a "50-footer"... meaning that its best viewed from 50 feet away.

Down Time

7x5 oil on panel
sold

This is a "study" based on a larger piece I did (see below). I liked my beginning so well on that painting, I wanted to repeat the effect. The beginning and final piece are below. Sometimes I want to stop at this sketchy point... but I continued as you can see and filled in the canvas.

The painting below is going to my new gallery in Austin next week. I am really excited to announce that the Russell Collection is going to be representing my work here in Austin. I am very flattered that they are excited about my paintings considering the gallery hangs work from the old masters as well as living, internationally-known artists.



Hustle and Bustle
20x10 oil on linen 
sold

As a last note, I think I have this blog and the concept of "daily painting" and the small works to thank for my really exciting year. I've reached patrons and artists around the world, joined a community whose valuable feedback and technical and artistic talents have helped me grow significantly and felt, for the first time, really confident in my work. I think just having the feeling that there is someone out there "expecting" to see my work has helped me make more time and be more focused in the past year. That and my daughter's growing independence! :-)