The Domino Parlor

The Domino Parlor
24" x 20"
Oil on Canvas

Ahhh! Finished! Now its on to the next one. Yeehaw!
(Please excuse the glare, it is still very wet.)

I was a little nervous about all those straight lines, but my anxiety disappeared as I let go more and more of having to retain control of the outcome of the painting. And THAT my dear friends is the secret, at least for me, of getting into "the zone." Let go. Relax. Take a deep breath. In the words of our darling Jason Mraz, "hold your own, know your name, and go your own way." Trust the inner self.
I am merely a channel for creativity, and when I let it have its own way, when I put my trust in the unseen muse- he/she does all the work for me. Man, life is good!

Kind of off the subject but not really, I picked up a print of a Juli Adams's watercolor piece, "Internal Compass," many years ago and loved it. I was way out of tune with my own intuition at the time, but the idea and the painting both appealed to me. I love that painting. Her work has changed a lot since then, but I still love it. It has progressed into a quirkier style that really resonates with my imagination. Juli could create whole Alice in Wonderland type universes with the dreamlike and slightly depraved innocence of her subjects. Oh, I love her work!

Back to the main... Fun painting. I really enjoyed it.

Next stop: landscape central! I would like to do some more architectural pieces as well... As soon as the weather warms up just a bit I am going back onto Main and to Sycamore to paint some more of our adorable town's history!

Varney's, AKA The Domino Parlor - WIP

OK. I'm giving in. It's the Domino Parlor. Every one that sees it says "Oh! Its the Domino Parlor!" Even people on the street when I was working on location. Gotta tell ya, though, I am lovin this painting regardless. Really enjoying the process. Looking forward to seeing it completed!

Varney' Chemist Laden - WIP

"I do wonderful work in a wonderful way, my wonderful work feels like wonderful play, I give a wonderful service for wonderful pay."

We have the greatest jobs in the world folks! I had so much fun tonight. I felt so free and excited running up and down Main Street looking for the perfect painting spot tonight. It is rainy and cold out there, but man oh man, I had fun. The shop that currently resides in this building is called something like Granny's attic, but it will always be Varney's to me. My mom saw the painting and said "Oh! It's the Domino Parlor!" I remember that name too, but when it was Varney's Chemist Laden it was crammed with the cutest, softest stuffed animals, barrels of funky smelling stuff in the middle of the room just as you walked in, and one very special wall that seemed lined floor to ceiling with jars of old fashioned candies. I would go there with my best friend one summer and we would get Swizzle Stix- colored, crystallized sugar in wooden sticks with a varnished wooden ball on the handle- i loved the look f them just as much as the glory of pure sugar on the tongue. They also had this pale gray and white cat that looked so perfect he would take people by surprise when he moved among all the stuffed critters in the shop. He would sit at the window in the evening, after the store had closed, and watched the people walk by. He was so so soft. Mmm... good memories! Every time I walk past that place, I feel like a teeny bopper again.

I am looking forward to going out again tomorrow! What a wonderful painting experience.

Olmos Park

Olmos Park

20 x 24
oil on canvas
Click here to purchase.

Whew! Its been a while. I had a great week painting with Seth Camm of San Antonio, TX. This was my first time painting en plein air on a canvas larger than 9 x 12. It was so fun! I would never go back if my sweet little Thumbox wasn't so very sweet, and little... What can I say? It's cute. It makes my voice go up an octave or two when talking about it, its so cute.

San Antonio Riverwalk at night WIP

I am liking the start of this one. Usually a good sign. Mark, set, go!!!!
The reference photo turned out very well, so I have good material to work from. Yay!

Bare bones, folks. When the bones are laid out in the right way, one can sing the flesh onto the body of the painting with ease. Honestly, I might need to make some changes to the arch of the bridge or reflection... Not quite sure just yet.