Shrimp Boat Lowcountry Commissioned Painting

A few years ago, I completed a commissioned painting for a good friend of mine, Victor Wilson. He wanted a low country scene including a shrimp boat and the Charleston Light House. To narrow his idea into reality, I did several color sketches. All the sketches are below. The sketch above was the one he selected to proceed further with. 

Above is the black and white canvas study. 

Then I painted a small color canvas study, above. 

Above is the final painting, which was very large, over five feet in width. Below are the watercolor sketches that began the process. I donated these to the University of Georgia Alumni club. They auctioned them off at a fundraiser.  

 The painting below is pure color; no value or black used. 

Below is the most traditional drawing. Color pencil o paper.

Questionnaire

 

Questionnaire
by Wendell Berry from Leavings. © Counterpoint, 2010.


How much poison are you willing
to eat for the success of the free
market and global trade? Please
name your preferred poisons.


For the sake of goodness, how much
evil are you willing to do?
Fill in the following blanks
with the names of your favorite
evils and acts of hatred.


What sacrifices are you prepared
to make for culture and civilization?
Please list the monuments, shrines,
and works of art you would
most willingly destroy


In the name of patriotism and
the flag, how much of our beloved
land are you willing to desecrate?
List in the following spaces
the mountains, rivers, towns, farms
you could most readily do without.


State briefly the ideas, ideals, or hopes,
the energy sources, the kinds of security;
for which you would kill a child.
Name, please, the children whom
you would be willing to kill.


"Questionnaire" by Wendell Berry from Leavings. © Counterpoint, 2010. Reprinted with permission. (buy now)

Cabo Fish Taco in NODA

Cabo Fish Taco in NODA

This original painting will be part of the charity auction for La Escuelita School. The auction is part for the celebration on Friday, February 21st from 6 to 9 PM at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church. This is a mono-print with watercolor and color pencil, 8 x 10 inches at $190. NODA Yoga used to have classes on the 2nd floor. 

Learn more: holycomfortercharlotte.org/children-youth/la-escuelita

Hiking Sketch Book Part 2

Coming soon! I am teaching a 3 hour class on how to sketch your hikes. The class is during Elkin Trail Days in June.

June 2-4 Trail Days Festival, Elkin, NC www.nctraildays.com

June 2 – Friday Night Art Walk
Wil and Maura are exhibiting work at the fabulous new Three Trails Hotel (airbnb) on the corner of Main Street in Elkin, a quaint NC mountain town.

June 3 – Sketching for Hikers class, 10 AM to 1 PM
On Saturday, Wil is teaching a sketching class, beginning on the rooftop of the Three Trails Hotel. No experience necessary.

All these images are from my hiking sketch book and are 3 x 5 inches. Most are pencil or color pencil. A few have some watercolor as well. I have drawn these all last fall and this year. 

 

Cityscapes of Charlotte - A New Series

 

Here is my new series of Charlotte Cityscapes. The series has 10 paintings. The entire series are 8 x 10 monoprints on paper with watercolor and colored pencil. The above painting is the Common Market in South End. They have the best pimento cheese sandwich in town! It's great how you can see through the building structure. All paintings are $190 plus shipping. Three have already found new homes in private collections. 

 Camp North End at dusk. The water tower at Camp North End is massive. I need to do a paintings of the Gamma Goat truck from the Army located on the property. 

Meredith Connelly's mushroom sculpture at Tremont and Camden. Sullivan's restaurant in the background. 

Hawkers at dusk! 

Cabo Fish Taco early evening! I like the distorted perspective in the cross walks. 

Meredith Connelly's sculpture from another view. This is in South End Charlotte near Atherton Mill.

Flower Child at sunset. The old Charlotte Art League in the background. 

Uptown from NODA. SOLD

Light rail dusk. SOLD

Cabo Fish Taco with a little memorial day flair! People just love the food here. SOLD

 

Cityscape Series Complete!

I have finished my new series of 10 Cityscapes. Here is a gird of 9 of the 10. Fun to see them like this. The Camp North End painting is not in the grid. 

The Wedding Tree at Thistle Meadow Winery

If you need a break from the heat, wander up to the mountains to the Thistle Meadow Winery in Laurel Springs NC. It is about an hour and 1/2 north of Charlotte. You can have a picnic there under this tree next to a stream and sip some of their great wines. Many couples have gotten married under this tree over the years. This is a color pencil sketch. 

Cityscape Mono-Prints New Series - 2 more complete

These cityscape sketches are just so fun for me. I finished two more! The one above is of Meredith Connelly's wonderful mushroom sculptures in the foreground and Camden Street in the background. Hacker's and Sullivan's restaurants in the far background. This is the time of day when everything is blue, just before its get really dark. 

The cityscape above is uptown Charlotte from South End. The building on the left is the former Phat Burrito now Flower Child! The Bee mural and umbrellas are nice!