"A Street, Uptown", watercolor, NFS

Ah, Love.....

"Behind Reginelli's, Gray Day, 2004", watercolor, 14 x 22

Love is a funny thing; you miss it when it's not there, and maybe, take it just a bit for granted when it is.

Years ago, I began playing with watercolor. Played with it here and there, for a few months at a time....and years went by as I pursued a livelihood with pastel portraits and oil paintings.

Every now and then I'd pick watercolor up again, only to be greatly frustrated; it takes several months of daily practice to "hit my stride", feel comfortable enough that I can paint without being self conscious about every stroke.

Invariably though, after a few days of practice, the entire world looks different, luminous. I start seeing with eyes that imagine how to paint everything in watercolor and, amazingly, even McDonald's looks beautiful! At times, watercolor seems like the most impossible of mediums; every small accomplishment makes me want to sing!

On the next rainy morning, I'll photograph recent starts. When the light's up, I'm rushing out to paint....and results are slow. I'm again playing with watercolor. Experimenting. I know that I don't want colored drawings as much as I want watercolor paintings.....but I need to be patient, it will come.

I'm working primarily in a section of New Orleans, Lakeview, that was severely damaged by the storm. For a full two years after Katrina, I couldn't paint there. Every block looked like a wasteland, with doors open swinging in the breeze, like a stage set for a spaghetti Western. Only Clint was missing.... Copper theft [plumbing, fixtures, gutters] was a huge problem for quite some time in the area. Now the neighborhood looks so good, it's amazing to see the few houses on each block that have not yet been re-done or knocked down. And those are the houses which have captured my eye.

"Two Roses" 8 x 7 inches, oil on canvas

This painting is currently showing at the Jean Bragg Gallery at 600 Julia St. in New Orleans. Please contact the gallery at 504-895-7375 for more information or go to http://www.jeanbragg.com.

Trees by the Stream, oil sketch, 6 x 8 in.

This sketch was painted plein air. The light was beautiful, the air clear. For exactly 10 seconds. Once the easel was set up and paints were placed on the palette, a horde of love bugs descended and stayed..and stayed. As 20 dropped into the paint and turp, a new barrage emerged to take their place, hovering and landing in gobs of wet paint. It was hard to separate the paint from the insects. Which reminded me why I love plein air, on location painting so much. Yes, it can be quite inconvenient; glad that lovebugs don't bite. But there's something so wondrous about being out in the midst of it all. Yes, it did get warm, but the light remained steady. A gift! As I flicked my brushes to try to ward the kamakazi from their impending fate, I found myself splashed with cad yellow and alizarin. Dr. Suess came to mind during most of the sketch, "Lovebugs, lovebugs everywhere, in my hair, on the chair, in my clothes, up my nose.....
I love painting on location. Never feel more alive, or exhausted.
At least there were no tarantulas.

Wyoming Ranch study, oil, 6 x 8 inches, NFS

"Marsh Grass", oil, 7 x 8 inches, NFS