Feeling the Spring

I'm on a roll today. It's been fun to put the final touches on two paintings in one day. It does get a little tense at times. It's easier to put things in slowly and be sure I like them , than to rush something in and have to paint it out. I'm really pleased with these last two paintings. The colors are really eye catching in the gobbler, and also in his surroundings. As a matter of fact, I'm so pleased with myself I'm going to take me out and buy myself a beer out by my pool!

Silent Partner

Here it is Wednesday and this is my first blog for the week. I do have another painting almost done using this layout. I just needed to study exactly what I want to add as final touches. I'd like to keep the painting as uncluttered as possible. I want it to look very much like Spring and that means grass, flowers and color. Everything I was taught is that less is more. Tell that to Mother Nature because she throws alot of "stuff" in her artwork!

Spring Shadows

This painting took longer than my others. It's an 11"x14" and is one of my paintings I'm submitting for consideration as a turkey stamp. Instead of the usual "fly by the seat of my pants" painting style , I have to check for several things to keep it in stamp format. It's like the old days when I was working on my annual print painting. I always had to think about every little thing I put in the painting. Think, think, think....Thinking is not my strong suit. If I wanted to think all day, I would have got a real job!!!

Springtime Dream

Today is the day the memorial for Michael Jackson was held. It was quite an affair. It's been on all day so I've bounced back and forth between my painting and the TV. Like him or not, he was the third most recognized person on Earth behind Queen Elizabeth and the Pope. His life and death made history. I liked his music from the start. I loved to watch him dance.( Believe it or not, when I was younger I did a pretty mean Moon Walk my own self!) I hope you like today's painting.

Flyin' the Colors

Since we just finished celebrating Independence Day, I decided to pick a title that was patriotic. The holiday was perfect. We spent lots of time here at our place with lots of family. Debbie and I caught up with all that is going on in our sons lives and lots of future plans. I really managed to get refreshed enough to attack another month of painting. I usually suffer some sort of injury when we get together for the Fourth. I did manage to step directly on my black dog in the dark and fall on my head. I recovered nicely. After The Fourth of July 2009, I'm happy to be able to say I still have ten fingers to paint with for another year!

Shining Spring

I just had to squeeze one more painting in before the Fourth. I woke up this morning as it was barely getting light. I made a pot of coffee, got a cup and enjoyed a walk around our 6 acres. It was only 58 degrees so it felt like spring. I keep a labyrinth of trails mowed so it is great fun to just wander as the day begins. I have also found it is just as much fun to walk the trails on a hot summer afternoon if you substitute the coffee with something a little colder!!!

Showin' Off

I actually did this painting two weeks ago on a weekend and never blogged it.This week will not be very productive as far as new paintings go. I'm getting ready for Fourth of July festivities. This is the first one I've had completely off in years. With both sons coming in with their lovely women AND granddaughter Clara plus other family, it will be great fun. Happy Independence Day to everyone and remember why we celebrate. God bless the USA and all those who protect it !!!

Morning Drummer

In today's painting there are several small things that just make it work for me. The brightness of the grass, the patterns of dark trees and foliage in the background, the shadow of the bird and other subtle things all join together to make this a good painting. I've been married to Debbie for 33 years today. We're like this painting. It seems like there is no one big thing in our life that has kept us together. It's all the small things we think, do and say each day that just makes it work!

Fourth Spring

I used the reverse of this pose on Tuesday's painting. It's fun to see how the same turkey looks so different by changing the setting. Coming up with a title is a daily challenge. Some titles become obvious as the painting developes. Sometimes the title is chosen at the beginning before I put a drop of paint on. Other times, I've signed the painting and still don't have a title. It would be easier if I could just name them Bob or Don, but then what would you name people? I know our sons would be ticked if I had named them, Old Veteran and Brilliant Sunshine!

Sunny Slope

I know many people spend a big part of their life in a small office or cubicle and hate it. I'm happy to be inside painting today. With the temperature 95 plus, my small desk in my small room seems very comfortable with the air conditioning blasting. I spent 13 years in my sign business back in the 70's and 80's. I got my share of hot summer days while painting and maintaining my billboards. My specialty was large signs up to 12'x48'. It would take 768 of my paintings to equal one that big. That would be a flock of turkeys!

King's Profile

I really wanted to throw some color in today. One of my all time favorite flowers is the Indian Paint-brush. With all the colors that reflect off the feathers of a gobbler, I can use all the colors of the rainbow. When I started painting years ago, Robert Bateman was my favorite artist. I loved his detail and use of subdued colors. Later, the art of Thomas Kinkade, with brilliant colors and lighting started me toward a wider, more colorful palette.I don't think I'm in the same class as those guys.....but, I'd challenge either to a race painting a wild turkey gobbler!!!

Big Ole Boys

I had a great Father's Day weekend. Lots of food and fun is very refreshing, but it has residual effects. I'll bet I gained 10 lbs. I'll have to do lots of yard work this week. I don't ever take off any weight sitting at this table painting turkeys. It's in the 90's today so any activity outside will cause weight loss, except the one I'm going to do.....float in the pool with a cold one!

Remembering Spring

With the first day of Summer one day away, this is officially my last painting of Spring '09. I went back to all the photos I took of this old boy a week before turkey season. I picked what I consider the "classic" pose. I can't help but wonder if this gobbler is still down in the timber. If you remember my turkey season, you know I didn't cause him any harm. Maybe I'm getting old, but I'm glad I was armed only with a camera when we crossed paths. Who am I kidding? Even with a fully loaded 12 ga. and a pocket of shells, the odds are still stacked in his favor. I AM getting old!!!

Spring Harmony

Summer is here! It's hotter than Kellie Pickler out there. Today's painting has been tough and I'm ready to head out and jump in the pool. This may be shorter than usual. I like to try to come up with something to make this interesting. Sometimes I use up all my creativity on the artwork. I can't come up with any words of wit today. I just can't force it because.....wit happens!

Soundin' Off

This morning I sat in the gallery and looked over all the 9x12 turkey originals I've completed during the past six months. I wanted to study them to see if some stood out as really good representatives of my current turkey art. My eye kept coming back to this pose. To me this tells it all about gobblers. They are simply magical when they're strutting. Their gobble can double the heart rate of any turkey hunter. This old gobbling bird just makes me feel good. Isn't that what art is supposed to do?

Hillside Show

It's Monday and four days since I made a turkey. Other business and yard work filled up those days, but I was fresh and ready to paint this morning. Real Summer is going to arrive this week with some 90 degree days in the forecast. I plan to paint every day, but I look directly out the window at our pool so....... I'll try! This is the first Summer in about six years I'll have all weekends off. We have outdoor speakers at the pool and love to chill out there and crank the Country Tunes. Debbie decided she has found my"theme song". It's Billy Currington's, "God is great, beer is good and people are crazy" I agree with Debbie AND Billy!!!

Dawn's Early Light

Every day I paint, I always have the country music cranked up. Time passes really fast as one great song after another plays on the SIRIUS radio channel. They play all the current hits and also the best of the 80's and 90's. I listen so many hours that I know most of the words to most of the songs. Yes, I do sing along at the top of my lungs. I've often told Debbie that I should have been a country singer. We agree the ONLY thing that stands between me and super stardom is singing ability!

Misty Trio

I was feeling pretty energetic this morning, so I decided to try a three bird layout. When painting a one day painting, I'm attentive to the amount of elements I put in. I'm not on a time clock, so when I'm feeling fresh I try something a little more challenging. I must admit that I have used up all of that excess energy today. Right now there is a huge thunderstorm rattling the windows in our house. I love to watch a good storm, so I'll head outside for the show. However, I really don't want a good bolt of lightning to be the thing that re-energizes me!

Warm Colors

Debbie and I had a great weekend baby-sitting our granddaughter, Clara, at our oldest son's home in Liberty, Mo. We did lots of fun stuff, but still had lots of rest time during naps. I took full advantage of this and painted every time I got a chance. I actually finished an entire painting. Since they live in town and the yard is small, there's not much for an old country boy to do outside. I feel very blessed to live in the country where there is a restroom in any direction!

Field of Daisies

Yesterday evening my dog, April, and I took a golf cart ride down the old, dead end road behind our house. We're the only house on the road, so it's a real good place to see all kinds of wildlife late in the day. April likes to crowd in right behind the wheel (she's about 80 lbs.). I think she'd drive if I'd let her, but she is easily distracted SQUIRREL and she bails out. I was enjoying the daisies blooming everywhere when I spotted a turkey feather in the road. It was a huge primary(wing) feather from a gobbler, 18" long! Of course this gave me the idea for today's painting. Like I've said before, it only looks like I'm goofing off. I'm ALWAYS working!