Painting of the Week

"Cross Rose"

2.5x5 oil on gessoboard

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It's hard to believe that the year is half over. Time is a funny thing. We want everything to hurry up and when it does, we can't wait to slow down. Take just a minute now to stop and think of someone or something that makes you smile, close your eyes and say thank you to the maker of all.

My painting this week is entitled, Cross Rose, and was inspired by wanting to get out of the box and try something unconventional. The support is the cross brace of my old easel. I love to paint using fresh flowers, but they don't last very long. So, you have to either photograph them, or do quick, studies to try to capture their beauty. This painting is very small, even for me, and the surface of the gessoboard was tricky. It was an interesting combination of objects and in the end, I learned a few things so the journey was not wasted. What more can we ask for from painting or from life? Until next week.......JB

Summer Flowers

"Together Again"

5x7 oil on canvas

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I think summer has finally arrived. It was 98 degrees today and humid as it can only be in Texas. We have had so much rain this spring, and the good thing is that the flowers are blooming beautifully. As I look out back, my Hollyhocks are as tall as the fence and loaded with blooms. Hollyhocks are my favorite flowers. They remind me of old fashioned cottage gardens, and I love that wild, overgrown look. Hollyhocks are perennial flowers, meaning that they return each year without being replanted. Hence the title, "Together Again". I hope this imagery brings back fond memories for you. Until next week.....JB

Painting of the Week

"Redbuds"

8x11 oil on canvas/panel

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I went to my grandson's High School graduation last night. It seems like just yesterday he was refusing to sit down in his car seat, wanting to stick his head out of the sunroof! We have so little time on this earth to make a difference in someone's life. I hope it is for the better, positive and uplifting. There's just not enough of that nowadays. So, bite your tongue and think of something nice to say. It won't hurt you and just might be the bright spot needed in someone's day.

Speaking of bright spots, I love the spring landscape when the trees start to leaf out and the redbud and dogwood trees start to bloom. I took this picture when we were living in Kansas. It always reminds me of how wonderful it was when spring finally came and we could put the cold wind of winter behind us. I have always loved the four seasons. Change is inevidable and not always welcome, but somehow we manage. Spring brings new life and renews our spirit. The four seasons, especially spring, speak of a creator who will someday reconcile all things! Until next week.......JB

Painting of the Week #4

"Early Spring"
5x7 oil on canvas/masonite

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Boy, talk about just making it in under the wire!
I thought a painting each week would be easy, but sometimes life gets a little crazy. Good crazy, but crazy just the same. I don't want to seem redundant, but here in Texas, we have seen more than our fair share of rain this spring. Not that I'm complaining, because come the middle of July and August we will probably be crying for the same. It just seems like its feast or famine. Parts of the country are burning while other parts are trying to keep their heads above water. Too bad we can't cut and past the weather map. I guess that could be dangerous depending on ones agenda!


My painting this week is a small 5x7 oil on canvas, mounted on masonite. I took this photograph, early one foggy, spring morning, close to Lawrence, Kansas. I love to be outside so am naturally drawn to landscapes. I need to do more Plein Air work, but am not in love with the bugs or the elements as neither mix well with oil paint. I plan to drag myself out, kicking and screaming this spring though, if it ever quits raining! Until next week...JB