PAINTING WORKSHOP WITH COLLEY WHISSON

Last week, I attended a four day painting workshop in Austin with Australian artist Colley Whisson. Each day, Colley did a demo in the studio, taking a painting along in stages, which we then repeated so that we could learn his methods. Colley uses a lot of medium when he paints, making his his paint layer quite thin. The smoothness of the finished work reminds me of gouache. On the final day, we went outside to paint on the grounds of The Oasis, a pretty famous restaurant in the area. Again, Colley did a demo, and then we went off to find our own subjects to paint. These are the paintings I did on the final day, and are not based on Colley's work.

Archway at the Oasis 8x10"

Stairway at the Oasis 8x10"

Prior to the workshop, I gave Colley a tour of Powerhouse Animation, and introduced him to Threadgill's for lunch with a couple of the guys.

Ronnie Williford, Bruce Tinnin, Colley Whisson, Frank Gabriel

I bought this little painting of Goulburn River in Victoria Australia from him for my collection.
It's about 5 3/4" x 10"

Goulburn River, Victoria by Colley Whisson

MANCHESTER ENGLAND

I recently made a trip to Manchester, England on business. My company, Powerhouse Animation, made a pilot episode of an animated version of the HUGELY successful live action TV show Mrs Brown's Boys. One of my business partners, Bruce Tinnin, and I were flown by BOCPix to screen the pilot to people from the BBC and Universal. We met the cast and crew in Manchester, where they were performing a series of sold-out shows of the stage version of the show.

Frank and Bruce with Brendan O'Carroll as Mrs. Brown

After the show, Brendan O'Carroll (Mrs Brown) mentioned to the audience that we were there.

To backtrack slightly, we had an 8 hour layover in Newark, NJ, which gave me some time to break in the new 12 pan travel set of watercolors and moleskine watercolor sketchbook.

Newark Airport

I also did some quick ink sketches of the people and surroundings in another sketchbook.

Newark Airport

 We were put up in a two bedroom apartment. This was the view from the window, drawn with brown ink and a water brush.

Down Hanover Street

Corner of Shudehill and Hanover

We spent a few evenings in Waxy O'Connor's Pub with some of the members of the cast, drinking Guinness and drawing in our sketchbooks. This is the best I could do after more Guinness passed through my system than at any time since I was at college. A terrific bunch of guys, and I hope to see them soon. One morning we took a train to Liverpool, and just about froze while painting along the Mersey after visiting the Cavern Club. Then it was back to Manchester and the pub.

On the train from Liverpool to Manchester

Pepsi, Bugsy and Mike signed my drawings of them

Waxy O'Connor's Pub customers

On Saturday, we took the tram to Heaton Park, where we painted until just before it started to rain.

Heaton Park

photo by Bruce Tinnin

TEXAS CAPITOL

I painted on the grounds of the Texas Capitol building this weekend, and came away with two studies of the Capitol. The sky was completely cloudless on both days, and a beautiful deep blue.

Texas Capitol dome 12x9"

Painting at the Capitol 2013-03-02

Texas Capitol building 12x9"

Painting at the Capitol 2013-03-03

It was also Texas Independence Day on Saturday, so there were re-enactors all over the place this weekend, including this group firing a musket salute on Sunday.

POSTMASTER'S HOUSE

I found this old house on the side of Williamson Road, around Buda. Several groups of people (their family owns the land) stopped by to see what I was doing. From them, I learned that up until a month ago the entire field was covered with mesquite trees, and you couldn't even tell that a house was back there. I also learned that at one time, this was the home of the Creedmore, TX Postmaster. One young guy who stopped told me that he wouldn't have believed that a old broken down building like that could make a nice painting.I told him that I think these buildings are the best things to paint. I've said it before in another blog post, I'm drawn to the old rusty metal roofs and weathered wood.

2012-02-02 Postmaster's House 9x12"

PAINTING FALL COLOR ALONG BULL CREEK

One of my favorite places to paint in Austin is along Bull Creek, especially when the leaves are changing color. I went back a few times in November, because the fall color doesn't last any longer in Texas than it does where I grew up in Ohio; it just gets started a bit later. 

2012-11-17 Bull Creek

While I was painting this 9x12" on November 18, a woman offered to buy it because I was painting it in a park where she used to bring her dog to play, and she had just come from having it put down. I put it in a frame for her, and she told me that she had it hanging up and loved it.

2012-11-18 Bull Creek 9x12"

Instead of fighting the crowds at a mall on Black Friday, I went back out to the creek and painted this stand of Sycamore trees at the edge of the waterfall.

2012-11-23 Bull Creek 9x12"

 When I finished this one, I could easily have turned around and painted the opposite view, because by then  the clouds cleared, the sky turned a gorgeous blue, the sun shifted, and lit the other side. Unfortunately, it was time to head for home. Phooey.

2012-11-27 Bull Creek 12x9"

SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER PLEIN AIR SKETCHES (AND ONE IN NOVEMBER)

This cabin is located at Wenmohs Ranch. Some time in the mid 1800s, a teacher lived in half of this small building, while the other half was used as a smokehouse. I painted it during a Saturday morning outing with a small group from Plein Air Austin. The perspective on the upper window is pretty wonky, and I suppose I should fix it, but if anyone complains, I'll just say "it's folk art." 

2012-09-22 Wenmohs Ranch 12x9"

This next one was painted on a cold, gray day in Georgetown, Texas, along the South San Gabriel River. I had to ignore the construction noise being generated at the apartment building going up just across the river to my right.

2012-10-06 South San Gabriel River 10x8"

This final one was painted with a group from Plein Air Austin, on a great piece of property in Bee Cave, TX. I had to get past a guard house, then drove past multimillion dollar homes & 2 electric gates, but once I got onto the ranch it was amazing. The first thing I saw was a group of wild turkeys walking around. 

2012-11-03_Formby Ranch 9x12"

ANNIVERSARY PREZZIE

I did this painting as a gift for my wife Leslie on our 20th wedding anniversary last week. I tell people never ask the assistant manager at a cookie store if she gives free samples, or you may pay for them for the next 27 years.

Clancy 14 x 11" Oil on canvas

Leslie told me that she felt like a heel because she didn't get me anything. Actually, she got me a nice new studio easel, but she didn't know it at the time... I just put it together last night, and can't wait to try it out. It's a Richeson Best Classic Dulce easel, if anyone cares.