A Birthday of Some Consequence

I turned 46 over the weekend. 46 isn’t an age you dream about when you’re young. It sneaks up on you quietly, like dusk. You look up one evening and realize the light has changed. You’re not who you were, but you’re not finished becoming either.

Somewhere along the way, the urgency to arrive fades, and what replaces it is a hunger to make something, to leave something behind.

That’s where I find myself; mid-forties and wondering if it’s foolish or brave to try this endeavor. I’ve spent years building a practical life: family, career, structure. All good things. But there’s a hum beneath it all…a low, insistent reminder that the clock is ticking, and the truest work is still waiting.

Starting a side career as an artist at 46 isn’t about chasing dreams from my youth. It’s about reclaiming them with adult eyes. The fantasies have burned off; what’s left is truth.

The world doesn’t hand out permission slips for second acts. You have to write your own. And the ink you use is everything you’ve lived through. The mistakes, the detours, the small triumphs no one saw. They’re what make the work honest, I suppose.

46 is not the end of anything, I have to remind myself. It’s kind of like a hinge. The point in the story where the character finally understands what matters and starts walking toward it, even if the path is uncertain.

The truth is, I’d rather fail as my authentic self then succeeded as some other person. That’s the quiet revolution of middle age…you stop chasing applause and start chasing meaning.

Gallery Show: Wanderlinger Art Gallery

After the success of the Arts@Erlanger exhibition in the first half of this year I was pumped to be accepted into the Wanderlinger Art Gallery Halloween/Autumn show in Chattanooga. For a guy like myself who just started painting a little over a year ago, this felt like a big accomplishment and I’m pretty dang proud of what I’ve done so far.

The show at Wanderlinger is in the Wanderlinger Brewing Company location in the Choo Choo. I love the Choo Choo. Love the history of the building and over the past few years it has turned into quite the gathering place. Even though I wish it still saw some passenger trains, I always enjoy a stroll down its platforms.

For the show I brought two pieces. The first was my horse skull piece seen hanging in the above image titled, “Where You Once Stood.”

For this painting I wanted to use the skull of a horse, an animal that was a constant companion to someone and all that was left of that relationship was this fragment of bone. I’ve been thinking about losing friends as I go through life and get older and I wanted to make something that reflected the sadness I felt at the death of those relationships that once were so meaningful.

The second piece I exhibited is my latest lantern called, “ The Last Watch.”

I had in my mind a coal miner or a railroad employee checking the line in the middle of the night to make sure there was no funny business happening. The man swinging the lantern is out of our field of vision with only the tilt and bob of the lantern to show us it’s being held at all. I thought both of these pieces had an Autumnal feeling that would fit well with the show and happy the show’s director, Rik, agreed.

To my knowledge neither have been purchased yet and will be hanging until the rotation for the November show in a week or so should you care to see them in person.

Tennessee Critters Prints

Got my first batch of prints from my Tennessee Critters series and by did they come out nice. Currently selling these for $70 shipped on my IG or Facebook page. Trying to raise some money for our cat, Bradbury, who had to have some seriously expensive medical treatment and surgery recently. These are 11 x 14, but let me know if you are interested in a different size and I can happily accommodate.

Rooster

My wife asked me to paint a chicken for our kitchen and being one to barely follow instructions I painted this rooster when I think she really was looking for a hen. I’ve been wanting to work in some darker tone backgrounds and see how they came out. I’m not sure if this came out too gothic for a kitchen chicken painting. Might have to do another brighter hen piece to balance it out.

Varnishing a couple things

I’ve had these paintings ready to varnish for a while now and figured today was finally the day. A rooster for our kitchen, a barn nocturne, and a horse skull that I didn’t really have a plan for so went with an ominous sort of background.

See my luxurious varnishing area? So aesthetic.

This is the first time I’ve used Gamlin’s Gamvar gloss varnish which I’ve head good things about so when everything dries we’ll see how they turned out.

Exhibition: Arts @ Erlanger: Local Inspiration

Recently I was accepted into the Arts @ Erlanger exhibition for “Local Inspiration” for my Black Bear oil painting titled, “Curious Ol’ Boy.”

The exhibition takes place in a long hallway at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee where they rotate artwork on a 6 month period. While all the artworks are for sale, one of the main goals of the gallery is to “create a healing atmosphere for patients and their guests.”

That’s something I’m very proud to be part of.

To see more of the exhibition’s artwork, click here.

Adding the first layers after the initial wash of burnt sienna.

Adjusting some colors, then to dry, varnish, and frame.

Me and my biggest little fan.

Lantern Study

Here’s a study of a lantern I did on a 8 x 10 wood panel. After drawing in the shapes and lines with burnt umber, I wiped away the areas where it will be the brightest.

I meant to get some more progress shots, but quickly got into putting color down and lost track of time. Here’s the finished piece.

Copper Still

I just finished reading Carol Marine’s book Daily Painting to help get me out of a rut. I just haven’t been able to sit down and work on anything lately because of a titanic-sized artist’s block. The promise of the book is getting your artist brain in the habit of doing smaller paintings on a more regular basis and also keeping them affordable for most collectors. So here’s my first, a new and shiny moonshine still just waiting to be fired up.

These daily paintings are going to be unframed to keep the cost down unless I suddenly get a bunch of extra time between my full time job, part time painting, being a dad and a husband to set up a woodworking shop to make frames so you get the drift.

Available in the store.

Tennessee Critters Series - Part 7

For the fifth and heretofore unmentioned critter is the Black Bear. Mascot of the Smokies and raider of all unsecured edibles.

I’ll name him “Curious Ol’ Boy” on account of he looks like he’s up to something.

Framed and available in the store now!

Tennessee Critters Series - Part 6

Here is my painting of a Tennessee Walking Horse. I’m naming him “Boots” after a horse I used to ride at a ranch and he got his name on account of the fact that he had to always be at the end of our line of horses or he’d up and kick any horse behind him. Didn’t much like being tailgated I guess. Can’t say I blame him.

Will be up in the site store soon.

Tennessee Critters Series - Part 5

Finished this rascally varmint that I’ve taken to calling “Bandit”. Available in the store.

Tennessee Critters Series - Part 4

I didn’t get any other process shots of my Barn Owl, but here’s the finished product all framed up.

Tennessee Critters Series - Part 3

The initial phase of toning the canvas and creating some lines to give me a place to start.

Putting in the lightest lights here first. For this painting it’ll be the most reflective line of scales down this critter’s side.

From lightest lights I jumped into the darker areas which is the greenish blue of the lake water.

Lots more color added and I even picked up some frames for my Tennessee Critters series.

Tennessee Critters Series - Part 2

I decided to go ahead and prep some more canvases for the series and get some lines down as well. The fancy folk call this imprimatura.

From the top right we have a Smallmouth Bass, then bottom left a Tennessee Walking Horse, followed by a good old fashioned Racoon.

Don’t mind the mess of new canvases there. Michael’s had a buy 1 get 2 for free sale and about stole all my money.

Tennessee Critters series

I’m starting a series of 5 paintings that will all be focused on animals we have here in Tennessee.

For my first critter, I’m working on a classic Barn Owl. They’re probably the prettiest owls in the owl family for my money.

Gonna be on 16” x 20” canvases.

Jack Daniel’s Study

Here’s a quick study I did of a Tennessee staple. Wasn’t too displeased with how it came out.

Ball Jar Study

Hey ya’ll.

Here’s my study process of a jar of bean soup preserves in a classic Ball jar. I bet that’s good eatin’ on a cold winter’s night.