Resting after a day's work; I am in the middle of making a new painting dealing with mixing an abstract idea of balloons and a figure on a cell phone with blending in a setting sun with shadows added. I like giving myself problems then getting to work solving those very same problems in paint. Soon to be working on a daily basis my summer break is only two weeks away and I am planning to get outdoors to show the great countryside of Nelson County to the world. (or whomever takes a look at this blog) So stay tuned, and be patient with me the work will be coming fast and furious
soon.

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What Has Worked;

The First Structure in Nelson County of European Settlers

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 I asked this local resident just what that old wooden structure was standing over yonder near some parked cars, she informed me that the wooden stack was the earliest home for Nelson County Residents back in the times when this county was established.   I couldn't believe it, you mean it was of that kind of historical value and it was simply a stand alone building in the backyard of one of Schuyler's residents with no markings of its significant value?   I had to paint it.   So I snapped a photo of it and took it home, then got to work.   Its simply the size of a small compact car only made of weathered wood.      To paint it took little time due to its small size.   I believe I will paint it again due to the feeling that it is owed some more attention that I have given it.   I also cropped some of the building off so I want to include that part in the next painting.
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The Holland Farm Chicken House in Arrington Va.

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    This piece of land has more to be explored from what I have been able to discern from the local neighbors.   I've only photographed what I can see from Arrington Road nearby where the Locken Music Festival is held in the summer.   There are three buildings I have been able to study so far with more that are out of sight.   I am interested due to the age of some of these abandoned farm buildings.   I was told that this one is a 'chicken house' for the Holland farm.   Its not in operation anymore but it must have held a good number of the foul in its heyday.   This is an oil.  I use a 30/30/30 medium with sunthickened linseed oil going by the name Stand oil.   Its small, only 14 inches by 26 inches in size with a popular wood lattice frame slapped on it.  
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Greenberry's Coffee Shop

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A coffee shop is usually a spot where one can find the pulse of the city. It is that way with this coffee shop "Greenberry's" that I have painted. It has been in existence a very long time. Its a simple spot, one that serves a few pastries and a number of coffees' as any coffee shop would. It is also where many of the University's students hang their hats. And many of my own friends have as well over the many years. I wanted to remember it with some paint and doing so it took some painstaking time and attention to detail in order to make it 'right with my sight'. I think I got it even with some of the flaws in color not being an exact match to those of the shopping center's paneling on its buildings. I hope you can get over that issue for the sake of showing what one of this town's meeting places appears as in the city scenery of Barracks Road. This is a small canvas, however it is a wide or long canvas. I used mostly sun thicke...
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Drawing from the Subconscious: My Ego Spoke

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I often enjoy live theater, at least this was the case when I lived in Philadelphia and also somewhat here in Central Virginia (Charlottesville,Va.) my theater attendance has been infrequent but I did go. I sat in many an audience during a live performance of said playwrite watching actors unfolding a tale. From stories teaching us a meaning to simply absurd situations unfolding before us I was their sitting taking it all in. But this year was somewhat of a different slant on written plays, I was in one as an actor. It was a small bit part but none the less I was onstage. I really enjoyed it. I saw it as a completion of my reading drama/comedy to seeing it performed and now being in it. The circle was now complete for my enjoyment of drama/comedy. And this moment showed up in my drawing from my imagination this spring. When I drew this drawing I didn't know where it came from but I could picture this man on stage having his ego stroked by an appreciative audien...
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Hut for a Blue Tractor and a Red Grass-Cutter

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     Many of these farm structures that I live around out here in Central Virginia near Lovingston are made from wood that has been recycled from earlier farm buildings.   I am almost certain that a lot if it may just go back to the early days of European settlers locating here in Schuyler.   One can just take a quick look and even without carbon-dating one can see that the wood is old and weathered by the elements.   It is very heavy older hardwood that these folks used in making their farm structures.   One can also see how the buildings were shaped for the needs of the farm at a time and then torn down but not discarded but reused again for another purpose..   The sizes of the buildings are small.   They may house one farm implement or two but they are not like those northern Atlantic barns that have lofts and large areas for animals, these buildings are built to suite a single purpose and generally aren'...
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