Karen's Show at Shain Gallery

Karen with our friends Jeff & Leslie Cohen

Karen and I drove up to Charlotte last week to attend the opening night reception of her solo show at Shain Gallery. Our plan for the week was to bring all the paintings up with us, drop them off at the gallery on Tuesday, then continue on to Wilmington where we were to spend the next three days with our friends Jeff and Leslie Cohen. And, that's what we did. 

After we dropped off the paintings and visited with Sybil Godwin, the gallery director, and Gaby Shain, the owner, we walked across the street to the Mellow Mushroom for a Mega Veggie pizza. When we returned to the gallery a collector, who wouldn't be able to attend the opening on Friday, was there to buy her favorite painting. Which she did. Revitalized, and with a sale under her belt, we drove up to Wilmington with (appropriately) Pat Conroy's The Prince of Tides playing on the stereo. 

Karen at Wrightsville Beach

We arrived early evening which gave us time to get reacquainted and drive out to the beach. The weather was absolutely perfect and our day was capped off with a spectacular sunset. A trip to the Cohens isn't complete without a meal at Flaming Amy's Burrito Barn their favorite restaurant, so that was our next stop. The rest of the night was spent talking, talking and talking. 

View of the Cape Fear River from our seats at the George Restaurant

In our time together we did a lot of beaching, rode bicycles through a wonderful park near their neighborhood, visited the Aquarium, walked the length of the Riverwalk, spent time with Jeff's parents at their beach cottage, and ate lots of good food. Lunch at the George on the Riverwalk was terrific. It was a great visit.

Karen and a fan

Friday morning we headed back to Charlotte just behind the Cohens who were coming to attend Karen's show. The gallery had done a great job of hanging the paintings, and there were also more red dots.

We talked a while longer then Karen and I went to the hotel to drop off our luggage. We returned to the gallery a short while later to find that the Cohens, who are both artists, were now going to show their work at Shain too. Very exciting news. We've all shared galleries in the past, and now the Cohens and Hollingsworths would be back together once again. 

Shain Gallery September 18, 2015

As it turned out the usual after show dinner at Nolen Kitchen wasn't going to happen this night because of other commitments, but Sybil and Gaby picked up the tab for Karen, me and their two new artists, for a pre-show dinner there. Very generous and very delicious. After we ate Karen and I returned to the hotel to get ready. Primping took a little longer than expected so we were a few minutes late, and when we arrived the space was already beginning to fill. There were also a couple of more red dots visible on the walls.

Awaiting their red dots

Karen was very much in demand that evening. I don't think I saw her once, the entire night, where she wasn't engaged with a fan or collector, discussing her work. I, the lone member of the paparazzi, spent my time chronicling the event. When the doors closed she had sold five paintings, with another on hold and two possible comebacks. Not a bad night.

Pooped, we drove back to the Duke Mansion, a really, really nice place to stay the night. We got up early the next morning and walked around Myers Park before breakfast. The "other half" lives very nice. 

With breakfast over and the car loaded up we hit play on the Prince of Tides and drove back to reality. All in all, a pretty flawless trip. 

Our Lodging for the night

LeSabre: Complete

LeSabre   |   36 x 36   |   Oil on canvas

Well, it took a month but it's finally done. I'm thinking of doing something a little different next. Not drastic, but a little different. I've also got a few new items that need photographing, so I'll also be doing some picture taking in the days to come. My next painting will be small. Something to work on in the evening after the aforementioned photography is over for the day. 

LeSabre: Day Ten - Underpainting Completed

LeSabre   |   36 x 36   |   Oil on canvas

Finished laying in the first pass of the bumper yesterday, which means the underpainting is complete. Now it's back to the top to begin the next pass. I painted a little on the roof last night. It plus the rear window should occupy my time for the next couple of days.

LeSabre: Day Seven

LeSabre   |   36 x 36   |   Oil on canvas

Onward and downward towards the bumper. Took an entire session just to get the LeSabre badge mostly right, and another day to lay in the tail light. I never really enjoy the underpainting phase all that much. Everything looks so blah at the end of a days session (usually 6 to 8 hours of painting). I can't wait to get to the refining layers. For me that's when the fun begins. 

LeSabre: Day Four

LeSabre   |   36 x 36   |   Oil on canvas

I've spent the last few days working on a new painting for C. K. Contemporary. It's the right tailfin of a 1960 Buick LeSabre. At this stage I'm just roughing in the shadows and reflections, making sure the panel lines match up and laying in the type. The painting is all dull and midtones right now, but I'm hoping by the time it's done it'll be a cool shiny classic car.

Perc: Completed

Perc   |    24 x 24   |   Oil on panel

Perc is finally done! I was really making a career of this one painting. In the end I had to just force myself to stop. When it's dry and varnished it'll be shipped off to C. K. Contemporary in San Francisco. Got a new one on the easel today. A lager one. Based upon how I feel that one is  going, I may post a series of "in progress" images. 

Our Show at Tree's Place Gallery

the Edward Gorey House in Yarmouth

 

Karen and I just got back from our trip to Cape Cod for our two person show at Tree's Place Gallery. This year we splurged and added an extra day to visit Nantucket. 

We left Atlanta early Thursday morning and arrived in Boston around noon, picked up our rental car and headed out to the Cape. I had always wanted to see the Edward Gorey house, so we veered off of 6 and headed to Yarmouth. A good friend had given me a poster of the Gashlycrumb Tinies about thirty five years ago and I've been a fan ever since. The little house and museum didn't disappoint and after a long visit we continued on to the gallery to check in with Mike, the new owner and Hannah the director. 

Karen on the rocks at Fort Hill

 

It was good to see everyone again and they had hung the show beautifully. After we got reacquainted Karen asked if there were any walking trails nearby. Mike suggested either the Fort Hill trail or Coast Guard Beach in Eastham. Fort Hill sounded good and we drove out there. The location was picture perfect. We took some photos but none of them conveyed the beauty of that area. There was only one "fly in the ointment" and that was the green head flies. Unbelievable. A few moments after this photo was taken we had to run like crazy to get back to the car and away from those blood thirsty demons.

Just off the ferry in Nantucket

We had dinner that evening at our favorite Cape restaurant the Karoo Cafe, then hit the sack early back at the Whalewalk Inn. Karen and I got out of there pretty early the next morning in order to make the ferry in Hyannis for our day trip to Nantucket. The ferry ride over was really nice, we couldn't have asked for better weather. Then it was all about walking, walking and more walking. It was great. 

Nantucket Harbor

After a few hours on our feet we were ready for something to eat. Being vegetarians finding food that didn't have parents was a problem. Another problem was that many of the eateries on the island don't serve lunch. After a long fruitless search we finally sat down on a bench to check Yelp. Karen was getting pretty desperate by this point when she noticed a coffee shop directly across the street called The Bean. She said she really needed to get something to drink and walked over to it while I continued to search for somewhere to eat. A few seconds later I heard her calling me to come to the coffee shop. I entered to see a large menu of sandwiches on a blackboard behind the counter. They served up the best veggie wrap I've had in a long time.

Me in the stairwell of one of Nantucket's art galleries

Refreshed we continued to explore the island. We visited a number of art galleries, and then wandered the neighborhoods off the main drag. Lots and lots of very beautiful homes. It was around this time that we needed to start thinking about getting back to the ferry for the return trip, but neither of us wanted to leave. It was only 3 o'clock, so we went back to the ferry office and asked if we could trade in our tickets for the 7:30 ferry. They handed us two new tickets giving us an extra four hours to explore. The added time gave us a chance to take a shuttle to the beach, see the Whaling Museum, visit a few more galleries and have a second veggie wrap at the Bean before he had to return to Cape Cod.

View from the steeple of the First Congregational Church of Nantucket

The sun was setting as we "sailed" back to the Cape . . . spectacular!

Anne Packard Gallery in Provincetown

Early the next morning we tried Fort Hill again in the off chance that the flies may not be up yet. No such luck. They were even worse than the day before, so we drove to the west side of Eastham to First Encounter Beach. It was beautiful and fly free. The Whalewalk starts serving breakfast at 8:30, so we drove back about quarter after eight and ate. After that we got cleaned up and drove up to Provincetown. Once again the weather was absolutely perfect. A great day for gallery hopping. We visited with Johniene Papandreas for a long time at her space, Gallery Voyeur. It was really nice spending time with her again. When we had walked the length of Commercial Street and back it was time to head to Orleans and get ready for our show.

Karen discussing her work

The show started early, about 5, but there was already a sizable crowd there when we arrived. The next two hours went quickly, and everyone was very complimentary about our work. It was a very pleasant two hours. By the time it was all over Karen had sold one large painting, and I had sold three small ones. Not too bad for the first day.

Karen and I at the beach

When it was over we thanked Mike and Hannah for a good show, said our good-bye's and yes drove back to Karoo for one last meal before packing up for our return to Atlanta the next morning. I don't think it could have gone much better. Maybe a sold out show would have pushed it over the top, but other than that it was a great trip.

Perc: In Progress - Day 10 Completed Underpainting

Perc: In Progress - Day 10 Completed Underpainting  |  24 x 24  |  Oil on panel

Finished up the underpainting last night. Now it's on to one (possibly two) refining layers.

Perc: In Progress - Day 5

Perc  |  24 x  24  |  Oil on panel  |   In Progress - Day 5

Inching along. About half way through the body, then down to the cup and spoon.

Perc: In Progress - Day 3

Perc  |  24  x  24  |  Oil on panel

It's been a while since I've painted a percolator, and now seemed like time for one. I've got a bunch of these vintage coffee makers and this is one of my favorites. It's really got that golden age of appliance design look that I love. 

Single Pepsi

Single Pepsi  |  24 x 24  |  Oil on panel

As soon as this piece is varnished it will be headed up to Rehs Galleries, Inc. along with it's companion Single Coke No. 2. Now it's time to show a little love to C. K. Contemporary. Barring any unforeseen events I plan to spend the bulk of the next six months producing work for these two galleries. They've both been really patient and deserve some serious attention. 

Single Coke No. 2

Single Coke No. 2  |  24 x 24  |  Oil on hardboard panel

With work for the Tree's Place show complete, it's time to start painting for my other two galleries. First off will be a duo of sodas for Reh's Galleries, Inc. This "Single Coke" will be paired with a single Pepsi. When these two are done I'll be directing my attention to C. K. Contemporary. 

Maxie

Karen and I lost the heart of our home on Saturday. Max was our therapist, confidant, playmate and best friend. 

Clock Radio: Complete

Clock Radio  |  24 x 24  |  Oil on panel  |  Complete

I've got to say, this painting really kicked my butt. I'm still licking my wounds, but I'm calling it done and with that I've completed my portion of our two person show at Tree's Place Gallery in July. Now it's time to get to work for Reh's Galleries and C. K. Contemporary. I've got a duo of soda's ready to go for Rehs and some ideas bouncing around in my head for C. K. 

Clock Radio - In Progress: Day 12

Clock Radio  |  24 x 24  |  Oil on panel  |  In Progress: Day 12

The completed underpainting. 

Clock Radio - In Progress: Day 6

Clock Radio  |  24 x 24  |  Oil on panel  |  In Progress: Day 6

Put in a second layer to the background. It'll probably take a minimum of three layers. Added the first layer of the radio dial and knobs. Worked some color into the body and blocked in the GE logo the left.

Clock Radio - In Progress: Day 3

Clock Radio  |  24 x 24  |  Oil on panel  |  In Progress: Day 3

It's day three and I've been masking off various portions of the radio, laying in the first layer of the background color, working on the clock face and the lettering. Compared to the typewriter, this would seem a much simpler subject, but its' complexity comes in its' subtle variation in color, tonal values, and all those vertical vents with just a hint of a curve. Hope this turns into something. Back in a few days.

Tree's Place Show: PB&Jelly

PB&Jelly  |  12 x 12  |  Oil on panel

This will be the final small painting for our 2 person show at Tree's Place Gallery July 25th on Cape Cod. I had been feeling a little nostalgic and thought I might do a Pool Bowl for my last 12 x 12, but at the last minute I decided to do a PB&J instead. My next painting will be a larger piece, which will probably result in a number of "in progress" posts. It's going to be a tough one and I have to say I'm hesitant to show in progress images, since there is a distinct possibility that I may not be able to pull this one off. The first few days will give me an idea if I've bitten off more than I can chew.

Tree's Place Show: Remington Rand

Remington Rand  |  6 x 24  |  Oil

When I said that I thought this would take a little while, I had no idea that it would take as long as it ultimately did. I really got sucked into this one. It took four days just to paint the type hammers. 

Detail of keys and type hammers

I think it was worth the time because I'm pretty pleased with the final result. This will be shipped up to Cape Cod for the Tree's Place show Karen and will be sharing July 25th. I'm hoping to get one more small piece and one larger painting done for the show before I get busy painting for my other galleries. They've both been very patient and have earned some serious attention.

Detail of ribbon spool and carriage

For my final small painting I was thinking of another Pool Bowl. I haven't done one of those in a while and I've kind of got an itch. 

Tree's Place Show: Vertical Loaf No.2

Vertical Loaf No. 2  |  12 x 12  |  Oil on panel

I painted a similar version of bread for Principle Gallery and really liked it so I thought it'd be okay to do another "Vertical Loaf" for the July show at Tree's Place. The piece I'm working on now may take a little while. It's only 6 x 24 but it's pretty complicated. 

the Principle Show & A Visit with the Cohen's

Doors Open

Karen and I traveled to Charleston last Friday to attend the opening night reception of our two person show at Principle Gallery. The drive was easy and the weather was perfect. Our hotel was just next door to the gallery so it was really easy to drop in when we first arrived. The paintings were beautifully arranged on the walls, and we had a nice time talking with Thomas and Michele the owner of the gallery. 

Our friends Jeff and Leslie Cohen had driven in from Wilmington to attend the opening and we spent the afternoon with them gallery hopping until it was time to get ready for the show. The doors opened at 5 and guests began to arrive almost immediately. Everyone was very complimentary and friendly, and at the close of the evening Karen had sold two paintings.

When the reception finished up we said our good-bye's and told Michele we'd stop by and see her again the next morning before we left. After that Karen and I meandered the streets visiting other galleries then called it a night.

Breakfast at Eli's

Saturday morning we got up early and walked around Charleston. It's a great city for walking. Michele said she'd open the gallery at 10 but at around 9:30 we found ourselves outside the gallery. She had said that we could "buzz" her apt and she'd come down, but there was no response when we did. Eli's Table, a very nice restaurant, was literally right next door, so we decided to treat ourselves to breakfast. We ate on the back patio, and the food was wonderful. Fabulous roasted potatoes, creamy grits and huge biscuits . . . delicious! We took our time, had an extra cup of coffee, and when we finished we walked over to Principle one more time to thank Michele for putting on a wonderful show.

Fort Fisher Sunset

After that we went back to the hotel, packed our gear and headed up to Wilmington. The Cohens had been trying to get us up for a visit for a while, and since we were so close we accepted their offer. The drive was nice, with the exception of the Myrtle Beach stretch, which was hell. Their new house was really cute. They had been working on it for a year and was full of Coheny touches. 

That first afternoon they drove us around, pointing out the various places of interest. They took us down to the boardwalk, with a mandatory stop at Britt's Donuts. After that we drove out to the beach at Fort Fisher, walked around that wonderful park and that evening enjoyed a gorgeous sunset. At this point we were getting pretty hungry, so we headed back to their neighborhood and had dinner at a terrific burrito place they love called Flaming Amy's Burrito Barn. We spent the rest of the evening catching up. They moved away from Atlanta a year ago, so we had a lot to talk about. About 1 am we finally gave out.

Wilmington Waterfront from the deck of the USS North Carolina

The next morning Jeff made us all french toast and we planned our day. The main event was to be a tour of the battleship USS North Carolina. The weather could not have been more perfect and from the deck Jeff pointed out parts of the waterfront just across river. We lucked out on our visit, because just as we arrived we got to talking with one of the docents. He seemed to take a liking to us, and wound up escorting us throughout the entire ship. It was great. He (I wish I could remember his name) was a wealth of information, and even opened up a few areas that were locked off. Jeff and Leslie said that they had been to the ship a number of times and that was the best time they'd had there.

Jeff and Leslie on our battleship tour

That evening Jeff made us his famous Pad Thai, and later that night we went out and drove through the city of Wilmington. That is a happenin town at night. 

Karen and I on Zeke's Island

Our original plan was to return to Atlanta the next day, but the Cohen's talked us into staying another day and taking part in their new favorite pastime, kayaking. We called Alex, our nephew and favorite cat sitter and he was okay with watching our kitty for one more day, so we enthusiastically agreed to stay. 

The Cohen's had the tides timed for our journey which it turned out allowed time for breakfast so we ordered a Pink Skillet at Kate's Pancake House. Which was delicious, by the way. Delicious. Breakfast over we packed the kayaks onto Jeff's truck and headed back to Fisher Island. They had one tandem and two single kayaks, so Jeff took Karen with him in the tandem and Leslie and I took the singles. First we paddled across the basin to Zeke's Island then through the marsh to another location that Jeff said was a great place to find fossilized sharks teeth.

Hunting for sharks teeth

He was right, we found a bunch. I have to say, kayaking is really fun. It's easy to understand why they love it so much. With the exception of falling out of my ride (I have the dubious honor of being the only person they've taken out to fall out of their kayak. Fortunately I had put my iPhone into a ziplock bag) it was a wonderful adventure. The water, wildlife, salt marsh and good friends came together to make a pretty perfect day. 

We spent that afternoon visiting with Jeff's mother at her beach house, and finished off the day with one more trip to Flaming Amy's. Early the next morning we we bid our friends farewell and returned to our non ocean, non kayaking home. 

We've already made plans to go back. 

Tree's Place Show: Mixer

Mixer  |  12 x 12  |  Oil on panel

Karen and I just got back from our 2 person show at Principle Gallery in Charleston. I'll post about that next, but right now I want to put up an image of another painting headed up to Cape Cod for a second 2 person show (Karen and myself) at Tree's Place Gallery July 25th.