The Dunesoil on canvas
12 x 14
1981
I was in southern California this weekend and I got a chance to photograph this painting I did while I was in art school. The painting hangs in my mother in law's foyer now, it was originally a gift from me to her mother, (April's grandmother), but when she passed, Judy inherited it. I'm sure it will eventually end up in one of my daughter's hands when April and I buy the farm.
This is my very first plein air work, it was painted at Point Reyes. I was 21 and my whole life lay before me. It was a great time and I remember really loving the idea of being an artist. This painting is so special to me and I look forward to seeing it every time we visit Judy.
Have a great Thanksgiving everybody, we have a lot of family coming in and I'll be busy at the grill smoking the bird over a bed of mesquite coals!
Love this painting, Denny: it has such a nice feel to it. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteWow, that was your first plein air? What a accomplishment!
ReplyDeleteLynda and Jeremy...sometimes we artists just get lucky with our paintings early on! I remember this painting just flowed so easily out of me, maybe it was the location or youthful bliss...who knows?
ReplyDeleteHey Jeremy, I was in your area this weekend, my mom-in-law lives in Laguna Woods.
Have a wonderful holiday with your families!
Lovely post Denny, and this time of year we all get a touch nostalgic and reflective...I LOVE the painting, it shows all your promise at early stage!
ReplyDeleteNow....after all those beautiful bird paintings, you are off to grill one ;-)
Happy, happy Thanksgiving!
Kit~ I know..I thought about the irony of that scenario already. I might actually set up my plein air easel in front of my grill and paint the turkey while it roasts!
ReplyDeleteDenny,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this story. If that was your first plein air then that is really an accomplishment. The colors are really working and already you captured a unity.Turkey over mesquite....yummmmmm!
Southern California...hmmn. That sounds like a nice to have been this weekend...I was in Bristol Airport UK waiting for the plane home and wishing I hadn't wasted my money at Starbucks on a Panini and burnt tasting cup of coffee.. Love the work you're posting up Denny, and wow. That is amazing job you did on the scanner. Being an ex-nurse I am all for the idea of the interior of hospitals being muralised EVERYWHERE!!!
ReplyDeleteFrank~ Thanks, I should have done a lot more plein air work back then, so now I'm trying to catch up on a lot of lost time in the studio and outdoors. Funny how your priorities change when one hits 50!
ReplyDeleteApril~ So it sounds like Starbucks is internationally bad, and not just the stores in the US. Thanks for your comments on the scanner, later I'll post a few more examples of my hospital work.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you're holding classes and getting back to work in the studio. Art heals!
First time bad coffee happened to me at Starbucks to be truthful Denny. Not back in the studio yet, still walking around in a daze using twice as much energy just to focus on the ordinary. You probably know how it is...thanks for your kind comments. Look forward to more Hospital photos..
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving!