Change Equals Growth

Summertime in Arizona is always slow for art sales. Most people with means are not coming here during the warm months. So each year I spend the summer hunkered down in my studio working on larger pieces for the fall season and upcoming shows I've committed to.

I also carve out some time for experiments. This is where I feel my greatest insights come from. I was reflecting recently on my feelings about Jerome, and how I've been painting this little town for nearly 20 years now! Everything changes with time, and Jerome is no exception. A few buildings have fallen down, most recently the 'Cuban Queen' right behind my studio. That was a shock. It shouldn't be, as it was very fragile and right on the edge of a hill, but you get used to seeing something for two decades and you just feel it will always be there.

Despite the few buildings that have collapsed in recent years, most of the buildings continue to hang on, just showing a bit more age and patina. The building my studio is in was crudely built in 1905, and I recently filled in a few new cracks in the walls, but she's still holding, I hope for a long time yet. 

I decided to start a new series of Jerome paintings with a little looser, rougher more textural feel which I'm calling my 'Jerome Impressions Series'. It's more about my feelings about the town than an accurate portrayal of things. Some of these will be all about texture, some will be about atmosphere and so on. Above are the first three in the new series, and I'll post new ones as I finish them on my Jerome page here.

Its been many years since I taught a workshop. I have always offered one-on-one sessions in my studio by appointment because I love helping people unlock their creativity, and I feel it's a way of giving back to the art universe that has given me so much inspiration in my life.

I have shied away from organized group workshops for several years though, as I felt I just wanted to devote more time to my own growth. I think it has paid off and now I have some new insights to share. 

This three day workshop will include one day of plein air painting in Jerome, one day of plein air painting in Sedona, and on the final day we will head into the studio to enlarge one of our plein air studies. I know it seems early to mention a workshop in October, but really it's less than three months away, so for those who are planning a trip here, now is about the time to be thinking about it. 

More information about the workshop, and registration can be found here.

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For those of you who can't come to the workshop, I have started a videos page. So far I have one plein air video of me painting along Oak Creek in Sedona, and one studio video about painting old trucks from a photo. I'm keeping these very affordable at just $35 each. There are also some free videos, and my interview with the Masters Secrets. Visit my Videos Page here.