One thing that I hope to do with this blog, “Life of a Daily Painter”, is to honestly describe what it is like to be a full-time painter. Today’s post will describe preparing for a show and reception.
Yesterday was the opening reception for my daily art show that is currently underway at Philip Carter Winery. First, I must say many thanks to Donna Johnson who called me some months ago and invited me to show at the winery. It is such an incredible feeling when that happens….someone actually thinks you should display your art for people to see!
Next begins the panic; can I have enough paintings that I like ready for the opening. So you work to pull together what you hope will be an interesting collection.
Then the preparation for the opening; the announcement; the invitation. And then the day arrives. It’s time to go and you are so scared that no one will come to see your work. Always the self-doubt. But people start arriving and they like the art. Yeah! Success. It is always so rewarding when people enjoy what you enjoy doing so much. It’s hard to describe but certainly other painters will understand. Many thanks to everyone who came out to the reception. It was a beautiful day and a nice afternoon.
The show at Philip Carter Winery will be on display until January. Please make the beautiful drive out to Hume and take a look. Thanks.
Peaceful Valley View is an 8″x10″ oil painting. It is a restful scene.
Fall Splendor I is an oil on canvas panel measuring 8×10. You can see it at Delilah’s on Main Street in Front Royal, Virginia. It is available for $225 framed. 
Last Wednesday night at Art Class we worked on an acrylic underpainting of a lemon. Instead of oil paint we used acrylic paint and only using black and white we painted the shading that we saw of the lemon.
The final 3rd Thursday Art Walk of the season is tonight from 5 – 8 p.m. in downtown Front Royal. Be sure to come out and enjoy some refreshments and see the artist demonstrating. Delilah’s will have a tent sale as well as demonstrations. And I believe there will be pumpkin carving demonstrations at the Blue Ridge Arts Council. Just in time for the season! Come join us. We’ll look forward to seeing you.
Susan’s Weeping Cherry Tree is an oil on canvas measuring 16″x20″. I was commissioned by one of my very best collectors to do this painting of the tree in front of her house. So a few weeks ago I went out to her beautiful home and took some photos of the tree. Of course, it wasn’t blooming at the time so I had to be a little creative with the painting. That is the great thing about painting, you can put in or leave out whatever you want to when you are working with a photo.
This is the reference photo that I used for Susan’ painting. 
The Festival of Leaves in Front Royal was Saturday and we had a good time despite the yucky weather in the morning. As the day went on the weather got better. I set up the tent and painted outside of Delilah’s. (Thanks to Sandy Patterson, a terrific photographer who has beautiful work at Delilah’s, for taking this photo.)
I completed this painting during the festival. It is a fall version of the painting that I did a few weeks ago for the Strasburg Rotary Club. Fall offers many colors to put into paintings. It really brightens everything up!
This is the original version of the painting.
Since yesterday’s post I added in the grass and some details.
And finally the finished painting! I like the way it turned out. It is an oil painting on canvas panel measuring 12″x16″ and is available by emailing me at 
Back to work on the old truck. Now that I have the truck laid in where I like it I have started on the background. The sky was very blue the day I took the photo but I don’t want it to overwhelm the main focus of the painting, the truck. So I lightened the sky a little.
And added some puffy clouds. 
And the mountains in the distance….
Here is the completed painting that I began as a demonstration for the Strasburg Rotary Club last week. (See 
I am working hard on the Old Truck. I don’t know why I love it so much but I do. It has so much character!!! The longer I look at the reference photo the more I see.
The Studio 