Two Weeks of Bluebonnets

Blue Sky and Bluebonnets
oil on canvas

    Last Sunday, Kent Brewer and I went down to Ennis to look for bluebonnets to paint and to scout for a place to paint this weekend. We drove around quite a bit looking for a place. They are really thick along the roads and highways, but finding a place where you can safely pull over and get some distance from them was not so easy.

Kent painting on Liska Rd.

     We finally found a place along Liska Road. I reworked the painting from Glen Rose since the scene had the same elements of cedar trees and bluebonnets. Then started a second painting. I've still got to rework it before posting.

Me painting on Liska Rd

     It was a really pleasant place to paint. After we finished we continued looking for a place for our group to paint out, as nice as this place was there wasn't enough room for a large group. We found a Corp of Engineers Park on Lake Bardwell called Love Park. It had wildflowers, places to park, and clean restrooms. We decided this place would work well. So we headed to our houses. Later during the week I started calling, texting and emailing my friends to come paint there on Saturday.

Part of my gardens.

     The bluebonnets have been really pretty this year as are the flowers in my garden. I always am thinking that I'll have to paint my garden but I never get around to it. So I took more photos and today, Saturday, we all went down to Ennis to paint.

 

The view I chose to paint.

    It was a beautiful day. Sunny and warm with a pleasant breeze. I had a nice drive down, a little over an hour from my home, until I stopped for an iced tea and realized  that I'd left my wallet  with all my money, driver's license, and credit cards at home. Luckily I brought my lunch.

 

Some of my friends painting.

     We had a really good group today of about 20 including my friends Kent Brewer, Candy Clynch, T.K. Riddle, Olivette Hubler, Hai Chi Lee, David Trip, Chris Toplyn, Dan Spangler and his wife, Sheri Jones and her husband, Nancy Bozeman, Trish Wise, Tina Bohlman, and artists from the Trinity Arts Guild, Texas Artists Coalition, and the Ellis County Art Association.

Some more of my friends painting

 There were two large fields of bluebonnets that most of us painted near. Some of our group used watercolors, some used oils, some used pastels, and others used acrylics. Many of the artists finished more than one painting. We were there from around 9:00 to 4:30, so a full day.


David and Chris, two of our watercolorists.

 

 Sheri and her husband B.J. drove their antique truck down for the group to paint. Some really great paintings were created of the  truck surrounded by wildflowers and mesquite trees.



Sheri and her husband brought down his restored old truck for our group to paint.

 After we had had enough painting, many of us  went to dinner in Waxahachie at the Tuscan Slice. It was a super day, spending it outside with friends and then going to dinner together. Special thanks to my friends Kent and T.K.,  who loaned me money for dinner and for gas to make it home.


Kent and Olivette painting.

Art in April

Some of my art at Chandor Gardens

    Spring is here and a very busy time it is for me. Last weekend I participated in the Spring Fling at Chandor Gardens. it is a smallish event but growing and in a beautiful setting. I painted a few paintings while I was there and had a very enjoyable two days.


Little Range Rover
8 x 10
oil on canvas
SOLD

 

 Several of my artist friends participated including Sheri Jones, Jill Randal, Dan Spangler and Olivette Hubler. My friend Tosca bought the armadillo painting above that I recently finished. The garden is always beautiful but it was filled with song on Sunday.( The song of mating toads.) The fountains were full of courting toads.


One of the fountains full of toads in Chandor Gardens.

 I placed an add in the April edition of Western Art Collector and it really paid off this time. I sold one sculpture last week and three this week so my thanks go out to the good people at Western Art collector.


Glen Rose Goats

 Today, Saturday,  a group of us went down to Glen Rose to paint bluebonnets. It was a beautiful morning. We were going to meet at the back entrance of Fossil Rim, the wildlife park. I got down early to look for a place to paint. The area around Glen Rose is a very hilly region and famous for its dinosaur tracks, hence the name Fossil Rim.


A friendly donkey near Glen Rose

The area abounds in wildlife as well as farm animals of all kinds. I saw lots goats, sheep, horses, donkeys, longhorns and other cattle. Everything is green and lush and there were many fields of livestock that would have made beautiful paintings.


Texas Bluebonnets - in the lupine family.

The one thing that was somewhat lacking were the bluebonnets. However a short distance from the back gate I did find a nice patch of bluebonnets. They were not as thick as usual but beggars can't be choosers.


View from the Overlook.

I went back to Fossil Rim and the overlook to wait for our group. In the photo above from the balcony of the Overlook restaurant you can just make  out part of a herd of giraffes. Fossil Rim is most famous for its conservation of endangered animals especially rhinos, but I didn't see any where I was.


Olivette, Maryann and Sheri painting bluebonnets.

 Our group today consisted of Sheri Jones, Olivette Hubler,Maryann Brummer and Candy Clynch. We parked along the Side of the road and painted the bluebonnets I found. It was a beautiful spot and a beautiful day. We all enjoyed it very much. I painted bluebonnets and cedar trees with a trail going through them. I had to meet my family for a movie so I had to leave before I was really finished. I'm posting it now but I'll do a bit more on it still..


Texas Spring
9 x 12
oil on canvas

Looking ahead,  I'll be painting at Prairie Fest at Tandy Hills in East Fort Worth on April 27th. On Saturday May 11th I'll be doing a sculpture demo at Dutch Art in Dallas where Sheri Jones will be doing a painting demo. The next week I'll be painting at one of the homes in my neighborhood, Ridglea Hills, during the Historic Society's Hidden Gardens Tour. The gardens will be large, one to three acres in size. Finally at the end of the month I'll be painting in paintout in Waxahachie.