Fort Worth Magazine Blog Post - "Evening Light on Bass Hall"

Click here to watch a time-lapse video and learn more about this painting.

"Evening Light on Bass Hall"   40" x 30"   Oil

Bass Hall Painting Progression

Video by Justin Tennison

"Evening Light on Bass Hall"   36" x 27"   Oil

Setting Up at Bass Hall

I spent this morning at Bass Performance Hall.  The moving company arrived with our display walls and paintings.

After some concern that the display walls were too large to fit through the double doors, the movers managed to get them inside.

Paula Kornye Tillman set to work deciding where each painting would hang.

Marshall Tillman hung the paintings for us, with some friendly help from Carey who works at Bass Hall.  (Marshall and Carey went to high school together and hadn't seen each other in 30 years).

The paintings are now in place and ready to be seen during this weekend's performance of Giselle by Texas Ballet Theater.

Thank you Paula and Marshall for creating such a wonderful display!

Paintings at Bass Hall

These paintings will be on display this weekend in the lobby of Bass Performance Hall.  The kind folks at Texas Ballet Theater have invited me to display some of my Fort Worth paintings this Friday, Saturday and Sunday during their performance of Giselle.  It is such an honor to partner with our city's world class dance company.  See you at the ballet!          

"Evening Light on Bass Hall"   36x27   Oil

"Dress Rehearsal at Bass Hall"   28x22   Oil

"Last Light on First Methodist"   24x18

"Practicing for the Nutcracker"   14x11   Oil

"Roger"   24x30   Oil

"Duet"   36x24   Oil

Gallery Night!

Fall Gallery Night is this Saturday from 2 to 9.  I hope to see you at Galerie Kornye West, on the corner of Camp Bowie and Clover Lane in Fort Worth.  New this year is the People's Choice Award.  Visit the gallery Friday September 9 through Saturday, September 10 to cast your vote for your favorite painting.  Some lucky artist will be awarded a cash prize!  : )

If you come to the gallery on Saturday you can also step across the street to Winslow's Wine Cafe to meet some of the Texas Ballet Theater dancers and see my ballet paintings.

Galerie Kornye West

Finished!

"Evening Light on Bass Hall"   36" x 27"   Oil

I finally finished my Bass Hall painting!  Although my "A Year in Fort Worth" show will be on Spring Gallery Night 2012, this painting will be on display at Galerie Kornye West during the upcoming Fall Gallery Night, September 10th, 2011 -- a preview of things to come.  

And here's where it started, a few thousand brushstrokes ago.

The Audience Arrives

"Sunset on Bass Hall"  (detail - in progress)

The audience has arrived for the evening concert and some are enjoying the view from the balcony before the performance begins.  There is still much work to be done on this painting but I'm beginning to feel like I just might finish it before Fall Gallery Night!

The Angel in the Setting Sun

"Bass Hall Angel"  (detail - in progress)

A few thousand brushstrokes later and the Bass Hall angel is finished.  Now I'm starting to paint the people on the balcony and the details on the rest of the building.   I think this might be one of the most complicated paintings I've ever done!

Feathers Finally Finished

"Bass Hall Angel"  (detail - in progress)

Slowly but surely I'm making progress on my Bass Hall Angel painting.  It has taken some time but the feathers are mostly done and now I'll carry on with the rest of the canvas.  Trying to capture the feeling of the setting sun continues to be an enjoyable challenge!

Angel In Progress

I'm continuing to work on my painting of the Bass Hall angel.  I've still got a long way to go - but I'm enjoying the process!

Emerging Angel

"Bass Hall Angel"   36" x 27"   Oil

I've just started my painting of the Bass Performance Hall in evening light.  Only a few thousand more brushstrokes to go!

On The Easel

It's good to be back in Fort Worth after several days in Idaho - even though the temperature there was about 30 degrees cooler!  I've just begun a new painting of one of the Bass Hall angels in late afternoon/evening sunlight, (the "golden hour"), with concert-goers milling about the balcony before the performance.  Hanging on the wall in the background is a recently completed portrait commission. 

Extraordinary Moment

"Barry Douglas Rehearsing with the FWSO"   8" x 10"   Watercolor

Last week I had the incredible privilege of sitting in on a rehearsal of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra at Bass Hall.  Guest pianist Barry Douglas, from Ireland, was in town to perform Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the orchestra.  (You can read the great review he got in the Star Telegram here.)  I was so moved by this musical experience that I came home and painted this watercolor sketch.

I also had the privilege of meeting Barry Douglas after his performance and gave him the sketch as he autographed a couple of his cd's for me.  Life is better with music!

Texas Ballet Theater - Dress Rehearsal

I had the privilege of watching a recent dress rehearsal of the Texas Ballet Theater at Bass Performance Hall, and have started the first painting of a planned series depicting this world class dance troupe.

Painted Violins 2011 - Part 2

Here is the back of my painted violin, inspired by Mozart's Horn Concerto #4.   One of the Bass Hall angels has traded her trumpet for a french horn to sound the hunting call.

Below are the photos I used for reference:  Bass Hall angels, and musician model -- thanks Karen!

Painted Violins 2011

I am one of 27 artists invited to participate in the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra's Painted Violins project.  These violins will be auctioned February 24 and the proceeds will benefit the Orchestra's education programs for children.  The violins will be on display January 29 and February 13 in the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth.  

 Each artist was given a bare wooden violin as well as a piece of music for inspiration -- in my case, Mozart's Concerto No. 4 for Horn in E Flat Major.  The use of the horn in the last movement of this concerto invokes the feeling of the hunt in the open air, thus the blue sky with clouds on the front of the violin.   

Here's the completed front.  The back of the violin reveals a surprise -- one of the angels on the 

Bass Performance Hall is sounding the hunting call.   But I'll show you the back next time.