Botanic Garden Urn

Early morning at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.

"Morning Light"   20" x 14"   Oil

Time-lapse Video -- "Morning in the Garden"

Early morning in the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.

Video by Justin Tennison.

"Morning in the Garden"   38" x 54"   Oil

Fort Worth, Texas Magazine Blog -- " 'Fishing Hole' Garden Sculpture "

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

" 'Fishing Hole' Garden Sculpture "   30" x 20"   Oil

Morning In The Garden

"Morning in the Garden" --  finished and delivered to its new home.

"Morning in the Garden"   38" x 54"   Oil

Morning In The Garden

Early one morning I went to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden alone, while the dew was still on the roses.  I encountered this scene, complete with a great blue heron posing in the perfect spot.  It will take me a while to finish this painting but I'm enjoying the start.

Watercolor study of the heron.

"Great Blue Heron"   10" x 8"   Watercolor

Time-Lapse Video - "Concerts In The Garden"

Every summer the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents a popular series of outdoor concerts in the Botanic Gardens - each performance ending with a spectacular fireworks display.  Here's my impression of one of these concerts.

Video by Justin Tennison

"Concerts In The Garden"   36" x 24"   Oil

Painting of a Sculpture

My painting of a sculpture by Bob Guelich in the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens.

" 'Fishing Rock' Garden Sculpture "   30" x 20"   Oil

The Chancellor's Hallway

The hallway leading to the Chancellor's office at Texas Christian University was a little sparse, so I was given the assignment to spruce it up a bit with paintings of Fort Worth scenes.

Here's how it looks now.

"Memorial Column"   30" x 24"   Oil

"Early Morning in the Garden"   30" x 60"   Oil

"Courthouse at Dusk"   30" x 24"   Oil

"Winter Twilight"   30" x 72"   Oil

Morning In The Garden

Early one morning in the Lower Rose Garden at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.

"Early Morning in the Garden"   30" x 60"   Oil

The painting is fairly large and some of the details are lost when reduced to a small photo.  Here are some close-ups.

Plein Air Planter

"Botanic Garden Planter"   12" x 9"   Oil

I painted this quick oil sketch a while ago at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens, "a peaceful haven nestled in the heart of the Fort Worth Cultural District".  After a record-breaking 71 days of temperatures in the 100's this year, the weather has finally cooled off some - so I need to leave the comfort of my studio and get back out there and paint on location!

Botanic Gardens Heron Sculpture

Painting on location is full of challenges.  You need to paint rapidly because the light will change in just a few minutes, especially on a sunny day like this one.  You are often fighting the elements such as wind and sun and rain.  Sometimes bugs get in the way ( I think there are some imbedded in this painting).  But  it can also be very rewarding and often there is an honesty and authenticity in these small outdoor studies that can be lacking in a labored studio piece.

I painted this at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens on two consecutive days.  Each session was probably about 2 hours long - just enough time to try to capture the essentials, but not long enough to get too bogged down with a lot of details.  On location you see so much more color, as evidenced by comparing the painting with the photo I took of the scene I painted.  And as soon as the weather gets cooler around here, I'm going back outside to paint!

Concerts In The Garden

Last weekend my wife, my daughter, my mother and I attended the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra's "Concerts in the Garden Summer Music Festival" at the beautiful Botanic Gardens.  We enjoyed "Star Wars & Beyond: A Laser Light Spectacular," complete with symphony orchestra, laser light show and fireworks.

  

We all had a great time, as evidenced by this picture of my mother and daughter with Darth Vader and company.

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. 

Sketch for "Autumn Dancer"

Sketch for "Autumn Dancer"   10" x 8"   Watercolor

When thinking of ideas for oil paintings, I often start with a watercolor in my sketchbook.  Last year, after attending the Japanese Garden Fall Festival and watching the Sakura Dancers perform traditional dances, I was inspired to do this sketch of one of the dancers.  I have since painted an oil of her and will soon show you the painting and tell you where it will be spending the month of June.

Koto Player

"Koto Performer"   10" x 8"   Watercolor

While attending the Spring Festival at the Japanese Garden, we had the pleasure of listening to a lovely performance on the koto, a traditional Japanese stringed instrument.  Actually, we almost missed this opportunity.  After spending a morning at the festival, we were about to get in our car to leave when we saw this woman getting out of the car next to ours.  A short conversation revealed that she would be performing at the festival, so we headed back to listen.  It turned out to be one of the highlights of our day.  

This first sketch is a study for a larger oil painting I am planning, which will be a more exact likeness of Fumiko, whose grace and charm touched us as much as her music.   


  

Main Street Arts Festival

"Main Street Arts Festival"   10" x 8"   Watercolor 

I spent the weekend attending festivals!  Main Street, from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Convention Center, was filled with all manner of arts and crafts, live music, food, activities for the kids, and thousands(!) of happy festival-goers here to enjoy the 26th annual Main Street Arts Festival.  

This was also the weekend of the Japanese Garden Spring Festival, a Fort Worth tradition for over 30 years.  There was much going on here as well, with dance, music, martial-arts demonstrations, kid activities, tea ceremonies, and more.  In spite of all the activities, the garden somehow retains its beautiful, peaceful feel during these spring and fall festivals.  (Although the tranquility was momentarily interrupted by a flyover of five fighter jets -- it was also the weekend of the air show at the Fort Worth Naval Air Station.)  I'll soon post a sketch from the Spring Festival.