Tom Miller Dam

Tom Miller Dam, 9 x 12 in.

sold

Today I had the good fortune to go out painting with my good friend, Laurel Daniel. Both our schedules are nuts right now, but we managed to find a cool spot for a quick painting under the Red Bud Trail bridge (unbelievably, the high in Austin today was 100, so we were fortunate to be out early). I hadn't painted the dam before, though many times I've painted looking the opposite direction, down river. This dam was completed in 1940, after two other dams had proved incapable of holding the floods the Colorado River can produce. It's a sight I pass frequently, as I cross the bridge countless times each week.

(the painted sign reads: DANGER Automatic turbine action may release swift water any time without warning....no access beyond cable at all times).

-julie davis

Accepted

Accepted, 6 x 8 in.

The pear, that is, is accepted by the cherries.... It's been quite fun working with so much red lately, though after painting this one, I think the way in which I've handled this lighter background doesn't adequately balance the impact of such a vivid color. I'll keep moving forward on my experimentation....

-julie davis

Comfortable

Comfortable, 6 x 8 in.

Playing with greens and reds together in this one. I've got to work on getting better lighting for my still life set ups--I have light coming from several directions where I paint them, and haven't developed a good way to limit it to one yet, since I rarely painting still lifes.

-julie davis

Steadfast

Steadfast, 6 x 8 in.

And she liked it. My friend, from yesterday's post. :)

It's kind of fun doing some still lifes after working so intensely on landscape as the subject matter for the Davis Gallery show. It really allows one the time to carefully examine a form, much like the trees I so enjoy studying (except this fruit is much smaller, and the light on a still life doesn't change!)

-julie davis

Close

Close, 6 x 8 in.

I have a very dear friend to whom I owe some time--if she's reading this today, she'll know I'm talking to her. So, pal, what do you think of this one? :)

-julie davis

New Sweden Church

New Sweden Church, 8 x 6 in.

sold

New Sweden Evangelical Lutheran Church (completed in 1923) sits just Northeast of Manor, Texas, which is just Northeast of Austin. I was fortunate enough to be able to join my Plein Air Austin painting friends today to paint there. This copper steeple rises 104 feet, and can be seen for quite a long distance. I was impressed by how beautiful the countryside is out there--I'll be back there for sure!

-julie davis

Light Snow, revisited

Light Snow, 12 x 16in.

sold

This is the last painting I'll post from my current show at Davis Gallery here in Austin, and a tribute to the cold snap we've gotten here in Austin in the last 24 hours. The show ends this Saturday, May 7th, so if you're in Austin and haven't had a chance to go by, please do!

Some of you will recognize this as a larger version of the study I did back in early February. I loved painting the snow so much I immediately went for a bigger one that same day. It's available at the gallery.

One last thing: my apologies for the infrequency of my posts lately. We've had the majority of the interior of our house repainted over the last three weeks, and while the painters have done a tremendous job of minimizing the disruption, our house has been a bit topsy-turvy, and my studio is no exception. I hoped to be outside this week, but now we're finally getting much-needed rain, and it's 50 degrees F on top of that! Soon I will have my postings daily again.

-julie davis