35 on 35

"Estess Ranch" 10" x 20" oil/c

A few months ago I was traveling back
home from Austin, TX at about dusk.
The sun was hitting the sides of buildings,
lighting up fields of hay, specular lights
bounced off the backs of goats and the
landscape became a wonder world of colors.

As is my habit, I was traveling at roughly
70 miles per hour with my head twisting
from side to side trying to take it all in
while making mental notes about the
colors I would need to mix to pull
off a painting of the various scenes that
whizzed by.

Other drivers zoomed passed me at 80 mph
or faster in their rush to get to whatever
was so freaking important ignoring
Mother Nature's gift of light. Some honked
as they went by flashing their middle finger
at me because I was driving so slow.

That's when it hit me. Texans are generally
the nicest people on the planet. But not
when driving. Pick up trucks rule the road
and you best just either get in line risking life
and limb while driving stock car racing style
drafting the truck in front of you at 90 mph
or get out of the way.

I'm thinking, "What fools? If they would just
slow down and take in the beauty of the
landscape light show, what a better world
and a more peaceful drive it would be."

That's when it hit me. Someone should
show them what their missing. In November
I will be having a one man show entitled
"35 on 35". Thirty five paintings along
highway 35 from Dallas to San Antonio.
Every painting will be of a scene you can
see from the highway...if you would just
slow down and take a look. Every painting
will have a GPS marking on the back
and directions to the scene so any collector
can go to the exact spot I painted it from.
Most of the paintings will be plein air but a
few will be larger studio pieces.

The painting above is the first of the 35.
This is Estess Ranch in Waxahachie, TX just
south of Dallas. I hope to produce a video
of my experience creating the paintings.
I've never taken on a project of this scope
so I'm excited about the challenge. I hope
you will follow along on my little adventure.
I will be posting video clips and paintings
as I do them on YouTube, Facebook
and this blog.