PAINTINGS - "Christmas Boat"

There's a nice little story that goes with this oil painting I did at the end of 2009.

Last October, Cat and I got to travel out east to Solomons, Maryland, to attend our nephew Christopher's wedding to his new bride, Angela. During the outdoor ceremony at Back Creek Inn, we enjoyed the beautiful view of the creek which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. After the wedding, as is tradition, the moment arrived when the groom has a dance with his Mom (my wife's sister, Lin). However, the tune that was chosen to play during the dance was a bit unusual..."White Christmas". Sensing the crowd's confusion, Lin yelled out, "I used to sing this song to Christopher when he was a baby. It was the only song that would get him to stop crying!" To which Chris replied, "See...it still works!"

At that moment, with the song still playing, someone pointed at a sailboat that was slowly passing by...it was green with a bright red sail! Perfect!

My wife took lots of great photos that allowed me to do the painting back in my studio. Chris and Angela got the surprise gift a couple of weeks ago.

Here are two shots of the painting in various stages.

SCULPTURE - "Frog Rider" FINISHED

Behold...the fearless Samurai Beetle on his mighty Battle Frog!

Well, it's all painted up and finished now. This project definitely took me longer than I expected, due to the extra level of detail. Below are are few more more views. Enjoy!

SKETCHBOOK: "Florida Trip"

I'm taking a little break from posting my sculpture. Here are some sketches I did last week when my wife and I went to Tampa Bay, Florida for her parathyroid surgery. The first image is the view from Cat's hospital room...at her suggestion, I signed it and gave it to Dr. Norman, her surgeon. The next image is the view from the waiting room...same subject matter, different window. The two skylines are from our hotel...the view out the front door, then from the back balcony.

These other sketches are at KCI airport, and some during the flights there and back.

Here's a photo of my sweet wife, Cat, and I the day after her surgery. She was a real trooper...being next to Sand Key Beach on the gulf sure helped!

I had to get a shot of this hilarious inflatable slide on Clearwater Beach...I want one for my backyard!

Here's a composite panaramic view I pieced together...it's from the Marriott where we stayed.

This is a gorgeous sunset seen from our balcony the night we got back from the hospital.

And finally, a big thanks to my long time friend, Becca, for her hospitality...appreciated the conversations and the tour of Clearwater Beach and your home! We'll definitely be going back to explore the coast...and, God willing, with NO hospital stays!