I received Angela's nifty sketchbook (the theme is PLACES) and admired her artwork of her studio/workshop for hours...mulling over what place I would do. Surveying my workplace, I decided that a painting of a trash dump or disaster scene just wouldn't look too good. So I chose a Texas scene instead...a portion of my niece and her husband's place just down the road a ways.Now Texans have some strange ways. Take trees for instance. When they aren't using trees for hanging hoss thieves, or crashing their pickups into, or barbecuing something....they stick bottles on em. The tradition supposedly stems from old Indian lore of capturing evil spirits in the bottles. Hmm. OK. So I did a couple of bottle trees and some other stuff they have around their yard.
The painting measures 7 and a half by 9 and a half and was done in acrylics (new SOHO brand) and perspiration. It's on its way to you, Liz...if it can make it through y'all's blizzard.
It's wonderful, James! You make bottle trees seem natural somehow! Beautiful scene. I really love the cactus flower in the foreground.
ReplyDeleteNo mail service yet...we had a total of a million inches of snow (ok I lost count after the 3rd storm), but the drifts are as high as our 6ft fence. I'm still digging... Your hummingbird painting in the studio brings me great joy and hopes of warm weather.
Love your painting, James, with it's uplifting element of fun! That sure is a happy looking tree.
ReplyDeleteNice work, James! It is a very happy painting with all of that wonderful color. I also enjoyed learning about the bottle trees too.
ReplyDeleteLove how the bottle tree fits so naturally into the scene...the cactus flower is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThis is such an attractive page. I love the flowers you have throughout and your dead tree is perfect. You could be a fabulous faux-finisher.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info on bottle trees these are fun to learn about each others places. Well done now let's hope these flying moleskins can make it through the snow. arrrg ..
Thanks,y'all. This snow business is bad..even down here the temps have been hovering around freezing...expecting a tad of snow tonite. Duh. A little note...it is an wonder to see other's art up close and personal...this journal is going to be a very memorable experience. Dominque...where do I hunt for fauxes?
ReplyDeleteJames, you have stolen my heart, your painting is wonderful! How in the world did you know I love bottle trees? A few years back, I told my brothers about these bottle trees that I had seen made out of rebar, and those 2 wonderful guys surprised me with a bottle tree for Christmas several years ago. Everyone should have a bottle tree, finding the bottles is just as much fun as enjoying the bottle tree. I will definitely be sending you a photo of my tree (today it is covered in snow!)
ReplyDeleteYour landscape is beautiful and I cannot wait to see it in person!
This is so wonderful, James - a very fun piece!
ReplyDeleteLove the bottles on the tree and the cactus.
Absolutely wonderful! There's you in everything you do!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I have lived in Texas all my 53 years and I have *never* seen, nor heard of! a bottle tree. But I will take your word for it, Angela and James, that these exist and are a "Texas thing." I do love the idea though and this painting of one! In fact, I have some blue glass bottles that would look great suspended on rebar... hmmmm....
ReplyDeleteJames, thanks for this fun piece!
James you always bring a little different to the art blog world, and brighten everyone's day. This fun piece is no different. So bottles, unlike money (popular youth belief), don't really grow on trees then!
ReplyDeleteCamille, you're how old??? Such a young looking lass...probably still thinks money grows on ....ha!
You DID paint that bottle tree! Cool!!!
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