"Freedom!" Painting

I have always painted since I was a child growing up in Luling, Louisiana, a small town on the Mississippi river up from New Orleans. I had a few lessons from an aunt who did cutesy things and crafts. In high school, I had a little rock n roll band and played trumpet and baritone in the marching band. I did scenery for high school productions and then went to Charity Hospital School of Radiologic (X-ray)Technology in New Orleans and lost contact with painting. I was looking inside in more ways than one. It gave me a unique perspective on the deep, dark part of the physical world.

I attended Louisiana State University and studied music education for one semester. I was even in Tiger Band; what a blast! I loved it but there was not much of a financial future in that arena. Then I discovered architecture (frozen music and art), a wonderful synthesis of art and science. During that time, I had two art classes as electives and rediscovered my love of painting. My art professor once stated that "Before a painting becomes a vase of flowers, a man on a horse, or a landscape, it is merely one color adjacent to another." That, with my analytical approach to details is what I try to see in every brush stroke.....one color next another with an eye to the total composition. The mind tells us shadows are gray......but shadows are really a reflection of the surrounding light and color. Are they gray or are they blue or mauve or green? What does the scientific brain tell me and what is in the mind's eye? How do we perceive light, color, texture?

I allowed myself to sink into my architectural career and after about 25 years of practice, started looking back into painting. Now, at 74, I am practicing architecture less and painting more. I told my wife several years ago not to buy me a birthday present since I wanted to get myself something special....a studio sized easel. Much to her chagrin, I set it up in the dining room and that became my part time studio. Setting up and taking down, and cleaning up the resulting mess when we had company was a chore, but it is worth it to me. It was just that it cuts into the spontaneity when you just cannot walk up to the easel and begin. Now I plan out times to paint.

As I wind down my career in architecture, I feel the need to still be productive. Naturally, art strongly tugs at my heart strings. All of our friends have been encouraging me to start selling my work.