The Bluegrass Painter

Garrett County Watercolor Workshop

I'm in the process of preparing for our upcoming workshop at the Discovery Center in Deep Creek Lake State Park. The dates are November 9, 10 and 11. I always enjoy these workshops. Garrett County, MD is a hotbed for the arts and the enthusiasm of this group is always stimulating and contagious.

One of our exercises is to create a painting using only three colors. I've been trying to get a head start by creating some examples to show to the group. I'm posting them here for a preview for the group and for anyone else interested. This first one uses Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine Blue and Raw Sienna. I titled it Farm on Cook School Road.

The second painting uses the colors Cobalt Blue, Cadmium Yellow and Alizarin. I called it Fence Line and it portrays the same farm as above.

One other that I prepared is the Old Presque Isle Light and it employs Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna and Payne's Gray.

 
 

Autumn Glory in Garrett County

The fall festival in Garrett County, MD has been touted by independent reviewers of such things as the best in the country. Its a four day event that encompasses all kinds of activities.  We take part in the art fair each year and always have a good time. This year was no exception. Down side is that with all the food and treats available, diets tend to be put aside for the time.

Our photographer friend, Jim Lawrence, and wife, Louise, were located right across from us and they are good company. Jim is the kind of guy who will jump in and help when you have a need. He has done this for us and others and we thank him.

We followed up with a speaking engagement at the West Hills Art League, near Pittsburgh.  We shared our experiences in marketing art with this exceptionally capable group. We enjoyed their hospitality and look forward to jurying their member show next April.

Next on the docket is a three day watercolor workshop at the Deep Creek State Park (MD) Discovery Center sponsored by the Garrett County Arts Council.

Visit us at Garrett County's Autumn Glory Festival

This is the big weekend in Maryland's Garrett County...it is Autumn Glory time and the festivities begin today with the firemen's parade and "Oktoberfest" shindig at the fire hall in Oakland. If you haven't been to one of these, you need to. Oompah music, suds, food and firetrucks.

Saturday features the annual parade through Oakland.

Maryland's banjo, fiddle and mandolin champs will be crowned following a competition held in the gymnasium at Southern High School.  And, the old Bluegrass Painter will have an Appalachian Studio booth set up at the Heritage arts and crafts fair in the Broadford middle school building. Stop by and visit if you can. We will be featuring our new watercolor on canvas works along with conventional watercolors, prints and cards.
I call this "The Conversation".   I have done this on paper and on canvas. The canvas will be at the show and the paper version has been added to our card collection.

Did you ever see the Welland Canal?

I did listen to the IBMA awards presented last week while sitting on the back porch of a rented house. Thanks to Sirius Satellite radio, we heard it all while staying in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario.

Now, I must say Niagara-On-The-Lake is a pretty town. But, if you want any down home bluegrass you better bring your own. We did, two friends to pick with while the ladies enjoyed the perfumes and things of the shops in town.

Most interesting part of the trip, scenery wise, at least for me, was the Welland Canal. Impressive. Big boats moving from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie and back. I did a little drawing and painting in the three days there...here's an impression of the Welland scene.

IBMA World of Bluegrass

The IBMA World of Bluegrass starts today in Nashville and, sad to say, I'm going to miss it this year.

Bluegrassers from all over will be there. Business ands social events will be highlighted by the awards show this Thursday at the venerable Ryman...and, FanFest this weekend.  Even though I won't be able to partake, I will make a point to catch the awards fest on my Sirius Satellite radio and will pick a tune or two this week as a tribute.

I'll be there in spirit.

A Sad Note

We note with sadness the passing of John Trout's father this past week. Our condolences and prayers go out to John and his family.

Appalachian Festival and More

This past Saturday was a red letter day for me. Our band for the day,  Bloomington Hill, was privileged to be one of the mountain music groups playing at the Appalachian Festival on the campus of Frostburg State University.   It was a pleasure to have Randy Thomas, Eric and Wayne Weimer, Dave Funkhouser and Walter Dixon with me on stage

 This a well run event that showcases the mountain culture of western MD and surrounds. Thanks to Kara Rogers Thomas for inviting us and Greg Latta and the sound crew at the Sowers Stage for making it easy. We were flattered to be included with so many performers of significant stature. Saw Karen Artis, bassist and vocalist with the Allegheny Drifters. Also,  Pat Skipper on fiddle and Jim Rayner on mandolin, who perform as part of the Broken Glass and Rusty Hinges, were nice enough to sit through our set along with their wives.

Loretta Hummel, accompanied by Robert Broadwater and Bill Nelson, preceded us on stage and was kind enough to extend an invitation to an afternoon pickin' party at her home near Grantsville. I went and had a real good time although I had to leave just as things were getting going for another commitment.

I didn't get any photos, darn! But here are two watercolors that seem to capture the day.

Hope we get invited back to both of these events.

Sure has been a dry fall

After a summer of cool days and rain, the fall around here this year has turned very dry. My friend, Harold Harsh guides fly fishermen on our local streams and rivers and tells me that all the streams are very low. We are a bit worried about our grape crop as well...looks like some of the fruit is dry.ing up before being ripe enough to pick. We had rain this past Saturday for the Annual Garrett  County Art & Wine Festival but it wasn't enough to be a positive effect on the water table.

Here is a recent painting that I did during a workshop I did recently for the Garrett County Arts Council at the Discovery Center in Deep Creek State Park (that's MD). I didn't name it until this weekend and called it Dry Run Farm.

A Busy Summer

I blinked, its Labor Day morning and the kids are back in school...that means summer is winding down and Petunia reminds me that I have been running but not posting. I'll catch up.

Some things I'll remember from the summer of '09 are the 4th of July picnic; being part of the Red, White and Blue Bluegrass Festival in Morganton, NC through artwork; lots of pickin' in our garage; making music with friends old and new in places like the bank of Patterson Creek south of Keyser, WV; being invited to play our style of mountain music for disabled veterans visiting Garrett County; being invited, along with my friend Randy Thomas, to join John Martin in entertaining at the Crellin Assembly of God's Bike Day; feasting and singing at the New Life Christian Church's annual corn roast with a lot of Garrett County's finest musicians; informal pickin' at the Skipper home and so much more than I can list here: participating in the 1st annual arts and craft festival held on the grounds of historic "Aurelia" through the generosity of Joan Whetsell;and, picking on the grounds of the William Dively Bluegrass Festival in Berlin, PA.

Good memories for sure but the fall here in the mountains is a time of natural beauty and lots of neat events. We are playing at the Frostburg University Appalachian Festival and will be displaying art at the Garrett County Autumn Glory Festival.  

Mixing Visual and Musical Arts Makes for a Fun Evening at Garrett Arts Council

The Garrett County Arts Council (Garrett County, MD) combined their annual membership meeting on June 30 with their summer show opening at the Gallery Shop in Oakland, MD. I was flattered to be featured in the gallery and happy to see that some of my picking buddies were there to add some down home mountain music to the event. 

The evening was orchestrated by director Karen Reckner and it was her idea to add the pickers to the bill. Musicians included Pat Skipper on fiddle, Roger Kitzmiller on banjo, Bill Brenneman on bass, Jim Rayner on mandolin, Harold fike on guitar and Dave Bittinger on guitar as well. All of these guys can sing. The music was only for the opening reception but the art will be on display until August 8 so if you are in the area please stop by.  Thanks to Fabian Green for the photos.