Walking in Memphis

Strange Cargo
Beale St Memphis TN
10 x 10 acrylic

I had a lovely day of gallery hopping in Memphis last Wednesday. I have this chance to go out with my cousin Dave, a photographer,  and find new places to visit that might inspire us to do some new work. We will set these art days up and plan what new place we want to visit and look forward to giving a quick critique to the pieces we view.  After visiting several galleries and museums we usually stop to have lunch. While eating we often will discuss the art work we had seen that day, or simply we will talk about life and living, it didn't always matter what we talked about just the idea of being out and looking at art was the business of the day. This time while we were lunching, Dave made a comment about a Friday Night Gallery walk he attended, and how he stood and watched this group of Drawing Society individuals doing work involving the old water tower on that side of town. 

WC Handy Park
 Beale St Memphis TN
10 x 10 acrylic

Something about that particular remark plucked my heart strings and I felt this long lost stirring about painting.
His remark reminded me that I once did a small series of  works titled My Hometown in watercolors. I managed to have a few prints made of that series, and thinking about them again, reminded me how much enjoyment those little watercolors meant to me.......so that brings me to where I am at the moment....actually painting and enjoying it a whole lot.

 I found reference photos of downtown Memphis that I had taken maybe 6 to 8 years ago, and from that point I started composing some new works. I  focused on the idea of SIGN'S for the new pieces and it appears I might have been playing with that thought years ago.  I found that to be fascinating too, that a focus from the past uncompleted, would bring inspiration to me now. From there I made some further plans for the paintings and decided I would try out new painting techniques and colors. I decided to keep myself to a simple palette of limited colors and found that to be the hardest of the plans I had set for myself. I noticed as I worked along I would sometimes get "outside that box" of limited colors and add more and more. That is when I discovered that the paintings were not flowing as well and it reminded me to go back to the limited colors for the next canvas, expecially if I were going to consider this to be a series, not just in subject matter but in painting style and color as well.


Ms Polly's Soul City Cafe 
Beale St Memphis  TN
12 x12 acrylic

     Anyway, here are the first 6 works that I completed

         and the best part....

I feel there are plenty more inside of me

wishing they too could be put on canvas as well.

Rum Boogie Cafe & Bar
 Beale St Memphis TN
12 x 12 acrylic

I am thinking of adding an additional parameter to my lists of how I am going to paint this series and that is to take each new piece into a more Impressionistic style, soften the edges and colors even further than I did in these first six. I look forward to seeing where this challenge is going to lead me.
I have to admit, I am excited and so very very happy for the return of my creativity..



Blues on Beale St Memphis Tennessee
30 x 40 acrylic