Heading out to Philly!

I have over half a dozen commissioned works in progress sitting around my studio - I'd love to post pictures of them, but most are "surprise" gifts that are going to be presented for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. So... to be safe, I'd better not post those! :-)

Life is good right now - I am back to painting, VERY carefully, of course. All the pins are now out of my finger, and at least for the next two weeks I'll continue to wear a splint before starting physical therapy. But, it's nice to not have to worry about those tiny metal pins catching on things...

I'm actually headed out early tomorrow morning to Philadelphia for the Portrait Society of America's annual "Art of the Portrait" conference. This is my fourth year attending, and my first year as a state ambassador. I'll be   volunteering throughout the course of the weekend, but in my spare time, I'm very excited to visit with other artists, including my former painting professor, Sam Knecht, and some recent Hillsdale graduates who--like me--majored in art. On a side note... I hope that someday I'll be able to provide a scholarship for promising Hillsdale art majors who want to travel abroad. When I got the opportunity to study in Florence back in 2006, thanks to some generous scholarship donors, it really changed my life and my art.

This weekend in Philadelphia will hopefully be just as impactful. It's always an amazing and humbling experience for me, where I get to learn from the best of the best.

I will post more about the conference as it's underway. Until then, here is what I worked on today... sometimes I need a break from commission work! And... it's probably about time that I finish this one! I've invested hours in the bookshelf. Well, it's getting very close... :-) I still have some more work to do on the arms, legs and hands, as well as detail work in the rug, many of the books, and the bust of David. Actually, I'm thinking about getting rid of David. He's a little distracting. I could glaze him down so that he's darker or more in shadow. What do you think? Opinions welcome!

"The Letter" (in progress) - 54 x 36" - oil on linen

UFC Classic Fights: Matt The-Terror Serra: "Ray Longo taught me to throw those Bombs!"

There's a familiar line in an old country-music-classic from the 90's called 'The Dance' that asks the listener,"For a moment wasn't I the king?"

For UFC welterweight cagefighter Matthew John Serra, also known as Matt 'The Terror' Serra, that dance, and that moment, came to it's fruition in the spring of 2007, at UFC 69.

That is when, in Houston, Texas, the 37-year-old, East Meadow, New Yorker became only the second man to ever defeat the mighty Georges St.Pierre—pummeling the former 170-pound mainstay into the canvas and becoming the new UFC Welterweight Champion.

That's not the important or most historic part of this narrative however, it was Serra's Modus operandi, and method of execution which stands out in the minds of most fans.

It is a classic Blitzkrieg style attack, and the stuff that unforgettable-fights are made of.

While recently perusing You Tube for some historic fight footage I ran across the actual video of the fight. And, like fine wine, it seems to only get better with age. 

St. Pierre may have been expecting Serra, who's a brilliant ground specialist and Gracie-trained-black belt in ju jujitsu to take him to the ground. ..But if he was, then he was sadly mistaken. 

Serra clearly had only one thing in mind on that night, which was to take St. Pierre's head off. And with Joe Frazier-type right and left-hooks to the French-Canadian's cranium, he nearly did just that. 

Serra hasn't fought since the autumn of 2010 at UFC 119 -- a loss to Chris Lytle -- but now a successful business man who runs his own training center, and with a growing family at home, it's no wonder.

It isn't clear, at the present time, whether The Terror will ever-again return to the UFC Octagon. 

I sent Serra a tweet via twitter.com, and not expecting a reply, I was surprised.

Serra was quick to give credit, not to himself, but to those around him. The-Terror seemed eternally grateful to his incredible team, Ray Longo, and Renzo Gracie. That's a sign of genuine humility. The sign of a great Champion.

"But if I'd only known how the king would fall

Hey who's to say you know I might have changed it all
And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end, the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance."~GB

Opens Tomorrow! 3-Artist Exhibition at Weiler House Fine Art

Weiler House Fine Art

invites you to join us for an opening reception

Three Texas Women

featuring the works of

Anna Rose Bain

Ann Hardy

Cecy Turner

Gallery Night

March 24th

5:00 P.M.- 9:00 P.M.

Meet the artists

Refreshment served

"Climbing Roses, Cortona, Italy"
by Anna Rose Bain
20x12 - oil on linen

Anna Rose Bain, a resident of Garland, is a young talented artist in the classical realist tradition. A specialist in figural and portrait painting, she is the Texas Co-ambassador for the Portrait Society of America.

A resident of Colleyville, Ann Hardy's art has achieved national recognition. A signature member of the Oil Painters of America, Ann fuses realism with impressionism to create masterful still life, floral and landscape paintings.

Dallas native Cecy Turner is a nationally recognized and award winning artist. Her skilled paintings include florals, still life, landscapes and architecture. Adept in both oil and watercolor Cecy is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society and Women Artists of the West. She has been a popular lecturer, teacher, juror and demonstrator since 1976.

Exhibit runs until April 7, 2012

Come join us for a special evening

Weiler House Fine Art

3126 Handley Drive

Fort Worth, Tx, 76112

817-457-3343

weilerhousefineart.com

New Plein Air Sketches

I have been doing more plein air painting, now that the weather is finally cooling down. Here are a few little studies, the first three of which are from the nature preserve that is within walking distance of my house. Because the rocky stream curves and bends so often, there are countless potential paintings waiting to be created just in this one small area.

I went out with my painting students on a couple different occasions and created these sketches.

8" x 6" study - 1.25 hrs

7" x 9" study - 1.25 hrs

12" x 9"study - 3 hours

This last one was painted at Lake Lavon in Wylie, Texas. It was about 95 degrees, with mid-day lighting, so all in all, VERY uninspiring. However, I decided to give it a shot. At least I had fun!