This afternoon I came home from Terrell, Texas, having completed my forth plein air painting for the Annual Paint Historic Terrell paintout event. The spring paintout is hosted by wonderful folks of the NorthEast Texas Fine Art Alliance, or NETFAA.
9 x 12 Oil on panel titled “The Back Gate”. This painting won 2nd Place in the Plein Air competition
I participated in this event first in 2013 and enjoyed both the people involved and the beautiful town of Terrell, which was organized in 1873. Terrell has many seasoned homes, built in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. These historic homes and buildings make Terrell a great place to paint. As I was roaming around the town looking for locations to paint, I discovered the British Flying Training School. This unique little museum has displays that tell the story of the more than 2000 British pilots who trained in Terrell, Texas between 1941 and 1945. Many stayed in Texas after the war, married and raised families.
One of the locations I painted was at 405 Johnson Street, a beautiful house build in 1917 by the Orr family.This large house was renovated in 2005 and also has a large garage building on the property.
The work titled “The Back Gate” won 2nd Place in this Plein Air competition
I choose a detail section of the back of the house and part of the front of the garage. The day was overcast until I was packing up, which actually is a good thing if the painter is not in a hurry…I was not. This property was owned by David and Joyce Lewis, and it was great meeting these residents of Terrell. They bought the original work in oil, and it also won 2nd Place in the competition.
Friday, the last day I painted, my plans were a bit skewed by the weather reports of thunderstorms. The day started off overcast and grey and not knowing if or when the storms would come, I picked a place under the overpass of Highway 34 where I could see that backside of the Bistro 501, owned by Chef Alex & Aurora Lieshi. This location would provide shelter no matter what came, and I would not have to stop painting. The downside was it was a bit dark under the overpass and difficult to re-focus on the subject and the painting. Being under a bridge in the middle of town, I met several people who were walking by or who saw me and came over to check out the “artist under the bridge”. I guess not something you see everyday in Terrell, Texas.
I probably enjoyed the first location I painted that best. Sometimes the first day is the toughest for me to get going on these plein air events. This day, I was looking for some quiet place to perhaps paint a couple of paintings, away from the street where I could leave my easel setup if I needed to go get a Coke or whatever…the “whatever” seems to be more frequent these days.
Easel setup for oil on panel called Spring Shadows
After driving past a couple locations, I landed at 401 Pacific Street. This awesome house was built in 1880 and is actually two houses joined by a covered walkway. A lot to paint in a short time, so I concentrated on a couple details of the side of the house and the back yard, which contained a little small house that I found interesting. I spent a couple days at this location…loved the mostly quiet, huge back yard. Mostly quiet because to my surprise, and it was a good surprise, one of the local churches that was very nearby played several instrumentals of the old hymns. I was in awe as the sweet melodies flowed over the neighborhood like a gentle breeze, filling the air with the solid Truth of the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The well worn hymns were like a balm being poured over a weary and wounded traveler. Sometimes the old and familiar become part of the background, unnoticed. Perhaps that is what these old hymns have become… sounds from antiquity that have become background noise. In reality the music heralded over the speakers of some church in a quiet neighborhood in Terrell, Texas, is a sweet proclamation of real hope in what sometimes seems like a hopeless society.
9 x 12 Oil on panel called Back Door, painted during the annual Paint Historic Terrell Plein Air event in Terrell, Texas
Easel setup under bridge for plein air painting “Back Door”
6 x 12 Oil on panel, The Porch Stoop
12 x 16 oil on panel painted during the 2014 Paint Historic Terrell Plein air event in Terrell, Texas
During the painting event Gary E. Lindsley of The Terrell Tribune was out shooting photos and collecting information for several articles the paper ran in the days that followed. Below are a couple of the articles featured in the paper.
One of the great things about participating in these local plein air events is the other artist you get to meet and know. Below are a couple of artist I have know for a few years and they always add to the event, as well as create some stiff competition. Tina Bohlman, on the left, won First Place with her beautiful work. I won Second Place , and Maryjo Woodruff, on right, won Third Place with a beautiful acrylic.
