St Louis Plein Air Painters, MeetUp group

I have just started a MeetUp group, St Louis Plein Air Painters. The link is http://www.meetup.com/St-Louis-Plein-Air-Painters/ 
What is a MeetUp group? It is a way to use the internet to get off the internet with people of like minds. Like sewing? There's a MeetUp group. Hiking? Going out to dinner? If you can't find one in your area, START ONE YOURSELF! Then members can set up dates and times to meet. I belong to a hiking MeetUp group, there is about 2 months of hikes, weekends, week days, camping, it's great..Of course if you like or want to paint outdoors join Sir Painters!!!! NOW GO OUT AND PAINT!!!

Sunday Night Thoughts

A friend of mine and I went to see the Monet show at the St Louis Art Museum. It was one of the Monet's waterlilies triptychs. Wow! how beautiful, 7' x 44' that's a big painting.This the first time all three panels have been together since the 80s.He painted over 250 painting of his pond and bridge, to be able to see it up close then step back and see the whole thing was amazing!
I need to paint more, my wife asked me what am I most afraid of in Life?, my answer was to never  paint again..What holds me back? Why am I never satisfied? Only over the past 10 years I have become comfortable as an artist. The Work, my job is just do the Work, I know this, this is why I was put on Earth..Good night all..

http://www.slam.org/Exhibitions/monet.php

"Title Unknown"

I work with people everyday with Alzheimer's and dementia. It's a terrible terrible disease. I wanted  to capture the loneliness, sadness and isolation of not being able to know who you are, where you are, how to eat or take care of yourself. Sometimes it moves so rapidly it can take ones whole life away in one full swoop, the mental physical and cognitive abilities, all gone. They can't feed themselves, know the faces of their children or brush their teeth. They sit with blank faces.Pictures of themselves just a few years and in some cases just months , prior to the final stages.I know it is hard for a family to watch. To watch their loved one slowly and painfully dissolve away ....if you can, love them, smile at them, touch them ....we believe their minds takes in a lot more than they can express out, if only for that day.
This painting is done acrylic, 18x26 on board, "Title Unknown"

Memory

I just finished a painting to enter in an exhibition here in STL, the theme is "memory". Since my day job is a Life Enrichment Manager working with residents with dementia and Alzheimer's this seemed like one I couldn't pass up. It was hard at time to paint, just like it's hard at times to watch these people wither, become invisible, and pass away. This, terrible dis-ease takes away everything a person is, their mind, their body, their Spirit, their names, their families, until there is nothing left. It is a fatal disease, a diagnosis of death.
My own depression has not raised it's ugly head, which I am very thankful.

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One of my most recent, ( Morning Storm over lake) It's been a long time since I've written anything on here and a lot has changed over the past 8 months...I changed "day" jobs, not traveling anymore and working with acrylics more in the studio... I love going back into it over and over again. I have several paintings to get posted and caught up..

Back in STL

I've been back for a few days and I will fly back to Wausau on Friday. AS of right now it looks like I'll be back in STL to stay a while and work at the Meadowlands. This will help me get back on track with my artwork and getting the studio back in order.

I got up at 5am today just because I couldn't sleep so I made a fire to help keep me company.Now I can't keep my eyes open, it's 8:30am and ready to go back to sleep. Everyone else is sleeping.

Wausau Winter 2011

Created here in Wausau, WI. Looking out at the snow everyday you get inspired.