Courtyard

The painting featured here was done from the covered boardwalk near the historic home of Kit Carson in Taos. A pleasant spring afternoon after an overnight dumping of wet, spring snow. Many passers-by stopped to engage in discovery and sharing of experience. The painting was near completion when I felt the piece had a certain lack of energy.
As I surveyed my subject I noticed that I had left out a pair of saplings in the courtyard. I had also overlooked or had taken for granted the presence of a robin that had been lazily roosting in the tree almost the entire time.
When I put these in, it seemed the painting had more spark.

"Courtyard" 12 x 9 oil on linen

Performance Art

Unless you are very skilled at being antisocial and reclusive, painters who work on location often interact with the public. My personal experience has been for the most part very positive. People are in general very curious about the artistic process and are excited to actually see the very rare event of a painter painting. Kids especially.
Most children are very active drawers, colorers and of course dabble in the ultra-sensual finger painting. I think it enlivens them to see the possibility of taking all that outdoors and interacting with their surroundings.
For adults, it is a pleasant upgrade from seeing courtroom artists sketching you at the defendant's table, as I have so often personally experienced.

These are pictures taken of me painting on location on Kit Carson Street in Taos. I was in front of the Walden Gallery, which shows my work. Walden Fine Art

They were taken by my friend and fellow painter Coni Grant
Coni grant

I will back in Taos doing some more street painting this Saturday, April 24,from 2 to 6 pm. so if you are around check it out.

Next up: the actual painting from this performance!