#84 "Spoonflection" 5x7 oil on canvas

"Spoonflection" 5x7 on canvas

Well it's been awhile! We visited our good friends Tom and Lana Cochrun up on the central coast a couple of weeks ago. It was for our west coast, "Chill." It's always great wine, food and fun! We were all seated at the table getting ready to "partake" when I looked into my spoon and was mesmerized by the reflection of the chandelier in my spoon! Don't ask me why but I became fixated on that darn reflection. Lana was seated next to me and looked at me kinda funny and asked what I was looking at? When I told her, she got it!!! She could have been just humoring me... not sure.  I've been thinking about that darn spoon for a couple of weeks now so I decided to paint what I saw. I think on this one I've broken most of the rules for how to create a great painting. Well I don't care.... this is what I saw! So here's to ya!!!

#82 and #83 "Lemons and Vase"

8x10 oil on linen

A couple of still lifes done over the summer.  Both done at the Stutz Building in Indianapolis. The smaller one (8x10) was done in 45 minutes as Victoria and I were trying to stay loose after spending far too much time on the 9x12. Would have loved to have stayed with it but the idea was to do something in a short amount of time so as to now get so carried away with detail. Very hard to do a still life in 45 minutes but it's a great exercise! Oh how I would love to go back and mess with it!!! But, it is what it is!!!

The larger one took more time and my good friend CW Mundy added a few strokes when he came down to check on us. Learned a bunch in a short amount of time!!! Sometimes I wonder what I'm doing with a brush in my hand!!! Gotta keep plugging along!

9x12 oil on linen

Indiana Icons

SOLD!
 The "R.H. Ledbetter" has found a new home at 
Lake Maxinkuckee!

 This is the "R.H. Ledbetter."  It's an 18x24 oil on canvas. The "Ledbetter" is the tall ship that can be seen on Lake Maxinkuckee in Culver, Indiana. She's an icon on the lake and belongs to the Culver Academy.  We were spending the weekend with our friends Todd and Cindy Leuck who have a charming  cottage on Maxinkuckee.  We spent several fun hours on the lake in their boat. Crossing the lake, CaptainTodd circled the Ledbetter several times enabling me to get a few shots of her. This is pretty much what she looked like on that beautiful summer day! 

"R.H Ledbetter 
Unavailable

The second painting  is of the interior of the TC Steele home in Nashville, Indiana. The "House of the Singing Winds" has been the subject of many well known artists throughout the years, including TC Steele himself. To the best of my knowledge, no one has ever painted images of the interior. This painting, a 16x20 oil on canvas is called, "Selma's Living Room." Selma was the wife of TC Steele and the subject of one of TC Steele's most well known paintings, "Selma in the Garden."  

"Selma's Living Room"  

The third painting is a 9x12 oil on canvas of the infamous, "Broad Ripple Canal."  During August of 2012, while crossing the canal on a very hot August morning, I was struck by the reflections and shadows cast upon the canal's edge and the the calm water of the canal itself. I pulled over, grabbed my camera and caught this image.  

"The Broad Ripple Canal 

my912c1@mac.com

If you are interested in previewing any of the paintings, I would be happy to arrange a showing.

Jim Cahill

#81 "R.H. Ledbetter" 18x24 oil on canvas

Spent a great weekend on Lake Maxinkuckee in Culver, Indiana with our friends, Todd and Cindy Leuck. They have a beautiful lake cottage and we had the best time! It was a little slow getting their boat launched but once we did, we were off and running around the lake. On the shores of Lake Maxinkuckee is the amazing Culver Academy. It's a private school with a rich heritage and superb reputation. Probably the most recognized  icon on the lake is the R.H. Ledbetter. It's Culver Academies' "tall ship." Todd took us in close so that I could photograph it. This is pretty much how she looked on that beautiful summer day! Thanks Todd and Cindy!!!

2013 Indiana State Fair Professional Fine Arts Show

I am very honored to have had both of my paintings selected and exhibited in the Professional Fines Arts Show at the 2013 Indiana State Fair. "Selma's Living Room" and, "The Broad Ripple Canal" are on display in the Home and Family Arts Building from August 2-18.

#80 "Early Morning Catch" 8x10 on linen

This little guy was passing out front while I was on my walk. It was early in the morning.

I've always used canvas prior to this. Working on linen is a huge difference. Anyone wanna buy a bunch of canvas?

#79 "Portuguese Bend" 8x10 canvas

A quick plein air painting of Portuguese Bend on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in southern California. The natural beauty of the coast line is breathtaking. The Prickly Pear Cactus in the foreground was blooming.

The name Portuguese Bend comes from the whaling activities of Portuguese whalemen from the Azores during the 19th century.  Long gone are those hearty men but the whales remain. We see the grays as they migrtate yearly. Sometimes we are treated to rare sightings of Blue Whales. Humpbacks and Orcas are also seen. The peninsula is a remarkable place with a very rich history. I've lived on the peninsula since 1980 and I never take for granted it's awesome beauty.

The spot where I painted is on my walk...

Portuguese Bend

#78 "Indiana Drought" 5x7 oil on canvas

"Indiana Drought"

While traveling the backroads from Columbus, Indiana to Sweetwater Lake in Brown County I couldn't help but stop the car and capture a photo of a scene all too familiar. The sky was dark overhead and it looked as if we might get some much needed rain. I could see the rain falling in the distance but most of it never reached the ground as it evaporated in the hot sun. The corn was stunted and the tassels were burnt. Normally this time of year (August) the corn is high and and there are fields of green. Not in the summer of 2012.

#77 16x20 oil on canvas "TC Steele Home"

TC Steele Home

Finally got back to the studio. It's been awhile! I decided to revisit a painting I did a couple of years ago. I wanted to try it on a larger canvas. This is an interior shot of the TC Steele living room in Nashville, IN. TC Steele was an American Impressionist painter  (1847-1926) known primarily for his Indiana landscapes.

His home has been preserved and is an Indiana State Historic site. Many of his paintings are exhibited in his studio. A visit to "The House of the Singing Winds" is a real treat and one understands where Steele got much of his inspiration for his landscapes.

#76 "Manhattan Beach Pier" 9x12 oil on canvas

"Manhattan Beach Pier"

When the marine layer blankets the coast, color kinda disappears.  This was a quick painting experimenting with values.

#75 "Kayaking" 5x7 oil on canvas

Kayaking at Sweetwater

Whenever I think of Sweetwater Lake I think of kayaking. I don't do it so much but we have 2 kayaks and whenever mom can or my sister Deb can.... they do! It's always best early in the morning before the speedboats are allowed to ramp it up at 10 AM. The lake is so calm and quiet.

#74 "Ella" 9x12 oil on linen

"Ella"

While this is not my granddaughter Ella, it just reminds me of her. If she were at the seashore, this is what she would be doing. Did this painting in Victoria's studio at the Stutz building in Indianapolis. We meet for breakfast, then "yack" a bunch in her studio before we get out the paints. Always enjoy myself  and sometimes I get a keeper! 

#73 "Broad Ripple Canal" 18x24 oil on canvas

"Broad Ripple Canal"

Painting is from a photo I took last August (2012) while visiting Indianapolis. This view down the canal just begs to be painted. Great fun!!!



TOP I painted a smaller "Broad Ripple Canal" a few months ago. I was pretty happy with the way it turned out so I decided to do a larger one. Compare this with #71.  This painting is a bit "softer" for lack of a better word.



BOTTOM After a critique, I went back in! I got my values off on the BOTTOM painting so I fixed the black hole by coming in with a still darker value but much less than before. The painting (UPPER) flows much nicer now. With the trees on the left BOTTOM I got in to too much detail. It was just too unlike the rest of the painting so I used heavier, larger strokes (TOP) . I think the painting works much better. It's hard to see from this photo but I used a palette knife to get a real nice effect on the  brighter two tree trunks. There are a couple of little things that I might change but for now I will leave it as is.