Painters painting painters

I spend a fair amount of time meeting up outdoors with other painters who I’ve become friends and aquaintances with over the past several years. I love the challange and opportunity to celebrate the moment of people in the act of poetic creation. There is always an undercurrent of positive energy emanating from those engaged in art making, and it’s inspiring to honor that meditation. Here are some of my paintings from that effort.

This is a plein air scene of Denyse and Kathy painting down near Old Town Artisans in the Presidio area of downtown Tucson, AZ. Kathy is a frequent painting comrade and wonderful painter and spirit. It’s not unusual to find a small army of us near one another on some neighborhood street. Denyse is the heart and soul of the Tucson Barrio Painters group which she founded and directs. A talented painter and energetic force of nature, she is also current President of the Sonoran Plein Air Painters group. Her creative vision and capability are a generous portion of why this vibrant art scene is a part of Tucson. It’s our fabulous good fortune to be in her orbit and this painting is an expression of just one of the many moments we all share while painting the local color and spirit of the barrios.

Here is a recent interview with Denyse in the Desert Leaf Magazine.

Denyse painting outside of the Four Corners Gallery. I depend quite a bit on spontanious intuition when responding to a compositional opportunity. She was framed so nicely by the background entryway and the big shapes just seemed to fit together in the morning light.

There was a Sonoran Plein Air Painters paint-out at a vineyard down near Sonoita, AZ. As I was setting up my painting field gear, contemplating the rows of grape vines, I turned to see fellow painter and current SPAP Vice President Ken, framed against the tailgate of his truck. The form and value contrast was striking and I could sense my art radar lock in.

Denyse painting behind the Coronet down in Barrio Viejo, Tucson. I was inspired by the backlit glow of the early morning light filtering through and framing the artist at work.

Fellow painting comrade Norm oil sketching on the terrace behind the Four Corners Gallery.

Denyse plein air painting in front of La Cocina.

A rapid plein air sketch of Norm while he was painting early one morning down on West Franklin and N Meyer.