Second of Three Commission Paintings for New Medical Center

Capitol Profile, 34 x 44, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2017

Second of three commissions for Dell Seton Medical Center

New teaching hospital at University of Texas, Austin

As I shared in my last post, I kicked off 2017 with a 3-part commission for Austin's new medical center. See the first painting HERE. Each of the paintings commissioned is a cityscape, depicting a well-loved aspect of our very cool town (we love our home!) To say that I am excited to have been chosen for this project is a huge understatement. I am thrilled!

This piece features a profile view of the Capitol building, which is at the center of our downtown area. Of course, it is fenced in for safety purposes, but its "front yard" is a mass of sweeping lawns and paths, huge trees, and sculptures made to Texas history. And the inside of the building is stunningly grand. If you are ever in town, I highly recommend the tour. 

Some shots of the painting process... 

Blocking In

 Building up the painting with color

The Finished Piece - Capitol Profile, 34x44

An interesting story about shipping these commissions...

Since the art broker for this project is located out of town, I was asked to remove the paintings from their stretcher bars, roll them up, and ship them in a tube! It's a cheaper and safer way to transport them. The paintings will get re-stretched and framed at headquarters, and then come BACK to Austin to be installed at the new medical center! 

The painting, removed from the stretcher bars and rolled up between layers of glassine (an archival paper with a neutral ph protects the surface from rubbing and sticking).

Spring Meadow and Summer In The City

Spring Meadow, 18 x 18, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2013 - SOLD

Summer in the City, 18 x 18, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2013 - SOLD

These paintings each depict scenes that are so very, very Austin. "Spring Meadow" is a secluded "getaway" spot that is just outside the city limits but seems miles away. Meanwhile "Summer in the City" captures a favorite "night out" spot that is right in the heart of our fun downtown. It's nice to have both. :)

And you guessed it... both of these will be in my show that opens on Saturday! 

(Davis Gallery, 837 W. 12th, Austin, TX, reception 7 to 9 pm. Please come.)

Marsh Dance and Afternoon Shadows

Marsh Dance, 24 x 36, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2013 - SOLD

Afternoon Shadows (Waterloo Records), 18 x18, oil on canvas, L. Daniel © 2013 - SOLD

Reflections on the Georgia marsh reveal a delicate dance between trees, marsh grass and water. The undeniable rhythm of their movement is almost audible. Similarly, dynamic shadows (at our favorite record store in Austin) "step in time" daily as the sun travels across the sky. I love to witness these give and take, forward and back, "swing your partner" performances in nature's grand Do Si Do. 

These two paintings will be in my show, "Landscapes: Interior-Exterior" at the Davis Gallery in Austin, Texas. Reception October 5, 7-9pm. Runs through November 16. 

Morning Train - No Place Like Home

Morning Train - Mopac Bridge, 12 x 12, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2013

SOLD

Can't you just hear Arlo Guthrie now... "Good morning, America, how are you?... I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done."

We have a pedestrian bridge in Austin that crosses Lady Bird Lake, and it's a perfect spot to watch the sun rise on the city. On this particular morning, a train happened to be crossing the Mopac Bridge in the distance (named for Missouri-Pacific Railroad). Trains are always fuel for the imagination and I loved the boxy silhouette this one made. 

No Place Like Home 

Davis Gallery Group Show - 837 W. 12th, Austin

Opening reception - Saturday, April 20, 2013, 7-9pm

SketchCrawl 38 - world wide event!

Capitol Promenade, 8 x 9, graphite on paper, L. Daniel © 2013

Saturday was the 38th World Wide SketchCrawl, where willing artists around the world gather to sketch, and crawl, and sketch again... ultimately sharing their images and journaling over the internet. The event was started by San Francisco artist Enrico Casarosa in 2004 and it has grown larger every year. 

A group of us from Plein Air Austin and Austin Urban Sketchers (a meet up group) gathered to draw in the downtown Capitol area. It was a delightful way to spend the morning, and especially fun knowing that artists all over the world were doing the same thing! Greetings from downtown Austin!

11th and Congress, 7 x 8, graphite on paper, L. Daniel © 2012

Happy SketchCrawl participants in Austin, Texas

6th & San Jacinto

6th and San Jacinto, L. Daniel, 12 x 16

A couple weeks ago, Plein Air Austin met downtown to paint our city streets in the quiet of the morning. As you can imagine, it wasn't deserted for long. Soon it was hopping with cars and people. This corner is smack in the middle of Austin's famous "6th Street" - at night, it completely transforms into a wild music and party scene. College kids love it.


Tomorrow I am headed to New York to paint in the Adirondacks for a few days and visit my sister. I look forward to painting in some of the same locations as the Hudson Valley River School Painters of the middle 19th century. It's beautiful country with an inspiring artistic history. So excited - it will also be a little cooler there... :)

Kruger's Corner

Kruger's Corner, L. Daniel, 7 x 10, graphite, SOLD

Today was the 30th World-Wide Sketchcrawl, an event that has been going on for 6 years. Our Plein Air Austin group has participated for the last few years and it's always a really fun event. We meet up at a local coffee shop (first things first) and then everyone wanders off to sketch whatever catches his or her fancy. My first stop was this old jewelry store basking in the sun (though I was personally a bit chilly sitting in the shade on the other side of the street.)

26th World Wide SketchCrawl

Texas State Capital Building, 8 x 8

(Interrupting my Davis Mountains trip postings; back to that tomorrow.)

Today, Plein Air Austin participated in the 26th World Wide SketchCrawl. This is a drawing phenom where artists around the world pick up their sketchbooks and just sketch - and crawl - and sketch again. Then everyone posts their drawings. The global aspect is fun. After drawing all morning, we celebrated with a fabulous lunch outside and passed our sketchbooks around the table. These are my sketches... and you can click HERE to see other drawings from our group. Many thanks to Robin Cheers and Kate Merriman who organized the event! We had a great time.

Down Tenth, 5 x 7

Ninth Street Alley, 7 x 8

State Theatre, 7 x 9

Patio Shadows, 5 x 6