Children of Haiti - The 3rd Chair

Three years after the earthquake life in Haiti remains difficult with many of starvation diets.   100 for Haiti is a group of artists who donate a painting for an annual show in St Croix.  100% of the sales collected goes directly to Haitian relief.  The children in this painting were on their way to a kindergarten.  I asked why the children in the photos were dressed so nicely if the people are so poor.  I was told it is a cultural thing and that their parents will not send them to school unless they have a uniform, pencil, backpack.   The third chair is waiting.

Carnival

St. Thomas Carnival is always so colorful.  Here are some paintings from last year's carnival.  We're going next weekend for the 2013 event!

Development of a painting from studies to finish

zach harmon billy gibson

Live music on St John

St Thomas Carnival 2012

This year we attended 2 days/the children's and the adult's parade.  It was hot-sweaty-dirty and exhausting but we can't wait to go again next year.  The adult's parade started at 10:00 a.m. and lasted until 9:30.  We only lasted until 4:00 but we took over 1,000 photos.

What's the Difference?

This is the same painting at different stages of completion. It difficult to know when to stop. Click on the image to enlarge it.

This and That

Along with the fish I decided to widen my painting horizons to the sugar birds of St John. They are so fast it's difficult to photograph them. They flock by the dozens (decided 3 was enough) at Maho Bay Campground to get the sugar water the campers put in saucers for them.






The second is a beautiful child I photographed in the Greenlake park swimming pool in Seattle. Her father came to ask my intentions and allowed me to paint her. Abandoned in a doorway in Ethopia, she was adopted by loving parents. You'll see her in the frog painting as well. Yes, her eyes are just as dark, exotic, and entrancing.














The third is the final result of the 4th of July painting entered earlier. A good friend suggested adding the rollercoaster in the background. I think it works. I tried to put a few finishes on the girl's nose and wound up creating a nightmare for myself by wandering all over her face and aging her at least 5 years. I never recaptured the original expression on her face. For me, it's better to walk away from a painting and never "fix" anything.

3 kids & a frog

Caribbean and then some

What painter can live on a Caribbean island without painting fish.


3 kids and a frog (not the Caribbean)




Dubois, Wyoming Cowpoke

Italy

The Man in the Middle




Part of the fun of exploring Venice is becoming lost in the maze of tiny streets and dead end alleys. Sense of direction disappears and maps become useless as nobody know which way is North and everyone has a different opinion about the way back.









On Any Sunday.

Every morning in Cortona (this was a cold day in November) the townspeople meet in the town square to discuss everything and anything.

just kids

4th of July





We attended an old fashioned picnic in the park and we saw these three having a great summer day in Washington State.

The new toy

painting in progress

The canvas is tinted with cad red light/raw sienna/raw umber. The shadows are filled in with alizarin crimson. Finally, the real painting begins

how many changes are there?

The paintings seemed blah and I saw some other mistakes, so I made some changes.

St Thomas Carnival Dancers & Free advice

St Thomas Carnival Dancers

Although the reference is from the Caribbean, these paintings were done in Seattle. Seattle seems to have a gray influence on my pallet.

Same woman second attempt

Bluesfest St John...Washboard Jo

Blues Fest/Island Blues 24x36