Cabin in the Hills

Can you tell I am on vacation this week?

Purple Mountain Range Redux

This should look familiar. I have painted it before. But these 18x24" canvases make everything look better.

Sunday's effort

While Gary visited a buddy of his who showed up in town, I spent a couple of hours painting. Gary peeked over my shoulder and said, "I want that!" (I didn't have the heart to tell him he still had to take a painting home with him. None of this "Next time I'll take this one" crap.) So I have been instructed to name this one "Sold to Gary."

Happy Memorial Day!

I went with Gary to the National Cemetery in San Antonio on Sunday. He wanted to visit the graves of some of his Afghanistan buddies. One had contracted an illness an died suddenly. The other, Clint, was killed by an IED. It was touching to see Gary kiss the head stone.

I haven't mentioned lately that I am proud to be Gary's cousin. And I'm proud of his service to our country in Bosnia and in Afghanistan.

Vacation time

Since Sean is coming in next week and Gary's coming for a visit this weekend, i am taking a week off, beginning at 9 am this morning. I just have to go in and open, then It's the Life of Riley.

We had 5 inches of rain last night, and another storm is on the way. I know you're not supposed to curse the rain, but could I have a day off with sunshine, please? Right now, the forecast calls for rain through next week.

Fredericksburg okay with everyone?

Ann Holt suggested we have the reunion in San Antonio, and I countered by suggesting Fredericksburg, TX. For the record, I don't mind meeting somewhere in the middle between TorC, NM and Fredericksburg, VA. Leslie suggested Pigeon forge because that gives the kids something to do. Fredericksburg is only an hour from Fiesta Texas in San Antonio. There is a B&B that's in our service that can accommodate 25 people. It's called Runnymede Country Inn. It's at the edge of town. There's a pool for the kids. It's near the Golf Course for the middle kids, and it's only a couple of miles to the shops on Main Street for the older kids. Since we're thinking about July, the third weekend in July is chock full of events: Night in Old Fredericksburg on Marktplatz, Parimutuel horseracing at the fairgrounds (right across the road), and Trade Days at Sunday Farms. Here's a link to this year's events you can look at. And for Gary, Steve and me, there's a brewpub on Main Street! For anyone who is interest, Sea World and Fiesta Texas, as well as the sights in San Antonio and Austin are a day trip away.

Comments?

New Website

Since I have become addicted to painting and using the Bob Ross DVDs I bought, I wondered if anyone had a definitive index to the Joy of Painting shows online.

No one did.

So I started a list of what paintings were in what series, and collected in which Joy of Painting compilation. Today, I introduce The Bob Ross, Joy of Painting Fan Site!

Like I didn't have enough to do.

Ocean Breeze

I felt like painting a seascape. I just bought a box of 18x24 inch canvases on eBay, and this is the second large painting. I like using the larger canvases. The paintings seem to look better. It could just be me, though.

Desert Scene

Another gorgeous day lured me out onto the back porch where I painted this desert scene. Bob call his version Southwest Serenity. Mine is more prosaic.

Memorandum: To Whom it may Concern

I have instituted a new policy at the house: Anyone who comes to visit must take a painting when they leave. If the backlog continues, I may require weekly visits from everyone, or everyone to take multiple paintings. How does this affect you, you ask? Well, if you come to visit, you will leave with a painting. I have already informed Sean of the new rule, and since he's been in SC so long, he will have to take three. Maybe four. It depends on how much I paint before he gets here.

If the situation worsens, you will be required to bring a trailer when you visit.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation with this new policy.

The Management

Down to the Pasture

I kept waiting for sunshine yesterday. It never came. This morning I decided to paint come Heck or High Water. Dad suggested the title.

Roger Holt Family Reunion

This post is intended for every member of the Roger Holt family. So listen up!

It's high time we all got together. Everyone! All of Roger's kids. And their kids, and their grandkids, and even their great-grandkids. If I do the math right, that's 38 people.

The question is: Where do we get together? I thought about somewhere in the middle: halfway between Truth or Consesequences, NM, and Fredericksburg, VA. A quick glance at a map puts that somewhere between Little Rock, AR, and Memphis, TN. Ann Holt even suggested on a beach somewhere. Any suggestions?

The next question: When?

Since the reunion would require some driving, flying or hitching, I was thinking that it should last at least two days, and maybe as many as four. Dad has said he wouldn't be able to go until July and he would have to go back to work in the middle of August.

If you have any ideas, please post them in Comments so everyone can see them and discuss.

Deep Forest Pond

One should never tour a sausage factory, because somehow, the sausage won't ever be the same. In the same way, I really shouldn't tell you that the background trees should have been a darker green to separate them from the ones in the foreground.

Springtime Waterfall

All right! Enough of the baby pictures and reunion nonsense! Let's get back to showing off!

Happy Birthday, Cael!

That must be some tasty cake!

Ebb Tide

This is a crappy picture of a crappy picture. All that white in the waves? Doesn't exist in the painting. It exists in the photo, however, because light is reflecting off the weave of the canvas. The lower half of the painting was covered in liquid clear, which tends to have that sheen.

Blue Angel Crash in Beaufort, SC

We heard from Sean this afternoon. He said, "I just wanted to let you know we are all okay." Mom asked him, "Oh, why?" That's when he told us to watch the news. A Blue Angels jet crashed in his neighborhood, setting a house on fire. He said he didn't hear it so much as feel it.

Just wanted to let you know.

Remember them while they are like this. . .

. . . because soon, law enforcement officials will be screaming in frustration, "Them Holt boys!" like Boss Hogg did.

Mountain Sunrise

Well, the weather finally cooperated with me, and I got outside to paint. When I started, I knew I wanted to paint the sky this way, but I didn't know how the bottom would turn out.

Easter in Texas

We don't get snow too often in Fredericksburg. Maybe once every couple of years. When I was a kid, we would pray for snow days, unaware we were putting the length of our summer vacation at risk.

I was a crappy day on April 7. We had rain. We had sleet. And we had two snow flurries. One with teeny tiny flakes around noon, and this one about 4 pm with quarter-sized flakes. The ground was too warm, though, only the sleet stuck.