It's Done!

Fast Moving Cars

Today's challenge was to "paint something you'd never paint." Well, fast moving cars fit that description, so I set up next to MacArthur Blvd. and this is the result.

Coming this week -- Tennis Racquets

The weather this week looks fine for painting, and I'm going to add some tennis racquets leaning against the wall in the mural. A little challenge -- since the mural "cuts off" at the bottom (the wall gets too rough to paint low down), I shouldn't be painting the full racquet head, just as I don't have dog feet.

The tennis addition will be made as a nod to the owners of the garage, who have fine and devoted tennis players in their family.

Maybe I'm 99% Done with the Mural

I'm thinking that once I get the second coat of paint on the sky behind the cat -- and make it match the rest of the sky, the mural will be just about done. I keep thinking that a simple butterfly right above the nose of Charlie the poodle would be a nice touch... but it will depend entirely on the weather.

Janis's Farm

This may have been the most beautiful fall morning, ever.

Charlie the Poodle, mural model

I added Charlie the poodle today -- he's my friend Georgia's dog and a very good looking dog! He's positioned to be looking at the upper right corner, where I'm planning on painting a cat or squirrel sitting on the fence. Somehow, though, it looks like there should be a more immediate object of interest -- something sitting on the gate post? It was a beautiful day to paint -- I think I will only have a few left before it will be too cold and at that point, the mural will be done.

Back at Violette's Lock

The site where I'd done the last painting was occupied this morning by a large truck with a dredging attachment. I set up across the lock to get a quick painting done -- it had to be finished at the point when the workers noted that if we didn't move, we might get splashed. Not my usual reason for ending work on a painting, but it was good enough today.

Gray day at Violette's Lock

It was gray and cold this morning at Violette's Lock. The painting was done at the point where the wide Potomac is shunted off into a lock along the C&O Canal. Fall leaves getting underway.

Rousseau & the Mural

While I was painting today, I was visited by artist Elyse Harrison, her architect husband Michael Belisle and their dog, Rousseau. Elyse is an artist, mural painter and gallery owner whose work adorns several restaurant facades in Bethesda. Rousseau was sitting so patiently while we talked it seemed worth rewarding him with a spot in the mural. He's a wheaten terrier and too cute to pass up. In addition to working on his fur, I need to paint more ivy on the wall.

I also painted the roses, added some red penstemon-like flowers and repainted the "brown" mountain, which will hereafter be thought of as Bowman mountain. I made the color change after being asked, "are you going to keep that brown mountain?"

Almost Covered

The mural is almost covered with paint. I'm really happy with the color variation I've been able to work into the mural, especially since I gave up on clean edges and have been working with the wall texture instead of trying to work around it. The house and gate are undoubtedly going to consume some thought as I have to figure out how to make them share the touch of the rest of the mural.

A really Big Leaf

I found a really big leaf at Violet's Lock this morning and was more intrigued by it and the shadow it cast than the windy views of the river. The 3-d pine needles fell onto the canvas when I took the photo -- I didn't paint them there.

Time to Embrace Texture

This is one rough wall -- there's no way I'm going to have neat edges and I decided today to pull out some of that texture with small touches of paint. Again, rain is threatening, so I don't know when I'll get my next chance to work on it.

So Close!

Mon Ami Gabi, Bethesda

3 a.m. Gate Idea

I woke up at 3 a.m. last night and had the idea that what the mural really needed was a gate in front. Way back when I was thinking of the ideas for the painting, I did consider an opening in a wall, but wasn't pursuing it... until 3 a.m. last night when it came back to me. Here's the unleveled, unmeasured rough in of the gate. The wall on either side will be "stucco."

Unifying Dark

The weather was better today for a little more work on the mural. I put a band of unifying dark green across the middle and it's tied things together nicely. I started to put in the band of light above it as well.

I have started to attract more visitors while I'm painting. And, of course, people who ask me things like why the trash in the park isn't picked up more often.