#39 of 50 "Out Of The Blue"

"Out Of The Blue", Watercolor, Acrylic & Ink, 5"x 5"    Available

"Out Of The Blue"  I wish I could of blogged this painting last night. It rained here all day and without sunshine my photo just didn't do it justice. Today's sunshine shows its true colors. It's a happy, cheerful blue, not a depressed rainy blue. Now that I'm back to completing the "50 Series" I find that I'm taking more risks like using atypical colors for the instruments. It was also fun to run the trumpet in and out of the piano keys. You know surprises are a joy to the eye ... and the heart. When was the last time you surprised someone you love? I recently sent a little gift to a girlfriend with a really special card for no reason. She was so surprised and the best part is that it was out of the blue.

#27 of 50 "The Cotton Club"

"The Cotton Club", Watercolor, Acrylic & Ink, 5"x 5"    Available

"The Cotton Club" Duke Ellington's Band at The Cotton Club: He had a way of reinventing himself and his music, using Jazz to evoke certain emotions, or to describe certain places and situations musically. This painting just happened smoothly and appeared before me. I did try a painting about 15 years ago with the Cotton Club sign in it. It didn't ever get finished. I found it in my pile of "Works in Progress" and I don't even know what the design was suppose to be. The only clear part of it was the Cotton Club sign. There were no instruments in it and so it went obviously nowhere. This one includes 3 instruments and I hope it evokes certain emotions or describes certain places or situations just as Duke Ellington tried to do.    

#5 of 50 "Stage Door"

"Stage Door", Watercolor & Acrylic, 500# Paper, 5"x 5"    Available

"Stage Door" At the Alabama Museum of Jazz I saw booth exhibits that were filled with the 'History of Jazz'. One booth that I sketched was quite stark with a chair and a trumpet. I then added a stage door from Tin Pan Alley. In New York after the theatre shows, the actors come out of the stage door for signatures. So, through my travels this composition came about. I've been painting a "Music Series" since 1992. It isn't just Jazz - though that is one of my biggest requests for special orders. You will soon see more Symphony, Country and, of course, Rock & Roll.