Just do it !

Have you ever had a location stay in your mind and you knew you should paint it? A place that will not leave you alone, and every time you go by it you think “I should paint that”? I did. I finally painted it.

Near Silver City is the lost-in-time small town of Pinos Altos. Hearst built a church there to mollify his wife who said the mining town had enough saloons and fancy houses, but needed a church. It now functions as a local museum and there are art shows there all through the warm months. It was the place where Judge Roy Bean had his store and kept his court. Not too slow to hang anyone, there is a pretty good sized cemetery complete with old tombstones and curious inscriptions. The old saloon and opera house still function and the locals are quite proud to tell you about the heritage. It’s a cool old place. The kind of place where people drive by VERY SLOWLY (courteous to not stir up dust as you paint), roll down their windows and tell you how great your painting is, even when you are simply blocking in.

Old Fort - Pinos Altos
Oil on Linen Panel - Available

I can honestly say that if you have such a place, you should paint it. That way whatever there was that called you to it will be placated, and whatever the place has to teach you, you will learn in the painting of it. I do not paint buildings very much. It’s a real problem for me. I don’t have trouble with the perspective, its just that silly thing where in your mind it’s a masterpiece, and on the canvas not so much. I am never satisfied with my buildings…..they just seem to not be what I had intended. But this time, I learned a lot about painting buildings. This building and wall really are so amorphous, totally nonlinear, that the perspective is all wonky in real life anyway. I will paint buildings more…maybe I won’t post them, but I may.