The Change in the Weather at Epoch Coffee

The weather has changed early this year, and we are all enjoying being outside. I’ve heard from my horse-loving neighbors that their horses have put on thick winter coats already, and they are claiming that it will be a very cold winter. But for now, the weather is glorious, and the summer’s veil of heat […]

Eating Peanut Butter from the Jar at Epoch Coffee

He was sitting beside me, eating peanut butter with a spoon, straight out of the jar. I assume that he had just completed an intense run, since he was very fit and thin. People who are this fit can eat an entire jar of peanut butter in one sitting – they require the fat and […]

He Was at FlightPath Coffee This Morning

I rarely go out painting at early breakfast hours, because there just aren’t a lot of early birds in the summer for me to paint. This morning, I just felt like going out early. It seemed like a good day for FlightPath. When I arrived, there was only one other customer in the back half […]

The Difference Between Painting and Drawing

People ask me if I sketch in with pencil or charcoal before I begin.   No, I don’t.  So much of painting requires restatement in the process, why start out fumbling from the beginning?  I try to say what I mean from the very beginning. Think about the process of painting as opposed to drawing.  Rendering […]

A Second Smattering on Painting Technique

The Beginning I was painting at Halcyon Coffee here in Austin on Monday.  The barristra was very interested, and asked me if I did an underpainting.  This made me stop and think about the actual process of the oil sketch.  I said, “well, no, not really”. I fumbled around for an explanation since I am […]

I Painted Sherry at the Spider House

I was painting at the Spider House as dusk was slipping out in under the threshold.  My first painting of her was so awful.  I made her move over to the table opposite of me and have her cards read by “Julian”.  His game might have been a  bit off, because I rattled him by […]

I Painted Another Barristra at Pacha Coffee

I Painted Mark McDermott at Epoch Coffee

OK, I cheated a little bit.  I asked if I could paint him.  I painted him at Epoch at night, causing all sorts of value/color and lighting problems.   I have only asked to paint someone once before, and I sucked so badly that I promised that I wouldn’t do it again.  But, this face, […]

I Painted this Portrait Sketch at Halcyon Coffee

She wore heavy-rimmed black reading glasses that she would take on and off as she worked.  I decided to paint her without the glasses.  As you know, I usually try and paint my subjects without them knowing it.  It’s a tricky business, because people move around a lot!

I Painted Him at the Spider House

I painted this man at the Spider House.  He had on a white box-tailed button-down shirt, leggings, and white mules.  I saw him again a few days later at Cafe Medici (another coffee house) in a similar outfit.