Sugar Mill

24" x 30" Oil on Canvas SOLD

This view is from the Atchafalaya basin levee looking back toward the Franklin Sugar Mill. This was a bit of a challenge for me. It was initially painted over a two day period in the middle of the South Louisiana summer heat while fighting off mosquitoes and sporadic rainfall. The sporadic rainfall turned into constant rainfall for about 7 days so finishing touches had to be done in studio. 

Water Hyacinth

29" x 26" Oil on Canvas SOLD

This is a study I did from direct observation. It was painted in about a 3 hour period. My house backs up to the Bayou Teche and in the summer it becomes full of this water hyacinth. Not indigenous to this region, the water hyacinth has to be killed off using herbicides each year to get rid of it. Legend has it that one of the McIlhenny's (Tobasco Sauce Family) were given a gift of the Hyacinth for their ponds in New Iberia, but the Hyacinth quickly spread into the surrounding bayous and waterways. 

Back Porch

Oil on Wood 24" x 24" NFS

It's been difficult to find time to paint from direct observation, but I finally managed to find a window on weekends during my toddler's 3 hour nap. This was painted over a period of about 3-4 weeks, painting about 2 hours at a time. Special thanks to my wife who gave up precious hours during nap time to sit for me in this muggy South Louisiana heat.

Backyard (Fall)

36" x 36" Oil on Canvas

This is a view of our backyard during a gray, overcast fall day. The contrast of the blue, almost turquoise, pool against the gray backdrop is what caught my eye initially.

Bayou Teche (Dusk)

28" x 30" oil on canvas SOLD

This is another view of the bayou that we live on. In the late afternoon the water gets really still and provides these great reflections.

Hazlewood

28" x 30" Oil on Canvas

This view is taken from the little road leading into our subdivision. This particular day was overcast with a little fog. We take a lot of walks on this road and it was only a matter of time before it got painted.

White Building

24" x 24" Oil on Wood SOLD

This building is not far from where I live. I would always see it across the sugar cane fields in the late afternoons when my wife and I would take our son for walks. Something about the way the light hit the building kept getting my attention, so I finally decided to paint it.

This was done in two sittings from direct observation. On the second sitting there were some late afternoon thunderclouds rolling in which is typical in South Louisiana. I did some minor touch-ups in the studio because I could only paint for about an hour and a half before it would be too dark.

Martin Bird House

12" x 12" Oil on Board Sold

My next door neighbor has several of these Martin Bird Houses in his backyard. The houses are suppose to attract birds that are in turn suppose to eat mosquitoes, which is a pretty important thing in South Louisiana. Not sure if they actually work or not.
I painted this in about 2 hours from direct observation. There is no substitute for painting from life.

Belle River

24" x 33" Oil on Canvas SOLD

One of the unique things about South Louisiana is its numerous bayous and waterways. Historically, these bayous were used in much the same way that we use roads today. Transportation by boat was often the easiest way to travel through the dense swamps and for many people the bayou also provided all the food they could ever need. As a result, many communities sprang up right on the bayous. Today, there are still many thriving communities lining these waterways. This painting of houseboats in Belle River is typical for the region I live in. On a calm day the water is like glass creating a perfect mirror image of the modest dwellings.

Warehouse

24" x 33" Oil on Canvas

Not sure why this random warehouse caught my eye, but I think it had something to do with the red racing stripe.

Clementine

24" x 30" Oil on Panel SOLD

This is a painting of main street in New Iberia, LA. The painting is not so much about the location as it is about the relationship between light and dark. That being said the restaurant "Clementine", was named after the celebrated South Louisiana folk artist named Clementine Hunter. On a personal note my wife and I have had a couple date night's there and really enjoy the food and atmosphere.

Confederate Rose

12" x 18" Oil on Panel SOLD

This is a painting of my confederate rose tree on a cold and gray December day.

Bridge Study

16" x 20" Oil on Canvas Board

This is a little bridge that goes across the Bayou Teche. I Painted this from direct observation. Really trying to work on fine tuning my color mixing.

Bayou Study

16" x 20" Oil on Canvas Board SOLD

So, I recently moved to a small town in south Lousisana and the only painting I have done in the past two months have been the walls of our new house. I am finally getting back at some painting and this is one of the first studies I have done in my new environment. There is a wealth of visual inspiration down here and I am excited to about the possibilities.

Great Egret

60" x 48" Oil on Wood SOLD

This is another commission piece I did for some close friends. They recently bought a new house and were looking for a main piece for the living room. Thankfully they were really open to my ideas and let me have creative freedom.
I've never been a guy that paints animals but I guess it's gonna happen sooner or later if you live in South Louisiana. A lot of the country roads in South Louisiana run alongside bayous that were probably once used for transportation. As I drive beside them I see a lot of these beautiful Great Egrets. I really like the contrast of their white feathers against the dark, almost black, bayou water.
Not only was this my first "animal" painting, it is also the largest painting I've worked on. I will say I have definitely developed a deeper respect for people who regularly work in larger formats.
I really enjoyed working on this piece and hope you like it as well.

Sugar Cane #3

30" x 40" oil on canvas SOLD

My wife requested I do a larger painting of sugar cane because it reminds her of home. This is a larger version of one of my previous sugar cane paintings. It came to me a lot easier the second time around.

Sugar #2

12" x 12" Oil on Wood Panel SOLD

Another sugar cane painting. I think there will be more of these in the future.

Sugar Cane Path

12" x 12" Oil on Wood Panel SOLD

For my real job, I drive around south Louisiana a lot. I am always seeing these wonderful fields of sugar cane that change colors depending on the time of day and season. Pretty magnificent. This is one of them.

View from Peabody

oil on wood, 24" x 24" (both)

Red Barn on Bayou Teche

oil on canvas, 28.75" x 26.5" SOLD