Jackson Piece Continued

This large scale work has posed some interesting challenges. Here Nelson is preparing to lay out the middle part of the work. He had to build a support piece over the window that faces Schwitzer. No view of the ski resort this week. The two boxes at the ends are to support the paper rolls. I was surprised at how heavy and bulky the paper is to handle. It is definitely a two man job. Because the piece is so big Nelson had to build a platform outside of the studio to project the image to the scale that is needed.

Here's a view from the outside. We are grateful the weather has cooperated.

Painting Upside Down and Right Side Up

The mural is being laid out and painted in sections. Nelson is finishing the first section minus the background. He needed to climb up on the table to get to certain pieces of the painting. Because the paper is so big it is a lot harder to turn. Nelson is loving the scale of this piece, he is having way too much fun.

Everything had to be scaled since he is using several different photographs to compose the piece. You can see from this photo he has been painting upside down.

Here he is doing the intial scratching on the first section of the painting. Tonight he will lay out the next section, it will be over eight feet long. That much paper is a lot to handle, it really ought to be a three person job but this afternoon we managed it with two.

What's in Cartersville Georgia?

Nelson and I just got back this afternoon from Cartesville Georgia and a working trip to the Booth Museum, if you can call the southern hospitality we received work. It was a mind expanding experience and the two days that I was able to enjoy the art while Nelson worked wasn't nearly enough for me to see and expereince everything there was to learn and enjoy. It is an art museum that carries significant work and a wonderful collection. The building itself is beautiful . Take some time and learn more about the museum on their website www.boothmuseum.org. Of course their site can in no way really give you a sense of the treat the awaits. I also got to meet Jack Morris of Morris Whiteside Gallery www.Morris-Whiteside.com in Hilton Head North Carolina. He has been so good to Nelson and I over the years. It was great to finally put a face with the voice of this really wonderful southern gentleman.Natalie and Lisa were amazing and spent countless hours preparing for Nelson's watercolor workshop. The museum staff is the finest I've experienced , their creativity and hard work are evident in everything they do. They love their jobs and the community and that love shows.

The museum asks their visiting artist to do a quick sketch on these large canvases in the member's lounge. Here Nelson is hanging up the canvas after finishing his two minute cowboy.

Starting the sketch.

Teaching the watercolor class. Nelson hasn't put on his painting t-shirt yet which was suppose to save his good shirt which it did, but he did manage to paint his jeans. He has ruined countless shirts forgetting that his shirt isn't for wiping his brushes on so now he just wears old t-shirts unless he forgets and goes out to the studio to just do one little thing an realizes he has wiped his brush on a dress shirt.

The class at the end of the day. These people were astounding, such enthusiasm and excitement for art. After seven hours they were still ready for more.

I can't say enough good things about the museum, Cartersville, the people we were able to associate with and the lessons they taught us. It was FABULOUS!

Jackson Hole Commisssion has Begun in Earnest

We had a sunny day yesterday so Nelson took the opportunity to stretch his paper outside on the side of his studio. Twenty-four feet is a lot of paper.

Usually the paper is stretch inside of the studio with a bucket of water and a big paint brush. he loved using the hose. Nelson uses an all cotton paper out of England.

Tacking the paper down was actually a three person job, but we got it done.