A Bluejay for Grandma

Mr. Bluebird , acrylic on canvas, 24x18", 2010 NFS

Last Fall, my wife and I were house hunting for our first place to call home. We were under the gun with an agreement to move out of our apartment and no luck with the hunting. It seemed that every house we really liked had serious internal issues not visible to the naked eye. Also, we really wanted to get out to the country and away from the noise and chaos of the city. We eventually stumbled across a gorgeous home in a little town 20 minutes to the closest city in all directions. The seller of the home had just gone through a divorce and was getting rid of the house for a low, LOW offer. Even better the home came with enough property for me to fire rounds from my guns without anyone getting upset!!! It was great.

The seller, however, wasn't interested in meeting us half way and threatened to walk away from the negotiation table if she had to pay much in closing costs. This wasn't something we really planned on financially, so we went to my grandmother (VERY grudgingly I might add) to borrow the funds we didn't have and we became homeowners (although technically we'd be paying on it for the next 30yrs...I've never understood why they say "homeowner")

Not too long ago, my wife and I were ready to cut my grandmother a four figure check to repay her for her generosity and her loan. In addition to the loan repayment, I wanted to give her something else special that she could have forever. I put this painting together and it now hangs above her bed. I hope that God blesses her with all her needs. There is no one that I know who has a heart more of gold than my grandmother. She was raised in poverty and has always wanted to give her loved ones anything they need. Her generosity is definitely to a fault but I would gladly covet for that sin over any other. May she live another 80 years!

Sunflower Farm

Sunflower Farm, oil on Masonite, 24x12" (diptych), $300

Well I am working on another abstract. Though it is still in the works, I kinda enjoy letting you all see the intermittent stages of each piece. I hope to start posting videos soon and I think that will be even better. Like I mentioned earlier, these abstracts are out of my comfort zone so after a while I have to do something traditional, like this landscape taken from my last trip to Kentucky to visit my wife's family (with my wife of course). Her in-laws are growing sunflowers now for ethanol. Though I missed the peak of the flower blooms, I did manage to find a few. This was a fun "breather" for me amid the chaotic abstracts that are flying off the easel. - Jared

Piazza

Roman Piazza, acrylic on canvas, 9x12", NFS

Private Collection of Rep. Joseph Mitchell, Montgomery, AL

I love the different colors in this piece, many of which are a change for me - the lavendars, bright magentas, red oxides, and oranges. A local arts and crafts store is going out of business and while I believe the most reasonable prices for paints can only be found on the internet at wholesaler sites, the liquidation prices of these local supplies are unbeatable. So I bought a massive amount of paint. All you artists out there can understand me when I say I felt like a kid on Christmas morning when I came home from the arts and crafts store! Expect to see more of these colorful interpretations! - Jared K.

Ferry Line

Ferry Line, acrylic on canvas, 10x8", SOLD

My wife and I were able to attend a good friend's wedding in Aransas Pass, Texas. While there we stayed on Mustang Island which required us to use a ferry. This is a mundane system, I'm sure, for the locals who may use it daily, but it was an exciting ride for me as I have never been on a ferry before. Now here's the odd thing - the ferry only carries passengers five blocks across the water. Just five blocks! You can see the other side before you even move. After noticing this tidbit I had to ask myself, "Why not build a bridge instead?" Apparently, the ferry has been in use since the early 80's; over twenty years of maintenance and energy usage when a bridge built for a fraction of the cost would have been sufficient! No doubt it's the product of highly qualified political statesmen putting your tax dollars to good use:) - Jared

Ledbetter Rains

Ledbetter Rains, acrylic on panel, approx. 11x22", $400

(scroll below to purchase)

This piece was inspired by the southern storms that I have grown up with. I love a good thunderstorm! I lived out west for a couple of years and it was the thunderstorms that I missed the most. In this piece I tried to capture the magnitude of the clouds. I especially like the areas where the rains are scant and just beginning. The golden hills compliment the ominous dark blues and violets of the clouds. I have many more paintings planned in this vein. For other landscapes that inspired this piece, check out Don Tiller's website. -Jared

Fishers' Wharf

Fishers' Wharf, acrylic on canvas, 12x16", SOLD

This is my newest painting. I loved the colors on these fishing vessels. The reds, blues and whites compliment the warm yellow oxide base coat. I especially liked the reflections in the water. I find that water is a great aid in adding interest to a landscape composition, allowing you to carry colors in virtually any direction in order to enhance the visual appeal of the painting as a whole. This was painted on a museum depth canvas which allowed me to continue the image around the sides. I love the "extra" little bit that the deep sides add to the piece.

On a side note, my last entry of the dog portrait was viewed by the pop artist, Nathan Janes. (You can read his comment on the post below) I visited his website and was captivated while laughing the whole time. I would suggest that everyone visit his page. He really brings out the emotions of our four-legged friends! - Jared

Cedar Pocket

Cedar Pocket, acrylic on panel, approx. 22x18", $300

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Here is a larger landscape taken from a cross-country trip I had with a friend of mine years ago. I was fascinated with the mountainous terrain and I have always been intrigued by highways and roads. This piece follows two others of the same vein, just smaller. (Virgin River Canyon, and Canyon Highway.) I thought this turned out alright - I would have liked the clouds to have been a bit more flawless in their rendering as well as the mountain. At one point I felt that the span of concrete on the bottom left was too empty, so I added some graffiti on the wall. Then I felt that the graffiti became the focal point - the first thing that got attention. So I subsequently painted it out. I think the more tame, final version (without the graffiti) is more marketable and appealing. Let me know what you all think: graffiti or no graffiti? - Jared

Aegean Cathedrals - SOLD

Aegean Cathedrals I, Acrylic on canvas, 11x14", SOLD

Well, I have been posting very seldom as of late. There's no good excuse - just that I can't seem to multitask well; that's great if your a bomb technician, but not so good if your an average Joe. I have recently found a gallery here in Montgomery that I am pleased with and by which I am now being represented. The gallery is Charleston House and the co-owner, David Owen, is an accomplished artist. I have been working hard to paint the subjects that I enjoy, like this travel piece of the Greek Coast, with the hope of building up a descent portfolio and eradicating that tell tale collegiate portfolio filled with unrelated assignment pieces. I will be producing several landscapes in the near future, and have already, so tell me what you think about the new direction and forgive me my long siesta. - Jared