"Diggin In" 12x16 Oil On Linen

One saturday I got a call from a friend and she said "I'm at this estate sale and they have two really cool old sock monkeys! Do you want them?" Of course I did. She got them for me and handed them over at a Chestnut group plein air painting event. Ever since these two monkeys have been the favorites of my collection. I was really impressed by their quality.

I have always liked the work of Edward Hopper. One of my favorites is "Night Hawks" which was part of the inspiration for "Diggin In". I hope you enjoy! Dig in.

Beach Boy

Beach Boy 11x14 Oil On Linen

Ever since I bought this little monkey at an antique store here in Bristol, Tennesse I have felt he had a tropical attitude. Here he is playing his guitar. The scene reminds me of a Candlelight dinner I had with my wife on our honeymoon in Cancun.

Oil Painters Of America Eastern Regional Exhibition

"A Simple Melody" 15x25 Oil On Linen $1195

My painting "A Simple Melody" has been accepted into the Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibition. 2011's Eastern Regional Exhibition and Sale is being hosted by Addison Art Gallery in Orleans, Massachusetts, beginning September 17 through October 15, 2011.

Model City Art Show

"Til The Cows Come Home" 11x14 Oil On Linen SOLD

My painting "Til The Cows Come Home" won Second Place at The Model City Art Show in Kingsport, Tennessee. The Show ran in conjunction with the annual Fun Fest celebration.

The juror; Bain Butcher is a conceptual figurative artist who exhibits nationally and maintains a studio in Knoxville, TN. He was born in Kingsport, TN and received his MFA in painting from the New York Academy of Art in 2006 where he studied with leading contemporary figurative painters. Prior to his time in New York, he studied at Davidson College, the Pacific Northwest College of Art, and the University of Cincinnati where he received an MD degree. Bain has won numerous awards and was recently named a semi-finalist in the 2009 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. As a complement to his studio practice, he teaches continuing education courses at the University of Tennessee and private courses at his Knoxville studio.