Old Glory and the Memorial Weekend

Origination: Pensacola, FL
Destination: Naples, FL
Same state, but still friggin' far (this is a very LONG state)
Route: Here Ya' Go
Random Pics from the trip: Right Here

Whitney and I set out on our journey to see my Father and his partner-in-crime Andrea for a fun-filled Memorial Day weekend. We left after work Friday afternoon and continued our no-frills drive south starting at 5 o'clock P.M. CST to 4 o'clock A.M. EST. We have designed a 3 hour "sleep-drive shift" system - it works quite well.
After unpacking and spending a lazy Saturday morning relaxing by the pool, we all rustled some food at The Dock Restaurant. I thought my dinner of Mahi Mahi was very light and fresh. Here what others think of The Dock: Reviews.
Dad took us to see the Naples Pier and although the weather was slightly overcast, we all saw some amazing sights including dolphins playing, fisherman tangled in their lines, and the expansive views of the Gulf of Mexico.
Sunday, it wall all fun in the sun. After caking Whitney with 5 layers of SPF 1,349, 001, we set off for a boat trip all around the Imperial River to Bonita Springs. This is where we finally landed-
(26°21'56.42"N, 81°51'44.93"W).
After floating along for a while, we pulled the boat ashore on a sandbar island and enjoyed the lazy afternoon.
Monday we tried to sleep in, but couldn't..........we had to drive back today. Whitney and I talked pretty much the whole way back (when I wasn't taking a nap) and got home around 5:30p.m.
It's always amazing to me how different the state of Florida looks the further south you travel. It's a remarkable change of scenery from the Panhandle, not that I don't like the way it looks here, it's just different.
Thanks to Dad and Andrea for a great, long weekend!
Hope everyone had a good, safe Memorial Day weekend and keep your eyes open for some new art coming down the pike.

Until then - Craig.

Untitled, 24 x 30

Work in progress. I started this last night and I'm not sure what to think about it just yet. The next few weeks I may stray away from night paintings and attempt some new day paintings with recognizable horizon lines. Stay tuned for more.

Favorite Coordinates

Ok, I admit it. I have an unusual fascination with geography and with the advent of Google Earth, I am constantly searching for a wide array of aerial views, street views, and out-of-the-way locations in general. Here are some of my favorite coordinates, in no particular order (simply copy + paste to the search bar of either Google Earth or Google Maps):

• 43°48'47.26"N , 6° 3'50.60"E - Lavender fields of Valensole, FR
  
• 54°22'11.44"N , 3° 4'45.51"W - Lake District, Coniston, Cumbria, UK
  
• 19°18'31.91"N , 110°48'26.13"W - San Benidicto Crater
• 28°25'15.51"N , 81°34'58.18"W - The Most Magical Place On Earth
• 49° 4'31.13"N , 2°10'44.37"E - Current location of an amazing individual
• 45° 6'32.23"N , 64°18'30.02"W - Original home of my people, the Acadians, or "Cajuns"
• 41°24'12.46"N , 2°10'28.46"E - One of the most amazing feats of architecture.
• 30°31'27.20"N , 87°54'44.30"W - Where my wife and I got married, such a great day!
• 43°12'38.75"N , 2°21'16.76"E - One of the few remaining walled medieval cities

This represents only a few of my favorite places. Feel free to comment and share with me your favorite places in this world.

Have a great weekend!

Aqueduct On A Clear Night, 24x36, acrylic on canvas

Last night I finished the aqueduct painting and I am still captivated with paintings at night. There's something exciting and magnetic about light radiating out from it's source with darkness as a backdrop. I am starting to have much more fun with these paintings and the frequency in which I paint currently is feverish. My wife and I commented on the vast difference between paintings I had completed a year ago to the ones now and concluded that just like every passion, there is always constant learning and evolving required. I would venture to say we are all learning and evolving in some way.

Next, I'm working on a few sketches and tossing around some ideas for the Fort Pickens (http://www.pensacolasgreatest.com/FortPickens.html) area of Pensacola, Florida.

Thanks for reading and here's hoping all of you have a great and safe upcoming weekend.

A painting in honor of the Mother of Our Lord.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone out there deserving of the title. I know my mother went through what seemed a lifetime of fevers, temperaments, and shuttling me back and forth somewhere. Thank You Mom.

Here are a few quotes that sum up more delicately the role and respect of motherhood:


Motherhood is priced
Of God, at price no man may dare
To lessen or misunderstand.
~Helen Hunt Jackson

All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his. ~Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895


The sweetest sounds to mortals given
Are heard in Mother, Home, and Heaven.
~William Goldsmith Brown

work in progress......

For a few weeks I have been thinking of creating sketches dealing with roman aqueducts and river crossings in general. Last year I read Pompeii by Robert Harris, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeii_(novel), and was enthralled with the role of a roman aquatic engineer, or aquarius.

Pourquoi Story.

As I sit here reveling in the joy of writing my first blog post, I realize that I am uncertain as to what I should write. I'll start with why I am here, why you're reading this, and we'll cover some basics:

• I needed a way to share some of my art and those variables that inspire it.

• I wanted to share with others the crazy things inside my head while I am dreaming, painting, working, living, eating, etc.

As a child, I have always been fascinated with the world at-large. As an adult, and an avid "uni-tasker", I find that I can focus solely on one perspective, one image, for what seems like hours. Some of the paintings shown here (and more to come) reflect that sense of focus. Every work here will have a narrative. This basic premise will allow, you - the reader, to understand what the hell I was thinking when I created this. I hope you find the journey as odd and bewildering and provacative as I do.