Mule's Ears Winter

One of the pleasures of living in Texas is enjoying the geological differences in our state. We have the piney woods of East Texas, plains in the Panhandle, mountains in West Texas and hundreds of miles of coastline along the Gulf of Mexico.  I had been to all parts of the state except one: the Big Bend area of far West Texas. This summer, my wife and I and friends made the long drive from North Texas to West Texas to see the legendary area I've heard about for years. Big Bend sits in the western bend of Texas where the Rio Grande river separates Texas from Mexico. The river travels through beautiful canyons, over waterfalls and through remote deserts as it travels to the Gulf.  It's one of the least populated areas in Texas and is know by astronomers as one of the darkest skies in North America.  McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis is a popular place to star gaze and see the wonders of the universe.

"Mule's Ears Winter" is an 18x36 original oil on canvas.
$500 + shipping. Contact via email at rpm56roo@gmail.com.

The painting is a famous landmark in the national park called "Mule's Ears" and I think it's pretty obvious why.  I took pictures from the road because I wanted to capture the distance and vastness of the land.  I added the cowboy to give the painting life and perspective.  The landscape is depicted as a winter scene so that I could use different colors of the sky, dead plants, yellowing grasses and canyon walls.  I was surprised at how many grasses, trees and flowers grow in Big Bend.

I cannot properly describe the vastness of the land and the creativity of a majestic God.  After spending hours in the park, it has become one of my favorite get-aways in the state.  If you call yourself a true Texan, visiting Big Bend is necessary because there is no place like it.

Bluebonnets In Pasture

One of the coolest things for an artist is being commissioned to do a painting.  I recently completed a painting for a friend who I've known since sixth grade. We graduated from Killeen High School and went to Texas Tech together.  She's one of my dearest friends and it's always fun for me and Dedo to get together with her. 

Bluebonnets In Pasture
18 x 18 oil on canvas

Several months ago, she stopped in Grapevine to say hello and we met her in Downtown Grapevine for coffee. I mentioned that some of my art was sold in The Willow Cottage, so we walked down over to the shop to see the paintings.  I was surprised when she bought two paintings.  Then we started talking about bluebonnet paintings, which every Texas house should have one.  She asked me to do a bluebonnet painting for her and this is the result. 

Doing commission work is a lot of pressure, but I enjoyed the challenge and I am happy with the way it turned out.  More importantly, my friend loved it. It's like I gave her a part of myself as a gift.  That's the best thing we can do for our friends, isn't it?

Galveston Gull

Galveston Gull
16x20 oil on canvas

One of my favorite cities in Texas is Galveston.  No, it doen’t have the beaufiful beaches and clear blue water of Florida, but the city of Galveston is amazing.  It’s also a great place to get away during a hot Texas summer.  The old city of Galveston still bears the mark on the sides of the buildings where the water rose during the hurricane in 1900.  The city was wiped out and more than 8,000 people died in a storm that was as powerful as Katrina. 

Today, it's a beautiful and historic community that is a great place to visit.  I really enjoy the galleries and coffee shops in the city.  I captured this bird while having lunch on the beach. Sea gulls can be a little irritating, but they are also beautiful to watch fly.  The amazing thing about Texas is there is more than 600 miles of sparkling coastline making it one of the most diverse states in the U.S.  

God's creation is an amazing thing, especially when you consider the power of the ocean and the beauty of birds.  

Sunset In Young County

Sunsets in Texas are beautiful.  I'm sure every state has beautiful sunsets, but there's nothing quite like a Texas sunset. My wife's hometown of Graham is always a fun place to hang out in the rolling countryside and get away from the city.  About a year ago, we attended an outdoor wedding there. As we visited with folks, the sun began to sink in the west. I took a few random pics of the sunset and never thought much about it until I ran across them recently. 



Sunset In Young County
16x20 oil on canvas

I've never painted a sunset because it's difficult to do.  It's hard to capture the brightness of the sun and the glowing colors of the sky with a darkened foreground.. I gave it a try and I was pleased that it turned out better than I thought it would. I love the old wall snaking from a path running past a rusted water tank.
The sunset reminds me of how thankful I am God gave me another day because there are no guarantees I have another tomorrow.





This painting can be seen at The Willow Cottage in Downtown Grapevine at 326 S. Main St. Their website is www.willowcottagegrapevine.com.

Vintage Sports

Vintage Baseball

8” x 8” oil on canvas

$50.00

Over the past few months, I've been painting more art for children's rooms. Recently, I chose two of my favorite sports objects to paint; a football and baseball, glove and bat. I painted historic models because they are much more interesting in color and shape. I like to paint vintage items that remind people of the great memories of the past.  

There is nothing like the feel of an old baseball. The leather is smooth and the strings are worn. There are always unique colors on an old baseball. Green from the grass; browns and yellows from the bat; red from the dirt. The old glove has a unique feel and shape because of years of use. The wood bat is scratched, worn and faded, but it can still smack a baseball.

Vintage Football

8” x 8” oil on canvas

$50.00

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Like old baseballs, there is real beauty in old footballs.  The leather is usually smooth as glass and the laces are old and weathered with age.  But you can still play with it.

As i get more "vintage", I try to remember that as long as my mind is "young", I'll still be useful and active for many more years. If someone thinks you're ready to be stuck in a box in the attic, tell them you're not done yet. 

We need to stay in the game and take care of ourselves physically, emotionally and spiritually. This generation needs us. Besides, I've got grand kids still coming.

Red Flyer Wagon

Several months ago, Dedo's mom gave us the old Red Flyer wagon that Dedo and her brothers rolled around the yard. We looked forward to letting our grand kids use it.  The wagons today are good but they are plastic and have seat belts. A great wagon has to be metal and have an element of danger to it. The wagon has been a popular addition to our backyard where Weston loves to pull it himself or let me pull him.  I may be a little more reckless than some granddads because I want to go fast.  Fortunately, Dedo is there to yell at me when I'm going a little crazy.

Red Flyer Wagon
16x20 oil on canvas

As soon as we brought it home, I knew I wanted to paint it.  I was also trying to expand my painting landscape by doing something different.  I played around with painting the wagon as an Impressionistic work and I like the way it turned out.  It looks like a wagon, but it's not perfectly real.

The red wagon reminds me that none of us are perfectly real. We have flaws, nicks, cuts and a little rust in our lives. The Bible tells us that there was only one person who was perfectly real and His name is Jesus. Those of us who follow him are impressionistic masterpieces on His canvas. He loves us no matter how much we've messed up. As I was painting, I was thanking God that He gave me a do over through Jesus.

I hope all of you are having a great fall.  I'll have a new grandson in about 7 weeks, so we are counting down the days.

Balloon Bubbles

Balloon Bubbles
8"x8" oil on canvas

Recently, I decided to try painting different subjects. I love doing Texas landscapes, but it's been interesting to change my thought process about color and design.  It was hard to decide what to do until I did a painting for my grandson's room.  Since then, I've tried to paint balloons, wagons, cupcakes, toys, and other children's stuff. It's been a challenge because I feel a little silly painting kid's things. We'll see how it turns out.

Speaking of grandkids, Mallory and Presley are here for a month while David trains in Georgia. Dedo and I have both grandkids together and it's been great.  

We are so thankful for our family.  We have two wonderful daughters married to incredible men of God. We love our two grandchildren and can't wait for Reid to arrive late November. We're so proud of Cameron's call into ministry. I pray that Dedo and I leave a lasting legacy of God's love to our family. As I get older, I believe that's the most important thing I will ever do.    

Denim Cowboy

Denim Cowboy
6"x12" oil on canvas

On one of our many trips between Houston and Grapevine, we always chose to stay off of I45 and go the back road on Hwy. 6.  It's a much prettier drive and you pass through some great Texas towns like Bryan-College Station, Marlin, Hearne and Waco. The last time we made the drive, we stopped and walked around downtown Hearne.

Ahead of us on the sidewalk was an old Cowboy dressed up in his finest denim wear and sporting the old LBJ style cowboy hat. I met him in one of the stores and chatted with him about his day. Sometimes, I long to be back in a small town where life is a little slower.

I love Grapevine and the DFW area because it's home, but there's a lot of good folks in Texas' small towns. As I get older, I'm trying to take a little more time to meet people around me and listen to their stories.

I took a few pictures of the old man when I was stalking him and painted this  "6 x 12" oil on canvas called Denim Cowboy.

River Life

Although they are few and far between, it's always great when you stumble across water sources in Texas.  Whether it's called a creek, river, stock tank, pond or lake, water is a precious commodity in our state.

This spring, my wife and I were driving through the Hill Country and ran across this river that flows into the Colorado River.  The life along the river is starting to bud and grow, but there's also the contrast of plant life that haven't begun their blooming season.

I'm reminded of the story of Jesus talking to the woman at the well.  He asked for water and she hesitated because it was rare for a Jewish man to ask a Samaritan woman to do anything.  Then Jesus tells her that anyone that drinks this water will get thirsty again, but He offers living water.  His water will never dry up and always quenches our thirst. 

That's great to know for those of us who need a fresh drink of living water.

The Willow Cottage

One of my favorite places on Main Street in Downtown Grapevine is The Willow Cottage. Great place for gifts, cool clothes for Moms and children and they added a Soap Shop next door.  They also sell my art work. If you're ever in the area, stop by and see them at 326 Main St. in Grapevine.

Their site is www.willowcottagegrapevine.com.  Here is some of the work I have for sell there:

Evening Falls

There is nothing more beautiful than a Texas sunset.  As the sun slowly falls from the sky, shadows lengthen on the ground.  But above the ground, the leaf canopy on trees begins to sparkle with light as the sun paints the sky with a pallet of reds, yellows and blues.

Evening Falls8"x8" oil on canvas

"Evening Falls" didn't come from a photo, although most of my work comes from images I capture by camera.  One afternoon in my garage studio,  I was playing around with yellows, blues and reds and this image emerged from my strokes.  I began to contrast the glowing sunset with it's impact on the ground below.  It's always fascinating to watch shadow and light change the lower the sun sets in the horizon.

This painting also encourages me to think of beauty in darkness. There is a lot of darkness around us, but we can be the light of the world and create color and sparkle wherever we are.  I know people who look like they are in darkness all the time.  Their bitterness, sadness and contempt of other people makes them look like ghosts in the shadows.  Other people I know bring light and color when they walk into darkness.  These are people that bless our lives in so many ways. Their fun to be around and they bring goodness and grace to every situation in life.  I hope I'm one of those people.

Family

This has been a great week around our house.  It's rare when our entire family gets together.  From great-grandmothers to our three kids and their families, we have a full house this week.  It's our grand daughter's first time to travel and we love having her with us. I am thankful for the spiritual heritage that has been passed from one generation to the next in my family. We're not perfect, but we tried to build our family centered around the love of Christ and the local church. Whitney and Brian; Mallory and David and Cameron love the Lord and they are passing down a strong spiritual heritage to the next generation.  

Texas Beauty is an 18x24 oil on canvas

With all the action happening at the house, my painting has slowed down. I'm working on my first portrait - one of my Dad from his Army days.  I'm about to give up, but it's been a great learning time for me as a painter.  I hope to finish it soon.

Recently, one of my friends put a photo on Facebook and made a comment that she wished she had a painting of the photograph. I thought it would be fun to try to paint it because I thought it was beautiful. I enjoyed the work because I used a new technique on the trees in the background. 

I think I'm getting better, but I have a long way to go. If you would like to view my art, it's on display at The Willow Cottage at 326 S. Main Street in Grapevine. It's' a great place to stop and visit if you're in the Grapevine area. 

Happy 4th of July!

Dinner for One

Dinner For One is a 16x20 oil on canvas

I'm different from most people in that I don't mind eating alone. I enjoy that time to read, catch up on emails or just watch people. 

I found this Longhorn steer grazing on a property near Willow, TX.  He was relaxed, unfazed by me and focused on chewing the grass.

There is something comforting about watching cattle chewing cud. Cud, for you city folks, is when a portion of food is regurgitated to be chewed again. For cattle and other animals, chewing cud is beneficial to their diets. It seems as if cattle are more relaxed and happy when they chew cud. This painting reminds me of one of my favorite verses:

"Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips, meditate on it both day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1:8 NIV). 

When we meditate on scripture, we chew on it, roll it around in our minds and let it penetrate our hearts. Meditating on scripture will relax and refresh us from all the crazy things happening in our world. When I go to bed, I like to listen to scripture on my IPhone (YouVersion). It keeps me from worrying and more centered on the Lord. Take some time with your Bible by reading it, meditating on it and letting God's truth soak into your heart.

The Hill Country

Bluebonnets in Bastrop, TX

A couple of weeks ago, Dedo and I made our periodic trek to the Texas Hill Country.  The spring is the best time to go because the countryside is bursting with blooming bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes, and hundreds of other flowers.  I take pictures with my trusty IPhone and use them to compose paintings.  I've always loved to paint Texas landscapes. You will see these pictures as paintings soon. 

I recently decided to start selling my artwork.  It's always tough for artists to know when the work is good enough to sell.  Based on the advice of my art friends, they say go for it.  

Several of my paintings are displayed at The Willow Cottage in downtown Grapevine, TX (326 S. Main St.)  I'm working on a website to display my paintings as well.  I've excited to give 10% of the proceeds to an organization called Taylor's Gift.  Todd Storch and his organization promote organ donation.  Follow them on   Twitter and Facebook.  

   

Longhorns grazing near Willow, TX.I am 

I am in the process of making several key decisions that will greatly affect my life.  My prayer (and hopefully your prayer) is to follow God's discernment and wisdom as I make these life-changing decisions. I'll let you know when it's appropriate.  In the meantime, I pray that you are well and following after God.

Texas Barn

During my annual photo trip to the Hill Country, I shot a pic of this barn around the Llano area. I love the contrasting colors that an old tin and metal barn can produce. Even the dry grass has color in it.       

There are hundreds of old, boarded-up barns, cattle pens and ranch houses around Texas. The ranching and farming business has been rough because of the economy and drought. It's sad to see these buildings in a state of disrepair.  

Sometimes, I feel like one of these old buildings.  When I get worn down by difficulties in life, I feel run-down , out of touch and worthless.  

The Apostle Paul's advice to the Colossian Christians helps put difficult times in perspective. He reminds them to "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to one peace.  And be thankful." (Col. 3:15)

Even in it's run-down condition, this barn has beauty to it. God feels the same about us.  He sees our value and beauty even when we don't. We need to be thankful for difficulty in order to understand the peace that God gives us. If you're going through a tough time, hang in there. You are a beautiful creation to God,

Texas Barn is a 9x12 watercolor on 140 lb paper. 

Ranch Road

When it's hot in Texas, the air is humid making the horizon hazy. When trucks or tractors use the road, the dust they kick up hangs in the air. In this oil painting, you can see the ranch buildings and landscape in the distance as you make a turn onto the dirt road in Central Texas. I also love painting fence posts. They come in all different shapes and sizes on roads around Texas.

Sometimes our lives get a little hazy and we have a hard time seeing the future clearly.  I've always found when that happens, we can trust that God knows where He is taking us.  One day will understand more about God's plan for our life. 

My prayer is that if you are in that point of your life, it's okay.  Trust in the Lord. It's just another hot, humid Texas day that will all work out for His glory.

Tree House

I never had a tree house growing up in Central Texas.  I made forts out of rocks, bricks, bed covers and anything else I could find, but I missed out on having a tree house.  Recently, we stayed with our dear friends Paul and Kathie Boitmann in Southlake.  The house is beautiful and the decor is Texas-themed. My favorite thing about his 5-acre place is an old tree house that he built for his kids years ago.  Today, it's still standing in the trees on the back of his property.  There's something about gazing at it that brings me peace and joy.  My prayer is that as you look at this painting, it will bring peace to your heart.

Hello Win Column

One of my favorite things to do is listen to @TexasRangers baseball games on AM radio.  My Dad and I listened to +St. Louis Cardinals games on the radio when I was a kid.  Dad grew up in West Virginia and the only game broadcast nationwide in those days was Jack Buck doing play-by-play for the Cardinals.  When I got older, we listened to +Houston Astros baseball on the AM dial.  It has to be AM radio for me because baseball sounds real. Games on FM are like listening to a pre-recorded baseball game.  It doesn't sound real to me.  Baseball games should always be listened to on AM radio.   


When the Rangers moved to Arlington in 1972, I began to listen to the games on radio WBAP.  In the early 80's, I loved to listen to the play-by-play call of Mark Holtz and Eric Nadel.  When the Ranger's won,  Holtz's final words of the broadcast were always "hello win column."  When Mark Holtz passed away from cancer in 1997, the phrase became a part of team lore.  If you follow me on Twitter at @pmitchell, you will see that phrase when the Rangers.  It's just a habit. Last night, I drew an illustration to liven up the tweets. 

Unfortunately, the local Rangers broadcast changed to an FM station in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. So I switched to MLB.com to listen to the broadcast.  It's the closest to what a game should sound like.

One day, AM may disappear off our radio dial.  It will be a sad day.  But that's progress?  Maybe.

Cryin' A River

We had just stepped into the theater lobby after watching "Superman." Our phones had beeped during the movie.  When we checked them, we noticed that our daughter Mallory had texted to let us know that she was pregnant.  She sent a picture of the baby's sonogram.  I broke down. Sobbed.  In front of everyone. Not Dedo. Me. She's worried about me.

I cry all the time now. The older I get, the more I cry at movies, watching television, praying, hearing sounds, etc. I have become the biggest wimp in the history of mankind.  I only cried once in the first 35 years of my adult life (excluding funerals).  At the end of the classic baseball movie "Field of Dreams" when the son plays catch with his father, I cry every time I see it.  Still do. It brings back so many good memories of my Dad.

Dedo used to cry all the time.  The older she gets, the less she cries.  We are going in opposite emotional directions.  Why? I have no idea.

Caring For the Elderly

I knew it was coming.  Anyone with elderly parents knows that there will come a day when we will have to provide some sort of care to our parents.  My 84 year old Mom recently fell a couple of times in her home.  When she got to the hospital, the doctors decided to admit her.  They ran a bunch of tests and she was fine, but she was feeble and having a hard time walking.  They decided to put her in rehabilitation for about a week.  Dedo and I decided to make the drive to Fort Smith, Ark. to spend time with her and make sure everything was going well.

I thank God for doctor's and nurses that are trained to care for the sick. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people in the hospital and the sickest get the attention.  My Mom is not sick, so she is not a top priority in their daily activities.  It takes family members to make sure our family members are kept a top priority.  The hospital in Fort Smith (Sparks Regional Hospital) is doing a great job, but we have to ask questions, attend meetings, call doctors, etc.  My Mom is doing great and should be out of rehabilitation on Wednesday.

God's timing is perfect.  I've lived by that promise all my adult life.  Even when I don't understand the present day circumstances, I've always looked back in the past to see evidence that God has always been perfect in His plan for my life.  Because I am in transition between jobs, I have the time to care for my Mom.  I am so thankful for that opportunity. I've enjoyed being with her. I've learned more about her than I knew.  I've witnessed her kindness to others and I'm encouraged by her love for people. Ive also enjoyed spending more time with my wife as we've traveled back and forth from Ft. Worth to Ft. Smith.  She treats my Mom like her Mom and for that I am grateful.

I know the future will hold more of these incidents.  I pray that God will protect my Mom and I am ready to do whatever needs to be done to protect and care for her.