Sunday Brunch in Fredericksburg

The Sunset Grill is deservedly well known for delicious foods.  Visiting cousins and my brother Chale being here too made a perfect reason to go enjoy the patio and great vegetable omelet like no other I have tasted before.   
Here is a picture with the cousins, I seem to be sleeping, blinked at the wrong time...

 

 My brother Chale with me 

 

I should play tourist in my own home town more!  I always have a good time when Chale comes from Austin to stay a few days.  e

Painting makes for nice days.

 I got back in my paint last week and it felt so good for my spirit. I haven't been painting for a few weeks, mostly because I was concentrating on the Plein Air Painter's guide for Fredericksburg Texas.

Here is the little painting, oil 6 x 12 of Gloucester Harbor's Ten Pound Island Lighthouse.     e

Hill Country Ranch home

 Not long back, land here was thought of not in acres or hundreds of acres, but rather in "Sections' of 640 acres a section.  It is very poor form to ask anyone how much land they have, rather like asking "how much money do you have in the bank?  The large old ranches are being broken up now and real estate sales people have a different point of view.

 It is nice to be able to visit one of the old ranches that has not suffered from "development".   This pretty rock homestead has been lovingly maintained by several generations of each of the only two families that have owned it.  This county was settled in 1846,  200 years later than many of the properties we study in the Northeast.  So what is antique here is much younger. 

The buildings and very extensive grounds are carefully groomed and managed. Interesting outbuildings have been preserved. Barns are farther back out of sight.  There is a large tennis court for family use and a beautiful pool tucked behind the house away from casual view.  Understated luxury would describe the lifestyle. The sweetness of the morning air and birdsong and golden slant of the sunlight tell a story of timeless simple pleasures.  The front porch of the main house sports a Texas flag on one corner and a US flag on the other.  The home began as a log structure, was rocked and added onto several times and the gingerbread porch came along in the 1880's.   Interiors are very simply but comfortably furnished.

An old mesquite tree can be beautiful.

 

 

Paint Fredericksburg Texas

is the name of a guide book for Plein Air Painters.

Along with three friends,  I have been working on a book for artists. It may also interest visitors to our area. This has been a great project and we are thrilled with it!  Take a glance at it to have a taste of what this area is like.   I have sent previews of it to a few friends earlier for feedback. We turned the final version of it loose just hours ago and I have already heard from one watercolorist in Scotland who has picked it up and plans to be here in Fburg in December.

Press release:

"Fredericksburg is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state, known for great scenery and a spectacular two-mile downtown historic district full of shops, restaurants, and galleries. Fredericksburg is also recognized as an art destination.  People come here to view art, buy art, study art and also to make art, painting the Hill Country itself.  Having so much to offer, it’s no surprise that Fredericksburg is a destination for plein air (outdoor) painters. Now, there is a free downloadable pdf guide book that can be used by artists either living in or coming to Fredericksburg to assist them in identifying painting locations. 

In this guide, a group of four Fredericksburg artists, Steve Talley, Chuck Mauldin, Barbara Mauldin, and Edyth O’Neill have shared their favorite places to paint in and around Fredericksburg and Gillespie County. This guide offers a list of interesting public locations for plein air painters. The sites have been divided into two groups – those within the city and those in the rural areas. There is also a section on areas where photography is more easily accomplished than painting due to the private ownership of the land. The guide is profusely  illustrated with photographs and paintings accompanied by text describing the location, directions, ease of access and other information pertinent to a plein air painter."  

Our Guide for Plein Air Painters in and around Fredericksburg Texas is now finished. Take a look, it is a free download for any and all to enjoy. e

To see it click on paintfbgtx.com  

Two Star rug Camp, just a glimpse

I could not help it, I bought a piece of wool.  e