How to say “Goodbye” (Part 1)

How to say “Goodbye” (Part 1)

Euel Eugene “Gene” McElhaney January 8, 1941 – Dec 26, 2014 My dad died the day after Christmas 2014. He was one of the best men I have ever known. A portrait of my father Last week, without much forethought, I started a portrait of my dad. Somehow, it seems very appropriate to honor him in this way. There were times while working on this painting that I felt especially sad and present with a deep sense of loss. Over New Years my family and I were in California for the funeral and…Read more
Painting Demo – Basilica of St. Lawrence

Painting Demo – Basilica of St. Lawrence

On Tuesday morning, I gave a painting demonstration for a group of painters. The subject of the painting is the Basilica of St. Lawrence, a remarkable Spanish Renaissance building in downtown Asheville that boasts the largest unsupported dome in North America. The paintout that followed the demo was well attended by at least 20 local painters. (One artist even drove up from Charleston, SC to attend!) Overcast skies and patchy morning clouds eventually gave way to sun. The event was arranged by the Asheville Urban Landscape Project, a vibrant arts initiative spearheaded by…Read more
Opening Reception at The Cliffs

Opening Reception at The Cliffs

The Cliffs at Walnut Cove — one of Asheville's best kept secrets — is a premier golf community nestled into a picturesque valley near Avery Creek. An exhibit of 8 landscape paintings is on display at The Clubhouse through November 15, 2013. I am grateful to all the wonderful people who attended. Special thanks to Wendy H. Outland (WHO KNOWS ART) and Cathy Brovet of The Cliffs for making this exhibit possible.Read more
Telling Your Artist Story

Telling Your Artist Story

Inspiration and advice for artists. In the process of building my artist website I ran across a wonderful online photo-journal that absolutely inspired me. In The Make – http://inthemake.com is a beautifully produced website that documents studio visits of West Coast artists. Each article features dozens of large photographs of the artist, the artist’s work and studio in order to tell the story of the artist’s creative process. Interspersed between the photos is the transcript of an interview with the artist. Artists fascinate people. Folks who are interested in your artwork also want…Read more

Painting Studio Shelf

During the holidays I built a 4 inch wide shelf that runs the length of one wall in my painting studio — and I love it! It looks good and it just works! I tend to work in batches — that is to say, I have several paintings going - at various stages of development - at any given time. The shelf allows me to conveniently display the works-in-progress, and then exchange the painting on my easel to work on for a while. Here you can see my studio with several unfinished canvases…Read more

Greeting Card Set

I am delighted to offer a set of 5 greeting cards that feature my landscape paintings. This set of greeting cards developed organically from promoting my artwork. I produced one card, “Green Fields”, for a campaign to introduce my artwork to major donors of the Asheville Art Museum - http://www.ashevilleart.org . And while postcards are nice (and more cost effective), they don’t have the same class as a greeting card — especially a hand written card in a hand addressed envelope. My production schedule was accelerated by a friend of mine, Trent Adams, who enthusiastically…Read more