Handbags

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Handbags.jpg

If you want to see what a real “Tom Slack” painting is like, this is it.  I’m so very interested in figurative painting, as well as cityscapes.  I love the human form.  In college I spent many hours painting nude models, and frankly, I was bored to death with them.  I am much more interested in portraying clothes on a person  —  the folds of the fabric, the patterns, the shadows and light.

I had been in downtown Indianapolis and saw a group of girls standing together with big handbags hanging from behind them.  I was fascinated by the scene.  I thought it would be interesting to have different hairstyles, clothes, and styles of handbags.  The view from the back is interesting to me, because they all have a different gesture.  People are so interesting!

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At the Beach

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At the Beach.jpg

I’ve loved playing in the water my whole life.  Nothing is more fun than  going to the beach!  This is supposed to be my nieces Laci and Kayli and their brother, Jake while playing along the Northern California coast.

I’ve tried to create excitement with backlighting.  Note the small edge of light on the right side of them, while the rest of their figures are in shadow.  I’ve splashed a few waterdrops around along with crashing waves.  Kayli is running through the water.  The waves above their heads show sunlight shining through them.  Trees and shoreline are in the distance.  I haven’t put detail in their faces.  I wanted the viewer to create those things in their own minds.

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Snow on Meridian Street

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Snow on Meridian Street.jpg

This is a scene on Meridian Street in Indianapolis just after a snowstorm.  The snow has melted on the street and part of the sidewalk.  The road is wet and reflects the sky, car headlights, and buildings.  Christmas lights are lit in some of the trees.  Buildings are across the street, but are painted with vague blocks of color, allowing the mind to fill them in.  The road is done in linear perspective, giving depth to the scene.

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Candy Counter

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Candy Counter.jpg

I had been visiting my daughter and her husband in Knoxville, Tennessee.  We toured the University of Tennessee where my son-in-law was a student and an employee.  The grandchildren went along with us, but weren’t particularly interested until we visited this candy store.  All of a sudden, they were fascinated.  I was so intrigued by their reaction to the candy counter that I had to put it down on canvas.

This painting means so much more to me now.  I didn’t realize that my oldest grandchild would die suddenly.  That’s Ford at the top.  He always had such an enthusiasm for life and a wonderful innocence that most kids don’t have.  We all miss him so much, but luckily the painting hangs on his parents’ wall so they can remember those great times.

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Redfish Lake

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Redfish Lake.jpg

This is a painting of Redfish Lake, one of the most beautiful locations in North America.  It is part of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area near Stanley, Idaho.  It is called Redfish Lake because it is where the Kokanee Salmon spawn.   They have returned from the Pacific Ocean and have turned red.  It is also a great place to camp.  There is a lodge there, as well as several cabins.

Note the shadows in the peaks and in the land below.  This gives the impression of morning sunlight.  Also note the differences in the shades of green.  With atmospheric perspective. the closer to you, the warmer the color, and the further away the cooler they get, so the pine trees in the land on the left side of the painting are greener, but as they appear on the mountains further in the distance, they have a bluish tint and the color is not as intense.  The water reflects the sky, the mountains, and the trees.

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Little League

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Little League.jpg

This is supposed to be me as a kid playing Little League baseball.  You can see Granger Elementary school in the background.  It has been torn down.  There were no bleachers for the fans to sit in.  Instead, they sat on the bumpers of their cars or trucks parked nearby.  You can tell it is early evening because of the shadows.  The car is a 1959 Plymouth.  The truck is an early ’50’s Chevrolet, while the next vehicle is a Volkswagen beetle.  This is painted fairly vaguely, with just enough detail to take me back . . .

“Hey, Batter!  Hey Batter!  Hey Batter!  Swing!!!!”

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Wading

2

Wading.jpg

I had taken my wife and three little girls on a ride from Idaho Falls to Yellowstone National Park, then south though Grand Teton National Park.  As a not very smart dad, I didn’t realize that a ride that long is very hard for little kids.  They were tired and cross.  What finally happened that made them happy was stopping at Jenny Lake where I let them get out of the car and wade.

I noticed the colors and patterns in the water as it moved back and forth, the backlighting on the kids as the sun went lower in the horizon, and the branches that were between us.  The painting is supposed to give the late afternoon feeling and an atmosphere of fun.

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Vernazza

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vernazza[1].jpg

Along Italy’s western shore is a beautiful area called Cinque Terre.  It is a national park made up of five towns: Rimaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Monterosso al Mare, and Vernazza.  These towns are built along steep hills along the coastline.  In years past, they were targets of pirate attacks.  Nowadays, they are a paradise for tourists.  The towns are connected by trains or boats, but the most exciting way of visiting them is the trails between them, high on the hills above.

This is the view from the trail above Vernazza.  Note the multi-colored buildings, the blue harbor filled with boats, and the tower overlooking the sea.  I love painting the beautiful places of the world.

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