New Life for an Old Painting

Resurrected Landscape
by Mark Nesmith
Oil on Canvas
12" x 24"
2016

Click here to purchase this painting.

This painting is a resurrection of sorts. A little more than a year ago we used to live in Country Village Apartments on Fannett Road just outside Beaumont, TX. The apartments aren't much and they're pretty old, but they are situated on a lot of land which made them ideal for dogs. There are fields and woods and plenty of nice views, but what really stands out about the place is the little horseshoe shaped pond lined with pines. For some unknown reason they call it Cedar Lake. I'd often take walks there in the morning and evening and loved the unique combination of the shape of the pond, the ring of pines along the narrow bank, and the flickering reflections on the water.

I first started this painting while I was still living there. I had already painted a few small panels of Cedar Lake and fleshed out this 12" x 24" canvas pretty quickly one evening. Later I went back at it hoping to add some brushwork and push the color and ended up hating it, so the canvas was relegated to the closet. It somehow stuck around and survived the move to our house but has been out stuck in piles of junk in the garage ever since. A couple of days ago I was going through some boxes looking for guitar parts and I stumbled upon the dusty canvas in the corner. Suddenly I thought I saw a glimmer of life, so I put the canvas on the easel and spent the last couple of days painting it all over again. It's funny. This canvas sat unwanted and hidden from view for more than a year, only to find new life and vibrancy in a couple of days. Sometimes it just takes fresh eyes and a little faith to be resurrected.

This is a 12" x 24" oil painting on 1/2" deep gallery wrapped canvas. It's available and looking for a good home.

The Space Between - new daily oil painting of Lake Mineral Wells

The Space Between
Mark Nesmith
Oil on Canvas
6" x 6"
2016

Click here to buy this painting.

I'm still dreaming of spring and the lake. This is another recent painting inspired by my memories of vacationing at Lake Mineral Wells with my kids. We stayed in one of the little screened cabins at the waters edge. Across the inlet from us was an outcropping of trees and boulders, and in the distance a small island set against the distant shore. The mornings were bathed in a brilliant bright and warm light. I really need to get back there again soon! This is an 6" x 6" oil painting on 1 1/2" deep gallery wrapped canvas. The sides are finished in black and the canvas comes wired and ready to hang.

New daily painting "Daybreak" (morning on the lake)

Daybreak
by Mark Nesmith
Oil on Canvas
6" x 6"
2016

Click here to bid in the Ebay auction.

Finished and looking for a good home! "Daybreak" is a 6" x 6" oil painting on 1 1/2" deep gallery wrapped canvas. It was inspired by my memories of camping at Lake Mineral Wells with my kids several years ago. I had to fight the urge to do to much to this one. I love the freshness and spontaneity and all the texture. These little paintings are listing for $200 - 250 at my gallery, but I'm starting this with a low bid of $40. Here's a great chance to start or add to your collection. I'll be posting several paintings over the next few weeks that just haven't found their place yet so check back for more auctions.

The Dishman Art Museum and my painting "Crystal Head"

Crystal Head
Oil on Canvas
14" x 14"
2015

Well, in a funny turn of events, looks like I might have my first painting to call a museum home. A while back I gave Lamar baseball Coach Jim Gilligan a painting of a Crystal Head vodka bottle. It was meant as a thank you. Coach and I had talked quite often (at the Tradewinds Tavern) and he often shared stories about world renowned artist John Alexander who he has known for years. John was coming to Lamar for the dedication of a painting studio in his honor and Coach was determined that I needed to meet him. Of course John is somewhat of a legend in the Beaumont art world as a local boy who made it big. Since my conversations with Coach were always at a bar and often included talk of Crystal Head Vodka (John Alexander co-founded the vodka with Dan Aykroyd and designed the bottle) I thought he'd get a kick out of the little still life painting I had been working on. Coach passed it on to John, and now it seems John donated the painting to the Dishman Art Museum at Lamar. Funny how things work sometimes. Every artist dreams of having their work in a museum. Maybe this will be the first of many. If any of you want to donate my work to another museum I'll buy you a drink sometime and say thanks lol!