Bud, Honey Crisp and Blue .. Pastel Sketch and Watercolor Sketch

 Yesterday I played in the dust for an hour or so.  I wiped off a piece of Colourfix sanded paper and sketched with a variety of pastels.

Number 1, drink bottle - Budweiser I bought to make bug spray and haven't
Number 2, apple - a big Honey Crisp
Number 3, blue - a blue bowl from the Empty Bowl projects, upside down

The paper shows through a lot, but I didn't want to spend the time to turn the sketch into a painting.  Some paper peeking through is OK, but it takes away from the glass bottle .

Today we went for our walk so I sketched across the pond, this time from the picnic table.  I used a Micron 02 in the travel sketchbook and added some watercolor back at the house.  The blue square item is a boat of some sort.  I made it too big for the rest of the sketch.  I had to put color, otherwise you wouldn't know it was there.  I added color mainly to show the reflection then forgot to put the reflection in.  Sigh...  Not up to scanning, resizing, etc.  Use your imagination for me today.

 

We are in heat advisory mode.  It is supposed to get to 106 F and feel like 112 degrees.  I'm so happy that we do not have to work in the heat.  I feel sorry for those that do.  Take care out there!

Cutting Up, Oil Painting, Apples

My website was updated with a "new" painting, Cutting Up, oil, on wrapped canvas.  I have painted apples many times.  I usually paint apples when I don't know what else to paint.  This painting was started some time ago when I was trying to jump start my muse.

Cutting Up

Oil on wrapped canvas

16 x 12 inches $345.00

You can purchase on my website:  http://www.jocastilloart.com/paintings/apples_cutting_up.html

Framed in gold floater frame.

You can see this in person at the First Friday Art Walk, December 6.  It hasn't been on display anywhere else, yet.

I finally have the painting to my liking, although the table top is more yellow than it shows in my photo.  I enjoy painting with oils so that I can get out a big brush and "smoosh" (technical art speak) the paint around.

It seems that these M. Graham oils (http://mgraham.com/products/oil/) made with walnut oil are some oils that I can use without headaches.  They are solvent free.  I bought a starter set of 5 colors:  azo yellow, phtalocyanine green, ultramarine blue, naphthol red and titanium white.  I usually paint with a limited palette anyway, so I am not too limited with these paints.  Now that I find they are OK for me to use, I may purchase Graham equivalent of alizaron crimson or permanent rose and a purple.  I also like a very light green for light in the sun.  I don't care to wait for oil paints to dry but these did come with a walnut alkyd medium to make them dry faster.  This isn't varnished yet, do you think I should varnish it with flat or shiny varnish?  I usually go for flat so there is no glare from across the room.  Some people don't think it looks like oil unless it is shiny like the old paintings.   Hmmmm.

Acrylic Paintng and Thoughts on Different Media

I painted yesterday and a bit the day before with acrylics.  I had just finished a painting of tomatoes with pastels. 

I was trying to decide whether I liked to paint red more with acrylics or pastels.  Well, I did not come to a firm decision.  It seems I like whichever medium I am using at the time.  Although, since I was using acrylics with this definite thought in mind, I would think,  "This would be easier or this would be harder in pastels."  Usually I don't think that way, I just paint.

I enjoy painting with a brush and smooshing the paint around.  It is more fun with oils, but I am a bit allergic to the linseed oil and it takes so long to dry.  I use acrylics more for these reasons.  Clean up of the brushes is easier, too, but you have to be sure the paint doesn't dry in the bristles.

Pastels are nice because you don't have to worry about them drying or clean up if you care to stop for several hours or days.  They are also like drawing and painting at the same time.

Here is the acrylic painting I finished.  I enjoyed using a brush or two.  I try to use the biggest brush I can.  I only used the skinny long haired rigger for the signature.  The rest was painted with a 1/2 inch brush and a 3/8 inch brush.  The photo is a bit more electric, that is the only word that comes to me, than the real painting.  I couldn't adjust the color enough without distorting the work.  I'll try again when there is more sun.  Today was very cloudy.  The photo in the frame is a bit more true.

Disconnected, 7 x 5 inches, acrylic on canvas panel.

I put it on Jo's Notions if you are interested in buying.  It is $50, unframed, and $95, framed in the frame in the photo.

Sketching - Fruit and Veggies, Acrylic Paintings

I have been painting with acrylics.  I painted on Masonite that I primed with gesso and painted the back with black acrylic paint.  Any color will do, I just had black paint on hand.  I didn't get a daytime photo of the paintings but these photos are not too bad.  These paintings fit Scavenger Hunt 225 so they can double for sketches as they are painted from the real things.   Saving time, it is only a month to New Mexico.  Time to get in gear.

Number 8, a fruit - well you get two.  These are in a bowl that one of Lea's daughters made using a cabbage or lettuce for the mold.  It is very cool and sort of pink and green not white like it looks in this photo.   I will take a better photo and show it in the frame, too.  The frame is dark so I plan to put some gold leaf on the edge of the frame where it goes around the painting to make it separate from the frame which is almost the same color as the shadow on the upper left so makes it too dark.   It is 8 x 6 inches, acrylic.

 

Number 9, a vegetable - you get a few.  This is the start of another painting.  It will be 18 x 9 inches.  Again, acrylic on board.  This is not finished more veggies to the right.  :-) 

Painting Apples Yet Again, Pastel

I painted yesterday at the gallery.  I was painting a still life of apples and a pear.  I intended it for the Challenge of 200 paintings.  By the way, did I tell you the Challenge on Norma Wilson's Blog is for 200 paintings.  She started from a book by Carole Katchen, 200 Great Painting Ideas for Artists. I was only going to do the one, but what the heck, I would only have 199 to go.  :)  I will just follow along with Norma and see who gives out first.  My first painting was "delicious" and I painted the guacamole.  I am starting late so will have to catch up.  I will go back and do the first few soon.

Meanwhile back to yesterday.  I was excited to work on the painting of fruit and forgot that part of the challenge was to paint fruit that was cut up.  I remembered about the time I was finishing.  This will make a  delay in the catch up plan.  So this will just be a Jo's Notion and I will paint my second challenge on Friday.  It will be just the pear and one apple as I ate one of the apple models today.

Odd Man Out, Pastel on Pastelbord, 7 x 5 inches

I used one of Lea Cundy's bowls for the apples.  You can see her work at Blue Donkey Studios across the street from my Gallery and on her website.  The bowl has wildflowers on the inside, very pretty and useful.

You can purchase this painting on Jo's Notions or my website.  $50.00 with free shipping in the USA.

Painting Time - pastel painting brushes and paint

I have been painting on a pastel 14 x 18 inches for a few days.  It has some ellipses in it which are complicated and not easy to get right.  Maybe tracing is the answer for that.  Ha.

In the meantime to relax a little and just have fun I did a little Jo's Notions painting of my brushes and a tube of paint.  It is more interesting to paint from real life as opposed to photos for me.  It is easier to see the shadows and colors.  The lighting for a still life in my studio is not great as it comes from all directions.  I can turn off the overhead lights but it is still not ideal.   I need to get a light box set up again.

Painting Time, Pastel on Pastelbord, 5 x 7 inches

The shadows are a little darker in the original, photos are difficult to take.  I like to take photos of pastels in direct sunlight, but it has been cloudy for a few days and will be again most of this weekend.  This was taken with a flash.  Maybe I will retake it today with my Daylight lamps.

This is a Jo's Notion painting, fixed against the glass, free shipping. $50.00

New Year Sketches .. Not Really. And, a pastel painting of grapes.

I have been the host for Scavenger Hunt 205 which ends today.  I sketched on December 31 and am just now posting them.  There is never enough time .....  These are with a regular ball point pen, Pilot, in my travel sketchbook which has half a page for a sketch and then half a page for notes.  I left the other sketchbook at my gallery.  Normal behavior, always forgetting something.

Number 5, jeans - added a little blue colored pencil, the pencils are on the outside of the sketchbook.

Number 6, folds in material - part of a sweatshirt with a zipper.

Number 7, old - clock, Number 8, hat - the pillow case has hats in the print/pattern, Number 9, rough - this woven wall hanging has the tree and other items made of cut yarn and fuzzed out for the designs.

I did a small, Jo's Notions painting at the gallery the other day.  I have decided to make a blog for those to see if they might sell that way.  Who knows?  I will put the link here when I get it ready. 

Painting small paintings is so good for practice.  As an artist you still have to work out composition, values, etc., but can finish quickly and work out your ideas and learn for larger works.

Here my latest notion:

Grapes in silver, 7 x 5 inches, pastel on Pastelbord.

The actual painting is much more vibrant in real life.  The grapes have some lovely deep reds and the background is dark green/purple/blue on the left and bright yellow green on the upper right.  You just have to come by and see it!  I was at the gallery and found these leftover grapes in my fridge.  There weren't enough to fill the small glass/pewter bowl so I have them on top of a plastic glass.  Necessity is the mother of invention.  It is nice when you can eat your "models" when done.

Commission Acrylic Painting - Pears on Green

I finished the commission and it was picked up and Judy, the client,  is very pleased with the painting.

Pears on Green, 20 x 16 inches, acrylic on wrapped canvas.

I usually paint with pastels as I love that they are tactile and I can walk away and come back for a few minutes without having to put anything away.  Pastels are a medium where I draw and paint at the same time.  It is instant and I don't have to wait for anything to dry and no brushes to wash!

When I paint with pastels, I always put the ones I have used back into the box so that I use a fresh palette for every painting.  I  do have favorite colors, though.  Don't we all?

Painting in a different medium is good for me.  I am reminded about color mixing and how to deal with values in paint.  Each brand has a subtle difference in colors.  One brand of alizaron crimson will be more opaque or darker than another brand.  I tend to use the same palette, in oils and acrylics.  I usually start out with white, a cool and warm of yellow, red and blue.  I put out thalo yellow green, burnt umber and black, too.  From those, you can mix most colors.  So change is good and it helps me think and hopefully improve every painting.  The present painting is my favorite and the next one is the masterpiece!

Too much to blog about!

I have been slow in blogging so I don't know where to start.  I will start with this little painting I did yesterday, one of Jo's Notions.

Yesterday after "fixin'" things - other paintings. I decided to to a quick painting to get me settled down and help complete the painting "mood".  I took some "vista" photos around Angel Fire and one of the pics from the Angel Fire Resort Golf Course had these pots of geraniums in it.  I do love red and geraniums have a loose texture and very beautiful red color.  I could paint them all day.

Geraniums under painting.

 I started on tan Pastelbord.  I decide to brush on the first layer of pastel with water.  I didn't want the "beige" showing.  I know some people love the earth colors, but  -  I am not one of them.  :)  I brushed water with a small paint brush first over the yellow then the light area on the pots and kept going to the darkest parts.  Then I let it dry.  That doesn't take long in this high, dry altitude.  I think it is about 9,000 feet plus here.

Angel Geraniums, Pastel on Pastelbord, 5 x 7 inches

This painting is  available as a Jo's Notions for $50.00.  Free shipping in the U.S.

I will put glass, taped directly to the Pastelbord and ship that way.  You can pop the pastel and glass into a standard 5 x 7 frame of your choice.

The dark and detail in the leaves and the brilliance of the flowers do not show in this photo.  Digital photos, especially  red and blue,  are difficult to adjust for the computer views.   I guarantee my work, if you are not satisfied, return the painting and I will refund your money or apply it to another painting of your choice.

Gallery Notes - Pastel Paintings

I mentioned that Regina brought some paintings for my gallery. We have always had such good times painting together. I hope we can continue that. It is good for artists to interact and connect. You can see more of her pastel paintings on her website, Fall Shadows. I will put the one she brought yesterday here to tempt you to go look at more.

Nursery Collage
8 x 10 pastel
by Regina Calton Burchett
copyright with Regina

She brought some note cards, small prints and some postcards, too. You need to stop by and see the paintings in person.

I will take some photos at the studio/gallery today so you can see how nicely it is coming along.

The Bastrop Fine Arts Guild, in the same building as my studio, is starting "First Friday" in Bastrop. They will have their featured artist for the month reception. Other businesses will stay open until 8 p.m. and see if we can't get the idea working here. The Guild's featured artist for May will be the Bastrop High School Photography Students. That is great. Stop by and see the photos and all the art in our location and across the street at the Mercantile. I will post more about it tomorrow.

First Friday
May 7, 2010
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
1009 Main Street

Bastrop, Texas 78602

My new painting for this and Cinco de Mayo is a pastel of some little girls that were dancing in Santa Fe, New Mexico, several years ago. They were so cute.

She's My Sister
Pastel on Pastelbord
16 x 20 inches

Scroll down for earlier posts today.

Oil Painting - Flowers and Baseball Note

I painted at my studio yesterday and today. I started an oil painting of the flowers I had for my ribbon cutting. When I stopped yesterday I was not completely sure about the painting. Today I realized I had the background backwards. I had the dark side where the light hits and the light side on the "light side" where the light is coming from. It is much better to have the dark on the side where the light is coming from, remember I am speaking of the background, and light where the light is going. You can see it here in this snapshot. My light source is on the right .. so that should be the darkest background. This makes the objects of interest, the sunflower, to have its bright side against the darkest background.

Blossoms, 11 x 14, oil on Gessobord by Ampersand.

Not a great photo, you get reflections from wet paint. Also my camera was set on small images. I always keep it on high settings. The battery ran down last week and I put in a charged battery and reset the date. I never thought about the size settings. Evidently the default is small photos. I will take a better photo tomorrow or when the paint sits a while.

I also only got a small photo of some of the excitement at the game last night. You can read on Joanna's page, I can never explain correctly. The end result is the "closer" (pitcher) for UT, Chance Ruffin, had to bat. He hit a sacrifice fly. Everyone was so excited. I actually got this photo of him with the ball flying off, the white line near the foot of the first baseman. Very exciting. Oh, the Longhorns won over UT San Antonio, 6 - 4. So check out the story on Joanna's Longhorn Baseball Page and the official Longhorn page.

Jo's Notions, new pastel paintings, and bonus turtle and fish photos

I have enjoyed painting the last few days. After the Egg 'N More painting for the Family Crisis Center Dance tomorrow night, I put up a Pastelbord and worked on some pears for Regina's Pearathon. I also painted some apples, you know I love to do that.

Both of these small original pastels will be in my Jo's Notions for sale on my website. These Notions are small paintings, $50 for 5 x 7 and $100 for 8 x 10 inch paintings. I ship these unframed no shipping charges. The small pastel paintings will be attached to the glass and in a $1 frame from Wal-Mart. The buyer can pop the paintings into a frame of their choice.

Two Bartletts and a Bosc
Pastel on Pastelbord, 5 x 7 inches
Jo's Notions

It was fun to do a loose colorful painting for no reason. I did an under painting with purple pastel smeared around with alcohol. This dries much faster and I can begin painting right away. I blocked in the pears and added the highlights. I will post them on the Pearathon where you can post paintings of pears, too. There are some great paintings there already.

All Washed Up
Pastel on Pastelbord, 5 x 7 inches
Jo's Notions

I used the same technique for these apples. I brushed on a green background with alcohol. The dark background is green and red to make the apples stand out. I chose Jonathan apples as they have a variety of color. It is amazing, though, that even the Granny Smith or Delicious apples are not just green and red. I really prefer painting from life so I can see the color in the shadows. I guess that is why I like to paint still life and landscapes. Now I'm off to go eat the models!

Photos: Oh, before I go, we went to the golf course yesterday, too. Here are some photos from the beautiful day.

I wasn't close to the turtles, but captured a few anyway. There is one climbing out of the water on the far shore. You can see more turtle photos in these posts.




A couple of huge gold fish (??), in the water. These are at least 2.5 feet long. I would say longer, but that would sound like a fish story, right? they are a couple of feet under the water and 15 feet or so from the edge. Impressive size. We hadn't seen the fish in ages. Guess the rain brought them into view.

Egg 'N More - pastel still life painting framed

This is my pastel painting framed. As mentioned this is a donation for the Family Crisis Center Dance on January 23. I hope you can go bid on the painting. It is a $195.00 value, bidding will start at $100.00. Good luck!

Egg 'N More
Pastel on Pastelbord, 9 x 12 inches
Framed against museum glass.

I take photos of my pastels in direct sunlight. Very little tweaking is needed for the photos that way. Gene frames them sealed against the glass and then placed in the frame and taped again to assure a good seal. We have been doing this for several years. I have written about this before. How do you frame your pastels?

Still Life in Pastels, Donation

I have been working on a painting for the Family Crisis Center's annual dance fundraiser. I donate every year and I try to donate something new. It started when I exhibited here in Bastrop at the Bastrop Fine Arts Gallery. Most of the art aficionados in Bastrop would have seen my paintings and I didn't want them to bid on an "old" painting, thinking I donated because I hadn't sold it. At any rate I started doing a new one every year and now it is tradition. If you are going to the dance on January 23, you can see the painting in person and bid on it there. That would be great!

Pastel, 9 x 12 inches on Pastelbord

This is a painting of some old things sitting in my kitchen. None of them are actually antiques from my family. I bought the big jug in North Carolina, I think, it has a spout and I bought it to serve sangria. I'm not sure I ever used it as I have another from Chile that was usually used. Maybe that will be in the next painting. The dark brown jar/jug is a mystery, the origin lost in my memory. The blue measuring cup is just a few years old.

Have you ever painted and it came out completely different than your plan? This one sure did. I intended the background to be very dark and have the items emerging out of the dark, sort of like candlelit. Well, the brown jug was just too dark and blended completely into the background. I tried making it lighter and did not like the look, it took away from the antique feeling to me. I had to lighten the background to show the brown. I suppose I will have to do another with some lighter and brighter items in it. Stay tuned to see what happens. The other sangria jar is dark brown pottery, too, so it won't work unless it is in front of something lighter. More ideas emerging from the dark. Ahhhhh, that is good. New ideas are always welcome.

Speaking of which, how about a name? Egg 'n Stuff??

The Visitors, Pears Oil Painting

I painted a still life of pears a few days ago. I used my Flip Video recorder (Thanks again, Joanna) to make a "how to" video for you. I'm a little faster at editing, but not much. It is so long in between making videos that I have to learn again.

I have been wanting to do a new pear painting for the Pearathon that Regina Burchett is hosting. A nice place to see and share your pear creations.

Gene shopped and picked out the pears for me to paint and I painted them on an Ampersand Gessobord with about an inch and a half edge on it. I painted with Winsor & Newton Artisan Water Mixable Oil Colour. I get a headache when I use turpentine or paint thinner, even odorless. These Artisan paints seem to work well for me. I tried the Grumbacher MAX water miscible oils and the oil in them still gave me headaches.

I used a shelf in my studio for the set up. It is always full, but decided it served the purpose. It was at the eye level I wanted.

I screwed the Gessobord to an old painting board. (Thanks, Susan Carlin for the idea of screws .. I use tape for regular board or paper.)

(Added 11/10/2009: Oh my gosh, I said here and on the video that I screwed the Gessobord to the board, you all know that Gene does all that sort of thing for me. He is great to take care of the framing and heavy lifting for my painting. I was nervous speaking on the video and didn't edit this very well. Sorry Genej. I also called the pears, apples in the video .. should have taken more care. Ah me!)

Having the painting surface up away from the tray, makes it easier to paint to the edges of the surface and not have your hand or brush down in the tray. It also helps in this case for painting the edges.

I sketched in the pears with thinned burnt umber oil paint. I can easily change my drawing by just wiping off this thin layer.

This is about the middle of the time into the painting. I try to paint all over to keep from getting bogged down in one area.

The Visitors

Oil on Gessobord
6 x 12 inches

This is the final painting. It is a bit hard to take photos of wet oil paintings. You get reflections from the brush strokes that aren't actually on the painting. This is very close to the painting colors on my computer.

This is what I call Jo's Notions, you can purchase it on my web page through PayPal for $100, free shipping.

Here is the video, I hope you enjoy watching and listening to hints about the way I paint.

Prickly Pears, Oil

Gene brought me some pears to paint the other day. I was just about finished with the painting when he remembered seeing some prickly pear cacti around the corner and went to find me some additional "pears" to paint. I thought of adding them to that painting, in fact I put one in, but it changed the composition and feel of the other pears. (I will post that soon. I took some video and want to make a video and post that. That takes time as you may know.)

In the meantime, here are the cactus pears.

Handle With Care
Oil on canvas panel, 5 x 7 inches
A Jo's Notion, $50, free shipping.

They are good to eat. Somewhat like a kiwi inside. I've mentioned before that we would find them when riding horseback and rub the needles off with gloves and eat them for the juice. I still got a sticker in my finger when I was setting them up to paint even though Gene had rubbed them off, I thought. I think I will go have a snack on them now, yummm.

And a photo of a typical Prickly Pear Cactus in bloom.

Back to Basics, Acrylic Pears

I'm back to painting in acrylics. Regina is working on a pears project so in anticipation of that I decided to paint a couple of pears. I painted over the Last Flags which was a practice piece and a way to get outside and paint. I painted inside today. It is a beautiful 69 degrees out there, too. Ah well.

I painted a still life of pears on a table and tried to use my notes from the other day. A fairly quick exercise of a little over an hour.

Opposites Attract
Acrylics on Canvas Panel, 5 x 7 inches

This will be for sale as a Jo's Notions on my web page for $50 including postage.

Acrylic Apple Challenge Painting

Jeanette Jobson has an Apple Challenge going on. I love to paint apples so this is right up my alley. I paint apples when I can't think of anything to paint. They usually get me jump started. I didn't have any apples here at the house so I borrowed a photo from the wetcanvas.com images that are posted for artists to use for reference photos. Thank you, ivyleaf.

I wanted to try my luck with acrylics. I usually fall back on pastels when I am in a slump as well, so this was a very different experiment.

Ivy's Apples
Acrylic on canvas panel, 6 x 12 inches
(You can click on the image to make it larger.)

I prefer painting from life rather than photos, but I really enjoyed this. The acrylics worked better for me this time. Of course, I was painting inside and didn't have the problem of them drying out as quickly as when I paint with them outside.

Pastel Miniature Show at Scarbrough Building

The Austin Pastel Society (APS) is having a miniature show in Austin, Texas, from June 21 until July 19, 2009, Scarbrough Building, Congress Avenue and 6th. Street. (101 West 6th. Street) The exhibit will be open during office hours in the building. There will be a great variety of styles and techniques available by the APS artists. Most of the art will be on sale giving you a chance to purchase original art are reasonable prices by some great pastelists.

My entries are the still life of the apples and a landscape painted plein air in our back yard of the loblolly pines.

Serve "Em Texas Style
Pastel on Pastelbord, 5 x 7 inches

Yard Art 3
Pastel on Pastelbord Plein Air, 5 x 7 inches

Here they are in their frames. They are $85.00 each, framed. You can buy now and I will get them to you after the show. Send me an email if you are interested. I can send you a PayPal invoice. Free postage included in the price.

You will not be disappointed in the show. Drop by the Scarbrough Building when you get a chance and look it over.

Back to work ... Pastel painting and sketches and photos at the baseball games.

Sorry I have been absent. Have you missed me?? Our internet and phone have been out since about 3:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. How spoiled are we? It was like going back in time.

This post will be a little long so I will put the art first. I painted today as we had to wait for the technician. They said he would be here between 8:00 a.m. and midnight. Pretty large window, huh? Someone had to be here so we were. The tech showed up about 4:30 p.m. Took him about 10 minutes to fix the signal.

Serve 'em Texas Style
Pastel, 5 x 7 inches

I really like painting apples, like I have said before, they are my fall back. Something enjoyable to paint without too much thinking and planning. Still life painting is another challenge after painting landscapes. You can't really use atmosphere like you do in landscapes. These apples are for the miniature show with the Austin Pastel Society at the Scarbrough Building in Austin in June. I would have liked to use red apples, but this is what I had on hand. I like the contrasts with the red, white and blue Texas bowl, so it was probably a good thing after all. I had a nice afternoon, listening to the old iTunes while I painted. (I just noticed in the photo the apples in the back left seem to be floating ... hmmm. I will check that out later this morning. You may get a new photo. It is 1230 a.m. Tuesday. Yikes.)

I was lucky to have some spots of sun to take the photograph. (I wrote about my shady yard problems before.)I like the way the photos turn out of pastels taken in direct sunlight. There is little color adjustment to make. Of course the lines look stronger, I think the digital camera does that .. it separates and intensifies blue and red. The color is fairly close though. I also took a photo of the commission I finished. I will post it after it arrives at its new home.

Our weekend was tied up with the Longhorns Baseball. I did manage a few sketches for Scavenger Hunt 133 on Saturday during the early game, Texas State and Army. (Army won and Texas State was eliminated.)


Number 1 - something that makes noise. The fans and the obnoxious loudspeakers. They kept the volume at deafening levels. We have complained, but ..... I think it is like the new restaurants, they think it seems more fun and exciting if you can't talk ( think yell) because of the noise. Sketched in the small sketchbook with a Pilot ball point pen. Ten minutes or so??? Not many fans there yet.


Number 2, use this to see, Gene's binoculars. About 15 minutes. These took longer as I was watching the game, too.

Number 3, someone sleeping. A cute little girl asleep on her mom's knees. Of course they left before I finished. They woke her up, too! We have seats in the shade so the baby was not in the hot sun. :) About 10 minutes.

A couple of new blogs I have discovered. I am supposed to be listing the ones I already follow. Oh well, I will follow these now, too.

http://santorafineart.blogspot.com/ Carol Santora, loud (as in colorful) cows and other fun and beautiful paintings.

http://scrute.blogspot.com/ Sharon Crute, race horses and more. Wonderful. Thanks, Nancy. Hmm, another blog. :)


**This is a great commentary by Bill Little, Last Man Standing, reviewing the feelings and emotion involved in the games. A great story even if you don't know or care about baseball ... all about the athletes.

I have to include a few of the baseball photos. I took so many........ Joanna got some great ones, so check her blog, link below.

We spent many hours at the UT baseball games, the Regionals were in Austin. The historical game Saturday night between the Horns and Boston College went 25 innings and lasted 7 hours and 3 minutes. Whew! Marathon baseball for sure. It was the longest game in NCAA history. The Horns won, 3 - 2. We left home about 1045 a.m. to watch the early game and returned home about 2:00 a.m.

Austin Wood at the beginning of his marathon. He is the closing pitcher and usually only pitches a couple of innings. He pitched about 13 of the 25 innings. It was a no hitter in the middle of this long game. Wow! There are some photos in a link at the top of that page and all the statistics. Travis Tucker and Michael Hernandez batted 12 times each. The one game was almost the equivalent of three games.

The handshakes at the end. The Boston College pitcher, Mike Belfiore, was amazing as well. He played several positions including the 9 innings he pitched. Amazing young athletes. We, fans (a huge amount stayed to the end), were exhausted. I can't imagine how tired the players were when their adrenalin dropped. The poor catchers...

I grabbed these stats from the Boston College page:

FACTS AND FIGURES

Both teams received a standing ovation at the conclusion of the game

Texas had to reset the scoreboard twice to post the score by inning

It was 96 degrees at first pitch at 6:02 p.m. - The game finished at 78 degrees at 1:05 a.m.

Texas introduced the 21st inning stretch

Both teams used all of their position players

There were 683 pitches thrown in the game

Texas stranded 24 men on base

Belfiore, Hamlet and Lawrence each played three positions

Texas had three runs on 20 hits

Junior Chris Kowalski recorded his first-career at-bat

There were 11 walks in the game compared to 42 strikeouts

The 10 p.m. ET game at UC Irvine game started and finished

The 25-inning game was the longest game in NCAA baseball history. The previous longest game was a 23-inning game played between Louisiana-Lafayette and McNeese State on March 27, 1971. ULL won the game 6-5.

The game also marked the longest NCAA postseason game in history. The previous longest game was a 19-inning contest between Clemson and Fordham at the NCAA Northeast Regional in New Britain, Conn. on May 26, 1988.

Texas and Boston College combined to set NCAA records with 42 strikeouts, 222 total chances, 69 assists, 192 plate appearances and 171 at-bats.

Texas' 91 at-bats, 103 plate appearances, 115 total chances and 75 putouts set new NCAA records

Tucker and Torres set the NCAA single-game record for at-bats with 12 AB's against BC

Preston Clark's 33 putouts against BC set a new NCAA record for most single-game putouts.

These next photos are from Sunday night. The Horns were behind until the bottom of the 9th inning and Preston Clark hit a grand slam home run and the Horns won the Regional! Yes!!

Some Army fans. They said "Go Army" on their chests and "Beat UT" on their backs. A noisy bunch!

Preston Clark early in the game. After it gets dark, my camera won't take good photos, no flash, so the aperture stays open too long and the shots are blurred.

The Army players at the end. They are a classy bunch. (Great Army stories on this link, they travel in uniform.) They haven't been to the College World Series many times. It was sad that they had to loose. They will go on to be the great guys that protect our freedom every day. Thanks to them for their service!!


The Super Regional next week. Best two out of three against TCU in Austin. The winner goes to the College World Series in Omaha! The Horns last won in 2005. Hopefully they can make it this year. With their ups and downs it is scary. The pitching is great over all. The offense is spotty. When it all comes together, they are great. They are determined, especially the Seniors.

You can read about the baseball fun on Joanna's Longhorn Baseball Page. There are some articles on the Longhorn Page and the NCAA page where they are streaming the games free on the internet. I'm sure there are stories on ESPN and other sports pages.