March Madness

Hi Folks,
I just want to update many of you living in the Hampton area to drop by Blue Skies Gallery soon to see my new paintings going up. I am changing out my wall today with a fresh set of paintings. I would post here but I am one to likes to keep the suspense so you'll have to go by and see the wall! Also, don't forget to sign up for my Plein Air workshop that is happening on April 15,16,22,23rd! This should be a lot of fun and now that the days are getting longer and the sun is bond to warm up before then. At least I'm counting on it to!

Alas, here are a few paintings that I have had time to work on in the studio recently.
Hope you enjoy!
Tom

Hi Folks, Ive settled into a new place here in Smithfield, Va. The country living is something I have viewed as the ideal lifestyle. Away from everything and lots of new items to paint, including old weathered barns, distant vistas, and strong shadows that happen when you are around lots of trees. I think this new location is going to be great for me artistically and emotionally. I have been painting nearly everyday since coming out here. My work is expanding on a daily basis! It has given me a chance to realize how important art is to my soul. Here are some recent paintings...Hope you enjoy! Tom

Sailing back to 1692....

Hi Folks, It's been a couple of weeks since posting and now that I'm settled into my new abode I thought it would be a great time to post some new paintings to my blog. Today is just a wonderful day outside and feeling rejuvenated to paint and begin this next segway on my journey. I have found new areas to paint here in beautiful Smithfield, Va and it appears there is again a wealth of possibilities just around the corner. I have found a great church that was build in the days of Jamestown. Yes, it was built in 1692. Wow, and it's still standing. I'm not a good writer so hopefully you will forgive me for my imperfections here. I need to find a writer to be able to put down proper grammer, but until then yall will have to overlook my imperfections. Here are some recent paintings done in the Smithfield area and beyond. Also, I want to give yall an update on an Exciting opportunity that I have teaching a workshop at the Smithfield Station. The Station has a great little marina with open views that are just begging to be painted. This one day class will take place on April 6th. For more information shoot me an email or simply call 757 618 4285 for more information on the class. I'm looking fwd to a great spring for painting and getting others started along their own journeys in painting. Stay tuned. Tom

Thomas Bradshaw workshop preparations!

Well, apparently my Blogger app on my iPhone 5 is not working right. I have put 2 post into that app and niether of them were ever posted...So here is the more recent one that I did just the other wk. This will catch you up with a bit of my history, Hi Folks, I want to let folks know who follow my blog that my workshop preparations have begun for 2013.Currently I am teaching a basic landscape class that is meeting every Monday afternoon at 4pm out of Blue Skies Gallery in Downtown Hampton. Blue Skies gallery is a wonderful place to teach with plenty of room to spread out and discuss my topic on color theory, composition, and value studies. Although this class is already underway, you can be put on a mailing list for my March class's which will be taught at the Chamberlin. Details are still being hashed out for this.We are also planning a workshop in April, still early in the work stages. Charles Talor Art Center in Hampton has inked me in for April 28, and May 5th. This class is deeply discounted and is only $50! so Call The center for more details. Charles Taylor Art Center,4205 Victoria Blvd, Hampton, VA 23669Many more to come so if your interested in getting involved, shoot me a line and I'll keep you updated!Spring is around the corner, so let's get out there and paint!Tom

Merry Belated Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Wow, What can I say? It was an incredible Christmas for painting for me! I hope all is well with everybody. Hope you are also painting away and when not painting, visiting family, making new family, and listening to good music. It doesn't get much better than that. I have had a very busy month since last posting here. I told myself to get in a blog a couple of wks ago remotely, but it never went through and then life got involved and then the holidays....blah blah blah.... A little sum up of my last month.... I needed to do a painting in the NC. mountains for a family member who was getting married out in Blowing Rock, NC. Came back to the Coast 3 days later from snow back to the warmth of the ocean. I managed to paint outside on occasions throughout the holidays. I did get a chance to visit one of my best painting buddies on NYE right before he headed off to his venture back into society of working for a living and saving up for his trecks around the world to paint. I'd love to take one with him one day, but I can't seem to pull myself away from societies grip as well as he can. I took paintings up to a new gallery in Richmond, Ricks Frame and Gallery on Patterson Ave. If you are up in Richmond stop by and take a look at my 6 paintings I have there for show. I just dropped off a painting for the Charles Taylor Art Center yesterday. The members show reception is Sunday afternoon at 3pm 1/27. Also, this wednesday I am dropping about 6 paintings at the Norfolk Collegate show in Norfolk, Va. That opening reception and sale is next sat (1/25). All this excitement has kept me busy and not post much here on my blog. Summer workshop preparations are under way so I'll keep everyone posted as to when they are. You can also always check in with Blue Skies Gallery in downtown Hampton to see when I am teaching my next class. I have lined up to teach a workshop every Monday during the month of February. If you are interested, please check with Leslie at Blue Skies and where I have all the criteria for the workshop there.....Aaaaahhhh, did you get all that? I'm starting the year off right! busy busy.... Take care, Tom

Practice with Perfection

There are stages in life, at least in my life, where there are momentary lapse of reason. Those moments vary greatly in length. Many are so long that I even forget that there are lapse of reason. They just become the norm. I continue to paint haphazardly and forget all knowledge that I have accumulated over 13 years of painting. Then there are days where everything just pops. Where the reasoning is over and you know that what you are doing is half hearted. Those days are needed in everyone I think, I mean we all go through life's uncertainties, uncertain at times, right? Haveing lived through so many of these that when I do land on my feet again I realize how little perfect practice I do. Perfect practice makes perfect paintings. To think higher than oneself and go for the gold. That's very challenging but I think we all should set out goals this way. Be it in running or just building model airplanes, do it with passion, with heart. Do whatever, but do it to the best of your ability!

Winter chill 1690

Hi folks, this time of year is a time of stiff paint, numb fingers and hot cider. One of the best times of the year for painting! Winter light has always been a favorite of mine. It's subtleties are always a challenge to capture in paint due to the temps outside. If you are able to prepare and you have on your endurance cap on it is surely worth venturing out in the elements.ti capture the soft pastel palet of mothere nature. Here Is a painting from Williamsburg I squeezed in 2 days ago in this beautiful town that hasn't changed in 200 years