Schilo's Delicatessen - Take A Big Bite

The latest edition in my series of diners and delis, these working men were enjoying their lunch at Schilo's Delicatessen in San Antonio. I was taken in by the atmosphere and surroundings of the old building but they were more interested in the food and fellowship, I think. I'm not finished with Schilo's yet (as far as paintings are concerned), but have several other eateries I plan on painting in the upcoming months. A restaurant reviewer stated that "Schilo's has the best root beer in the world!" What?! I missed out on that! Something to try on my next visit, I guess. I did have fun painting the neon beer signs in this picture though - part of what originally drew me to the photo. However, the first thing that made me realize I was going to paint it was the fact that I caught the man in blue taking a really big bite out of his hamburger, hence the title.

"Take A Big Bite" - Schilo's Deli, San Antonio

8"x16" oil on canvas

French Quarter - After Morning Shower

I couldn't have been more thrilled as I strolled the streets of the French Quarter in New Orleans one morning, and turned the corner to see this delightful "old world" image of a bicycle (with a real basket - not plastic!) in front of two shops. Thank goodness I had my camera with me. I snapped the shot and said to myself, "Oh, you are SO getting painted!" It had just rained, so I had the added benefit of the light shining from the damp street and sidewalk. I wish I had made note of the street it was on...maybe Royal Street?

For those of you who haven't visited NOLA recently and wonder about the condition of New Orleans and specifically the French Quarter after Hurricane Katrina, we found it to be beautiful with a sense of much fresh paint and spirit restored. I was able to capture many great images which I hope to turn into paintings.

Old World Charm in the French Quarter
11"x14" oil on canvas

Hurricane Preparedness

We have some friends who have given us an "open invitation" to come to their ranch whenever a major hurricane is headed our way from the gulf. We have taken them up on this offer a couple of times and I wanted to do something nice for them. I asked if they'd like a painting and she told me, "How about a painting of one of our longhorns?" So here is Mama, painted in the old style of horse portraits, next to her water bucket, with the scenery of the Texas hill country behind her.


There was debate in our family during the painting process about whether females have horns, and come to find out they do. I thought only steers had horns, but apparently it depends on the breed. (?) You can tell I'm no ranch hand. I didn't know much about longhorns at all before painting Mama, other than as a mascot for University of Texas.


Longhorns as a breed faced extinction as of 1927, until the US Forest Service saved and bred them exclusively, along with a few dedicated ranchers. Apparently they have quite a knack for surviving in harsh climates and are often bred with other cattle to enhance the health and viability of other breeds. Other longhorn facts from Wikipedia:

- Texas Longhorns with elite genetics can often fetch up to $40,000 or more at auction with the record of $160,000 in recent history for a cow.

- Most breeds of cattle fall into either beef or dairy. The Texas longhorn is a beef animal and is known for its lean beef, which is lower in fat, cholesterol and calories than most beef.


I felt a little under pressure to finish their longhorn before the hurricane season arrived - I didn't want to show up on their doorstep without the promised longhorn. So far, all's quiet on the Gulf and I hope it stays that way. (But I am looking forward to seeing Mama's portrait framed and hanging up at the ranch house).