“Breakfast in Clarksdale”

I spotted this gentleman seated near the window as we walked into “Our Grandma’s House of Pancakes” in downtown Clarksdale. He seemed like such a gentle soul quietly having his breakfast - I knew immediately I wanted to paint him. The morning light coming through the window and shear curtains along with golden reflected light made for lots of shadows and contrasting colors. My brother-in-law “faux posed” for me while I snapped a few photos.

The folds and wrinkles in the plaid shirt were quite a challenge - and a very time-consuming one. I love the raw effect I get painting on board rather than canvas. Instead of gesso, I used chalkboard paint for the ground and added a lot of texture in the application. Drawing with colored-pencil (one of my favorite mediums) on black creates a beautiful base layer on which to paint. I hope you enjoy “Breakfast in Clarksdale” as much as I enjoyed painting it.

The guy in the blue shirt to the right is my brother-in-law, Steve. He “faux posed” for me while I photographed the gentleman behind him.