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Brandon Urban

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My First Painting
« on: September 09, 2014, 06:39:25 PM »
I was lucky enough to be in the same flight with Josh Bills and Brian Finn at this year's 5th Major. I didn't know it at the time, but besides being a damn good golfer, Josh is one hell of an artist. I took a pretty cool photo in the early morning hours of my Hundred Hole Hike this year with no one around but me. After seeing Josh's work on Facebook, I asked if he'd be interested in painting it for me. I just received the finished product today and it is beautiful. It will always remind me of a perfect, peaceful morning in the sand hills of Nebraska. Paintings can definitely capture the soul of a golf course.
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181 holes at Ballyneal on June, 19th, 2017. What a day and why I love golf - http://www.hundredholehike.com/blogs/181-little-help-my-friends

Tommy Williamsen

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2014, 07:57:31 PM »
Is that a Martin guitar I see?
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Brian Finn

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2014, 09:08:20 PM »
That is really beautiful.  Josh has a gift.  I still can't believe he only started painting in January!
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Jon Cavalier

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2014, 01:24:06 AM »
Wow. That is gorgeous.
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David Stamm

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2014, 09:14:59 AM »
Very beautiful! A modern day Harry Rowntree perhaps?
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"The object of golf architecture is to give an intelligent purpose to the striking of a golf ball."- Max Behr

Josh Bills

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2014, 09:48:43 AM »
Brandon thank you for sharing.  Actually I did just start in January after I turned 40 in November.  Something I always wanted to do and just decided it was time.  I did take art in high school, but even my high school art teacher was pleasantly surprised at the results.  No classes, just watched stuff online and decided to just start painting.

The first golf course painting I did was for my father of Pebble Beach.  My two brothers and my dad enjoyed a wonderful round there and my Dad shot 76 that day, what a memorable trip.  Started out just to paint courses I had photographed and Brandon's is the first one I have painted from someone else's photo.  It is 16x24 oil on canvas and I hated to send it off truthfully as he took a very cool photo and I could easily have kept that one for myself.

Here is my first one for my father of Pebble Beach's 6th.



Sent this one of Pacific Dunes to a fellow golfer who was kind enough to include me in a round at an unbelievable course.



One of my favorite paintings so far is of the 2nd at Ballybunion Old



I enjoy painting and just need to find more time to do it!  Between work, kids and actually trying to golf, never enough time in the day. 

Josh
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Josh Bills

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2014, 10:17:55 AM »
Quote from: Brian_S on September 10, 2014, 09:16:43 AM
Edit: Oops, wrong Josh. I was thinking the styles were different...

Brian,

Yes, I am not Josh Smith, his cover for the New Confidential Guide is without a doubt- amazing.  Hopefully people will enjoy my work and style as well. 

Josh Bills  ;D
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Scott Szabo

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2014, 10:22:16 AM »
Amazing work Josh. 
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"So your man hit it into a fairway bunker, hit the wrong side of the green, and couldn't hit a hybrid off a sidehill lie to take advantage of his length? We apologize for testing him so thoroughly." - Tom Doak, 6/29/10

Eric Smith

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #8 on: September 10, 2014, 10:28:47 AM »
Yours is a beauty for sure, Brandon, but I am partial to the one Josh did for me. :-)

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Greg Clark

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #9 on: September 10, 2014, 11:09:53 AM »
Well done Josh.  I also enjoyed playing with Josh and Brian at Dismal River.  I didn't enjoy your putt on #4 too much however.  ;D
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Josh Bills

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #10 on: September 10, 2014, 11:18:59 AM »
Greg,

That may have been the only putt I made that whole major, sorry.  My partner was taking care of business most of the time for our team, just ask Lou.  ;D

Josh
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Josh Bills

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #11 on: October 05, 2014, 02:49:15 PM »
Here are my latest oil paintings on canvas from the 15th hole on the White Course at Dismal River (20x30 inches). 



I have also finished this one looking from the back of the 11th green on the Red Course, with 10 green just visible and the clubhouse and cabins in the distance (20x24 inches). 



Such a beautiful spot, if you have the chance I would recommend taking time to be a part of the 5th Major and enjoy the courses yourself. 
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Brian Finn

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #12 on: April 19, 2015, 05:05:11 PM »
Today I received this original painting of Maidstone's 14th by gca's own Josh Bills, and I felt compelled to share.  His work is outstanding.  I feel very lucky to own this piece.

« Last Edit: April 19, 2015, 05:09:21 PM by Brian Finn »
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Chris_Hufnagel

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #13 on: April 19, 2015, 05:21:07 PM »
As someone who took up golf course landscape painting this winter as a way to stay close to the game and pass the cold, dark months here in Michigan, I just wanted to say how wonderful these paintings are and how difficult it is to do. After sitting in front of a white canvas with tubes of paint in front of me, I can say I have a new found appreciation for all of you...
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cary lichtenstein

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #14 on: April 19, 2015, 05:35:39 PM »
I am an artist as well, and I can tell you that this work is excellent
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Live Jupiter, Fl, was  4 handicap, played top 100 US, top 75 World. Great memories, no longer play, 4 back surgeries. I don't miss a lot of things about golf, life is simpler with out it. I miss my 60 degree wedge shots, don't miss nasty weather, icing, back spasms. Last course I played was Augusta

Josh Bills

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #15 on: April 19, 2015, 07:53:32 PM »
Brian,

Thank you for the kind words, and I'm happy you like it.  A special Thanks to Jon Cavalier who provided the photograph.  Jon has been kind enough to share his talent, including this one of the 17th at Merion which he permitted me to paint as well.  12x36 oil on canvas.



There are plenty of Jon's great photos I hope to be able to paint. 

Bill McKinley was kind enough to allow me to paint his great shot of the clubhouse and 18th fairway at NGLA as well. 20x30 inch oil on canvas.



Here is one I completed of my photo of Dismal's 18th hole on the Red Course as well.  20x24 inch oil on canvas.



Brian and others, thank you, your kind words are much appreciated. 

Josh
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Jeff Taylor

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #16 on: April 20, 2015, 09:10:28 AM »
All those years you sat on that talent. Amazing. It appears you are making up for lost time. Good for you.
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Frank Giordano

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #17 on: April 20, 2015, 02:40:06 PM »
Here's an image of my first golf painting, #2 at Bandon Trails.  I'd never painted golf scapes before 2007, although I'd painted several landscapes since taking up painting in 2004.

I found I liked doing courses, so I painted the Himalayas hole at St. Enodoc later on.

My most recent paintings are of the Biarritz hole and the Short hole at Fishers Island.  Both are based on the fine photos Jon Cavalier has posted on this site and granted me permission to use as references.  I've done an entire portfolio of paintings of Cabot Links, thanks to Ran's offering permission to use his photos.

All but the Fishers Island works are in the Best of Golf section of the GOLFCLUBATLAS.COM website.  I'll post Fishers Island here, if I can ever figure how to get images from photobucket onto this thread.

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MCirba

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #18 on: April 20, 2015, 04:01:05 PM »
Josh,

Thanks for sharing and I'll reiterate what others have said about their quality.   The one from the 17th green at Merion is particularly striking in capturing the mood down there in the quarry. 
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Frank Giordano

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #19 on: April 22, 2015, 03:11:17 PM »
Thanks to the technical skills and generosity of Benjamin Litman, I'm now able to post "My first painting" and a few later ones, including my recent Fishers Island works.  I've painted from photos supplied by Wood Sabold, Bandon Resort's photographer, Simon Pain of St Enodoc, Jon Cavalier (both Fisher's Island photos) and my own picture of the "new" Pinehurst #2 ninth hole.

Bandon Trails


St. Enodoc


Fishers Island




Pinehurst No. 2

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Howard Riefs

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #20 on: April 22, 2015, 05:04:04 PM »
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"Golf combines two favorite American pastimes: Taking long walks and hitting things with a stick."  ~P.J. O'Rourke

George Pazin

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #21 on: April 22, 2015, 05:25:24 PM »
Damn good stuff, well played Josh and Frank.
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Jon Cavalier

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #22 on: April 22, 2015, 11:48:07 PM »
I cannot tell you how honored I am to have had my photos play a small role in these amazing works of art created by Frank and Josh.

Frank: your painting of the Fishers Island Biarritz was the first painting anyone has ever done from one of my snapshots, and it's incredible. The photographs that you used for that painting and the one of the Fishers Island Short (both of which you included above) are two of my favorite photos, and to see them turned into such impressive paintings is humbling, and I'm very grateful you thought enough of my photos to use them in your work.

Josh: as you know from our many offline discussions, I absolutely adore your paintings of the 14th at Maidstone and the 17th at Merion, both of which also happen to be among my favorite par-3s in all of golf. But among your many outstanding works, I think my favorite is the painting you did of Tilly's Redan at Somerset Hills. I hope you don't mind, but I've pasted that painting below. Like I've told you before and others on this board have said, I'm very happy that you've discovered and are using this impressive talent, and I can't wait to see more.



You're both welcome to paint my photos any time.
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Colin Macqueen

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Re: My First Painting
« Reply #23 on: April 23, 2015, 03:26:35 AM »
Gentlemen,

I think the paintings on display are excellent.  However I haven't played any of the holes depicted so my question is this.

Do the golfers here who have played the holes on display feel that the paintings are evocative? And if so what feelings are brought to the fore?

I'm not trying to be smart as I very much admire the paintings. I am genuinely interested in the feelings that the paintings muster in golfers who have actually played the holes.

Cheers Colin
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