As a warm up we would like to present William (Paco) Hawkins and his "Speed Painting"videos.  Bill was the founder of  the Artesanos Coop originally in La Aduana  way back when.  Bill and his wife Carmen are in Alamos for a few months while processing for the adoption of their new daughter, Trinity.   In "Rolling Hills of Heaven" below, poet & one-time freestyle skiing champ William Hawkins plays and sings a good home-made tune with his daughter Marissa on this little bit of Americana while you watch him paint a humble hillside in central California.  (posted December of 2007)

       "I paint almost exclusively in an 'alla prima' style. That is painting in one sitting, fresh paint painted until complete. Some of my larger studio pieces and gallery work I build over time letting the paint dry and glazing over certain passages for desired effect. The spontaneity of painting with fresh paint though, allows me to do a lot of mixing right on the canvas and to get the feel I'm after. I try to paint from life as much as possible. It's a good practice for any artist and there is nothing like painting outdoors to sharpen your eye for color and light your hand for skill".

       Bill Hawkins