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David Wayne Reynaud

@davidwaynecreates

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Went to sleep in Shreveport… woke up in Abilene… wondering why the hell I’m wanted some place halfway between! -Johnny Cash

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“The Ballad of John Henry pt I: The Nine Pound Hammer”

In some versions, it’s a nine-pound hammer… in others, it’s ten or twenty pounds. That’s how storytelling works across generations, you carve through a dozen or so versions of the same story until you find something resembling the truth. John Henry was a real man… a steel driving, freed slave seeking to earn his own way. It’s thought that the legend originates from the railroad construction near Talcott, West Virginia circa 1870. The world was changing, and America was changing with it. (To be continued.)

I hope you’ll all come and see the finished work @thecenterabilene and celebrate with me this Friday from 5-7. #american #artist by @davidwaynecreates

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a year ago

“The Ballad of John Henry pt II: The False Prophets”

(Continued) The industrial revolution began to shape the way jobs were done, and the C&O Railroad decided to downsize their workforce. Bringing in steam powered machines meant that many workers would no longer receive the 50 acres of that they were promised for completing the tracks.

As the legend goes, John challenges a steam drill to a race through a mountain… one man and his hammer against a machine. If John won, the workers would be allowed to keep their jobs. As I designed the machine operators, I thought of the Biblical story of Elijah. Elijah challenges prophets of Baal to a contest to see who could call down fire from heaven… a revelation as to who served the true God.

The machine itself is based on blueprints for the “Ingersoll Rock Drill”, an era- appropriate piece of equipment that could either move with the railroad tracks or be bolted into its environment. Many visual retellings depict the drill as bulkier or sort of clunkier, but I chose one that felt sleeker, more angular, and would fit in with the composition.

Perhaps referring to the men from the big corporation as “false prophets” is harsh and dramatic. All I know is that those boys weren’t union, and that was bad enough. (To be concluded)

I hope you’ll all come and see the finished work @thecenterabilene and celebrate with me this Friday from 5-7. #american #artist by @davidwaynecreates

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a year ago

“The Ballad of John Henry Pt III: Rest at Golgotha”

In the final moments of John Henry’s story, he beats the machine and then breathes his last. It’s thought that because of this, all of those people, including John’s wife Polly Ann, were kept on by the railroad company and actually awarded their promised land.

Philosopher Jeanette Bickell said it best:
“John Henry is a symbol of physical strength and endurance, of exploited labor, of the dignity of a human being against the degradations of the machine age, and of racial pride and solidarity”.

I hope you’ll all come and see the finished work TOMORROW NIGHT @thecenterabilene from 5-7 alongside work from some of Abilene’s finest. #american #artist by @davidwaynecreates

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a year ago

One of my illustration clients has been sending me photo references from the Coleman Rodeo and parades circa 1960, this clown (who performed under the name “Quail Dobbs” )was my favorite of the set. He’ll be making his triumphant debut TO-NIGHT at @thepeoplesplaza for First Fridays’s circus themed exhibition! #western #americana #artist by @davidwaynecreates

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12 days ago

Here’s a one-hour plein air study overlooking the Sunset Cliffs, in the only slightly sunny Southern California! #artist #americana taken in San Diego, California by @davidwaynecreates

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a month ago

A little trip recap from this summer’s collaboration with @calinamishay for @theavenuechurch down in Waxahatchie, Texas! #artists #americana by @davidwaynecreates

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2 months ago

“The Red Ghost of Arizona”

One of the stranger bits of American folklore, the legend began in 1883, when a woman was trampled to death near Eagle Creek. The story grew in to more of a myth over the next decade, as the average American at the time was unfamiliar with what a camel looked like!

#American #folklore #artist by @davidwaynecreates

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2 months ago

Come see the Abilene Kid paint LIVE here at the fabulous, trendy, and not to mention highly sought after Abilene SoDA district… To-night only for the spectacular @sodasocietyabilene stroll! Going until 11 PM tonight by @davidwaynecreates

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2 months ago

“The Tooth Fairy”

A staple of Cypress Street and now a character in two of my larger paintings, “Toothiana” is one of the most instantly recognizable storybook sculptures downtown. When side by side, you can tell that where she sits in both of these compositions is slightly different. In real life, she’s actually seated a few feet to the right, but that did’t make as good of a picture. All the subjects of a painting must be movable, because the subjects serve the composition, which must also be movable to serve the story. Ultimately, everything must serve the story. “Toothiana” being created by author @heybilljoyce (who hails from my hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana) and then sculpted by my college professor @stevenevesart felt like more than enough of a story thread for me to make her the main character!

#abilene #artist taken in Downtown Abilene by @davidwaynecreates

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2 months ago

@calinamishay took me to CHURCH this week with a collaboration here in Waxahatchie, Texas! I don’t know if y’all thought we’d ever see my signature “Reynaud” clouds share a wall with Cal’s iconic flowers, but it feels like a pairing that the folks back in the big country would be proud to witness. Thanks for having me on this one, Cal. I’d be proud to work with you anytime. by @davidwaynecreates

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3 months ago

✅ Fun little mural collab
with @davidwaynecreates finished up for the Avenue Church in Waxahachie Texas. So good to see old friends @lauriemcmo and meet some new faces.

David thank you so much for tagging along on this project and helping me get it knocked out !! Can’t wait to see what all you do 🚀 by @davidwaynecreates

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3 months ago

Installing the 10 foot long painting of the finished Cypress Street with @theshawnf ! #abilene #artist by @davidwaynecreates

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3 months ago