Tatton Baird

This work is part of my long term plein air project in the smaller towns of the southwest, where I have been traveling and painting for the last two years. It was begun in a hat shop in Springville, Utah called Tatton Baird.

Chandler and Covi at Tatton Baird were kind enough to let me spend a few days painting inside while they worked. Their work continues a long tradition. The main floor showroom is full of bowl and brim molds, many from the 1800s. They make hats to order for all tastes: fedoras, panamas, bowlers, homburgs, and cowboy hats to name a few. You can walk in, have your head measured in this inspiring space, and have a hat made to your exact specifications.

I used a limited palette for the painting, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and lead white. I changed the lighting in the scene from daylight to evening because I felt that the darker tones would evoke the mystery and craftsmanship of an old trade.