Susan Hediger-Matteson

Evening Color

2012-02-25T15:47:00.000-08:00

This was done earlier but left the studio before I could get a picture of it. Since it just came back I thought I would post it.

I am off to Scottsdale to attend a workshop by Aaron Allen Westerberg. I will try and post what I can from that workshop.

Woman Reading

2012-02-23T09:19:00.000-08:00

This is the second tonal sketch/painting of Mac from yesterday.

Woman Reading (Head Study)

2012-02-22T14:26:00.000-08:00

It is portrait Wednesday again. Today I brought my friend Mac to sit for us, a person I have long admired and wanted to paint. She is a fiesty 91 year old that looks and acts much younger than her years.

Sun and Snow

2012-02-21T10:57:00.000-08:00

Since it was a school holiday yesterday we went up to Telluride. While the family went skiing I wandered down near the park where I could walk along a cleared trail to find something to paint. Since the snow was up to the picnic table tops I decided to clear off a table top as my base of operations. Wading out to the table was rather interesting with a backpack on. Although it was about 15ºF, the sun was warm and sitting out of the wind made it rather nice on my perch.

Snowy Eve

2012-02-19T16:12:00.000-08:00

It has been snowing and the softness of evening, with the snow muting the landscape, has a zen like calm that I love to paint.

Marianne

2012-02-16T13:53:00.000-08:00

This is from portrait Wednesday. This has a full body to it but I am not happy with the lower half so I will probably just crop it to just this much. Last weeks effort got into an unfortunate accident and had to be wiped.

The Muddler Minnow

2012-02-11T09:41:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought this was a Woolly Bugger for the longest time, but I stand corrected, it is a Muddler Minnow. Love those names.

Wake Up Call

2012-02-02T17:15:00.000-08:00

I saw this in an antique store a while back and really liked how unusual it was. This is an old ringer box from an antique phone and somewhere in the 40's someone added a clock to it, hence the name.

David

2012-02-01T15:17:00.000-08:00

It's portrait Wednesday again. Today's model was David, a wonderful person and colorful character to boot! I haven't finished it but wanted to post it anyway.

Scary Kewpie

2012-01-30T16:01:00.000-08:00

I have been in a slump lately so I decided to do some small still life paintings to try and jump start myself. I set up at least 3 different scenes but wasn't pleased with any of them...then I looked up. There, staring down at me from the shelf above, lit from below like a horror flick was this Kewpie doll. I figured it is good perspective practice, figure practice, lighting practice, plus a little fun. This looks better in person, the photos I took just wouldn't cooperate.

Cinnamon

2012-01-25T16:27:00.000-08:00

Wednesdays are portrait day at the Durango Art Center and this is my effort for today. I always think of this as a practice so I don't get too wound up about it. I felt as if I had forgotten how to paint at all, these last several days, and wasn't going to go. I'm glad I did because it made me feel better just being in the group and kind of blowing the cobs out of my head.

Mossy Pond Too

2012-01-23T15:56:00.000-08:00

Since I have been stuck around the studio for the last few days I have been reevaluating some past pieces. In this piece I wanted rearrange the composition, to lessen the sky and raise the back edge of the pond. Someday I hope to find a pond with lilypads!

Lost Canyon Light

2012-01-14T14:33:00.000-08:00

This is a scene I have gone back to again and again, trying and capture it. Yesterday morning was about 10ºF when I started and today was just a little better, at 20ºF. I came up with a plan to park my car in such a way that I could sit, partially inside, with easel just outside the door. Although my hands and knees took the brunt of it, I did fairly well cold wise. Not the same for the rest of it. Oil paint tends to get thicker when it's that cold and so did my medium. It was a challenge, but just being there watching the morning light coming through the canyon illuminating this area was worth it in the end.

Learning the Ropes

2012-01-13T15:37:00.000-08:00

This is an update from an earlier post. I was unsure about the background and it made several changes before I was happy with it. Anything that sets around the studio for a while runs the risk of being changed or scraped and repainted.

Friend John

2012-01-12T12:46:00.000-08:00

When I am doing a portrait like this I like to get a model that is as authentic as possible. A former outfitter in Montana and Colorado and working with horses John fits this to a tee.

Mid Winter Shadows

2011-12-30T13:24:00.000-08:00

It is an absolutely gorgeous day out today. I got out a little late today and the mud was beginning to thaw out by the time I finished. I aquired about an inch or two of muck stuck to the bottom of my boots which made it hard to walk, it was extra sticky mud too, grass, leaves, twigs, ugh! This is one of my favorite old ranches in the area and I like the way the shadows fall across the hillside during winter.

Long View

2011-12-29T15:40:00.000-08:00

This is a view from the front of my house. I have painted it many times, but none ever really look the same.

Morning Glory

2011-12-28T17:03:00.000-08:00

I have been away on vacation for a while. I didn't paint as much as I wanted to, while I was gone, but I did get in some painting. This is a scene that greeted me almost every morning. Many people would come out to the beach and stand watching the sun rise. It was very similar to the scene where the angels would stand and watch the sun rise in the movie "City of Angels". This photo isn't the best because I had my small camera and had to shoot in the room.

A Dave Brown Tractor!

2011-12-09T12:46:00.000-08:00

This is another commission. The title describes the first words out of my mouth when I saw this tractor. I must have led a sheltered life because I had never seen one of these before. As I understand it, this was the leading tractor in the world during the early half of the last century. They must be much loved too because there is even a club for people who are fond of these tractors. Just a note: the umbrella was not a factory option!

Don and Howie

2011-12-07T14:29:00.000-08:00

This is a commissioned piece for a friend. When her neighbor is out working with his tractor, his buddy has to come along. Of course, Howie prefers it best when he gets a front row seat.

Grizzly

2011-12-01T08:22:00.000-08:00

I am working these small animal portraits up for a show opening at the Goodnight Trail Gallery on Dec. 16. There are several pieces, animal and landscape that will be available, if you are interested please click on the link above to get the contact information the for gallery.

Big Horn

2011-11-17T14:18:00.000-08:00

This one was a real challenge for me but that is why I thought I should try it. Although it looks washed out on the computer it is a little more colorful than what you see. I experimented with a limited palette of yellow ochre, cad. red med., ult. marine blue, burnt umber and white. This is a palette somewhat similar to what Anders Zorn used. I really like the way it turned out, I just hope I still like it tomorrow!

Autumn

2011-11-16T15:53:00.000-08:00

Today was portrait day in Durango. I love doing people but it is soooo easy to get one thing out of place and everyone will notice, it is not for the feint of heart. Still doing figure or portrait is a great way to practice.

Brown Trout Redeux

2011-11-15T17:46:00.000-08:00

This is a colorized version of my Brown Trout sketch from a much earlier post. I had always wanted to do a color version but just couldn't figure out how until now. I had done this as a preliminary sketch for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for their Salmon stamp back in 2005. I had to change the final because the Michigan Lake run of Browns, I was informed, are not as colorful or spotted. Wow, the things you learn doing this kind of work!

Drum Raven

2011-11-13T15:13:00.000-08:00

I haven't done any drawing in a long time and wanted to work on this idea for a painting. This is another one of those ravens that hang around West Yellowstone, like the drawing Cold Raven that I did much earlier.

Quietude

2011-11-07T09:14:00.000-08:00

This piece has been hanging around for at least a year in my studio. It was running the risk of getting painted over until I went back to the site again, with similar conditions and got a new feel for it. I was listening to some wonderful quiet piano music, which seemed to exemplify the quietness of this scene, hence the name.

Light in the Storm

2011-11-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

This is a larger work than I ususally do. I headed up to the pass to catch an early snowfall (what was I thinking, I have 5 more months of this!) and this is what I found. I painted a smaller 10 x 12, plein air, to capture the color and essence of this scene. It was about 38 degrees at that time with a good wind. I used my SUV to block what wind I could and eventually ended up in the back end of the truck with just my easel outside. I finally had to stop when I found my hands not working well and having a hard time thinking because I was so cold. I have done a few touch ups since this picture but this is pretty close.

Incoming Fog

2011-11-03T15:46:00.000-07:00

I went to a workshop a couple of weeks ago and am just now getting around to posting. This is along the California coast and though I was excited about the fog, that sentiment wasn't shared by most of my colleagues. I think it is mostly because I don't get to see that sort of thing very often where I live and I like the mystery that fog creates.

Mike Barr, a wonderful Australian painter, had taken a lovely coastal painting of his, and cropped it to make a better composition. I thought that was a fabulous idea and I used that technique on my piece.

Church Rock

2011-10-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

This natural prominent outcrop of sandstone is called Church Rock. In the 1930's, I am told, a religious group decided to make this valley home with the high hopes of carving a grand church inside of this chunk of rock. In spite of grand hopes, all that is left of that dream is a 20 x 16 foot hole at the base which, as I understand, was dug with only their hands. It is still a commanding site when traveling along Hwy. 160, in southern Utah.

Mountain Highlights

2011-10-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

We are now getting the first snows of the season. It had snowed earlier in the day but we were lucky that the clouds broke and gave us some wonderful views to paint. When I looked back as we were coming down off of the mountain, dark clouds had moved back in laying even more snow on these peaks.

Fall in the Canyon

2011-10-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

I have been painting, a lot, these last couple of weeks but haven't taken the time to post any of the better ones. This scene was up the river from Dolores on the same beautiful ranch as the prior post. The cattle were hanging under and near the trees which I felt really added to this scene.

Foreshadows of Fall

2011-09-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

The leaves are starting to change with splashes of color here and there on the cottonwoods. I had painted this same area a couple of years ago and wanted to try it again. The light funnels through the Dolores canyon early in the morning and casts dramatic lighting on these trees, the cattle were an added bonus.

Lady with the Red Earring

2011-09-22T08:49:00.000-07:00

Every Wednesday is an open portrait group in Durango, which I have recently been attending. I haven't done any portraits in oil for a very long time and most are not worthy of seeing. This was yesterdays attempt and since I like it enough I thought I would post it.

Old Timer

2011-09-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

The gentleman that cuts our hay has this really great old tractor that I just love. I was in luck today because he left it sitting here last night and I jumped on the chance, first thing this morning, to paint it. It kind of reminds me of a red grasshopper. I highly suspect that cushy seat is not a standard issue on these things.

The Old Church

2011-09-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

This is an old church over in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. I was close enough to the hot springs, and down wind, to catch a whiff of that strong sulfur smell while I painted this. Luckily the wind would change from time to time.

Last of the Red Hot Lovers

2011-09-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

Still having some fun with those Thai Dragon Peppers.

Mossy Pond

2011-09-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

This pond is next to Rudy's Barn and I have been wanting to paint it for some time. I love the moss on top with reflections in the water peeking through.

DPW "Challenge of the Heart"

2011-08-31T16:02:00.000-07:00

click here to bid

Daily Paintworks is doing a fundraiser called "Challenge of the Heart" for the children of Africa. The UN has said up to 400,000 children in the Horn of Africa could die without aid and up to 11 million people require food assistance. I am donating 100% of the profit from this sale, minus shipping costs, to the Doctors Without Borders in Dabaad, Kenya to help these children.

This is a portrait I did of a model from a workshop I took a few years ago. I loved drawing her.

Dragon Hang Time

2011-08-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

click here to bid

The local market had these beautiful Thai Dragon peppers that I just had to paint. Although some do look like dragons, I believe it is their "fire breathing" effects that give them their name.

The Goodnight Trail Gallery

2011-08-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

Winter Light

8 x 6

Early Risers

8 x 10

I was honored to have these two pieces included in a landscape show featuring Veryl Goodnight and Carole Cooke's work at the Goodnight Trail Gallery. If you are interested in either of these pieces please visit or call the gallery at: 970.533.1177.

As a reminder, Carole still has a couple of openings for her class next week in Pagosa Springs. She is a wonderful painter and Pagosa is a beautiful place to paint! For information about the class please click here. You can also call the Goodnight Gallery to sign up.

Shady Rest

2011-08-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

We have been in Canon City, CO. for the last three days. I have been painting up the Arkansas River, which is absolutely gorgeous, but nothing good has come of my efforts. Since it wasn't going well I wandered, dejected, over to the Royal Gorge which is a spectacular site. One of the highest suspension bridges in the world, it can curl your toes when you look over the sides. They have a nice animal park on the south side of the bridge so I decided to spend some time sketching them instead. The bull elk are starting to shed their velvet, looking magnificent, but the smell of rotting flesh was something I didn't expect. The photo is not the best but I am doing this "on the run".

Summer Monsoons

2011-08-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

I saw this coming home yesterday and just had to paint it. Since my Open Box M doesn't accept panels beyond a certain length, I held the panel in my lap and painted what I could to capture the image. I never get tired of watching the weather over Mesa Verde and how it transforms the landscape. The summer monsoons have been wonderful for the rain on the fields and also the inspiring vistas.

Sunflowers

2011-07-22T17:59:00.000-07:00

I guess everyone gets the desire to do sunflowers at one time or another. I had put these in my favorite blue lock top jar and found I must try to paint this. I wish it had been looser but maybe next time.

Here is an in progress photo with my $45 easel from a local antique store.

Cowboy Study

2011-07-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

I have been planning on doing a painting of cowboys at work. I got this photo from a cattle drive just up the river from Dolores.

Wilson Arch

2011-07-09T18:17:00.000-07:00

This is just above Wilson Arch looking down. I have always been fascinated by the shadows that creep up the sides of the red rock cliffs as the sun sets creating wonderful contrasts.

Springtime in the Rockies (revisited)

2011-07-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

The first posting of this was what was finished in the field. This is with the touch-ups that were needed.

Spring at Dallas Peak

2011-07-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

This was another painting from my trip with Veryl and Carole. It needed a little touch up before I could post it. This may not technically be Dallas peak but if it isn't it is right next to it. I loved the lights and shadows on the mountain and snow.

Since I am on the subject, I would also like to tell you about a landscape class Carole Cooke is going to be doing here in southwest Colorado. She is a fabulous landscape painter (see picture below) and I am looking forward to taking her class as well. If you are interested in taking her class, here are the particulars and a link to sign up!

Note: I am having trouble posting all of the information because of some formatting issue but the link should take you to her site so you can sign up.

Carole Cooke Workshop

PLEIN AIR PAINTING

"BOOT CAMP"

August 24 thru 26th, 2011
Mancos, Colorado

Location:
Mancos is located in the beautiful mountains of Southwestern Colorado.

Workshop Dates:
August 24, 25 and 26
9 am to 4 pm

Cost:
$375

Reserve Your Space:
Phone - 970.731.2015 or Email through this web site.

Please include your name, address, telephone number and some examples of your work or a website link and a short paragraph as to what you hope to gain from the class.

Students are responsible for their own transportation, meals and lodging. Information of local accommodations, restaurants, directions, logistics, class schedule and supply list will be provided upon registration.

Setting up for the Art Walk

2011-07-02T09:32:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to post for the last few weeks mostly because of getting things ready for haying, ridding the property of some of the weeds and entering shows.

Today I am in Denver at the Cherry Creek Art Walk. Saks Gallery wanted some of the Plein Air Artists of Colorado to paint in the area to promote the show. I got up early and found this scene of sun lit tents to do my warm up on. It is really distracting because there are some really amazing artists and I am definitely going back for a look when everyone is open. It still needs some touch up spots but I think I got the gist of it.

PAAC Show at Saks

2011-06-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

Next Friday is the opening for the PAAC (Plein Air Artists of Colorado) show at Saks Galleries in Denver. There are many incredibly talented artists in this show and it is really worth a look. I was humbled and honored to be juried in this year with two of my paintings, "First Snow" and "Scattered Show Showers" (below). Although I can't make it for the opening, I do hope to be there over the 4th of July weekend. The show is only up for a short time so if you are in the area, please come by and see the show. We'd love to see you there!

First Snow

Scattered Snow Showers

Springtime in the Rockies

2011-06-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to be invited to go plein air painting with Veryl Goodnight and Carole Cooke. Two incredible artists who happen to be the nicest of people as well. We met up in Ridgeway, Colorado and used it as our base camp to explore the incredible scenery around there. The weather was absolutely perfect, we couldn't have asked for better weather. I only got three paintings that were acceptable...I was a little nervous around such great talent.

This was done yesterday and still needs some touch-up but I was happy with it anyway.

Brown's Old Farmstead

2011-06-13T08:09:00.000-07:00

This is another study from Illinois. This great old farmstead used to be owned by the Browns. As the family scattered and the old folks aged, it was in danger of falling into ruin. Recently a new family has bought it and fixed it up. I was glad to see this familiar sight back to its former glory.

Morning Haze

2011-06-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

I got up before sunrise and went out to paint. There was a heavy haze in the air that is always great for that feeling of atmosphere. It is hot and sticky during the day so going out early works well for me. I am using my small camera and I can't seem to get a clearer shot.

Castles in the Desert

2011-06-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

This is another quickie from our road trip. This is just south of Wellington, Utah.

I am traveling back to my parents farm, hopefully I will get some time to paint.

Spring in Price Canyon

2011-06-02T11:21:00.000-07:00

This is another sketch of a scene I did while riding in the car. This is just out of Price, Utah heading on Hwy. 6 toward Soldier Summit. These are all "quickies" since we were on the move and I wanted to note the scene. I just couldn't resist trying to capture what I could.

Book Cliffs

2011-05-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

We were traveling up to Park City, UT, and on the way we passed the Book Cliffs. Clouds were rolling in and the lighting was beautiful, highlighting and darkening the cliffs in various areas. My iced tea substituted for water. This was quickie, painted in the car, on the move. (I promise, I wasn't driving!)

An Old Crazy Crawler

2011-05-16T16:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted as often lately. I am working on a commission right now but hope do be done with it soon. It is a present so I can't post it yet. I will try and at least post some "quickies" in between.

I had picked up this old lure from a yard sale in Dolores. It has some paint missing and scuffs that, I like to think, was from some huge fish it caught. Carved from wood, hand painted and applied decals it reminds me of the lures in my dad's old fishing box, a very nice memory.

Young Fancy Dancer

2011-05-03T17:15:00.000-07:00

This youngster was a "fancy dancer" last year at the Cortez Cultural Center. Those feathers bounce and flow as they dance, it is quite a treat to see.

Cat Skull and Bowl

2011-05-02T18:04:00.000-07:00

I had a hard time getting going this morning and nothing was coming easy. I finally settled on this scene to work on white objects. Hopefully I'll get some sleep tonight and be better tomorrow.

To The Very Last

2011-04-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

I found this pencil in my son's school things. It couldn't go into a sharpener because there was not enough to hold on to. I had to laugh, how he could even write with it!

Salt Shaker and Spoon

2011-04-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

I need to practice and I haven't done any glass or shiny things lately so this seemed to fit.

Buffalo Study

2011-04-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been out for the last week and a half, so I didn't get a chance to do any painting. This is my warm up after being away so long. It took me three tries just to get something even acceptable. There's a bit of glare off of the paint from the photo too.

My Neighbor's Rooster

2011-04-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

This was my neighbor's rooster until he got too cocky and so became dinner. (Sorry, had to say it.) His tail was scraggly like that because he was young.

This is from an older post but it fit for the challenge. I submitted this for the DPW Challenge since I hadn't been able to participate lately.

Morning Light Surprise

2011-04-13T13:17:00.000-07:00

Well "The Crowd" was back this morning and lingered for a long time close to the house and on the hill, where this scene is. I love watching them play. One youngster was harassing a magpie, making him fly several times. I guess the magpie didn't mind either or he would have flown away farther.

The trees are hotter than they look in the painting. I guess I need to adjust my camera.

Lookin' for Work

2011-04-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted one of these '51 GM trucks with the rounded windows in the back corners. This may be as close as I am getting for a while.

I've been wiping a lot of paintings lately and even though this painting has "issues", I need a win, even if it is only "close".

Elk Sketch

2011-04-11T17:54:00.000-07:00

The "Morning Crowd" was back again this morning so I sat and did these quick gestural drawings of them. They move a lot, so quick is the key word. This morning was a special treat because they stayed in sight until the sun hit them, which was gorgeous. they are usually gone before the sun hits the field. I did the sketches and some photos, hoping that maybe tomorrow morning I can set up and paint them...quickly.

Sunny Day at Lover's Point

2011-04-05T11:39:00.001-07:00

I signed up for a Brian Blood workshop that was a couple of weekends ago and it also happened to be spring break for my son. We all stayed in Monterey while I was at the workshop and then went on to San Francisco for a few days. Wow, there were all kinds of things to paint! I really love this area and am always willing to return. I will try and post most what I experienced this week.

I absolutely love Brian's work and he is a good teacher too. This piece was done during the workshop. Though the landscape was the major thrust of this workshop, I couldn't resist this guy fishing right in front of me. He was catching fish too, boy, was that distracting!

Spring!

2011-03-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

This is an illustration by Maxfield Parrish and it really hit a chord with me. I know exactly how this guy feels. Hope you all have a great spring!

Coyote Study

2011-03-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

This is a study of a coyote for a larger painting I plan to do. This fellow lived at the Beartooth Nature Center in Red Lodge, MT. They rescue injured and problem animals that would otherwise have been euthanized. If you're ever near there please visit them and support their good work.

The reds came out a lot hotter in the photo than they are on the painting.

Coming Through the Blizzard

2011-03-16T17:41:00.000-07:00

I actually saw this about a week or so ago. The Ute Mountain tribe maintains a herd of buffalo between here and Mancos. It was snowing hard and the herd was moving back toward shelter. They were like ghosts drifting in and out of sight in the distance.

A Drink at Last Light

2011-03-16T17:36:00.000-07:00

This is an update from an earlier post. I had been thinking of adding a moose to this scene and when I showed it to Veryl she made the same suggestion. Ironically, I think I am the only person to never see a moose in Yellowstone National Park and I always looked hard in moose meadow!

Kestrel

2011-03-09T14:54:00.000-08:00

I am still working on some deadlines coming up at the end of the month so I haven't been posting lately. One of the shows coming up is a wildlife show so I did this kestrel portrait as a warm up. I see these little guys all over out here. I think they are one of the more beautifully colored raptors.

The Morning Crowd

2011-02-28T06:33:00.000-08:00

This herd of elk (wapiti) greeted me this morning when I got up. If you look back in my postings to the painting "Night Passage" this is in that same view. ( I wasn't making it up about the deer in "Night Passage".) Usually it is mule deer out there but today was a special treat.

I am working on some deadlines and larger paintings right now and haven't been able to post as much. Hope to get back to it soon.

Popeye!

2011-02-24T11:49:00.000-08:00

My son loves to play "popeye" as well as "slug bug". A game where you punch others, in the shoulder, when you see a car with a headlight out. Slug Bug is similar but it is when you see a VW Bug. In my son's particular game, the rules can sometimes change, suddenly, and new things can be added. I have advised him this could go badly for him!

The Zippo Challenge

2011-02-23T10:49:00.000-08:00

This is another Daily Paintworks Challenge, this time lead by member Michael Naples. We were challenged to paint a photo of a zippo lighter in only burnt sienna, ultramarine blue and white. This is a great way to learn working in a limited palette. Anders Zorn also worked in a limited palette of black, red, yellow ochre and white. This keeps the artist from getting too "happy" with those wonderful bright colors we have available today. I chose to do the image cropped to highlight the industrial design aspect of the working end of these lighters, which I found appealing.

Hanging Rose

2011-02-18T13:49:00.000-08:00

This is another entry in the Daily Paintworks Challenge, hosted this week by Qiang Huang.

I have been a little slow at getting this entry in. This rose has been waiting in my studio since last Sunday and was starting to look rather sad. Hanging, helped counter that droopy look that it was starting to take on.

Night Passage

2011-02-17T10:30:00.000-08:00

Last night a couldn't sleep, I heard the dog whining, I hadn't fed or put her up. As I walked to her pen I was blown away with the night sky. These beautiful fluffy clouds rimmed with white from the moon, floating in a dome of stars. Though the deer weren't right there last night, I had seen them trailing across our field like this many times before.

My life has been in chaos lately, so I haven't been posting as much. I hope to get back at it soon.

Sunrise in Paradise Valley

2011-02-11T11:40:00.000-08:00

I did this from a photo I took when visiting my old home in Paradise Valley, MT.

Strawberry

2011-02-10T13:45:00.000-08:00

My son got some strawberries yesterday and I thought they were too pretty not to paint one. I sat it on an old canvas carrier I found in an antique store.

Sunset Memory

2011-02-09T16:09:00.000-08:00

I've had an awful headache today so I only painted a little. I decided to do a memory painting since I have seen Sonya Johnson and Mark Hanson do one. Obviously, their memories are better than mine. I did this very small and quick.

Snow Goose

2011-02-08T13:33:00.000-08:00

This beast is called the Galloping Goose, this one resides in downtown Dolores. These were used to take mail and passengers up to mining towns like Ophir, Rico and Telluride. They are kind of a combination of old truck and train car, a wonderful glimpse into Colorado's past.

Cherry Swirl

2011-02-07T14:11:00.000-08:00

This is the next in the Daily Paintworks Challenge - The 10 minute challenge. We are to do about 8 small squares of just ONE subject. Each square should only be 10 minutes. This has been a great practice and it was HARD not to get bogged down. Oooh, that Carol is tough, but a great teacher! The first two I got some of the cherry or shadow color tracked into the background color so they were a little over but the last was probably 7 minutes.

Brown Trout sketch

2011-02-04T17:07:00.000-08:00

I have been working on a larger painting the last two days but I am not happy with it and am too embarrassed to post it.

Instead I will post another old drawing of mine. This sketch was for the Illinois Lake Michigan Salmon Stamp, I think 2005. This is the preliminary drawing to be ok'd for the finished work. I learned that this is more of a "river" type of Brown Trout. Lake run Browns are less spotted, mostly silver bodies with dark blue/black on top of the dorsal area. Since I wasn't lucky enough to catch one myself, the conservation guys sent me a photo of a behemoth Brown they brought up. I am guessing somewhere just over 20 inches. Those conservation guys have all the fun.

Scattered Snow Showers

2011-02-02T15:32:00.000-08:00

The title pretty much sums up the day. It is bitter cold today and the wind wasn't helping that any. I was lucky enough to paint this view out my front window. Mesa Verde was shrouded in the background by a huge snowstorm.

The photograph could be better but my eyes kept tearing up from the cold so that I couldn't see, I settled on this one.

The Diehard

2011-02-01T13:53:00.000-08:00

I love to fish, but this fella really loves to fish. He was ice fishing during a snowstorm at Summit Lake.

'Ol 55

2011-01-31T14:31:00.000-08:00

$70.00 + 10 shipping

Carol Marine is doing a Daily Paintworks Challenge and I decided it would be good practice to participate. She is a woman of boundless energy and an amazing talent. Click the links above to see Carol's work and the "Challenge" to see all the entries.

I believe this car is a 1955 Chrysler Imperial, possibly a coupe. If it is not please let me know. Lots of cars from this era sported fins and chrome with that "Buck Rogers" look.

Going Topless

2011-01-29T09:29:00.000-08:00

There are tons of old cars and trucks hanging out around this county, they just seem to exude character. I grew up driving old (50's - 70's) trucks to school and really miss their smell and sounds.

Retired or Just Tired?

2011-01-28T08:02:00.000-08:00

I found this great old truck sitting back by some abandoned trailers. I could see that it had worked hard most of its life and was finally parked here, whether retired or just tired out. I got this saying from some old friends many years ago, their business card read "Frank - retired, Magritte - just tired". A couple of really great people.

The Assessment

2011-01-27T06:42:00.000-08:00

This is an older drawing of mine. I am on jury duty right now so I thought I would post this instead.

This young lady was acting in a play for my son's school project. She was checking her makeup at the time I took the picture of her, it always makes me laugh.

Early Risers

2011-01-25T15:35:00.000-08:00

I have been after this scene for at least a week. I love being out in the moonlight and especially with snow. It transforms the landscape in such wonderful ways. I'll probably do a larger version of this one.

Wishing for Spring

2011-01-24T16:29:00.000-08:00

I have had this onion hanging around my studio since last fall. I noticed a few days ago that it was going to sprout, soil or no soil...or water, anticipating spring. I understand that completely.

The Hay Field

2011-01-22T11:58:00.000-08:00

This is from a photo I took when I was passing through the Swan Valley in Idaho. I really liked the graphic quality of this view.

I hope to get back to Moon over the La Platas soon.

Deer Skull

2011-01-22T09:53:00.000-08:00

Since I didn't get an acceptable post in for the last two days I thought I might post one of my old pieces. This skull came from a man in Pinckneyville, IL who made knives with antler handles. It was buried in a box of antlers, unloved and uncared for. He was kind enough to sell it to me and I have loved and cared for it ever since. This Whitetail would be considered an 11 point in the midwest, a 6 and 5 out west.

Lilyrose

2011-01-19T16:36:00.000-08:00

This is Lilyrose. She is a very sweet dog of the "Heinz 57" breeding. She has been a real challenge to paint that wild, wiry hair, a first for me. Fun and scary all at the same time.

Dexter

2011-01-18T16:40:00.000-08:00

A couple good friends of mine just had birthdays and I wanted to do portraits of their beloved dogs for a present. This character is Dexter, an Italian greyhound. He is usually a perpetual motion machine but I was lucky to catch him in a brief quiet moment. This is probably one of my favorite paintings. I hope the other comes out as well.

Moonrise over the La Platas (in progress 4)

2011-01-12T15:58:00.000-08:00

I just replaced #3 with #4 to save space. I am having trouble with my wifi so I didn't get a chance to post this yesterday. I am working much slower now, taking time to sit back more often and assess what to do next. When I was doing commercial work, I didn't always get that luxury because of deadlines.

Waiting for the Bus

2011-01-10T16:33:00.000-08:00

I took a photo of this scene in Denver a couple of years ago. I really liked this image and always wanted to work it into a painting.

Moonrise over the La Platas (in progress 2)

2011-01-09T14:36:00.000-08:00

Didn't get as much done as I had hoped. I hate stopping for too long because I get out of the zone. I will continue to work on this during the week.

Moonrise over the La Platas (in progress)

2011-01-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

I decided to work on a large painting today. This is an "in progress" photo. I had some people asking to see the process I go through. I am hoping to work on it as much as I can tonight because my weekend is kind of full and I won't be able to get back to it as soon as I want to. I'll warn you, I am still learning and this may not the best way to start.

Winter's Light

2011-01-06T13:11:00.000-08:00

I had been wanting to play with the blue shadows that are cast across the snow. This is a tricky scene to catch with the whites and darks, things can really get mucked up rather quickly.

This is another scene up at Barlow Creek.

Moose in Velvet

2011-01-05T17:12:00.000-08:00

I am planning on putting a moose in one of my paintings and thought I should sketch one for practice. This is from a photo friend Veryl loaned me. Antlers are a real challenge and I needed the "mental floss" they provided. I found I am really rusty at working in graphite too.