'Ol 55

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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)

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)

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

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

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.

Old Dodge in Telluride

I saw this great old truck in an alley in Telluride.  I liked the way the snow covered it giving it even more character.

Storm at Barlow Creek

I took time off over the holidays and now it's back to work!

I was away over Christmas and got back just in time for a whopper of a storm.  It dumped at least two feet around the house.  This is up above Rico, Colorado at Barlow Creek.  I liked the sun peeking between the clouds and the snow fading the hills.