Stragglers

     This is the larger, finished painting I did from the small study that I posted earlier.  I think this is such a great area of the country, particularly, because it still has remnant scenes of the old west.  I think this is one of my favorites.

Fall Glory

    I have been wanting to paint some of the fall trees around here.   Catching some horses in the shade was the icing for me!  The cottonwoods are glorious at my elevation right now.  The hardest part for me is the golden color.  They are so spectacular you want to paint that color, but when you do it looks all wrong.  I went out yesterday and painted, wiping two times, so I quit.  Today, I tried again and this time it worked much better.

Stragglers (study)

     This small sketch is from the other day.  I am now working this into a larger painting.  This is a wonderful part of the west that is still going on here.  It is that time when cowboys move the cattle from the mountains back to the lower fields.  Although cattle will come down on their own if their owners don't come and get them.  On this rainy day a few stragglers are being brought back to the herd.  This young cowboy was soaked!

Aspen Light sketch

  This is a sketch I did of backlit aspens.  I love the patterns of light and dark they created.  It has been a challenge to try and capture this scene.

Shem Creek Before Sunrise

     I have been out for the past two weeks exploring parts of the east coast that I haven't seen.  First, I went to Charleston, SC to see the American Impressionists Society show at the M Gallery there.  It was a spectacular show in a beautiful gallery.  I had never been in Charleston before and it was as fabulous as everyone had told me.  Southern hospitality at its finest.  I think I gained a few pounds but loved every minute of it.  I also made a new friend...and award winner, Za Vue, a wonderful artist.  I liked her even before she won the Presidents Award!  Even though I had an 8 hour drive the next morning to drive back up to Virginia, Za convinced me to go to the paint out in the morning...at 7 am.  I was glad I did.  There were dozens of potential paintings all the way to our meeting spot.  This is at the Shem Creek preserve before the sun got very high.  It's a bit scuffed because it rode in the car for 10 days.