Mossy Pond

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"

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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

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Buffalo Study

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

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

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

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

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

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!