A Difference of Opinion

The cherries are in! I really like painting cherries...and eating them too. The shapes and stems are so expressive. A nice diversion from landscapes.

Far View

This scene was in Mesa Verde NP at Far View looking southeast. There were these lovely fluffy clouds hanging around casting shadows below. Clouds like this are rare treat here and I just had to paint them. At this high point it truly is a far view.

Long House - Mesa Verde NP

I was lucky enough to be included in a group "paint out" at Mesa Verde National Park. This was organized by Veryl Goodnight, and included some wonderful artists, such as Jim Wilcox, Carol Cooke, Rosie Sandifer, Curt Walters, Gregory Hull, Karen Kristen and Marilyn Kroeker. We got unprecedented private access and much thanks go to Veryl, foundation members and the park service for allowing us to experience this very special and inspiring place.

There will be a show and sale of these works at the Goodnight Trail Gallery in Mancos, Colorado, September 26th of this year. A portion of the proceeds will go to help support the new visitor center and museum that will open near the entrance to Mesa Verde Park. Stored ancient artifacts never seen by the public before will finally be available to view, plus a new Native American center to highlight their recent artistic endeavors. Please come support this worthy cause, we would love to see you there!

Storm over Point Lookout

I got the opportunity to paint very early at Summit Lake again, the wind was to start up about ten in the morning so I wanted to get done by then. To the west and south of me were storm clouds, a rare occurence here, so I set up for a quick paint. The first effort wasn't too great so I thought about it and studied how others had dealt with the colors and composition. I painted this over the top of the old one and feel this one worked much better.

Summit Lake Morning

I was wandering toward Mancos looking for places to paint. I had come here before in winter to sketch the ice fishermen and thought it may be a good place to check out now. This was early in the morning, very quiet with birds singing and a slight breeze whispering through the pines.

Red Mesa

This is what gives Red Mesa Arizona its name. This remote area has a wonderful sublime beauty all its own. If you are driving highway 160 from Tuba City to the Four Corners Monument you will pass this on the way.

Reflecting Pepper

The photo of this isn't the greatest I will try and get a better shot later...when the thunder and lightning stops outside.

Strawberry practice

This was touch and go all the way, but great practice. I wanted to tackle the seeds, surface, leaves, and remember to breathe too!

Orange Study

This was the best one I got off this week. Now to go home and practice.

Lady with large purse

More people watching. This lady had a large purse/bag hanging from her shoulder. I liked the her pose and how the slinky clothes hung on her thin frame. The bag was a plus with it's own weight and hang.

People Watching

I have been traveling so my updates have been limited. I try and sketch every chance I get and I love drawing people. These were some people waiting for others after going through security at the San Francisco Airport. I do these live, so they are really quick because they are not there for very long.

Promise of Rain

This is a view from my parents farm. I just got this great book of drawings by Franklin Booth and wanted to try my own feeble attempt at his beautiful ink drawings. I love his feeling of height, the sensitivity of line, composition, etc, wow.

Lone pine in winter

It was snowing yesterday so I went up river to paint an old farmstead. I was setting up when I saw this pine up the hill with the hill behind it fading in and out, so I changed subject matter. I love the softness of images through the snow.

Moon over Goodman Point

This was M0nday morning, just before the sun came up. The moon was on the west horizon with those wonderful colors that happen at that time of day. I just couldn't resist trying to capture that light.

Color Float

I wanted to try a new technique and experiment a little. This also served the purpose of covering up an ugly painting and saving the panel.

Funny Face

This was a curious calf who came to visit while a friend and I were out painting last year. I thought he was really cute so I took a picture for a later painting.

Waiting Patiently

This scene was just up from my house this morning.

An Apple a Day

Einstein once said, "Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving." Painting is like that, you have to keep practicing to do well. I "skinned my knees" because I didn't get to practice much last week so I didn't have anything good to show for it. I wiped at least 4 paintings and this one came close to getting it as well. I decided to do something simple again to get myself going. So an apple...

Across the Fields

It's snowing today so I did one out my front window using a long format.

Gray Skies at Trout Lake

I wanted to play with the format and do a long skinny piece. This area lends itself well to that format. I really like this and hope to do a larger one.

A Gray Day

I went looking for falling snow but it was just overcast and gray. I had been intrigued with the look of snow and rocks and liked the simpleness of this scene. It was heavily overcast and everything was tints of gray. It made it hard to see my path in the snow, everything white on white.

LaPlata's over the hill

This is one I did before all the snow came. I still want to rework color and clean it up a bit.

Raven Guard

I had been wanting to draw a raven again and found a great place where they hang out. It would ruin the illusion if I told you what he was guarding though.

The Details

I haven't done any studies like this in a long time and it is quite possible I never, ever, did an ear study. Always good practice and I may do more with just one part drawn from different angles.

Eye study

I have found that it isn't easy to paint or draw after moving lots snow, every day, sometimes in the same area two and three times in a day! My arms are just now starting to quit hurting and I am not done yet.

I wanted to work on drawing so I started with a full face but it didn't work well so I decided to concentrate on specific parts for practice and to warm up.

Telluride valley willows

This is a small view of the Telluride valley. I blew Fridays attempt and this is yesterday's painting. I have several things on this painting I want to fix, including values. A great way to check your painting to see if your values are working is to take a black and white picture. As you can see values are obviously lacking.

I do like the way the willows were coming along and I learned a lot. It was originally an 8 x 10 but I didn't like the upper part, so I removed it.

Back Home Again

I was really having trouble finding something I was excited about painting. I set up several scenes but never got really excited about them. This was the last set up and even then I wiped the first and changed the hat. I thought doing a complex shape would be a challenge and it was!

Which way?

This panel has had several attempts of many different paintings over the last few months. I had begun to refer to it as the "cursed canvas". I attempted it again this last week but it didn't look quite right. I reworked it yesterday and feel much better about it, given the circumstances I didn't want to push it.

Hanging by a Stem

I wanted to do a still life with cherries . I liked the idea of having one hanging on to the other just for fun. The photo didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, those little white dots are shiny spots from the wet paint. After trying many angles and turns of the filter this was the best it was going to be.

Mount Wilson

This is Mount Wilson, one of Colorado's "fourteeners".  My family went skiing at Telluride and I took the opportunity to paint.  It's hard to find a place to pull off the side of the road and paint with the snow on now.  The lookout point for Mount Wilson was cleared of snow so I set up there.