This was the second day of the Mancos Open Studios Tour and the Weber Canyon fire.  The fire was much closer this day and the winds carried the smoke overhead covering the sun.  Those little bits of white and black stuck to the painting are actually ash from the fire.

Things are looking better there today but it is still only 15% contained.  This and the previous posted artwork are for sale and the purchase price will go directly to the Mancos Fire Department.  You can purchase it from the Goodnight Trail Gallery or you may contact me directly, because the gallery may be temporarily closed because of the fire.

Weber Canyon Fire, Day One

     On Friday a fire started up Weber Canyon near Mancos, CO.  Well before this fire broke out, we were to have our first Mancos Open Studio Tour this Saturday and Sunday.  I was painting in town on Saturday and the smoke and fire were all I could concentrate on so I painted it.  I decided that I will donate all the money to the Mancos Fire Department for their hard work at trying to get a jump on it.  Unfortunately it is tinder dry here and with winds the fire grew rapidly.  It has now taken about 6000 acres of land and, thankfully, so far no houses are involved.  If you wish to purchase this, or the other painting I will post tomorrow, you may call the Goodnight Trail Gallery in Mancos at 970-533-1177.  100% of the price of this painting is going to the Fire Crew.

Noon Moon

I have been out for a while.  My son just graduated from high school and I had quite a few family members come to visit for the occasion.  I had to spend a good deal of time just cleaning before they came, and recoup after, but it was well worth it to see everyone.  I truly enjoyed having them here.

I went out painting yesterday, up in the mountains with friend Veryl.  It was a glorious day and we wasted none of it.  This is up at the base of Helmet Peak in the LaPlata mountains.  I was looking for something fun to paint, when I turned around I noticed the moon hanging beautifully among the trees. I knew this was just what I was looking for.

Luna Chapel (Sharp's Studio)

This is a view to the immediate right of the previous painting and connected to the Couse house and was used as J. H. Sharp's Studio.  As I understand it they were next door neighbors and close friends.  This was an old chapel in the beginning that Sharp converted into his studio...lucky guy.

Couse House

While in Taos I wandered across the road from my hotel to visit the E. I. Couse house.  "Couse learned of Taos in May of 1902 through a conversation with his friend, Ernest Blumenschein. Two weeks later Couse arrived in northern New Mexico with his family to begin a lifetime of summer residency and the development of the oeuvre for which he became famous. He was one of the founders of the Taos Society of Artists in 1915 and its first president. A painter of Native Americans in Taos for the rest of his life, he was honored with many major prizes and awards. Couse died in 1936 after a long and distinguished career."  If you are in Taos make a reservation to see this place.

Contemplation

Portrait group has been moved to Thursdays and today our model was this young man.  He struck such a wonderful contemplative pose I decided to title it so.

Morning Meditaton

While visiting Taos this weekend I stayed at Casa Benavides.  A wonderful bed and breakfast that has a long history in Taos.  The owner grew up there and was neighbors with E. I. Couse and J. H. Sharp who lived right across the street.  I was in my version of artist heaven.  

This scene greeted me just outside of my room in the mornings and I just couldn't resist trying to paint it.

PAAC Show Taos

Summer Monsoons

Light in the Storm

Above are two of my pieces for the Plein Air Artists of Colorado show in Taos, NM this weekend.  I feel honored to have had two of my pieces juried into this show.  There are many outstanding artist in this group and if you are in the area on on May 5,  please come by and celebrate the opening with us at the Wilder Nightingale Gallery.   The accepted works are also available for your viewing pleasure and purchase through the PAAC website.

Another Old Timer

This old timer lives in Ridgeway, CO. right in front of a gorgeous old firehouse there.

Kickin' Up the Dust

This big guy lives down the road from me and was nice enough to hang around so I could get some photos and sketches of him.  Like most bulls they have to bellow, rub and kick up some dust to show how tough they are this time of year.

I am working on a larger version of this and needed to work out a few details so I painted this one.

Spring in the High Country

I went up to Lizard Head pass today to see how much snow is left up there.  It was a beautiful day so I set up and painted.  There were a few clouds casting shadows on the snow.  I am not sure what peak this is but it is near Vermillion peak.

Trout Study

We were supposed to be on Spring Break but my son and I came down with, I think, food poisoning.  We were pretty sick for a couple of days but are now recovering.  Since I was around I went off to do "portrait Wednesday".  Well the model must have ate at the same place because she was out too.

Since that was not an option we went down to the river near the fish hatchery.  Though the intention was maybe some river scene we ended up mesmerized by the beautiful fish at the hatchery and worked there instead.

Spring Reflections

This is the oldest cabin in the county.  It is hard to imagine a family living in this, especially through winter!  The phrase "cabin fever" must have come from this sort of living arrangement.

The Old Barn

I have always had a love for old barns and spent much of my childhood playing in them.  This old barn is part of one of the oldest ranches in this area and a favorite of mine.

A Sudden Blizzard

This is a scene just outside of my studio.  A blizzard enveloped the area very quickly yesterday and stayed for a couple of hours.  As always, I am enamored with the softness of these kinds of scenes.

Model Study

I am taking a workshop this week at the Scottsdale Artists School with Aaron Westerberg.  He is a wonderful artist and teacher whom I highly recommend taking a class with.  Between class all day and open studios in the evenings, gallery walks and dinners with new friends, I haven't been able to post much.  This is from the Monday evening open studio portrait group here at the school.

Evening Color

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

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

Woman Reading (Head Study)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Lost Canyon Light

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

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.

Mid Winter Shadows

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

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