Nestled In, 6x8, oil

This was done from a photo taken in the spring. It was a rainy morning and these clouds were just lifting and beginning to clear. I liked the bright green against the red barn and sienna fence posts.

Fixer Upper, 6x8, oil

I took a photo of this place on the way to camping a few years back. I like the slope of the falling down porch roof and the loneliness of the prairie around it. There wasn't another house in sight for miles. In painting it I tried to portray the interesting angles as well as the friendliness of the place even though no one lived there. It just seemed like a place looking for some inhabitants. Want to move in?

The Gate is Open, 6x8, oil

This is yet another painting from a series of photos taken in the spring. The wind is blowing here today and we have a couple of months of winter weather ahead, so its encouraging to paint these spring scenes. Sometimes I look at these and can hardly believe it ever looks this green here - but it does in May and June, sometimes April and July, too. 

I like this little scene. I am always drawn to sagebrush, dirt roads and fences, and this has all three! Maybe I'll do a larger one later.

Red Barn, 9x12, oil

This was done from a photo taken awhile ago. I am ready for spring!! And some green! Anyway, it was interesting to paint a landscape without any sky and still make it work. Lots of artists are good at it. I like the more intimate feeling it gives. Out here there is so much open space at times it seems thats all there is to paint. And it can be very haunting and wild feeling, which I usually like. It was good to do this type of scene for a change.

Rocky Hillside, 9x12. oil on board

Well, here's a larger painting from the small color study. I think the study is better simply because its fresher.  I should have left this alone after the initial painting was done. Going back to nit pick often causes the painting to lose its freshness. Perhaps I'll try another one and leave it alone when I get the feeling of the subject right and not try to correct little details.