Sandy Draw, 6x8, oil

This painting was done from an old photo of a place near a favorite fishing spot. I messed around with the color and texture quite a bit. It was one of those days that I needed to quit being so careful.  I like the shimmery effect on the sandstone wall in the middle ground.

Ahh . . . Summertime, 8x10, oil on panel

Well, I have been painting, just not posting because I haven't been very happy with the results, although there are a few I may post. 

We had a blizzard yesterday and about 2.5 feet of snow on our deck this morning so it seemed like a great day to paint a summer scene. It was a good time, during which I took a break after each "step" to refresh my perspective and assess what I had done up to that point. It was pretty successful overall. I made myself a note of each step, particularly stopping to assess things. Tomorrow after work I will do another. 

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.

study in oil, 3x5

This is a bad photo of a little study I did in order to decide if I wanted to make a larger painting of it. It is a good way to work out the problems and composition before committing to a larger painting.

A Load of Aspen, 16x12, oil on board, $425

Well, this painting was done from a photo of this man and his load of wood. I was out getting some good photos with some friends one spring day and we came across this gentleman. He could hardly believe that we actually wanted a photograph of him. He really thought we were a little crazy, but he also seemed a somewhat self-consciously pleased. 

I'm back to landscapes again though. My favorites!

Natural Bridge 2, 12x9, oil on board, $225

So, here is the oil painting of the same scene. Speaking of wanting to paint without caring about the results, I think there is some value in it, in the sense of removing the pressure to produce. The flip side being that its important to always strive for excellence and development of the skills you've acquired. A double edged sword, this painting process. I wouldn't have it any other way!

What do you think of the difference between the two paintings? Do you see any difference worth mentioning?

Natural Bridge, 12x9, pastel, $225

So, here is the pastel, which was done from a photo I took a couple of years ago. It was refreshing to use a lot of broad and energetic strokes. I felt greatly satisfied after the endeavor. Sometimes you just have to paint without caring about the results, which is what I did here. I just wanted to move my hand and make marks and see what happened. I'd like to always paint without caring about the results in some ways. I'll post the oil tomorrow. 

Wow!

Well, so much for almost daily painting! But after the holidays and 3 birthdays and the arrival of a brand new grand daughter on Dec. 29, I am finally back to painting. It was a bit of a struggle to regain my confidence. I have been alternating between pastel and oil in order to get my bearings. I find working in pastel a no brainer for some reason and oil is a great challenge. So, I did one piece in particular in pastel, then a small oil, then a larger oil. It was an effective way to work out the problems.

Sunset on Ice, 12x24, oil on canvas, NFS

This is the last post of the year and the last of the Christmas presents painted this year. It is the first sunset I've ever painted and was a little concerned it would look artificial, but it came out pretty good.

Home Grown, 24x36, oil on canvas, NFS

This is the last of the painted Christmas presents for this year. I made it up to fit a particular spot in a particular house. I first did a small study and then painted this large version of it. It was very enjoyable to paint large and intuitively. ( I hope it looks good in the house!)

You Say Tomato, I Say Tomahto, 16x20, oil on canvas

This was a totally fun painting to do. I had a great time playing around with the colors in the shadows and highlights. 

Soon to come - fantasy flower.

Snowy Day at Sharon's, 36x24, oil on canvas, $1700

This is a painting I did from a small plein air study in the backyard of my friend Sharon's house on a morning when the snow started coming down really hard. We left soon after so we wouldn't get stuck in her pasture.

Nicole's Sunflowers, 16x20, oil on canvas, NFS

Well, its been awhile since I posted anything - lots of Christmas painting going on. I had fun painting these for something different. I'm still working on my very small oil sketches and trying to figure out the cool/warm relationships. But these are fun! Wait till you see the tomatoes . . . 

Evening Shadows, 8x10, oil on canvas

This is another painting done from a smaller study. I am looking forward to practicing some more with the paint textures.

Autumn in Wyoming, 9x12, oil on canvas

This is a painting I did recently from a smaller thumbnail painting of the scene. At first it was challenging to paint so small (2x3 or thereabouts), and then it was beginning to be challenging to go back to something a little bigger. So, I'll just have to do a variety of sizes.

Cheyenne Botanical Garden, 9x12, pastel on sanded paper

This is the first painting I did in Cheyenne. I had no idea where to go to paint and so I just drove around until I saw something that looked inviting. I found my way into the place and chose this spot to paint. After I set up my equipment and had been painting for about 15 minutes I heard an increasingly loud roar approaching. It was so loud I was more than startled, and a little uneasy. Then a huge armed forces plane flew right over my head close enough for me to read the letters on the bottom! I was right next to the airport and there were planes taking off on this route about every 20 minutes for the rest of my time there! Needless to say I found a different place to paint the following day.

Kilty's Barn, 6x9, pastel on sanded paper

This is another from the plein air event in Cheyenne this summer. I have been working on some small oil studies, trying to understand how color works a bit better, but don't want to post any of them yet - just a bit more study. I find pastels very easy and I'd like to get as comfortable with oils. 

Rocks and River, 11x14, oil on board, SOLD

This painting was done mainly with palette knife. I have found that I like using a palette knife on this type of rock painting. The knife lends itself to the sharp edges of rock very nicely.

Lily Pads and Gazeebo, 9x12, pastel on sanded paper, SOLD

This is one of the first pastels I did this summer at the inaugural Wyoming plein air event. I was at the Botanical Gardens in Cheyenne. There were artists and scenes all over the place. 

Yellow Rocks and Sagebrush, 16x20, pastel on board

I have looked at these rocks in all seasons and always wanted to paint them. I was happy with the colors I got when I layered the pastel on the sunny side of this ridge. Next time I paint them I will use oil and hopefully it will be after a dusting of snow. Those colors are amazing!

White Rocks 2, 9x12, pastel on sanded paper

Yes, another pastel. I really like these rocks. Wyoming is full of interesting rock formations. This was another day and later in the day than White Rocks 1.It was also later in the summer. We painted for about two hours and packed up when it got too hot. Hope you enjoy this one.