Portals to Light

Portals to Light

6X8, Mixed Media on Panel

SOLD

This is a little plein air piece that has been sitting around for quite some time.  I was never terribly happy with the result in the field.  There were a lot of things I DID like about it but it was never really connecting with me.  I knew what it was too and had even written about it before here.  I started this with Golden Opens and it was one of my first attempts at using those.  I was a little bit frustrated that I was unable to make a nice deep dark with them at the time.  I later purchased some new colors so I could get deeper darks but then found myself unhappy with the consistency of the paint and not able to work it like I would have liked.

Regardless, I may still take the Golden Opens with me in a couple of weeks when I travel to Denmark!

Anyway, enjoy this one because I really like the result after the rework with oils in the studio.

#15 of 50

Oh, To Fly Away

"Oh, To Fly Away"

11X14, Oil on Panel

Available

Mt. Magazine, the highest point in Arkansas.

St. Peter and Paul Church, Morrison Bluff, Logan County

St. Peter and Paul

11X14, Oil on Panel

Available

I noticed this awesome little bright red church out in the middle of nowhere just across the Arkansas River south of Clarksville.   I really wanted to do a building portrait of it but also I plan to do more paintings showing it in it's landscape.

This painting will be in my upcoming solo show at the Van Buren Center for Arts and Education.

Spadra Creek Bridge, Clarksville

Spadra Creek Bridge

8X10, Oil on Panel

Available

Spadra Creek cuts through the center of the town of Clarksville.  On both sides of the creek are walking and biking trails including some mountain biking single track.  It's very impressive that such a small town has devoted as much time and effort as this to a multi-use trail system!

Subiaco Valley, Logan County

Subiaco Valley

18x24, Oil on Panel

SOLD

Here's one I finished a good while ago but never got around to posting.  This is the valley around the Subiaco Monastery in Logan County.

Baring Cross Train, Pulaski County

Baring Cross Train

16X20, Oil on Panel

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Little Rock is a city of bridges.  We have 4 pedestrian bridges crossing the Arkansas River, 2 of which are former train bridges which have been converted.  In addition there are 4 auto bridges, 2 of which are interstates.  Baring Cross Bridge is the last and is the only train bridge in the city still in use.  This view is from the River Trail on the North Little Rock side.  The state capital building is to the left.  

Arkansas River Bridge, Ozark, Franklin Co.

Arkansas River Bridge, Ozark

12X16, Oil on Panel

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This picture is darker than the real painting.  I had a great deal of difficulty getting a good picture that didn't exaggerate some colors.  This is the best of my wife's efforts and a good deal better than mine.  I may try to take it again and replace this at some point.  This is from the south side of the Arkansas River looking back towards the town of Ozark.

First Presbyterian, Fort Smith, Sebastian County

First Presbyterian, Fort Smith

11X14, Oil on Panel

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A couple of months ago I traveled over to Fort Smith, which is right on the western edge of state.  Fort Smith was once the gateway to the wild wild west.  In those days, justice in the area was presided over by "Hangin" Judge Isaac Parker.  Judge Parker was actually an opponent of capital punishment and was only carrying out the sentences he perceived the law required of him to pass down.

I had been to Fort Smith a few times but never really explored the downtown area before this trip.  I found myself liking it very much.  In many ways, the town feels like it could easily be back east!

Ola, Yell County

Ola

9X12, Oil on Panel

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Ola is a tiny town the sits between the Arkansas River Valley and the Ouachita Mountains.  This is not the most memorable view in Ola but I felt like doing some rural decay.

Long Pool Rocks, Pope County

Long Pool Rocks

11X14, Oil on Panel

SOLD

I've built up a bit of an inventory of paintings during the short period while my camera was broken.  I have a new one that is a touch more sophisticated than my old but photographing paintings is never easy.  This new one goes into "landscape" mode when I do closely cropped shots of my pieces.  Guess that means I'm doing a good job!

These huge rocks at the end of Long Pool on Big Piney Creek in Pope County make excellent diving platforms.  They really are this big.  It is rather unusual in the Ozarks when no glaciers were ever active to move huge stones of this size.

Diamond Drive-In, Clarksville, Johnson County

Diamond Drive-In

9X12, Oil on Oak Panel

SOLD

Clarksville is on I-40 and is at the intersection of the Ozarks and Arkansas River Valley.  Just north of town, the hills rise up.  I actually found this place by "driving" around in Google Maps!  The actual photo reference though was taken first hand a few months ago.  It is still in business but was closed the day we were there.  This was difficult architecture to paint!  There are quite a few interesting subjects in Clarksville that I hope I may get to paint one day and definitely some beautiful places in the Ozarks just to the north of town.

I'm trying to work on some larger pieces right now and I hope I can carry this rough yet painterly style over to those sizes.  It has been an achilles heel of mine that my larger pieces do not have quite the same handling as my smaller pieces.  I think they still look like "me" but just do not have what these small intimate pieces have.  I'm also going to try to have 22 counties complete by the end of this month.  Stay tuned and see how I do!