Purple Mountains

"Purple Mountains"

6X8, Oil on Panel

Available

First plein air from Colorado, finished in the studio before the end of the last year.

18-020

Mistaken Creek

"Mistaken Creek"

6X8, Oil on Panel

This was a little plein air I started near Waco, Texas around New Year's Day.  It was the only "warm" day around that time frame.  This little creek turned out to be the result of a burst water pipe that had been spewing water for who knows how long!  And thus how this piece earned the name, "Mistaken Creek."  The white limestone that formed the creek bed turned out to be tricky. 

#5 of 50

Skanderborg, Denmark

Skanderborg, Denmark

6X8, Oil on Panel

Here is another one from Denmark!  This one was also started in plein air in the town of Skanderborg and finished in the studio.  The mosquitoes here were ravenous little devils, way more aggressive than any mosquitoes we have here in Arkansas.

#2 of 50

Sublime Normality

Sublime Normality

6X8, Oil on Panel

Another started en plein air in the village of Tjaereby Denmark and finished in the studio.

#26 of 50

The Way is Lost Again

The Way is Lost Again

4X8, Oil on Panel

Available

Started in plein air at a small church in the village of Tjaereby Denmark.  I used Golden Opens in the field but then did an almost complete repaint in the studio in oil.

#25 of 50

Denmark!

I got back yesterday afternoon from a trip to Denmark!  I didn't get quite as much painting time as I would have liked but I got really nice starts on three paintings,

Skanderborg

The village or Tjaereby

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

New Gallery Representation

I am very pleased to announce that my work can now be found at Frame of Mind Gallery in Camden, Arkansas.  It is very cool to forge new relationships and this one is particularly interesting since the gallery owners also fellow mountain bikers!  While down there, I got lots of pictures of Camden to work from and even ventured out to White Oak Lake State Park to do some painting.

I have only ever been to Camden one other time in my life and that was about 30 years ago so it was basically like having never been there.  I must admit that we did not even make it to the Ouachita River front area of town.  That will have to be for another trip, perhaps sometime before the holidays when the weather is cooler.

Send Me The Sun

Send Me The Sun

6X8, Oil on Matboard

Available

Well, I am back at it after about 3 months of break.  At this point, my goal of 50 paintings in 2017 is practically impossible but I'm going to keep counting and see how I do.  Maybe I can get close to half??

This is plein air that I did right around the time I started my impromptu, unplanned break.  It is from Steel Creek on the Buffalo National River in Newton County.

#9 of 50

Breaking Through

Breaking Through

6X8, Oil on Panel

Available

Texas Plein Air from New Years Eve complete with central Texas dirt!

#5 of 50

An Impression of the Grand Canyon

An Impression of the Grand Canyon

4X8, Oil on Panel

Available

I started this little plein air close to sunset over the summer vacation to the Grand Canyon after a couple of other failed attempts at larger sizes.  The Grand Canyon is an imposing, intimidating place to paint.  Not only is the vista unimaginably huge, the sky and colors so profound but there is also always the presence of humans and potential watchers making it even harder to work.

This one was completed in 2016 so it does not count towards my 50 in 2017.

Across the Distance

Across the Distance

9X12, Oil on Panel

SOLD

This is another plein air from New Year's Eve outside of Waco, Texas.

2 of 50!

A Split Second of Divinity

A Split Second of Divinity

6X8, Oil on Panel

SOLD

This a plein air from near Waco, Texas done just before the end of 2016.  If you've ever tried to do a sunrise or sunset in plein air, you know how hard they are, how quickly the sky changes it's character and intensity.  The entire palette can shift on you in a minute or so, going from vibrant yellows to reds and pinks.  So it is a tall order to think that I might have finished this one as is on-site.  It had some pretty extensive studio work done and is therefore my first completed piece in 2017!

1/50

Gilded Fields

Gilded Fields

8X10, Oil on Panel

Available

More studio finished plein air work from Camp Robinson WMA in Faulkner County Arkansas.  I'm really getting a lot of mileage there.  This one was cut short by rain but the foundation was solid.

Grey Gives Way to Blue

Grey Gives Way to Blue

8X10, Oil and Golden Open Acrylic on Matboard

Available

This is a plein air I started at the Camp Robinson Wildlife Management Area near Mayflower way back in the March timeframe I think.  I finished it in studio with oils and have finally decided to post it!

Linger Long

Linger Long

8X10, Oil on Panel

SOLD

This was my first foray back into plein air painting after breaking my wrist at the beginning of January.  This is Falling Water Falls again.  I think this is the 3rd or 4th painting of it I have done.  It was a very cold day and I remember being worried I might fall and re-injure my wrist as I made my way back and forth from the van with my supplies down steep slope to where I was setting up.  Many photographers came and went, snapping hundreds of pictures, as I stood there in the cold making one single one.

Grand Canyon and Stuff

I just got home from a trip to the Grand Canyon as well as Palo Duro Canyon in Texas.  I had hoped to get some constructive painting accomplished but the above is all I managed to do.  Two are from Palo Duro, one is from the Grand Canyon, and one is a twice wiped failure also from the Grand Canyon.  

I am terribly out of practice when it comes to plein air.

Fall...and Fade

Fall...and Fade

9X12, Oil on Panel

SOLD

I started this one on site in the Richland Creek Wilderness on a cold and windy evening months ago.  I actually finished it quite a while ago too but as usual, I am slow in posting work.

I Thought I Heard Them Whisper

I Thought I Heard Them Whisper

8X10, Oil on Panel

SOLD

Here's another one from the winter.  This was started en plein air  at Burns Park in North Little Rock and retouched in the studio.

Befrosted Paths

Befrosted Paths

8X10, Oil on Panel

SOLD

We don't get a lot of snow in Arkansas that lasts long enough for a guy with a full time job outside of art to get out and paint it often.  So I jump at the chances when it does happen, even if it's just standing on my back patio and riffing greatly upon the view behind the house.

And obviously, this painting's been done for quite a while because even though it feels pretty chilly out there this week, summer is already trying to take hold here.