ROOSTER STRUT   11 x 14

Recent vending in town with the sale of several paintings, revealed that folks enjoy farm animals and whimsical subjects. What can be more comical than chickens or roosters? Chicks are easier to paint than their adult counterparts! This guy seems to have something on his mind and he's scurrying to pursue it.

TIGERS   11 x 14

The subjects of this acrylic painting are 'repeats' from an earlier version painted in oil. I was curious to see how the different mediums might vary in presenting a subject. Expressions are changed from the earlier version of oil, but both mediums were fun to work with, perhaps because of the subject matter.

 

 BIRCHES   16 x 20

 

 

This forest of birches is yet unfinished, awaiting final suggestions from the individual who commissioned the painting.

 

PEAR DUO   8 x 10

 

What's better than fruit on a hot summer day? It's fun to paint forms and shapes and mold them with colors and shadows. Composition can be a bit tricky, but the little grape appears as if he is introducing himself to the big guys. Ha!

 

FAVORITE CAMPSITE   11 x 14

Returning to acrylics after several paintings with the oil medium, reminded me of the qualities of a quick-drying paint. The setting is a favored campsite for many years. The tree might be noted as: "Bent but not broken." Is this not the way it is with our lives sometimes?

TIGER CUB AND MOM   11 x 14

Animals are fun subjects to paint, and this subject was a joy. Varied expressions arise from individual animals and we appreciate the bonding that family members have. This oil painting was done in little over an hour, and it encourages me to select them and other animal subjects again.

CONCH SHELL   8 x 10

 

 

Many years ago I purchased this conch shell along a beach in California, and enjoyed holding it in my hand, feeling its gnarled and pointy surfaces, and the weight of the shell. Its oddity in nature belies its beauty and speaks of the great variety we find in the created world. Painting it in oil was a challenge; I spent more time on the background than on the shell itself.

"PATHWAY EXPLORING"  8x10

 

 

Can anyone resist the curiosity of exploring pathways in a park? My photo on a bright sunny afternoon captured this setting, and I experiment with oil again, rendering the gnarled wooden fence in sienna tones as it led into the forest.

"COOL OF THE EVENING"   16 x 20

 Mountain canyons beckon to the hiker, camper, or photographer. A wayside retreat is captured in oil, a new medium for me and one I anticipate experimenting with occasionally.  Working wet on wet brought surprising results since I'm used to the more quick-drying action of acrylic. More lessons learned as we experiment with color.

FLOWER MEDLEY   8 x 10

Taking another stab at abstract style, it's fun to mesh vibrant hues in a riot of color. Experienced painters might cringe to see my results, but it continues to be a growing experiment to portray subjects as if seeing life through half-closed eyes. Ha!

"SEASIDE VIEW"   7 x 9

Simplicity attracted me to this scene. It could be anywhere from the California shores to somewhere in Europe. I wish I was sitting on the hillside right now, just listening to the breakers on the shore.

"GREEN VASE"   8 x 10

Feeling dispirited and ready to pack away the brushes for awhile, I'm glad I chose to try once more to doing a still life. Inspired by Qiang Huang's work, I made a composite which provides a variety of colors and contrasts. It's plain and simple, but it's also amazing what a couple of hours with a paintbrush can do to revive the spirits!

POND MUSINGS   8 x 10

After all the detail of the earlier painting of Main Street, it is a relief to be able to play with color in a more broad expanse in this abstract. Monochromatic themes are a favorite of mine, and this painting is reminiscent of a macro effect on the back pond. Just outside the frame of the scene is a lily pad and a few reeds. Ha!

"SPRING SONG"   5 x 7

Winter lies heavy upon the land in some areas, yet we know that somewhere the birds are singing and plants are responding to new life. Who does not love the song of a Robin, or to watch its hopping across the grass? This small painting was done while the snow blanketed our area, but we know Spring is just-around-the-corner.

CANOE EXCURSION   8 x 10

Canoeing in a peaceful setting is a special experience. To paint this during a snowfall was particularly pleasing. Obviously I used a photograph that had captured the moment; I could almost hear the birds singing despite the snow building up outdoors.

WINTER DAWN   11 x 14

I applied blue to the color of the snow initially, but then it appeared as water; so several coats of various colors later, the snow still carries the tones of violet originally intended. Nothing looked right until I added the fence in the foreground, and that helped put things into perspective. Another touch of humanity is evident by the barn in the middle-ground. Each painting provides valuable lessons to a beginning painter!

SELLER OF HATS   5 x 7

 

A handy way to carry things is not limited to our arms or backs. This young girl of Mexico is displaying hats for sale by wearing them on her head. Painting a smaller size canvas is a welcome change, although tending to the details remains a challenge.

FLOWER MACRO   8 x 10

Piling on the paint with a palette knife helped to define this painting. Great blocks of color can be applied with a simple swoop of the knife. Shapes and forms mutate at will. Perhaps you see something other than flowers in this painting?

WEST WING   12 x 16

Certain buildings draw feelings from us, perhaps due to memories of events, or what they represent or their locale. There is high activity at this place and often it is a center of activity. It has seen a transition of landscaping over the years, and is a reminder of change even in our lives.

TULIP FOREST   8 x 10

A watercolor approach was begun with this free-form version, but then the paint had to be piled on for selected flowers. The version kept changing as to what my mind saw as the final effect, and it felt as if I was a kid again using finger-paints. Fun!

BRICK ARCHWAY   8 x 10

 

 

The flowers viewed through the mission archway are a different variety from an earlier painting of this scene; also this painting is larger than the earlier version. The scene is at the peak of summer when the flowers are at their best. I learned a lesson doing this painting, and that is to be very careful not to have a cup of tea too close at hand while painting, otherwise the paintbrush gets dipped into the TEA instead of the rinse water. I drank the tea anyway and hoped not to get much cadmium into my system.

"DEMANDING MORE GRUB"  8 x 10

Baby birds can be very demanding. These little guys are as big as their parent, and it seems as if the parent is deciding whether to oust them from their perch in order to search for their own sustenance. Painting the contrasts was a challenge, but I hope it is successful in portraying the moment.

ARAB COLT  11 x 14

 

The features of an Arabian horse are distinct from other breeds. God made the horse an amazing creature, with grace, speed, and strength. It is a joy to reproduce even a small segment of a horse's beauty, whether with paint or pen.

 

OTTER POND   11 x 14

Deep in the forests of the near north is hidden a small pond. This pond harbors otters and geese and has even experienced a passing moose and a family of deer. Neighboring chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, blue jays, and even sandhill cranes fly overhead. It is a peaceful spot and is only one of many on "God's Green Acres."

FLOWER ABSTRACT   8 x 10

Trying new techniques with a paintbrush is challenging. This is not my usual style, but playing with the colors was a good break from the routine. It's refreshing to have a burst of color, as long as we don't have to put on our sunglasses to enjoy it!

CUMULUS CLOUDS   11 x 14

Cloud forms and shapes are ever changing, and can be a form of 'entertainment' as well as a forecast of weather-to-come. This painting was fun as I experimented with shading, shapes, and shadows. Is there ever a painting that an artist doesn't think later, "Something in it needs to be changed. I'll just brush-it-up a bit," etc. Ha! The firmament above reminds us of the space of the heavens, reminding us how puny is man.

TREE TRIMMED  8 x 10

The tree in this earlier fence-line painting was redone. Remember the errant branch that forced its wayward cluster in an earlier post? Well, that's now been remedied and I am more comfortable with the completed product. I hope you are also. Perhaps I returned to this painting because its green meadows are particularly inviting during this time of cold and snow. Lack of shadows from the fence-posts might be the next change. What do you think?

FIRE AND ICE   8 x 10

Abstract forms can be elusive, but it was fun to paint this selection, adding thick gel to build texture on the painting. I debated about entitling the painting "Aurora" but decided no aurora borealis was quite this vivid. It's refreshing to paint blocks of color instead of focusing on minute details within a painting. Who knows? Maybe the next painting will be even more monochromatic.

"ABSTRACT FLOWERS"  8 x 10

Another attempt at abstract representation is turning out to be more of an enjoyment and less of a struggle. The challenge is in knowing 'when to stop' and let the colors speak for themselves. You might not see these forms as flowers, but I would be happy to hear what YOU see in this painting. Thank you.

"SINGIN' THE BLUES"  8 x 10

Music captures many emotions, and it was fun to try to capture this guitarist at his strumming. I like the contrast of blue and gold with a splash of red thrown in.

BLUE ABSTRACT   8 x 10

This abstract I entitle "Which Side is Up?" As a novice with abstraction, I had fun with the paints by applying it with a palette knife to add heavy texture. You might interpret a variety of things in this painting: could it be petals floating downward... or fish floating upward... or what? I hope you like it.

STILL LIFE  Fruit Assortment with Papaya  8x10

Still a beginner in the painting world, I'm not ready to tackle the plein-air approach. At least fruit will just lay there and not move around too much! It remains a challenge to capture the lighting in various phases and render the integrity of the forms and shapes.

GOD'S WORD, A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS   12x16

Commissioned to paint a representation of the Bible with a lighted candle was a challenge, not for the Bible, but for the candle light! There's a combination of stylized work and realism. A variety of textures was a challenge, and I intend to practice on a few metallic items in the future.

MEMORIES OF LAKE HURON   20x24

This painting was commissioned by a friend who had a couple of old photos of her childhood days at their "cottage." The shoreline and a few trees and a flowerbox and the angled pier were pieced together, with other memorabilia added via memory of earlier days. Try painting a picture as it is described to you via words, and determine how close you might arrive at what their image sees in their mind.

MISSION ARCH WITH FLOWERS   5x7

I really enjoyed painting this from my photo. It is a companion piece to the double arches on an earlier post. Painting the bricks and textures and lighting was a challenge to my neophyte brushwork, but I am pleased with the results. Maybe the flowers need a bit more drama?

MISSION ARCHES   5x7

This painting is from a photo of a California mission. I love arches and the painting allowed exploration in detailing the bricks and mortar and the contrast of tiles with shadow. Next time I will change the color of the flowers in the foreground. Ha!

FENCELINE  8X10

Breaking away from shadowy backgrounds, it's refreshing to paint an open field with clear sky in background. Open meadows and verdant pasturelands remind me of places in California and Washington. The tree gave me trouble and I tried to make it non-uniform and then overdid it with a wayward branch that refused to be covered up. Oh well, live and learn as we explore our world of color with brush strokes.

PEN and INK HORSEHEAD

There's no color in this sketch I did many years ago, but it was fun to capture the texture and shadings of the horse. You can see the Arabian influence in the features. Using pen and ink is greatly different from brushstrokes with paint and color. Such a world to explore with art that a lifetime cannot begin to touch on all the possibilities of artistic expression.

RED BIRD   5x7

This little bird was a joy to paint. I'm finding a preference for zeroing in on subjects, putting the focus on one item and finding drama in the setting. Animals are a challenge to capture and fun to portray.

ATTITUDE   (paper demo)

The youth's face is a classroom exercise, the subject observed in a magazine. It makes me realize the need for knowing the principles involved in cool shadows and warm skin tones. This subject may be one I try again on a canvas, focusing on various elements and correcting what's viewed here.