Buffalo Prairie

"Buffalo Prairie"
10x12 oil on linen
$100 unframed plus shipping

Ever have one of those days where you can't draw or mix color to save yourself? Well, that was the last couple days for me. I think I'm back on track though. Today's posting is a result of working on a small bird painting all day and then wiping it off. Then when I started this one I felt I couldn't draw the buffalo or mix the color and value I wanted. I've learned though to just keep wiping off and trying it again until something clicks and I can move forward. This is a sketch for a much larger painting I am planning. I'm working out the compositional details and color here. Whew! It's gotta go better today!!

Bluebird

"Bluebird"
6x4 oil on linen on gatorboard
$50 unframed plus shipping

San Luis Sunset

"San Luis Sunset"
24x20 oil on stretched linen

SOLD

The larger painting is the final piece done from a photo and my plein air sketch, shown below

8x6 oil on gessoed masonite

SOLD

Highlander Shag

"Highlander Shag"
7x9 oil on linen on gatorboard
$75 unframed plus shipping

Though I saw many of these in Scotland, this particular guy belonged to a friend in Washington State, Gil. Gil was quite a character, originally from Portugal, he led a very interesting and adventurous life and had many momentos in his house to show you with a story to go with each one. An artist in his own right, he did big huge carvings of Sturgeon. I really wish I'd had the chance to do his portrait but he has since passed on so that opportunity is lost. I'll have to celebrate my remembrance of him by painting his cattle.

Allison

"Allison"
16x12 oil on stretched linen
$300 unframed plus shipping

Today's posting is from last night's session at the Loveland Art Academy. They have an open drawing/painting session on Tuesday nights with a model. Last night's model was Allison, a ballerina. And though I would have loved to paint the whole figure, her face was so striking I had to do a portrait. Perhaps next time she models I'll do the figure.

Bird Bath Bouquet

"Bird Bath Bouquet"
8x6 oil on gessoed masonite
$60 unframed plus shipping

Every year I try to paint in my good friend and fellow artist Lu Haskew's yard. Her husband has always kept a beautiful garden of flowers from which we have stolen freely from for still lifes. It has been my tradition to paint their bird bath overflowing with flowers each summer. Today's painting is from a photograph of a past year's arrangement, but I did it as a reminder to get over there to paint one plein air asap, as they are moving in August! I with my usual last minute timing. However sometimes I think the sense of urgency that comes with "last minute timing" gives whatever it is more of an "air of importance" because it is worth doing, fitting in, as if were you to let it go, not do it, not accomplish the task, the world would be a poorer place because of it. Make sense? Probably not.

Buffalo Head

"Buffalo Head"

7x4 oil on linen on gatorboard

$55 unframed plus shipping

Eatin' Wildflowers

"Eatin' Wildflowers"
6x8 oil on gessoed masonite
$60 unframed plus shipping

This morning I dug through my archived photos and found this one of a young goat that belongs to fellow artist, Brenda Longworth. The photo is many years old, and at the time the poor little fellow had a broken leg with a cast on it. I painted the cast out and Brenda has told me since that he recovered fine. I will always remember him though for his ability to completely ignore the cast and just get on with the life of being a goat, doing what goats do, which is eat of course!

Mother's Watch

"Mother's Watch"

6x8 oil on gessoed masonite

SOLD

Rocky Mountain Aspen

"Rocky Mountain Aspen"
9x12 oil on gessoed masonite
$95 unframed plus shipping

This is a plein air I did up in Rocky Mountain National Park, just up the canyon from where I live. I really am spoiled aren't I? I love the beautiful green of the aspen trees as they contrast against the pines, as well as the contrast of their trunks.

Paint

"Paint"
6x8 oil on gessoed masonite
$60 unframed plus shipping

Buffalo Bull and Cow Laying Down - Monochromatic

"Buffalo Bull and Cow Laying Down"
Monochromatic

SOLD

Today in the class I teach we explored the wonders of monochromatic painting. It was great fun and a good way to focus on your drawing skill.

Shades

"Shades"

18x14 oil on stretched linen

Not for Sale

Today I got together with the remaining artists in the area from the Richard Schmid group that met for years in Loveland. Our hostess, Lynne Wrigley, director of the Loveland Art Academy ( www.lovelandartacademy.com ), was kind enough to model for us, as well as cook lunch!! Can't beat that! It was a great day, and fun to find out what everyone has been up to as well as an incredible day of painting.

White Buttercup

"White Buttercup"

4x6 oil on linen on gatorboard

$100 framed plus shipping

Another one of the beautiful wildflowers from my hike in the forest this morning. Don't know what it is so I'll call it a White Buttercup. If anyone knows what it is please let me know. Thanks!

Wild Sunflowers

"Wild Sunflowers"
8x6 oil on gessoed masonite
$60 unframed plus shipping

Some wild sunflowers, of unknown name to me, from up in the forest. It's wonderful to watch the coming and going of all the different flowers throughout the summer.

Young Buffalo Resting

"Young Buffalo Resting"
6x8 oil on gessoed masonite
SOLD

Chickadee 3

"Chickadee 3"

6x4 oil on linen on gatorboard

$50 unframed plus shipping

SOLD

I seem to be in a Chickadee mood. I believe this was a young one.

Chickadee 2

"Chickadee 2"
6x8 oil on gessoed masonite

SOLD











Here is one of my beloved Blackcapped Chickadees. I love these little guys as they flit around in the trees.

Buffalo Cow

"Buffalo Cow"

5x6 oil on linen on gatorboard

$50 unframed plus shipping

This is a color sketch of a buffalo cow from down at the Medano Ranch. They have 1800 head of bison, not including the calves! I should be busy for awhile painting from my reference, working up larger paintings from these small sketches.

Mustang Sky

"Mustang Sky"

40x30 oil on stretched linen

$4000 unframed plus shipping

This is a large piece I've been working on of a mustang. I plan to do a series of mustang paintings sometime soon as I think they represent a unique place in the history of the American west, as do the buffalo.

March of the Cottonwoods

"March of the Cottonwoods"

9x12 oil on gessoed masonite

$100 unframed plus shipping

This is the view looking south at the Zapata Ranch as the cottonwood trees march their way out into the fields. Read in my next blog about my recent adventure to this magnificent historic ranch.

Medano Ranch Cloudscape

"Medano Ranch Cloudscape"
12x9 oil on gessoed masonite
$100 unframed plus shipping

I have returned from my adventure at the Medano-Zapata Ranch down by the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado. I met a group of artists there and we spent several days plein air painting and photographing this historic ranch. It is owned by the Nature Conservancy now and has turned to raising buffalo and just recently cattle as they did for hundreds of years before us. It was a great experience and I'm going to post some of my plein air pieces today so that you can see I haven't been sluffing off.

This is the view looking west at the Medano. Some of the giant cottonwoods have fallen and the barn was in disrepair, but the afternoon clouds still build as they have for hundreds of years in anticipation of the coming rains.

Inside Looking Out

"Inside Looking Out"
9x12 oil on gessoed masonite
$100 unframed plus shipping

This is the view from just inside the entrance to the Medano Ranch as you would see if you were leaving, looking towards the Sangre de Cristo Range. You can see at the base of the mountains is the Great Sand Dunes. It was a working ranch up until the 1950's. I love to imagine riding through that entryway on horseback or driving a wagon to go to town for supplies. You know I really was born about a hundred years too late!

Dunes

"Dunes"
6x8 oil on gessoed masonite
$50 unframed plus shipping

This is a view looking east out in the buffalo open range on the Medano Ranch. It was early morning and the mist still hung down at the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. As I was painting I was keeping one eye peeled for any stray buffalo that might be roaming near by.

Zapata Ranch Houses

"Zapata Ranch Houses"
9x12 oil on gessoes masonite
$95 unframed plus shipping

This is the back view of some of the ranch houses at the Zapata Ranch. It was a muggy afternoon and the mosquitoes were biting but when you're painting it's easy to ignore them.

Evening

"Evening"
8x6 oil on gessoed masonite
SOLD

This was the first painting I did the evening we arrived. No time to put things away, the sun was setting and called to be painted!