Plein Air

10x8

Here are two plein airs done last week up in Rocky Mountain National Park.  I wanted to get up there before all the snow melted away.  I barely made it!  But the day was so beautiful. The aspen trees in the morning, a nap at midday, and the mountain in the afternoon. It was the best of days! These paintings are "true" plein airs in that the brush has not touched them since they left the field.

8x10

RMPAP Steamboat Museum Show

Here are two of my paintings making the trip to Steamboat for the RMPAP Colors of Colorado Show opening September 2 at the Steamboat Museum, Steamboat, CO.  The first is a plein air, 11x14,  done at the top of Schofield Pass in Crested Butte last summer. Unbeknownst to me at the time, people have died going up that pass! But when you reach the point where you think that is a possibility, it's already too late to turn around or back up, so you keep going.  I ran into fellow artist Tom Lockhart just past the point of no return and told him if no one ever heard from me again to come looking up there!  Before he went back down he very graciously came to find me and make sure I was alright.  It was worth the risk!!  I have not had such a great day painting before or since!

This second painting is a larger, 18x24 studio piece done from the plein air. Though I included a few of the background mountains in this one it has remained fairly true to the original plein air.

The opening is September 2 at the  Steamboat Springs Museum.  There will be demos going on all weekend by various artists as well.

Color Splash

"Color Splash"
10x8 oil on oil primed linen on gatorboard

$650 framed

purchase inquiries go to

www.abendgallery.com

Well I finally made it to my friend Lu Haskew's yard to paint her bird bath one final time before she moves next week. I'll have to find another bird bath to paint next year. Sounds like the beginning of a new adventure!

Unfinished Sketch

Unfinished Sketch "Above the Swimming Hole"
Roberts Ranch
8x10 oil on linen on gatorboard
$100 unframed plus shipping

This is an unfinished sketch from the Roberts Ranch. The bugs were ruthless!!! So I finally gave up. I know, I know. Weenie. But you had to be there. I had more paint on myself from trying to shoo the mosquitos away than I did on my canvas! The owner said she wouldn't worry about feeding them that night then. I loved her sense of humor!! I did get enough information though to do something larger perhaps later as I really liked the composition.

Bluff - Roberts Ranch

"Bluff -Roberts Ranch"

6x9 oil on linen on gatorboard

$95 plus shipping

A plein air effort from the Roberts Ranch, just across from the swimming hole. For you western movie buffs, this is the ranch they filmed the movie "Conagher" on with Sam Elliott and Katherine Ross.

Afternoon Sky - Roberts Ranch

"Afternoon Sky - Roberts Ranch"
10x8 oil on lineon gatorboard
$150 unframed plus shipping

I spent the weekend down around Pinon Canyon in the southeast portion of Colorado plein air painting with a great group of artists. It is in effort to bring attention to the government's proposed takeover of land from private owners for the Army's bombing range. The land and the families are incredible!!! A portion of any sales of mine from this outing will go to the coalition.

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

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.

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!

Long's Peak

Long's Peak 9x12 oil on linen
$675 unframed

Scotland Moors

Scotland Moors 8x10 $200 unframed

oil on board

My camera and computer have been having compatability issues lately and I've been unable to upload some of my recent work. . . sOOOOOO. . . here's a plein air from my trip to Scotland in '06. Can't believe that was a year and a half ago!!

available through riverhawke@gmail.com

Shortcuts

There are no shortcuts through life.

At times I feel like I'm being tossed around in rushing water, not knowing where I am heading, but feeling alive because of the peril I am in.

"Rushing Water" 8x10 plein air at evergreenfineart.com.