Mutterings and Musings

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

In a couple days Santa will be bringing gifts to those amongst us who are believers. Everybody else will probably get something from someone else. Of course the true meaning of Christmas for us Christians is the birth of Jesus Christ…but it’s nice to get a little something under the tree too.

When I was young, my aunt and uncle would host a huge Christmas Eve gathering for the family. It was a really big deal. I remember one time someone said there was over 20 kids under the age of 6 there. They would have a dinner and everybody would dress up in their Christmas finery. They always had a big white flocked Christmas tree with lots of lights, balls and tinsel on it.

At the appointed hour, one of the adults would sneak outside and jingle sleigh bells. All of us little ones would get ushered into a bedroom to await Santa’s entrance. There were lots of shrieks of excitement and the adult chaperons stood guard by the windows to keep curious deviants like myself and my cousins from peaking out the windows.

One of the male adults, preferably one who was a bit on the portly side, would dress up in a Santa suit and do his “HO HO HO” thing with more bell jingling. Another adult would climb up on the roof and clomp around driving us kids nuts.

After what would seem like a couple of hours of torture, the door of the bedroom would open and we would rush out. Somehow they always timed it so we would catch Santa in the doorway just as he was leaving (they didn’t have a chimney). He’d turn to face us and belt out “Merry Christmas” and before anyone got too close to him he’d duck out and the door would slam shut. Our attention was quickly diverted to all the gifts piled high under that magnificent tree.

Years later when I was older I remember a star struck little guy who walked up to my Dad, tugged on his pant leg and shouted, “Uncle Glenn! Santa has shoes just like yours!” Gasp, gasp! A hush fell on the room. My Dad just winked and patted him on the head and said that Santa must shop at the same shoe store that he did. That was good enough for the little guy and he turned and joined the other kids ripping into their presents still a believer.

Yah, those are some good memories. I don’t remember when it was that I learned any different nor do I remember exactly when I realized that just maybe there really is a Santa Claus. How about you? Merry Christmas folks! Thanks for stopping by.

The Art of...

2011-12-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

This column I wrote for the Montrose Daily Press is reprinted here for Anna...hope to see you soon.

Over the years I’ve expressed my appreciation of “the art of…” a lot of different stuff. Of course we all know that art is very subjective. I’ve gotten into a bit of trouble with you folks for expressing an opinion of what I thought art is. That’s not bad though because it has opened my mind up to some really beautiful designs and ideas that I had previously ignored.

One aspect of art that I’ve only scratched the surface of with you folks is the art of cooking. While I know that a number of you are no doubt better versed on this topic than I am, I do have an appreciation of a well prepared meal whether it is served up in a high class restaurant, a diner down the street or at home. It makes no difference.

My wife is a good cook. Because we both work longer hours than we’d like to, she doesn’t get to practice this art as often as I’d like. Consequently when she does put something together, it is a real treat. She has a couple of recipes that if we were ever to open a restaurant they would need to be on the menu.

A recent creation involved Anasazi beans. Never heard of them? They are grown right over in Dove Creek. Lots of acres devoted to the little multi-colored bean. They are good, if you like beans. Ironically, we came across a bag of them at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, in Santa Fe of course, the last time we were down there. I’m told that they are available at City Market too. I would hope so.

Kathy, my wife the cook, adapted a generic recipe for beans and ham using the Anasazi bean and some ham hocks. She added another favorite that we have come to use in a lot of dishes, chopped/diced Hatch green chiles. Our daughter lives in Albuquerque so we have a somewhat direct source for them. She buys them by the gunny sack full, has them roasted and then chops them up and freezes them in quart bags, which we pick up a few of whenever we visit. Daughter Mandy’s “significant other” is a chef in ABQ so that helps too.

Southwest cooking in general is pretty good eating. I’m originally from Minnesota, land of meatloaf, tuna casserole and white gravy, but I really enjoy well prepared chile rellenos, huevous rancheros and the like, anything I can put green chile salsa on.

Here’s a little tip. If you like green chile salsa, look for Santa Fe Seasons Fire Roasted Green Chile Salsa in the market or go to www.santafeseasons.com. Highly recommended. See you downtown.

Collecting Stuff

2011-11-29T09:05:00.000-07:00

People have collected stuff for a long time. I don’t know that for a fact but I see no reason that it should be just a current day phenomenon. It amazes me why people collect what they do. Some folks collect art, some collect dolls, some collect stamps. Collecting stamps seemed to be pretty big when I was young. I tried it for awhile. Of course collecting coins used to be big too. My grandmother used to collect buttons. That all seems to be pretty normal stuff to collect and I can see why folks would do it.

It’s the strange stuff people collect that makes me wonder. I had a friend who collected empty cans of black olives. He’d eat all the olives first then wash the cans and stack them up. Said he liked the labels. He probably had fifty or more of them in a cupboard. He also collected the cardboard tubes from toilet paper rolls. I found that to be a bit weird. I once knew a guy who seemed to collect wives. Knew a gal who collected husbands too, so apparently it's not a sexist thing.

I recently stumbled upon a collectible that I think I can get into. Cigar boxes. I’ve always admired the art work in the labels. When I was in North Carolina a couple of weeks ago visiting family, I noticed an attractive cigar box on the counter in my sister’s kitchen. My first thought was that maybe she had taken up the habit. I have enjoyed cigars over the years but never have bought them by the box. Out of curiosity I asked her about it. She laughed and said she used it to store some things in. I asked where in the world she got them and she said the cigar store sells them for a couple of bucks a piece. She them gave it to me along with another. My eyes lit up.

Over the Thanksgiving weekend I was in Santa Fe and came across a cigar store. Every once in awhile I’ll treat myself to what I think is a good cigar so my brother-in-law and I ducked in to see what they had. Low and behold, there were a couple of stacks of empty cigar boxes for sale. I asked about them and was told the nicer wooden boxes were five bucks and the cheaper ones were three, help yourself. I could hardly contain myself. I sorted through them all and picked out two of the five dollar ones to take home along with a couple of Macanudos (my favorite cigar) to enjoy later. Those cigar boxes will be real handy to store my gold leaf in.

Don’t forget the Merriment on Main Street Festival this Saturday from 3:00 to 5:00 followed by the Parade of Lights. See you there.

Flying Our Friendly Skies

2011-11-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

I just participated in one of the most ridiculous human activities ever invented. Last week I voluntarily boarded an airplane with some 200 other fools to have my body hurled across these United States. I think this activity ranks just below the “running with the bulls” that takes place every summer in Spain and probably below the once popular practice of streaking by college students.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I have a fear of flying so much as a bit of claustrophobia perhaps. I mean, there is just so much wrong with this idea. Sure, it’ll get you from point A to point B rather quickly, relatively speaking, but I think that is the beginning and end of the advantage.

While I’m not much for standing in line I have to say that all in all it went much more smoothly than it could have. I’m thankful for that. Taking all of the stuff out of my pockets and the pat downs weren’t bad. Kind of reminded me of when I would get shook down as a teenager in high school or during a traffic stop in the middle of the night where much worse things can happen. “Up against the wall…” you know how it goes. On the other hand, maybe you don’t but I’m sure you’ve heard of it.

A friend of mine who is a Fed was flying out of Charlotte the same day I was returning to Montrose. As part of her job she is allowed to fly with a gun. I asked her how she gets through security and she said she just shows her travel itinerary and her ID and walks through. No lines at that desk. I asked if she could get me through that easily and she responded, “probably not”. I then proposed that maybe she could cuff me and pretend I was her prisoner, and release me when we got through the gates. She said “probably not”. I had to try at least.

Sitting in the terminal waiting for my flight did yield a side benefit however. I had lots of unsuspecting free models. I generally take a sketch book with me everywhere I go and I managed to fill a couple of pages of portraits of these characters…and there were plenty of them. For a people watcher such as myself, an airport terminal is a treasure trove. Lots of very interesting looking folks. Not quite as good as a bus depot but still worthwhile. Time well spent.

Of course when I travel, if I’ve got the time, I much prefer to drive or ride the Harley but I suppose in the interest of time, joining the rest of the masses in our friendly skies has it’s merits.

New Work

2011-11-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

This is a new piece I just recently finished. It was started at a workshop I attended last month in Boise, Idaho with Noel Weber and John Studden, two masters of the art of reversed gold on glass and lettering. Everything was done in reverse on the glass, hence the term "reverse gilding and painting on glass". 23kt and 18kt gold were used along with some abalone shell inlays in the legs of the "A" and the "L". There is a small discalimer under my name that says "is not an"...don't want to get into trouble you know :)

This shot shows some of the detail work. Centers of the letters are 18kt gold in a matte, outlined in 23kt burnished gold.

A detail shot of the "A". Again the centers of the letters are 18kt gold in a matte finish and the outline is 23kt burnished gold with inlays of abalone shell in the legs of the "A".

Another detail shot of the fancy script and corner detail done in 23kt burnished gold.

September

2011-09-13T15:31:00.002-06:00

This is a great time of year. I can already feel fall in the air. Although it brings an end to the fine days of summer, and a fine one it has been, fall has it’s own character and appeal.

We pretty much have ended our motorcycle camping trips for this year. It has been an adventurous summer. I got to see some great country, met some neat people and got a lot of material for new paintings to do this winter. By camping and traveling on the motorcycle we managed to get it all done for a little over $600. Can’t beat it.

September, and most of October for that matter, will still offer up some great opportunities that I’m looking forward to. Our fabulous fall colors will be upon us soon. I see hints of it starting already. For a landscape artist, this is a prime time of year. People pay big bucks to come see and experience what we have right here in our own backyard. We don’t have to go far to see some of the best fall colors the Rocky Mountain West has to offer.

I’ll give you a couple of prospects for you to think about in the coming weeks. For a day trip, it is hard to beat the road over Kebler Pass. Between Paonia and McClure Pass you’ll see the turnoff. You’ll wind up in the colorful little town of Crested Butte which has several outstanding places to get a bite to eat. Highly recommended .

Another favorite is to go up and over Owl Creek Pass. You access that loop either by going south toward Ridgway and turning left or go east on Hwy 50 just past the little community of Cimarron. Turn right and follow the road. Either way, the road will take you through some of the best color available. Both are easy drives. A picnic would be in order.

For an overnighter, I would head east on Hwy 50 to Lake City and go over Slumgullion Pass, through Creede and South Fork, over Wolf Creek Pass and into Pagosa Springs for the night. JJ’S Riverwalk Restaurant is a good place for supper. A soak in the hot springs afterwards might be nice. The return route through Durango and over the passes to Ouray and on home will be hard to beat.

Two different overnight trips to Utah in October when the temps will be cooler are worth considering. This is a perfect time to see Moab and Arches N.P. as well as going a little farther to Capitol Reef N.P. If I don’t forget, I’ll expand a little on these next week. See you when you get back.

Mary's Bar

2011-09-07T12:38:00.000-06:00

Several years ago I was doing an art show in Santa Fe, NM. During the week or so I spent painting in the area, I came across the little village of Cerrillos just south of Santa Fe. It’s on the beginning of the Turquoise Trail, so named for all of the turquoise mined in the area.

Cerrillos is a very quaint, little village typical of the Southwest. Heavy Mexican influence in the adobe architecture, iron and or wooden gates in the adobe walls, the requisite Catholic Church, a few artist’s studios, dirt streets and a really cool “old town” district which comprises all of two blocks. Not too many of the places are open anymore except for a couple of antique stores and an old bar. The old buildings and town have been used in several movies however, “Young Guns” and “Vampires” to name a couple of the more recent ones. I did a nice watercolor of what used to have been the old Wortley Hotel.

One of the more interesting “establishments” in town is Mary’s Bar. It is located right on the corner of Main and 1st Street. Mary’s is still open to the public…you might say. Although I’ve been back to Cerrillos several times over the last couple of years, and even did a painting of the building, I’ve never ventured into Mary’s Bar. This time my traveling companions and I decided to check it out.

We pulled our Harley’s up and parked them against the low adobe wall in front. From the outside, Mary’s doesn’t look like much. In fact most people, other than the locals, probably wouldn’t bother going inside. It didn’t even look like it was open. Cautiously we opened the door and peeked inside. There was an old lady sitting at a table right up front. Tim asked her if they were open and she replied, “I’m here aren’t I?” We filed in.

The room was dimly lit, even for a bar and the house keeping was…well let’s just say a bit lacking. A black and white cat walked down the length of the bar to greet us. I asked the lady, “Are you Mary?” “Last time I checked!” she replied. We ordered a couple of beers, petted the cats and chatted with Mary. She’s 95 years old, born in Cerrillos and quite the character. We had a fabulous time listening to her recant her life experiences. Several times she mentioned that she was mad at God because he wouldn’t take her yet.

If you make it down there, don’t expect too much. As Mary repeatedly said, “If you don’t like it, the door swings both ways and you are welcome to leave.”

Here's Sister-in-Law Donna chatting it up with Mary. She was a real hoot.

Kathy and I toasting a cold one to my sister Mary.

Hmmm...he seems to like that.

Yea, OK. I'll be your buddy. You're welcome.

We'll probably be checking back in at Mary's Bar whenever we're down that way. That stop made our trip. Good times. If you do a search for "Mary's Bar, Cerrillos, NM" on google you'll find several YouTube videos and other sites with comments by those who have stopped in. Check it out.

Hoist a Cold One

2011-08-29T11:40:00.000-06:00

“Hoist a Cold One”, written by Melody Groves with great photos by Myke Groves, is a gem of a book my wife discovered. It covers historic bars of the Southwest. This couple traveled around Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and of course Colorado looking for old historic bars from days of old. What a great idea. I wish I had thought of it. By “bars”, I mean the pieces of furniture that make up the “front” bar, over which the drinks and beers are served to sitting or standing patrons, the “back” bar which was usually adorned by a mirror or two, shelving for the various bottles of liquor and racks for the glasses. Often there was also a liquor cabinet at one end which housed extra bottles of booze.

Most of these pieces of furniture were hand crafted in the mid to late 1800’s. While some were imported from Europe, many were made here in the US. All of them were handcrafted by wood working artisans in cherry, walnut or mahogany, with a lot of hand carved detail. Wonderful pieces of “art”. It is difficult to imagine these fine pieces of furniture and accompanying mirrors, traveling over hundreds and even thousands of miles by whatever means of conveyance that was available at the time. It’s a wonder that any of them arrived safely.

As a result of Prohibition, during which establishments in the business of selling and serving alcohol were closed down, these beautiful bars were removed and hidden from the Ladies of Temperance, saving them from destruction. Many were “stored” in Old Mexico. When Prohibition was lifted, they began to resurface and once again found homes in saloons, bars and taverns.

Interestingly, in my travels searching out material for paintings and looking for old classic signage and gold letters on window glass, I have found myself in the same room as some of these historic pieces of furniture…strictly for purposes of research you understand. In our neck of the woods, the book lists The Diamond Belle in the Strater Hotel, Durango; Grumpy’s Saloon in the Grand Imperial, Silverton; The Brown Bear Café in Silverton, and the Silver Eagle Saloon in Ouray.

Recently I was in the Lone Cone Saloon in Norwood, which was overlooked by the author. They have one of these classic old bars that was made in the late 1800’s and shipped from the Midwest. A beautiful piece of furniture. The carvings and woodwork are outstanding. You ought to check it out. The green chile burger, with a cold draught is recommended.

I believe I might have to look for other similar pieces of “art” the author may have missed and hoist a cold one in salute to the craftsmen.

ABQ

2011-08-24T08:44:00.000-06:00

For those of you in the Northern Latitudes and back East, ABQ is short for Albuquerque, as in New Mexico, Land of Enchantment. I remember when I was a kid I was just absolutely fascinated with New Mexico and their “Land of Enchantment” slogan. Still am I suppose.

Daughter Mandy lives in Albuquerque. She’s the Assistant Manger of Guest Services for the Sheraton Hotel there. We took a load of Olathe Sweet Corn down to her and her SO, Daniel. Been pretty busy at the shop here doing framing, painting, lettering and gilding. It's nice to have the work. I don't know what to attribute the change to but I'm trying real hard not to over-analyze it and just run with it for as long as it will last. Consequently I've been working longer hours so it was nice to to get away for a couple days this past weekend. Jumped on the Harley for some quality R&R and headed south.

As you all know by now, if I’m going somewhere, I prefer to ride my Harley. That’s why I got it and these days, it sure is easy on the gas bill when traveling about. So I’ve got 3 cases of sweet corn to deliver. No problem. I borrowed brother-in-law Tim’s motorcycle trailer, the same one we’ve been camping out of all summer on our rides. Worked out swell. Traded sweet corn for Hatch Green chilies. A good trade, if you ask me.

I really like Albuquerque. It doesn’t feel like a very big town. Central Avenue, old Rt.66 is a really cool place to hang out. Kathy and I spent Sunday morning riding up and down Central, stopping and taking pictures of the old neon signs, murals and hand painted signage that still adorn some of the buildings. Unfortunately a few of the old landmarks have been torn down as part of an urban renewal effort. The old Kia Lodge is gone but I got a shot of the old neon sign. Same for the Aztec Motel. It’s gone but the sign is still there. Got that one also.

A number of the old stores from back in the day have been remade into some pretty nice eateries and bars. Some of the businesses from the heyday are still operating right alongside the new ones. Lots of murals on the walls and classic hand painted signs and old architecture. Of course there are a lot of characters on the streets which makes it really interesting.

Had lunch in Old Town at the Church Street Café which is housed in the oldest residence in Albuquerque. Built in 1706 so they say. Old Town is about a 10 block area surrounding the plaza consisting of the old original buildings which are still occupied as residences or businesses. Much the same as in Taos or Santa Fe. Albuquerque sits at the foot of the Sandia Mountains which are just to the east of town. The Rio Grande River, the same one with headwaters right here in Colorado, runs right through town.

Another great ride and a great time too. If you haven’t been there, it’s not far, 350 miles and well worth the trip. Spend a day or two.

Two Extras

2011-07-18T15:23:00.001-06:00

Here are two extra paintings I did while in Crested Butte for the show this past weekend.

The one just above is of a pond at the campground I stayed in. This pond was lined with these beautiful Cottonwood trees. The light and the reflections were too much to pass up. When I left the campground to go to the show Friday morning, I had to stop and do the painting. I'm glad I did as it turned out to be a good one. Unfortunately I had already turned in the paintings for the show and they were already hung.

The first painting pictured above, is of a scene between Crested Butte and Almont, that I did on the way home Sunday. Even though the show was over, the artist in me wouldn't let me pass up the opportunity to do this painting. It is the road to "Jake's Cabin" which climbs throught the pass and down to the Taylor River on the otherside. Again it was the light on this scene that prompted me to stop and do the painting.

Stopping to do the painting of "The Road to Jake's Cabin" reminded me of a time that son Ted and I were going to go to Canada several years ago to paint and fish. We had two weeks. The idea was to paint and fish our way to Calgary, Alberta where I had a friend who had invited us up there to fish the Bow River. Ted would do the fishing and I would do the painting...and maybe do a little fishing too. At the end of ten days, we hadn't even gotten out of the state of Colorado, so we had to call the trip off. Ted said that next time I couldn't do any painting until we got to Canada, which was the case the following year. That time it worked out better.

So is the risk if I stop to paint everything I see no matter when or where I am going I might get anywhere. I would love to have the time to do that, just wandering around stopping to paint the picture and then move on to the next one, maybe stopping to fish a bit too. It's a good thing I got home Sunday, even though a bit later than I had told Kathy I be there. It is a wonder that I get anywhere, when I'm supposed to, when I have a painting kit with me.

Although these paintings weren't in the show I have framed them and they are available at my sudio/gallery. They are both 9x12 watercolors and are framed with linen mats, fillets and Museum glass and for sale for $600 each. I can send you a photo of them framed if you are interested.

Crested Butte Plein Air Invitaional

2011-07-18T14:46:00.001-06:00

I have to say that the reception and show in general for the Crested Butte Plein Air Invitational, hosted by the Oh Be Joyful gallery in Crested Butte this past weekend was very well done. The quality of work was very good. As with all shows, there were some paintings that weren't up to par but overall it was very impressive. The hard work of Shaun and his staff in setting up the tent and the lighting and the hanging of the paintings definitely showed. It is a difficult task to show art properly in an outdoor setting but they did it.

The idea here is that 45 artists (all professionals), including myself, were invited to come to Crested Butte and paint the subjects of our choice as long as it represented Crested Butte and the surrounding area, and then display and sell the results. I was fascinated by the choice of subjects that each artist made and how he or she represented the chosen subject matter in their paintings. It is well known that if you take five artists and line them up to paint the same thing, the results will vary. That's art. Each of us sees the same thing in a different manner and will portray what we see differently than the artist standing next to us. Click here to see what each of us painted and what sold.

While the big show is over, select pieces of art have been kept by the gallery for the remainder of the show which runs through Sunday. If there is anything of mine that you see that interests you please let me know as I have all of them back here in my gallery with the exception of "CB Alley" which the gallery chose to keep until the end of the show. I was fortunate to have sold my "quick draw" painting (a quick draw is a set time limit we all had to do a painting) on Saturday. It is not pictured however. Thanks to Brenda from Tulsa who bought it.

Crested Butte Plein Air Art Show

2011-07-08T13:32:00.002-06:00

This is one of 9 paintings I've done in watercolor in the Crested Butte, Colorado area for the Crested Butte Plein Air Show which opens the 15th of July. You can find more information on my gallery page at www.facebook.com/simpsongallery. You DO NOT have to belong to facebook to access my gallery page. It is available to the general public.

Bears, Eagles and Fireworks

2011-07-05T13:43:00.001-06:00

Wondering how others were going to spend the 4th my wife Kathy and I and another couple, jumped on our Harleys and rode up to Red Lodge, Montana to find out. Ya, I know, it’s a long way to go for the weekend. Every little town we rode through was having, or getting ready to have, their 4th of July celebration.

First off I will say that the countryside was green, green, green, and the rivers were all running really muddy, really wide and really fast...and there is still a lot of snow left in the mountains. Looked more like April than the 4th of July.

In Lander, Wy, Main St. was closed for their celebration. We spent the night at an old RV/Tent campground right in town. It was run by an old codger who told us to pick a spot under the shady cottonwoods and put up as many tents as we wanted. I don’t care how many of you there are. That’ll be $20. CASH! We paid up…CASH…and picked our spots.

In Cody, Wy they were getting ready for their tribute to the 4th. Lots of flags and folks in town. We kept going on to Red Lodge, Mt, at the base of the Beartooth Mountains. We rode our Harleys down Main St. and it looked like a mini-Sturgis rally. Motorcycles and bikers everywhere. We fit right in. Lots of American flags waving in the breeze in a grand display of patriotism. Camped in the KAO, all of our neighbors were bikers. Harley’s lined up like it was a dealership. All good folks and proud to be Americans.

In the morning we rode over the famous Beartooth Pass. It rivals our Red Mountain Pass. Fabulous views. Alongside the road there were still drifts of snow 10 to 15 feet high that the road had been plowed through. Coming off the other side, as far as one could see, the mountains were still VERY snow capped. We entered Yellowstone NP where we were treated to bear, buffalo and elk. That evening we sat around the campfire sipping some of Lynchburg’s finest and kept mosquitoes at bay with DEET and cigars.

In Flaming Gorge, Utah we saw an eagle in a tree eating a freshly caught fish. As we came off of Menoken Hill Monday night we were treated to the great Montrose Rotary fireworks display. We even got onto our deck at home, with a cold one, in time to catch the grand finale.

The cost of our curiosity? Gas, $122.81. Campgrounds, $52.50. Food, $32.50, for a total of $207.81. The material gathered for paintings and the sheer pleasure of it all? Priceless. It sure beat staying home and mowing the grass.

Skeeters, Prairie Dogs and Texans

2011-06-29T16:44:00.001-06:00

OK. You’re probably wondering what these have in common. Truth is…nothing, but follow along gentle readers and I shall tell you a tale that will shed a little light on the matter.

I was up in CB again last weekend painting for a show coming up in July. For those of you who don’t know, CB is the moniker that the locals in Crested Butte use when referring to their little burg. I’ve been up there so much lately that I feel I have the right to use it.

The first night I camped on a gravel bar close to the trees along the swollen Slate River. The setting sun cast wonderful shadows across the land. It was beautiful. As night fell on me up there at about 9500 feet, the mosquitoes decided to join the party. I quickly built a fire, lit a cigar and let the smoke of both bath me in an attempt to ward off the pesky little critters. The next day I moved over to Washington Gulch and discovered a field of brilliant yellow dandelions. In the far background was the silhouette of Mt. Crested Butte. A painting for sure.

The breeze was blowing rather stiffly where I was parked so I climbed a nearby hillside and got into the trees a bit. This actually afforded a better view anyway, but I soon discovered that the skeeters liked it up there out of the wind too. The little rascals were ferocious. Lots of deet and another cigar seemed to have little impact. Being the professional I am however, I endured the pests and did the painting. With arms and paint flailing wildly about and doing a little jig back and forth at the easel trying to avoid the little beasts I must’ve looked like an idiot up there having a fit. Hope nobody was watching.

Back at the truck, while I sat on the tailgate enjoying a cold one and taking in the spectacular view I had just painted I thought about the mosquito. I think the worst place for mosquitoes I’ve ever been was up in Jackson Hole when I was younger and being a cowboy. I remember trying to eat a sandwich in the barn one day and it was difficult to take a bite without getting a mouthful to add a little flavoring. Alaska claims the mosquito as their state bird. I don’t know about that since the only time I was in Alaska it was 35 below in February. Weren’t too many bugs of any kind out at that time of the year.

Oh! Prarie Dogs and Texans? I’ll have to say those for another time. Thanks for stopping by though and stay tuned.

Luck of the Norwegian

2011-06-21T11:08:00.001-06:00

Last weekend I spent a couple of days in Crested Butte doing some paintings for an up coming show in July. Saturday I closed the shop up a little early and jumped on the Harley, loaded with camping gear and my painting kit. The weather wasn’t too bad Saturday afternoon and I got some work done that evening. Sunday, the day started out OK even though it was mostly overcast with the sun poking out just long enough to create some nice shadows and beautiful light on the Sherpa Café which was my chosen subject matter for the morning.

Later I stopped by the Oh Be Joyful Gallery which is hosting the show in July and met up with a fellow artist, Meredith Nemirov and Shaun Horne, owner of the gallery. We discussed various locales to paint and then went our separate ways. Meredith was headed for the high country but I elected to stay in town on the pavement, primarily because I was on the Harley and hadn’t brought my tire chains.

I found a colorful flower box down an alley on the side of a building with a red door and red trimmed windows. There was even the requisite bicycle. I was again briefly blessed by just enough sun to give me some cast shadows to create a nice effect of light. By the time I was finished the wind was picking up some more and the crowds on the streets had thinned significantly.

After a burger and a beer at a sidewalk pizzeria, I strolled around for awhile looking for another place to paint and made a few sketches but by then the sun had disappeared leaving everything disappointingly flat in color. I decided to ride out toward Mt. Crested Butte, the ski area, to see how things looked. As I got out of the confines of the buildings and into some open space I was amazed to look up toward the range of mountains to the north and saw what a couple of months ago I would have called a snow squall sweeping in. I sat there and watched it long enough to decide that it was time to bail.

Although I had planned to spend the night and paint on Monday, I headed back to Almont, broke camp, loaded up and headed home. A good thing too as I got wet with a couple of showers on the way home and later that evening in the comfort of my warm house I saw that there was a winter storm advisory in CB for that night. In June? Who would’ve thought? My Norwegian luck worked again. A great time was had never-the-less.

Gone Painting

2011-06-17T19:33:00.001-06:00

Headed to Crested Bute to paint for the weekend. Sleeping bag, check; tent, check; painting kit, check; cooler, ckeck...you know...I could be one independent SOB if I wasn't so responsible. Can't think of a better way to spend a couple of days. It'd be real easy to say..."see you in the fall if I see you at all". I'd probably miss my bride and my cat though so I'll be back on Monday to report in.

Streetscapes

2011-06-15T11:32:00.001-06:00

Went up to Crested Butte the other day and I must say it was an absolutely beautiful day for a ride…just perfect. The Oh Be Joyful Gallery is hosting a plein air paint out and show in mid July and I am one of 45 artists nationwide that has been invited to participate. Typically we artists will fan out into the surrounding countryside and paint these scenic Rocky Mountains. I’ve done this with the Telluride Plein Aire Festival for several years.

This time I’m going to approach it all a little differently. The town of Crested Butte is a particularly colorful little berg. The multicolored old Victorian style buildings are really very interesting. Walking around the streets, checking things out, I decided that I would paint in town. The architecture and color is simply too interesting to pass up…not to mention the characters, and as you all know, I love to paint characters.

While Telluride has to be known for the number of dogs in their town, Crested Butte holds the record for the number of bicycles. Good grief. They were everywhere. It’s hard to believe that there are enough members of that community to pedal all those bikes around. Very brightly painted old school bikes in the style of the 50’s with baskets on them parked next to dirty well used mountain bikes. Great subject matter.

My wife Kathy and I spent a couple of hours walking up and down historic Elk Ave which is the main drag. We wandered onto the side streets and ventured into the adjoining alleys where the real treasures were to be found as we discovered. There are little, and I mean LITTLE eateries adorned with lively colored flower boxes tucked away in the most obscure places …more good stuff to paint.

I’ve painted in the Crested Butte area before. CB is well known for their wildflowers. They even have a wildflower festival. The landscape in the area is as good as it gets but I think that this time I’m going to go for the streetscapes. There is just too much good stuff to pass up in that little town.

Painting on the streets, however, is a completely different challenge than being out in the countryside. Lots of distractions. Folks tend to gather around thereby creating a lot of pressure on you not to screw the painting up. Every stroke has to count. Especially since I will be doing watercolors in which there is little tolerance for mistakes.

I’m going to go on my Harley, take a watercolor kit and paint right from the bike. It’ll be easy to get around and park where I need to. That ought to be a sight. In fact I'm headed up there this weekend for several days of painting. Camping, painting and riding my Harley. Can't think of a better way to spend Father's Day. I’ll keep you posted.

Wigwam Motel

2011-06-09T12:17:00.003-06:00

You folks have seen this painting before. I did it last year based upon a trip we took on our motorcycles to Arizona. One night we stayed at the iconic Wigwam Motel on Rt. 66 in Holbrook, Arizona. That's us checking in. In the background are a couple of old classic cars parked next to the teepees. That's the way it was. Each teepee had it's own old classic car parked in front of it.. We spent a night in nostalgia. I've had lots of folks comment on this painting while I've had it displayed in the studio however it is now time to offer it up to a larger market. This painting is available at my gallery.

Canyon Road Hollyhocks

2011-06-06T09:06:00.002-06:00

Santa Fe New Mexico is a great place. Lots of great art, alluring adobe architecture, food to die for and beautiful flowers. The geraniums, rabbit brush and hoolyhocks are iconic to the region. These are an example of what might find off famous Canyon Road in Santa fe. This little watercolor sold at auction. Thanks!

Oxbow Bend

2011-06-06T08:58:00.002-06:00

Jackson Hole is a favorite place of mine. I used to live in Jackson. The nearby Yellowstone N. P. and the closer lesser known Teton N.P. are wonderful places for a plein air landscape painter like me. This particular littl watercolor was done at the Oxbow Bend in the Snake River. It is a very popular turnout because of the views. What isn't as well known however, is that if you take the dirt road on around the corner you can have even more spectacular views and a much more intimate view of the river. At this spot, the water is wide and lazily flows along. The relatively calm surface reflects the fall colors on the banks. This little painting is for sale at my gallery.

Mt. Sopris

2011-06-03T08:28:00.002-06:00

A couple of years ago I was in the Aspen area. It was Spring and the morning air was very chilly, just above freezing. I painted this watercolor from the parking lot of the Catholic Church in Carnodale which is near Aspen, Colorado. The frozed moisture (ice crystals) in the air softened the colors beautifully. This painting is for sale at my gallery.

Red Roofed Gazebo

2011-06-02T08:25:00.002-06:00

This red roofed gazebo sits on the edge of a pond in our town park. It is a favorite subject to paint. I did this watercolor painting on location a couple of years ago. The ducks and geese come floating by to investigate what I'm doing and always are looking for a hand out. This watercolor is for sale at my gallery.

eBay Paintings

2011-06-01T12:00:00.000-06:00

Just posted a watercolor and 3 oil paintings to eBay. Some of these have been there before and are still looking for their new owner. Click here to go there http://art.shop.ebay.com/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=Mike+Simpson&_sacat=550

Chasing Tumble Weeds

2011-05-31T15:56:00.002-06:00

Last weekend, I took a little trip to Arizona on the Harley with my wife Kathy and another couple. The idea was to go to Canyon de Chelly at Chinle, AZ and down the road a bit to the historic Hubble Trading Post at Ganado and do some watercolors of these scenic and famous places. Both are on the Navajo Reservation. Originally we were going to camp at Chinle but let me just say that it didn’t work out. I’ll leave it at that. Instead, we decided to camp in Cortez, CO and make a day trip down into the Rez on Sunday. Unfortunately that’s the only part that worked as planned.

We arrived in Cortez midday and set up camp. That afternoon the wind began to blow. Our wisdom told us that it would die down when it got dark. I mean, typically that’s the way it goes. You know that. Well, I’m here to say that the wind howled all night long. None of us got any sleep, what with the sides of our flimsy nylon tents whipping violently and the fear that the tents stakes would rip out of the ground and we’d find ourselves tumbling through the night toward Kansas tangled in sleeping bags along with sundry camping gear.

At daylight, Sunday morning, with the wind still whipping us around, we collectively decided to go anyway. We’ve ridden in wind before. How bad can it be? I stuck a wetted finger in the air and announced that the good news was, on the return trip the wind would be at our backs.

By the time we got to Mexican Water, we realized that this was a serious wind and maybe we were being a little foolish. The kind older Navajo gentleman behind the counter at the little (and only) store where we stopped to seek refuge seemed to think so too. He didn’t say anything, he just stood there with a big grin and quietly chuckled when we came in. I’m sure he was thinking, “stupid white people”. He might have been right. Undeterred we forged on.

The wind was so strong at Hubble we didn’t stay long, and the sand storms at Chinle prevented us from seeing anything so we just kept riding. I was correct however that on the return trip we found a bit of relief when, at times, the wind was at our backs. However, when you have trouble keeping up with the tumble weeds “tumbling” down the road at 65 mph, you know the wind is blowing hard. We rode back to Cortez in one huge sandstorm. Needless to say that I didn’t get any painting done. I’m not really into “sand” paintings.

I Knew It All Along

2011-05-26T13:18:00.000-06:00

I was just reading an article about a study on the internet that reported men who engaged in an artistic activity of some sort, whether hands on or viewing, are “more likely to be happy with their lives and satisfied with their health than men who don't enjoy the finer things in life”. Heh, heh, heh. I knew it all along. Combine that with riding a motorcycle and it can’t get much better. So there.

With the slump in the economy the last several years the sales of art have slowed considerably, as in having come to a screeching halt. When you paint for a living, that has a huge impact on both ones income and mental outlook. It is real hard to get motivated and inspired to paint when very little of what you have painted in the last couple of years has sold. It is easy to think about finding something else to do like auto mechanics or plumbing or something that is in demand.

I haven’t done much painting lately. Every time I think about starting a new one I think, “what’s the point?” The problem is that an artist has an inner drive to create. Sooner or later that urge has to be satisfied or life in general becomes problematic. The other day I found myself pacing the floor, aimlessly, back and forth. This has happened before. I know the symptoms. Sooner or later it begins to get on my wife’s nerves and she’s been known to snap at me “go do a painting”.

It is well known, among artists anyway, that one should not paint for the money. An artist should paint for his or her own satisfaction. Since not much is selling these days, it is a good opportunity to do just that. One of my most cherished activities is to paint on location. Get out somewhere and paint what is in front of me. It isn’t just the physical act of doing the painting that is so satisfying, it is the entire process of traveling around and searching for a motif and then setting up and capturing the essence of the subject matter.

It’s well known that I like to get out and about from time to time. The reason is, I see so much that inspires me and I come back from such excursions with a renewed sense of desire to paint and write about what I experienced. I’m not a mechanic or a plumber, I’m an artist. I can’t help it. That’s who I am and that’s what I do and I’m happier and healthier for it. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be in touch.

Small Town America

2011-05-19T17:13:00.002-06:00

If you’ve been keeping up you’ll know that my wife Kathy and I rode the Harley back to Charlotte, NC. We had a good trip. In fact it was remarkable and memorable in a number of ways. Riding a motorcycle across the heartland of this great country (and back again) was a real treat.

Our time was limited, unfortunately, so we didn’t get to stop and take a lot of photos or investigate the little road side attractions that are scattered along the highways and byways. One of the advantages (and there are many) of avoiding the interstates is that you get to see Small Town America. Even though these little bergs have a lot in common, they all have their individual personality, which becomes even more obvious as you ride from region to region and state to state. You can tell by the roadside signs, the landscape, the farms, houses and storefronts.

I really enjoyed seeing the old store fronts in these small towns and the signage that adorns them, probably because I have a shop on Main Street and do some signage. There is a lot of character in both. Many are closed up, merely reminders of days gone by.

We saw the devastation of the flooding both going and coming. It was really sad to see partially submerged farm houses and buildings out in the middle of a large body of water. In Metropolis, IL we were stopped several times by yellow caution tape stretched across the streets blocking our way. At one point I sat there astride the idling Harley with water lapping on the pavement just a few feet in front of us and looked around at the neighborhood houses of this small town. Water up to the windows on many, backyard swing sets rising out of the water. Sometimes just the rooftops of vehicles were little islands in what used to be the driveway. Very sad and disheartening.

We took meals in a number of restaurants in which either the waitresses or patrons chatted with us about our trip. We enjoyed some cobbler and coffee in The Old Fort Restaurant while we waited out a rain storm just out of Chattanooga, TN. The waitress was particularly curious about our adventure. There was breakfast in The Round-Up Café in Baxter, KS where some Bikers for Christ invited us to their Sunday service. We had to decline as we needed to move on but I asked them to pray for our safety as we motored off into their quiet morning.

It’s good to be back but I look forward to the next time I get to visit Small Town America. It’s worth the effort.

Observations from the Road

2011-05-09T17:20:00.001-06:00

Prairie dogs in Kansas, armadillos in Missouri, and opossums in Tennessee and North Carolina. What do they have in common? Popular road kill in their respective states. Sometimes you notice such things from the back of a motorcycle.

It’s been a good trip so far. Part of the fun of traveling across this great nation of ours, especially when you take the back roads and are riding a motorcycle, is the people you meet. We seem to attract some attention when we pull into a rest stop or a McDonalds to take a break or a motel parking lot. People like to come up, check out the bike and find out where we are from and where we are going. Sometimes we have to excuse ourselves so we can get inside and take care of the business for which we originally stopped.

Met an interesting guy at the Budget Lodge where I got a discount for the night’s room because I am a Vietnam Vet. Thanks. I appreciate that. He wanted to show me a 30 foot lodge pole pine he carved and painted to look like an American flag hanging at rest. Looked pretty good too. He was sure proud of it.

There was an old timer who came over to chat in the parking lot at a McDonalds. He was sporting a Harley shirt and cap and said that he was 80 years old and had been riding up until this year when his son took his motorcycle away from him. He wanted to know if we were part of a group of 400 bikers that were supposed to be passing through on their way to “the wall” in DC. I said we didn’t know anything about it. Said he made that ride a couple of years ago. He would’ve stood there in the hot sun until dark reliving his riding days if his wife hadn’t come over to drag him away.

We managed to get across the Big Muddy but had trouble getting across the Ohio and on to Paducah, KY. We got lost in the flooded neighborhoods of Metropolis, IL until a couple of fellas exchanging some money in a parking lot pointed us in the right direction.

Another guy in a new Camero pulled into the spot next to us at a rest stop in Tennessee. He went on and on about what he did and how he really didn’t like the Camero and thought that we had the better deal. I just smiled and agreed.

We'll be headed home on Friday looking forward to meeting some more folks and seeing what we can from the back of the Harley.

Ready, Set, GO!

2011-05-03T12:25:00.000-06:00

If you remember, a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I had a bad case of cabin fever and decided to ride the Harley out to see my mother and sister in Charlotte, North Carolina in a couple of weeks. Well…I’ve got help at the shop up lined out and our house sitter is going to feed the gold fish for us while we are away…so we are gone, gone, gone.

The anticipation of the ride has been fun and has helped pass the time. Heck if it had been up to me, I’d have left when I first got the idea. Only problem was that the weather wasn’t real good, what with it still snowing in Colorado and tornados across the rest of the country.

I’ve ridden in some pretty sorry weather before and it’s no fun. I can do it but it makes for a long day. I remember a time, a couple of years ago, along the Lochsa River between Lewiston, Idaho and Lolo Pass just west of Missoula, Montana. Rained the whole way…some 150 miles of it anyway. A good steady, cold rain. Crossed over the summit of Lolo Pass with one gloved hand brushing the snow off of the windshield…and that was in the middle of June. I’d like to do that ride again as I’m pretty sure it is beautiful country. It was just a little hard to tell at the time.

Another time we were up in Canada and we started our day in the rain. This time it was combined with high winds and came down in sheets. Lasted all day too. Oh! I can’t forget just last summer when we got caught in a hail storm in the Snowy Mountains between Laramie and Saratoga, Wyoming on the way back from Sturgis. That might have been the worst I’ve been in on a motorcycle. We got literally pounded with that one.

I know. You are probably asking yourselves why we just don’t pull over and find shelter. That’s a good idea but it always seems we are out in the middle of nowhere when we run into bad weather. There is literally no place to get out of it so we just keep riding on. Besides, it makes for some pretty good tales to tell later.

There have been many more miles when the weather was just absolutely beautiful however and that’s what makes it all worthwhile. Just as in life or doing a painting, sometimes it works out just fine and other times…well you think it should have. Life should be an adventure to be lived…not a problem to be solved. I’ll be in touch, posting daily updates at www.facebook.com/simpsongallery and I'll try to do the same here. Stay tuned.

Spring is in the Air!!

2011-04-19T10:29:00.000-06:00

Yup! Feels pretty good doesn’t it? There’s nothing like the fresh smell in the air after a spring rain shower. Everything even looks cleaner and brighter. Things are starting to green up a bit, a few bulbs poking their bright flowers out of the ground. Birds nesting here and there, new calves and lambs on the ground. Time to climb out of winter and stretch in the sunshine. Yah! Feels good.

I mentioned last week that we are planning a ride out to Charlotte, North Carolina on our Harley in a couple of weeks. Several of you good folks came by and commented on that. This Sunday we oiled up our leathers and I changed the oil on the bike and washed it. Enjoyed a brewski on the deck afterwards while leafing through the worn pages of Rand McNally, plotting our route. We spent a little time planning the summer as well. A few short overnight camping rides here and there. Some trailer camping squeezed in and an art show to boot. After spending the winter holed up in the shop/studio, it’ll be good to get out and about again gathering material to paint and write about, although it’ll be closer to home this year.

In years past I used to do more summer art shows than now. The cut back is strictly an economic one. I’ve been invited to a paint out and show in Crested Butte this summer in July and I will plan on it, however. Getting out and painting on location is absolutely one of the best activities I can think of. I really enjoy it. There is a wealth of material right here in my back yard and I think this spring and summer I will take advantage of it.

I’ve been getting a few touristas in the gallery lately and that’s a good sign. People are starting to get out. Had a nice lady in the other day, coincidentally from Charlotte, NC. I have a blog that I write and she had found me on the internet, subscribed to the blog and wanted to stop in and meet me. That was nice. It’s interesting what exposure on the internet will do. Unfortunately I had another customer in the gallery at the time and didn’t get to chat it up as much as I would have liked. I hope she stops in again sometime if she is in the area.

Spring is like a time of renewal isn’t it? Of course it is. Time to stand in the fresh morning air, breathe deep and let the warmth of the sun shine on your smiling face. Life is good.

Cabin Fever

2011-04-19T10:28:00.000-06:00

I don’t know about you folks but I’ve been getting a little itchy to get out and go somewhere. While it’s nice to have the days getting a little longer and we have been teased with some nice warm weather off and on it has only served to make me a little edgy.

Maybe it’s because I haven’t gotten out and done any painting for some time. Hanging out in the studio all winter has given me the opportunity to get a lot done at the easel but I think it is time to venture out. Explore new territory or at least revisit familiar haunts of past. Do something.

With that in mind, I’ve decided that a road trip is in order. My kind of vacation. The last one I took was back to North Carolina to visit my sister and our mother in October. It was great. I’ve driven the route in the car or our pickup several times but this time we are going to take the Harley. While this isn’t the farthest we’ve ridden the bike, it’ll be the first time in that direction.

This is something I’ve wanted to do for a couple of years now but for one reason or another I just haven’t been able to make it happen. The truth, I suppose, is that I’m a procrastinator. Too many excuses not to do some of these things. I finally decided if not now…when? There has always been a list of reasons why “not” do it but let’s face it, I’m not getting any younger and for the most part, there is never a perfect time to do anything. Besides, the end result is worth it. So, we will wait a couple of weeks for the snow to get off of the passes and then we go.

We’re going to take 3 or 4 days to go out there which won’t leave a whole lot of time to dally along the way but we will take the scenic route as much as we can. If I take my watercolor kit along I might even find something to paint during a break at a roadside turn out. In fact I’m pretty sure of it. I just have to do it.

The weather between here and there can be a little dicey this time of year but that’ll just add some “adventure” to the trip. If we have to hole up in a mom and pop motel along the way to let a storm pass that’s what we’ll do. Besides, it’ll make for a good tale to tell. I’m already feeling better and looking forward to seeing family. Good times are just down the road.

Eskimo Masks and Yo-yos

2011-04-19T10:26:00.000-06:00

Here was a fun project I finished up last week. These are some genuine eskimo masks and yo-yos a customer bought at the native co-op in Fairbanks while touring Alaska. I mounted them on a suede backing and set the museum glass off of the masks with a suede mat and gold fillet. I had to customize a shadowbox frame that was deep enough to accommodate the depth of the masks.

Two Suns

2011-04-08T10:20:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple of photos of another of the Abstract Impressionist paintings. This one is also a 12x12 oil on a gallery wrapped canvas with the addition of gold metal leaf. The painting is titled "Two Suns" and is for sale at my gallery for $145. The bottom photo is of the painting at an angle which better shows the reflective properties of the gold leaf. Again thanks to Don for the inspiration.

The Sound of Color

2011-04-08T10:16:00.000-06:00

Here is another of my Abstract Impressionism series. This is a 12x12 oil on a gallery wrapped canvas with a square of gold metal leaf added for interest. It is titled "The Sound of Color" and is for sale at the gallery for $145.

I have to give credit to my cousin Don Stec for the inspiration. Previously I have mentioned that I use gold leaf, both in 23 kt and Dutch (fake) gold leaf in the making of my picture frames. Don emailed me and mentioned that he used to put gold leaf on motorcycle tanks and then spray candy colored paint over it yielding an original and unique look. With that in mind, I thought I would try it on these abstract paintings. I applied thin washes of oil color over the gold and I think the result is very interesting.

Rainy Day in the Big City

2011-03-22T11:32:00.001-06:00

Let's call this some Abstract Impressionism. Yes it is something that is new for me but I REALLY like it. If you read the post below, you will know how this came about. There is a lot of competition in the type/style of art that I have been doing. Not that there isn't a lot of competition in this style too but for me this is different and that's exactly what I've been looking for...something different. This is a 24x36 oil on a gallery wrapped canvas so it doesn't need framing. I have a number of others that are on my facebook page, www.facebook.com/simpsongallery in an album titled Abstract Impression.
What is really fun is that people are seeing all kinds of things in the painting. Everything from trees, to reflections of windows in high rise buildings to a train and rooftops. Does anyone see the figure with the red umbrella? Take a look and see what you can see. It is priced at $600. Something that is very unique and very affordable. Let me know if you are interested.

Our Comfort Zone

2011-03-22T11:24:00.000-06:00

We all have one. Some of us are more comfortable in ours than others are in theirs. Most of us have several of them depending on what we are addressing. Lifestyles, finances, relationships, jobs. Some of us are comfortable with our art and some of us aren’t.

One of the basic laws of nature seems to be that if we aren’t comfortable we tend to fidget a bit. The more uncomfortable we are, the more we squirm. Most of the time, depending on what we are talking about, the discomfort isn’t so bad that we will do anything to fix the problem however. In other words, for most of us, what we are dissatisfied with isn’t worth the effort to do anything about it. That’s what is called our comfort zone. It pretty much works most of the time and that is good enough, most of the time…until...

For years I’ve been a very literal painter. I mean, I paint things pretty much as they are. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see what I’ve put on canvas or paper. It is what it is. I’ve always had a hard time seeing what the artist was trying to do in abstract paintings. It just wasn’t my thing. I just couldn’t see it. In recent years, my traditional outlook and approach to my art has been challenged, internally as well as from the outside. I’ve begun to maybe see some value and talent in paintings that just used elements of color and design.

Slowly and rather timidly I began to incorporate small changes in what I was doing and I discovered that I rather liked it. The other day I went for broke and did a painting in a most unconventional manner for me. I’ve got to tell you that I had more fun than I have had in a long time. I was just putting color on the canvas and letting it run and take on a life of it’s own. I put the canvas on the floor. A few splatters here and some drips over there. I put it back on the easel and turned it this way and that, encouraging it to perform on it’s on. I got a little crazy and carried away (who me?) and made a bit of a mess but it was great. The best news is that people are talking about it. They are just as excited as I am. Abstract Impressionism. I like it.

I stepped out of my comfort zone. It was hard to do, but I found it to be exhilarating, refreshing and a whole lot of fun. You should try it. You might like it.

Art Classes

2011-03-16T17:27:00.000-06:00

I have a series of classes in drawing, watercolor and oil painting starting in April. Call or email me and I'll see that you get the particulars.

Gold Leaf

2011-02-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

Working with gold is such a joy. Several years ago I began gold leafing frames for myself, some artist friends and customers. While the demand isn't what it used to be, I still do some from time to time. Recently there has been a little ralley and I've had the opportunity to get into it again.

Gilding with gold dates back to the begining of time. My experience has largely been applying gold leaf to frames and an occasionally on glass or mirrors. Last year I did a mirror with some sandblasting, handlettering and gold leafing. I really enjoyed doing it and was pleased with the result.

With that in mind, I am planning on doing more gold work, primarily on glass and mirrors. I am starting a project doing monograms in gold on glass. My first one will be the letter "S" which is appropriate because it is my initial and also the initial for the name of my studio. Current plan is to gild the letter in gold in a reverse glass method (which is nothing more than doing it in reverse on the back of the glass) and outline it in black. Clean, simple and elegant. Ultimately I would like to do each letter of the alphabet with each letter in a different font. The size I am going to work with is a 12" square piece of glass with each letter appropriately placed.

Although the first letter will be simple, I will gradually increase the complexity of the letters not only in design but also with sandblasting, glue chipping and inlaying with mother of pearl and or abalone shell.

Should be fun. I'll keep you posted.

Another Desert Sunset

2011-02-18T09:56:00.001-07:00

This was a quickie. Although done in the studio from a photo, I painted it as I would've if I had been on location. It is a scene near Wickenburg, AZ. I spent some time down that way a couple of years ago and did a number of plein air paintings while there.

Quick, sure, brush strokes and heavier paint application makes for a fun little oil painting. Just tried to capture the essence of the evening light which I think I did.

This painting is for sale in my studio.

Desert Sunset

2011-02-17T07:59:00.001-07:00

This is a painting fresh off of the easel of a view from the Cameron Trading Post on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona overlooking the Little Colorado River not far from the east entrance to the Grand Canyon. There is a wonderful dining room at the trading post that has a beutiful collection of Navajo rugs on the walls. The early evening light just at sundown was spectacular giving everything a warm glow. The orange light was contrast beautifully with the cooler long shadows cast across the desert landscape.

The painting was done on a linen panel that was first toned with a warm burnt sienna wash. The rest of the colors were painted over this wash with the warm tone of the burnt sienna coming through the thin transparent shadow washes. Heavier paint was used on the bright highlights. I just love the effect of the cool transparent darks.

The painting is for sale in my studio.

Evening Light

2011-02-11T11:24:00.001-07:00

You know, it's hard to think of a better place to be than the Colorado High Country in the summer. I came across this beautiful scene one day after spending most of the day painting north of Crested Butte along Rock Creek. We were on our way out of the area and the sun was getting low and as we rounded the curve in the road there it was. In one of those sudden panic stops that are common to artists and photographers, I stopped, jumped out and did a quick painting to capture the light. Using that sketch and a photo I took for reference I did this little studio painting yesterday. I really enjoyed doing it as it took me back to a fine summer's day.

This 8x10 painting is available from my studio. Contact me if you are interested.

Taos Pueblo

2011-02-10T08:44:00.001-07:00

Here is another little 6x8 oil of some adobe dwellings in the Old Taos Pueblo in New Mexico. The pueblo is a really neat place to wander around and see how the natives to the area live.

I really like the almost abstract quality of the shapes of these adobes.

This little painting is available from my studio. Contact me if you are interested.

Russian Sage

2011-02-09T08:12:00.001-07:00

Here is another little 6x8 oil painting fresh off of the easel of some Russian Sage outside a gate in an adobe wall. I did this painting from a photo I took while strolling the back streets and alleys in Santa Fe in the Land of Enchantment. The Russian Sageis a light whispy type of shrub with soft, delicate lavender flowers and silvery green leaves. I call these paintings my little gems. This painting is available from my studio. Contact me if you are interested.

Hollyhocks on the Corner

2011-02-07T17:28:00.002-07:00

One of the most relaxing and enjoyable activities I know is to casually stroll the back streets and alleys just off of Canyon Road in Santa Fe, New Mexico on a fine summers day. Around every corner is a visual treat of flowers and adobe architecture. Take your time. Enjoy the experience.

The rich adobe color of this wall, the warm noonday sunlight the cool shadows make for a perfect setting for these Hollyhocks. In the background is a gate in an adobe wall that is trimmed in the iconic blue/tourquois color said to ward off evil spirits. New Mexico is truely the land of enchantment.

This little 6x8 oil was painted is SOLD! Actually my wife really liked it so I gave it her for our 30th wedding anniversary.

Entrada

2011-02-03T09:11:00.001-07:00

This little oil I just did is of an entrance "entrada" into the courtyard of an adobe residence just off of Canyon Road in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is typical of the doorways and entrances in the adobe, southwest style architecture found in the whole Southwest region of the United States. The blue or tourquois paint is used to ward off evil spirits. You see it on the doorway and window trim all over the area. Potted geraniums are also popular and are one of my favorites. This little 8x6 oil painting is available at my studio. Contact if you are interested in it.

Desert Longhorn

2011-02-02T08:55:00.001-07:00

This is a little 6x8 oil I just finished. I have been trying to get various effects of light with thin washes of paint. Sometimes I use that in just a portion of the painting contrasting the effect with heavier applications of paint on the main subject such as in the last painting I posted. This painting however is nearly all washes. Through the use of this technique and the warm/hot colors I was able to achieve the effect of a hot sunny afternoon out on an open desert landscape. The silhouette of the longhorn steer and the ground are rather sketchy and blurry helping to develope the effect of light.

This painting has SOLD. Thanks Mark!!

Red Shirt II

2011-02-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

This little 6x8 oil is a companion piece to the vertical painting I did a few posts below. It is the same cowboy on the same horse. Placing the horse and rider against the backlit hazy/misty background gave me an opportunity to use the nice blue grey of the horse, the red shirt and the body of the rider as a silhouette thereby creating a effect of light. I purposely left the landscape, foreground and distance somewhat sketchy as it is all secondary information and supports the focus on the horse and rider.

this painting is for sale at auction. You can go here for more information.

Adobe Gate

2011-01-28T08:56:00.001-07:00

This is a watercolor I painted on location in Santa Fe, NM a couple of years ago while there for an art show. Santa Fe. What can I say. It is such an artist paradise what with all of the old adobe structures and the rich history not to mention the fabulous art galleries.

Painting "en plein aire" is such a joy and what a wonderful place to do it. The shadows cast across this adobe wall and the entrance gate was too much to pass up.

This watercolor is double matted in acid free white mat with an acid free backing. The image size is 9x12 and with the matting will fit into a 14x18 ready made frame. The painting is for sale at my studio.

Navajo Nation

2011-01-27T06:25:00.001-07:00

I was headed to Tucson, AZ one winter for a show and was on the highway between Shiprock, NM and Gallup, NM when I came across this scene on the Navajo Reservation. The colors of the red butte and white and blue shadows of the snow caught my eye so I pulled over and did the painting on the spot. Because it was winter and cold outside I did the painting from inside my pickup, through the windshield, which I have done many times when the weather wasn't conducive for b eing outside. It is for sale at auction. You can go there by clicking here.

Sidewalk Cafe

2011-01-26T08:27:00.001-07:00

Bougainvillea vines are my favorite. The brilliant red color makes for a great watercolor. This scene is of a sidewalk cafe in SoCal. I did the painting a couple of years ago from a phot I took of the cafe. The place was very inviting. Everytime I see this painting I want to go there and have lunch.

I really like painting watercolors. There are certain effects I can get with watercolor that just aren't possible with oils This painting is double matted in white and will fit nicely into an 11x14 ready made frame. This painting has SOLD! Thanks.

Escalante Colors

2011-01-21T10:13:00.001-07:00

Here's something that is a little different than what I've been posting, different in that this is a watercolor. I paint a lot of watercolors. I love them. There are certain effects I can get in watercolor that I just can't achieve in oils. There is a translucent quality to watercolor that make them unique. Additionally, watercolor can be rather spontaneuos and unpredictable which makes the whole painting process, shall we say, interesting. Sometimes you never know what you are going to get.

What is also different about this watercolor is that it is varnished. That is to say there is a protective finish that has been applied thereby protecting the painting without the need for glass. The painting was done on an arches paper and then mounted on a lightweight panel and varnished. It can be framed as is or matted and glassed in the traditional manner.

This is a plein air watercolor I did near Escalante, Utah a couple of years ago. I love it over there. Very wild uninhabitated country. Perhaps the wildest and least populated in the lower 48. Brutal country if you aren't careful. Anyway, when painting plein air with watercolor, great things can happen. Because of the nature of the medium and the fact that one isn't looking at or painting a static situation, the light, wind, sun, bugs, etc. the result is a visceral reaction. This painting is for sale at the gallery. Please contact me if you are interested.

Grand Wash

2011-01-20T15:55:00.000-07:00

This is a great little red rock oil I just did in the studio. It has a little of everything that I enjoy about painting in oils, from thin washes in the wall on the left to thicker paint in the clouds. It was a fun little painting. The reference I used was a watercolor that I did on location a couple of years ago. That's the best way to do it, on locaton, but in lieu of that, painting from a study, as in this case, works fine.

The scene is of the entrance to Grand Wash over in Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. It is a favorite place to go paint. Part of Capitol Reef NP is the site of an early Morman settlement. The fruit orchards that were established still exist and the public is invited to partake of the bounty for a small donation you can leave in the can at the gate.

This little oil can be purchased at auction. Click here for more information. Thanks for looking.

Fruita Canyon

2011-01-19T16:19:00.001-07:00

This little oil painting was done from a watercolor sketch I did on location one morning at the Colorado National Monument. I was on location early that morning with the sun just coming up. I remember it was quite chilly with frost in the shadows. It sure felt good as the sun got higher and higher.

I really enjoy painting the desert southwest red rock features. The is so much character in the rocks. The Colorado National Monument is a special place because of these features and it is not far and easily accessible. This painting SOLD!

Waiting...

2011-01-16T09:59:00.002-07:00

Another of my cowboy series, this painting is of a good friend of mine who is dead now. He was a cowboy's cowboy, a true gentleman and a good friend. He had a unique way of sitting on a horse, especially when motionless as here. Sitting, waiting, perhaps for the day to warm, or maybe just surveying his domain. This painting has sold. Thank you.

Gottcha!

2011-01-16T09:54:00.001-07:00

Continuing my cowboy series, this painting is of a calf roper at the Fred Harmon 4th of July Rodeo in Pagosa Springs some years ago. Fred was the creater of the Little Beaver series that some of you may remember.

Here I was striving for the feeling of action without the typical "freeze frame" look. This is something new for me and I realize there is a fine line between blurring the images too much and loosing some of the identity and not enough, thereby loosing the effect. With this one I have sketched in the imagery and developed the detail from right to left to focus on the calf. The warm, nondescript background helps focus on the cowboy, horse and calf. It is also a great foil for the blues I used in the riders jeans and the shadows of the calf and horse. This painting is for sale at my gallery. Please contact me if you are interested.

The Red Shirt

2011-01-14T08:10:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, I used to be a cowboy. Hmmm. That sounds like the title to a song or a book..."I Used to Be a Cowboy". I'll have to remember that one. Anyway, I've been thinking about doing something different with my art, trying to find something that will excite people. Most of my work is pretty representaional. I like to paint a variety of subject matter and rather than try to make a change in "what I paint", I've decided to look more at "how" I paint it. In otherwords, maybe develope my style a bit more.

Many artists go through a shift in style throughout their careers and maybe it's time for me to get out of my comfort zone and stretch a little. This painting, although a familiar subject, is done a little differently, and I kind of like the look. With the portraits I've been doing lately, I've been experimenting with the background treatment and I've used what learned there on the background of this painting. I hope you like it.

This is a little 8x6 oil painting that is for sale at auction. This painting SOLD!! Thanks Heide!

Delicate Arch

2011-01-12T08:07:00.001-07:00

Last fall we went over to Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. October was a perfect time of year to go. Not too warm during the day and cool in the evenings. I love painting the red rock features in southeastern Utah. Although I have done a lot of work in the area this was the first time I had been to Arches in many years. The hike to see Delicate Arch was well worth the effort. This particular arch is the one that the state of Utah uses for much of it's branding. This 8x10 studio oil is available at the gallery.

Soldiers Falling Into Camp

2011-01-06T14:56:00.000-07:00

I was taking inventory the other day and I came across a pencil drawing I had done some years ago of Crow Indian Dancers at the annual Crow Fair in Crow Agency, Montana. This gathering is a big deal for the Crow. Representatives of all invited tribes show up for a week or so of celebration. A show of feathers, dress, hoopla and regalia. Horse races are big.

I used to be a Lease Agent on the Crow Reservation, representing the Padlock Ranch who was the largest land holder on the rez to the tune of about 250,000 acres give or take a few thousand depending on the year. I had roughly 1400 individual Crows that I dealt with every year involving a little over $1,000,000 in lease payments. It was sort of like running a little bank as money was loaned against the leases, and of course this all had to be accounted for.

One of “my Indians”, Fredrick Lefthand, along with a couple of other fellas wrote a book titled “Soldiers Falling Into Camp”, so titled because of a vision Sitting Bull had just days prior to the famous battle involving Custer against the Sioux and the Northern Cheyenne. Fredrick gave me a personalized copy.

I’m sure you are familiar with the battle from our history books. What is unique about this book is that it is from the Indian’s perspective of the time. Many of my Crow “friends” still harbored great resentment toward the “white man”, often expressing their anger against me. I continually had to remind them that I had nothing to do with the matter, and besides, at the time of the battle, my ancestors were still in Norway. If necessary, I would remind them that the Crow fought on the side of Custer…so there. That generally ended the argument. The Crow are embarrassed by their alliance with Custer although they were enemies of the Sioux and Cheyenne at the time.

The Crow Reservation surrounds the Custer Battlefield or the Battle of the Little Bighorn National Park as it is known today. I leased much of this land for the Padlock and became very familiar with the names of the creeks and drainages of the battle site and those traversed by Custer and his various regiments as they approached the Indian encampment on the Little Big Horn. Ash Creek, the Rosebud, Medicine Man Coulee and of course the Little Big Horn. I’ve stood on the very ground, alone, in the still heat of a certain June day and it was easy to imagine. I have to admit an eerie feeling and tingling of my skin. Hmmm. Material for a painting I suppose.

The Cowgirl Has The Blues

2010-12-27T15:20:00.000-07:00

I've been on a roll painting portraits lately it seems. They are a lot of fun to do not to mention quite the challenge. Most of the recent portraits have been of bikers I came across in Sturgis, South Dakota this summer. I've been searching out faces or poses that have some interest. I was going through some images I have from a trip to the Californio Ranch Roping in Red Bluff, CA I attended a couple of years ago. Cowgirls and cowboys make for some great subject matter too.

This one that I just finished last week is of a gal that seemed to have a bit of a sad or pensive look to her. The hat and the look on her face made her a temptimg subject. I'm pretty happy with this one. Painting women, such as this painting and the previous one of the "Biker Chic" is quite different than doing paintings of men. If a guy's nose is a little out of shape or his forhead is a bit large, it just adds to his character. Not so with the ladies. They have to look more feminine with softer lines and more delicate features...at least the ones I want to paint. It is a nice contrast to the men.

I'm getting a little bolder with the runny washes I use as a background and the red stripe was just too irresitible to pass up. This is a 12x12 oil painting available at the gallery. Enjoy.

Biker Chic

2010-12-21T19:23:00.002-07:00

Since I went to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota this summer, I've been doing some paintings of the "characters" I photographed on Main St. So far I've been painting the guys. This is a 16x12 oil I recently completed featuring one of the the biker babes that was in Sturgis. This particular gal seemed to stand out a bit. I really enjoyed doing this one. It ranks as a favorite. This painting has SOLD! Thanks William!

Celebrating 25 Years!!

2010-12-16T17:03:00.000-07:00

In 2 weeks, Simpson Gallery will be starting our 25th year in business. That's alot of painting of pictures, selling pictures, and framing pictures, selling gifts, pottery and jewelry too. If I had thought I'd be doing it for this long I might have done it differently, but I can't say for sure.

For several years we even sold dog food and dog gear. We were running sled dogs at the time in addition to working the shop and I was having the dog food delivered to the shop by the pallet load. We had 39 dogs at one time. Customers coming in to get their pictures framed would see the dog food and ask about it. I told them it was good for our dogs and they started buy it for themselves. Soon I devoted have of the shop space to several different brands of dog food and a wide selection of "working dog" gear. Back backs, harnesses, carts, sleds, all kinds of unique gear that you couldn't find in the regular pet stores. That was alot of fun. I used to bill the shop as the only gallery and frame shop in 7 western states that sold dog food. Diversification I guess you could call it. Those were some good times.

I've been doing this so long now that I'm starting to frame pictures for the kids of my first customers. That makes me feel old. A few changes over the years are a computerized mat cutter, a pneumatic joiner for joining frames and just this week I got in a "visualization" system consisting of a digital camera that will be positioned over the design counter and along with the included software, customers will now be able to see what their picture will look like framed in the selected mats and frame choices.

The current state of the economy has taken it's toll. I started out as a small shop with an employee. Gradually over the years we expanded into two adjoining store fronts and at one time I had 6 employees. Right now it's me, myself and I doing it all. Fortunately I have the bookkeeping farmed out and my lovely wife Kathy cuts the checks and keeps tab on how much money we have or need. The good news is that we are still here. I'm thankful for that.

In celebration of starting our 25th year, I had the above commemorative stamp made. It features a watercolor of mine. They are the old fashioned, perforated kind of lick 'em and stick'em stamps. For you collectors and enthusiasts out there, I am offering them for sale. A sheet of 24 is $9.95 and a block of 4 is $2.95, both plus postage. Let me know if you'd like some.

I imagine I will continue painting pictures and framing pictures for folks for some time to come. Stop by sometime when you are in the nieghborhood and say hi! I'll be here. Thanks.

Buck Taylor

2010-12-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

If you are of age, you probably remember Buck from the TV series Gunsmoke. He was Matt Dillon’s deputy, Newly O’Brien. The only reason I bring this up is that through local resident Judd Redfield, I learned that Buck is quite an accomplished watercolor artist. How Judd knows Buck is fodder for another story and a very interesting one but I’ll leave that for another time.

I looked Buck up on the source of all knowledge (the internet) and found his website. I have to admit that he is pretty good. He’s been at it awhile too establishing himself quite nicely in the Western Art circles doing all of the big name western event shows, selling his prints and posters. Whether he’s actually in the booth doing the legwork or not I don’t know but he’s got a presence. You can check him out at www.bucktaylor.com

There are a number of celebrity types that have had their hand in making art, taking a stab at painting as an alternate career or just a past-time. Most of them rely on their celebrity status for any success they can claim in their attempts at the visual arts. For many, the fact that they are a good actor or performer doesn’t necessarily qualify them as a good painter but then that leads us into the age old discussion of what qualifies as good art and as you well know…I’m not going there. Just because a celebrity smears a little paint on a canvas however, doesn’t make it good art anymore than my serenades in the shower don’t qualify as good singing. Yes I know that isn’t a pretty picture but I had to make a point. Sorry.

Tony Bennett, Jane Seymour, Tony Curtis. John, Ringo and Paul have had their hand in it. Even Grace Slick, Jerry Garcia and Jimi Hendrix. The list is long. Apparently for some, if you excel in one arena, it seems natural to think you will be good in others too. Don’t get me wrong. Some of these celebrities are pretty good at making a painting. Really. Go to www.poplifeart.com. You can see for yourself. All I ask is that while you are there admiring the good art these folks are producing, at least admit that some of them would be better off keeping to what they are better known for.

OK. I can see that this is going to get me into trouble if I keep it up so I think I’ll just move on. To each his own I suppose. So how about those Broncos, eh? No…that’s probably not a good topic either. Well, thanks for stopping by. See you next time.

This is a column I write that originally appeared in the Montrose Daily press on Friday, December 10, 2010

Covered Bridge

2010-12-09T09:23:00.001-07:00

When I was in North Carolina a couple of years ago my sister Mary took our Mother, myself and my wife Kathy out on a little excursion into the countryside. Down a lonely little traveled dirt road we came across this covered bridge. The brush and trees were thick and here was this little bit of country charm. I knew one day I would do a painting of it. This 8x10 oil painting has sold. Thank you!

Whiskers

2010-12-04T12:43:00.000-07:00

This is the 3rd painting in the Stars of Sturgis 2010 series. It is a 12x12 oil I 've done from a photo I took in Sturgis this summer. This guy was parking his bike on Main St. and had obviously just arrived from somewhere. He sure looked road weary. The wind in his face had whipped him to the point that his beard was "styled" just as you see here. I saw the guy later in the day and he hadn't bothered to comb it out at all. He was just wandering around like he was in a daze. He was definitely one of my "characters". I've really been having fun doing these and am looking forward to going back next year to get some more material. This painting is framed and available here at the gallery.

I'm Back

2010-12-03T09:27:00.002-07:00

No, I haven't been in North Carolina all of this time nor "on the road" nor lost in the Harley dealership. Just been busy...busy framing pictures and busy painting. That's a good thing I guess. I've got some really cool portraits done from the Stars of Sturgis collection I've been working on which I'll post in the next few days, as well as a few more paintings of the the fall colors here in Colorado. Of course they are just a memory now as we have moved on into winter.

This is an 8x10 studio painting I recently finished. It was done from a series of photos I took this fall. The colors this year were just wonderful. I got a wealth of material to paint from. The fall color in aspen trees is best viewed with back lighting...looking at the leaves with the sun behind them. This illuminates the color in the leaves. This scene however was chosen for the long shadows and low light which was just as effective. I used a palette knife to create the warm highlights on the aspen trunks. I love painting the aspen trunks. So much character to them.

This painting is available from my studio. Please contact me if you are interested.

On the Road Again

2010-10-10T10:18:00.000-06:00

Dateline: Charlotte, NC.

Warm and muggy although it is sunny. Out visiting my mother for a few days. I love road trips but this one was on a tight schedule which makes it more of a ram and jam trip. I started out with the idea that I'd do sort of "photo travel log" kind of trip but less than an hour into it having stopped to take some shots along the Gunnison River in Colorado where I started, I realized that plan A wouldn't work. It was just going to take too long to get out here if I stopped to take photos along the way. I've got a GPS on the windshield and every time I got back into the carand started off again it would tell me that my ETA was now later than before I had stopped. I couldn't stand to see that the whole trip so I just kept driving amking mental notes of what struck my interest along the way. Fodder for paintings.

What I hadn't considered is that the days are shorter now, i.e. it gets dark earlier, I'm getting older and it is getting harder to drive long distances straight through like I used to. What is even more rediculous is that I had originally planned to ride my Harley out here. That's still a ride I want to do but not when I'm under time restraints.

I brought a lot of my painting stuff along. I'll be here until Friday (got here yesterday, Saturday). I've got pretty much the next four or five days to do nothing but paint and draw. Mother doesn't get out much anymore and other than an evening or two out for supper, we've got no plans which is kind of nice. Four or five days with no agenda. Seems kind of like cheating. Oh, it's not that I won't have anything to do. Like I said, I've got lots of paintings in my head that need to come out. It's just nice to have nothing else to do but do that.

I believe I'll get started.

Gunnison River Fall

2010-10-01T09:18:00.000-06:00

This is a "little gem" 6x8 oil painting of the fall colors on the Gunnison River down in the bottom of the Black Canyon N.P.. I do paintings in both watercolor and oil for the gift shop at the visitors center for the park where they sell my prints and note cards.

The Black Canyon is an extremely difficult piece of landscape to paint. The lighting varies dramatically from morning to evening and finding an advantageous point of view is hard. With enough effort and persistence however, the rewards can be dramatic.

The gentle flowing waters of the Gunnison Riveer in this location made for an excellent opportunity to work on the reflections in the water which I especially like in this piece. This painting is at auction here.

Aspen Delight

2010-09-30T08:20:00.000-06:00

This is another of the "little gem" of the Colorado Fall Color series. It is a 6x8 oil painting of some golden aspens in the Colorado high country. I used a pallete knife to create some texture on the Aspen trees. I love the brilliant golden hues. Yellow is one of my favorite colors to use in a painting and doing the aspen trees in the fall gives me ample opportunity. This painting is up for auction here.

Road Through the Colors

2010-09-24T09:05:00.000-06:00

Here is the 3rd "little gem" in my Colorado Color series. This road winds through some of the most beautiful high country in Colorado. Absolutely fantastic fall color viewing can be seen anywhere along the way. The lengthening afternoon shadows highlight the golden hue of the aspens. This Sunday is known in Colorado as Color Sunday which is when the fall colors are typically at their peak. From the advance reports I'm getting it will hold true this year as well. I'll be out there for sure. If you can't make it and you still want to enjoy what the day has to offer, this little 6x8 oil painting went to auction last night and you can click here for you chance to have a bit of Colorado's Fall Color.

Colorado Fall Color #2

2010-09-23T10:02:00.002-06:00

This is the second "little gem" in the Colorado Fall Color series. It is a 6x8 oil on a linen panel. The road at the foot of the aspen slope leads back to my secret camping spot where one can enjoy a bottle of wine, cheese, and crackers while painting one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever witnessed, all that undisturbed by anyone. This painting has sold.

The Sturgis Banditio

2010-09-22T12:59:00.000-06:00

The second of my "Stars of Sturgis" paintings. These are portraits I'm doing of the many and varied characters we encountered at the great Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, S.D. this summer.

This particularily colorful fella had the neatest sombrero which he simply slipped back on his stampede string when he rode off on his motorcycle. I have several great shots of him on the street that I am going to do along with a particularily good one of him riding off with his girlfriend on the back of his motorcycle. Seeing this guy was worth the trip alone.

This is an 8 x 10 ol on linen/panel, framed in a 4" wide antiqued black and gold Spanish style frame that suits the painting well. It is for sale here in the gallery for $450.

Colorado Fall Colors

2010-09-22T12:35:00.000-06:00

Fall is a great time of year. The days are still usually still warm, 75 to 85 ... evenings cooling off nicely down into the 40's. The mountain landscape is a painter's palette of color heavy on the yellows, oranges, reds and golds. Plenty of greens still as the seasons change and of course lots of cobalt blue skies.

This painting is a 6x8 oil painting, the first of a series, depicting Colorado Fall Color. The location of this scene is a favorite place of mine in the San Juan Mountains in Southwestern Colorado. This "little gem" is up for auction here.

Still Life

2010-09-16T10:03:00.001-06:00

I think it is best to paint from life as much as possible. Some purists insist on it but in my world I don't have the time and or resources to paint everything I want to paint from life. Consequently, as with most artists, I have to paint from photographs on occassion.

This painting is done from life however. I placed the related pieces on an old dish towel near a window to take advantage of the natural light. I really liked the way it turned out, the lighting, the texture of the peppers and onion and garlic skins was really fun to do. I felt like a real traditional artist while I painted it. I should do more. It was very satisfying. This painting is availabale at the gallery.

The Kannally House

2010-09-15T09:58:00.001-06:00

A couple of years ago I was in Tucson, AZ for a show and to paint for a couple of days. It was January and cold here in Colorado. Unfortunately, the 10 days I spent in Tucson it never got above 45, with blustry cold winds and showers. I was glad to get back home. I did get a couple of pretty nice paintings done however and met some really nice people.

This painting is of the Kannally House in Oracle State Park in the Catalina Mountains near Tucson. It is a 9x12 oil painting I did on location one very cold morning. The morning sun was a welcome that day. While doing the painting, the State Park Ranger came out to see what I was up to. He invited me to come up to the house when I was finished for a tour.

It seems the Kannallys were a family of 5 siblings none of whom had any heirs of their own other than each other. As one would die, he/she would leave their interest in the place to the remaining sibs. When the last one died she left the place to the State of Arizona for a park. Originally the ranch was some 40,000 acres. By the time it was left for the State it consisted of 4,000 which comprises the Oracle State Park.

The architecture of the house was quite facinating. It is of a Mediteranian/Moorish style, built into the side of a hill to take advantage of the cooling effect. To help ventilate the place, the rooms were all built around a "cooling" tower which drafted the hot air out and the cool air in. This tower can be seen in the center of the painting next to the tree in the courtyard. Neat place. This painting has sold. Thank you.

Fall in Colorado

2010-09-09T08:29:00.001-06:00

This is a 10x12 plein air painting I did last September. Fall is one of the most scenic times of the year in Colorado. Generally the last Sunday in September is called "Color Sunday" and is when people go for their "Sunday Drive" to view the magnificent colors on display. This painting has sold at auction.

South Mineral Creek

2010-09-08T10:16:00.001-06:00

This 9x12 plein air painting was done last summer on location from our campsite on South Mineral Creek, near Silveerton, Colorado. The area is a favorite both for it's scenic value as well as the fishing. Just upstream to my rear about 1/2 mile is a series of waterfalls that are very picturesque, cascading into clear pools at their foot. This particular morning the vista was enshrouded with low clouds (fog). When it lifted it revealed this sccene. This painting sold at auction.

Evening on Rock Creek

2010-09-03T09:31:00.001-06:00

This is a little 5x7 oil painting on a linen panel I did in 2006. After spending the day painting with a couple of artist friends we were leaving the area and I noticed the late afternoon light was very appealing. I stopped long enough to capture it in this little study which I used for a larger studio piece which has subsequently sold. I am now offering the study at auction. This painting has sold.

Monday on the Crystal

2010-08-26T11:43:00.000-06:00

Spent a few days on the Crystal River. As some of you know, I like to fish and paint. Sometimes I do more of one than the other and the secret is to find a good balance between the two loves. Of course I make a living with the brush and not the rod so I have to keep that in mind. I rationalize the fishing however by reminding myself that I have to eat too. This is a 14 x11 oil of a fly fisherman on the Crystal River. It is a redo of an earlier version and I think this one turned out a lot better. Hope you like it.

The Stars of Sturgis

2010-08-23T11:36:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago we rode the Harley to Sturgis. For those of you who don't know, Sturgis, SD is home to the largest motorcycle rally in the US...maybe the world. I don't know. The numbers just released by the officials of the rally said there were something around 400,000 motorcycles crossed their counter into the little town of Sturgis between Aug 9th and the 15th. That's alot of people on two wheels. We were actually there the week before the official start of the rally and there were still thousands of bikes in the area who, like us, came early to avoid the congestion of the next week.

Riding the Black Hills was absolutely awesome and we obviously weren't the only ones to think so as there were hundreds if not thousands of other bikers on the road with us. I just can't imagine what it would be like to be there the next week during the official dates of the rally.

If you are a people watcher like me, this was the place to be. I got alot of great photos of the characters who showed up and will be using them to paint from and start another series of paintings called the "Stars of Sturgis". Main Street in Sturgis is the place to see and be seen and there were lots of "characters" who wanted to be seen. My only regret is that I didn't stay longer to take advantage of the opportunity. There is always next year and you can bet I'll be there again.

This painting, a 18x10 oil, the first one of the series and appropriately titled , "Mr. Sturgis" is of a guy who was sitting on a bench on Main Street watching the people walk and ride by. He must've been in his late sixties or early seventies. His beard really was that long and his eye brows were very bushy. I'm surprised he could even see out of them. His arms were heavily tattooed and he looked like he belonged there and would be a great choice to start the series of paintings with.

Have You Slept in a Wigwam Lately?

2010-07-07T12:36:00.000-06:00

I just finished one of the most challenging paintings I have ever undertaken. All of the lines of perspective and information necessary to make the painting what it is took a huge amount of effort but I really had fun doing it and am pleased with the way it turned out.

The painting depicts some road weary motorcyclists checking into the iconic Wigwam Motel on historic Rt. 66 in Holbrook, Arizona. It is the second in the series, "Fuel for the Dream". It is a 24 x 36 inch oil painting on stretched canvas and is priced at $2400.

A series of signed and numbered limited edition prints are available. The edition is limited to one hundred prints. They measure 15x20 inches and are $145. The number one print of the edition is being donated to the Black Canyon Car Club to be auction for their charity at their annual car show this weekend.

Simpson Gallery, Studio and Frame Shop hours

2010-07-02T10:04:00.001-06:00

Because of the economic slow down I have been essentially running the shop by myself for the last two years with a little part time help as needed from time to time. Keeping regular hours of operation six days a week is getting harder to do. As the need has arisen to go do errands, I have closed for an hour or two or have been open under limited hours while I've been gone for a day or two. Consequently, our hours and days of operation will be as follows: Simpson Gallery, Studio and Frame Shop is USUALLY open Weekdays and Saturdays, HOWEVER hours may be somewhat irregular so please phone ahead as needed. 249-1098.

The Wigwam Motel

2010-06-15T14:37:00.001-06:00

Part of what I get to do in my job (as an artist and writer) is travel around on my Harley, riding the back roads and scenic routes looking for stuff to write about and anything that would make a great painting. On a recent rip over the Memorial Day weekend we had the good fortune to stay at the iconic Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona right on the old Rte 66. It was a real hoot. A fun place to stay after a long piece of road. I'm doing a painting of this as part of my "Fuel for the Dream" series. I'll post it as soon as I'm done with it.

Here we are on the same trip, earlier the previous day, getting ready to ride into the void...a sandstorm in Moument Valley. That was pretty nasty. On occassion the pavement was obscured with blowing sand so bad it was difficult to determine where the road was. Hard on the eyes and lungs too. We would have gotten out of it if we could've and just laid up somewhere but there was no where to go but onward. We finally made it to Cameron where we stayed at the Cameron Trading Post, right on the banks of the Little Colorado Gorge. Although there was no water in the riverbed, the views, especially early and late in the day were absolutely stunning. Last fall we stayed there on the way to an art show and I did a little watercolor of the light in the gorge pictured in an earlier post from last fall.

We are looking forward to our next adventure, seeking out quaint little mom and pop motels, neighborhood cafes and brew pubs, and paintings to make. See ya down the road.

Monday on the Madison

2010-06-11T10:32:00.000-06:00

This idea I mentioned back a post or two of doing a series of paintings entitled "Fuel for the Dream" is taking on a life of it's own. It all started withe doing some paintings of a motorcycle related theme but is morphing into something broader, to include the painting above. This is a 24 x 48 framed oil titled "Monday on the Madison". I don't know about you but spending my Monday on the Madison River would be right close to the top on my list of 'druthers. It is a good example of what I'm talking about and if it rings your bell, email me. It is $4600.

Chattin' It Up

2010-06-10T13:02:00.001-06:00

This 12x16 framed oil painting is of Colorado Avenue in Telluride Colorado around Christmas time. The place to see and be seen by young and old alike. Here a guy is chattin' it up with some girls on a corner. A rack of "alternative transportation" with a bit of snow on them in the front. A colorful, light hearted painting for $950.

Rocky Mountain High

2010-06-08T14:21:00.003-06:00

As you may know I ride a motorcycle, a Harley, and really enjoy touring the highways and by-ways. I've been into Canada and up the West coast, not mention numerous, day to 5 day, trips throughout the West, mostly in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and of course Colorado. I ride with a few others including my wife.

We make a point of taking secondary back roads whenever we can. We see a lot of beautiful country. We make a point of staying in what I'll call colorful, local mom and pop motels. We eat in brew pubs and restaurants that fit the same likeness. We have a really good time. Throughout these trips we encounter other bikers and a lot of people wishing they were riding with us. This got me to thinking. Why not do a series of paintings depicting the scenery, the small towns, the comradery of our motorcycling experience.

Consequently this is a new 24 x 36 oil painting I just finished, titled "Rocky Mountain High" and is for sale at $2800. It is the first in a series I will be working on for maybe a year or more. This painting shows a guy stopping on his ride to enjoy a view of the Colorado Rockies with aspens in fall color. Off in the distance he sees a bull elk with a couple of his cows.

The series is entitled "Fuel for the Dream". I hope it makes you think about your dream. Don't wait for "Someday". There is no someday on the calander. Do it! If you need fuel for your dream and want to purchase this painting, email me today. It won't last long.

The "Pony Express Lounge" mirror

2010-04-24T13:59:00.000-06:00

This is a 20x24 handpainted and gilded mirror I recently finished for my sister. The "frosted" areas are actually sandblasted. "Pony" is done in a 23kt gold leaf and outlined in black. The block behind "Express" and the perimiter line is airbrushed. The words Express" and "Lounge" are hand lettered with One Shot Lettering Enamel.

Although I used to do a fair amount of hand lettered signage back in the day and work on glass, this is the first mirror I've done. I really liked the way it turned out and will do more. I want to do some of those old vintage style mirrors and glass work. There are some great artists doing that today and I hope to learn more about it. Look for more.

One of these images is photographed with the reflective properties of the mirror blacked out to see the design better. The other shows the mirror as it would usually look.

Spring in the Red Rock Country

2010-04-20T09:52:00.000-06:00

Spring on the Western Slope is an especially inviting time of year. Coming out of winter, most of us welcome these teasingly warmer days. Take this past Sunday for instance. We had been watching the weather forecast to see if the nice warm days we were having would make it to the weekend and we were nicely rewarded.

My wife Kathy and I decided a ride to Gateway would be in order. A good customer had mentioned to me that I should think about teaching some workshops over at Gateway. I thought this sounded like a good idea so Kathy and I climbed on the Harley and off we road.

I’ve been to Gateway before. Several times over the years we’ve ridden that way if nothing more than for lunch at the Gateway Canyons Resort Paradox Grill. On any given Sunday when the weather is nice one can find a number of motorcycles parked out side the restaurant. It is a favorite destination. For an artist, there is a wealth of material to paint in the area. There is everything from old historic buildings to great red rock formations to high country fir trees and aspens in the surrounding area, not to mention riverside cottonwoods.

I especially like this time of year. As everything starts to green up it presents a lush offset to the red rock formations. Although we were a bit early on this particular Sunday, in another month or so it will be stunning. I’ve been through there in the fall of the year also, turning south on Hwy 141 along the Dolores River. The fall colors are a painter’s delight.

Gateway has been transformed in recent years by the development of the Gateway Canyons Resort. It is a first class facility with lodging, restaurant, general store and outfitting services for everything from hunting to mountain biking to rafting. The buildings are tastefully done and fit the area well.

Next time I go over there I’m going to bring my painting kit and the pickup so I can get off of the pavement and do a little more exploring. I’m told the John Brown Canyon road reveals some spectacular scenery and will eventually take one over to Moab, UT which is another place on my list but that will have to wait until fall perhaps.

If you find yourself with a free Sunday jump in the car and head to Gateway. The drive through Unaweep Canyon is a treat in itself. Stop and checkout the old abandoned Driggs Mansion as you go by it. Head toward Grand Junction and turn west on Hwy141 at Whitewater. Have fun and let me know what you think.

Skip

2010-04-13T14:41:00.000-06:00

Here is a recent portrait I did of a fella I had the good fortune to work with on a couple of sled dog races a few years ago when we had our dogs. He is a heck of a mountaineer too. Skip has the greatest beard and a classic outdoors type of ruggedness to his features. This was a fun painting to do.

Catching Up

2010-04-08T11:12:00.000-06:00

Yes, it has been a while hasn't it? Been busy with framing for the most part but have managed to get a few paintings done. I've really been enjoying doing portraits. I used to do a lot of figure work to include portraits years ago but for some reason strayed away from it. Of course all of the portrait work was commissioned so once the painting was gone I had no examples. The photographs I had of my earlier portraits (as well as most of my other work) were lost due to water damage in the basenment some years ago leaving me with no examples of the work. Thank the good Lord for digital. With regular backups I now have the images on a variety of storage devices to protect against loss.

Since we last visited, I've done another portrait of a friend (in oil)as well as a gallery wrap 36 x 24 of the Black Canyon NP (also in oil) which is located nearby. I paint for the Park Service and this is one that will go to print for them. Today I'm working on a watercolor. It is a commission that a lady requested for her husband's birthday. I can't give out any details but once I get it done and sent off I'll post the photo.

In the meantime, I'll photograph the portrait and the Black Canyon piece and get them posted in the next day or two.

Thanks for stopping by.

Jim Dziura

2010-02-25T17:49:00.000-07:00

This is the finished oil sketch done of my son Jim Dziura, an independent film maker and director in California. Jim stopped by last month for a visit and I got a couple of photos of him. The painting was started with a charcoal sketch on canvas and then through a series of washes and development I arrived at what I call a finished painting. I paricularily like the subtle use of color and the sketchy quality of the background drawing the viewers eye the face. The composition is unusual but I like it. Scroll down through the posts and pictures to see how it progressed from begining to end.

Stage seven

2010-02-25T17:47:00.000-07:00

I'm almost done. well actually I'm not sure one ever gets done but I think I'm beging to get the likeness and am just looking for the last view adjustments to make.

Stage six

2010-02-25T17:45:00.001-07:00

Now I begin to work on some detail and further refine edges, lights and darks.

Stafge five

2010-02-25T17:44:00.000-07:00

The face is begining to take on some character at this point.

Stage four

2010-02-25T17:42:00.000-07:00

Still filling in some color and developing the darks and lights.

Stage three

2010-02-25T17:41:00.000-07:00

Here I begin to add a little color. I am using burnt sienna, french ultramarine blue and white. Three colors.

Stage 2

2010-02-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

In this stage I applied more wash to develope value and modeling.

In the Begining

2010-02-25T17:37:00.003-07:00

This is the begining layout for a sketch portrait of my son Jim. I used charcoal to rough in the features and washes of thinned oil paint to begin the establishment of values.

Photographing Paintings

2010-02-10T15:10:00.000-07:00

Photographing paintings to day. A couple of fly fishing oils and a couple of drawings from a life drawing session the other night. I have a set up that is dedicated to photographing art so it is real convenient...just a matter of doing it. I like to wait until I have seveeral to do and that way it is a little more efficient use of the time. Post processing of the images actually takes longer than the actual photographing them. I shoot everything in "raw" format so that if I choose to make prints of the image at some point in the future I have the files on hand. They will of course all be processed for the web also.

Hopefully I'll get them posted tomorrow.

Travel Log Update

2010-02-06T15:55:00.001-07:00

As you know if you’ve been following me for very long, I like to get out and about, traveling hither and yon as they say. I keep it somewhat close to home, two or three days out a week at the most. I’ve got too much to do to be gone for very long.

What is particularly fun is to strike out for a couple of days in search of a painting. I love to discover a beautiful landscape that would yield a wealth of material for new paintings. A big bonus is to find a little town that is friendly, has a pretty good place or two to eat and maybe enjoy an adult beverage in after a long day out in the field. A comfortable bed in a cheap motel would be nice. Not too much to ask for.

I like to stroll the typical old Main Streets that most of these little rural towns have, discovering interesting shops and keeping an eye out for some appealing light cast upon an old building or store front. One can usually find something unique in every little town, with any number of paintings waiting to be made or photographs waiting to be taken. The joy of the search and the reward of the find.

I came across such a place earlier this winter. I just sort of took some time to look around and pay attention. Ignoring the “grass is always greener” syndrome. What I found was really very pleasing. I could say that the landscape surrounding this little burg is typical of what one might find in the Intermountain West which would be true. The local people however seem to be pretty proud of their view and rightly so. There is a lot of incredible scenery to paint near this little settlement. I could probably never go anywhere else and not live long enough to paint what is there.

The Main Street of this little town had everything an artist would want. There were a number of old very interesting buildings and in the right light they yielded some very good subject matter and true to my expectations I found a couple of really good places to eat. Everything from the quaint café/bakery eatery to a couple of fine dining establishments with unique menus. I found a local brewery making some pretty good beer too. The best part was that the local folks are very friendly and inviting. There was even a gallery or two to boot.

I began to realize that this is a place where I could stay and paint for the rest of my life. Welcome to Montrose, Colorado, my home town.

This column originally appeared in the Montrose Daily Press yesterday, Feb. 5 2010

Into The high Country

2010-01-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

Here is another oil painting I just finished. It is a commission from the Western Colorado Wool Growers Association. It will be auctioned off at their annual banquet held tomorrow evening. It was a last minute request but I applied myself and got it done for them

I really love this painting. Colorado high country is a favorite subject for me but this is my first painting that I have put sheep in. The herder in the lower left corner is moving his flock into the higher ranges. The early evening made for a great effect of light with the long cast shadows contrasting against the warm bright late day sunlight. I hope it does well for them. It was a joy to paint.

Bow Lake Morning

2010-01-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

This is the painting of Bow Lake I was referring to a few posts back. I finally got it finished and yes I did crop 4 inches off of the bottom. This makes the painting a 28 x 40. The reason I cropped it was because I wanted to lower the horizon line, thereby putting more emphasis on the upper two thirds of the painting which is where I wanted the attention.

Bow Lake is a wonderful spot in the Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. The Num-ti-jah Lodge sits on the shore with a commanding view of the glacier, lake and surrounding mountains. We have stayed there and highly recommend it. The owners of the lodge are very supportive of the arts and have hosted many artists over the years.