The Cowgirl Has The Blues

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

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!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stafge five

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

Stage four

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

Stage three

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

Stage 2

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

In the Begining

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

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

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

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

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.

Gesture Drawings

All artists should know the importance of drawing. It is absolutley critical when it comes to realistic paintings. Landscape paintings are somewhat more forgiving in that nobody really knows if that tree is a little taller than it should be or the mountain has a bit more peak to it than in reality. However, when it comes to fiqures, buildings, most man-made objects in general, proper drawing is very neccessary. Gesture drawings are a good practice for several reasons. The artist can use the sessions to sharpen hand-eye coordination and in the case of moving objects, train the mind and the eye to capture the motion, force and sharpen the skill of observation.

Last weekend I decided to watch the play off game between the Saints and the Vikings with sketch pad in hand. It was quite a challenge to capture bits and pieces of what was happening on the field. As can be seen in the following images, I started off with some trepidation but soon got into the groove. I began to look for a certain movement or action that I found interesting and then made rapid lines in an effort capture the essence of what I saw. I quickly realized I had to rely a lot on memory of what I had seen. Slow motion replays also helped. Additionally I began to see certain kinds of actions repeat themselves. Pass receivers generally moved in a similar manner. Blockers and tacklers likewise.

One could just as easily use most any scene in a TV program for the purpose of gesture drawing. I found the effort very rewarding and quite fun. I'll be doing it again for sure. I used a ball point pen and some inexpensive 11 x 14 newsprint for this excersise. With practice however, I can see using a journal type sketch pad for a collection of these types of drawings.

As you can see here, I began with some pretty simple lines and stick type figures, finally gaining enough confidence to do two figures engaged with each other. The point was to try and capture the energy and flow of the figures.

Again, I'm still in the early stages of the game and just trying to "warm up" to the idea.

It was hard to do much analysis of what I was drawing as I was doing it because I was working quite rapidly which did allow me to react to the motion without thinking about it too much however.

This was my first effort at handling mutiple figures. Obviously I had to work it up after the action had taken place but I found it easier to do than I thought it would be.

Another "pile up".

Hope you enjoyed these results and maybe it will inspire you to try it.

Back in the Groove

Well, it's been a grueling Holiday Season...I'm happy to say. Having a frame shop, studio and gallery open to the public and doing most of the work myself (since cutting back on staff due to the recession) I was quite busy for awhile there. Consequently, my painting efforts suffered somewhat. The two little oils in the two previous posts below were done before the Christmas rush but I waited until now to offer them up.

Additionally I've been working on a larger 32x40 oil of a scene looking on Bow Lake in Alberta Canada. We stayed at a lodge right on the lake a couple of years ago when a group of us rode our motorcycles into Canada. I did a couple of little watercolor sketches on location there and then used them and some photos to do a 12x16 oil, pictured above.

I am using this oil and a photo to do the larger version. As is often the case however, moving from a small format to a large format doesn't neccessarily result in the same effect. As a result, I am struggling with the new larger version, particularily with the foreground. I am happy with the upper two thirds of the piece and I suppose the easy way out would be to crop most of the foreground off with the knife. I am going to continue to try and resolve the issue first however and save the cropping as a last ditch effort to save the piece. I'll keep you informed as to how it is going. Hopefully it won't be long because I'm getting tired of fooling with this painting.

Jazzing It Up

I love to come across street musicians. It doesn't matter what the instruments are, I am fascinated by musical talent of any kind. I found these two guys blowing some great tunes on a sidewalk in Southern California a couple of years ago and knew I had to capture them in a painting.

On the Crystal River

Here's a little oil painting I did of a gentleman on the Crystal River in Colorado. The little river is one of the most beautiful there is. To top it all off, there is a campground right on a portion of the river. Last summer Kathy, my wife, and I stayed there for a couple of days so I could do a little painting and fishing. As I approached this segment of the river, I caught this figure in the shadows sillouetted against the opposite sunlit bank. I knew immediately it would make a painting. I may use this idea for a larger studio painting.

Albert Handell

Spent a wonderful day with Albert Handell on Saturday. I took my wife Kathy to Santa Fe for the New Year weekend and I arranged a meeting for her with Albert. She is a fan of his and wanted to get one of his books.

I met Albert several years ago at the Telluride Plein Air Festival in Telluride, Colorado. Albert is a real gentleman and was very gracious. We spent several hours with him touring his studio and looking over his pastels and oils. What a treat that was. Then later in the afternoon he joined us for a bite to eat.

Albert is very focused on his art and a true inspiration. I look forward to going back and spending more time with him.