Little Memories

Another year has passed and I continue to paint! January has been a month of looking back, reviewing photos from my travels, and then creating sweet little paintings.  It is a joy to turn on a little music and revisit my adventures this way.  One in this collection has already sold, but most will be available in my Etsy Shop until mid April. All are 6x6 inch oil paintings on stretched canvas. Hope you will stop by and take a look.

Painting Process

It feels good to be back in my studio after several months of travelling. Although my paint brush was still, I continued to store up ideas for future projects. The first step in my painting process is to take numerous photographs, store memories, and think. After I am back in the studio, I spend time reminiscing and reviewing. Exploration of different scenes follows. These two little paintings, size 6x8 and 8x8 are explorations of the same scene on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. I couldn't decide whether a square format or a landscape format would serve the scene best, so I painted both with the idea of creating a larger version. I eventually sell the smaller studies here and the larger versions here. The decision on format is still percolating, but completing this exercise has help me draw some conclusions. What do you think? Square format or landscape? 

Mountains and Coast

Hurricane Hill

8x8 Oil on Canvas
SOLD

Salt Creek

8x8 Oil on Canvas
SOLD

Last month I had the pleasure of visiting the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State with a group of friends. We ventured from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Hurricane Ridge and hiked along the sea and in the mountains all within one day. I arrived home with lots of inspiration for painting the lovely landscapes of the area. A series of 8x8 square format landscapes emerged after the trek. The two paintings above are my favorites. The rest can be viewed here in my portfolio. As the paint dries I will be selling the originals in my Etsy Shop and perhaps doing some larger versions to submit to my Ugallery portfolio. 

Snowshoeing at Mount Rainier

Winter Road

8x10

Oil on Canvas

A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to go snowshoeing at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State. It was a gorgeous Monday. I snapped hundreds of pictures as we drove through the park and hiked the trails. When I got home I began some small studies based on some of the images. This small painting is the most recent. The paint is still wet. When it is dry, I will probably list it in my Etsy Shop or create a larger version for Ugallery. 

Below is a picture of the underpainting. I used dioxine purple, burnt sienna, and transparent orange acrylic paint to get the values established before completing the painting with oils. I'm looking forward to completing some more landscape memories. It was a great day with a wonderful group of friends.

Mushroom Picking

Island Trees

16x16

Oil on Canvas

This painting resulted from a trip I took with friends a few weeks ago, just after the rains began to fall for the first time in the Puget Sound Region of the Northwest. The goal was to find wild mushrooms. It was a new experience for me and I depended on my knowledgeable friends to teach me what to look for. We tramped around the forest near Lake Cushman in Washington State, looked under trees, shady damp areas, and under large shrubs. It was fun even though the air was damp and the ground soggy. The vision that excited the painter in me the most was when we emerged from the forest to the shoreline of the lake. There was a tiny island not too far from shore. The sun had just peaked out from the clouds and made the leaves on the deciduous trees of that little island sparkle with the first color of autumn. I snapped a lot of photos and couldn't wait to get home and attempt to recreate the beauty of that afternoon. The result of my efforts is this oil painting. I am happy to say that it has been accepted into Ugallery and is now on display. Reproduction prints are also available as well as a little mini-version in my Etsy Shop.  I also painted the image using acrylic paints. A 11x14 inch version in acrylic paint is available here. The mushroom picking adventure was a success in so many ways. I was declared the best mushroom hunter of the day and was pleased to share my finds with my knowledgeable guides.

Little Houses

This was little house week. Here is a sampling of some of the little landscape studies I've been working on. Usually my landscapes are void of buildings, but not this week. I've been auditioning some little cottages for possible larger work. The largest in this collection are 6x8 inches and the smallest was 4x5 all completed in oils on stretched canvas or canvas panel. I've listed one for sale in my Etsy Shop. The others will follow as soon as the paint is dry. I'll be contemplating whether to take them large or just leave them as small studies. What do you think?

Working on the Square

This week I discovered a box of 12x12x1.5 inch canvases in my closet. I usually order in bulk to save a few dollars, but storage can sometimes be a problem, so the extras end up in the closet or under the bed. Sometimes I forget where they are, so it was exciting to discover a set of four wonderful little square format canvases. The discovery set in motion a series of sketches and a nice collection of square format landscape paintings.  Here's where I began:

I like to make little value studies that help me formulate a good composition. I did several pages of sketches before deciding on a design for the first square in the series. Here is the result of my first square of the week:

The original painting is for sale at Ugallery. Prints are available from my print shop. The rest will be sent to Ugallery as soon as the rain quits falling and I can get some better photos. Below is a quick shot of the four completed paintings. It was so much fun creating these guys that I just ordered some more square canvases. Can't wait for them to arrive.

Playing in the High Desert

Inspired by high desert landscapes of the Western United States, this contemporary landscape painting emerged. It was created with layers of acrylic paint intended to replicate the atmosphere of open land, endless grass, and fresh air. The original painting was created on a 24x30 inch stretched canvas and has already been sold.  Reproduction prints are available from my print shop.  Click here for reproduction print options.

Blue Skies at Night

This painting was conceived a last week while visiting the Pacific coast. As I watched the sun go down, the clouds turned rose and deep purple. The wonderful colors inspired the painting in this season of beautiful sunsets. The original oil painting was developed on an 11x14 inch stretched canvas with professional grade oil paints. Reproductions are available here in my print shop. The original will be for sale in my Etsy Shop as soon as the paint is dry.

Another Road

This little 6x8 inch painting has gone home, sold to a buyer from Bend, Oregon, one of my favorite towns on earth.  It was inspired by the high desert and Cascade Mountains that are so visible from the plains of Central Oregon, so I am pleased that it can make its home in the landscape that inspired it. The original painting was created with professional grade oil paints.  Reproduction fine art prints and posters are still available from my website in the landscape gallery.  I hope you will stop by and see some of my other landscape paintings, too.

Back to the Road

Recently I have moved back to painting roads.  The demands are diverse and give me an opportunity to work on a number of skills, all about perspective.  The ability to paint proper aerial perspective is the first requirement that comes to mind.  As subjects move into the distance, the colors required to paint a realistic depiction changes as blue moves into the paint and yellow moves out.  Secondly, I have to focus on the geometry of the road and how it decreases in shape and size as it moves into the distance.  If I don't get it right, it doesn't look like a road.  Moving away from objects in the painting is also a consideration.  I have to ask myself a series of questions.  Do they overlap?  What is the relationship in size and how do I depict that? And lastly, I have to consider edges.  The closer objects have sharper edges than the objects in the distance. So, you can see why I like to paint road scenes. So many challenges keep me thinking and on my toes.  The original painting displayed above was created with professional grade oil paints on a stretched 8x10 inch canvas.  It is available in my Etsy Shop of small format original paintings in the landscape section.  Prints and reproductions are available in a variety of sizes and surfaces from my website in the landscape gallery.  I have several additional road paintings I've been working on, but the paint isn't dry yet.  I'll let you see them when they are finished if you check back again soon.

Evergreen Sentinel

Recently, while walking the dog, I meandered toward a proud Evergreen. The lone fir tree stood tall in the middle of a meadow. It was strong and grizzled having apparently withstood wind, rain, and snow without the support of any other trees. As the breezes tossed its branches and the sun made it sparkle, I knew I had to paint the fellow. I loved the texture and color of the bark and the multitude of greens apparent in its branches. After I finished, I was glad to have taken the time to capture the portrait of this soldier.  The painting is 11x14 inches on stretched canvas and was created with oils. The original painting is available for purchase here at my Etsy shop.  Reproduction fine art prints are available in a variety of sizes on paper and canvas at my website here.  

Autumn Abstract Landscape

The autumn season has arrived.  Sunshine and cool temperatures make September one of my favorite months.  Strolling along a country road, noticing the changing colors of the vegetation, and feeling good was the inspiration for this square format landscape painting.  It was created with oil paints on a square canvas.  Although the original was a 12x12 inch canvas, reproductions up to 36x36 are available from my website.  I hope you will stop by for a visit.

Alpine Lake Landscape Painting

This weekend it snowed, so I suppose when I painted this image, it was the ice and snow in the back of my mind that caused it to emerge.  The painting is entirely from my imagination.  Creating the snowy mountains and the freezing foreground of water was fun.  The painting developed over an under painting of red that gives it a nice warm glow.  I also imagined a strip of yellow  trees on the edge of the lake.  The yellow and red were just enough warmth to keep me happy in this freezing winter scene.  Reproductions of this acrylic landscape painting are available here in a variety of sizes and on a number of different surfaces. 

In the Mist

As those of you who follow my blog know, I've been on an abstract kick for a while now.  What can I say, the paint takes me where it wants to go, but recently I moved back to oils and landscape painting.  This 11x14 inch painting was the result.  I was working on creating depth, trying to create that feeling of the background receding.  It was nice for a change.  Change seems to come around whether we are ready for it or not.  Reproduction prints of this painting are available for purchase here.  If you are interested in the original, contact me here by clicking on the contact link. 

Earth and Sky and Modeling Paste

Earth, sky, and some modeling paste for texture were the inspiration for this abstract landscape painting.  I am fascinated by the sky, the way it changes, it's infinite size, but I also am curious about all those things underground:  rock, dirt, minerals, pebbles, stones, fragments, fossils, and moisture.  All of these ideas worked together to help me create this painting.  The original painting is 16x20 inches on canvas, but I have also made prints and greeting cards available to those who might be interested in placing this work in your home or office.  Visit here for more details on price, size, and reproduction options.  Visit my website or my Etsy shop to view some of my other works for sale.

Not Alone

Although we sometimes feel alone, actually we are not. This tree, though seemly isolated and alone, is really surrounded by the beauty of nature, the sky, the ground, the textures of the earth. The painting was created on an 18x24 inch gallery canvas using acrylic paints. The sides are painted black and it can be hung with or without a frame.

The original painting is for sale or prints can be ordered here.

Nisqually Delta

If you've ever been to the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge in Thurston County, Washington State, then you will recognize one of the remaining barns from the Brown Family Farm.  It is a classic barn in a beautiful rural landscape.  It is a blessing that this area is shared with public and a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the Nisqually Delta.  I am inspired to paint every time I visit.  This oil painting is 8x10 inches and was based on a photo taken last spring.  I loved the contrast of the sunlit barn and the tree shadow.  The painting is for sale at my Etsy Shop.  Click this link to view it in the shop or make a purchase. 

Spring Tree Line

Just added this one to my Etsy Shop.  I painted it while dreaming of spring. The cold and damp has lead me to slip into my imagination and create something a little warmer.  This original 6x8 inch painting can be viewed or purchased here along with some of my other paintings of trees. 

Snow Shoeing

Put on a pair of snow shoes and head up to the mountains.  The scenery is beautiful and the snow pack is great.  This 8x10 inch oil painting of a delightful mountain destination can be purchased at my Etsy Shop.  Click here to view or make a purchase.