Cool Day in the Mountains

Cool Day in the Mountains
6x8

This is the latest painting I have added to the Daily Paintworks website:
It can be purchased for $125.00 - click here

This is a scene entering Ouray from the north- it was a beautiful but slightly hazy day.

Platoro

Platoro is a reservoir in the San Juan mountains; an extremely remote reservoir. I usually go to up the Alamosa River Canyon to paint, but last Sunday I decided to drive to Antonito, drive up Hwy 17 towards Cumbres Pass, and then turn off toward Platoro.

It was breathtakingly beautiful as I drove up the mountain, but also overwhelmingly green.  Greeen!! I stopped at a small place with a wetlands area - absolutely sublime.  The reflections of the evergreens, the smell of wild roses wafting in the air and the perfect weather was overwhelmingly beautiful.  The only problem was the fact that I couldn't paint it- it was too close to the road and there was a major dropoff to actually see the reflections, etc.. A place that just didn't work for an artist with any type of easel to set up.  So I took a picture and went on.  I finally arrived to Platoro resevoir and set up- I finished up at about 5 and was ready to drive the long drive home. This is a 14x18.

The picture that I took of the wetlands didn't turn out well at all.  I was disappointed.

Late Shadows

24x36

I've been trying to get some studio paintings done with the wind blowing so crazy every day and all. I finally finished this painting - it was from a photo I took in probably 1997 or close to that date. I had to completely rearrange everything and I seem to have a very difficult time taking good photos of my large paintings. I'm going to have to work on that. I will be getting into the field as everything is FINALLY starting to green up! Yay!

A Promise of Spring

The Wind has not blown for the last two days and I see slight bits of green here and there. The San Luis Valley is always the last part of Colorado to green up- the valley must just be like a big ice box or something. I have to help with prom this afternoon so knew that I had a very small window of opportunity to paint - so I ran over to the ranch and painted this 8 x 10. There were little pieces of green here and there- (the left field in the painting) but I had to look hard. The scene before me was beautiful even without the green so I set up and tried to capture the subtle beauty. I could here ducks quacking in the distance and a few cranes honking(?) here and there. It was a very enjoyable day.

A painting from a Ditch Bank

This is the view from the back of my house.. I haven't been able to plein air paint that much because of the horrible winds that we have been slammed with lately- so I painted this at about 7:30 in the morning standing on a ditch bank- looking towards the southwest. I painted this quickly and could have spent a little more time on it but didn't want to lose the spontaneity. I'm hoping to get out more and the wind hasn't been blowing quite as much- I'm looking forward to seeing some green in the landscape.

Since I have been painting often and the weather has actually been cooperating, I decided to try to stay with it. I hate having to quit and then losing that edge and basically taking a few steps backwards- it happens often. I painted this along the Rio Grande River and would have painted the river, but it is entirely covered with snow and hasn't even begun to open up yet. I liked the patterns of the tracks- it was a nice lead in.

A Large Plein Air

I decided to go to the ranch and try something new- a large plein air. I decided to try a 20x24 because I actually had a canvas that size and it was toned a nice purple color so I was off... The beginning layout - just blocked in

I started to work on the mountain and tried to establish where my center of focus would be.

I worked on the trees to the left of the canvas- trying to show light shining through the trunks and I worked on water and reflections.

The final result. The sky was very interesting as there was major turbulance as I painted but there was no wind until I was about finished - then it started to kick in. The cows were pretty good at posing for me but there were so many that I was able to get any view I wanted -

Last Day: Colorado Mountain Plein Air

The last day I was able to paint in the Colorado Plein Air Festival, I drove to Marshall Pass. The weather was quite sketchy so I tried to get up and painting rather quickly- the above painting is of Antora Mountain - there are great views of it all along the drive up Marshall Pass- the weather didn't stay like this for long however so I took off down the mountain as the clouds were quite ominous and as I rounded the bend I saw a nice little view of aspen- the sun popped out just long enough for me to paint it rather quickly

and as I was packing up, the weather moved right in- and that was the end of my week of painting... The party was fun but I was too busy talking to take any pictures of the event-

More Colorado Mountain Plein Air photos

The next day I drove to Salida and was invited to stay the night at Salley Mather's house. I met Sally down at the Steam Plant along the Arkansas River and she was set up and painting when I arrived. I looked around for awhile and settled on this nice little spot-- I am amazed at the pure zest that people in Salida have for their dogs.. I have never seen so many dog walkers in my life- and they all love their dogs dearly.I painted this along one of the dog walking trails- and there was always someone standing on the bridge. I pick this chap and sketched him in quickly.

Sally and I painted this scene from her house in the afternoon- clouds are kind of like trying to paint people and animals- always moving- just a little slower....This photo is darker than the actual painting as I can see some details are lost- my apologies.... later...

Harvest Time

6x8
New Holland
The barley harvest is over and it is time to start with potatoes and wheat. This combine was on the field directly across from my studio. I was drawn to the complementary color scheme of the combine to the violet hues of the mountains.

Plein Air View from Lobo Point

12x16

Today I went to my gallery in Pagosa to change out artwork. I had wanted to paint up the East Fork of the San Juan River on the way home but was detained by a very nice lady from the Forest Service. She told me that they were working on the road as there had been a horrible landslide in the winter of 2008 and they are currently fixing it. I am elated because that road has some beautiful views. She told me to try further up Wolf Creek pass to take photos- I don't think she realized that I was actually planning on painting on location. I ended up going to the summit of Wolf Creek Pass and there was a overlook on the north side of the road. Never having been up that road, I took it and was I glad I did. After driving 3 miles to the top-the views were beautiful - all 360 degrees of them. The wildlife was friendly and all the visitors that drove to the top, and believe me, there were plenty of them, mostly left me alone to paint. It was a good day.

Plein Air Painting at the Snowy Range

Well, Coni and I took off to the Snowy Range and stayed the night in the cute little town of Centennial. This is a picture of Coni and I cleaning up to head out as the sun was lowering in the sky.

The Friendly Store is a cute little gas station and convenience store right next to our hotel in Centennial.

This is where we stayed in Centennial- The Old Corral- we really enjoyed this place - the rooms were perfect.

A Picture of Patrice Walker and I after a hard day's work. Patrice found us painting by Mirror Lake and we went painting up Brooklyn Lake road after that.

This is the painting completed up the Brooklyn Lake Road. The views were astounding- makes you want to start singing the theme to "The Sound of Music." Don't worry - I didn't.

A Plein Air painting trip to Creede Colorado

Coni and I decided to go to Peggy Morgan Stenmark's show at the Creede repertory theatre. We also decided to turn it into a painting trip. This is a picture of the North Clear Creek Falls.

This is a picture of my cruiser sitting directly at the bottom of Bristol Mountain. I am standing at the edge of Santa Maria reservoir to take this.

Here is a picture of Sam Keith talking to Marsha and Tim Gallagher about art of course.

Peggy talking to a patron with her beautiful paintings in the background.

Another picture of Peggy- it was a very nice show. I love Peggy's ink resistant method in her paintings. Yes, we did paint and I will post that soon....

A Plein Air of Evening Wheat Fields

I decided it might be beneficial to paint sunsets for awhile. It is almost Wyoming time and Coni and I plan to paint many sunsets and possibly a few nocturns. This was looking across our wheat fields . The wheat is slowly starting to ripen.

A House by Westcliff

I loved the simplicity of this scene and worked up a painting from a photo that I took in the fall. I love the Sangres from the east side; there are so many beautiful views and it's just a little different on the other side of these mountains.

Conejos

This morning, I cleaned out my refrigerator. "What does that have to do with painting?" you ask. Absolutely nothing... other that how now I can open my refrigerator door without things falling out and along in reducing the clutter in my fridge, I am reducing the clutter of things to get done in the back of my mind; chores that have to be done. Sometimes you have so many trivial little lists in the back of your brain begging for attention that it starts affecting artistic performance. Dentist appointments, doctor appointments , wash the dog, clean the toilets, well you get the idea. I wish I had answers to deal with this problem- but I really don't. I'm just happy I got one small thing out of the way- Now if I could just take care of all of the other 50 things screaming for attention I could be at my artistic peak.

Painting above- Coni Grant and I went to the Conejos on Hwy 17 outside of Antonito to Josie Perea's house to paint. Sadly, Josie couldn't paint with us. We sat our easels up along the Conejos River and painted this very subtle rock scene. I prepared with a dark purple underpainting- which might have added to the somber feeling.

Looking through trees

24x36

I have been trying to get some studio paintings done lately- here is a painting of the San Juan mountains. I truly enjoy painting fall.

The base of the Sangres

I decided to go over to Electric Peak to try to do a study as Electric Peak with Electric Ranch at the base is just one of the more pictuesque sights around. I had painted Electric Ranch about 8 years ago and still have my study but I would like to paint a larger, studio painting of this scene. I drove all the way to Electric Ranch but, the snow was so white and there were absolutely no shadows so it looked like there was a huge iceberg sitting above the ranch. the last time I painted it was during March and the sun was far enough to the south to get some cool shadows- so I decided to not paint electric ranch and started wondering around. This is what I came up with- which makes me wonder why I drove all the way to the northern Sangres to paint a small sliver of a white mountain- and then paint it in the wind-- what was I thinking?

As the Sun Sets

I got a new camara and decided that I would just play with it for awhile- my girl and I are going to go Barcelona, Paris, and London with her high school Spanish class for spring break, so I want to make sure I take great pictures on the trip- hence the experimentation. This is a picture to the east of my house - everything is still golden...

Now the sun has set in the foreground- but the mountains are slowly starting to turn pink.

Final picture- my camera didn't like taking these as it was flashing red on the landscape mode- the mountains turned a nice pink color but I have seen them turn much more red under different lighting conditions- they don't call them the Sangre de Cristos for nothing....

Rock Creek

Here is a picture of Coni with her painting of Rock Creek- I decided to put her on my sight for Valentines Day since she is all geared out in red! Happy Valentines Day everyone!!