Sunday, December 7, 2014

Whispers Through the Grove

Acrylic on Canvas
14" x 11"
$325. + shipping
SOLD!
This painting also took awhile to finish, but it was fun to paint.  As I paint, I can actually feel myself transported into the scene.  When I visit an aspen grove in the fall, I sometimes just sit and listen to the sound of the quaking leaves.  It is truly music for the soul.

Here Comes the Sun

Watercolor
9" x 13"
$400. + shipping
SOLD!
I found this beautiful and delicate little Northwest Coast basket and knew that it had to be surrounded by my favorite wildflower, the trillium.  This is a view of nature that we might not notice while on a walk, but it has a lot to offer.

Across the Universe

Acrylic on Panel
5" x 5"
$195 + shipping

This little gem is a favorite of mine.  It pretty much painted itself with me not knowing what the end result would be.  The colors are very striking, especially floating on a black background, in a black frame.  This is one my first in the "Dreamscape" series.

Windows Through Time

Acrylic on Canvas
24" x 48"
$1,100.
SOLD!
Collection of Mr. & Mrs. Arlie Brown

This piece is a commission that was requested at my Street of Dreams studio.  The client asked for a geometric theme.  I said okay, knowing that I have never used geometrics in any abstract!  I really got into it and I think that it turned out well.  Seeing it in its actual size is impressive.  *Please click on the image to enlarge it.

Dancing Water

Acrylic on Canvas
23" x 13"
$600.
SOLD!!
Collection of Brickhaven Bed & Breakfast

I painted this awhile ago, but just delivered it to the new owner.  It was fun to paint even though a bit challenging.  I guess that they are all kind of hard or they would not be worth doing.
It is a classic Northwest waterfall at my favorite time of the year.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

The Far Beyond

Oil on Canvas
24" X 30"
$900.
SOLD at the 2014 Street of Dreams
I created this painting just before I moved of to the Street of Dreams studio.  In fact, it was still wet when I put it on display.
I painted this entirely to please and challenge myself.  I was so happy with the way it turned out, but I was also concerned about how people would respond to it, if at all.  Well, it turned out to be the most talked about painting in my room and I could have sold it several times over.
I take good photographs, but I wish all of you could see the real thing.  It's just beautiful, and I am my toughest critic.

Ladies in Red


Acrylic on Canvas
18"x18"
$275.
SOLD!

I painted this study of summer poppies in my "Street of Dreams" Studio.  The blossoms really stood out on the white background, so I decided to leave it like that.  It is painted on a two inch deep 'gallery wrap' canvas, so it doesn't need to be framed.  It would look really good in a kitchen or bathroom.

Taking the Old Road Home

Acrylic on Panel 
7"x7"
$225.
JUST SOLD! 
With this piece I have created a classic Tuscan scene in a miniature format.  It is a little jewel with a lot going on.  Even the small ones can carry a great deal of detail and give a warm, wonderful mood on a grand scale.  Perfect for a grouping or on a tabletop easel.

Valley of Gold


Acrylic on Panel
5"x5"
$195
Just Sold!
This is one of my new stylized 'colorscapes'.  It is all about using rich, lush colors to create a calm and dreamlike mood.  I created a unique framing presentation.  The panel is floating within the frame on a black background.










Monday, July 7, 2014

River Song

Acrylic on Canvas
16" x 20"
Commissioned Painting of the Deschutes River
 
I have wanted to do a series on Northwest rivers for quite a while and an anniversary gift commission opportunity came along.  This was challenging, but fun to recreate a river I have visited for decades.  I hope do do others in the late summer and early fall.
 
If you have river you would like painted, just let me know and I would be glad to create it for you.

Gorge Tempest

Acrylic on Board
6" x 6"
$175
 Sold!
This is the first painting of my abstract series that I started a few weeks ago.  It is definitely intuitive painting, because I really don't have an image in mind when I start painting.  There is actually a botched painting underneath with some its colors showing through and adding interest to the final scene.

The Hills of Umbria


Acrylic on Panel
8" x 8"
$195.
SOLD! 
This is one of the first of a series of small abstract paintings that I have been working on for my upcoming exhibitions.  It is a bit challenging to create a pleasing image, but it has also been fun to just let loose the 'color junkie' in me.
These abstract and semi-abstract miniatures will be displayed along with my realistic paintings.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Desert Rose



Watercolor on Aquaboard
8" x 8"
$350 + shipping
SOLD
This is a new painting that is a favorite of mine right now.  It was hard to paint, but that is mostly because this specially created watercolor panel is challenging to work with.
It is a simple composition with simple elements to it.  All the objects in it are old or ancient, except for the cactus blossom, which could have been picked this morning.  The old and new--a constant that is threaded through our lives.

"Into the Deep Blue" - The lost Paddle

Acrylic on Panel
12" x 8"
$475.  
 SOLD!
I am not sure where to start describing all that I feel with this painting.  It is a continuation of a theme that I did four paintings for in 2011 and 2012.

I have always been intrigued by the Northwest Coastal tribes and their myths and superstitions.

While doing this painting I imagined these brave tribal members cutting down a huge cedar tree, hollowing it out and dragging it to the water's edge.  They would paddle out into the open ocean to hunt whales and fish, all the while truly believing that these mythical creatures lurked in the dark waters below.  Now, I know the childhood fears I had living near deep lakes in Montana.  Those were horrible enough and I didn't even have terrifying masks to go along with my visuals!

This was a very challenging painting to do.  Halfway through it I was wishing that I had never started it.  Three fourths of the way through I told myself to slow down and make careful choices because it was turning out so well.  I can safely say that I have never seen a painting created with this particular theme before.  And it may be my one and only.

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Treasures from a Secret Cove



Watercolor
 7.5" x 9.5"
$325. framed + shipping
SOLD
The inspiration for this little painting came about in a reverse fashion.  I found two of these neat, worn and chipped frames and they immediately said, "beach cabin" to me.  So, I went searching through my collection of shells, stones and driftwood.  I also got out a couple of photographs of sand and sea weed (yes, I have photos of sea weed).  I hope that you will have a fun walk on the beach.


Wood Song


Watercolor
8.5" x 12"
$450.  framed + shipping
SOLD
I enjoyed a good bloom of trilliums in my grove among the trees.  I was also thankful that the two fawns have moved on and didn't treat my favorite wild flowers like a salad buffet.  The little wood violets made a nice compliment to the graceful trilliums.

In the Hills of Cortona

 
Oil on Canvas
10" x 8"
$225 framed + shipping
JUST SOLD!
 
Spring in Tuscany is a symphony of colors, sunlight, clouds and grand panoramic views.  I hope that I have conveyed a feeling of warmth and well being for you to enjoy.

Dreaming of Spring

Watercolor
10" x 8"
$325. framed + shipping
 JUST SOLD!
There is something magical about walking through an orchard in full bloom.  For me, the memories go back to early childhood when I would explore my uncle's fruit orchard, dreaming about the juicy cherries and apples that were to come.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Purple Gold

Watercolor
5" x 5"
$125 framed + shipping, if necessary.
JUST SOLD!
 
The first frost of the season has sweetened the berries to purple perfection.  Harvest day on the mountain has attracted many to join the feast, including these little bandits!

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Showing Off


Watercolor
9.5" x 6.5"
$350. + shipping
Just Sold!
A few years ago I planted this cluster of miniature daffodils at the edge of my woods.  They are only seven inches tall, but they put on a bright and sunny show.  Of course, the crocus have to get in on the act! I hope that you enjoy them as I do.


A Timeless Embrace


Acrylic on canvas
8" x 10"
$350. + shipping
SOLD!
I'm inviting you to be taken away to a warm summer evening.  Enjoy the sun's grand finale of color drifting across the horizon.  Close your eyes and take in the fragrance of acres of lavender as the constant hum of the honey bees becomes your background music.

Legend Keeper

Watercolor
12"x12"
$275. + shipping
SOLD!
It is sundown on the plains as a Blackfeet medicine man begins his solitary ritual.  The legends of his tribe and his personal totems are depicted on the tipi walls.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

When the Hard Work is Done

Watercolor
12" x 15"
$600. + shipping
SOLD!
I included this old truck in the barn scene that I created last December.  It turned out well, but you couldn't see the detail because it was in a smaller scale.  While I was painting it, I kept thinking that is should have a portrait of its own.  It has seen a lot of weather and rough mountain roads, but is has character and even a bit of "country class".
I believe it was a work truck at a lumber mill in the Columbia River Gorge in the 1940's or 50's.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Dream Weaver

Watercolor
6.5" x 9.5"
$250
JUST SOLD!
This basket is from the Pomo tribe of Central California.  They were primarily given as gifts to express esteem or high prestige.
They were ornamented with feathers, mother of pearl, and clam shell beads, a tradition that dates back thousands of years.
Sadly, there are not many of the early ones left because they were usually burned after the passing of the owner.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Let it Shine

 
Watercolor
6" x 6"
$160
SOLD!
 This fine fellow is a willow ptarmigan, a type of grouse.  At the beginning of winter their feathers turn from brown and russet to pure white.  To me, that is a wonderful mystery of nature.  Their feet are covered with hair-like feathers and they will burrow into the snow for warmth.
I found this to be a fun challenge, painting white on white with only the blue shadows defining distance and shape.

Summer Song

Watercolor on aquaboard
14" x 11"
$450.
 SOLD!
I just finished this painting on a cold January night and realized that this type has become somewhat of an annual tradition.  This time of year I tend to reach for a memory of a warmer time and place.
I have stood there and felt the warmth of the morning sun mingling with the cool riffs from the gurgling waters.  I call paintings such as this, 'Places of the Heart'.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

An American Classic

Watercolor
16" x 22"
$950.
Commissioned
 and SOLD!
This recent painting is a commissioned piece for a new collector in Texas.  I wanted to share it with you because it went straight from my painting desk to the UPS Store to be packed and shipped. 
I have been looking forward to doing a subject like this for quite a while.  It was challenging, but enjoyable to create.  Every board and shingle were painted one at a time and are unique.  The new owner is still discovering details in the painting and having fun with that. 
I look forward to the next commission challenge and I welcome any inquiries regarding commissioned pieces.

When We Were Young

Watercolor
9" X 13"
$425.
SOLD!
It is hard to believe my childhood is now considered nostalgia. It was a great childhood and that era was a good time to be a kid. Now the memory is endless days of riding bikes, trading comic books, and playing outside from morning til' dark. I feel that this painting is a moment frozen in time. I actually remember country stores and gas pumps such as these being used when I was a boy in Bigfork, Montana.

Evening in Venice


Oil on Panel
6" x 4"
12" x 12" framed
$195 + shipping
 SOLD!
This a new subject for me. I have become known for my Tuscan paintings, but this is my first visit to Venice and the Grand Canal. The frame is a reproduction of the tin ceiling tiles used during the Victorian era. I spent several hours creating the aging on the tile frame. It does feel like it is a hundred years old.

Deer Hunter of Taos

Acrylic on Board
18" x 24"
$1,400.
SOLD!
I painted this still-life a few weeks ago and have been enjoying it in my studio. I think that now is the time to share it with you. I believe that this painting has raised the quality of my Indian still-lifes to a higher level. It was challenging to create, but I enjoyed giving the illusion of reality and age.

A Warrior's Life

Drybrush Watercolor
24" x 18"
$1,200.
I had the good fortune of having access to these artifacts. It was during a week long adventure of artistic inspiration and survival on the Little Cheyenne River in South Dakota. I did survive (a long story) and came home with over 600 photographs to create from. This ancient cottonwood is the actual tree that I sat under to sketch and take photo detail studies.

Yellow Leaf Moon

Acrylic and Oil on Canvas
24" x 36"
$2,500.
SOLD!
With this painting I wanted to capture two different aspects of life for the American Indian of the 1800's. First of all, I'm showing them surrounded by incredible beauty and awesome grandeur. I was able to call upon my own experiences of exploring streams, rivers, and mountain meadows throughout my life.
There is also the ever present possibility of harsh conditions and that the struggle for survival could soon be upon them. Vigilance was a constant necessity, but for now, tranquility prevails.

A Day in Old Provence

Acrylic on Board
8"x10"
$250
SOLD!
A cobalt blue sky, butter yellow sunflowers, and quaint 200 year old farm buildings.
What can be better than that?!

A Summer Romance

Watercolor
12"x17"
$500. framed + shipping
SOLD!

I find it difficult to chose one favorite garden flower, but it might have to be the iris. They don't last long, but their delicate beauty and multitude of colors can be captivating.

Flower Power

Watercolor
4" x 4"
$195. framed +shipping
 SOLD!
I have loved all things miniature since I was a small boy, so doing a mini painting is a real treat. The challenge is to create an entire scene in a very small space. The eyes and steady hand are hanging in there for awhile longer.

When Clouds Make You Dream

Oil on Board
11"x14"
$325
SOLD!
Wild waterlillies grow in most of the United States. The blossoms are usually white in color, but other colors can be found. In the late 1800's the French became obsessed with all things 'water lilly'. They created many beautiful colors by cross-breeding. Over a hundred years later,we are able to enjoy a rainbow of blossom colors.