Emerald Summer

9x12", Study, Oil on Linen. 

Imnaha Canyon Morning

A small study painted near the Buckhorn area, on the Imnaha Canyon rim in the Hells Canyon Wilderness. The silence in a location like this is amazing, only the sounds of mountain bluebirds, a few crickets and bumblebees. The stars are dazzling with the total lack of light contamination. It seems little changed from the days when the Nez Perce roamed the area. Sightings: elk, bluebirds, a jackrabbit and a coyote pup.  6x4", Oil on Linen.  

Sierra Gem

From a backpacking trip in the Gem Lakes area in the Eastern Sierra in early July.  14x11", Oil on Linen.  Available at Holton's Gallery.

Wallowa Headwaters

My favorite study of the summer so far.  If I do a larger painting of this one, I will refine some of the shapes, but I'm really happy with the structure and movement of this one overall.  I guess I have to get used to saying autumn instead of summer because the weather has definitely turned the corner this week.  I may try one more angle on this setting before I move on to something else.  Study 10x8", Oil on Linen. 

Indian Summer

This is the narrow sliver of time when the snow has all melted from the mountains before it starts snowing again.  Painting this study was a little bit frustrating because I was trying a new canvas surface and the paint did not want to stick to it.  It was like trying to spread peanut butter on the top of jelly.  I persevered anyway though.  Study 12x7", Oil on slippery linen.  

Trees and Grass

As I was painting this little study, a tiny curious fawn, still with spots, wandered up to me a couple of times to see what I was doing.  I could hear a larger deer, perhaps the protective doe, just out of view, stomping and snorting.  Yesterday evening when I painted this study, it was clear despite the persistent nearby wildfires; today is quite smoky.  During the last few days there has been a constant drone of single and large double-rotor helicopters hauling buckets, flying to the fire from the heli-base in Joseph.  Study 8x10", Oil on Linen.

Afternoon Pond

The short hike into this location was through grass and thistle taller than my head, I was picking burrs out of my hair when I got home.  I haven't tackled the boot laces yet, they seem permanently welded together.  Study 10x8", Oil on Linen.  

Sheep Pasture

I rushed the composition of this study in an effort to have time to capture the quickly changing light.  I'm hoping that my photo reference will be adequate to help recompose it later if I decide to make a painting of the scene.  I was standing on the side of the road in some very tall grass; tall enough that the seed tops of the grass tried to repaint my painting for me in the wind.  I don't think they liked the composition either.  There is also a stream in this scene that I didn't work into it that may be the missing balancing element.  The wind last night blew away much of this smoky atmosphere, so it is somewhat clearer today if I decide to paint this evening.  Study 10x7", Oil on Linen.

Afternoon Clouds

The last couple of days I waited too late in the day to go out painting and the weather became overcast and flat.  So today when I noticed the clouds starting to form, I stopped my chores mid-stream and painted from my yard.  This is the view toward the south, looking across the valley at the Hurricane Creek drainage.  Study 8x10", Oil on Linen.

Evening Crickets

Painting this study was one of the most pleasant painting outings I've ever experienced: perfect weather, beautiful light, a nice scene, and a friendly property owner who came over to take a look.  I painted this scene once before on an early morning in the late spring, but I like this summer evening version much better.  One thing that I miss from the first version though is the paint horses which provided scale and secondary focal points.  Study, 10x8", Oil on Linen.  

Prairie Creek

I have been tempted to paint this scene in the winter, maybe now that I have done a summer study, I'll return to paint it in the snow.  10x6", Oil on Linen.

Smoky Dawn

The smoky light was very painterly this morning.  10x6", Oil on Linen.  

Afternoon Haze

I wasn't able to go on my annual eastern Sierra trip this year, but I'm getting out to paint anyway.  This small study was from a couple of days ago.  We have been having quite a bit of smoky atmosphere due to wildfires, which flattens the light, but depending on the time of day can also create some beautiful color.  10x8", Oil on Linen.

Summer Pond

This was painted from an incomplete study painted last summer in northeastern Oregon on a beautiful early morning.  18x12", Oil on Linen.  

Early Summer Tranquility

The near-symmetry and tranquility of this location was what appealed to me when I painted the study for this scene a couple of years ago. In reality, I was awkwardly sitting (impossible to stand) on the shoulder of a busy highway very early on a chilly morning. I tried to imagine that I was somewhere warm and quiet. 14x11", oil on linen.