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.  

Christmas in August

I painted this scene once early on a gorgeous snowy Christmas morning, and it will forever remind me of Christmas even when painted on an August evening.  Study, 10x8", Oil on Linen.  

Wallowa River

A section of the upstream Wallowa River, near our house, actually a short walk away; but I was lazy and rode the ATV down the hill.  This is another scene that I have wanted to paint in the snowy winter.  Study 10x8", Oil on Linen.  If I were to repaint this scene, I would probably re-compose it to be something more like the image below:

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.

The Neighbors

The neighbor's farm below our house, so pretty this morning in the morning smoky light.  The backlit  Scotch thistle was lovely to paint, but the shoelaces to my hiking boots now function more like Velcro. 10x8", 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 Wildflowers

This is a smaller painting from a study from last summer painted in northeastern Oregon. 18x12", Oil on Linen. SOLD

Wallowa Study

This small painting is really more of a color study from a smaller study I painted last summer in the Wallowa Valley in northeastern Oregon.  20x10", 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.  

Alpine Cathedral

This was painted based on a study painted last summer in the high eastern Sierra, in the Gem Lakes area.  We are getting ready now for this year's pack trip, I can't wait to get back up in the mountains.  20x10" Oil on Linen.  Available for purchase at Holton's.

Sacajawea Mountain

This is from a study painted on a morning last summer on Hurricane Creek looking toward Sacajawea Mountain in Northeastern Oregon.  24x14" Oil on Linen. SOLD.

Afternoon Showers

When I painted the study for this piece I never finished it because I got frustrated with my painting setup blowing over and grit getting stuck in my paint. The scene looked pretty, but it was difficult to capture with the wind. 18x14, Oil on Linen.

Sierra Sunrise

When I haven't been painting in a while, my natural tendencies are to tighten up, paint too much detail and to over-complicate the painting. Still, it is fun to be painting. I will let this one sit for a bit and see if I want to rework it or crop it. 18x14", Oil on Linen.

Alpine Morning

I am finally able to paint again, and I do feel a bit rusty. This seemed to be a nice warm-up subject for a smaller painting. This was from a study painted on last year's Sierra trip. 18x14", Oil on Linen

Gnarly

Tim at Holton Frames created this beautiful frame for this piece. I love the chiseled bevel and the gnarled oak wood with the gnarled oak tree.  Available for purchase at Holton's.

Bronze

I was very pleasantly surprised and happy to win the bronze medal at the 2011 OPA Western Regional Exhibition held this year at the Lee Youngman Gallery in Calistoga California for my "June Pasture" piece. Perfect motivation to get busy painting again. :)

OPA Western Regional Exhibition

I submitted my "June Pasture" piece into the OPA Western Regional Exhibition this year and it was accepted. The show will run from October 8th - October 30th, 2011 at the Lee Youngman Gallery in Calistoga, California.

Sierra Sunrise

I just returned from a week-long hiking and painting backcountry trip in the eastern Sierra. This year we chose the Chickenfoot Lake/Gem Lakes area of the John Muir Wilderness, up Rock Creek, between Mammoth Lakes and Bishop. The elevation was around 10,500 feet or so, high enough to make my face puffy in the mornings. The area was amazing with a wonderful diversity of painting subject. It was a little overwhelming at first, it always takes me a day or two to settle in and not scrape everything down. There were ten of us in all -- 7 oil painters, 2 pastel painters, and one photographer: Ernesto Nemesio, Bill Cone, Paul Kratter, Jim Wodark, Timon Sloan, Robert Watters, Terry Miura, Daniel Aldana, and Michele de Braganca. We were packed in by the Rock Creek Pack Station and fed by Gene, one of their excellent cooks. Great weather, superb company, yummy food, and beautiful views. Paradise. I have posted 10 studies that I finished while on the trip. I have a few more that I didn't finish, that I may post later if I can finish them from my photo reference.

Sunrise was roughly at 6am and hit the mountain like this study at about 6:15, which meant getting up about 5:30 to be set up and ready for it. The light moved very quickly and the colors were rapidly changing; great practice for keeping things simple. Study 10x8", Oil on Linen

Morning Backlight Study

I painted this study more as an exercise than as a study for a final painting. Study 10x6", Oil on Linen

Slice Of Morning Light

I liked the way a thin swath of sunlight came through the gap between two mountains early in the morning. I roughed in this study one morning and finished it a couple of days later. When I came back to it with fresh eyes, I found that a lot of my color was way off, not sure what I was thinking at the time. Sometimes all it takes is having one off color that everything else starts keying off of and suddenly the whole piece is strange. This view was painted from the meadow by Chickenfoot Lake, a few steps from our campsite. The mosquitos were particularly fond of this time of the morning before the sun hits the meadow. Fortunately though, the mosquitos were more fond of Ernesto than they were of me. At one point I had at least 8 mosquitos embedded in the painting and about 20 on my palette. Study 10x8", Oil on Linen.

Between the Gems

This study was painted along the creek that flowed between the Gem Lakes. I need to refine some of the shapes of the creek and boulders, but I was happy that the clouds were obliging that afternoon. Study 10x8", Oil on Linen

High Sierra High Noon

The light was very flat at noon and I was struggling to find something I wanted to paint, so I decided to try to do a quick study of one of the mountain forms and snow patterns. It was also nice to have some cloud shapes to play with. It is usually wise to have a tube of grey paint when painting all this granite or one spends a lot of time mixing greys. I was standing next to the uppermost Gem Lake, the lake in the basin above this near ridge is Treasure Lake. Study 10x6", Oil on Linen

Sierra Morning

Terry Miura and Paul Kratter had already painted this view before I did and I loved both of their studies so I wanted to try it too. The lake in the background is Chickenfoot Lake. The fields of snow coming down to meet the water are beautiful elements to paint, but are intimidating to design around. The blues tend to go a bit electric when digitally photographed, so this looks a little off in color from the actual painting. Study 10x8", Oil on Linen

Snow On Gem Lake

This one is maybe my favorite from the trip. This is the uppermost Gem Lake. Study 10x8", Oil on Linen

Shade Color Study

I painted this study the first morning of the trip, not really sure where the sun was going to shine when it rose. It was a nice way to get familiar with the local colors in shade. Study 10x6", Oil on Linen

Gem Lake Reflections

I kinda rushed this study because I was standing in a rather swampy area thick with mosquitos. I liked the nearly symmetrical composition of the scene, reminiscent of a cathedral in nature. I could almost hear the Palestrina. Study 10x8", Oil on Linen

Chickenfoot Lake Morning

One of the mornings was quite windy. I chose to paint this little scene near our campsite largely because it was in the lee of a hill and relatively calm. The sunlight hitting the jewel tones of the water was also very appealing. Study 10x6", Oil on Linen.

Imnaha Afternoon

I painted this study yesterday late afternoon. It certainly was breathtaking to be looking down upon the Imnaha River like this. This viewpoint on Grizzly Ridge is more than 3000 feet above the canyon floor. The temperature was in the 90's on the floor and about 70 degrees on the ridge. This is the view looking north from Hells Canyon through Imnaha Canyon toward Imnaha and the Big Sheep Canyon. The ridge on the other side of the canyon is called the Sheep Creek Divide. The road up here is a narrow single lane gravel road with a few turnouts and lots of washboards on the steeper sections. The drop offs on the side of the road are impressive; if a car went off the road it may never be found in some places. I would also like to paint the view looking south if I can get back up this way again soon. Study 10x6", Oil on Linen.

Hells Canyon Morning

I painted this view this morning a couple of steps from my tent while camping in the Hells Canyon Recreation Area. The elevation is about 6600 feet or so according to the Forest Service topo map. It was a lovely view to contemplate while drinking my morning coffee. The wind was howling most of the night on top of this ridge (Summit Ridge), but it was fairly calm this morning. This view is looking east into Hells Canyon; in the first draw runs Saddle Creek while the Snake River is down there somewhere in the main canyon area. The mountains in the distance are the Seven Devils in Idaho. Makes me wish I had a trail horse and a pack mule to explore the area. Study 10x8", Oil on Linen.

Mountain Shadows

This was the first study I painted yesterday while out woodcutting. There was a large wildfire in this area a few years ago, and combined with the white pine beetle infestation, there are quite a few bare areas on the mountains. It was fun to compose around the quickly moving cloud shadows. As I was walking along trying to find a view of the mountains to paint, I probably spent more time picking and eating huckleberries. It is still early in the season for them, but I probably found enough for some pancakes. I love listening to (and seeing) the goldfinches in the trees. Study 10x6", Oil on Linen.

Summer Meadow

Yesterday was firewood cutting day in the mountains. I took some time out to paint a little bit. One thing about painting as a side project is that you paint what is there rather than going out and looking for something. The choices are limited, but in some way it makes the process easier. This is what the scene looked like when I started the study, but within a few minutes I was repositioning my umbrella for rain rather than sun. Then it started pouring, accompanied by dramatic lightning and thunder. I was able to keep my painting dry, but the result was the rain flowed off the umbrella straight down my back. I called it close enough when it started to hail. Study 10x8", Oil on Linen.

Afternoon Virga

Early August summer days are some of my favorites; with the sounds of grasshoppers and crickets in the fields, and the cottonwood fluff floating in the breeze. The days are warm, but not too hot. As soon as it gets just a little bit too warm, the thunderheads build and the rain is refreshingly welcome. There have been quite a few dramatic thunderstorms lately. This was a small quick study and yes, I was good and drenched by the time I decided it was finished enough. Study 8x6", Oil on Linen.

Cherry Pie

The sound of a summer breeze in massive old trees, washing over in rhythmic wave sets, on a hot quiet afternoon, has a nap-inducing effect. This is a nostalgic sound from my childhood as I lay in bed at night, often accompanied by dim distant flashes of heat lightning. Walking by the nearby farms, I watch the water skippers glide like ice skaters on the irrigation ditches. I recollect many quick dips into the canals to cool off during meandering bike rides and the searches for fat pollywogs to bring home in glass canning jars. The trick was to be dry upon returning home to avoid a scolding. The pollywogs weren't particularly welcome either. The only time when I can eat a perfect cherry is when I'm visiting my mother in July. The local bing cherries are enormous, impossible to fit in a cherry stoner, deep deep burgundy, nearly black, intensely flavored and sweet; nothing like what you see in the grocery stores, not even in Whole Foods. My favorite though are the tart Montmorency pie cherries that are difficult to find unless you pick them yourself. Nothing says summer like a homemade cherry pie and hand-cranked homemade vanilla ice cream on an afternoon after a nice nap with the sound of the breeze in the trees.

Three Wipers

A bad day painting is better than a good day ________. Today was an exceptionally bad day, I wiped down three studies after laboring over them. I couldn't do anything right. I felt like I had never painted before. I won't be able to paint for a couple of weeks so hopefully it will be like hitting the reset button.

There is a large Great Horned Owl that sits on the roof of my studio every night. Lately though it has been replaced by a new owl. It has taken me a while to figure out that it is a juvenile Great Horned Owl since it generally arrives after it is too dark to see it well. At first, I thought perhaps that maybe it was a Barn Owl because it has a piercing screech call instead of the typical hoo-s and it is a little bit smaller than the regular owl. But I finally got a good look at it and it is definitely a horned owl. I'll be glad when its voice changes since the all-night screeching is much less pleasant.

Summer Wildflowers

There is a type of wildflower that resembles a Shasta daisy that is very much like a weed in this area where there is a water supply. I wish that all weeds could be so lovely. They were interspersed here with a small yellow flower. Study 10x8", Oil on Linen

Chief Joseph Mountain

Study 10x6", Oil on Linen

Lounging Angus & Douglas Fir

Study 10x8", Oil on Linen

Hurricane Creek & Sacajawea Peak

I had a good time painting this morning even if my study is horribly overworked; but wow, it is difficult to not overwork a complicated scene when the light is moving fast. I couldn't quite bring myself to wipe it all down, but it was close. I probably need to work smaller again to keep from working them to death. Study 10x8", Oil on Linen.

Perfect Summer Morning

Study 10x8", Oil on Linen

More Haymaking

Study 10x6", Oil on Linen

Snow Runoff

The snow is melting rapidly in the warm July weather, all of the creeks are rushing with ice cold runoff. Study 10x8", Oil on Linen.

Hay Rolls

The late summer has meant that everything is late this year, including the first hay cutting. The air is perfumed with the scent of mown grass right now. I can't seem to drive by a field of freshly bailed hay without wanting to stop and paint it. Study 10x6", oil on linen.

Wheel Line

I painted this study yesterday afternoon and it is a bit overworked. Don't worry, I'll try some different subjects than snowy mountains and farms soon; I'm taking advantage of the snow in the mountains before it all melts since the warm weather is making it disappear rapidly. One of my summer jobs in college years ago was assembling wheel line movers for a farm irrigation company, and I often set siphon tubes, changed hand lines and moved wheel lines. I loved the outdoor work and the rhythmic sound of the sprinklers. Study 10x6", oil on linen.

Summer Afternoon

I painted this study yesterday afternoon. This one is slightly bigger than I usually paint in the field, it is 10x8", oil on linen.

Mountain Veil

I painted this study a few days ago. It was quite challenging because the weather and lighting conditions changed every few seconds. In fact, my umbrella functioned more as a rain shelter than it did to shield the sun. It was pleasant though standing in a summer shower while painting. Study 8x6", oil on linen.