Thursday, June 28, 2012

Mood Over Sauve Island

Been a long time since I've painted...too long!  Thought I'd warm my brushes up with a small 6"x8" tonight.  This is from a photo I took on Sauve Island weekend before last.  My wife and daughters had never been out there so we made a day of it.  Picnic, fresh strawberries, hiking around checking out the wildlife and then finishing off on a beach.  Just an all around great day.  Despite the imposing clouds we only got a short, light rain at the end.  Hope you like!

6"x8" Oil on Raymar Panel

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Ford Work Horse

Finally, got in a little painting this afternoon.  Awhile back I asked permission to a few wonderful photos from a friend of mine who's a terrific photographer, Thyra.  I've been eyeing this old Ford C-700 for quite a while and finally set out to painting it.  I've never tried to paint a vehicle before, but I must say....this was tons of fun (pun intended)!!  I do think I need to correct that "lazy eye" lookin' headlight :-)


Still have some more detail to go.  6" x 8" panel.  

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Yellow Rose of....well....Portland

Today, my family spent the day waiting for my sister-in-law "Auntie Koin", as the girls call her, to come out of surgery.  She was diagnosed with cancer very recently and so they went in to remove it.  We're happy to say it was very localized and hadn't spread to the lymph nodes so that was very good news!

So while we were waiting, I was reading an article in the Feb/Mar 2009 issue of International Artist magazine on one of my favorite artists, E.J. Paprocki.  His impressionist style just appears so vibrant to me! So tonight when we got home I decided to try this style of painting out.  I attempted to let some of the underpainting show through to create that vibrancy that draws me to these types of paintings.  Not sure if I pulled it off, but it certainly has a looser feel than my last rose.  I actually wanted the underpainting to be a bit more on the lavender side and the rose to be a bit more yellow, but at least it looks like a rose ;-)

6 x 8 RayMar panel

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

RIP Indy - 2012

Tough day today.  We had to put our cat of 9 years down.  His name was Indy, but we usually just called him "Big Kitty" because he was such a big Maine Coon.  My wife and I are very sad, but my girls, 9 and 10, are heart broken.  Indy has just always been there for as long as they can remember...and now he's not.  We'll miss you "Big Kitty"!

Bright lights, no problem...he'd just cover 'em up when he got sleepy.

He loved to talk to you!

He was often lookin' down on us from the rafters in the barn.  We never did see how he got up there!


That's a lot of fur to keep clean!

Friday, February 17, 2012

Stop to Paint the Roses

Ahh...back to painting!  Received a sample pack of 6x8 RayMar panels this week.  The pack has four different types of panels: smooth cotton canvas, medium cotton canvas, single primed linen and double primed linen.  Tonights effort was on the medium cotton canvas...love it!  This is just from a picture I took up at the Portland Rose Gardens this past summer.  Went with a slightly different red than what is usually on my palette.  Most the pinks are created using Permanent Rose.  The darker reds in the background are Perylene Red...I really dig that red.  Anyhow, hope you enjoy.

6 x 8 RayMar panel

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Morgan's Drawings

So here's a couple of drawings my oldest daughter, Morgan, did.  I particularly like the gingerbread house, but she's quite the undersea  drawer too.   She loves to draw dolphins and whales...not surprising given she wants to be a marine biologist when she grows up.  Guess I better refresh my scuba diving skills sometime soon...I have a feeling this girls going to be diver someday!



Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Last night and tonight - WIP

Worked on my San Xavier painting last night and Backward Glance painting (pony) tonight.  Still lot's of work to do on the San Xavier painting, but I think I've pushed the pony painting about as far as it'll go.  So two enjoyable evenings in one post!



Tuesday, January 24, 2012

San Xavier del Bac Mission - WIP

Just got back from visiting my dad and stepmom down in Tucson.  Met my sister and her husband down there also.  We had a wonderful four days with lot's of site seeing and just enjoying the company of family.  One of the places we visited was San Xavier del Bac Mission.  While wandering around the mission my dad spotted a very cool view of one of the small buildings between two walls, one newly stuccoed and one rather dilapidated.  He has an excellent eye for good compositions.  So tonight I started a painting of this photo.  So far not much to see but the underpainting.

It'll be fun to see where this one goes.  9"x12" Ray Mar panel.


Monday, January 16, 2012

Another Wood River Painting

Haven't painted in quite some time.  Actually, I've been doing some drawing, but not paintings.  So tonight I pulled out a small canvas board and did this one.  Can't say I'm particularly pleased with it, but what do you expect when you haven't painted for awhile, right?!  9x12 on canvas board.