Last years totem pole

This is another  monumental  rock formation from Monument Valley  this formation is called  Totem Pole and Yei be Chei dancers . The height  and diameter  amaze me. If you are there at the right time of the year and be at the right place the sun will rise between the Totem Pole and the  Yei be Chei dancers beautiful  framing the sun.

 These types  of southwest formations have so many artistic  possibilities .  I have been inspired by formations like these since I was a Child.



 I painted this October  2012. Acrylic on 16 x 20 canvas.

Afternoon in Monument Valley

Afternoon in Monument  Valley

A view of the west mitten looking north .  I have always been enchanted with these  rock formations in the southwest. The  monument placement skyline and distance is accurate some of  the hills and foreground  I claim artistic license .

This is acrylic on a 16 x 20 gallery  wrapped canvas . I finished this one mid July 2013. I tried to stay true to the feeling you get looking off into the distance at these monuments.

Mittens in The Morning

Mittens in The Morning

If you can be there at sunrise in Summer  months . And at the right spot you can watch the sun rise between  the Mittens The right weather it is a perfect stage for a glorious sunrise. These are in the Monument Valley a Navajo  Nation  Park . These monuments are near 600' tall and many are sacred to the Navajo  People. I love drawing or painting the huge rock formations of the Southwest.

I am always in awe of how pretty it can be and how many years it took nature to carve these out. This is on colorfix paper forgot base color  9 x 12 . I think I used every brand of pastels I have.  This painting was finished October  or November .

Forgotten Barn

Forgotten  Barn is a  early spring painting . Reminds me of some of the old homesteads we use to find when I was a kid. This is a composite  from 3 sources. Barn from one, misty field another, and barbed wire fence another. These old barns are gradually  fading away just like the American farmer gradually fading away with the family farm.

  Acrylic  on gallery wrapped canvas  16 x 20.  Finished February  2013

Streams Edge

I  thought of this composition early this spring. I fiddled with if for quite some time. The composition was using square canvas  instead of the rectangle . I used some other  compositional ideas . I did 5 or 6 compositional sketches.  First step was build the river bottom .  I sketched it out just the major rocks.  I was going to try a style of painting I never tried before .

 Above is stage 2 I outlined all rocks below a close up.

 

I used a deep blue black for the out line it will be the shadows between the rocks. You can see my expected water line on the big rock  on the left.

The next step was to contour all the rocks in  monochrome I used paynes gray /white to do this step. This was  very tedious  but the result works well.

Next I glazed the various  colors over the monochrome  under painting . The the fish was added light and shadows then water and bugs then enhanced the shadows and lights . Some rocks and areas took several glazes to get the quality I was looking for.

This is the completed  painting . It is acrylic on a 20 x 20 gallery wrapped canvas the painting  goes down the sides. This was finished  August 2013  .

 This success and newly learned skills presents a dilemma for me .   Which direction do I go . The direct way so many painters paint mix colors paint blend refine be done with it. Or this planned , slowly developed with multiple  layers of glazes. I think I will have to determine  that on what I am painting.

Mountain and Grapes

Here I tried a favorite of still life but with a twist . Grapes on the vine with a back drop of some generic  mountains . I am happy with it but keep debating with my self on a glaze to change some of the back ground to a different tone . It will hang around till I decide.

Here is a close up on the grapes .

This was finished February 2013. Acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas 16 x 20.

Last year Shiprock

I did this one last year around October 2012 .  I really enjoy painting this monument. I am sure I will paint it many more times.  Working on a composition right now looking at Shiprock from the mountains in the southwest.

 

This is acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas 16 x 20.

Moonlight wolf

Another of a favorite  subject the endangered  Wolf .  First night scene I am pleased with the results. This painting had many lessons for me to learn the successes were many, success = learn something . I  take all knowledge forward to strengthen my skills.

This was completed October  2012  . This is acrylic on canvas  16 x 20.  Every time I put paint on a canvas I get better with either  techniques  or confidence  or both. . I hope you enjoy  viewing my artistic growth thank you for looking.

Sun beams in the forrest

I had seen photographs with sun beams in wooded areas . I really liked them so I  painted a couple . This is my second . It is what I call is a fantasy landscape.  This place only exists in my mind I tried to make all the physics of light match the physical  objects in this imaginary sunrise in the forest.

It worked out pretty good. I learned dry brush glazing which ended up as being a cornerstone in many future works.

This is acrylic on canvas Gallery Wrapped 16x20. I finished  this late in the year November  2012.

Hibiscus

Here is another flower I really  enjoy looking at or drawing or painting. There so many types but I like these that produce huge flowers . With  these flowers  you dont need a close up camera shot you can draw it natural size.

This was done  on stonehenge paper warm white 9x12 with prizmacolors

Well one good rose deserves another

Here is my attempt of white rose I tried one before this but it failed  miserably .  But this one I feel is a success . The white rose represented purity  or pure love. This might be a JFK rose. Going to try a Pope John Paul Rose  one of these days but those have a heap of petals.

This rose is done on Black stonehenge  paper with prizmacolor pencils. This was done in December  2012

Roses are red well at least this one is.

I never seem to get tired of drawing roses. Each variety has its own shape ,number of petals and color blushes or changes of color threw the life of the bloom. Unless I am mistaken this resembles the variety Mr. Lincoln  a hybrid tea. Tried a new technique for laying  color pencils , I feel it worked pretty good.

 

I finished this in November  2012 . Its on stonehenge paper with prizmacolor pencils .

Sanddunes by the Sea

I really enjoyed doing this . I know nothing about the location of this reference  photograph . It was a monthly  challenge  on one of the sub forums of the web site wetcanvas.com . When I see this I want to go play on the beach. It kinda reminds me of St.Padre Island in Texas. 

 

I finished this in the end of 2012 November  or December . This is 9x12 on a grey colorfix paper  . I used some nupastels , Blick soft pastels, art spectrum, Sennelier, pastel pencils ,and some Schmincke.

Thanks for looking.

Lake side Watching the sun come up.

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Lake side Watching the sun come up.

I did this a while ago. Very last of 2012 or beginning of 13. I took a reference and mimicked the colors in the reference sky to a lake view near here.

 

This is on watercolor  paper with a Pastel ground painted on it.  I used some nupastels , blick soft pastels, art spectrum, Sennelier, pastel pencils ,and some Schmincke. There are some brands out there which I want to try before I   chose the main hard medium and soft  pastels which I will invest in

Thanks for looking

Snow Howler

I have always loved wolves . I owned an Alaskan Malamute  who was kinda on the feral side great dogs .  I have an inclination to wolves . I feel politics  are exterminating this graceful  creature. My other half likes wolves also. My wife had some wolf prints years ago  before we got together so I did this one just for her.  This Snow Howler I found a howling wolf and added snow to the scene .

 This was done in September  2012 it is Conte pastels and Nupastels  on a 11X14 Strathmore pastel paper. I had fun doing this and rewarding to do something a loved one would enjoy. Need to revisit doing wolves again.

Pastel Portrait of Grandbaby

This is a early venture in to pastels and portraits crossing over from graphite  pencils. This was done maybe June 15 2012 . I don't think I was to active  when I did this. I learned a lot of lessons on this one.

This is on strathmore paper 11 x 14 pastel paper blue grey tinted  with a 24 piece set nu pastels .

Bird on a wire

Bird on a wire this was a colored pencil  challenge from the colored pencil forum of  wetcanvas.com . The reference was from wetcanvas forum post. Trying  to make the barb wire was a challenge for me.

Blue birds were so common around my home now it is a rare day to see one now days.  We use to watch birds around here quite often unfortunately the bird populations  have diminished greatly. I use to see birds sitting in a line one the fences.

This is done on illustration board  9 x 12 with  Prismacolor colored pencils

 

I hope you enjoy viewing my art work . 

Butterfly and Lilly

Butterfly and Lilly here again I took 2 resources  and added them together. I had fun with this . And every one done is a learning experience for me. This one was finished in September 2012 . 

 

  This picture was taken from my I phone . The colors are a tad off . These phone cameras are good but they don't do as good as a real digital  camera  clarity or color. I really think it looked better before  the back ground was put in it seems to distract from the subjects.. This is colored pencils  on a  Strathmore drawing  paper .

Morning Glories and Hummingbird

One of my early ones . This was done July 2012 approx.  I believe .  I had done lots of small sketches it was my first real effort with colored pencils. I took elements from various sources to create it. There is some light glare  beside the hummingbird .  I like it. I tried  to place the major elements  near the intersection lines of  the 3rds  hoping to make a good composition .  I like to look back at my progress.

This is on Canson paper 18 x 24  and with a very old set of colored pencils  from the days I was  designing water systems.

I am going to try and put most of my older stuff  online before I put the new things on.

Roses one of my favorite  flowers is the rose . The fragrances vary faint to strong while being flowery spicy or fruity  The rose has always been a traditional  challenge  for artists . I had to do one as well .  The varying curves make a excellent study of curving surfaces . I have done 5 or 6 different roses each one has its own personality.

This is  9 x12 Stonehenge paper With Prismacolor color pencils . If you draw with pencils you have to try this paper

Here is another pastel this is a sunset on the Oregon coast  .  I don't recall where the reference  photograph came from but said it was the Oregon coast .  The light and shadows with the interesting reflections  just caught my eye. I had to try to recreate it in pastels. There something  special  sitting on the beach watching  the sun go down drinking a glass of wine and eating a picnic of  dried sausages, cheeses bread with friends  or loved ones looking at a scene  like this watching the sun go down listening to the surf. This reference reminded me of a vacation picnic  with a similar view and similar sunset.

 

This is on  color fix paper made by art spectrum 9x12.  I used Nu-pastels, Blick brand soft pastels  Schmincke and Sennelier.

I have always loved the adobe   mission churches and fell in love with this famous New Mexican church in Taos  New Mexico. Its San Francisco de Assisi  Mission Church in Taos  I love pastels thought I would give this old mission church a try in pastels. This church  is a New Mexican icon because of its shape and its historical significance .The Franciscans started the construction of the  church in 1772 and finished in 1816. The mission church is a National Historic Landmark.  

I started this pastel on March 11th  while I was kinda down with a real bad cold. Dabbled  with it for the next couple of days . Finished it on March 13 I am pretty happy with it. But what makes this so special to me later that day I heard on the news Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope and chose the name of Francis after St Francis  of Assisi  .  Providence , circumstance , prophetic or just one of those things that make you go hmmm ?  Thats for you to answer for your self.

I took my photo of  San Francisco de Assisi looked at other pictures  made a change of time and added a sunset . This is the result . 

I decided I like  a toothy support for pastels. The the support is a 100% cotton paper  with a gesso and marble dust painted on it first. It was an experiment  recipe for the ground was from other artists this recipe worked very good I believe it was found on http://www.wetcanvas.com . 

This is on a 8x12 paper with hard and soft pastels and a few pastel pencils.
Hope you enjoy viewing it

Here is one of this years paintings. I love these monumental  rock formations of the western United States . These monuments are Ideal to explore and  display lights and darks, sunlight and shadows. Early morning or late evening this mountain will cast a shadow for miles that makes a wonderful subject for a painting.

This depicts a sunrise after the desert monsoon  season when the desert grasses turn green the vegetation is usually dry and straw colored instead of green . I have painted   this monument  before this is the best so far.

Shiprock in the Morning

 Here I tried to capture  the sunrise  right as the sun rises and is bathing the the mountain and the whole plain in a warm light golden color contrasting to the darkness of early morning shadows.

This monument is a Sacred  Place to the Navajo  Indians. It is beautiful  as well as a sacred site. This mountain is in the NW part of New Mexico on the Navajo  Nation just west of a town that takes its name after this mountain.
 

Returning to artistic endeavors after years of being away is  awakening part of my self long forgotten. Hopefully I can Share my growth as an artist with any one  interested. 

I have always  drawn .  On the bus between classes and in some classes on scrap paper, note book paper, school books and even desks here and there. My creativity was funneled first to drafting then to the general living life being single and raising my kids the  artistic side fell asleep. It was in a long deep slumber.

After a health issue knocked me to my to my knees or I should say to flat on my back. My wife encouraged me to start drawing  and sketching again instead of watching tv . Her and my families encouragement awoke a side of me long forgotten. Thank you .

It is awake again .

What medium ohh I enjoy so many so little time we will see  what works the best for me and creates most enjoyment  with results I am pleased with. Colored pencils, graphite,charcoal  , pastels and acrylic paints.  Did oils years ago want to try watercolors again. Each one has its  own charm.

What style ? What style do you follow? Why do I have to choose? So many styles so many wonderful artists. I could list great artist whose work I love that would take all night. It would be easier to list styles  I am least  fond of  cubism and abstracts like the paint splashes  maybe if I understood what the artist was saying I would appreciate those styles more.

Growth is to change so if you stick to one style one subjects are you changing and growing as an artist?

Eric