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 .