Mini Shiprock

This is an acrylic painted on a 4"X4"  on primed hardboard.   Shiprock has always been one of the formations I really like. I believe I am going to do some more of these small sizes. I ordered them in to try. I like how the minis come out .  Most paintings view range is 6 ' or greater these look good on a desk 2'-3 '  from the viewer.

Hope you enjoyed viewing it.

Anna

Annie Dodge Wauneka was a very influential member of the Navajo Nation she received honorary Doctorates Presidential awards. She did alot of work to improve the health  of the Navajo people on the Reservation.

In my quest to paint this woman all photos are 20 to 40 years old and was not pleased with most  of the few that are there. I took old poses with with different facial angles. The only colored photo I found I didnt like her red blouse  .  I liked a pose with a smile it appeared as she was 50s in it I tried to achieve a likeness of her in that time frame.

This is the result .

This took a while to do , first the sketch then I painted it in a monochrome of a grey. Then added  the color as glazes on top one layer at a time .  This was with acrylic which dries fast . Trying to make the blouse look like blue velvet was tricky.

This is acrylic on a 16 x 20 canvas

I hope you like it

Winter night in Monument Valley

This little one is a based on monument valley . A bit of artistic license  ,  I like it.  It gets a few snowstorms there. This I see as  a family in a lone hogan weathering out a rare winter snow fall.

This is my second painting on primed masonite .

This is acrylic on primed masonite 4" X 4"

Golden Morning

This inspiration for this painting was a photo of foggy sunrise not sure of where but I liked the colors and idea. I added fence and changed the tree from a almost dead tree to a thriving one.

This is an acrylic on canvas 8 1/2  X  11

Morning on the farm.

Morning on the farm is 60 % real and 40% fantasy landscape. Took elements from a farm I have pictures of  . Then removed fences used existing light directions and pushed it till it was in the early morning. Did some artistic license to create a painting that is very reminiscent of an actual real place but tweaking the elements to fit a composition  that gives a romantic feeling of a sunrise on the farm.

I hope you enjoy it.

It is an acrylic  on a 14 X 18 stretched canvas.

Lone Windmill Meets the Morning

I took snippets from various sources to make this painting. I aimed to make a western feel  to it  . 


To me, It portrays the possibilities and beauty of a new day.  Calm and relaxing as the new day arrives. 

This is an acrylic on a 14 X 18 stretched canvas.  

Hope you enjoy looking at it.

Chief Manuelito

Chief Manuelito was the main Chief of the Navajos in the mid to late 1800s. 

He told a story to his people  after the long walk. 

 He said, 
"My grandchild, the whites have many things which we Navajos need. But we cannot get them. It is as though the whites were in a grassy canyon and there they have wagons, plows, and plenty of food. We Navajos are up on a dry mesa. We can hear them talking but we cannot get to them. My grandchild, education is the ladder . Tell our people to take it."

I painted this to remember his words  as if he just climbed down a ladder and was walking away.  Those words ring true for all mankind .

I used a 1850 photo of Chief Manuelito as a reference.  (there are very few of them ) I dont know who the photographer was.  

 

Chief Manuelito education is the ladder

This is an acrylic painting on canvas 16 x 20.

Thank you for looking

 

Study of a Master

I have doodled and sketched figures and portraits.  I never really worked hard at it .  I have done life drawing from taped models  but just pencil or charcoal .  This endeavor was to be a  portrait fully painted.  I chose a famous painting by Johannes Vermeer Girl with a Turban or Girl with Pear Earring.  The original is the approximately the size of canvas .

All and all I am pleased with the way it turned out.  I had many references of this painting skin shade varied with all of  them. I need to study color combinations that duplicate 1600s palette.

The young woman's clothing and facial features are convincing.  There's a few things I would do different .

This is an acrylic painting on a 14 x 18 stretched canvas.

I hope you enjoy looking at it .

Windmill Near shiprock

Shiprock is always a popular theme to paint or photograph.  I was approached to paint this  scene .  I  used a photo I took last year and added a windmill to the scene .

I had it taken to My Dads place and they picked it up there. They loved it , that makes me happy.

This is a acrylic on a 11 x 14 stretched canvas.

There is a bit of  glare on the right side.

Thanks for looking.

Yellow Rose

My Mother wanted a painting .  I did this for her.

It is a hybrid tea rose unsure of exact cultivar . I tried a grisaille (monochrome painting)  with transparent glazes over the top. That style was standard for generations with oil painting and many today also use that method. I have used this way a few times . This method is  slow progress . I used acrylics on this work of art.  When finished I  put a glaze over the whole thing then varnished it. That made photographing it tough lots of glare. as you can see upper right and various specks all over it.

Acrylic on canvas 10 x 20

Hope you like it thanks foe looking.

Good Harvest

The bounty of a good chilli crop .  Or could double as a Christmas scene here in New Mexico .

This was a challenge for me first it is on primed hardboard second its a 4" x 4"  a  support used a lot but I never tried before .  I never worked that small before. 

This is acrylic on gessoed  hardboard (masonite)  4x4.


Thanks for looking.

Quiet Evening on The Trail

This is a idea brought to life .  I searched for some references to go by for shadows and shading . These were built into my vision.  I like the result.

It brings back fond memories of campfires, camping, horseback riding  and just enjoying nature.  I hope you enjoy this little camping trip.

 

This an acrylic painting on a16 x 20 gallery wrapped canvas.

Old Forgotten Farm on the Hill

This is a multi reference painting.  One was a field of bluebonnets from a low angle and another was  old fence with a made up farm house from a sketch. 





 I tried to match the different blue a sky is from the high desert blue sky.  I had fun with it thats the main thing.

This is an acrylic on a 10 x 20 gallery wrapped canvas.

Hope you like it and thanks for dropping by.

Sundown at the Western Oasis

The old windmills once a common sight and icon the western states are slowly disappearing . They are being replaced with electric pumps and waterlines . Also ranchers and farmers are gradually going out of business and giving up and letting them rot.  I just love windmills, old farm or ranch houses old barns.  All the items of a by gone era.


This painting is a composite  from several references.

It is an acrylic on 16 x 20 gallery wrapped canvas .

Thanks for looking.

Rise and shine again

Working on the effects some more. Changed the composition some. Every painting so far is a learning experience .  A different way ,a easier way or what dont work so well. 

 

This is acrylic on a 16 x 20 gallery wrapped canvas.

Thanks for looking looking.

Rise and Shine.

This sunrise was a experiment in  light and shadow .  I was trying to incorporate new ideas and styles  into my paintings sunrises or sunsets .  Trying to get an overall glow to the sunrise .   Hanging on the wall it looks good .

 This is acrylic 16x20 gallery wrapped canvas.

Brilliant Dawning of a new Day.

Brilliant Dawning of a new Day.  I painted this for my Dear Wife she needed a  better view when on the treadmill .   Some is from reference and he rest is ad lib  .   I am happy with it whats even better My better Half is happy with it. Running down the dock is better than running at an interior wall.

This is an acrylic on 16 x 20 gallery wrapped canvas .

Thanks for looking

Spider Rock

This is in Canyon de Chelly  Az. These are impressive twin spires in the bottom of the canyon. The Taller one is approximately 800 feet tall. They are not far from Canyon de Chelly ruins .  Actually the taller and thinner spire is big enough at the top to land a helicopter on. I believe there are commercials of this spire with  cars or trucks on top of it. It sure dont look like it could fit one from looking up from the ground.

There is a story with them. Being named Spider Rock the local native legend  Spiderwoman  lived at the top and taught the local Navajo people how to weave. And they do some beautiful rugs. There are other stories with these spires and Spiderwoman it is not my place to tell them I have no affiliation with the tribe.  I just love the  beauty  of the land  like the stories and legends  and like the people and culture.

This is an acrylic on a gallery wrapped canvas  10 x 20 .

Thanks for looking.

Red Valley

My better half and I took a drive out behind Shiprock over into Arizona for sight seeing and material for painting. The Town Red Valley is just over the boarder. This is an out cropping of sandstone I thought was interesting  we found just off the road near Cove Az .  I loved the juniper fighting for survival in a crack on top of  a barren rock. I thought I would make a great painting.

This is acrylic on gallery wrap canvas  16 x 20.

Alpha

This is a composite of  references .  The Wolf standing on a knoll from one  a rock  out of another reference  and pine trees.  I think I captured   an attentive  gaze in the wolf . The original he looked bored . Hes waiting and watching for the slightest movement sound or whisper of a scurrying  rodent or any thing that qualifies as next meal.

This one I really enjoyed doing it .  But It was hard to get a good picture of it .  The transparent glazes would glare  show the top color or the base or just the highlights. I finally used all manual settings manual focus still had glare upper left but 90% good.  Maybe natural light light bulbs and tripod light stands  might get the photo quality I want.  The camera my better half got for a birthday present is pretty good I lack in skills and proper lighting .  But for now my purposes are full filled as is I get a good picture on the web.

This is acrylic  on  gallery wrapped canvas 16 x 20.

Thanks for looking