King of the Prairie

I love these icons of the old west. But they were a staple for many of the American Indians both east and west of the Mississippi . The few areas where they didn't roam Az. Cal. Fl. the seashores and the north east.

I plan to paint more Bison and other North American wildlife  .  I kinda rotate in medium and  subjects I dont want to fall in a rut and paint only one thing and one medium .

Imagine seeing a million head herd of these Bisons .  I read that was common in the 1830s .

I was a tad off on the photograph its too light on the right side.  My lighting was too bright on that side.

This is how I think I will frame this one.

This pastel is done on 15 x 22 Stonehenge paper which is 100% cotton . Cotton paper can last for several centuries if care for. I used Blick soft pastels, Schminkie soft pastels some hard pastels and pastel pencils .


Thank you for looking

Hope you enjoyed it.

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 .

Inquisitive Mockingbird

This little bird just struck me and I had to paint it.  The way it looks at you with a tilted head really intrigued me and challenged me the beak is foreshortened which adds a little more difficulty to it.  

I finished it a few days ago just got it photographed and uploaded. I am happy on how it turned out. It is a 11x14 pastel.

 I will put a mat on it and a backing board . Then slip it into these neat plastic sleeves I found they are clear and protect it and allow it to be stacked.  It seems to be a perfect way to try to display watercolors and pastels for sale with out the expense of frame for every one.

This pastel is done on Stonehenge paper which is 100% cotton . Cotton paper can last for several centuries if care for. I used Blick soft pastels, Schminkie soft pastels some hard pastels and pastel pencils .


Thank you for looking

Hope you enjoyed 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.