Foggy Mountain with Trees

Oil on canvas, 11" x 14"  For sale for  $550 framed.

This is the original photograph taken by Judy in Banff National Park, Canada in 2009

Glacier Lake

Completed January 3, 2019

 This painting was in the "works" for about 3 years.  Actively worked on it for several months, then let it sit for over 2 years.  24" x 36" oil on gesso board.  Original available for sale, Inquire about price.  Giclees may be available on request for approximately $250 to $300.

This photo, taken by Judy in July of 2009 at Lake Moraine near Banff, Canada was the inspiration.  The deep turquoise lake was fascinating.

This was the other photo of inspiration...taken in July, 2009 at Lake Josephine in Glacier National Park.

This was the cloned photo used as a reference.

Began blocking it out in January, 2016.

January 9, 2016

Feb. 18, 2016.  I decided to take some liberties and added some dramatic peaks and clouds AND a glacier.

March 3, 2016

Toned down the peaks and dark clouds and added some golden orange aspens and subtle waterfalls. April 5th.

This is how it looked on May 26, 2016 and how it remained for over 2 years.

It took me a while to figure out what to do.  Ended up softening the peaks and clouds with some foggy mist.  Decided the aspens weren't an element that worked.  

Practice...

I have started taking painting lessons to "brush up" on my skills, since I haven't painted in over a year.  These are some of my "practice" exercises. They were each completed in about three hours.

Self portrait done in a "wipe out" technique using greenish umber.

Still life of different metals.

Pumpkin still life

My first try at a horse portrait.  This one is done in the "loose" style of Carolyn Anderson.  It is a Mangalarga Marchador stallion. 

Johnston Canyon Waterfall

This one is now completed and framed.  24" x 36".   Frame was purchased at Bev's in Ogden, Utah.  Giclees are not planned, but could be ordered.  The price would be around $250-$300.

Johnston Canyon Waterfall....24" x 36" oil on board

February 22, 2014...about 90% completed.

Here are a few photos of the background of creating this piece.

 

Here is the original photograph taken at Johnston Canyon, Banff, Alberta, Canada

 

The photo was altered to remove the tree in the middle and touch up a few details.

First blocking...March 5, 2013....It was then set aside for about 8 months.

December 24, 2013, after a few more days of work.

December 27, 2013, a little more work

February 1, 2014

February 3, 2014...added some rocky features in the foreground water. This painting is for sale, inquire about price. 

Raspberry Leaves

It is now completed and framed. 24" x 36".  Framed original for sale, Inquire for price.  No Giclees' are planned, but can be ordered.  If you would like one, it would be around $250-$300. This frame was purchased at Bev's. Remember to click on any photo for a view of enlarged images.

The original photo for inspiration

Just beginning, April, 2011

December, 2011

January, 2012

March, 2012


Still working on it...this one's coming very slowly. It sat around for almost a year until I got inspired again.  I added some mountains in the right background and started shaping the trees in that same area. Just to give you an idea of what goes into a painting... here is some of the creative process, assisted by Dreampacker at photo research and editing.

This is a photo taken in North Fork (near Ogden, Utah) that we used as a reference to add trees and a mountain view to the upper right corner of the painting.

This is the "overlay" of the North Fork photo onto the painting, which I used to paint the details.

I also used this "overlay" of  another photograph to create a reference for adding more trees.




99% Finished, February 14, 2013.  Notice the additional detail on the trees and  I touched up a few other places.  

Canadian Rockies Storm

The inspiration photo...taken in Banff N.P. through the car window at 50 MPH by Judy. (She doesn't like this photo and nearly deleted it.)

The result.. 12 x 16 oil on canvas..completed Feb. 9, 2011
SOLD 

Deer Valley Path

This is one of my very first paintings done in early 2007...12 x 16.  Original For Sale: $700. High quality Giclees are available for $60 (foam board) or $100 (wrapped canvas) unframed. It is almost impossible to tell the prints from the original.  

Here is the photo that inspired it... taken by Teisha at Deer Valley near Park City, Utah.

Canadian Fuchsias

Here is one of the latest "quick" impressions. Canadian Fuchsias...it is 8 x 10 oil on canvas For Sale for $550 framed.

Here is the photo by Judy that inspired it. These fuchsias were in a hanging basket at a lodge at Emerald Lake in Yoho NP, British Columbia. Judy was intrigued by the intense colors and interesting shapes.

Won honorable mention at Palette Club show

Last Chance Desert

Here is the photo by Judy, taken on our Goblin Valley trip. The view is of the "Last Chance Desert" looking from the Castle Valley view area from I-70. Capitol Reef is in the far distance.Here is my interpretation of it. Oil on canvas. 16 x 20. Original for sale at $1,000, framed. No giclees are planned.

Lily & Petunias

this photo taken by Judy in our yard...inspired this quick study done in the technique I recently learned.

8 x 10 on canvas For Sale, framed $400.

Workshop Learning

In June, I had the opportunity to receive portraiture training from Carolyn Anderson at a workshop in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It was intense. I was very discouraged after the first day, and considered coming home. Of the 24 artists in attendance, I had the fewest skills, by far.
This first painting is done from a live model (as all were, except the one of the two cousins).
Here, she looks dead. She looks flat and colorless. Real faces are neither. The risk or difficulty of painting a portrait is, we all know what faces look like. We think. I found out I didn't. I had no idea a face had so much color in it, for example. This portrait was embarrassing to me.


So, on day two, I tried again. I failed, miserably. I scraped off the paint, set this one aside, and tried again.

And this portrait came of the second attempt. This is much better than the first portrait of the young lady, I think.

Day three. After another demo, I tried this young girl. She is twelve, but had the patience to sit for three hours for us (with breaks). There are things about this one that show additional progress on my part such as the absence of hard edges. Now I figured I didn't have to go home, but was learning.

Painting from a photo instead of a model. The temptation is to reproduce the photo. That will not be a portrait, but simply a reproduction. The two cousins here are two of my grandaughters. I focused on not trying to copy the photo, but on trying to get the feeling of love across these two girls have for each other, the warmth of the day, and the summer sunlight. I like this one.

Last day. The model is a young lady in her early twenties. Try as I could, I could not get the painting to look very feminine to me, though in real life she was beautifully feminine. The portrait, however, looks masculine to me. Interestingly, all the artists using this model had portraits looking more or less masculine, too. She did seem to be a strong young lady, neither slender or weak in appearance. I am not sure what happened in my mind with this one. Or rather what happened between my eyes, my brain, and my hands.

With this small taste of portraiture, I have to conclude I like it afterall. But I have much to learn. Much to learn. Anyone want to volunteer to model?