"Keeping Watch"

Keeping Watch 9 x 12" oil/linen panel

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Another one for Bill's fan club. He really is the best of working cow dogs. We couldn't do it without him!

"Buffalo"

Buffalo 8 x 10 oil/linen panel

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Living out on the plains like we do makes you dream buffalos - so it was only a matter of time before this subject found its way to my easel. I did a little study a while back (seen below) but it just didn't grab me the way this one does. The shaggy mane on this guy was loads of fun to paint and I can't wait to put him in another, larger painting.

Opening for The Russell

A Place in the Wild 24 x 36" oil/linen

Tonight is the opening for The Russell - Sale to Benefit the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, MT. This is the painting I have in this years show.

As Russell week fast approaches, I'm madly painting away, hoping to fill my room with new work for collectors to view. This years event starts the evening of March 16th and runs through Saturday March 19th, when the auction pieces are sold. This year Dave Powell and I plan on sharing the same room during the Western Masters Art Show (formerly the C.M. Russell Art Auction.) The location is the Heritage Inn - Great Falls, MT - Room #166. Click on the links in this post for more information and details on the all the events taking place. This is going to be a fun year - hope to see you there!

"Foray to the Front"

Foray to the Front 46 x 36" oil/linen

Like most artists I work at home. Add to it the fact that this is a working ranch, which means we ALL work at home. This is not usually a problem and can be handled with a nice set of ear buds attached an iPod to block out unnecessary noises. However, now and then I get an unexpected visit to the studio. I like to limit these visits because they often have a detrimental effect on my creative process. Mostly because the visitor usually wants to give advice - really they can't help themselves, we're all artists at heart, right? Anyway, this painting suffered from such a visit and was set aside for quite awhile before I had the courage to work on it again. Thankfully it has survived where many have become firewood or floating devices cast off the nearest bridge. (Actually I don't do that, but I've always wanted to!)

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This painting was inspired by Taos Painter: Ernest Martin Hennings, whose horse processions have always fascinated me. Heres a few details on how it came to be.

This first photo (above) is of the preliminary sketch. I wanted that line of horses to draw your eye to the top of the mountains. At this point I didn't have any idea about who the subjects would be, but I've always wanted to do something with women at the turn of the century vacationing in a remote part of the country like Yellowstone or Glacier Park - with a sort of Evelyn Cameron feel.

So, this is how I came up with the idea of women riding side saddle.

I also wanted these cavalry gentleman escorting the ladies through the wilderness, with a few added critters. The one below is a Hoary Marmot. There are also a few Picas in there too, but you'd need to look closely at the original to see them.

As always, photography on these larger paintings is tricky and I'm never fully satisfied. If anyone has a suggestions, I'm all ears.

Until next time...

The Gray Wolf Reintroduction

"A Place in the Wild" 24 x 36" oil/linen

For more information of how to purchase this painting click here

Here is the finish of my wolf painting. I've been so inspired doing this piece! The idea for this has been building in me for some time, ever since I first sighted a wolf near the Montana, Idaho border a few years ago. Then last week I woke up seeing this painting in my minds eye and had to just go for it! It came out exactly how I had first envisioned, so I'm very happy with the results. I still need to work on the background some, but I wanted to post this today, since I'll be taking a long weekend.

I was going to write a long litany about my thoughts on the Wolf Recovery Act here in our state, but I promised myself when I started this blog, not to use it as political platform.

But if you'd like to read more on the controversy that inspired this painting, you can go to these links:

Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Montana, Idaho & Wyoming Policies Foreshadow Extinction

I am endlessly amazed and inspired by the passionate responses of my fellow humans!

Happy Earth Day, Everyone!

The Return of the Wolf

Today I wanted to post the start of this wolf painting. I haven't actually finished it yet, but its progressing so quickly I'd like to share what I have so far. As I mentioned I had a strong, clear vision of what this piece would look like, so I went straight for the canvas. Normally, on a painting of this size, 24 x 36", I would have done preliminary sketches to determine placement of the wolf figure and also to map out an overall composition. All I can say is, I already knew it would work, so I dove right in!

Here is the roughed in sketch.

I used my knowledge of dogs to get the anatomy of the figure close, then I spent about 2 hours pouring over images of wolves, to study their unique characteristics, specifically their feet, which are much larger then most canines.

Now I've blocked in most of the color and values.

This particular scene is based on my first wolf sighting, which happened a few years ago on the Montana, Idaho border. Later I'll show you the finish of this painting and tell you about my first impressions on seeing this controversial animal in the wild.

A Clear Vision

I just think the creative process is so fascinating!

Three days ago I awoke with this image etched in my brain. I could see the finished painting so clearly in my mind! A vision I believe that is a direct result of the political controversy surrounding the reintroduction of the Gray Wolf to our region. This is a detail of the painting that has insisted on taking over my easel since then! Resulting in what can only be described as a passionate response to this issue. More to come...

Pishkun Reservoir

"Ice Fishing on the Front" 9 x 12" oil/canvas panel

sold

This is a plein air sketch I did back in February while we were ice fishing at Pishkun Reservoir just outside of Choteau, Montana. I've been wanting to capture this scene for many years and am glad to get this down for future reference on a larger studio painting.

Featured Artist at Lodestone Gallery

"Gathering the Harvest" 30x26" oil/linen

Last week Lodestone Gallery contacted me to be their Featured Guest Artist for April.

The opening is tomorrow evening - Friday, April 2nd from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. If you missed the Russell, I hope you can make it down for this wonderful event. Lodestone Gallery is located at 318 Central Avenue in Great Falls, MT.

This is another painting from my harvest series. I shot these photos in the alley behind the gallery so they are not the best quality. I'll try to get some better shots later on. Below is a detail of the woman's face.

Detail of "Foray to the Front"

At this point you may have noticed I'm taking it slow on this piece. Its such a large, (36x46") & complex painting created solely from my imagination - no photography, models or Photoshop - so I'm happy to move steadily through the process. Its getting closer now, especially since I've painted in the central figure. If all goes well, I hope to wrap things up in the next few weeks.

Well...we'll see.

:O)

"Far from Home"

9 x 12" oil/canvas panel

For purchase information click here

Heres another version of that Farm Maiden. Again, with my daughter as the model.

I love painting her, I think because there's no pressure to achieve likeness. Each one is so different! But they are - all of them - individual parts of her personality.

Below is the little oil sketch I did earlier of this same pose.

"Blue Moon"

8 x 10" oil/canvas panel

For purchase information click here

For anyone who missed it, heres a little oil study of the

Blue Moon that showed up on New Year's Eve.

Paris Gibson Square Museum - Benefit Auction 2010

"Dog Days" 8 x 10" oil/canvas panel

Another wonderful announcement!

I've been accepted into the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art's - Benefit Auction for 2010, with this painting. This is their 13th Annual Art Auction and my first time being accepted.

I'm feel like I'm on a roll! The event starts January 14th and runs through February 3rd. And is in Great Falls, Montana at the PGSMA.

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As I post this painting, I am dreaming of warm summer days, which has NOT been the case here on the ranch. This week brought -30 below temperatures with wind speeds close to 40 mph!

On the prairie, this is NOT GOOD! Especially when it comes to keeping critters warm.

Talking with several of my horse buddies this week, our biggest issue has been preventing colic in older horses. It gets tricky trying to keep a water supply from freezing up, and many older horses don't care for even the slightest bit of ice in their water when its cold. I know I wouldn't! A tip I got from an old timer a few years back, is to mix warm water from the tap with molasses. This will usually get them to drink.

Stay warm everyone! It seems that winter is upon us and just a wee bit early.

2010 C.M. Russell Art Auction

"Highland Dreams" 12 x 16" oil/canvas panel

"A Passing Presence" 24 x 30" oil/canvas

I am so thrilled to announce that I'll be part of the 2010 C.M. Russell Art Auction next year, with not just one, but TWO of my paintings! The auction is in March and I'm so excited!

Looks like Bill's going to get his 15 minutes of fame after all.

:O)

That Larger Image...

Sorry, I think Blogger has a limit on the number of images it will expand.

So I'll give this another try.

Thanks everyone.

"In the Heat of Harvest"- some details

So I'm back now with a few details on this painting. I posted a larger image of the finished piece here, so if you click on the full image above, it should pop open something a bit more visible.

I have to admit, I'm having a tough time getting the colors right on these detail photos, so if they're a little off, I apologize. Does anyone else have trouble with Photoshop CS4 this way? It never looks the same in Preview (on a Mac). Am I missing something? Maybe a RGB color profile?

Anyway, this is a close up of that look. I kept losing her in all those figures, so I just had to take those kids out as I mentioned in my previous post.

I really like the shadowed contrast of this sheaf of grain, against the sunlit background.

Same with this one, too. The purple shadow, against that yellow compliment.

Also, the woman on the right has that feel I wish I could get in all my figures. She's a little less romanticized than the others. More "truthful" I guess.

I'm also pleased with the colors in her costuming.

Overall the piece is finished, but I'd still like to warm up some of the cool areas in the whites. Bill seems a bit too blue and also the head scarf of the woman in blue, holding the sheaf of grain, needs more reflective color from her surroundings.

"In the Heat of Harvest" - The Finish

So here (below) is the finish of my newest harvest painting. This painting has taken a few twists and turns, so I've jumped ahead a bit. I tried putting several children in the foreground with these women, but in the end I opted to take them out all together.

Harvesting in the 1800's was accomplished by the entire community and I had wanted to include everyone, as with my last painting. But I also wanted the focus to be on the figure at the left. Its seems I couldn't have both, so I've decided those kids may have to wait for a future in a separate painting, later on.

The top photo is not very good, but I wanted to show how that transition took place.

...and I just HAD to put Bill (the dog) in somewhere!

This is the finish. I still have a few value and color adjustments to make, but its close.

Its the largest painting I've done to date at 36 x 46". I'm planning on doing another large harvest painting, this time with a horse drawn hay wagon up front.

In the coming days, I'll try to share a few close ups of my favorite details from this painting.

Now, I need to take a few days off...

Whew!!

Happy belated Veteran's Day, everyone.

Please pray for our troops abroad, that they make it home safe to the families who love them.

Harvest Painting...

So, now I'm blocking in shapes on those figures. I'll keep drawing and correcting as I go.

Now that I've got most of my figures in where I want them, I'll shift my attention to the costuming. I've decided to roll the aprons on most of these women, to give them a sort of "pocket." In most of my research on historical clothing, many immigrant women wore their aprons this way, not only to hold items needed during the work day, but also to free up the bulky material around their legs.

More coming soon!

Harvest continued...

Okay back to it...

After I rough in the composition, I photograph it and save it to project back onto the canvas surface later.

For this painting I now want to put in a gradient, tonal underpainting. I don't usually do this for smaller paintings, instead I move around the canvas, painting in cool and warm tones as I go. But with this larger one, I think I'll be able to focus more on working out space and value relationships between the figures, if I take care of some of that with the background now.

At this point, its quite decorative all on its own.

Then, heres the image of my composition projected back onto the canvas and loosely drawn in with charcoal.

Stay tuned...

New Harvest continued...

This is the start of my new Harvest painting.

To get something going and to get an idea of what I want, I start by doing several rough sketches on newsprint with charcoal. These aren't very technical. I'm just putting down ideas here, working with different compositions and planning for the focal point. This is what I originally came up with...

As you can see, the focal point is on the two women at the right. At this point I'm hoping to create enough "weight" on the left with the farmstead and trees, along with the wheat crop to balance the composition. Later, I decide this doesn't work very well. So I change it to a more horizontal view, while maintaining the pastoral feel of foothills below the Rocky Mountain Front. Also, want to include the missing weight on the left with an additional figure.

I'll need something to look at while painting, so this is where my daughter comes in. These a just a few of the many photos taken of her during this particular modeling session. If I need to work out any problems later, I may have her recreate a pose later on.

The folded blanket is acting as sheaves of wheat.

Next, using Photoshop I arrange each figure in correct relation to each other. PS is invaluable for perspectives this way. I move right to the canvas and rough in this new composition. I've tried to keep a little of the bend in the wheat field, but will decide later if its really going to work. I've also drawn in the mountains, which will ultimately give the painting more depth.

To be continued...