BIG BEND REVISITED

"The Heat of Big Bend" 9" x 12" oil/linen

Painting in Beng Bend presents all
kinds of challenges for the plein
air painter. Heat being the major
factor, but I find the very thing that
makes Big Bend so appealing to be
my biggest challenge...the glare.

The sun bounces up off the desert
floor and off the walls of the surrounding
canyons which cause my eyes to close
down making it more difficult to
see values. Consequently, I usually
give it my best shot with corrections
being made once I get the painting
back into the studio. The painting shown
above is the exception to the rule. I
actually found a nice tree to stand under
with some shade and it was a little
cloudy. I was able to pull off a decent
painting.

IN CELEBRATION OF NATURE

"Wash Day" 10" x 20" oil/c

YIKES! Got into the studio this morning
to look at what I had to enter into the
Annual Bosque Art Classic. I made a
promise to my painting buddy, Steve
Atkinson, that I would enter the show
this year. Somewhere in my mind I had
firmly implanted June 22nd as the due
date for entries.

Feeling all proud of myself because I
was a full week away from the deadline
and still had time to produce a painting or
two if needed, I pulled out the prospectus
for the show as I nursed my first cup of
morning coffee. HOLY SCHUMOLY! Everything
is due tomorrow June 12th not the 22nd!
Crap and double crap!

I quickly scurry through the studio pulling
paintings out to find four paintings. Luckily
I had three I thought were show worthy,
but to qualify for the John Steven Jones
Purchase Award you have to enter
four pieces.

I had done a study a few weeks back of a farm
with a clothes line hanging in the sun and hay
bales scattered about. So I gave it a shot and
by golly I think I pulled it off. My fourth entry.
Now all I have to do is photograph it and
FedEx my entries. WHEW!

THE MAJESTY OF THE TETONS

"Teton Sunrise" 20" x 24"

Life would be grand if you could start every
morning watching the sun come up on
the Teton range. No two are the same
and every one will blow your mind.
If I lived in Jackson it would be my
life mission to start each day sitting on
the overlook loop with a hot cup of coffee
and just take it all in. Then I would take
a deep cleansing breath and start my day.
What a glorious start of the day it would be.

THAT TIMEW OF YEAR

"Making Hay" 8" x 10" oil/linen

I love this time of year when all the
hay bales begin to appear. I was
bound and determined to record the actual
making of the bales. Came across this
farmer one afternoon last week. He was
almost done when I caught up with him.
Shot a few reference photos from which I
created the above sketch. I have plans
for a larger piece and am excited the
sketch worked out.

PAINT AMERICA

I have entered three paintings into
the Paint America competition. This
use to be Art for the Parks but I think
AfP lost their funding. Anyway, for my
post this week I am putting up my three
entries.

















"Washout Patternes" 22" x 28" oil/c

This painting is from my trip to
Canyon De Chelly last September.






















"Alberta Falls" 20' x 24" oil/c

This is Alberta Falls in Estes Park
Colorado. Great park to paint in
with plenty of varied landscape choices.



















"Cape Royal" 20" x 24" oil/c

You gotta love the Grand Canyon. You
could spend your entire life standing in
the same spot cranking out painting
after painting and never paint the
same thing twice.

CALL FOR ENTRIES

Hope you saw this ad in the current issue
of Western Art Collector magazine. It is
on my blog because I am on of the
organizers of the event. Now in its fourth
year Plein Air Southwest is one of the
premier events of the year. This year we
will be painting in four locations
including the Grand Canyon, Colorado and
two locations in Texas. For more information
visit our website at www.pleinairsouthwest.com

PAINT AMERICA

"Cape Royal" 20" 24" oil/c

Nothing like waiting to the last minute
to submit my entries for the Paint America
competition. I am entering three paintings
this year. I'll post the other two later in the
week.

I really enjoyed doing this painting. Dramatic
light on a great landscape formation is always
a challenge. I'm going back to the Grand
Canyon again this coming August. Cape Royal
will certainly be on my list of painting locations.