LAST PAINTING OF 2009

"Catch It While You Can" 10" x 20" oil/c

Christmas has come and gone. I'm taking
the rest of the week to create
a few larger pieces. I am finding
this elongated format to be an exciting
one. This was one of those days where
the clouds are moving real fast and
the light patterns are constantly changing.


You look down at your palette to mix
paint for an area you think is in shadow
only to look up and find the same area
basking in bright sunlight. You mentally
have to commit to the scene and keep
it logged in as you paint and then ignore
the constantly changing light patterns.

It pays to have practiced the quick block
in back in the studio. It also helps to do
a quick pencil sketch where you indicate
shadow patterns or a digital shot with
the camera with a large viewer you can
refer to while you paint.

WESTERN ART COLLECTOR

My painting "Near Panther Creek"
was featured in the December issue
of Western Art Collector magazine.
The painting was part of an article
promoting the Plein Air Southwest
show which is now hanging at Southwest
Gallery here in Dallas.

click here to see show

PLEIN AIR SOUTHWEST

"Pigeon Highrise" 12" x 16" oil/c

Heading out of Amarillo on your way to
New Mexico are a series of historical
grain elevators. Most have been replaced
but a few remain. I hope we never lose them.












"Navajo Fortress: 10" x 20" oil/c

Where the Navajo tribe made its final
stand against the U.S. Calvary.
















"Near Panther's Creek" oil/c 9" x 12"

Big Bend National Forest






















"Elena Canyon" 9" x 12" oil/c

This weekend is the culmination
of a year-long paint-out. There were
four paint-outs held in different locations.
In order to participate in the juried show
you had to at least make one of the
paint-outs. I made two. I went to Big Bend
National Park here in Texas and
Canyon De Chelly in Arizona.

I have entered four paintings into the
competition. Tomorrow Gay Faulkenbery
will be judging the show and the awards
will be presented at the opening tomorrow
night.

Saturday Kaye Franklin, Fran Eliisor
and I will be doing demos during the show.
I haven't decided what to demo yet. Guess
I need to be making a decision.