January 31, "Winter With The Three Sisters"

Today was a PAAC day and it was in my back yard. Well, actually it was about 2 miles from my house but it felt like home. We met at Three Sister Park in Evergreen and we had a great day to paint in. Full sun, 40's -50 degree temperature with a little breeze and a great view what more could a plein air painter ask for for the last day of January.

"Winter With The Three Sisters" 11" x 14"

The Sisters.

January 30, "Hillside Sun Rise"

Today I wanted to try and capture some of the vivid morning colors that we have had lately. So I packed up early and headed out. I found a nice little hill with a great view. The only down side with doing sunrises or sunsets is that I have to move so quickly that there is no time to think and play with the colors, just grab color and go. The fun thing is when the colors of the scene is gone the painting is done. Then it's like opening a christmas present you get to look and see what was just finished in such a short time, quite exciting. These can be some of the best paintings because of that fact.

"Hill Side Sun Rise" 8" x 10"

My bad photo of a great view.

January 29, "Remembering A Friend"

 Today was an inspiring day for me. First I had my usual Sunday KunTao Silat martial arts class, but then I went to visit the wife of a friend of mine who passed away few years ago. She is a delightful person and quite gracious as well. The reason for the visit was to return some videos that she was kind enough to lend me. We then had a delightful conversation revolving around Roger (who had passed away) and all the things of the cosmos but mainly enjoying the memory of a friend. When I got home my daughter told me that she had a photography project that she needed to do but would like to go to our old local cemetery to take her photos. I said sure lets go. So we headed out to the cemetery. When we arrived she went looking for her subject but  mine had already found me, right where I had stopped I looked over to see this great, old weathered headstone with no name on it and looking all of 100 years old. The beautiful thing was all of the wonderful life and color that sprouted out form around the headstone, and it reminded me of Roger and how I think he would have like his headstone, no name on it, so as to not dwell upon a name but look at the beauty that sprouts from me.

"Remembering A Friend" 8" x 10"

"The Old Headstone"

January 28, "Across The Valley"

Today I thought I would stay close to home and with so many wonderful choices to pick from I deiced to paint one of the best views in the area... across the street from my house. I actually live at the bottom of the hill in the painting and if I walk across the street and up the hill I get this stunning view "Across The Valley". 

"Across The Valley" 8" x 10"

January 27, "Peak At Evergreen"

Today I wanted to say close to home with the weather being so sporadic between clear sky to snow and wind. So I saw a great view if the mountain peak that I live on and thought it made for a nice scene for the day.

"Peak At Evergreen" 8" x 10"

Today I wanted to paint another one of the local barns. I had so much fun painting the last one that I thought lets have some fun again. I love all the rich colors that the old weathered barn wood gets, it makes for some fun painting.

"Barn Wood Sienna" 8" x 10"

The Old Barn. The photo doesn't even come close to the color that was there.

January 25, "Black and White Magic"

Today as I set up my easel and was wondering if what I was looking at was the right thing to paint, when out of no where this wonderful magpie flew down next to me and just hung out. I took this as a sign as to what I really needed to paint, a little Black and White Magic".

"Black And White Magic" 8" x 16"

January 24, "Willow Love"

Today I meet with the PAAC at Lair O the Bear and even though it was cold with the occasional snow flurry there was some great color to be found.

"Willow Love" 16" x 20"

January 23, "Cabin Light"

Today as I was out looking for something to paint this charming old cabin just popped out of a shadow and was glowing. So I pulled the rolling studio over and painted it before the light was lost.

"Barn Light" 11" x 14"

The Barn.

January 22, "Longs Peak Storm"

Today I went down the mountain to try and get out of the 30+ mph winds, unfortunately it didn't help. The nice thing was the view I had. I was on a hill top in Northgleen, CO. It provided a great view of the front range and Longs Peak. I sometimes forget how beautiful the front range is, since I live in the mountains I don't get the wonderful view of the range.

"Longs Peak Storm" 11" x 14"

My wonderful front range view.

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January 21, "Pioneer Barn"

Today I wanted to paint something different so I thought a building would be fun and living where I live there are a lot of really neat old barns and buildings to choose from to paint. When I saw how the light was hitting in this little log cabin I couldn't saw no.

"Pioneer Cabin" 8" x 10"

At the Pioneer Cabin.

January 20, "Willow In Light"

Toady was like yesterday as far as color and composition goes. For some reason my eye seemed to pick almost the same thing. I guess I'm looking for more color than the cools and warms in just the snow and when I saw this glimpse of color I had to paint it.

"Willow In Light"

Looking at the willow down the creek.

January 19, "Winter Crimson"

Today I deiced to head over to Kerr Gulch in Aspen Park, CO. I was there the other day to paint with the Plein Air Artist of Colorado when I saw some wonderful color and figured since it was such a nice warm and sunny day that I would go back there and try and capture some nice color.

"Winter Crimson" 8" x 10" 

My inspiration for the day.

January 18, "Sliver Of Light"

Today was a little better than yesterday as for the wind. Even though we were expected to have the same high winds I'm just glad that we didn't. I waited  towards the end of the day to go painting in hope to catch some of the wonderful evening colors and I wasn't disappointed. I just wished the colors lasted a little longer. My location picture was done just after the color disappeared.

"Sliver Of Light" 8" x 10"

My scene after the color was gone.

January 17" Snow Clouds"

What a windy cold day it was today with a20 degree temperature and west winds of 30 to 50 mph with gusts in excess of 85 mph, it made for and interesting day! Today I went to meet the Plein Air Artist in Aspen Park, CO but due to the wind everyone chose to call it a wash for the day and perhaps I to should have done the same thing. I on the other had wanted to try and paint the wind and blowing snow and when I saw the snow clouds coming of the Mt. Evans range I knew what I was going to paint. So, I headed up to a great spot to paint, set up my easel and weighed it down so it wouldn't blow away. Then I bundled up, hunkered down and began to furiously paint. I must confess I love to paint in any weather but I really dislike painting in this kind of heavy wind. It makes it hard control the brush strokes when your getting pushed around. A good thing with days like today is it makes me paint with more of a painterly look, since I need to move quickly, no time to think and tinker around with the painting because it's just to cold and windy. 

The down side for today was just as I finished painting and was packing up my gear in the back of my van when one of these 60+ mph wind gusts kicked up. When I bent over to protect the painting I didn't notice that the wind blow the hatch back of the van that was fully open half way down. Not thinking and my eyes half covered by my hat I just turned to load the easel and painting into the back when... Bam! corner of the hatch back right in the eye! Now that will wake ya up quicker than a cold wind up your back. Over all it was a great day with a memento to take home.

If you look at the photos you can see how the winds blow so much snow off the mountain that it looks like clouds above them.

"Snow Clouds" 8" x 16"

Hanging out in the wind. What looks like clouds is snow blowing of Mt. Evans.

One of the heavy gusts.

My memento, an  improvement to my ugly mug.

January 16, "Getting Water From A Stone"

Today when I was out I saw this great scene. I think it speaks for itself and how could I pass up painting something like this. How many time does a person get to see a well pump on a rock and when I saw it it made me think of the old saying... It's like getting water from a rock.

"Getting Water From A Stone" 16" x 20"

The pump and the rock, maybe I should use that as a title instead.

January 15. "Layers Of Color"

Today I almost slept through the entire day and almost missed doing a painting. Fortunately there is usually a good sunset to paint and today I wasn't let down. I love to do a few sunrises and sunsets each month. I love the challenge of having to move quickly but confidently since the colors change literately second by second. This is when you must know your palette or you'll end up with nothing but mud. I took a quick photo of the final but the colors are a little off, so I think I will shoot it again tomorrow.

"Layers Of Color" 8" x 10"

One of my best spots for a view of a sun set over Denver.

January 14, "Willow Warmth"

Today I was actually filling better and not only was there a warmth in the air there was a warmth in the willows. I love the willows in the winter. They have such a great contrast of warmth against the cool snow and make for some wonderful scenes.

"Willow Warmth" 8" x 10"

The Warm Willows. Even though my picture doesn't show it. 

January 13, "Mountain Serenity"

Today I wanted to head up the mountain to try and reenergize. I went to one of my private spots to paint and try to heal up a little. Even though the wind was blowing pretty hard it was a journey worth getting to.

"Mountain Serenity" 8" x 10"

One of my secrete spots.

January 12, "Echo Blues"

Today was beautiful day after the snow storm we had the day before but unlike the change in the weather I still have a cold. I must admit I have painted with separated ribs, torn rotator cuff, heal spurs, torn MCL, 28 stitches in the leg, torn biceps and even a broken finger on my painting hand all of this within the past 3 years but I must say painting while with the flu is the worst. Today was a struggle just to keep enough energy to stand for a for an hour or so to paint. But I still think this is the best job in the world.

January 11, "Snow Storm Sun Set"

Today was a rough day of painting. I woke up with a severe cold and a snow storm. No matter how much I love to paint plein air it was a hugh struggle to get out and paint. But like the years prior I will not let anything stop me. Wether it's a fever or a snow storm or both, the show must go on. So I bundled up, pounded a bunch of Dayquil and headed into the storm to paint. 

"Snow Storm Sun Set"

January 10, "High Line Trail"

Today I met with the PAAC at Dekoevend Park in south Denver. It was a nice warm day to paint and the park offered some great front range views.

"High Line Trail" 8" x 10"

Me and the trail.

January 9, "Mesa Grays"

Today I wanted to do another limited palette but I wasn't sure about the scene. As I was driving in Golden, CO I thought about painting Coors but when I saw the mesa I knew that that was my scene for the day. I love how the natural light makes the painting change compared to the studio light that was used to photograph the final.

"Mesa Grays" 16" x 20"

Me at the Mesa.

January 8, "Nocturnal Blues"

Tonight was a full moon and I loved how bright everything was. With the fresh snow fall the moon light made for the perfect light.

"Nocturnal Blues" 8" x 10"

January 7, "Down Town Cheyenne"

Today I was in Wonderful Wyoming when I found this fantastic view of the Capital and I knew I had to paint this. But today I wanted to do something that I really enjoy, a limited palette. I love painting in black and white and for a final touch a tad of yellow ocher and white for the warm glow above the tree line around the Capital and the little high light at the end of the road.

"Down Town Cheyenne" Limited Palette 8" x 10"

My view of Cheyennes Capital. 

January 6, "Fish On"

I was going to paint the lake house today but when I saw this guy fishing I thought that was a better scene to paint. Soon after I was set up I looked over to began to paint the guy in and I noticed he had a fish on this line. I guess we both had a lucky day.

"Fish On" 8" x 10"

Pulling up the fish.