Thursday, February 23, 2012

February 23, "Lone Trail"

Today it snowed 8" onto of the 3 feet we still have. At least it wasn't as windy as yesterday. As I was out I saw this great little trail, so I took a walk and did some painting.
Lone Trail 8" x 10"

February 22, "Filling A Little Tilted"

Today it was a very windy day with gusts up to 75-80 mph! The wind makes for the worst time to paint but at least I found something that looked like I felt.

February 21, "Through The Brush"

Today was a nice day to paint and it was my last time to paint with the Plein Air Artist of Colorado. Thanks Jon, Heidi, and Cliff, see ya sometime.

February 20, "Crimson Reeds"

Today I was out when I came across this patch of warm reeds on a chilly day it made painting a little warmer.

February 19, "Roof Top Sun Rise"

Today was an early start so I figured I'd try and capture a sunrise over of over the great roof tops in Golden Colorado.
"Roof Top Sun Rise" 8" x 10"

February 18, "Up The Creek"


Today I was down in Denver when I saw this great little spot on Clear Creek and just couldn't pass up all the color.

Looking up Clear Creek.

Friday, February 17, 2012

February 17, Touch Of Light"

Today was a nice warm day with some great light and shadows. It didn't take to long to find something to paint and it just so happened to be a group of willow next to the creek on my property. I love my house, I have so much to paint from just at home I some times wonder why I travel looking for things to paint.

The Creek and some of the Willows at my house.

February 16, "Red Rock Out Croup"

Today I wanted to get out of the cold so I deiced to go down the mountain to Red Rocks Park. This is a great place to paint. It has everything from fantastic colors to a large variety of things to paint. One of the nice things about Colorado is you can be in the high mountains to a south west scene in less than a half hour. I don't think I could ever get board or run out of things to paint.

"Red Rock Out Croup" 11" x 14"


Hanging out at Red Rocks.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

February 15, "Snow Trout"

Today I was out and I couldn't help but paint a rare site, the ever elusive... "Snow Trout". One just happened to be caught at Evergreen Lake this past Week and I thought I better put this rare site to canvas.
"Snow Trout" 8" x 10"

February 14, "Winter Rose"

Happy Valentines Day! 

"Winter Rose" 12" x 24"

February 13, "Tucked Away"

Today I was in Central City when I came upon this neat old barn tucked away among the willows and I couldn't resist painting it.
"Tucked Away" 8" x 10"

February 12, "Steam Clouds"

Today I was in my old home town and saw these wonderful steam clouds and though what a nice change of scenery it would make on a cold day.
"Steam Clouds" 8" x 10"

The stacks are hiding in the steam Clouds.

February 11, "Little Ol Brick Home"

Today I was at Red Rock Park when I noticed this great old brick home all alone and yet had a comforting warmth to it, so I had to paint it.

"Little Ol Brick Home" 8" x 10"

February 10, "My Childhood In Prague"

Today was my daughters Sweet Sixteen Birthday. For years she has had a running joke about her childhood in Prague. It just so happens that there is a restaurant in Morrison called Cafe Prague, and well, since I couldn't afford to take her to Prague I thought I would take a little piece of Prague to her, Happy Birthday Sweetie!!!

"My Childhood In Prague" 16" x 20"

February 9, "Grandpa's Ax"

After a day of shoveling more snow I found out that we ran out of cut wood. So, out came the ax and a new back work out. After I was done I couldn't help but paint what had brought so much hard work.

My Grandpas Ax.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

February 8, "3 Degree Sun Rise"

 Today as i was warming up the rolling studio to head out to paint I noticed this fantastic warm glow coming from the hill side across the street from me. Instead of looking for something to paint the painting came to me. I unpacked the easel hung out in the front yard and had some fun painting the early morning mountain colors. When I finished I went to downtown Evergreen and noticed that the temp was 3 degrees! I thought, wow, today seamed so warm compared to yesterday.


"3 Degree Sun Rise" 8" x 10"



Color from the driveway.

February 7, "Wind Blown"

Once again it was a snowy day. 3 inches of new snow on 30 inches of snow is enough for me. But the fun today wasn't over, the wind deiced to come and visit for a while, yah! The worst thing to paint in is wind, no matter the temp. It can be a beautiful 78 degrees outside but if its windy all you can think of is when will I be done, it's just a pain to paint in. Today was one of those days with a 20 degree temp, fresh snow with a 30 mph wind to blow it around, I thought I would find something that represents the day. Thats when I saw this great tree, looking how I felt. So I set my easel up next to the tree, weighed the easel down and let the paint fly in the wind. Every time the wind would give a gust, I hate to say it, but all I could think of was when will this be done. I usually try not to put a time limit on doing a painting. My saying It takes as long as it takes for me, I would rather overwork the painting than under work it. But today I put a time limit on. It was just to windy!

"Wind Blown" 8" x 10"



The Wind Blown Tree.

February 6, "Leave A Candle Lit For Me"

Tonight was a full moon and I wanted to do something a little closer to home since it was around 10 degrees. So I packed up the easel and took a little walk down the road that I live on. When I looked back, I saw this charming scene of the lights from my house on the snow and along with the full moon reminded me of a Thomas Kinkade scene. So, I couldn't resist painting my own home scene.


"Leave A candle Lit For Me"





I was so cold I almost forgot to take a picture, until this car went past. For some reason it made me think of light and a flash and oh ya, take a picture!

February 5, "A Helping Hand"

Today as I was out looking for something to paint on a snowy day I saw these groups of people ice skating and I though nice, I will paint some skaters. Well after I  set up it I quickly became aware of how fast everyone was moving and unlike a hired model they just wouldn't hold still when I asked them to... just kidding. As I was pondering about packing up I noticed out of the corner of my eye and in-between all the fast movement was this wonderful slow moving scene taking place before my eyes. As fast as I could, I painted what I saw, a heart felt moment between mother and her child. 
I used a limited palette because I didn't want to miss a single motion that only happens for a very brief moment. With a limitted palette I can focuse on the action instead of the color to creat the mood. 

"A Helping hand" 8" x 10"

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Feburary 4, "Fresh Snow"

Today I wanted to try and capture some of the fresh snow that we just received. As I was looking for my scene I noticed this great little spot by the river and was more intrigued by the color than the amount of snow. So I broke out the shovel, made a trail, set the easel up and then let the paint fly.

"Fresh Snow 8" x 10"


My river location, way cool!

Friday, February 3, 2012

Febuary 3, "Snowed In"

Today we had a big snow storm hit us (about  30 inches of the white stuff) and after an hour of shoveling to get the rolling studio out it was time to relax and do some winter painting. I headed to one of the local cabins and liked I had hoped it looked great! For a snowy gray day I found plenty of color to paint!

"Snowed In" 8" x 10"


Finally shoveled a path out



Me at the cabin.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Febuary 2, "Auburn Warmth"

 Today I wanted to get some painting in before the snow storm. So I packed the van up and went to one of my favorite places Lair O' The Bear and there was some great light today. I found a little spot full of warm auburn light and wonderful cool blue shadows.

"Auburn  Warmth"



Wednesday, February 1, 2012

February 1, "Storm Halo"

Today I thought I would wait and do a nocturnal scene. The moon looked so good the night before that I thought I would try and capture it tonight. Boy am I glad I waited because we had a wonderful site tonight, a big bright storm halo around the moon. It was beautiful and there was almost as much light as a full moon. As the old saying goes, "Good things happen for those who wait" and tonight proved this to me.


"Storm Halo" 8" x 10"



My storm halo, to bad my camera doesn't see the same thing as I do.