"North of Marathon"

Oil on panel, 8"x8"

A scene from hwy. 385 north of Marathon, This sky just had to be painted.

"Shady Oak"

Oil on panel, 6"x8"

Another typical hill country oak, this one was near Bandera, Texas. I love these trees.

"Dry Arroyo"

Oil on panel 8"x8"

Another interesting site in the bend or any desert for that matter. The patterns created by rushing water after rain runoff flows through an arroyo.

"Spring Greens"

Oil on Raymar linen panel, 8"x6"

My second attempt at painting on a Raymar panel. They are certainly a high quality panel but I am still getting used to the surface. This is another conceptual piece. On this one I wanted to paint the oak tree trunk as negative space, and I committed the fresh greens to memory while visually studying newly leafed oaks last spring. I like the way it turned out.

"In the Cloud Shadows"

Oil on archival Belgian linen panel, 11"x14"

A little larger painting than my normal daily pieces but I felt this subject was deserving of it. This is from the Ross Maxwell Scenic drive in Big Bend, where the desert lowlands meet the mountains. There are many beautiful formations along this road. This is the first of many I will do from this area. Hope you like it.

"Blue Vista" SOLD

Oil on linen canvas, 9"x12"

Update: I have revised this painting and have uploaded the new image. I was not happy with this painting and repainted the foreground tree, the sky, horizon, and foreground flowers. It is true that knowledge precedes execution in painting but somewhere along the line it must become intuitive otherwise there is a lack of spontaneity in the work, and that is something I strive for in my paintings.

Another conceptual piece. I sure would like to be doing these on location "en plein air", but I still work for a living and that is a priority which makes doing things like this in a morning session impossible for me unless I do them in the studio. I do look forward to getting out on location though.

"A Winter Fog"

Oil on panel, 6"x8"

This is an experimental piece, actually at this point I think all my work is experimental. As I gain experience I gain knowledge but I have to be careful to not fall into the rut of doing things the same way every time and expecting different results, that is why creating something like this although it may not be what you come to expect from me, is part of my growth process. We must all constantly push our limits and methods in any endeavor.

"Hill Country Blues"

"Hill Country Blues" completed


Unfinished – Oil on panel, 8"x8"

I worked late last night and didn't get home until nearly 2:00 a.m. I tried to get up at 8:00 this morning but it didn't work. I slept till a little after 9:00 and didn't have time to get this painting completed. It is entirely conceptual and I will try to finish it tomorrow and repost a new image.

"Shaker"

Oil on linen canvas, 7"x5"

In an attempt to continually challenge myself, I switch back and forth from still life to landscape to animals and back again. This is a small study of glass with transparency and reflections. A bit on the boring side but I gained some experience none-the-less.

"One Green Apple"

Oil on panel, 6"x6"
This is a new surface for me paint on, a very smooth gessoed surface, much different from what I am used to and it presented its difficulties for no other reason than I was unfamiliar with how the paint would slide on it, then become very tacky and lift off when I would attempt to apply more paint. Live and learn, that is what this entire process is about, once you become comfortable with what you are doing you should always "stir the pot" a bit and thereby grow in new directions.

"Ocotillo on the Mountain" SOLD

Oil on panel, 8"x6"

Brother Joe and I climbed the side of this mountain in the Bend back in 2006. It was treacherous, extremely steep and there was no trail. Small animal trails finding the path of least resistance would appear and disappear among the thorny and rocky terrain.

"Afternoon in the Bend" SOLD

Above-This is the completed and slightly revised painting of "Afternoon in the Bend"


Oil on archival Belgian linen panel, 10"x8" $125.00

This is a common site in the Bend in summertime, a cloudless sky. This painting is not quite finished, the foreground cactus requires a bit more refinement. I will post an updated photo tomorrow.

"Holly" SOLD

Oil on archival Belgian linen panel, 10"x8" Commissioned painting

The process of daily painting can be extremely rewarding and challenging at the same time. Many artists like myself paint in what you would call a makeshift studio. I paint in the daytime only and paint by natural light as much as possible, but the last 2 weeks we have had our share of dreary days with little or no sunshine. For me, lack of sunshine has a tremendous effect on my well being as well as my painting, it is an essential element in my process. I have a difficult time judging my color and values when my studio area is not flooded with light. It was also extremely difficult to get usable photos of these last two paintings. The lack of light shifts the color in the photos and makes them inaccurate, but with a little persistence I finally got usable images. No doubt I have a long way to go to get better at my craft, and to overcome countless pitfalls and obstacles that many artists have to deal with.

"Bella" SOLD

Oil on archival Belgian linen panel, 8"x10" Commissioned Painting

"View from Rio Grande Village"

Oil on panel, 8"x8" 100.00

This is a great place on a hot day in the Bend, always a nice breeze blowing and large shady trees offer relief from the extreme heat of the desert. I love the view of the distant mountains from under the trees.

"Above the Rio Grande" SOLD

Oil on Belgian linen panel, 6"x8" $60.00

Growing in between cracks in solid rock a cactus seemingly watches over the river basin below, perched above the Rio Grande.

"In the Bend" SOLD

Oil on panel, 6"x8" $60.00

Most likely my favorite place to be, Big Bend NP the epitome and glory of the Texas transpecos. I would live and paint Big Bend everyday if possible.

*After looking at this painting for a day I noticed a major composition problem and have tried to correct it. This is now the revised painting.

"Lemon and Bowl"

Oil on panel, 8"x8" $75.00

I didn't know what I was going to paint this morning, I got up late after getting home from work after 1:30 am last night then threw this setup together and painted fairly fast. This was my first opportunity to paint in about a week so I was a bit nervous but I am happy with the outcome. Hope you like it.

"3 Little Tomatoes"

Oil on panel, 6"x8" $60.00

I have been distracted as of lately and it shows in my recent work but today I feel as though I passed through that mental block and I am pretty happy with the results of the "3 Little Tomatoes". I was after more dramatic lighting to get myself out of my rut. I think it worked

"Bell Pepper"

Oil on panel, 6"x8" $60.00

Found this guy at my nearby Kroger and it just had to be painted. I'm sure this won't be the last bell pepper I paint. It was a lot of fun.

"Fall Colors" SOLD

Oil on panel, 8"x8" $75.00

I was playing around with different elements representing fall and came up with this simple arrangement. Hope you like it.

"Lemon and Creamer"

Oil on panel, 8"x8" $60.00

I am not real happy with this piece but you never know, someone else might love it.

It has been an off week for me, dealing with the aftermath of a car accident I was involved in. Fortunately no one was injured but my car has been totaled by the insurance adjuster. The accident was not my fault but I still feel like I am getting the shaft. I have to find a replacement vehicle pretty fast.

On to the next painting!

"Apple, Wine and Roses"

Oil on linen panel, 12"x9" $125.00

"Apple, Sugar Bowl and Lemon"

Oil on panel, 6"x8" $60.00

"2 Lemons, a Lime and a Glass"

Oil on panel, 8"x8" $75.00

"Cactus on the Rocks" SOLD

Oil on Linen panel, 8"x10" $75.00

"Solitary Rose" Sold

Oil on panel. 8"x6" $60.00

"Bird Dog" Sold

Oil on Linen panel, 8"x10" $100.00

"Cactus in Filtered Light" SOLD

Oil on panel, 8"x8" $75.00

Typical scene in Texas, an opportunistic cluster of cactus growing through the cracks of the rocks. The cracks trap soil, water and seeds, enough said.

"Hill Country Cactus" SOLD

Oil on panel, 8"x8" $75.00

Kind of a gloomy day today so I am departing from my recent norm. Back to my true love, landscape painting. This scene is a composite of two different photos and much "artistic license". It really isn't finished, a few things to make it pop here and there but you get the idea.

"Plate with Lemons and Lime"

Oil on panel, 8"x8" $75.00

"Tom Terrific" Struttin' his stuff SOLD

Oil on linen panel, 8"x10"

"An Odd Ball"

Oil on panel, 6"x8"

"I Bleed Blue"

Oil on panel, 8"x6'

"Salt 'n Peppers"

Oil on panel, 8"x6"

"Quatro Caliente"

Oil on panel, 6"x8"

"A Pair of Pears"

Oil on Panel, 6"X8"

"Blue Votive and Mug"

Oil on panel, 8"x6" $60.00

"Birds Eye Pumpkins"

Oil on panel, 6"x8"

"You Say Tomato"

Oil on panel, 6"x8"

"Three Little Pumpkins"

Oil on panel, 8"x6"

"Hey Pumpkin"

Oil on panel, approx 6"x8"

"Coffee Please"

Oil on panel, panel 6"x8" $60.00

"Sunflowers revisited" SOLD

Oil on panel, approx 7"x5"

"Turkeys #2"

Oil on panel, approx 8"x6"

These are not turkeys

OK, so I am a liar. I said I would post an image of turkeys number two no matter what state the painting was in but I am just not happy with how it has progressed and have wiped the canvas down. So I decided to upload an image of sunflowers I painted from life a couple months ago. I hope you enjoy.

By the way, doing small paintings of turkeys has created quite a challenge in that I do not like painting small details and would rather throw the small detail brushes in the garbage, but turkeys by nature have a lot of small detail that makes them very unique and beautiful birds. Maybe I will paint them a bit larger and fill the small canvas with a more close up turkey.

Turkey two update

Turkey painting number two is well in progress but again I leave an unfinished canvas on the easel. I am taking more care in applying paint to this piece, I want to arrive at a fairly good painting without to much fuss. Hopefully tomorrow I will see this painting to completion. I will upload an image of it at the end of tomorrows session regardless of where it stands.

Turkeys Number One

Ok, turkey painting number one is complete and as they say, "you live by the sword, you die by the sword". This is a very modest beginning, painted a bit on the sloppy side. I have almost nowhere to go but up thank goodness. I have already started the next painting, this time a bit larger (8" x 10") and on linen rather than the inferior canvas of the first painting. That in itself should provide for a better painting.