Battered Barn

Oil on panel, 16"x20"

This is a revised version from the previously posted image. I pulled this barn reference from photos taken near La Grange and put it in a hill country setting complete with bluebonnets.

Oaks in the Valley (in progress)

Oil on canvas, 24"x36"

I had not worked on this painting for about a week before todays session. It is a large canvas and making any kind of impact takes a bit of time but it is progressing to my liking. This photo was taken with no light directed towards the painting so the saturation is a little week and actual color density may be a little closer to the previous photo.

Oil on Linen Canvas, 24"x36"

Although this is my first post of this piece I have actually worked on it several sessions. It is a large painting with quite a bit more work to do before it is complete. I will paint and repaint sections of this piece until I am happy with it as a whole. This is a bad photo as the lighting was very inconsistent on the canvas and it was taken with my iphone.

Battered Barn (in progress)

Oil on panel, 16"x20"

More refinements on this piece and it is getting near completion. I have made the barn slightly larger, and adjusted color, value and shapes all over the painting. I will continue to refine a few things including the foreground cactus while attempting to maintain limited detail. I welcome comments on this and all my blog posts.

 The forth stage of this painting is from my next session on it and I decided I did not like the initial weight of the composition and decided to enlarge the tree mass on the right side to keep your eye within the boundaries of the painting. I also decided I might add some interest, as in cactus, smaller trees in the foreground (bottom right). I am still toying with that idea and not sure if I will keep them, change the elements or remove them all together. It is my intent to keep this painting from getting overly detailed. We will see how that idea works out.

This third photo shows some color notes being added, still working very fast. I was purposely working about as fast as I could on this piece, hoping for some spontaneity to tie it all together. Total time up to this point about an hour and a half.

This second photo shows that I have blocked in some shadows and the sky, about 20 more minutes into the painting.

I started this piece very quickly as if I was outside plein air painting. The bottom photo shows the initial sketch, about 15 minutes in.

Mattatuck Exhibition

Here are a selection of photos from The "A Feeling of Humanity" exhibit at the Mattatuck Museum. Much thanks to Ken Ratner for forwarding the photos to me.

I have 5 paintings represented in the exhibit. Summer Chisos is visible in the 3rd photo in the grouping on the left.

Arroyo Vista and Canyon at Black Gap are on the left of the 4th photo and 'Till the Cows Come Home and South Texas Cattle on both sides of the Farmer in the bottom photo.

It is quite an honor to be included in this body of work.

Road Through the Blues

Oil on Belgian Linen Panel, 12"x16"

I know I had posted this as a finished painting a couple weeks ago but yet again I could not leave it alone. It lacked so much I can't begin to list all the things I disliked about it before. It barely resembles the image I previously posted. I have repainted every square inch and hopefully now I can leave it alone and be satisfied with it as is.

Details from "Road Through the Blues"

Desert Creosote and Ocotillo

Oil on panel, 8"x10"

Here is the finish of Desert Creosote. I have added quite a few Ocotillo, probably more than I should have. The foreground is much improved from the last post. I adjusted color and value all over the painting. 

Detail images from Desert Creosote and Ocotillo

Hills Near Bandera

Oil on panel, 8"x10"

OK, so... I know I said this painting was done last time I posted it but if you know anything about me from following my blog, it's that nothing is ever really done until I sell it. There were things I didn't like about it such as the dominant hill on the left was just to rounded with no character. I also felt the values were still to weak and it also needed more warmth. So here is what I hope to be the final, final version.

Detail of "Hills Near Bandera"

Desert Creosote (in progress_3)

Oil on panel, 8"x10"

I thought I would be done with this piece after the third session but after repainting the sky I didn't want to paint the Ocotillo into wet paint so I decided to put it aside until it dries. I may also unify the foreground elements a little, I'm thinking I may have gotten carried away with rocks and small bushes. The eye should not get caught in this area, it is not a focal point of the painting and should not be overly detailed. In the final session I will extend the Ocotillo into the sky, add a few more of them as well and remove some of the foreground detail. I'm thinking I will push the mountains back a little bit too. That should complete this piece.

Detail of "Desert Creosote"

Sunset in the Bend

 Oil on panel, 6"x6"

I made a few adjustments to this piece and I can't say it's any better than it was but it is different.  I was searching for an ethereal feel to this piece, not so much heavenly but light filled. It's a small piece so I will call it done and move on.

detail from "Sunset in the Bend"

Hills near Bandera

Oil on panel, 8"x10"

I have made the values of the hills darker and it definitely works better for me. Of course it is art, which is very subjective and everyone likes something different. I kept this piece pretty loose and resisted the urge to tighten up in the hills. I think it has a nice overall feel and will now call it done.

Desert Creosote (in progress)

Oil on panel, 8"x10"

I have completed the second session on this piece, about an hour again. I have not yet added the Ocotillo plants that I mentioned in the last post of this piece. It needs the verticals elements to break all of the horizontal lines. They will need to be carefully placed and the shapes need to be interesting but not to dominant.  I will also repaint the mountains and sky in the next session. I can't say exactly what it is but I just don't like them and know they can be better. We will see. I also think I will add a few larger rocks in the far right foreground.

Hills near Bandera (in progress)

 Oil on panel, 8"x10"

I may have lost some dark values in the hillside to the left under the cloud shadow. I will most likely repaint that area along with the larger hill on the right side. I think placing the trees on the left foreground in shadow helped quite a bit. I made the patches of sunlight on the hills more prominent and totally reworked the sky. I'm not sure the sky is an improvement over what it was but its not a focal point and should not draw to much attention in this piece.

Detail from "Hills near Bandera"

Hills Near Bandera (in progress)

Oil on panel, 8"x10"

Session 2 on this painting and I am moving right along. It's coming to life nicely but I am still seeing a few things I would like to adjust as far as color and value. I am thinking I will darken the trees in the left foreground and place them in cloud shadow. A few other adjustments here and there and hopefully it's another completed piece. Below is a detail of some of my brushwork on this piece.

Sunset in the Bend (in progress)

Oil on panel 6"x"6

Session 2 on this painting and it has changed quite a bit. I am liking what's happening even though I had no idea it would progress in this way. Sometimes you just go with the flow and hope for the best. I thought the start was nice but I am feeling even better at this point. I think a few touchups and pushing my values in a few spots will complete this painting.

Below is a detail of brushwork in the painting.

Late Afternoon near Marathon

Oil on panel, 6"x6"

I think I can call this finished after spending some time backtracking on it this morning and toning down the sky. I will need to try to clean some dirt out of it after it dries a little, it fell off my easel and bounced around on the concrete floor before settling face down. I removed what I could without disrupting the paint but have more to clean in a couple of days. That is a slight glare at the top center of the sky in the photo, not actual color.

Hills near Bandera (in progress)

Oil on panel, 8"x10"

Another start this morning. I love the hills around Bandera. This was started from photos I took in the spring about 7 years ago. The area was very green at the time and saturated with color after some early rain showers. I am going to keep this loose and painterly and if when complete it is worthy I will take some detail shots. Not sure where I am going with this yet but I do love painting these hills.

Late Afternoon near Marathon (in progress)

Oil on panel, 6"x6"

This is the second session on this painting. I spent about 45 minutes on it this morning and I may have gotten to intense on the blue in the sky, so I might go back and gray it to tone it down a little. I will also add a small amount of warm detail to the bushes and grassy areas but not much. Simple is better in this case and detail will detract from the overall quality of the piece. One more session and I will call it complete.

Sunset in the Bend

Oil on panel, 6"x6"

Another piece started yesterday. I threw this down pretty quick, this represents a little more than an hour of work. Some of the best stuff happens when you don't overwork or over think things. Planning ahead is a good thing but when it comes to execution, spontaneity adds looseness and enables the intuitive process to take over. I am going to try my best to not ruin the good start I have here but without risk comes no reward!

Late Afternoon near Marathon (in progress)

Oil on panel, 6"x6"

I started several of these little pieces yesterday. Again, about an hour of work actually created entirely from a thumbnail sketch I made. I think this piece has some potential if I can make the lighting more dramatic. I think the key is to increase the value relationships and make the land forms darker.

Desert Creosote

Oil on panel, 8"x10

This is just over an hour of work and little more than a block in at this point. I am sure I will make major adjustments to this as it progresses. As it stands it is quite boring, so it will be a challenge to make something interesting and captivating out of it. I will most likely ad several Ocotillo plants (it needs some verticals to break the horizontal monotony) and some rocks in the foreground for interest. I will definitely ad more interest to the sky as well.