West from Little Terrapin

8" x 10" Oil on Canvas covered Board

A plein aire value study completed on 7/3/10. I was sitting on the back deck of a house near Cashiers, NC just before sunset. It had been very hazy all afternoon. The sun was about to set just over those mountains but still was not visible through the cloud cover. My goal for this quick painting ( approx 20 min. ) was to get the correct values - the different colors just sort of happened. I did not achieve the value separations that were intended, however, the study was not all bad. The finished work has sort of a good feel to it.  

Green Pepper

Oil on Canvas board 9" x 12"

Completed 11/15/98. This was the first time I ever tried to paint anything with oil. Other than just trying to see how this stuff worked, I do remember a desire to see how green I could make the pepper look. So...lets just surround it with all that red! That red, by the way, took what seemed like a year to dry completely. It made me think that oil was not the way to go. I have since altered that original impression and now enjoy this medium. I still sometimes think it takes to long to dry but I realize that this can be an advantage.

Troutslayer Tim

11" x 14" Oil on Canvas board

This painting was done to commemorate an October fly fishing trip to the 13 points river area in southern Missouri. It was done alla prima based a few different photos taken during the trip. The variety of greens in the water were done mainly from memory. The photo's just did not capture the actual colors. I am eager to go back and see how accurate I was in doing this...well, and to have another chance at some rainbow trout. The fishing was very good during this trip.

G&P's Lake House

8" x 10"
Oil on Canvas Board

Another quick plein air painting done this last summer. This was no more than a 20 minute painting done while also carrying on a conversation with my young daughter as she worked on a watercolor of the same view. She had a lot of interesting comments to me as we sat together painting. She pointed out that these do not have to be finished paintings - just practice and if they don't turn out, we can just start a new one. We never had the chance to worry about that though - it was soon dark and the bugs were bothering her so it was time to go.

Galesburg Train

8" x 10" Oil on Canvas Board

I just happened on this RR crossing as I was driving one day. I liked the feel of it and thought it might make a good painting -surprising because trains have never been particularly interesting to me in the past. This was a quick plein air oil that ended up with the correct early morning look I was after. It even worked out well that a train happened along towards the end of the painting. I had not intended to add this but could not resist after seeing the lights in the distance - It was too good of a center of interest in the painting to pass up.

I-74 over the Mississippi

8" x 10" Oil on Canvas Board

This is another Plein Air oil completed on-site just prior to dark in September. The light was changing fast due to the time of day and squall line of a cold front moving in to block the setting sun behind me. I was hoping for the sun to pop out under the clouds and light up the bridge against the darkening sky. Its funny what you remember when painting outside. Looking at this reminds me of that night and my hopes to capture a "perfect moment". I had a young couple stop to look at my progress on this. They had just been married and had their ceremony on this site a few weeks prior. The bride had wanted a professional photo of this spot but decided against it. She expressed interest in having a painting of this site to hang up at home. I didn't try to hard to pursue this opportunity - wasn't sure this one was going to turn out at the time - I had only just started and the light was running out quickly.

October Corn

9" x 12" Oil on Canvas Board

This painting was just completed on October 5, 2009. I had a lot of fun with this one. It is an impasto alla prima using a knife. As such, there is little option but to just "throw" some paint on the canvas in a loose fashion. The interesting thing was watching it evolve into what I was looking for in terms of color and contrast. There was a definate sense of molding the image as if working in clay. In terms of design and layout, I am not sure that there was much to key on. I was only going for a fall feel with little regard for other concerns.