Magpies

When my wife first moved to Utah she Magpies saw for the first time and thought they were such beautiful birds ... that is until she got you know them better! They really are beautiful in their appearance, but their attitudes and behavior really confirm the phrase ... their beauty is only skin (feather) deep!

While fly fishing the Weber River last spring, these two characters were my companions for nearly an hour. They had found an old deer carcass and one of them had scrounged up a tiny morsel for himself. Instead of doing the same, the other guy spent the next hour trying to steal it from the first! It was hilarious to watch them fight over such a tiny morsel of food! I am certain that there was more where that had come from!

The thief (the have not) would land several feet away on the fence wire, then hop toward the feeding bird (the have). When it got too close for comfort, the "have" would squawk and flap its wings, then fly a little ways off to continue feeding. The whole scene would then replay itself over and over until the morsel was finally stolen. The roles would then be reversed, but the script was the same.

I vowed to paint them someday ... someday finally came! They are really beautiful birds to paint ... hope I captured their personality as well! Enjoy ...

Acrylic on canvas (24" x 18")

Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls, located in Provo Canyon, is perhaps the most famous of the waterfalls in Utah. It is a very tall waterfall, although from this view it does not appear so. This vantage point is taken from the Provo River ... thought there might be a big Brown Trout lurking in the pool below the falls!

This is the latest in my body of work about waterfalls. It has been a blast learning how to paint these spectacular icons in nature. Hope you enjoy them, too! Acrylic on canvas (20" x 28")

Multnomah Falls

My eldest son and his family love to visit this area in Oregon. This is one of the most recognizable water falls in the west, Multnomah Falls, near Portland and the Columbia River. They sent me several photos of the falls when they returned from their trip. They thought I my like to paint it ... imagine that!

I have been working on a body of work about waterfalls that have special meaning to members of our family. After studying this beautiful falls, I finally settled on this composition. I hope to be able to see it in person someday, but for now, this will have to do! Acrylic on canvas (18" x 24")

Sentinels

My company is building a beautiful custom home in the Red Ledges community in the east Heber Valley. The other day, our marketing director, Jon LeFrandt, took a photo of this majestic bald eagle near our lot. He shared it with our team as the latest visitor to Red Ledges! When I uploaded it to my laptop, I noticed a second eagle across the way atop the tree on the opposite cliffs ... probably the mate of the subject eagle. I just couldn't resist painting this scene! It is a rare site, indeed, to see a pair of bald eagles so up close and personal around here. They truly are majestic birds! Acrylic on canvas (30" x 24")

The Uintah Experience

Growing up in Utah provided me many different types of "nature" opportunities. Within a couple of hours in any direction, we have the gamete of venues ... from high mountain alpine to arid desert; from warm water bass to high mountain trout.

One of my favorite memories from my youth was the many high Uintah experiences my dad and I shared. I have painted several scenes of the Lakes of the High Uintahs over the years ... here is the latest. When I paint scenes like this, I can still smell the trees, and feel the crisp mountain air. I almost can't wait for my fly to "alight" upon the water! Acrylic on canvas (18" x 24")