Winter Glow

Our group painting class asked that we do a study that would teach them how to paint a winter scene that could be used as a personalized Christmas card. They chose one of my earlier paintings depicting a quaint little snow covered cabin as a subject. Though we are painting that particular scene, I wanted to try another approach on my own, so I came up with this composition. I enjoyed doing this peaceful scene depicting the soft glow of winter. Acrylic on canvas 24"x18"

Fishing the shadows

The dramatic morning light in these high mountain lakes makes for a unique setting for a painting. I have always wanted to paint this scene, and finally took the opportunity. Acrylic on canvas 24"x18"

Woody

Every spring, this little guy returns to our yard and makes his presence known by rattling every tree with a bug in it! He is relentless in his efforts and is fun to watch. This is my latest installment to my "Backyard Birds" body of work. Acrylic on canvas 12"x12"

Tetons over Jackson Lake

This is my latest installment to my Teton and Yellowstone collection. In May, we spent a couple days in the Jackson area as we returned home from our Yellowstone trip with Kris and Stephanie, and their two boys. This view of the Tetons was particularly impressive to me ... the majesty and sheer scale of this place underwrites its grandeur. It had snowed and rained almost our entire trip, but this one day for a few hours at Jackson Lake lodge, the clouds opened just a little to show off this incredible vista. It didn't last long, however ... the storms quickly rolled in once more. But it was enough to be reminded of just how beautiful God's creations are!

Booboo

Maureen recently spent some time with her friend, Missy, up in the Sierra Nevadas (see last post). They hiked a lot picking Elder berries along the way. They saw a particularly berry-laden bush, and decided to return a little later to harvest its fruit. However, when they returned just a short time later, they discovered that a black bear had beaten them to it and picked it clean!

When she told me the story, I remembered my many bear encounters and decided to paint this in their honor! I call him, "Boo boo" ...

Missy's braided bristle cone pine

My wife's friend often passes this old tree while riding and/or hiking in the Sierra Nevadas. Maureen asked if I would be willing to paint it for her ... of course, I was up for it! I had never tried to paint such a subject before ... it was challenging, yet fun! Maureen took the finished painting to her a few weeks ago. Upon her arrival, they promptly found a frame for it, hung it in her home, and then later hiked up to see the actual tree in person! Thanks, Missy, for the opportunity!

Stormy Seas

We all long for "smooth sailing" during our life's journey, but Father knew that there are some things we just can't learn from calm waters. Some life's lessons can only be learned by navigating through stormy seas. I have painted several such pieces through the years ... this is my latest representation of this principle ...