My Sissy

Our beloved English Setter, Sissy.   Had to say goodbye to her this week.  Painting followed to help ease the pain of missing her.  She was 15 years old, a long life for a bird dog.  She will live on in our hearts forever.

Don't Feed the Bears!

Was just going to shoot the Trillium flowering at the Chimney's the other day and was given this little photo op as well.  Someone left the lid open to the dumpster and this is what happened.  This poor guy already has two ear tags "proving" he is a problem bear.  Three strikes and he is out.  Not fair I say.  Nice nails though, wonder who does them?  Wish I could grow mine that long.  BTW, don't let the cropping of this image fool you.  I was also in my jeep with the windows UP (and hastily driving by) - a drive-by shooting you might say.  I would later learn that Park Officials had to relocate this bear due to the fact that he now had been "fed" by humans and could potentially pose a danger to visitors by frequenting this camping area.  PLEASE REMEMBER TO CLOSE THE LID!

Baby Blue and Table for Two

Can't really say I am an avid bird watcher.  But with the weather warming up some the birds are showing up in abundance.  They are busy planning out their hang outs for the season and reminding me that I too should prepare for a busy summer.

Mountain Laurel Study

I have to admit these complex flower groups are hard to paint.  Love the species of flower, hate the time it takes to relay to impression to the canvas.  Each flowerett is different than the one next to it and there are so many....  it takes a little discipline to take a stoke of the brush and not duplicate it over and over in some mechanical, meaningless way.  Richard Schmid said it best when he related flowers to naughty little children, each one competing for our attention.

Rocky Flats

Rainy, damp, cold and muddy days are the best!  No kidding.  It only takes a smidgen' of dreariness in the air to make me want to paint.  A pot of coffee on and I'm zoned out.  Now there was no way I was going to sit out in the cold and paint these guys and just a photo won't be enough reference material, sooooo I spend a little time in my warm car and study the scene for awhile.  What color is the mountain in the background?  No camera could adequately reproduce that violet color so I decide right then and there what I will need to mix the right hues.  Will I remember all of this?  You bet.  Do those guys in the painting wonder what in the world I am up too?  You bet.

Community Bath

There is that crazy lady again.  I saw her screeching to a stop in her jeep, do a 180 and pull up next to a puddle filled with birds.  What is she photographing?  Can't you give her something for this condition?

Now she has gone and used pumice in her gesso!  Wait a minute, see how the texture grabs the "water sparkle"?  Time for bed, I'm speaking to myself in 3rd person...

Winter on the Greenbriar

Back to reality now, it was one of those days when the snow was almost completely melted and emptied into the river, turning it a beautiful pastel teal color.  Where does it come from?  Not sure.  I know that snow also makes a lake blue.  Anybody know why?  Another mystery I ponder...why does snow in the shadows appear purplish blue?  I'm embarrassed I don't know the answer to that.  Just paint it Kathy and stop asking so many questions.  I used my handy artist license and cropped out excess foliage.  Simplify, simplify, simplify!!!