New Paintings - Winter 2023/24

Flatirons in Winter - Prints Available

Embracing the cold this winter, I did a painting of the Boulder Flatirons caked in snow.  Funny thing is that this photo I used for reference was take in MAY after a mid spring snowstorm a few years ago!

We also spent a weekend recently in Colorado Springs and I took a stab at doing a 1 hour plein air painting in the cold.  Wow!  That was revealing.  I now see how slowly I normally paint.  I definitely left wishing I had another hour or two.  Below is a comparison of a one hour painting of Pike Peak and a 20 hour painting of the same peak done years ago:

Pikes Peak - 1 hour plein air

 

1 hour

20 hours

Painting - Rocky Mountain Bull Elk

This is my latest painting of an autumn landscape with a big bull elk bugling.  It represents what I view as a classic Colorado fall scene.  The elk reference I used in this picture was taken from a photograph I took years ago in Rocky Mountain National Park.  The autumn landscape was taken near the Silverthorne/Vail area on a fall colors photography trip, while the sagebrush in the foreground was taken from yet another photograph.  Putting all these images together in a rough composite allowed me to tweak the composition exactly the way I wanted it.  I then adjusted the lighting so they fit together.  Artist license... it's allowed!

Elk reference photo

Inpiration background photo

Photoshopped reference photo

 Recently, I have been working on my technique with the goal to paint faster without sacrificing quality.  I try to use a larger brush for much of the piece to fill in sections faster giving the illusion of texture and detail, especially in the background.  Another thing that I'm learning is that using a solid reference photograph goes a long way toward creating that realistic, engaging image.  It's fun to compare images from the past to see how you've grown as an artist.  Below is a similar painting I completed when I was in college 15 years ago.  Side by side with this current one, you can see a lot of technical improvements:

15 years ago

Today

Last, here's a complete time-lapse video of the entire painting process:

"Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered."

Anyone who has ever attempted to draw in a photo-realistic style knows how tedious the process can be.  Every little detail of the image must be exact.  Especially with portraits of people.  If one line is in the wrong spot or one shape is too dark or too light, the drawing will not resemble the person.  The most painstaking part of these portraits is the hair.  All the lines don't follow in perfect pattern.  They are haphazard and random, with stray hairs going across the other strands making the work very slow.

As I struggle to create each individual line and shape, it forces me to notice the unique parts that make up a face.   You never really appreciate these details until you're forced to see, analyze and copy each one in an artwork.  It reminds me of the incredible amount of detail there is in every single person, animal, plant and living thing in this world... and God created it all.

Jesus said,

"And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered."  - Matt 10:30


He knows every single detail about every part of us, and far more than we could ever see or understand.  How important and valuable we must be!  How caring and loving is the Great Artist?


"Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit."  - Psalm 147:5

Painting - Aspen Leaf Progression

Just finished a series of watercolor paintings of an aspen leaf as it changes colors in the fall.  I used the same leaf template for all four images.  The first leaf (left) is summer green.  The second is half turned from green to orange/yellow.  The third leaf is showing the peak autumn color, and the fourth is withered brown from when the season ends. 



Click on the images below to view on the artist website/order prints:

Painting - Teton Milky Way

Teton Milky Way - Prints available

There's something about starry skies that can bring about a sense of awe and inspiration for me.  The same goes for mountains.  The infinite space and giant rock forms make us seem small...or make God seem big.

This acrylic painting was taken from multiple images of midnight photo shoots of the Milky Way and predawn images of the Grand Teton Mountain Range from northwestern Wyoming.  In my opinion, the Tetons from near Jackson Hole are the most majestic and jagged peaks in the lower 48 states.  I've wanted to paint them for a while, but have been focusing on summer trips and photography.  A couple of rainy days in the mountains have kept us home giving me the opportunity to paint.


This time-lapse video is approximately 6 hours of painting time condensed into about 4 minutes: