Still More Desert Painting

Today I was out painting the desert again. The weather was just perfect for outdoor work with no wind and the temperature just right! I always learn something when I paint in front of nature. The colors, the lights and darks, the shapes and textures are amazing teachers. Each painting is like a problem and I have to work to find the solution. Even paintings that don't succeed can have great lessons in them.

A Year Later!

This was cool. I got an email from someone who wanted to buy a painting that was in a gallery a year ago. Her aunt loved it and is back in town again. The buyer had taken a picture of the label with my name and found me. I met her today to sell the painting of my bad puppy. Her aunt loves Boston Terriers even when they are naughty!

Presidents Day

Back to the same great spot looking at the McDowell Mountains. I still need to work on the first painting of the mountains and some cacti. The second one I did during the last hour of my morning. It is of a palo verde tree that is still alive but bent and dead in some parts because of flooding in the wash it grows in. I was enjoying the contrast of light and shadow in this view.

Valentines Day in the Desert

Well I was up and at it early on a Monday morning. Instead going off to the office it was back to the desert for a painting session. These on site plein air paintings are so much fun. That is the only way to truly see the colors and lights and darks. It is a challenge to get it nailed down because the sun is changing every thing by the minute!

Beautiful Saturday in the Desert!

Today I forced myself to get up and out of the house (instead of a lazy morning with coffee,the paper, the news, the dogs on my lap)and drove to McDowell Mountain Conservation Area. This area was set aside 20 years ago and as part of the anniversary about 15 painters set up to paint this beautiful area. I had never been to this trail head and will definitely be back...bathrooms, water, shade and gorgeous scenery! Here are the paintings I got done this morning.The wet oil paint has a lot of glare in the sun..sorry!

Photo at work

I ran across a photo of me at work painting at the Glendale Chocolate Affair. The Glendale Daily Planet is a website that covers Glendale news. I guess he lost my name, but he did post a little picture. You can see the house in front of me.

The Love Shack

Yesterday was the City of Glendale(AZ) Chocolate Affair Plein Air Paint Out. This even includes carnival rides, vendors, bands and everything chocolate. It draws a big crowd. Last year they reserved parking for artists to return at the end of the day with their paintings. This year they didn't so I found a little house not too far a walk from where I parked. This little house is turned into a shop and was all decked out for Valentines Day. I edited most of the stuff but left the Love Sign and some of the hearts. It was pretty chilly most of the day and the sun really struggled to break through.

Apache Escarpment

This is an escarpment on the White Mountain Apache Reservation. I think this painting is finished, or close to it. This was a spectacular big of geology off the road that we did not have permission to go to. We did walk over and take some photos though. It had several aspens that just glowed in contrast to the pines. I am not sure I was able to capture it, but I tried. This is an acrylic 2x4 feet.