I love storms. I am awed by nature and it’s beauty. Storms are so powerful, and are truly sublime. Yesterday, driving home from Georgia, I drove through a supercell thunderstorm. It stretched from Columbia, South Carolina, to Charlotte, North Carolina. The winds whipped my truck, and caused the trees to dance before it. Lightning spread like spiderwebs across the sky. Rain pounded down. The clouds were in the most interesting shapes, like scallops, and castles, and all kinds of stuff, moving down. On the edges, the sun shining through made the world bright orange. It was beautiful, and scary.
This painting is large, to increase visual experience. It is about a strong storm, and the way it interacts with man made things. I love storms, and the power of nature, especially in wetter, humid climates.
Filed under Abstracts by on Jun 14th, 2010. 4 Comments. 
I know it has been a while since I did a post. We had a family crisis.
This painting is called Copper Canyon. It started as a very abstract painting, but then as I began painting over it I saw the mountain appearing and it looked beautiful, so I went with it. This is a great example of letting the artwork speak to you, and tell you what you need to do with it.
This is an award winning painting, and a fun take on a landscape.
Filed under Artist Tips by on Jun 3rd, 2010. 2 Comments.
Sometimes we have to go with instinct. Sometimes we need to change what we do, simplify, and just let it happen.
I was painting with Lynley one day, and I had some paint on my hands. I wiped it on the canvas. She told me to do the whole painting like that. I was to use my fingers.
This was an interesting experience. I think the rawness came out in the painting, helping the energy of the painting. It was rather fun.
Filed under Oil Painting Technique by on May 24th, 2010. 2 Comments.
Lynley and I had a nice time in Macon, Georgia for the cherry blossom festival. I have a group of fans down there that enjoy my Macon area paintings. In order to maybe make a few local sales I painted this picture. It is of the Hay House, one of the local mansions, from one of the parks looking past some cherry trees. I had a lot of interest in the painting, but hadn’t sold it. Last week I received a call from a person who wanted to buy it for his anniversary present. This is my most recently sold piece.
This mansion is just around the corner from my old apartment, in the beautiful, historic downtown area of Macon. Spring in Macon is amazingly beautiful. The cherry blossoms pop out because they are against a dark background. In order to give them depth I have multiple layers of color in the trees.
Filed under Landscapes by on May 20th, 2010. 3 Comments.
First, let me give credit where it is due. Lynley started this painting. I moved it around, changed some things, and finished it. Therefore, it is by both of us. A duet, I guess.
You know those days where everything goes wrong, when things feel quite bleak? Yet in spite of it all you push through, because you know the future will be better? That is what this painting represents. That is a lot of what life can be like. I gain inspiration from watching the lives of those close to me, and how they deal with adversity.
Filed under Abstracts by on May 18th, 2010. 1 Comment.
When I was a child, we lived out west. I loved the mountains, and going camping, because it was so pretty and green. I thought the desert was ugly. Part of this was that I lived in a desert. The only trees around were ones people had planted, or those growing at high elevations in the mountains.
I still love trees and mountains, but as I grew older, I began to see a beauty in the desert.
My Senior year of college at Utah State, I was lucky enough to room with my cousin. He is really fun, and we did everything together. My family had moved to Indiana, so I was only able to see them at Christmas, and during the summer, so the rest of the time I spent breaks with him.
My cousin was engaged by Spring Break. His Fiance was from Emory County, in the desert of East Central Utah. We decided to go camp near her family in the San Rafael Swell. It was lots of fun.
This is a painting of the San Rafael Swell in early spring. Notice the cliffs, the Juniper trees, and the overall wildness of the scene. That is what I like about the area.
Filed under Landscapes by on May 13th, 2010. 2 Comments.
Life is interesting.
One of the most fun and frustrating parts of life is the ever changing nature of it. Nothing stays the same. Everything we do has an effect on our future, so our lives are constantly shifting. Everything we do has a consequence, no matter how small.
I have chosen to represent this idea in this painting. Everything flows forward and back, up and down. It is like water, in that it tries not to stand still.
Filed under Abstracts by on May 11th, 2010. 1 Comment.
Earlier this week I posted a view of Apple Orchard Falls, from close up. I was showing the movement of the water, and focusing on the composition. The next day I painted this painting, a different view of Apple Orchard falls. This painting shows the whole falls. Again, this is one of my favorite places in Virginia.
It is fun to show the different characteristics of the same subject. That is why artists do series of paintings of the same thing. For example, Claude Monet did his haystack series, painting the same haystacks, in different lights, different times of day, and different compositions. It is a great way to play with the elements of art and composition, since you already have a subject you have explored.
I hope you enjoy this painting of a beautiful place.
Filed under Oil Painting Technique by on May 7th, 2010. 4 Comments.
The quality of light on a landscape comes from a lot of different things. These include the angle of the sun, the humidity or lack thereof, the time of day, whether or not one is near water, etc.
I chose to paint this picture of Greece because of the interesting quality of light. The sun is reflecting off of the ocean, and backlighting the buildings. I also enjoy the interesting shapes of the buildings, and the shape of the ruins.
I am glad when Lynley went to Greece, she had me in mind as she took pictures. I have made a lot of paintings from them!
Filed under Artist Tips by on May 5th, 2010. 2 Comments.
When my wife first moved up to Lynchburg, Virginia, I was very excited. It looked like a beautiful city. A month later I came up for graduation of the upper class, and was excited to be able to see mountains. One of my favorite past-times is being in the mountains, but I had lived away from them for 10 years.
I started hiking around the Blue Ridge mountains every time I was in town long enough. Apple Orchard falls was one of my first hikes here, and I have returned many times.
Apple Orchard falls is beautiful but different every season of the year. In winter, it is easiest to see the whole falls, as the leaves are not on the trees. Spring has a high water flow, and the rhododendrans around the falls are blooming. Summer is lush, and beautiful. In the fall, the water level is lower, but there are less hikers, and the leaves floating in the water add an interesting touch of color.
I have portrayed the falls in summer. I have included some foliage to give an impression of the trees, and have focused on one area of the falls to show the dynamic quality of the water. This is a beautiful place, and well worth the hike!
Filed under Landscapes by on May 3rd, 2010. 4 Comments.
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