Pleasant Cloud Shadows

 I take my camera everywhere I go, well I used to anyway until I started carrying a cell phone, then I thought it was easier to take photos with the cell phone. Nothing beats a fully adjustable digital SLR. I digress...

Any whoooo... I took a picture one day while I was in the Costco parking lot in Lehi Utah, looking toward Pleasant Grove to the east. The hills were just starting to turn red and golden, and despite a few clouds in the sky it was a beautiful day. In the photo there are houses and trees in the foreground that are in shadow... I had originally intended for those to be in the composition as a way of grounding it. Maybe that painting will happen in the future.

Here is the first small (4x6) study, its not exactly the same format I was planning on for the final painting, but I mostly wanted to see what some of the colors on the top of the mountain would look like..

I started a number of new paintings at the same time, I started this one first, but it came together last.

At this point in the process it seemed like the painting might make it... the bright bluish purple hills in the background to the right are a nice anchor and a good medium value between the top of the hills and the bottom foreground.

You can see that the color is off a little bit between the image above and this "official" image. There was more I could have done with the clouds, but knowing my tendency to overwork clouds I stopped while it still felt fresh.

This painting is currently at the Dixie Invitational show in ST. George Utah. If it comes back I will post the particulars....

Two rather different pieces

This is a little gem that I did a few years ago that just came back from a gallery up north. I am going to do a few paintings in this vein and thought it might be a good starting point...

Pioneer Pond looking toward American Fork

7x14 inches, Oil $525

 It seems like there are a lot of paintings with shadowed hills and water coming out of the studio lately. this one is rather different than the one above.. lots of reds and purple, black/silver frame...

Red tree

9x12 inches, Oil $625

Near the Lions back

Moab is famous for 4x4 and bike trails, one of the most notable obstacles in days past was the Lions back, a difficult descent and even harder ascent. there are some great videos of vehicles losing control and terrific crashes, this is possibly why they have closed it to traffic.

It has been a cold and windy week, the day I painted this it was humid and rainy. The Scene was all cool purples and violets... about 1/2 way through the sun came out and lit up everything with golden light. I might do more of these, I like the foreground, but it doesn't feel exactly right in this study, it needs a little more depth, in the color and value changes, and the shapes defining the contours of the landscape. Still an OK painting.

 

Paintings from Moab and the Colorado River

Here is a painting I did after the Kickstarter Project was done. I went a little faster and more abstract; against my instincts to slow down and tighten up with details as the painting was finishing.

"I'll have mine on the rocks" 

10x15 inches oil

 $850 

Paintings from the project that are still available directly from me. all the 5x7s are unframed, but the others include frames.

"2nd chance"

 9x12 inches oil 

$625 

"3 hour island" 

9x12 inches oil 

$625 

"8 PM" 

5x7 inches oil

 $225 

"Camp chair 1" 

5x7 inches oil 

$225 

"Camp chair 2" 

5x7 inches oil 

$225 

"Juxtaposed" 

8x10 inches oil

sold

"Light truck's Envy"

 9x12 inches oil 

$625 

"TLR (The Lone Ranger) Country"

 5x7 inches oil 

$225

"Mid-day washed out" 

5x7 inches oil

 $225 

"NBC (Negro Bills Canyon) Rocks" 

5x7 inches oil

 $225 

"Night jumper" 

5x7 inches oil 

$225 

"no more jet boats" 

5x7 inches oil 

$225

 

"Nocturne on the Colorado River" 

5x7 inches oil

 $225

 

"Once more from the Top" 

15x10 inches oil 

$850 

 
"Your Turn"
9x12 inches oil
$625

 "Outta Breath" 

5x7 inches oil

"Potash road" 

8x10 inches oil

sold

"Split personality" 

8x10 inches oil 

sold

 

"Any Direction" 

5x7 inches oil

 $225 

"Last Chance" 

5x7 inches oil

 $225 

"Lazy Fish Shadows" 

5x7 inches oil 

$225

Moab Plein Air 2012

Its Friday here in Moab, the Competition is over, we are waiting for the judges to award the ribbons. It is hailing at the present moment, I hope that my tent is still standing....

I got into moab Wednesday about 3 pm, I wanted to get a painting of Moab from the cliffs to the west of town. I thought I could hike the cliff trail I had painted form last week ( I came down to registar my surfaces and paint one day), but I was running out of time, energy, and water. I was close to the top but couldn't take any chances, so I stopped near the top. I painted looking toward where the Pot Ash road and Highway 191 meet up. I hiked down the mountain in the dark with a headlamp.

I spent the first night camped on the Colorado, right on the banks. A very relaxing night of sleep, and the best thing to wake up to in the morning, I could hear the fish jumping in the water.

I painted the Cliffs across the river, here is the start of a painting (the finished product is at the bottom of the page.)

In the Afternoon a "Quick Draw" was held, the rules were 3 hours, and we had to paint within a block of center and main street. I was parked in the street with my easel facing south (toward Eddie McStiff's). My wife and mom would say I am being to critical on myself here... but I didn't think the painting I did was the best ever. But I also don't usually paint cityscapes.

I got 2nd place in the quick draw! it comes with a couple of gift certificates too! I'll post a better picture when I get it back on Saturday.

I didn't have time to work on another painting last night, and I thought maybe I would get one done this morning, but the rain and thunder woke me up around 3 and I don't think I really ever went back to sleep. There was a nice waterfall at the top of Moon Flower Campground (that is where I am staying tonight too) and I was tempted to take a shower here... but I was rather cold already.

I entered the 9x12 cliff painting I did the other morning.. I called it "Moon Shadow" because the hills in the background look like a bum sticking up in the air... HA.

I have about 30 hours to paint and take pictures now.. I'll report on the results of the competition and sales, if there are any.

new painting

This little jewel came together very fast.... it's painted on a 8x10 inch Utrecht archival panel. The surface is not as smooth and wonderful as the Fredrix brand Belgian Linen archival panels that I really love. (I just ordered 2 dozen of those in 9x12 inches to keep me busy for the next few months.)