Red, White and Black horizontal

Another version using the photo reference. This one bringing the white cow out more and using a horizontal format.

12" x 9" oil on canvas

2017 Christmas pins

I was a little late getting these finished due to commissions. I paint watercolor on regular matboard. Then spray them with fixative. Using a sewing needle I string up beads, then dip in acrylic gloss medium and slowly push the beads off the needle. That explains the crooked line of beads. I will sign the pin on the backside then finish up with a coat of the acrylic gloss medium front and back before attaching the clasp.

Red, White and Black

The reference for this is from the garden tour. We had snow yesterday and maybe tomorrow I can get out and try to paint, maybe watercolor painting in my car. 

8" x 10" oil on baltic birch

Merry Christmas

Family

Another version of the commission. 

14" x 11" oil on panel

Tea Party

This is a commission I just finished. After several failed attempts the client was very pleased with this one. I learned a lot and even with all the stress would do it again. 

14" x 11" oil on baltic birch panel

Gray Days of Winter

This was the second painting I did during the Bloomfield plein air painting event. A challenge of  different shades of gray. I have learned to love neutrals. One only need to look at the paintings of Andrew Wyeth to see the possibilities.

9" x 12" oil on baltic panel.

Study of Grays

This time of year the landscape is various grays. Reflections in the water are duller than what they reflect, grayer than gray. For some reason these were also a tinge of green, maybe something in the water that day. Shades of gray are subtle and that is an advantage of painting plein air over photos.

12" x 6" oil on panel

The Arts Enrich Our Lives

Saturday I participated in a plein air competition in Bloomfield, Iowa. A favorite part of these events is reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. Richard Dutton, now a retired college art teacher made the two and a half hour drive to participate. He was also my first watercolor workshop teacher over twenty five years ago. I remember he started by saying he wakes up every day looking forward to teaching art. At 78 he is still teaching workshops, entering competitions and art fairs. A true teacher, he came over and advised me to stop on this painting or I could end up overworking it. I was his competitor in this event and won first place with it. When trying to explain why the arts matter I am reminded of Richard active and still enjoying this long after "retirement"

8" x 10" oil on panel.