Standing Tall

This young black bear is standing up so he can see what you are up to.  Although he's probably just curious, now is a good time to talk nice and back your way up the trail!  Black bears come in a variety of colors from charcoal to cinnamon to the creamy white spirit bears of British Columbia.

Grey

I posted this painting a couple of weeks ago, a bit prematurely.  I think this rework is more successful. 

Squirrel Condo

This is a golden mantled ground squirrel.  I'm still struggling to get that light right.  I do like playing with thicker paint though.  I have faith that I'll get it together one of these days if I keep the (almost) daily painting thing going!

Trick Falls

This is Trick Falls on the east side of Glacier Park.  In the spring it is a double decker falls but later in the summer water cascades out of the lower part only, hence the name.  The native people call it Running Eagle Falls.  

Wild Rose and the Beetle

Here is an intimate view of the wild landscape.  Wild roses are a great food source for many types of critters from bugs and birds to humans.  The fruit, rose hips, are a terrific source of vitamin C when they ripen in the fall.  

Total Eclipse of the Moon

It's not often that the weather cooperates over Washington State in February for viewing a total lunar eclipse and with the added bonus of occurring early in the evening, this one just had to be recorded in a nighttime plein air paint scribble!  It's obvious why this is called a "blood moon".

Morning Shadows

I feel a serious bout of spring fever coming on after a hike up Green Mountain today.  This memory of early morning sunshine on a the trail to Siyeh Pass in Glacier will have to hold me for a few more months since we have such a good snow pack in the Olympics and Cascades this year.

Forest Ghost

I usually only paint from my own experiences and this was from a most amazing encounter last summer with 3 wolf pups fooling around exploring their world in Glacier park.  I was happy to keep this little sketch gestural and hopefully captured a bit of the intensity in those eyes.

Jay Talk

There are 4 or 5 Stellar Jays that frequent the bird feeder outside my studio.  I think it is a pair and last years brood.  They can be raucously entertaining and they are quite opinionated about what's going on around them.  Such an effervescent blue character to critique my work!

Happy Feet

From happy valentine to happy feet.  This is a Gentoo penguin boppin his way along the ice. Thanks to Pat Rush for the photo reference.

Happy Valentine

I'm not much for this kind of "holiday" but I sure won't complain about a little more love in the world... xoxoxo   

Zoe Up Close

Well, here's a change of pace for you..... a one hour special (maybe a scootch more)  Thick, juicy paint, how fun! My inspiration was a well loved old boxer dog named Zoie.  We all took advantage of a sun break today for a walk on the beach, just makes you want to shake all over.

Sharing the Trail

I added this to the Glacier blog too.  I've been working on this painting for a few days and it might need a bit more work, I'm not sure, I'll give it some time off and look again.  A family group of mountain goats passed by with a quizzical look as I gave them passing room on the trail.

Caucus 2008

Yesterday we caucused for Barack Obama.... a first, not only for my nephew but for me too.  (just so you know, Matthew was not "pimped out" for this event.)  I see my vote for Obama as a vote for the kind of change we desperately need in our country.  If the man can inspire me enough to get involved in politics, well, you should be impressed!  I'm now a "delegate" and I'm proud to move our local vote up the chain.   Obamacrats unite!   

Colorful Grey

Now back to more familiar subject matter.  This one's not quite finished but the horse is nearly there.  It's quite different switching from the textured canvas to this smooth board.  This surface is nice for the seamless blending of slick coated horse hide.  

Madd Housewife

Here is the last of the paintings for our "coffee" show.  It's the three C's, coffee, chocolate and cabernet. This one is really out of my element but it was a good challenge.  Notice the lampwork glass bottle stopper from my friend Brynn. The chocolate I did in a few days ago, the wine I'm working on right now... there are perks to being a painter!

Breakfast at the Float

This is our favorite waitress, Whitney, at the Floatation Device restaurant.  The "Float" is actually a red-neck bar but they serve up a great breakfast and lots of character.   

Study Hall

Here's an inside image for this cold and wet February day.  We have a group show about coffee going on at the Kimball Gallery coffee shop in Gig Harbor and this is one of the images I made for it.  I was particularly pleased with the composition of this piece.