Strawberry Point

Three cousins backpacking on a calm, sunny day at the edge of the sea, what could be better than that?

December Evening

This is how nice the weather has been over the Christmas holidays. I'm trying to learn how to handle the new "open" acrylics that have a longer drying time. They just don't have the nice buttery feel of oils so it may take some experimenting but it would be great for field work if I can figure out how to use it properly.

Going Up

This is the easy way on my running route. That's what you get for living near the bottom of the Lackey Road dip! About where that shadow is at the bottom of the dip, is Dutcher Creek, a small salmon stream that forms the west border of my property, a half mile on your left into the woods.

Afternoon Glow

This is what I see on my late afternoon runs.  I love how the back light sets the trees on fire!  

Wild February Sunset

I went out in the kayak this afternoon.  Flat calm, sea lions barking in the distance, birds all around and then this awesome sunset that finally went out in a crimson flash.  Have I mentioned that I live in a most gorgeous place?  

On The Fence

It's a cat painting.... and I enjoyed painting it.... and I like the result!  I'm so excited.  At least for today, I have overcome my cat painting jinx.  I like cats, well, maybe it's more accurate to say that I admire them.  I am also quite allergic to them so I keep my distance.  Of course that means they always come right up and want to sit on my lap.  Cats like people who admire them from a distance.  For some reason, I have had significant difficulty painting them so I'm quite happy with today's efforts, not perfect, but it feels like a real cat to me, so I'm purring.  Cat eyes are just so wonderful to paint! 

Makin A Splash

I've been wanting to try this image for awhile so tonight was experiment night.  I like it well enough to try a larger version I think.  Last one in's a rotten egg!

First Snow

It's still all about snow around here.  I live a half mile down this road which is now covered with over a foot of slush!  I got the car stuck on Christmas eve, it was just too deep to plow through, even with my trusty Subaru.  Guess I should'a asked Santa for some tire chains.  It's raining now though so I'm optimistic about breaking out of here tomorrow.

Winter Apples

Wow!  we are getting an incredible snowfall here, over a foot and still snowing.  This little apple tree is pretty much buried by now.  It is a stunningly beautiful landscape, changes the ordinary into magic.  It's especially nice if you don't have to drive anywhere, and if you have good snow boots.  :>)  I've been taking lots of photos.  In fact, here's one of Murphy in front of the house about 4 this afternoon.  

  

Stayin In

Today was a good day for smart donkeys to stay inside.  The not so smart ones like me actually enjoyed hiking around in the snow storm.  I was glad not to have to commute further than upstairs to the studio to work though.  Another favorite thing to do on a snow day is to check out the critter tracks in the woods.  My closest neighbors are not often seen but I enjoy knowing that they are near by following their tracks in the fresh snow.  

Two Pears

Cuddle Up..... again

Sooooo, after a very long week with my mother in the hospital I will hopefully be back painting soon.  I did revisit this image for an illustration, but that is the only painting I've done in awhile.  I used this mare and foal for the background and overlaid a computer drawn image of a double helix wrapping around their necks with chromosomes floating around.  The composite image will run in the Quarter Horse Journal highlighting an article about the equine genome mapping project.  I can post the complete illustration after it runs in the magazine if anyone is interested.    

BTW, mom is bouncing back from surgery, appreciating the fact that she appears to have several more than nine lives wrapped into this one!  

Turkey Time

I helped my neighbors herd turkeys this afternoon.  They are going to meet their Maker tomorrow to provide Thanksgiving dinner for a few folks.  At least these birds have had a relatively "good" life.  Living in a large pen with a shed in the center, they frequently stage turkey races with lots of flap and gobble gobble in the mornings when I jog by.  I hope whoever eats them next week is thankful. 

More Complements

Revisiting the roma and zebra tomatoes for another complementary color scheme.

Complements

Who knew I'd have so much fun painting vegetables?!  These are the most adorable little eggplants cuddled up to a "lemon boy" tomato.  I may have to revisit another complementary pair for tomorrows post.  Stay tuned....

Sharing Lunch

Here is the completed version of the last post.  It says, "different and compatible" to me in a yin, yang sort of way..... how's that for analysis?   Technically, it's bold and still fresh so I'm stopping now before I over work it to death!   

2 Romas and a Zebra

Well, not a compositional masterpiece but I do really like the highlight on that roma on the right. I've got to get these things painted so I can eat them!

Heirloom

The painting today is in honor of this weekend's wonderful HarvestFest celebration of farms and farmers. The painting didn't turn out anything like I planned but that's the refreshing part of (painting from) life.  When I finished I realized that I'd been pretty much painting in the dark with only the tomato lit, so the colors are quite different from what I thought I was putting down!  At first I thought "oh, yuck!" but now I kind of like it.  I have a couple more of these gorgeously grotesque heirloom tomatoes that I bought at my friend's farm so maybe I'll try another shot at them in the daylight tomorrow.