Bold Brush Finalist for March

Just found out that a favorite painting, "High, Wide and Lonesome" is an award winner in the category of a finalist for the March 2012 Bold Brush painting competition. This is the third time I have submitted to this competition this year and the second time my work was recognized. In January my painting "Reflection" was in the top 15% FAV.  Check out the link to the March 2012 award winners.

Forsythia study

Study, 8x6, oil on linen

This weekend I ventured out with my paint box to the garden. It has been too long since I have painted outside from life and the hot spring day called me forth. I wanted to at least make an attempt before the forsythia bush turns green. It has already started as you can see. I opted to start small both in size of canvas and what to paint. Zeroing in on a small area some how feels more doable. It was amazingly hot for late March so I painted quickly just to get out of the sun. There was no convenient place in the shade, and having just had 18+ precancerous spots removed from my face, I am very much aware of the sun again. I do want to make more of an effort to go outside - I had forgotten how good it feels. It doesn't matter how successful this particular study is, I was just so pleased that I did it! There was a blond brick wall behind the bush, in the shade, which helped the yellow pop out from the background.

2012 OPA National Show

Harvard Gulch Alley in Winter - 30x40", oil on canvas

I found out last week that the painting above was accepted into the 2012 Oil Painters of America show, which is not an easy show to be accepted into. This is the second time a painting of mine has been accepted. I was wanting to get into this particular event as the show will be held at the Evergreen Fine Art Gallery. No shipping costs! That is huge. The 2012 Western Regional OPA show will be held in Denver this year as well, so that is of great interest that both of these shows are in Colorado in the same year. It is hard to believe but the two times I have submitted to the regional show, I was not accepted, but I have gotten into two National shows, which have so many more applicants. Go figure. Due to the recession, many well established artists are entering shows more now than before, so that makes the competition that much stiffer. I will post the dates and times as the event draws closer. It is in June.

Cattle Crossing

Cattle Crossing Work in Progress, 12x24, oil on board

Last weekend I started two paintings simultaneously. Neither of them was I able to complete. This one is along the same vein as the painting I posted last week of the cattle in the field. These are both from the same trip to Wyoming, but this one is on the way to Sarasota Springs, so north of Walden, CO. I think the block-in went pretty well, although don't look too closely at the cattle's feet. Talk about a puzzle to work through. I want to keep them as a teeming mass so don't plan on pulling out too much detail. I want the focus to be the main cowboy and his dog.There is another cattle dog that will be at the tail end (literally) of the second cowboy. This has been a nice change from alleys.

Wet Paint

Untitled, 12x24 on board

In an effort to feel like I am accomplishing something I switched to a smaller size and to force myself into having to apply more paint, I chose a plain birch board. Since an unprimed board absorbs the oil in the paint, it means I must paint thickly, which is not my preferred method. I opted for this simple scene that I shot a few years ago on the road between Laramie and Cheyenne. It went quickly despite the fact that I had to apply one dab of paint at a time and I could not scrub my brush to cover large areas. Gives a good  impression of a hot late summer afternoon me thinks.
This painting is in need of a name if anyone is so inclined.

Orange VW Bug - WIP

Orange Bug, 30x30, oil on linen

I am stuck on this painting and not sure if it is completed or not. Either way, it is close and worth showing off if for no other reason than it has been awhile since I posted a painting! I have started a number of posts while this painting has been in progress but I just wasn't satisfied with any of them.
I came upon this scene one afternoon last month while walking home from our local library. It makes me wonder why I never noticed this VW parked there before, being so brightly colored. Maybe it took the bluish snow and purple recycle bin and no leaves on the trees for me to see it as it obviously has been "parked" there for quite some time. I do like the tire marks in the snow and the composition, but if anyone has any helpful suggestions as to what I might be missing, I am open to hearing them. Sometimes I can't see the forest for the trees.

Sunrise Rising Up

yet to be titled Sunrise over Iowa St, 36x36, oil on canvas

After weeks of being unable to work on this painting due to a shoulder injury and then on top of it not being able to keep up with my blog due to my laptop being infected with nasty virus's, we are back in business. My shoulder still cannot take a full day of painting but it seems to be getting better slowly with time. My laptop, after 3 visits to the shop, I pray, is finally clean. One thing I can say though, I am getting used to not feeling drawn to be on the computer since it wasn't available, and I have grown to like it!

I had posted this painting in progress a few weeks ago when it was first started and then I began another, smaller piece in between. That waiting time was good for this painting because when I got back to it, I was ready and it just flowed. The movement and orchestration of the medium value of the trees is critical to the light. This piece is still a work in progress but great headway was made and I wanted to share it. I don't know if I will get to finishing it up this weekend and did not want to wait any longer to post the progress. Where it still needs to go is neither the signs marching up the street to the stop signs, nor the tree structures within the right-hand side mix of leaves and branches, have been completed, along with a few other minor details.

I took this painting in to work this week to see it in another light and it is the best received piece I have brought in to date. Uplifting to all who viewed it. What more could an artist ask? Art should uplift the soul of the viewer. Now to come up with an appropriate title.