Unfinished Oil on canvas 11 x14 $250

 
  Been a long time since I last posted-had been extremely busy and then went to Sicily and southern Italy-brought back lots of ideas for paintings that will begin this weekend. Now that summer is here there are additional responsibilities beyond painting-hope to get some more plein air paintings done this summer. This work began as a loose study in color and then evolved into this interesting piece. For those who had been following my work realize that is outside my usual comfort zone. Am trying to challenge myself to use more color and perhaps be a tad less conventional and tonal (in at least some of my work).

Gore Range Trail 2-Finished 16 x20 oil on canvas $450 unframed

     The painting is finished-you can see the evolution from start to finish with some refinements to completed portions-especially in the sky. The ground, with predominance of the rusts and oranges with just a hint of green gives the feel of an upper elevation meadow after nights of frosts and lessening sunlight. I have changed the composition somewhat from the previous Gore Range posted earlier. Let me know which composition you prefer.

Gore Range 2 preliminary-getting there

  The mid and foreground on the left side of the painting is beginning to take shape-the colors are those of late summer with rust and golds predominating-longer shadows also occur as the sun begins to lay lower in the sky-especially in the mountains.

Gore range 2 Preliminary step 4

  The painting is beginning to come together-notice some of the changes in the clouds, the magenta does filter through the trees adding a warmth and contrast to the green-the complimentary colors make each stand out more than they might otherwise.

Gore Range -2 Preliminary step 3

  Again in this type of painting I do the more distant mountains first-I like to work while the sky is still wet to avoid hard edges and afford me the ability to blend the colors at the edges.

Gore Range 2-preliminary step2

  In a painting with mountains and trees reaching into the sky I typically paint the sky next-I like to help with the mood-watch the cloud in the upper center of the painting-it will change during the course of the painting.

Gore Range-2 preliminary 16 x20

  This is an updated version of one of my favorite compositions-see previous post for another earlier version. This is the preliminary sketch using magenta acrylic for the shapes and values. Additional posts will demonstrate some of the processes to the final. After the final posting will be in Italy getting some ideas for additional paintings and won't be back until mid-May. Thanks for reading and viewing my posts

Early Snow-After the Melt oil on board 8 x10 $75 unframed

  This painting is from a scene bewteen Leadville and Copper Mountain Colorado. A late summer snow followed by the warm sun resulted in only patches of snow at the lower levels giving testament to the storm that had passed through. The upper elevations had a bit more than a dusting. I used a simplified palette here with a burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, cadmium red, just a touch of cadmium blue and of course white-which gave rise to a color scheme that is unified as well. The colors in the peaks are also found in the shadows, the snow and the flowing stream. The conifers and the stream lead the eye into the center of the painting-the peaks.