Blog

What a week! Spent 4 days in Sedona, 3 of which were attending a workshop with Shelby Keefe. The first day we painted in Sedona off Schnebly Hill Road, where cactus was the order of the day. Day 2 was Junk Day at the amazing Gold King Mine, on the outskirts of Jerome, where we painted on the last day. The drive back down the hill on Saturday offered some amazing golden-light moments at Watson Lake, Prescott, and the rolling back hills that lead toward Wickenburg. The entire trip was quite memorable and the new people I met were equally memorable and fun to paint with. There were many entertaining stories to be told of bee swarms, Cottonwood snow storms, wind-tossed easels, and bird droppings. Such stories get recorded for campfire or coffee house gatherings. Such is the plein air life, which is much different than the cushy indoor painting experience.

Plein air artists are much like sailors and gypsies and this trip reminded me of how much I miss those callings. Meanwhile, I have to remind myself of how important it is to get outside and paint, if not for the adventure of it, for the schooling in observing color and light. So right when the weather is getting too hot, I get the urge to go outside and paint. Go figure. Just the way my life rolls.

Until next time, keep your pencils sharpened.

Fast approaching is the scorching heat of another desert summer. After seeing the first lizards and rattlesnakes, a sure indicator of summer being around the corner is having to turn on the swamp cooler mid-day to cool off the house. And this is only April, folks!

I plan to spend most of the summer painting in a BIG way! Not only have I put myself on a strict painting and marketing schedule, I plan on producing larger work. I plan to split my production between both figurative and western genre this summer with my eye on gallery acceptance for each. So, as you can probably imagine, there will be LOTS of deadlines and careful budgeting along the way. And, I look forward to sharing the journey with you!

I completed my last figurative piece entitled "Edge of Reason" and I am on to the next Western piece. When I am not painting cowboys in action, I like to portray them at rest in their environment. I don't have a title chosen yet, but at the moment, I am leaning toward "Early Morning Warm Up."  The image features a working cowboy, sheltered next to a hillside, warming himself by a small fire. Originally there were two horses in the painting, but I eliminated one to further emphasize the solitude of the piece. The challenges in producing this painting will be many but the one that will prove to be the most challenging is the way in which the heat from the fire changes the items behind it. As always, I am very excited going into a painting on the first day, and although that excitement can turn to frustration about halfway through, I am hopeful it will all work out in the end. Stay tuned!

 Aside: I am hoping to keep everyone updated on a weekly basis by producing one newsletter and 3 blogs each month. This is my first FASO blog, so I apologize in advance if there are technical errors in its appearance. I previously had a self-designed website for myself, but it was SO high maintenance to keep up, it was never current. Since changing to FASO (Fine Art Studio Online), I couldn't be happier. It has been easy to set up, is affordable, has numerous offerings in addition to the website function, and great customer tech support for those moments when I'm feeling like a total technical dweeb.  Sounds like an advertising plug, but honestly, it really works for me. If you want to try it out, let me know and I will give you more information.