Elk Journey

Just before Christmas, I was commissioned to complete a large painting for a man's study which featured snow and elk. I was so thrilled to be asked to do this because of all the things my dad used to love to paint, mountain landscapes combined with deer and elk were among his favorites. Because of that, there is a special connection I feel with him whenever I paint these subjects.

This was a creative challenge for me as I have never painted snow (to this extent) or elk, for that matter.

What you can't see in the finished painting is all the back and forth and creative input that goes into the painting between myself and the client. When it is done, it definitely feels like a combined effort.

I've shown the original sketch because I thought you might be interested in seeing how the initial photo layout transformed into a beautiful, peaceful painting for the client's study. As I look at this sketch, I think about the level of trust this person had that I could go from step A (the original idea) to step B (the final).

I learned more than I ever thought I'd care to know about elk as I poured over websites of our National Parks and read an entire book about elk. I put as much personality as possible into each of the elk and thoroughly enjoyed it once I had done my research. These bull elk are portrayed during their journey up the mountain. There are no females or young ones because they leave several weeks ahead of the rest of the herd in the autumn.

Originally, I thought it might be interesting to add a little cabin in the back of the woods, but my client thought an eagle in the sky above the elk would be a better idea. It might be hard to see among the contrast of the trees (which was how we intended it to appear), but it was a perfect suggestion and adds such a wonderful touch!

...oh, and by the way, one of my dad's trademark accents was to add an eagle in the sky of his paintings.

:0)

Elk Journey

3'x4' oil on canvas

Private Collection

Autumn Gloria (Small Study)

For the beauty of the earth,

For the glory of the skies;

For the love which from our birth,

Over and around us lies;

Lord of all,

to Thee we raise

this our hymn of grateful praise!

~Folliott S. Pierpoint

"Autumn Gloria" (Small Study)

8"x10" oil on canvas $55+s/h

Japanese Tea Garden Koi (Small Study)

My original photo for this small study was taken in the Japanese Tea Garden of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. We were blessed by a lovely, sunny (!) March day and enjoyed a walk through the Japanese Tea Garden. I remember being slightly disappointed that we were missing all the Spring color that would be present in the flowering trees had we been there a few weeks later, but the koi certainly didn't disapoint with their jewel-like tones.

For Asian cultures, koi are good luck signs in business and life. I have read that there is even a blue version of koi, and I will be on the lookout now. I'm tempted to paint a much larger version of this - the colors were so fun, with the lighting and water almost giving an abstract effect to the painting.

"Japanese Tea Garden Koi" (Small Study)

8"x10" oil on canvas $55+s/h (tax if applicable)

A Tree Of Life

In a mood to paint something whimsical and fun, I decided to paint my own version of a "Tree of Life" and fill it with symbols that were meaningful to me. This marks a return to a style I used when I was much younger and did far less realistic paintings and drawings. In that sense, I allowed myself to be more creative and less literal.

The hardest part may have been choosing what to put on the branches of my tree of life. Each item has a special meaning, of which I will give you only the basics so you can participate by filling in your own connections as you view it.

Here is a list of a few of the items and what they represent:

• Hummingbird - "timeless joy & the nectar of life"
• Morning Glory - "affection" & "resurrection"
• Dove - "peace"
• Snail - "perseverance & determination"
• Apple - "Old and New Testaments"
• Pear - "Christ's love for all of mankind"

The "tree of life" is mentioned several times in the Bible. According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, "the tree of life became a common poetic simile to represent that which may be a source of great blessing."

I kept thinking my painting wasn't finished so I painted until I could go no further. I'm still not entirely sure why I added the word "hope" but thought it was interesting to discover after the fact (Really! Completely unintentional!) that Proverbs 13:12 reads: "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life."

"A Tree of Life"
18"x24" oil on canvas, gallery wrapped

Footbridge on the Path to Ninian's Cave

I love doing commissions that capture a specific time and place for the individual I am painting for because I know they will look at it when it is finished and it will take them back into a special memory and place. I'm so glad to be able to do that for them. This particular travel photo was taken on a footpath on the way to St. Ninian's cave in Scotland.

Thankfully, the person I painted it for was very patient because it took a long time for me to know exactly how I was going to execute all this...GREEN. I wanted to achieve a balance because if I painted it all green it would lose character, but if I took out too much green it would lose it's Scottish-ness. I reached back to my childhood and remembered what it was like exploring various footpaths in the English countryside and how that was one of my earliest memories of adventure on untrodden paths. As a child the sudden appearance of a creek or little bridge was exciting and to this day, there is something that enchants me when I see water flowing over rocks.

"Path to St. Ninian's Cave"

11"x14" oil on canvas, private collection

Trois Plus Un (Small Study)

Every year about this time, I start to be a little sad that the summer fruits are on their way out and our selection will turn to the year round varieties...not that they are so bad in and of themselves...but I do miss the fresh berries, plums, nectarines and peaches. Summer fruit salads are like being given permission to have dessert with dinner. The endless combinations are more fun than the fall/winter versions, in my opinion.

At first I thought I might need to highlight the Three Plus One...Plum a little more, but I kind of like it as an "afterlook" so that's the way I left it.

"Trois Plus Un" (Small Study)

8"x10" oil on canvas, $55 + s/h (tax when applicable)

Around the Bend (Journeys Series #4)

"Around the Bend" is part of a continuing series I'm doing on roads and journeys. Something about roads grabs me and makes me feel all philosophical. I painted this from a photo we snapped when a car full of kids and I were driving home on County Road 257 from Galveston one morning this summer. A tropical storm was entering the Gulf and the clouds were a fascinating contrast from one side to the other. It seemed that what was around the bend was pretty menacing, but once we came around, it wasn't nearly as bad as we had anticipated.

"Around the Bend - Journey Series #4"

10"x20" oil on canvas

"When I left...my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does. It has a fascination of its own, that bend, Marilla."

~Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Rosita's Bridge, San Antonio (Small Study)

A friend of mine recently started watercolor painting and had painted a picture of Rosita's Bridge on the Riverwalk at LaVillita in San Antonio. This reminded me that I had a file of reference photos of my own trips to San Antonio and I was inspired to do this small study. In the past, I've walked by this area which features a stage on the right side and outside seating on the left (not seen here).

If you continue up and to the left you can visit a very charming shopping and arts area known as La Villita Historic Arts Village which pays homage to San Antonio's first established neighborhood. We happened upon it during our last trip and were pleasantly surprised at all the quaint shops and welcoming shopowners combined with some wonderful San Antonio history.

"Rosita's Bridge" (Small Study)
8"x10" oil on canvas, SOLD

Peanut Butter Jelly Time - Small Study

My goodness, life has been busy and I have gone 3 weeks without painting! Aaarrghh. I needed to do a little warm up before I started back on some of my larger, long term works and wasn't quite sure what subject matter to choose. Around lunchtime, I decided to have some fun and make myself the kind of peanut butter jelly sandwich I would've eaten as a child (before we had any idea at all about grams of fat per tablespoon): lots of peanut butter and lots of jelly (with a tall glass of ice cold milk - definitely not my usual diet!) Sometimes, I wish I was still a kid so I could eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich everyday, that's how much I like them. Some people like to go light on the peanut butter and heavy on the jelly, or maybe the other way around. Several members of my family add bananas (for extra nutritional value?) There are lots of versions out there. Didn't Elvis like his fried? I usually don't use white bread, but I decided that I needed to make it on white bread for the sake of my artwork. Oh, the sacrifices we artists make! My sister called while I was working and asked what I was painting. She kind of paused like she wasn't sure what to say to that, but artists enjoy most painting the things we love. Can you tell that I love PBandJ by looking at this painting? I hope so.

"Peanut Butter Jelly Time" Small Study

8x10 oil on canvas, NFS

"Hunger of the mind and spirit is as strong as hunger of the belly."

~Camille Pissarro

Nanny's Vase (Small Study)

There's something about the way glass and crystal reflects the light and catches my eye. Same goes for clear water in streams. For a long time now, I've wanted to try my hand at painting crystal so when I had this beautiful bouquet of roses on my counter in a very special vase (pink roses "Belinda's Dream" and red roses "Oklahoma"), I thought a small study would be a good start. I knew it wouldn't be easy to capture the colors and design of the crystal.

The vase is one that I picked up a long time ago from a family friend and avid collector of treasures and garage sale finds whom we called "Nanny." Nanny took great relish in her garage sale discoveries and was known to give you a good deal on an item when she re-sold it if she thought you loved it as much as she did. I believe she might have even raised the price if she thought you didn't love the object as much as she did! I bought this at a time when the family budget was tight and it definitely wasn't on the list of household necessities. I think Nanny knew that because she gave me a bargain. I swear the flowers look even more lovelier when I pull out this vase to hold them.

I look forward to trying my brush at more glass and crystal. I can't offer this one up for purchase as it was snatched up before I could get it posted.

"Nanny's Vase"
8"x10" oil on canvas, SOLD

An aside: If you don't have an Oklahoma rose, do yourself a favor and go out and get one! Heaven scented!!