Moving this blog to...

Moving to HERE! See you in 2010!

Edge of the World

Oil on canvas 12x16 $225

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Edge of the World

Oil on canvas 5x7 $75

The title of this one evokes the feeling of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and the series that I have been exploring in my paintings of this amazing place. This particular spot will be familiar to any of those that have hiked down the Kaibab Trail.

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Sink and Mirror - An Old Friend

Oil on canvas 50x40(approx) Private Collection

This was a painting I had not seen for years, and had never taken picture of. A kind of image I will probably return to someday. More about multiplicity than unity and classical irony rather than a romantic moment. But I have always suspected that those modes (or moods) hide within each other.

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Colorado Sheep

Oil on canvas 5x7 SOLD

A trip to visit old friends in Durango brought me home to Colorado which was amazingly lush and verdant.

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Plein Air

Oil on canvas 12x16 $250

This is one of the raw plein air views I painted last weekend at the Grand Canyon.

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Dust and Rain

Oil on canvas 18x24 (on display at Susan Pitcairn Gallery, Sedona AZ)

This is from a spot on the South Rim where I found myself in the rain after a day of painting waiting and waiting to see if the sun was going to make that one last appearance where it shoots a beam of light up the canyon from under the clouds.

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Morning Greys

Oil on canvas 12x16 (on display at Ken Rowe Gallery, Sedona AZ)

I'm exploring more greys and earth tones lately and feeling good about the atmospherics. This started as a plein air study and was taken further back in the studio.

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Camel's Back

Oil on canvas 9x12 $125

While I was painting this a number of people walked out unto the ledge of this formation, but I was shocked when one guy jumped down onto the further and smaller formation - posed for pictures - and then jumped back!

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Sunday Morning Light

Oil on canvas 9x12 SOLD

Plein Air at the Grand Canyon from last weekend. When painting from life outdoors I really like to keep it spontaneous without getting overly illustrational.

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Canyon Rhythm

Oil on canvas 6x8 SOLD

Loving the warm morning light before it became too hot at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon!

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Cliffhanger

Oil on canvas 9x12 $125

I blocked this painting in and it really looked like nothing...it was only as I started working very specifically - area by area, edge against edge, color against color that it became dramatic.

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A Palette Knife Experiment

Oil on canvas 16x20 $300

This painting is almost all done with the palette knife, though it is a Sedona scene it somehow resonates as a South American colonial sort of thing with a hint of the tropical at a high elevation.

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Sisters

Oil on canvas 10x10 NFS

This was done on Father's Day and depicts my daughters on a recent trip to Lawrence KS. A gift to my Dad - Happy Father's Day!

In the Garden II

Oil on canvas 9 x 12 $125

Another moment creates a whole different composition.

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In the Garden

Oil on canvas 9 x 12 $125

A quick study of a moment in the day.

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Riverside Park NYC

Oil on canvas 10x10 $125

An evening walk at Riverside park.

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Girl in a Cafe - NYC

Oil on canvas 10x10 $125

From the New York experience...

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Workshop in NYC

Acrylic and Oil on canvas 18x24

This shows three phases of one of the paintings I worked on during the very unique workshop instructed by Morton Kaish "Lessons from the Old Masters for Our Time". We were led through a step-by-step process of working back and forth between realism and abstraction to create paintings that allowed both to coexist. During the week we were also guided to look carefully at certain old master works in various museums. At the same time there two significant exhibitions of Francis Bacon and Picasso in town which we took in. The workshop and the visits to artworks all around the city was heady mix. This workshop was held at the National Academy of Design in a partnership with the Sedona Arts Center. In addition to everything else, the Academy holds its member show at this time of year which was a major boon to all. I will have quite a time distilling all that I saw and experienced. I am working on another adventure with this partnership for next year. Please Email me for purchase information.

Periwinkle Canyon

9x12 oil on canvas $125.00
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Back to some one session paintings. As simple and clear as possible in the given moment...color, values, shapes.

Tower IV

"Tower" 24x30 oil on canvas (Final version on display at Susan Pitcairn Gallery, Sedona AZ)

Stage 4 is now an oil painting but the mood and palette has changed from where I started. I will have to revisit this when I have spent some time at this spot in the spring weather.

Stage 3 Oils

"Tower" 24x30 oil on canvas NFS
Stage three has oil on most of the canvas now but I can still see the underpainting influencing the color. Hopefully there will be just one more stage...but I am thinking of changing some things...

Acrylic Underpainting II

"Tower" 24x30 acrylic on canvas NFS

Stage two of the underpainting was done with a lot of palette knife work and then brushwork into the stil wet patches of acrylic paint. This allowed adjustment at a secondary level. Most of this was done to the area around the 'Tower' formation. I will do a little more work with acrylic before switching to oil. The very first application of paint is still showing through and influenceing the colors.

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Quick Demo - Underpainting

"Tower" 24x30 acrylic on canvas NFS

This was a demonstration done in the gallery space at the Sedona Arts Center. Starting with a white canvas I did a few charcoal marks to start the drawing then jumped into a loose acrylic underpainting to start the painting process. I got as far as placing some palette knife work (still in acrylic) on the 'Tower' formation's right hand side. I anticipate finishing with oils after more development in acrylic. More later...

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Splash of Light II

"Splash of Light II" 24x36 oil on canvas (on display at Susan Pitcairn Gallery, Sedona AZ)

I am enjoying the horizontal format.

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Edge of Day

"Edge of Day" 24x36 oil on canvas (on display at Susan Pitcairn Gallery, Sedona AZ)

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Sunset Ceremony (Stage 1)

"Sunset Ceremony" 24x36 oil on canvas (final version on display at Susan Pitcairn Gallery, Sedona AZ)
This represents a "first stopping point" for this painting. Next week I will publish the next stage. There is no telling what goes on between a beginning and an end. Usually though it is something difficult. The difficult middle. Though at this stage it is the intent to "keep it all fresh", to not make it difficult. To not make the 'will to finish' something that goes too far. Bonnard said a painting is best when it is two-thirds done. What is your opinion?

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Splash of Light

16 x 20 oil on canvas $300
This is probably the 4th time I have worked with this basic composition and it is the second time on this canvas. It started out as an acrylic and got heavy even then. I sanded it down (with a power tool) and have now reworked it in oil.

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Magic Land

12x16 oil on canvas SOLD
Again exploring planes with a limited palette.

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Toward the Sky

12x12 oil on canvas (final version on display at Susan Pitcairn Gallery, Sedona AZ)
Warmer in tone than most of my work, but I think it feels more expansive.

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Tower

16.5 x 16.5 graphite on paper $150

I have done a couple paintings at this spot in the past. A recent trip to the Grand Canyon shortly after the snow led to this drawing. Maybe another painting to come. I like the square format on this. When working on paper I allow the composition to grow or shrink as needed. This strange formation actually exists pretty much as portrayed though a layer of snow is making the path out to this promontory seem more walkable than it really would be.
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