She could be a shaman, cloaked in the ways of the Owl. Embodiment of grace; silent, watchful, waiting.
6x6 oil on gallery-wrapped canvas, painted edges, ready to hang.Click here for more info.
"Doorway of Perception" 14x11 oil on gallery-wrapped canvas
This is my first completed painting of 2011. Hopefully an omen of good things to come, as the bison brings abundance to those she chooses to walk beside. The underpainting for this painting was another bison that I painted a couple of years ago, but it had issues and I knew I had to pretty much start over. Some of the original painting peeps through, but for the most part it is a completely different composition. Read more...
Back in 2008, a tornado swept through our neighborhood, and I created a painting of the dark, swirling clouds. I used that as an under painting for this piece, which captures some of the same ominous and unsettling feelings.
Sometimes in the process of painting, a subject morphs into something else. Such is the case with this one. I was struggling with the first concept, trying to force it... and then when I just relaxed and let the painting "paint intself", my old frend the Wolf emerged.
This piece was inspired by a video I watched about white crows in Vancouver, British Columbia. This is another of my renewal paintings - paintings that startout as one thing and are basically put aside because they aren't working. When they are returned to my easel months or years later, they take on a completely new life, with the original painting creating texture, depth and experience.
This painting is done from memories of places I have been. Maybe you've been there, too. I've purposely left the edges raw and allowed the loose, drippy under painting to show. Look closely: you will see birds, fox and an elk hidden in the trees and underbrush.
The title of this painting means Spirit of the Bear. Autumn is a time of gathering, preparing for the long Winter ahead. Bear medicine teaches us introspection that aides in the understanding of life's lessons and in the discovery that we have the answers to all questions within us. If you look closely, you may catch a glimpse of Spiritu del Oso.
Two Cows is painted in acrylic with palette knives. I love the spontaneity of knife work - and the fast drying qualities of acrylic paint. Combined together, I am able to produce a loose, fresh painting. This piece is available unframed on stretched canvas.
There is something about an old barn that still gets to me. I love the history, the craftsmanship, the character. This barn resides in Enterprise, Oregon.
I painted this on location at Douglas Lake - a wonderful place for fishing, walking and painting! On this particular evening, the lighting was spectacular, lighting up the grasses so that they glowed. I had to paint fast though - the mosquitoes were ravenous!
As the name implies, this painting is about balance. I challenged myself to combine some realism within an abstract design, and am pleased with the results. I am going to enter this one into a few shows and see what happens. Click here to read more about this piece.
Painting #45 of my Daily Painting Project. 6x6", oil on stretched canvas. $55. In Mr. Bluebird's Neighborhood, Spring is arriving soon. From Mr. Bluebird's perch upon on tall dried weed, he can see the patterns that farming makes on the land. Soon these fields will be bustling with human activity as spring planting gets underway. This is a study for a larger painting. Click here to purchase.
Painting #37 of my Painting a day project. I challenged myself on this painting to paint with a very grayed down, subtle palette. I wanted to give the feeling of the moose being camouflaged.
Painting #35 of my Painting a Day Project. 6x6 oil on stretched canvas. "She really didn't need/a man on her back;/she was running free..." I wrote a poem about this painting, dedicated to women, strong and proud. You can read the poem on my blog.
This piece was completed for the virtual pARTy from a photograph by Kimberly Kelly Santini.
Painting # 34 of my Painting a Day Project. 7x5" oil on stretched canvas.. Ok. So I'll admit it. This one is a bit, uh...weird. But this is what happens when I go into the studio to paint after a long day. I had no idea what to paint. So I just started. This particular piece started out as a bird, then a landscape with large eggs (don't ask) and then a very simple landscape, and then this. Click here for more information.
Painting #33 of my Painting a Day project. 4x4" oil on stretched canvas. When Coyote Flashes Red, She Can Be Quite Formidable. Coyote teaches us to flash red when needed, to shape-shift, to be adaptable, to be formidable. To retreat when it is prudent. To learn from others. To form alliances. And to be willing to walk alone. Available at Old Town Art and Framery.
Painting # 32 of my Painting a Day project. I timed myself on this one in preparation for doing the Quick Draw at the Western Spirit Art Show. I allowed myself 45 minutes, start to finish. A few hairy moments when I wasn't sure it would come together, but overall I'm pleased with what I did in the limited amount of time.