River Call

Every single time I have been to the Madison River near Bozeman, Montana I am delighted at how alive the sport of fly fishing is in this area. It is by no means crowded but I am sure to find a fishermen or two enjoying the river and taking in the beauty of the area. They are always kind and nod a hello or wave to the acceptance of a few photos to add to my library of painting inspiration. This particular painting is inspired by a tall, perfect postured young sportsman on the Madison this summer.

Red

As I was traveling this Fall a row of fire red maple trees caught my attention. The Color was so alive and the seeds danced from the branches. I had to put this beauty down in paint.  I don't think anyone gets used to the golden fields and fire red leaves we get to experience for a few weeks every year. 

 This is a large 4' X 4' acrylic painting on stretched canvas

E.E Cummings inspired painting [in progress]

This painting is a 30” X 30” acrylic - work in progress. It is a commissioned piece. The request was for an abstract painting size 30” X 30”. An E.E Cummings poem was sent to be my inspiration. I find the poem beautiful and full of inspiring images. I could do dozens of paintings based on these words. Here is the poem

Somewhere I Have Never Travelled, Gladly Beyond    
by E. E. Cummings

somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond
any experience,your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near

your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skillfully,mysteriously)her first rose

or if your wish be to close me, i and
my life will shut very beautifully ,suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;

nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility:whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing

(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens;only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands

Homebody [finished]

It might have taken me a little while but "Homebody" is finished and off to its new home. I started "Homebody" this Winter [see February "In Progress" post] and have had it hanging on my mantel. I noticed the colors changed throughout the day with this painting so I would add color with the changing light until I found it satisfied me in all the light from morning to evening. "Homebody" is an acrylic painting on masonite. 

Family bond

This painting was especially fun to paint since it is for a family who commissioned a  painting 5 + years ago. The kids have obviously grown since then but their postures have remained the same. Their father, commissioned the painting and took the photo of the kids walking in the park on a Fall afternoon. He did a great job capturing the moment. When I saw the photo I was excited to get right to work on it. This is just the type of scene I love to paint. 

Bittersweet

Bittersweet is a twining vine that grew along the railroad tracks near my house growing up. Mom used to make beautiful vibrant bittersweet bouquets seasonally. I have always loved this berry for the memories it holds, for the fun shape of the vine and for the awesome orange/red color. 

The Panhandle Alliance for Education [PAFE] hold a Summer Gala and art auction once a year to raise money for education in the Sandpoint area. This is my donated piece this year. It is a 24" X 24" acrylic painting on stretched canvas. Let's hope it helps to raise money for some books and supplies for the kiddos this year.

Wind in a Wheat Field

Wind in a Wheat Field is the largest painting I have ever created and I am loving working large scale. The color feels so much more dramatic and my brushes love the long sweeping motion. The is a commissioned painting for Gabe and Nicole Ripley. Gabe and Nicole recently remodeled their house and invited me to their lovely house to see what I thought would be a nice piece for their bright entrance. After some discussion and seeing the color flow and feel of the rest of their house I did a few graphite sketches and they picked the wheat as their choice to bring into paint. This is where we are after several hours at the canvas. If they like the direction I am going I will add some richness to the color and bring in detail to the wheat "whispies." I have a feeling I will be painting large scale more often after this. My neighbor Piper is checking out my work and gives scale to the 48" X 48" acrylic painting.

Madison

"Madison" was inspired by a trip to Bozeman, Montana last spring. Even in the rain you are sure to find a fly fishermen every 400 yards or so on the Madison River. This one had waded out into a cropping of boulders (which I did not paint). I could not tell his age but he looked around 30. Judging by his gear, he had been fishing most of his life. His jacket had seen better days and his bag, full of fly gear, looked like it had stories to tell. His movement was fun to watch and almost as much fun to paint. "Madison" is a large 30" X 30" oil painting on stretched canvas (1.5" stretcher bars).

Alstroemeria interpretation

It is interesting what type of flower a person is drawn to. I am often surprised to hear the reasons a certain flower is picked as someone's favorite. I have a friend who proudly declares the Alstroemeria as her favorite. I had to look it up to see what it was and of course I have seen this happy bright flower in many bouquets. I always considered it more of the side show - a filler flower until this friend spoke so highly of it. Looking closer I see all the beautiful lines, colors and patterns that make up this beauty. It is not a filler at all. This is a rather loose interpretation of the Alstroemeria. 
"Alstroemeria interpretation" is a small 12" X 12" acrylic painting on stretched canvas (1.5" stretcher bars).

Let the Season Begin

"Let the Season Begin" is about Springtime and the eager fishermen ready to hit the river. If you look close you will see the grin on this fishermen's face as he enjoys the sunshine and cool waters once again. This is a small 12" X 12" acrylic painting on canvas [1.5" stretcher bars]

Homebody [work in progress]

This is a piece I am working on. The Rancher's stance is meant to be one of confidence - he is content. A man like this would prefer to spend his days on his land....or fishing the nearby river. The final painting just might have a tin cup of coffee on the fence post next to him. I'll post the final soon. This is a large masonite  48" X 32" acrylic painting

Feb. Collection

Content

Alert

Source

Truth

Ancients

Swift

Warmth

Nimble [sold]

Winds [sold]

Fuse