I paint “plein air” (outside) whenever possible. My paintings and drawings have more “life” to me in that way. They represent a direct interpretation of and reaction to the subject, the weather, my posture and stance in the terrain, the sounds around me, the light as it changes, the wind and temperature and even the smells of the forest, the desert and maybe the urine behind a brick wall in the city. Figures that appear in my paintings are always someone who has passed by, perhaps to stop and talk and see what I am doing. I make a quick sketch of them directly onto the painting or in my sketchbook and then transfer. They become a part of my day and a part of my painting. My preference is to have figures in a painting not only for scale but because the landscape is made meaningful by the presence of the humans or animals that live inside that landscape. Many times, however, because of where I am and where I am drawn to paint, there is simply nothing there but the serenity of the landscape and me.
I use a very portable easel and compact painting kit and use watercolor, gauche, acrylic and sometimes casein. I will usually make a sketch (or several sketches) in my sketchbook of what I want to paint until I have a plan. I then make a very light and general pencil sketch onto the paper before applying paint. If I start directly onto the paper I refer to those paintings as "sketches" - very fast and direct interpretations.
On some rare days I can finish a painting on-site. Mostly I reach a point where I feel that I have gathered all of the information I can and that I am done for that day or “something” is missing or wrong but I can not quite decide what it is. I need time to ponder the painting before I go farther, or just as often, to let the paper dry as watercolor changes (lightens) after it is fully dry. I frequently attain 90% to 95% of completion outside and then finish in the studio. I may be able to finish later that same day or just as commonly days, weeks, months or even years later. I have a stack of paintings that I have yet to declare finished. When I can not paint outside I will go through this collection until I “see” what is needed with one and then work on it. Occasionally I can simply decide that the work on-site pleases me and I can sign and date it. There are also times that I use an on-site sketch in ink or in paint to produce a studio painting. I really hate to work from photographs and very, very rarely do.
I hope that you enjoy this selection of paintings. If you wish, there are more at our gallery in Westcliffe.
Steve
Member Plein Air Artists of Colorado, Plein Air Painters of New Mexico and Sangres Art Guild.
I use a very portable easel and compact painting kit and use watercolor, gauche, acrylic and sometimes casein. I will usually make a sketch (or several sketches) in my sketchbook of what I want to paint until I have a plan. I then make a very light and general pencil sketch onto the paper before applying paint. If I start directly onto the paper I refer to those paintings as "sketches" - very fast and direct interpretations.
On some rare days I can finish a painting on-site. Mostly I reach a point where I feel that I have gathered all of the information I can and that I am done for that day or “something” is missing or wrong but I can not quite decide what it is. I need time to ponder the painting before I go farther, or just as often, to let the paper dry as watercolor changes (lightens) after it is fully dry. I frequently attain 90% to 95% of completion outside and then finish in the studio. I may be able to finish later that same day or just as commonly days, weeks, months or even years later. I have a stack of paintings that I have yet to declare finished. When I can not paint outside I will go through this collection until I “see” what is needed with one and then work on it. Occasionally I can simply decide that the work on-site pleases me and I can sign and date it. There are also times that I use an on-site sketch in ink or in paint to produce a studio painting. I really hate to work from photographs and very, very rarely do.
I hope that you enjoy this selection of paintings. If you wish, there are more at our gallery in Westcliffe.
Steve
Member Plein Air Artists of Colorado, Plein Air Painters of New Mexico and Sangres Art Guild.
Europe
Relentless Surf at Castelsardo. Guache and transparent watercolor on paper 2015.
This spectacular town/fort/castle is located on the north coast of Sardengha (Sardinia). This was done from a walkway about 40' above the water but the waves still managed to spray me several times. Windy, cool, grey day.
15 x 22"
$400
Surf at Castelsardo. Transparent watercolor on paper 2015.
Watercolor sketch looking down at the surf and rocks at Castelsardo, Sardengha.
10 1/2 x 14 1/2 "
$300
Returning to Port. Alghero, Sardengha. Watercolor on paper 2015.
This painting was done from the end of the breakwater of the port where there is a near constant stream of boats of all descriptions coming and going.
10 1/2 x 14 1/2 "
$300
Running With the Wind. Watercolor on paper 2015.
Painted from the end of the breakwater in Alghero, Sardengha.
14 1/2 x 10 1/2 "
$300
At Anchor - Baia Punta Negra. Transparent watercolor and gauche on paper 2015.
8 1/2 x 14 1/2 "
Boats of all kinds would anchor in this idyllic bay near Fortilia, Sardengha for a day of swimming and relaxing.
$300
Diners and the Chiesa del Carmelo, Alghero, Sardengha. Watercolor on paper 2015.
8 1/2 x 14 1/2 "
Restaurants abound along the top of the city walls facing the Mediterranean. These tables are from Il Ristorante Girasol out of sight to the left. The small church has a wonderfully aged exterior.
$300
Fishing Boat and Reflections of Bosa, Sardengha. Watercolor on paper 2015.
8 1/2 x 14 1/2 "
The reflections of the town rising up the hill in the background caught my attention. Painted from the dock with the Blue Boat.
SOLD
Blue Boat, Bosa, Sardengha. Watercolor on paper 2015.
8 1/2 x 14 1/2 "
Bosa is located a few kilometers inland from the Mediterranean on a navigable river.
$300
Cala Viola, Sardengha. Watercolor on paper 2015.
8 1/2" x 14 1/2 "
Cala Viola (violet inlet) is on the northwest coast of Sardengha (Sardinia). This was a grey day with patches of sunlight. I could spend a week here just painting the rocks and water.
$300
The Grand Canal. Watercolor on paper 2014. This view is from a pier looking across the Grand Canal toward the towers of chiesa Modonna (Santa Maria) della Salute, Venice. Busy place. Painting anywhere along the Grand Canal becomes a very public and "grand" adventure joining the musicians, hawkers, mimes and jugglers. The busyness of the water contrasts with the stable (for now) structures. I have painted here three times and want to return
11 x 15"
$300
View of Birdsay. Watercolor on paper 2007. Isle of Okney, Scotland. A quick sketch painted from a rather precarious perch on the rocks with an incoming tide.
11 x 15"
$300
St Margaret's Hope, Orkney. Watercolor on paper 2007. The port and ferry terminal for South Ronaldsay, Orkney, Scotland.
11 x 15"
$300
Damp Day Above Florence. View of Florence, Italy and Il Duomo from Piazzale Michelangelo. Watercolor on paper 2014. I have painted at this spot 3 times and would return again and again. There are cafes, restrooms (very important) and many, many interesting subjects.
19 x 13"
SOLD
Lion guarding Glamis Castle, Angus, Scotland. Watercolor on paper 2014. Glamis Castle is just north of Dundee.
14 x 21"
$400
St. Ulrich in Pinswald, Austria. Watercolor on paper 2014. I did this watercolor sketch on a cool, cloudy, rainy day beneath a large tree that gave me shelter. Peggy and I were on a trip with our good friends John and Patti Bartholomew and stayed a week in this valley near Ruette and the German border.
12 x 16"
SOLD
Colorado
Barn on the Bluff. Watercolor on paper 2014.
This old barn is located on "the bluff" in the southwest corner of Westcliffe overlooking the valley.
10 1/2 x 14 1/2"
SOLD
Black Canyon of the Gunnison - watercolor on paper, 2016.
10 1/2 x 14 1/2
$350
I painted 90% of this from the trail between the campground and the visitor's center (near
Tomichi Point) in September, 2015. The light ran out so I finished in early 2016. I had seen one
of Curt Gillespie's paintings of the Black Canyon in his Westcliffe gallery and that inspired
me to visit and paint there.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison - watercolor on paper, 2016.
10 1/2 x 14 1/2
$350
I painted 90% of this from the trail between the campground and the visitor's center (near
Tomichi Point) in September, 2015. The light ran out so I finished in early 2016. I had seen one
of Curt Gillespie's paintings of the Black Canyon in his Westcliffe gallery and that inspired
me to visit and paint there.
Maroon Bells - Acrylic on paper 2015
18" x 24"
$500
This was painted from the very busy and popular trail along Maroon Lake. It rained several times that day and I had to pack up and run for the car twice.
Miner's Cabins, Independence - Watercolor on paper 2015.
8 1/2 x 14 1/2
$400
The ghost town of Independence is located just below timberline on the west side of Independence Pass. There are perhaps a dozen structures remaining.
Barns Along Hermit Road - October, 2015 Watercolor on paper.
8 1/2" x 14 1/2"
These barns are located along Hermit Road about one mile west of Westcliffe. I was attracted by the buildings but especially by the rhythm of the power poles.
SOLD
The Roaring Fork near The Grotto. Watercolor on paper - 2015.
8 1/2" x 14 1/2"
$300
Clear Creek near Creede. Watercolor on paper 2014. A few years ago my friend Steve Quiller and I went out for a day of painting along Clear Creek above Creede. I love painting by water because of the soothing sound even though I sometimes inadvertently end up IN the water. On this day I remember the roar of the creek, the damp coolness and the changing light throughout the morning. I was never quite happy with the rocks in the foreground so I let this lay until just recently.
$400
Horn Peak Sunrise. Sangre de Cristo Range, Colorado. Watercolor on paper 2008.
$400
Penitente Canyon Fall. Watercolor on paper 2014. Penitente Canyon near La Garita, Colorado is a treasure. Miles and miles of trails for hiking, running or mountain biking. The volcanic rock provides hundreds of routes for rock climbers.
20 x 13"
$300
The Crestones on the 3rd Day of Winter. Watercolor on paper 2014. Wind, clouds, cold and snow. Sketch from the east ridge of Spring Mountain., Sangre de Cristo Range, Colorado.
11 1/2 x 17"
$300
9 Below Zero Above Grape Creek, Wet Mountain Valley. Watercolor on paper 2015.
10 x 14"
$300
The Desert Southwest
Paintings from the Sonoran, Chihuahuan and Mojave Deserts of the US and Mexico.
Snow patch. Watercolor on paper 2015.
10 1/2 x 14 1/2"
This abstract was inspired by the shapes and colors at Bandelier National Monument near Los Alamos, New Mexico.
$300
Santa Catalina Mountains View. Watercolor on paper 2014. This sketch was painted from the site of a Native American village on a secluded mesa in Catalina State Park near Tucson, Arizona.
10 1/2 x 14"
$300
View from the Campground, Capital Reef NP - watercolor on paper 2015.
10 1/2" x 14 1/2 "
$350
We have visited Capital Reef National Park several times. We were too late to pick apples this year and it was late enough in the year that it was quite cold. The autumn colors, just beginning, made the cold nights worthwhile.
The Virgin River, Zion NP, Utah - watercolor on paper 2015.
10 1/2" x 14 1/2 "
$350
This was painted at the very busy "beach" just above the last shuttle stop in the canyon at the beginning of the Narrows Trail. The downstream view with the trees and river in full sun and the shaded canyon walls caught my attention.
The Emerald Pool, Zion NP, Utah - watercolor on paper 2015.
10 1/2" x 14 1/2"
$300
A 1 1/2 mile trail leads to several small lakes/pools along a small stream tributary to the Virgin River. This was painted at the upper pool which lies at the bottom of a sheer wall of red and white sandstone. Water falling over the cliff forms small, almost invisible, strands falling onto the rocks at the base. The slightest amount of wind blows the water away in various directions (including onto my paper). This small cascade of water would form briefly when the water fell straight down. The reflections in the water and the small cascade caught my attention. There was a feeling of being in a cathedral
The Virgin River Below the Narrows, Zion NP, Utah - watercolor on paper 2015
10 1/2" x 14 1/2"
$300
The Virgin River has carved the dramatic canyon that is Zion. Red and white sandstone walls tower above the lush vegetation along the river. I was very happy to be able to paint on this visit as prior visits were unsuccessful due to (1) freezing temperatures and (2) rain and low clouds. Zion is a special place worth visiting again and again. I look forward to painting there again.
Below the Campground, Picacho Peak. Watercolor on paper 2015.
This dramatic outcrop of volcanic rock changes with every hour of the day. Picacho Peak State Park, Arizona.
10 x 14"
$350
Borderlands. Watercolor on paper 2015. The border between the US and Mexico lies in this valley south of Organ Pipes National Monument. There is a nearly constant mist derived from the Gulf of California about 60 miles away. Wild and rugged and just a little bit scary alone in the desert with many cautionary signs warning of illegal activities in the area.
11 1/2 x 17"
$300
Small Canyon. Watercolor on paper 2015. This is near the end of a diminutive canyon just above Texas Springs in Death Valley, California.
10 1/2 x 14 1/2"
$300
The Day After the Rain. Watercolor on paper 2015. After several days of rain in the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson the normally dry arroyos ran with water.
10 1/2 x 14 1/2"
$300
Catalina. Watercolor on paper 2014. This was painted from the high ridge overlooking Catalina State Park near Tucson, Arizona.
10 1/2 x 14 1/2"
$300
View From Furnace Creek. Watercolor on paper 2015. Death Valley, California.
10 1/2 x 14 1/5"
SOLD
Picacho Peak View. Watercolor on paper 2015. A view from my favorite arroyo.
14 1/2 x 21 1/2"
$400
The great wash below Zabriski Point, Death Valley, California. Watercolor on paper 2014.
20 x 13"
$300
View of the Catalina Mountains, Tucson, Arizona. Watercolor on paper 2014. This is painted from the site of a Native American village on the top of a mesa in Catalina State Park. There are pottery shards scattered around and many small mounds where structures probably were. There is a boulder with a well worn hollow that was likely used as a metate. Beautiful, peaceful spot away from the busyness of the park with former inhabitants all around.
15 1/2 x 11 1/2"
$300
Campground Rock, Picacho Peak State Park, Arizona. Watercolor on paper 2014. This rocky outcrop lies just below the campground loops at Picacho Peak SP. This State Park is one of our favorites and we visit every year.
11 x 15"
$300
Picacho Peak, Arizona 2014. Watercolor on paper 2014. This arroyo is close to the campground at Picacho Peak and I seem drawn to paint here every year. It is a sheltered, quiet location. Picacho Peak dominates the view rising sharply from the Sonoran desert. There is a trail to the summit from this side and another that descends the opposite side to make for a round trip of a bit more than 8 miles. This is my favorite desert hike (run) and I look forward to it every year. The summit is accessed via a series of cables up and down the rock faces.
22 x 15"
$300
Mojave National Preserve Near Hole-in-the-Wall, California. Watercolor on paper 2014. This cliff of volcanic rock is just north of Hole-in-the-Wall. The lighter colored rock is volcanic ash. Above and just out of site are pine trees seemingly out of place in this high desert environment.
11 x 15"
$300
Yucca and Rock Face, Mojave National Preserve, California. Watercolor on paper 2014. This is located just north of Hole-in-the-Wall along the wonderfully colorful cliffs of volcanic rock.
11 x 15"
$300
Snow on Mt Lemon. Watercolor on paper 2014. The view is from Catalina State Park. The contrast is striking from the relatively warm desert to the chilly mountain tops above Tucson.
22 x 15"
$400
Death Valley Boulder. Watercolor on paper 2015. I found this lone boulder at the base of a canyon a mile or more from the car. Absolute peace.
22 x 15"
$400
Boat and Burning Fields. View from the new highway across Lago Cuitzio toward the village of Dr Miguel Silva, State of Morelia, Mexico. Mexico is smoke and noise. Watercolor and gauche on paper 2014.
19 x 13"
$300