"Scenic Area" (Wyoming), 2011, 9 x 12"

This painting is based on a photo I took in Wyoming on my honeymoon in 2006. :-) I've been looking over those photos recently and have found several more that would work perfectly as paintings.

For sale on Ugallery.com.

The Watchman, Zion National Park (2011), 30 x 40"

This painting was a challenge! Not only is it my largest painting to date, but I significantly altered the color scheme of the original photo. I generally do not attempt to change anything in my source photos--especially not the light source--because I have found that the result is a painting that does not make visual sense. But in this case, the original photo appeared to have been taken on a dark, overcast day and there was no obvious direction to the light. I had already sketched and painted part of the painting when I decided that the original photo was not ideal--thus, I attempted to make some alterations. Here is the original photo (found on flickr.com and used under a creative commons license--original photo by Stuart Seeger):First, I determined that I wanted the light to be coming from the right side of the painting. So, I had to decide which faces of the mountains would be reflecting the light and which would be in shadow; also if there would be any cast shadows. I sketched the shadow pattern onto a sheet of paper and used it as a reference as I painted. I basically painted the canvas from the top down, starting with the sky, then the mountains, then then the trees, etc. I had to scrape the mountains off several times before I got the color scheme right. You can see evidence of this here (diagonal ridges) where I (unintentionally) let a layer of paint dry that wasn't completely flat:
I kind of like the effect, though, because it fits the rough texture of the rocky cliff face.

I think the end result is pretty successful. I really like the colors, especially on the mountains (see above photo). Looking back , I would have picked a different photo that had a good, interesting light source to begin with. It is hard to appreciate the details of the painting in such small photos, so here are some more close-ups:For sale at my Ugallery page.

Fog in the Woods (2011), 8 x 10 in.

Based on a photo taken by my sister, behind her apartment in Wisconsin.

SOLD

View From Bee Rock, Monterey, TN (2011), 8 x 10"

Here's a link to my previous Bee Rock Painting. This painting is the view facing the other direction.

For sale at my etsy page.

Lower Falls, Hocking Hills State Park (2011), 6 x 9"

Based on a photo I took at Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio.

For sale at my etsy page.

PAINTINGS STOLEN!

I just found out that three of my paintings were stolen out of my Sight Specific window display in downtown Champaign. No one knows exactly when the paintings were stolen--probably sometime during the last week. The two missing paintings are Burgess Falls, Irises II, and Hillside with Wildflowers. I am totally shocked that someone would want to steal my paintings, but am very relieved that the paintings were insured for their full value. Please contact me if you see these paintings somewhere.

Upper Waterloo Falls, TN (2011), 8 x 8"

My latest effort working with light and shadow. This painting is based on a photo I took at Waterloo Falls, just north of Cookeville, TN. Here is a little info about this location.

I am currently working on a large (30 x 40 in.) painting and hope to be done in a week or two!

SOLD

Changes

I've been reading several books recently on the use of color and how color affects the perception of depth in a painting. After reading these books I became greatly dissatisfied with a recent painting, Field of Tulips; one which depends on there being a sense of depth in the painting. So...I made some changes. I don't generally make such significant changes to my paintings after they are finished, but I wanted to see what I could do with my new-found knowledge. I think the resulting changes convey depth better than before. (note: I only made changes to the top 2/3 of the painting.) Here are the before and after pictures:For sale at my Ugallery page.

Ugallery site

I am excited to announce that some of my larger paintings are now being sold on Ugallery.com. Ugallery is a hip online gallery that exclusively deals in fine art and photography. Unlike Etsy, I had to apply to be a part of Ugallery and was thrilled to be chosen as one of their new artists! I will continue to sell smaller works on my etsy site. However, I will now be selling my larger works through Ugallery. Here is a link to my portfolio page.

Sunny Day at the Arboretum (2011), 8 x 10"

SOLD