07 Apr, 2019

On Women and the Arts.  Let's start with literature: If you don't know this by now, I am an avid reader.  Mostly fiction, but I will read most anything. One of my favorite writers is Edith Wharton, with her uncanny ability to present unjustified inequality of the social classes, and of the same as regards to women in comparison to men.  I also happen to be enamored of the time period in which most of her books are set.  Having read practically everything she ever wrote, I wondered why I

20 Mar, 2019

I'm at a strange time in my painting life. Our house here in Denver just went under contract, so we will be here until the end of April.  Then we head to Sarasota to our new house and our new life.  It's a very exciting time, full of anticipation and yes, a few niggling worries...as with any move.  All things that can and will be worked out, but at present we are in that limbo state.  This house is basically no longer ours, and our new house isn't completed yet. As a result, I don't want to

24 Feb, 2019

Sometimes in the course of painting, I make choices that help the composition work in a very conscious way.  For example, using the rule of thirds.  That's just one.  There are many others.  Before I begin a painting, I think about these 'composition tools' and how I will use them.  It's a very cerebral, decisive part of the process.  However, just as often, I make choices that I am not consciously aware of.  I only see why certain paintings work AFTERWARDS.  And sometimes I am talking months

13 Feb, 2019

As many of you know, sometimes I go back to a painting and make revisions, but more specifically....additions. Let me begin by explaining that at a very early age I was fascinated with Disney animation.  Not necessarily the Disney stories, although I did like some a lot, like "Fantasia," "Pinocchio" and "Sleeping Beauty.  I was more fascinated in how these were created; particularly the method of painting animation BACKGROUNDS, and then placing the moving characters on top of these.  More than

01 Feb, 2019

Just packed and shipped out 9 paintings yesterday, with one more in the wings.  So today I am varnishing some older pieces that I never got around to, and catching up on this blog before I start something new. I think, at least for me, it's very important to remember to keep challenging myself and trying new things.  Creatively and otherwise!  It's a principle that works across the board.  More on that later. Only last week, I came across a photo that a friend posted on social media, and I

20 Jan, 2019

When I was about 10, my brother and I were invited to stay the night in my great grandmother's house in Mantee, Mississippi.  Her "house" was a tiny little airstream trailer parked down the hill from my uncle's house.  BY OURSELVES! I can't remember the situation as to why she wasn't going to be there with us, and I seem to recall she was going to be staying that night with my uncle, but what really matters is we were over the moon about it.   Her trailer was SILVER.  And everything was so

18 Jan, 2019

I realize; I am fully aware that I lead a blessed life.  I don't understand it, because, why me? But nevertheless...I am thankful.  It's not a perfect life by any stretch, but it's a good life. And it's not the ideal for everyone, as it is very solitary.  I could make it less so by participating in classes and so forth (and I do that from time to time) but pretty much, the days are spent with just me and the paint.  As a result, sometimes I can get a little spiritually nearsighted, and at those

10 Jan, 2019

I just completed a seascape called "Aguas de Marco" (shown below, in case you missed it): The thing that initially attracted me to this scene in Puerto Vallarta is the seven different layers, or levels: 1. the sky 2. the sea in the distance 3. the highest wave in a more aqua green color 4. the rolling wave in a more blue color 5. the roiling, churning green lower wave 6. the rocks 7. the quiet reflective pool in the foreground As I say, "initially."  Then, the more time I spent with it, the

21 Dec, 2018

This is probably only of interest to other artists, but I thought I would share: As many of you know, I use several websites for my work.  They all have different functions; do different things. One is more of an accounting type of site.  You can view my work there, and it has links to purchase from my personal site...but it's mostly used for my own purposes.  I can see how much I have sold at a glance, for a certain time period, and align purchaser names with the pieces, etcetera.  This is

20 Dec, 2018

I usually have three sales a year; two through an online gallery...and then one in the fall that is strictly through my own site here. I am making an exception this year, as I prepare for the move to Sarasota, Florida.  For a very limited time, you will find selected paintings on sale here from 20 to 75% off.  Just click on the "Originals Store" button to take you there.  The sale will end on December 31st. So don't miss out, especially if there is something you've had your eye on!  Tax and

06 Dec, 2018

My art career began like most, with simple drawing.  It is naturally the most immediate way to capture any subject, outside of course, photography.  Painting includes drawing and then making decisions on color, which is one step further.  Also, the application of paint can be accomplished in many ways.  Is it with a brush?  A palette knife?  An aerosol?  Lots and lots of choices.  With drawing, it is all very basic.  I should not forget to mention colored pencil, but even so...usually there is a

26 Sep, 2018

If you've been following my FB page (that is, if you even know where to find me on FB, which is Wilderness Creek Creations) you will have seen the progress on my latest work, the pumpkin. I don't do what I call a LOT of pumpkins, because they are so challenging for me as far as composition.  How do you make a pumpkin look interesting in a way you have not seen before?  A lot of pumpkins have a very smooth texture, which, for a painting...is not really a plus.  Smooth textured pumpkins can come

18 Sep, 2018

Aspens are changing!  If you've never seen these in their natural setting....by all means put it on your bucket list. I loved being at our cabin in the Fall of 2016 and watching them change from day to day.  The brilliant yellows, the pale yellows, the brilliant orange, and occasionally...calico colors of all three plus black. I will be painting a series of these, 12"x12" for an upcoming exhibition the week before Thanksgiving.  More info on that later, because hey...FIRST thing on the agenda

15 Sep, 2018

Please come see me and my work at Westward Gallery on October 5th,  at the corner of 44th & Tennyson in Denver, Colorado I am humbled and honored to be able to participate in this event, among other incredibly talented artists.  Westward Gallery does a phenomenal job of making fine art feel approachable.  Even if you are new to art collecting, owner Michelle Courier will make you feel comfortable, and aims to find pieces that everyone can afford. From Colorado Homes & Lifestyles, August 25th,

11 Sep, 2018

So today I finished a little study of a pumpkin and the labyrinthian vine that is part of it.  I will do a larger version once my canvas arrives (supposedly this Friday).  In the interim, I have an 18"x36" canvas to use, and I want to do it vertically.  I don't do many of these, and I should...because you can fit these vertical paintings in tight spaces much more easily than a horizontal version. These are my choices, which are cropped from photos I have taken (with the exception of the

04 Sep, 2018

Why would a person repaint something they've already done? Actually, there are a lot of good reasons.  For me, this time...it's because a painting I loved was destroyed, called "Kiss of Life."  More on that just a bit later. But yes, here are just a few good reasons to paint the same thing again.  1)  Monet would paint the same scene at different times of the day so that the light would affect the scenery in different ways. 2)   It leads to heightened observation skills, a deeper

31 Aug, 2018

Hey y'all, I placed in a recent online competition with Fusion Art.  I find out tomorrow as to which one. The top five award winning artists will have their award winning artwork included in Fusion Art's gallery on Artsy.net. Artsy is the largest online database of contemporary art online and receives an average of 2.5 million visitors a month from 160 countries and has become the "go to" place for collectors to find and buy art online. I actually won Best in Show with them recently in a

30 Aug, 2018

I've not sent out the cards yet, but if you're on my mailing list, you'll get one soon.  These are Save The Date cards for the open studios tour in Stapleton, which will be held September 29 and 30th.   If you're unfamiliar with how it works, in a nutshell....the artists of Stapleton open their home studios for a tour.  You travel from one house to another and view the work.  We call it "open studio" but in some cases, you will see the work in another part of the home.  Because...as in my

29 Aug, 2018

New painting in the works. This is a succulent.  From my original photo, the light was low and I got a blue tint on it.  And yes, it WAS blue-like, but the light intensified it.  There will actually be a tiny bit of green making itself known in the lower right hand corner eventually.  This is a little bit larger than my norm of 20"x20" square paintings.  It is a rectangle; 28"x22". The large scale of the composition makes the actual painting look larger than it is.  It's a type of optical