Oxley Chapel - Arkansas

During the summer of 2018, Janiel and I went on a trip to Arkansas to see her brother and visit the Crystal Bridges art museum. On the way back, Mack, Bill, Janiel and I took the scenic route through the Qzark Mountains.  Something that I hadn't done.

Along the way, we stopped by the famous "Oxley Chapel".  Then we had dinner at a wonderful restaurant in a place called "Low Gap" - a great name! There, Mack, Janiel's brother saw a painting of the chapel and remarked that he would like a painting of it some time.  Now, he has one!  Here it is.

Christmas Twins

A good friend showed me a Facebook post from a friend of theirs.  A photo was taken last Christmas of the couple's two twin grand children, one boy and one girl.  My friend said "you might want to paint this as it is really sweet.  So, I did.

My wife really like to decorate for Christmas, including numerous Santas and a village under the tree.  This is going to find itself somewhere on the wall for next season.  Thanks for the "Christmas Twins"!

Dancers in Blue

Loved this image when I saw it.  The challenge was painting the faces and the musculature of the dancers.  Because these things are hard for me, this was one of the hardest pieces that I have attempted, so far.  But, after a lot of work, frustration, and Arturo's help, I was able to complete it.

One of the parts that I like best about this piece is the clothing.  I learned about sheer fabric during the painting before this, the bicycle window.  I was able to apply the technique - a glazing approach - to pull it off.  I like it!

Bicycle Window.

I saw this cool image online and loved the colors and composition.  The combination of cool colors on the outside as well as the warm colors inside the window really makes the painting "pop". Making the sheer drapes was a new challenge.

As I have mentioned before, I paint each week in Florida with a group of people, mostly women.  Many have become my friends.  When I finished this painting, one of the other artists, Jackie, asked me if I would sell it to her.  I am always honored when someone wants one of my pieces.  So, now she is enjoying it.  Nice!

River Bridge - 2017

I wish that I had been there for this image.  But, I wasn't. But, it is one of the neatest images that I have ever seen.  And, for me, it's all about the light.  On the water, on the bridge, and coming down in the background.

The people that I paint with always kid me about my attention to detail, like the bricks.  They have to be just right for me.  I used a palatte knife to make them stick out.

This is obviously Europe.  Paris, maybe? What's the story with the people on the bridge?  Lovers?

I really like this one.  One of my best, I think

Shove Chapel

We used to live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and have a lot of good memories from there. One of them is the beautiful campus of Colorado College.  And, one of the iconic images on that campus is Shove Chapel.

This image shows one side of Shove after a big snow storm.  The cool white of the snow against the warmth of the lights is a great contrast!

Since I like perspective, this composition is really neat.

The Model - 2017

I saw this image in a magazine ad.  It wasn't the person that intrigued me.  It was the clothes and "the look".  Although it is different for me, I decided to capture the parts that I liked best. Clothes, look, etc. Talk about attitude !!

It was interesting that, when I brought to our local art show, people really liked it.  Some were actually able to guess the model that this was based on although I made little effort to paint him.  An actor,  Can you guess who it is?