Santa Fe Aspen Leaf

This last summer, a number of friends went on a trip to Santa Fe, NM for a few days of golf, food and exploring.  ON the way to breakfast one morning, I saw an aspen leaf covered in dew, which was also on some nearby rocks.  It was very peaceful for me and I liked the idea of trying to capture the leaf and rocks, but also the dew.

So, here it is, the Santa Fe Aspen Leafin Morning .

Pike's Peak at Sunset

Last summer, we visited an old friend, Bill, and his wife Becky, at their new home in Colorado Springs, CO.  They had sited this beautiful home so that they would always have a straight on view of Pike's Peak, the major landmark in "The Springs", from their window.
So, I decided to memorialize this by painting the view out of their window.  It wasn't actually this way that day, as the time was different and it wasn't as clear.  So, a little "artist's license" was used to add a sunset over "The Peak".  Enjoy it, Bill and Becky !!!

Hannah's Bouquet

My wife, Janiel has a good friend in Colorado with a daughter, Hannah.  Hannah recently got married and, as in many cases, I decided to paint her wedding bouquet as a gift for their marriage.  This was a little difficult as I never saw the real bouquet, just a photo that a friend had taken.  But, it was enough to get me going.  The piece is now in Colorado with Hannah and she likes it a lot.  So do I !!

Colorado Aspen River

This piece is one that I created from some memories of what a river in "aspen country" might look like in the Fall, when the aspens turn golden.  Last year, I was in an aspen frame of mind and painted several pieces with aspen trees as the subject.  Those were mainly up-close views of these unique trees.  In this one, I tried to back out a bit to show the larger view.  This one will hang in our Colorado home next summer.

The Castle 2015

This is the latest of my 2015 pieces.  I actually saw a similar image on the brochure of a cruise line.  But, I forgot to research where it was.  I believe that it is in Spain.  But, in any case, I liked the composition.

 

I used palette knife to do the bricks as it is a fast technique and gives a lot of depth, especially for bricks and walls.  The effect is fun.

 

I've done numerous "looking through the doorway" pieces and love the feeling that it gives.  The doorway just frames the entire piece.And, this one is no different.  I love it so much that I have it in a special place in my home in Florida

Pink Rose - Rosemary

Last year, I was looking at Facebook and a friend, Rosemary, had posted a photo of a new, blooming rose in her garden.  I downloaded the photo and later on decided to paint it myself. So, here it is, Rosemary's rose.

One thing unusual about this piece is that I painted some of it live during our annual country club art show.  Once I got over the fear of painting in front of real people, it was fun to paint and talk at the same time.  I couldn't, of course, paint the whole thing in that small time frame.  But, it was partially done and I was able to get close to finishing it.

Russ's Winter Hike

The son of our good friends, Barb and Dave, named Russ, lives in Columbus, Ohio.  On his Facebook page recently, I saw a great photo of this park setting during Winter.  It is where Russ walks his dog every morning.  I decided to surprise Russ when he was down in Florida by painting the scene and give it to him since he and his Ann were re-decorating their home.

 I really liked the reflections and the morning sun in the background. He really liked it and recognized the scene immediately and can't wait to hang it up.  Have fun, Russ!!!