Hartsel Bison

Hartsel Bison
plein air oil  9" x 12"
click here for Paypal
$295.00 + $10. s/h

This painting was done on the morning of Day 2 of the South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration.  This day was sort of a free day i.e.:  the town of Fairplay didn't have an organized location but made suggestions, or we could paint any where within 30 miles of Fairplay.  Hartsel is about 15 miles from Fairplay, and I knew that there's a bison herd there, so I made that my destination.  However, just because there's a herd doesn't mean that they'll be close enough to paint.  They don't care if they're near the road.

Well, they were sort of close.  So I set my plein air gear up right by my car, right by the side of the county road and painted away.  The bison appeared to just be standing around, but as they chew, they step, they chew again and step again.  After about an hour the bison were pretty far away and no longer near by.  

Loafing Shed -- Day 3, Painting 1 South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration

Loafing Shed

Day 3, Painting 1 South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration, Fairplay, Colorado

Day 14 of the 30 in 30 Days Challenge

Oil  12" x 16"

$295.00 + $10. s/h

Day 3 of the South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration started out very cold and rainy.  At about 10,00 feet you have to be prepared for all types of weather.  So, instead of standing outside in the mist to paint, I set up inside this loafing shed.  I was protected from the elements, but had on a hat, a hoodie (with the hood up over my hat), and a jacket.   I loved the way the cloudy light filtered in between the wood and the bit of a view out the livestock window.  I took artistic license with the floor of the shed.  When I drew it in slanted, it just didn't read well, it looked like my perspective was way wrong.  So, I made the floor and roof a little straighter.  

Standing Bull

Standing Bull
Oil  24" x 18"
$595.00 + $20. s/h

I always set painting goals for myself each year.  These consist of "painting" as well as "business/marketing" goals.  One of my goals for this year (and every year actually) is to go back through old posts and check that every painting has been offered for sale.  Sometimes I might post the piece in process, but not yet finished.  I may post the piece, then set it aside for a show, etc.  So, over the next few posts I'm going to try to catch up on some of these pieces.

Standing Bull is from a huge bison herd at the Medano Zapata Ranch in southern Colorado.  

Victor Celebrates The Arts -- # 2

For another piece I painted early in the morning at the Vindicator Mine.  My first step was to sketch in the old mine and brush in the darks.  Then I painted in the lights.  I found the challenge with the lights was to make them realistic without being too pastelley...is that a word? 

Then next sep was to paint in the darks.  When painting plein air it's always a good plan to block in the lights and darks first, then not to change them.  It's so tempting to chase the light, but don't!

This gives you an idea of my progress up to this point; but the photo is a little too light.

After this I added the grasses and piles of ore and dirt in the foreground, then last put in the sky.

I had planned on posting pretty regularly during the 10 day event, but it took at least 6 minutes to upload each photo, there wasn't service where we stayed, and sometimes there wasn't much service anywhere!  So, I'm home now and will start posting my steps and finished pieces.

This is the Vindicator Gold Mine, one of many historic mines in the Cripple Creek - Victor area. 

Gold was discovered in the area in 1890 and brought thousands of people to the Pikes Peak region.  Over 500 gold mines sprang up across the mountains.  The Cripple Creek and Victor area was linked to Colorado Springs by two stage roads and three railroads all built to carry lumber, food, coal, ore, people and supplies.  

In its' hey day in the 1890's Victor was known as the City Of Mines because the largest and richest gold mines were located just above the city.  Nearly $434,000,000 in gold (in 1890'a value) was produced.

Here are some pictures of the mines:

I had a comment in my last post about all the white (snow) that you can see when you Google map Victor.  That's not snow, it's all the ore tailings from the mine.  CC&VM ie:  Cripple Creek & Victor Mine is still a working gold mine!

Cowboy Coffee

Cowboy Coffee
8" x 10"  Oil
$195.00 + $10. s/h

I posted this old cowboy coffee pot last summer but at that time it wasn't for sale;  I had it set aside for a show.  I didn't put it in the show, so now it is available.

This was a plein air piece that I did last summer at the Medano Zapata Ranch Artist's Gathering.  

Chief

Chief
29 of 30
Oil  16" x 20"
Commission

I posted several days of steps of this painting during the past month.  Once he was just about done I looked at him for several days and then fixed a few things on his body.  Now he is all done and ready to be mailed off to his owner.  As I said, I loved painting him.  I had pictures of him all over my studio and it's been fun to hang out with him!

After my first posting with just Chief and a loose background, I got an email from an author inquiring about using him on the cover of her next, 8th, book.  And while it's not going to happen (he's too western and light) I was thrilled to be asked.  You just never know who sees your art, who likes your art.  That's a great thing about the internet.  If not for the internet I wouldn't have received this commission, received an inquiry, met the people with whom I blog.  We do live in a great time!

Study of Chief #2

Study of Chief #2

20 of 30

Oil 8" x 10"

SOLD

This is my second study of Chief.  With this one I wanted to try a different background and paint the other side of him.  I also loved the photos I had of him running.  As you've seen, ultimately I painted him from this side, but from a different picture.  

Study of Chief #1

Study of Chief #1
19 of 30
Oil 6" x 8"
SOLD

 I've been posting steps of my recent commission of Chief.  Before I even began this painting I did several studies of him.  It helped me get to know the horse, his color, proportions, plan the background, etc.  It also helped me work out the composition.  The buyer originally had a different idea than what I'm now painting in mind.  She sent me lots of photos and I worked from those, cutting and pasting.  When I came up with the composition of the large piece that I'm now working on, I emailed that to her and suggested that for the painting.  She agreed.  Sometimes you know when a painting's going to work.  The next time I have a commission I'll suggest in advance that I'd like some artistic freedom.  I hope I have as great a client as I now have!

I'm happy with this study and happy how the painting itself is turning out.  I've decided to be like the hosts on HGTV shows who send their clients out the door for the last part while they put together the rooms.  I'm not going to show the next steps until the whole painting is done.

And, while I've been participating in the 30 in 30 challenge, I gave myself Sunday as a day of rest.

On My Easel..3

On My Easel..3

18 of 30

Oil  16" x 20"

Commission

It was time to work on the background before I could continue with the subject.  Every color and value of an object is only correct when compared to the color and value next to it.  So, I couldn't continue with Chief himself until I knew the colors and values around him were accurate.  

On My Easel

On My Easel

16" x 20"

16 of 30

This is the third study of Chief that I'm painting.  I'll post the others at a later date.  This size takes me days, so I thought I'd post several steps.  I used grid lines and Bargue drawing techniques to get the horse right.  Both are helpful.  You can google Bargue to learn about it.  It's really great.  It has you visually lining up parts of the object both horizontally and vertically with other parts of the object.

"And Tie A Red Bandana"

"And Tie A Red Bandana"
5 of 30
Oil 8" x 8"
$195.00 + $10. s/h

This is another of the riders on the Medano-Zapata Ranch.  And, I also got this title from googling "lyrics to songs about cowgirls".  My title is a line from the song "Kamikaze Cowgirl" by Larry Joe Taylor.

"How 'Bout Those Cowgirls?"

"How 'Bout Those Cowgirls?"

4 of 30

8" x 8"  Oil

$195.00 + $10. s/h

SOLD

Often when I'm looking for a painting title I use google.  So, for this one I googled "cowgirl lyrics" and got this title from the song Kamikaze Cowgirl by Larry Joe Taylor.  

This piece is from my time painting at the Medano-Zapata Ranch in southern Colorado last June.  I have several paintings from then that will be hanging at the Colorado Springs Airport in the Ranchlands Show from January through March.  So, if you happen to be flying in or out of the Springs, please look for all of the work from all of the participating artists.