Window At The Glen

Window At The Glen
plein air oil
9" x 12"
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$395.00 + $10. s/h

Glen Eyrie is the former home of William Palmer, one of the founders of Colorado Springs. Like many big, old, beautiful homes around the country, it is now no longer a home.  In this case it is a retreat center.  My plein air group paints there almost every year.  This building was a carriage house, now it's a book store and location of a group meeting room.

I was drawn to the strong shadows and fun reflection in the window.  As well as the fact that there was shade to stand in while I painted!  Always a plus!

View From Above

The 3rd day of the South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration is a "free" day, ie:  you can paint any where in Park County.  I wanted to paint the South Platte River from an over look.  But, I had to peak through the trees.  This kept me moving back and forth in front of my easel.  The painting sold during the opening Friday evening.

River's Bend

River's Bend
plein air oil  12" x 9"
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$395.00 + $10. s/h

Day 2 of the South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration was another great day!  We painted at DM Ranch.  Here is information from their site:

"The DM Ranch contains three miles of the South Fork of the South  Platte River and associated riparian corridor, a globally rare plant  community, and large meadows that support livestock and hay crops. A  historic survey revealed that 17 structures on the property qualify for  listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The ranch is now  available for public fly-fishing, by reservation only, at South Park Fly Fishers (DM Ranch). 

Conservation easements held by Colorado Open Lands encompass 612  acres of open space comprised of montane grasslands, willow shrubs, and  mixed forest that support a rich diversity of wildlife, including big  game and migratory water birds.

Funding for the conservation easement was provided by Great Outdoors  Colorado, NAWCA, the Colorado Wetlands Initiative Program, and the Park  County Land and Water Trust Fund."

My first painting was along the South Platte River.  I loved the bends and curves of the blue against the willows.
(I might have to re-photo this one..the colors are just a bit too light.)

Old Bristlecone Pine

Old Bristlecone Pine
plein air oil  14" x 11"
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$395.00 + $10. s/h

Earlier this month I participated in the annual South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration in Fairplay, CO. I love this celebration and go every year.  It's a 4 day event where artists paint at ranches and different locations that the committee arranges throughout Park County. Or, you can paint anywhere nearby.  We have mountain property in South Park.  So, for me, I love seeing local ranches and close by locations that I don't know about.

The first day of the event we painting at Bristlecone View Ranch.  We painted there several years ago, so I knew that I wanted to paint one of the old bristlecone pines.

There are three closely related species of bristlecone pines one of which is the:

• "Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata) in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. The most populous species; capable of forming closed canopies and, unlike the other two, is commonly cultivated."  (according to wikipedia)

All three species are long-lived and highly resilient to harsh weather and bad soils, (which definitely describes South Park!)   The oldest bristlecone is more than 5,000 years old making it the oldest known individual of any species.

(more from wikipedia:)  "Bristlecone pines grow in isolated groves just below the tree line, between 5,600 and 11,200 ft (Fairplay elevation is 9,000 feet) elevation on dolomitic soils.^[4] The trees grow in soils that are shallow lithosols, usually derived from dolomite and sometimes limestone, and occasionally sandstone or quartzite soils. Dolomitic soils are alkaline, high in calcium and magnesium, and low in phosphorus. Those factors tend to exclude other plant species, allowing bristlecones to thrive.^[8] Because of cold temperatures, dry soils, high winds, and short growing seasons,(again, great description of Fairplay)  the trees grow very slowly. Even the tree's needles, which grow in bunches of five, can remain on the tree for forty years, which gives the tree's terminal branches the unique appearance of a long bottle brush."

Lemon Slices

Lemon slices
Oil  8"x 10"
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$295.00 + $10. s/h

Day 2 of my lemon paintings.  For this piece I used an old, place mat for the green.  I wanted to compare the green from this one with the purple from yesterday.  

Make Lemonade

Make Lemonade
Oil  8" x 10"
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$295.00 + $10. s/h

I love Costco.  I really do.  But, sometimes we end up with way too many fruits and vegetables.  We try to eat them all and consequently feel pretty healthy.  But, sometimes it's hard to eat all of them.  It's only just the two of us.  So, when you have too many lemons, you usually make lemonade.  Or, in my case, you paint lemons!

I painted lemons for several days.  for this piece I used cool, purple (the complement of yellow) for the  shadows.  In a plein air painting you usually have warm light/cool shadows.  With a still life, it depends on what light bulbs you use when setting up your still life.  Or what kind of natural light you have coming in from your windows.

Summer Hollyhocks

Summer Hollyhocks
plein air oil  10" x 8"
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$295.00 + $10. s/h

It's wonderful to be outside in the summer.  I love the warmth, the light, the smells.  We have lots of flowers in our backyard so the smells are fragrant.  One of our flowers is the hollyhock.  We have both white and pink.  I think many people love hollyhocks because we are reminded of our youth, our parents and grandparents gardens. For the gardener hollyhocks add a lot to a garden as they can grow up to 9 feet.  This adds a great vertical element to a yard.

However, hollyhocks are a short lived perennial.  They only live 2 or 3 seasons.  But, because they reseed themselves usually you will have hollyhocks every year.  The south side of our yard didn't get many hollyhocks this year.  I'm not sure why they didn't reseed.  Next spring,  just after our last frost I'll throw out some seeds from this years plants, and maybe add some fresh top soil.

Fresh Pineapple

Fresh Pineapple
Oil  8" x 10"
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$295.00 + $10. s/h

I love fresh, ripe, juicy pineapples.  Cutting them up is rather messy, but so worth it!

All families have "stories", tales and legends, exaggerations that have become truth over the generations.  One of my family ancestors is (was) Steven Dole.  Not the one who headed to Hawaii and raised pineapples, but the cousin/brother who stayed behind.  Oh well, I still like pineapples;  even Dole pineapples from Hawaii!!

Summer Geraniums

Summer Geraniums
plein air oil
24" x 20"
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$895.00 + $20. s/h

I have to admit that these geraniums are from Costco. The last few years they really have had wonderful geraniums.  We have several pots of them on the corner of our deck.  Our deck is a great place to paint all afternoon as it's covered.  I don't need to worry about the sun, the wind, ants, and all of the other fun plein air situations!

Narrow Alley

Narrow Alley
Oil  12" x 9"
On Hold, Please contact me if interested


This door also was in a Walsenburg, CO alley.  I loved how you could see decades of wall layers.  The cracking, falling apart surface gives you a glimpse of what the building looked like to several different owners of the past.  And, perhaps a future owner will add their layer.

Alley-Oop

Alley-Oop
Oil  12" x 9"
On Hold, Please contact me if interested

This painting was juried into the recent Sunny Vista Living Center Annual Show here in Colorado Springs.  It was another fun one from a spring trip to Walsenburg, CO where I painted in and photoed the Main Street alleys.  Alleys seem to be a bit of the old and new, the lost and found, the here and now.

Spring Lilacs

Spring Lilacs

Oil  10" x 8"

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$295.00 + $10. s/h

This painting was done a few weeks ago when the last of the lilacs were still blooming.  Our first home had a long row of lilacs across the entire length of the backyard.  Lilacs are such a welcoming bush.  They seem to say "spring is here at last!!"  At least here in Colorado our winters, while very sunny, are a bit long.  Coloradoans love spring!

While the color of the lilacs in the painting in the photo below is off a bit, it shows the painting before the highlights have been added.  

Spring Peonies

Spring Peonies

Oil  12" x 9"

(Temporarily on hold.  However, please contact me if interested.)

This is the 2nd painting from my peony bouquet.  I like to set aside a couple of days to paint flowers from the same bouquet.  I find it helps with the values and colors.

Above is the set up in my studio.

Below is just a small part of La Resolana Farm in Pueblo.

I definitely plan on going there again next spring!

Peony Bud

Peony Bud
Oil  6" x 6"
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$100.00 + $10. s/h

My plein air groups (I am in 2) recently painted at a peony farm in Pueblo, about an hour south of the Springs.  La Resolana Farm is 100 years old.  The peonies were originally planted to be used on the graves of WWI soldiers.  The farm is now acres of peonies and wild iris.  It is so beautiful when all are in bloom.

This is the bouquet that I brought home from the farm.  And the set up in my studio the day after I finished painting (the bud had started to open.)  Flowers have a mind of their own!  You have to
paint quickly!

Back Alley

Back Alley
12" x 9"
On Hold, Please contact me if interested


This is another alley painting from my recent day painting in Walsenburg, CO.  I wondered if at one time this building was a beauty parlor.  The colors seem like that would be a good old fashioned beauty parlor!  I could see all of the women sitting under hair dryers!

Main Street Alley

Main Street Alley
plein air oil 12" x 9"
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$395.00 + $10. s/h

Recently I painted in Walsenburg, CO with PAAC (Plein air artists of Colorado).  It was a weekend paint-out in conjunction with a show that we're having at The Museum of Friends on Main Street.  I'm not that familiar with all of the surrounding area there, so decided to paint right in town.  I parked on a side street, walked up and down several alleys and found great paintings!  I loved the light and shadow on the door and metal on the saw horse.

Morning In My Eyes

Morning In My Eyes
Oil  6" x 8"
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$100.00 + $10. s/h

If I wake up early enough I am blessed with this amazing view to start off my day!  I look out the kitchen doors and know my day will be great!

Golden Morning

Golden Morning
Oil  6" x 8"
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$100. + $10. s/h

Again, this sunrise is nearing it's end.  Sometimes, those last soft moments are some of the most beautiful!  The gold rays dance across the park.  The blues and violets of the sky soften and fade away.

I'll say it again...I love our western skies!   I love my view in the morning!

Softening Colors

Softening Colors
Oil  6" x 8"
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$100. + $10. s/h

I love how the colors of the sky soften at the end of the sunrise.  I think it's beautiful how the late sunrise light creates soft ochres and sage colors in the park.  This one too is my morning coffee view!

Magnificent Moment

Magnificent Moment
Oil  6" x 8"
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$100. + $10. s/h

Another beautiful sunrise from our kitchen!  Every sunrise could be several paintings as the sky  changes by the minute!  I love Mother Nature's color palette!  It, too, changes everyday!