Bill Guffey

Limestone and Water

2012-01-22T16:51:00.000-06:00

Creeks are always good for a quick painting.

Limestone and Water
9" x 12", oil, plein air

The John

2012-01-21T16:28:00.000-06:00

From an undisclosed location, I painted this old, nasty toilet from life. Yeah, bet you're pretty jealous, and want to hang out with me, huh?

12" x 9", oil on masonite panel

White Oak Winter

2012-01-08T18:48:00.002-06:00

Painted outside a little bit today.

White Oak Winter
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Outdoor Paintings 2011

2012-01-04T18:25:00.006-06:00

Here's a video I did of my outdoor paintings from last year.

Breckenridge Lamp and Trees

2012-01-01T15:54:00.000-06:00

Here's a small one I did for this month's Virtual Paintout.

Breckenridge Lamp and Trees
9" x 12", oil

New Years Eve Farm

2011-12-31T11:43:00.000-06:00

Here's the last plein air piece of 2011. A beautiful day here in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

New Years Eve Farm
9" x 12", oil, plein air

Video Demonstration of Park Tree in Midday Sun

2011-12-29T18:26:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone! I thought I'd post to let you all know that I uploaded a video to YouTube of a plein air painting I did back in November.

Weekly auction!

2011-12-27T09:31:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone!

I am offering one painting per week at auction on my blog.

This week's painting is Christmas Eve Creek. Painted on, you guessed it, Christmas Eve at Salem Park in Cumberland County, KY. It's a good sized painting at 16" x 20", oil on oil primed linen panel. I used brushes and knives to accomplish the texture and mood I had in mind. Standing in water part of the time while painting was part of the process with this one. Good boots do wonders.

Go to the link below to view and bid, or simply click the Current Auction! tab at the top of the page on my blog.

Current Auction Page

To bid, just leave the amount in the comments section on the auction page.

Thanks!

Bill

Park Oak

2011-12-26T16:48:00.000-06:00

Here's an oil sketch I did this afternoon. Never touched the white. Used turps to pull out the lights. Just trying to see the tree and bring volume to the drawing.

Park Oak
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Christmas Eve Creek

2011-12-24T15:24:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Here's one from today. Thanks for looking. Hope you folks have a wonderful Christmas.

Christmas Eve Creek
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Scattered Light

2011-12-17T16:29:00.001-06:00

Painted this one in cold wind on top of a hill today. About half brush and half knife work.

Scattered Light
16" x 20", oil, plein air

December Stream

2011-12-10T14:46:00.001-06:00

Here's a small plein air piece from today. Mostly palette knife work.

December Stream
9" x 12", oil, plein air, palette knife

Little Renox Creek at Salem Park

2011-12-03T19:10:00.001-06:00

Painted this one in a little less than two hours this afternoon. Did a basic grisaille underpainting on a toned linen panel. It was mainly a gray afternoon so I really didn't add a lot of color to it after the initial drawing.

Showing a pic of my easel setup and the scene, the drawing, and the finished painting.

Little Renox Creek at Salem Park
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Gallery Show Opening Reception

2011-12-03T07:10:00.001-06:00

I'd like thank everyone that came out to the opening of my current show at The Gallery at 916 last night in Bowling Green, Kentucky. We had a great turnout, with lots of friends and family, and many artists and collectors, coming through the gallery during the evening. I'd guess between 200 and 300 people visited with us during our 3 hour opening.

Below are shots of some of my work. I neglected to get a picture of the front window where five more pieces are hanging. You'll see other small pieces by various gallery artists sitting around in the pictures. I had the largest area of the gallery for my work, and I appreciate the efforts of the gallery staff to put on such a nice show. The gallery has a high quality of local artists represented, and I thoroughly encourage everyone to stop in and check it all out.

I also meant get pictures of the gallery going strong with patrons, but was preoccupied speaking with people when it was so busy, and totally forgot to snap a few. There is one with a few folks in it including a couple of my favorite people, Liza and Jackie Turner.

Eureka! A Horse

2011-11-29T21:29:00.000-06:00

Did this little 8" x 10" tonight for next months Virtual Paintout.

Park Tree in Midday Sun

2011-11-19T13:11:00.000-06:00

This was a quick one at the park today. I'm really enjoying trying to capture these trees full of character these days.

Park Tree in Midday Sun
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Tree Sketch

2011-11-12T16:32:00.001-06:00

Not the optimal outdoor painting conditions today. The temperature was nice, low 60's, but the wind was kicking up pretty good. Clouds rolled in quickly also. So I'm calling this one, an 18" x 24", a sketch as I painted for about an hour and a half on it. I simplified a lot. Just wanted to get some more tree drawing practice.

Tree Sketch
18" x 24", oil, plein air

Solo Show PDF

2011-11-11T17:36:00.001-06:00

Below you'll find a link to a PDF booklet I made for an upcoming show. I'll actually have about 10 or 12 more pieces that aren't shown here. About 45 total.

Bill Guffey Solo Show

http://cl.ly/1b0a1D1A0j0G3t2R3T1k

November Birch

2011-11-06T16:36:00.000-06:00

Painted this big birch tree in the woods today. Hoping this composition will match up with my last two of the same size.

November Birch
18" x 24", oil, plein air

Old Cedar

2011-11-05T13:54:00.000-05:00

Back at the state park again today. I've painted this old lakeside cedar tree before. I love trying to capture the shadows and play of light.

Old Cedar
18" x 24", oil, plein air

Autumn Oak

2011-10-29T16:26:00.001-05:00

Painted at Dale Hollow State Park again today.

Autumn Oak
18" x 24", oil, plein air

Golden Trees

2011-10-23T22:59:00.000-05:00

Here's one from today.

Golden Trees
24" x 20", oil, plein air

Here's a fast forward demo of today's painting also.

October Trees

2011-10-22T18:24:00.000-05:00

My impressionistic view of Autumn's colorful trees at Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park today.

9" x 12", oil, plein air

Dry Stream Bed in Autumn

2011-10-15T13:01:00.003-05:00

Painted at one of my favorite new locations again today. The Turner Farm in Waterview, Kentucky. This one went fast, and felt good the whole way. Wish they were all like that.

Dry Stream Bed in Autumn
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Hilltop Sycamore

2011-10-12T18:15:00.000-05:00

Painted this one on location this beautiful fall afternoon at Dale Hollow Lake State Resort park in Cumberland County, Kentucky.

Hilltop Sycamore
18" x 24", oil, plein air

Drawing

2011-10-11T10:45:00.003-05:00

Here's a picture of me drawing at a recent Bluegrass Festival. I had fun doing the demo and talking to many, many people.

Bear Creek Bridge

2011-10-02T17:20:00.000-05:00

Painted this afternoon on Bear Creek just off the bridge on Otter Creek Road, in Cumberland County, Kentucky. What a gorgeous day.

Bear Creek Bridge
18" x 24", oil, plein air

Below the Inn

2011-10-01T15:29:00.000-05:00

Painted below the Copper Hollow Inn, next to Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park, today. If it got above 60 degrees it wasn't by much. Fall really seems to be here now. I'm posting a couple of pics of my easel setup also. Check out the trail of flattened grass that I paced down during the painting process.

Below the Inn
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Sardinian Landscape

2011-09-30T16:47:00.000-05:00

Did this one for October's Virtual Paintout. It was a fun little, quick one. Mostly knife work. I'm including a detail shot of the trees.

Sardinian Landscape
9" x 12", oil

Turner Farm #2

2011-09-25T18:25:00.001-05:00

Painted this afternoon on the Turner Farm in Waterview, Kentucky. I really appreciate the family allowing me to paint on this property. It's a beautiful farm.

Turner Farm #2
18" x 24", oil, plein air

Goldenrod and trees

2011-09-24T14:24:00.000-05:00

This painting seemed to take on a life of its own. More tonalist than my usual style. I love fall.

Goldenrod and Trees
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Trees

2011-09-11T18:06:00.000-05:00

This painting took a much more Impressionistic turn than most of mine. Still deciding if I like it or not.

Trees
24" x 18", oil, plein air

Landscape with Beech

2011-09-10T15:08:00.001-05:00

Here's one I painted today. What a beautiful day it was. About 80 degrees with a light breeze.

Landscape with Beech
22" x 28", oil, plein air

And a detail shot from the painting.

Folk Magazine

2011-09-06T19:34:00.002-05:00

A new magazine coming out that looks to be really good. According to their own description, "We are a magazine that debuts Fall 2011. We are all about the country, sweet tea, indie music, antiques, roadtrips, small towns, comfortable homes, artists, locally grown and locally made, one-of-a-kind art, open spaces, photography, and the little things."

Will be interesting to see what these Folks have going on.

Their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/WEAREFOLK?sk=wall

Their Website: http://magazinebyfolk.com/

Looking forward to it.

Lakeside Cedar - Step by Step

2011-09-03T15:25:00.000-05:00

Painted down by the lake again today. Pushing 100 degrees. My daughter swam while I worked on this picture. I talked to lots of folks today, and that's always one of my favorite parts of painting in public.

Lakeside Cedar
28" x 22", oil, plein air

Pond Edge with Clouds

2011-08-28T19:44:00.000-05:00

Here's a pretty quick outdoor painting from this evening. Might do some more work on this one. Have to look at it for a while.

Pond Edge with Clouds
20"x 16", oil, plein air

Midday Tree

2011-08-27T15:15:00.000-05:00

What a nice day it was today. Upper 80's with a breeze. Painted at dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park. Nothing special, just a tree.

Midday Tree
20" x 16", oil, plein air

Turner Farm #1

2011-08-20T22:17:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of painting with Liza Turner on her family's farm in Waterview, Kentucky today. They have a beautiful bunch of acres. Many paintings could be made there. I felt like I struggled a bit in the field today, but after working on it a bit in the studio, I think it's a keeper...for now.

Turner Farm #1
22" x 28", oil, mostly plein air

Anatomy of a painting

2011-08-13T16:17:00.005-05:00

I had the pleasure of painting at the local Salvation Army Camp, Paradise Valley, this morning. This was my first trip to the camp for a few decades. What a wonderful place! I really appreciate the staff letting me paint today. Of course they have no campers at the moment, or I wouldn't have been allowed to visit.

Here are a few shots of the painting in progress, with the final painting at the end.

Willows by the Lake
18" x 24", oil, plein air

The picture above shows my setup on a small peninsula at Paradise Valley. This small piece of land has just been uncovered as the level of Dale Hollow Lake has dropped recently. Most of the ground was very soft, so I located myself on a spot that had pretty firm ground so that I could walk away from the easel 10 to 15 feet to my rear. I usually wear a little path out in the grass from the easel to about 15 feet back.

Above, you can see my 18" x 24" oil primed linen panel (Centurion Deluxe Oil Primed Linen Panel) sitting on my Take It Easel. I tone the canvas a medium value with a mixture of Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna. I thin it hard with odorless mineral spirits. It dries extremely fast, especially in the heat of summer.

This next step, above, shows my initial block in. At this point I'm just trying to place the subjects on the canvas. I hardly ever put down on canvas what I see in real life. You have to design your painting. Move things around, add things, leave things out, to make a better composition.

Here you see I've started to add some color, mainly to the far reaches of the painting. This is just a step to covering the canvas with paint.

Above, you can see I've progressed with adding color. Trying to push the cooler colors back and bring the closer one forward in the painting. With so much green, it's sometimes tricky to do.

This next picture, above, shows my point about the difficulty of greens and pushing color to create depth. It's been quite hot here (and everywhere else) for a couple of months now, and being August, some trees and foliage are starting to change color. In this particular scene, some trees farther from me have a much warmer tone than the willows closer to me. In this case I use value to do a lot of my dirty work.

You'll also notice that I have done something at this point that I normally won't do. I've left color from the bottom of the painting. Normally, I'd have at least a light wash of the local color, or the color I'm planning on using for the ground, which most of the time are not the same. Again, that's where design comes into play. My reason for leaving the color out at this point was simply that I wasn't sure whether I was going to paint grasses into the scene or just water.

You can see the grass I stomped down during the painting process in the photograph above, along with the finished painting on the easel.

And here is the finished painting. You can see the color changes I made to the willows. I had to kill some of the greens or they would have killed the painting. The painting is still green, but I think it's acceptable now. I had included some bright yellow flowers in the grass at the bottom of the painting. They were there in real life, but after I put them in, I toned them down, as I thought there was too much color contrast between the foreground and mid-ground.

Thanks for looking, reading and commenting. I always enjoy showing my process. And it is just my process, it doesn't work for everyone, sometimes it doesn't work for me. And is forever evolving.

Creek Reflections - Quick Study

2011-08-08T19:55:00.001-05:00

Had a very limited amount of painting time this evening after work. Knew the scene was too much for the time, but thought I'd see if I could learn something. I think I did...Allot more time. ;)

Creek reflections
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Farm Landscape (Plein Air 24" x 40")

2011-08-07T21:21:00.000-05:00

Here's one I did on location today. I painted a very similar view a couple of days ago, but a little smaller at 16" x 20". I liked the subject and wanted a large one for our house. Actually, my wife wanted a larger one. ;)

Farm Landscape
24" x 40", oil, plein air

August Newsletter

2011-08-06T11:41:00.001-05:00

I've been attempting to set up a newsletter for a while, and have finally got a layout that I like. Click on the link to check out the August Newsletter and let me know what you think. Make sure to sign up!

Thanks!

August Landscape with Pond and Barn

2011-08-05T20:32:00.001-05:00

Painted this one today in Cumberland County, Kentucky with Erik Greene painting beside me. It was fun having someone to paint with for a change. Had a good time and good conversation.

August Landscape with Pond and Barn
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Farmhouse

2011-08-02T20:45:00.000-05:00

Here's a little farmhouse in the Cumberland County countryside.

Farmhouse
6" x 6", oil

Landscape with Oak and Cedar

2011-07-30T15:17:00.000-05:00

Painted this one at Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park today. Another hot one. Got eaten up with turkey mites also. If you've never had them, good on you. Hope you never do. It's like a combination chigger and no-see-um on steroids. UGH!

Landscape with Oak and Cedar
20" x 24", oil, plein air

Hay Bales on the Old Lane

2011-07-28T19:56:00.000-05:00

Pushing 100 degrees today as I painted this one. I'm including some progress shots if anyone is interested in the process.

Hay Bales on the Old Lane
24" x 30", oil, plein air

AnnaBelle Quick Study

2011-07-26T13:56:00.000-05:00

About 30 minutes work at lunch today. Almost didn't have enough paint to complete her tongue. It just keeps growing, and growing, and growing...

9" x 12", oil

Kentucky Farm

2011-07-23T15:01:00.002-05:00

Here's one I painted on location today.

Kentucky Farm
24" x 36", oil, plein air

Trooper Island

2011-07-21T21:33:00.001-05:00

This was a painting I worked on outside for two consecutive days. The first day was only about an hour and a half. I got the initial sketch finished, which was quite a feat since it was about 100 degrees. I finished it up on location today with about 3 hours color work. It was about 10 degrees cooler also.

The scene shows Trooper Island which sits in Dale Hollow Lake. The island itself is split between Kentucky and Tennessee. I painted this view of it from the deck at the Lodge at Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park. I talked to many, many people while painting this one. At one point during the sketch there were 15 to 20 people on the deck watching me and asking questions.

This painting will be framed, varnished and auctioned off at the Esther House Evening of Hope on October 8, 2011.

Trooper Island
24" x 36", oil, plein air

Landscape on Huddleston Farm

2011-07-19T20:36:00.000-05:00

Saying it was hot today is quite an understatement. Had to use a smaller 12" x 16" canvas today. I'll probably paint larger on this farm soon.

Landscape on Huddleston Farm
12" x 16", oil, plein air

Take It Easel Setup Video

2011-07-19T16:04:00.000-05:00

Here's a short video I made showing how I set up the Take It Easel to paint outdoors. Don't know what happened but I freeze up at the very end. So you really don't have to watch me, sweating in 110 degree heat index, standing absolutely still until the end. You can of course, but have no idea why you would want to...

Paintbox Fix

2011-07-17T18:32:00.001-05:00

I've been using a Gloucester style easel for about a year and a half. I originally bought the Beauport easel. The easel is cheaply made in China and imported and sold through online art suppliers. It appears to be a copy of the Take It Easel, which was out of production at the time I bought it. The Beauport is almost unusable out of the box unless you know how to fix it. An artist from Maine, Dan Corey, posted on a forum how to fix the Beauport to make it useable.

After buying the Beauport I put together a paintbox to go with it. I built it in about 2 hours from wood I had laying around and hardware I bought at the store. It worked pretty good but I soon realized I had nowhere to put a wet canvas or panel to haul back to my vehicle after a painting session. Below is a pic of the first time I used both the box and the Beauport. As you can see, the box opened flat for painting purposes at this point.

It didn't take long to improvise a fix for the panel carrier. I scavanged a canvas holder off an old French easel and attached to the top outside of the box.

Notice in the picture above, how the bottom of the holder is very wide. This turned out to be a problem with which I've lived for quite a few months until today. What would happen with the improved box is that when opened, the long, bottom holder would hit the twin support bars of the easel and keep the lid from laying flat. In fact, the top lid was at an angle, unsupported at the end, making it pretty unstable to rest on the support bars. My fix to that was to leave the lid in an upright position, resting against the back leg of the easel, with a bungee cord attached to keep the lid from slamming shut. While this was an okay fix, it left me without the use of the inside of the lid of the paintbox. I would still like the box to open flat while retaining the ability to hold canvas or panels. See the pic below for the lid in the upraised position.

I recently bought the Take It Easel which is now back in production. I cannot stress how much an improvement this easel is over the Beauport. It is the Cadillac of outdoor easels. Beautifully made, extremely strong and sturdy, and very easy to set up and break down. I can paint a small 8" x 10" or as big as a 30" x 40" by simply changing the peg positions. I've been painting lots of 16" x 20", 18" x 24", and 24" x 36" paintings with it recently. Love it. Can you tell?

But I still had the frustrating problem of the box not laying flat. After speaking briefly to Stapleton Kearns, and looking at his paintbox on his blog, I had an idea to simply cut the bottom canvas holder down in size. This morning I brought out the handsaw and cut it down. Now, when opened on the support bars, the shorter bottom holder fits easily between the supports, and it lays open to the point that the upper holder lays against the support bar at the back leg. Making it essentially flat, just a very slight incline that is sturdy and flat enough to hold supplies and drinks. Below is a photo of the new, improved paintbox. The box itself is not pretty, but it does get the job done.

Make sure to check out the links in this post to Take It Easel's website, Dan Corey's blog and to Stape's blog.

Landscape at Dale Hollow

2011-07-16T18:04:00.000-05:00

Painted next to the lake today while my daughter swam close by. We both had a good time. She played with friends and I painted this 24" x 36" and talked to people. I'm showing an early shot of the painting in the sketch stage on the easel and the finished painting. Finished on site.

Landscape at Dale Hollow
24" x 36", oil, plein air

Google+, Blogspot and a WARNING!

2011-07-15T20:36:00.000-05:00

I joined Google+ a few days ago. It looks like it will be a great networking and branding tool. Pretty cool so far, but I really have to figure out how to use it for best results.

But I have to give a WARNING to blogspot users that venture into the Google+ realm. I had no idea, even after using Blogspot to create and share my blogs for years, that all those pictures I uploaded from my computer were actually being stored on Picasa web albums. I didn't even know I had a Picasa account.

Well, I messed up royally. After setting up my Google+ account I noticed that it had automatically populated my account with a LOT of my info from the web. My websites and blogs were listed. My artist statement was in my about me area, and more info around my pages. I also noticed that in my PHOTOS tab there were some folders that I hadn't named, that appeared to be stuff from both current blogs and some old ones I had a long time ago.

I thought I didn't want all those on my Google+ page and figured I'd delete and add pics to the account as I wanted. Well...I deleted the pics. What I didn't know was that those were the source pics from Picasa. I ended up deleting a couple thousand Virtual Paintout pictures, and over 500 posts of pic from my personal art blog.

I have now started the long and arduous task of uploading pics and figuring out where they go. The VPO is on its 30th month with an average of 70 - 100 pics per month.

Please bear with me as I work on the blogs as time permits. And please be careful with you photo albums on Google+.

Hot Summer Pond

2011-07-10T22:40:00.003-05:00

I think this is my largest outdoor painting yet. It measures 24" x 36" and was painted this sweltering evening on location. I touched it up a little back in the studio, adding mostly some grass colors in the foreground.

Hot Summer Pond
24" x 36", oil, plein air

18th Green

2011-07-09T15:07:00.001-05:00

Spent about 3 hours today painting this one from the woods. Every time I heard a club strike a ball I readied myself. Luckily, nobody sliced one close to me.

18th Green
20" x 24", oil, plein air

Apples

2011-07-07T20:09:00.002-05:00

Tonight's backyard effort...

Apples
14" x 12", oil, plein air

Crib

2011-07-06T20:15:00.001-05:00

This evening's effort.

Crib
9" x 12", oil, plein air

Sky Study

2011-07-05T19:17:00.001-05:00

Here's a quick study of the clouds I did this evening.

12" x 14", oil, plein air

Lodge View of Dale Hollow Lake

2011-07-03T15:15:00.001-05:00

Here's today's sweaty effort. Did this one looking from the Lodge at Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park in Cumberland County, Kentucky. Talked to some very nice people today. Always enjoy painting at the park.

18" x 24", oil, plein air

Summer Trees

2011-07-02T13:52:00.001-05:00

Hot day out there today. I set up to paint this one about 10 am, later than I wanted. Finished up about 12:30 pm. Sweating pretty hard by that time. This is a view of a farm where I've painted before. I set up next to an intersection of a road that goes to the State Park and lake, so I had a lot of lookers, some honking, some yelling out the windows (nothing mean), and one tourist that stopped and took a photograph.

Summer Trees
18" x 24", oil, plein air

Jersey Houses

2011-06-30T21:23:00.001-05:00

Another small knife painting.

5" x 7", oil, palette knife

30 minute sunset sketch

2011-06-28T20:16:00.001-05:00

Really fast one tonight just before the sun went down. Bugs galore. Spray didn't help, just made the gnats mad.

Sunset sketch
12" x 9", oil, plein air

Blue Hole #1

2011-06-25T21:17:00.001-05:00

I had such an enjoyable day with my 10 year old daughter today. We drove about an hour and a half and picked up about 20 paintings that had been in a library exhibit. Then stopped by Lost River Cave in Bowling Green, Kentucky. We walked the trails, checked out the butterfly house, and then settled in on this place to paint and draw. She sat and drew in a pad while I painted the painting you see here. This "blue hole" (although more green today because of rain) is part of an underground river that surfaces through the hole in the caves ceiling. This hole is over 400 feet deep. Pretty cool.

We then ate lunch at one of our favorite restaurants and came home. Tired but happy.

Blue Hole #1
20" x 16", oil, plein air

Flower Demonstration

2011-06-23T15:58:00.003-05:00

Did this one today at lunch. About 40 minutes painting time. Including a link to a video I did of the process.

YouTube Video

THIS PAINTING HAS SOLD!

Flowers Demonstration
9" x 12", oil, plein air

Cedar Creek in June

2011-06-21T22:53:00.001-05:00

Started this one this evening down in a creek. Got about 30 minutes paint time until it rained me out. I brought it home and wiped the water off, which is what you see in the first picture below. I'm posting many other shots of the work I did in the studio. If you look closely, you can see slight changes from one pic to the next.

Cedar Creek in June
Demonstration
9" x 12", oil

Afternoon Delight

2011-06-19T20:26:00.001-05:00

I could tell you the name for this one came from the Golden Hour sunshine, and how wonderful the light was...But the real reason is to get the song stuck in your head. This one was really quick before eating a Father's Day meal with my family tonight.

Afternoon Delight
9" x 12", oil, plein air

802 Tremont Avenue - Lexington, KY

2011-06-14T21:44:00.002-05:00

This is the second in the series.

802 Tremont Avenue - Lexington, KY
5" x 7", oil, palette knife, GSV

166 East 3rd Street - Lexington, KY

2011-06-14T07:30:00.002-05:00

Here's the first of a short series I'm doing of street scenes in Lexington, Kentucky. I enjoy working small with the knife, so I thought I'd intermix these in with my usual plein air pieces, portraits and studio work.

166 East 3rd Street - Lexington, KY
5" x 7", oil, palette knife, GSV

Afternoon on Little Renox

2011-06-12T21:55:00.001-05:00

Did this one today in more sweltering heat and humidity. Walked up on a little baby doe bedded down in the grass while scouting out my painting spot.

Afternoon on Little Renox
9" x 12", oil, plein air

June Field

2011-06-08T20:52:00.002-05:00

Another late afternoon painting session. Loved the light today, although the heat was a bit much. Also liking these oil primed panels I'm making and using these days.

June Field
9" x 12", oil on oil primed panel, plein air

Field of Dreams...If you're a cow.

2011-06-06T19:56:00.002-05:00

Did this quick one this evening before sunset. I like it. It does have some dirt and grass in the paint from my throwing it into the air. Think I might have broken a leg right next to my vehicle on the short walk back. Stepped in a concrete culvert and banged my lower shin hard, painting went flying. We'll ice it and see what it looks like in the morning. ;)

Field of Dreams
9" x 12", oil on oil primed panel, plein air

Two small redo's from the State Series

2011-06-06T05:42:00.002-05:00

Here are two small one's that I needed to paint again to make the State Series complete. The Series sold to a great client and his wife. I had just sold the original two from Minnesota and New Hampshire the day before the client contacted me about purchasing the entire series. Isn't that how it goes? These will dry and then be off to their new home.

Both were painted with a small painting knife in oils.

Colebrook, New Hampshire (2)

5" x 7", oil, palette knife

Two Harbors, Minnesota (2)

5" x 7", oil, palette knife

Sunny House

2011-05-31T17:32:00.001-05:00

Here's a small knife painting I did today. This one is for the June Virtual Paintout. I always forget how much I enjoy painting small with the knives. I'll be repainting a couple from the State Series to replace those that sold recently. Just shipped 49 of the Series out today to a wonderful client. When these last two dry they'll be going to the same destination. (Yes, I know the US has 50, but I threw DC in for good measure.)

Sunny House
5" x 7", oil, palette knife

Oak and Grill

2011-05-30T16:25:00.001-05:00

Another super hot day today. Painted this at the State Park, too hot for anyone to be grilling. If I had thought about it, I'd have brought charcoal and food to cook while I painted.

Oak and Grill
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Lake Puddle and Trees

2011-05-28T20:35:00.001-05:00

Painted at Dale Hollow Lake today. After all the rain lately the lake has been high, but looks to have receded in the last day or so, leaving large puddles of standing water in places along the shore. This was one of them.

Lake Puddle and Trees
16" x 20", oil, plein air

High Noon with Red Shed and Weeds

2011-05-23T18:56:00.001-05:00

Did about 90% of this one today at lunch, and finished up after work. This is of my backyard, and shows the devoted neglect to my grass and shrubs. But I was out of town for 5 weeks. I'll get caught up sooner or later.

"High Noon with Red Shed and Weeds"
9" x 12", oil on linen panel

Salem Park Rocks!

2011-05-21T16:54:00.001-05:00

Here's today's effort. The creek that runs through Salem Park is mostly dry, but I did find this one large puddle that butts up against the stand of rocks.

"Salem Park Rocks!"
20" x 16", oil, plein air

Rocks and Water

2011-05-08T15:06:00.001-05:00

This was about fours work this morning. Another wonderful spring day in the mountains. Talked to bunches of people today.

Rocks and Water
20" x 16", oil. plein air

Pines Along the Blue River

2011-05-07T12:31:00.001-05:00

Did this one this morning just above the Maggie Pond where the Blue comes in. The most incredibly beautiful morning here.

Pines Along the Blue River
16" x 20", oil, plein air

French Street

2011-05-06T18:37:00.001-05:00

Did this one in gale force winds today on the corner of Lincoln and French Streets in Breckenridge. I had to hold my palette down numerous times. And if you look closely at the painting in real life you'll find a little dirt mixed in with the paint.

French Street
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Charcoal Head Study

2011-05-05T17:54:00.001-05:00

Just playing with the charcoal a little bit.

Charcoal Head Study
20" x 16"

Runoff

2011-05-03T16:38:00.001-05:00

What a glorious day it was today! I stood by the Blue River in downtown Breckenridge to add this to my ever growing river series. Something about standing, painting, listening to the water, that's calming to the soul.

Runoff
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Beauty Beyond

2011-05-01T20:58:00.001-05:00

Did this one for the Virtual Paintout this month.

Beauty Beyond
20" x 24", oil on linen

Abandoned on Main Street, Breckenridge

2011-04-29T19:23:00.002-05:00

Worked on this one on location today, until I got snowed out, again. Finished up in the studio. Not the best pic of the painting. It looks a little curved at the bottom, but really isn't.

Abandoned on Main Street, Breckenridge
16" x 20", oil

Edge of the Dredge Pond

2011-04-28T15:57:00.001-05:00

The sun has finally made an appearance. Not a cloud in the sky all day. Wonderful day to be standing in a gorgeous spot for a few hours.

Edge of the Dredge Pond
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Blue River #3

2011-04-25T18:54:00.001-05:00

Springtime in the Rockies. The sun came out twice during my four hour painting time today. It also snowed hard twice during the same session. Still having fun!

Thanks for looking. Including a pic of my setup.

Blue River #3
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Finally Spring in the Mountains?

2011-04-24T17:05:00.001-05:00

Don't bet on it. Still in the 30's and 40's here in Breckenridge. Had 7 new inches of snow for closing day of the ski area today. It did warm up enough that some pseudo-green grass showed up next to this old building I painted this morning.

Peeking Through
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Kate Ellick

2011-04-22T17:11:00.001-05:00

Kate Ellick was 61 years old when she was arrested for being homeless in Australia. She never had a family, or anyone to help her. She was sentenced to three months in prison. This is her mugshot.

I did this drawing over the last two days in my studio during Open Studio hours. Hope you like it. Thanks for looking.

Kate Ellick
20" x 16", charcoal

Aspens in Wind

2011-04-22T15:13:00.001-05:00

This one was a bear to work on. Wind gusts kept me hanging on to my palette and the linen panel a lot of the time. But things like that are what makes this so much fun.

Had an Open House at the Tin Shop yesterday. It went really well. Lots of visitors.

"Aspens in Wind"
20" x 16", oil, plein air

Inmate 1288

2011-04-17T19:02:00.001-05:00

Did this drawing over the last couple of days during open studio hours.

Inmate 1288
20" x 16", charcoal

Aspens

2011-04-16T13:31:00.002-05:00

Had fun painting this one today. Talked to a lot of people. Weather is great.

Aspens
20" x 16", oil, plein air

Blue River #2

2011-04-15T15:53:00.001-05:00

Here's a quick 2 hour painting from today. Had to get back and open the studio by 2 p.m. Made it by the skin of my teeth. I like where this one ended up though.

Blue River #2
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Edwin Carter Museum

2011-04-14T12:07:00.001-05:00

Painted this one in blowing snow this morning. I had to stand my palette upright in the lid of my paintbox to try and keep snow from accumulating on it. By the time I finished I could barely see the paint tubes in the bottom of my box. Snow and icicles on the beard.

Edwin Carter Museum
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Barney Ford

2011-04-13T18:23:00.001-05:00

Did this portrait this afternoon. This is Barney Ford. He was an escaped slave who prospered and became a prominent entrepreneur and black civil rights pioneer in Colorado. In 1880, Ford became the first black businessman in Breckenridge when he opened Ford’s Restaurant and Chop House. My current studio is next door to the Barney Ford House which he and his wife lived in for many years.

Also including a couple of pics of the snow we're having right now. We're supposed to have up to a foot tonight.

Barney Ford
16" x 20", charcoal

Father Dyer Methodiat Church

2011-04-13T14:46:00.001-05:00

Did this one this morning. The building is the Father Dyer Methodist Church in Breckenridge, CO. Father Dyer was the Snowshoe Itinerant Preacher. Back in the day when there was no other way through the Rocky Mountains, he used snowshoes and skis, 12 foot planks, going from mining town to mining town, delivering mail and preaching the Word. He planted this church in Breckenridge in the 1880's, I believe, which is still going strong today.

Father Dyer Methodist Church
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Blue River #1

2011-04-12T16:37:00.003-05:00

Here's today's outdoor painting effort. This is my first full day in Breckenridge, Colorado. Here for 5 weeks as Guest Artist at the Tin Shop in the Arts District. I stood by the Blue for about three hours painting this one. Hard for me to judge the colors in the pic on my laptop. I'll check it out after dark and adjust if need be.

"Blue River #1"
16" x 20", oil, plein air

Japan

2011-04-06T07:47:00.001-05:00

Here's a small one I did for this month's Virtual Paintout (link to the VPO is the right sidebar ---->).

Japan
5" x 7", oil, palette knife

Collage of select self portraits

2011-03-28T16:21:00.001-05:00

Barns and Creek

2011-03-23T08:29:00.001-05:00

Started this one on location and finished in the studio.

Barns and Creek
16" x 20", oil