"Rainbow Falls, Gorges State Park"

Transylvania County, NC

(30 X 24 oil on canvas)

Rainbow Falls is undoubtedly my favorite waterfall in the area.  It is one of four waterfalls you encounter as you hike along the Horsepasture River in Gorges State Park.  We have witnessed the falls under numerous weather conditions and it always impresses.  During very dry seasons water will flow very peacefully across each series of broken falls on its 125 feet descent.  During very wet, rainy periods the water flows over the top with purpose; not touching the river below until well down stream.  Regardless of the amount of water, we have always seen the rainbow, appearing in the mist at the lower right base of the falls.

I love painting the scenes from locations that have become very meaningful to me.  It makes me see things differently -- focus on different areas.  In this case it was the rock formations.  Standing in front of the falls I always focus on the roar of the water as it cascades downward.  As I studied the same scene, as a subject to paint, I realized how important the rock formations were.  How many hundreds of thousands of years went into forming the rocks as they now appear.  I concluded early on that if I captured the rocks, the water would take care of itself.

This was a fun painting and one of my favorites.  I thought a good, moderate flow of water would make for an impressive representation.  I removed most of the trees and undergrowth from the down stream section of the river to provide more emphasis to its downward flow.  One of the best things about this hike is sound of the water as you walk along the river.  During the summer you may not always see it but you will always hear it.

As for the rainbow -- if you look carefully in the mist coming off the rocks of the right lower base of the falls you will see a few hints of a rainbow.

Framing by Blackbird Frame and Art of Asheville, NC 

"Bison at Antelope Flats"

Grand Teton National Park

(14 X 18, Oil on canvas, Now part of the art collection of Grandson John)

This painting is based on a trip to Grand Teton National Park / Jackson Hole in September, 2012.  While driving through Antelope Flats looking for the famed Moulton Barn -- as a potential painting -- we came across a herd of bison grazing along the dirt road.  I carefully wove our way through the herd as Cindy was very busy snapping photos.  These are beautiful creatures and great subjects for people like me who like to paint nature.

The taller mountains in the background are known as the Cathedral Group of the Tetons with Grand Teton the most prominent peak. Antelope Flats lies farther north along the Teton range than represented here.  In laying out my composition, I felt I would be remiss not to do it this way.  The

As for the bison, every bison painted was in one or more of Cindy's photographs.  I just rearranged them a little.  Drawing/painting animals like bison, can really test your powers of observation.  They are such powerful looking animals and it's so easy to lose that appearance.
 

This painting was a Christmas (2014) present to my grandson, John.
Framing by Blackbird Frame and Art of Asheville, NC

"High Falls, DuPont State Forest"

Transylvania County, NC

(30 X 24 oil on canvas)

High Falls is another of the extraordinary waterfalls to be found a DuPont State Park.  This scene was made from a series of photographs made in May, 2012 with the water a little higher than normal but definitely not under flood conditions.  I've also revisited these falls several times when the water levels were lower with the rocks more accessible.  Numerous trips to the site help me to see particulars that don't seem to come out right from photos as well as re-energize after lay-offs.  

The roof seen protruding from the trees at the top of the falls is actually a covered bridge crossing the Little River.  Provides a great view of the water as it begins its descent over the falls. 

I enjoyed studying and painting the rocks found here as they changed the course of the water flowing across them.  Charting the flow of the water was challenging as well as fun.  There was the cascading water tumbling over the rocks, sheer drops straight down as a rock ledge ended, and the sheeting of water as it slid down the sloping rocks.

"Triple Falls, DuPont State Forest"

Transylvania County, NC

(30 X 40 oil on canvas)

This painting is a follow-on of the smaller "Triple Falls" painting shown below.  It includes all three levels of the falls and utilizes more color. 

Since starting this painting I've revisited these falls when the water levels were significantly lower than depicted here.  Quite a contrast.  Under normal conditions there is no water to your right on the second tier.  I could actually walk up to and touch the rocks on the second tier center without getting wet.  I feel very fortunate to have venture to DuPont on this day December 23, 2011 for a first hand view of the swollen rivers.

Framing by Blackbird Frame and Art of Asheville, NC 

"Triple Falls, DuPont State Forest (a study)"

Transylvania County, NC

(12 X 18, oil on canvas)

DuPont State Forest is the home of six beautiful waterfalls in the southern Appalachian mountains of North Carolina.  We made a trip to the falls of December 23, 2011 -- after heavy downpours that caused a lot of flooding along the rivers in low-lying areas.  The river feeding these falls, Little River, was really full and overflowing in some areas.  Normally you would see more rock and much less water.  We were there at the right time to catch this spectacular sight.

This painting is actually the top two falls of Triple Falls.  My challenges in doing this painting was to try and capture the power of this flow of water and give the falls depth that a camera does not show.  This turned out to be a study for the much larger painting (30 x 40) of the entire falls.
Framing by Blackbird Frame and Art of Asheville, NC  

"Mountain Goat at Logan Pass"

Glacier National Park

(14 X 18, Oil on canvas, Now part of the art collection of Granddaughter Eleanor)

Subject of this painting is based on photos Cindy made on our way up to Logan Pass in September, 2007.  This goat and others were feeding by the road and posing for we tourist.  These are beautiful creatures and great subjects for people like me who like to paint nature. 

I painted the background first and thought I had done a respectable job of capturing the beautiful majestic mountains of Glacier -- which by its self, I think, would have made a nice painting.  Next came the difficult task of possibly ruining my beautiful landscape by painting an animal on top of it.  Since I had never painted an animal before -- especially one in motion --, I was afraid my goat might come out looking like a cartoon character.  But after much preparation and a lot of studying/staring I was pleased with results.  Drawing/painting can really test your powers of observation.  For example, the photos and personal observations showed the mountain goat to be a very powerful looking animal -- but I kept missing the detail(s) that made it so.  Finally moving the front "hump" forward just a fraction -- provided what I was looking for.

This painting was a Christmas (2011) present to my granddaughter, Eleanor.
Framing by Blackbird Frame and Art of Asheville, NC

"El Capitan, Yosemite National Park"
(12 X 16, Oil on canvas, October, 2011)

This painting resulted from a class I took trying to rekindle my interest in painting.  After several false-starts and a change in residence it had been several years since I had touch a brush other than painting walls in the house (both previous and current house).

Though I've seen El Capitan from this viewpoint before, I used a picture from a calendar as the subject material for this painting.  It only took several weeks which is fast for me and more importantly did wonders for me to get going again.  Of course it's hard to live in the mountains of North Carolina and not feel inspired.

Painting is through the drying/varnishing cycle and is ready to frame.  (Apologies for the quality of the photography here.)    

Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine

Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
(20 X 30, oil on canvas)

This painting is a composite of photos we made at Acadia National Park in July, 2008. The jutting shoreline, lighthouse, islands, etc. can all be found in the park but not necessarily in this sequence. It has presented quite a challenge with the multiple perspectives that must be accounted for to get a true effect and caused me to rethink the original and the subsequent layouts on numerous occasions.

Christmas in Falls Church

"Christmas in Falls Church"
(16 X 20, oil on canvas, work-in-process)
This painting was made from various photos of our decorated house after a snowfall and combines features (plants, decorations) from several different years. The is my first attempt at a nocturnal painting. The challenge is maintaining the darkness while providing sufficient detail. This painting has become part of out Christmas decorations in our new home in Asheville.

Autumn on Lake Barcroft

"Autumn on Lake Barcroft"

(12 x 24, oil on canvas, Collection of Cynthia Wright, Nov 2008)
This painting is from photos I made in the Fall of 2007 while on a walk around Lake Barcroft in Fairfax County, VA. Creating reflections and gentle water movements were the big challenges. The colors are somewhat vibrant but not really embellished from the photos and actual viewing.

 Interestingly I returned to this same site several years in a row and was not able to replicate the same spectacular fall colors.  Some trees had lost their leaves while others were yet to change.  For the photos I made -- thus this painting -- I guess I was at the right spot at the right time. 

Andes Mountains

"Andes Mountains --
Fitz Roy Range in Argentina"
(14 x 18, oil on canvas, Private Collection, July, 2008)
This was my first effort working without another artist's step-by-step guidance and has been a true source of pride to me. The inspirations came from a trip I made in January, 2008 to Mendoza, Argentina. The painting is from a photo -- taken not by me -- that does a wonderful job of capturing the awesome beauty of this country and the Andes Mountains.

High Mountain Winter

"High Mountain Winter"
(14 x 18, oil on canvas, Private Collection, 2007)
This study is a compilation of objects (trees and structure) that I thought would be interesting and valuable in the learning process. The objects came from several exercises in a book by William Palluth. The background mountains are mine -- using recollections from the Tetons with a little Yosemite thrown-in.

Autumn Mountain Trail

"Autumn Mountain Trail"
(12 x 16, oil on canvas panel, Private Collection, 2007)

After several studio-type classes, I decided I might progress faster if I worked on my own -- learning from my mistakes as well as successes. I found this painting in a book by Carolyn Lewis and thought it would make an excellent study. Using the steps outlined by Ms Lewis I was able to recreate this painting and add a few personal modifications (e.g. backgrounds mountains reshaped to reflect my memories of the Huachuca Mountains in Arizona). I liked the results and more importantly -- learned a lot.

Seascape

"Seascape"
(14 x 18, oil on canvas, Private Collection, 2006)

This is my first oil painting and was completed during a class called "Oil Painting Even If You've Never Held a Brush". Though simple, it was a very informative effort that stimulated my desire to move forward.