"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.