Welcome
I've been drawing and painting as long as I can remember, copying comic book panels as a kid, a career as a designer and animator, and the last ten years as a painter. Hope you enjoy the work.
Telluride Valley Floor 11x14 Oil
This was done last July while participating in the Telluride Plein Air Event. The best compliment I received during the show was from a 10 year old boy who recognized these rocks and pointed out to his parents where they were and that he likes to jump off off the one in the middle. That's one problem with a painting that doesn't have a human figure in it for scale, the large rocks are 4 feet high, and I'm not sure people got that, except for that boy. Telluride is an amazing place and I hope to paint there again.
Cottage Steps 11x14 Oil
In no particular order I thought I'd start posting some paintings from the Summer's travels. This painting is also from the Michigan Artist in Residency, these are the steps to the Farrell Cottage on Grand Island which is where I stayed for 2 weeks. An odd painting but a favorite from the trip. Those damp mossy steps seem to evoke memories of a family vacation/camping experience, at least here in the Midwest. I was really happy with the ferns.
Just another note on the title change for the blog, "brush mileage" refers to the amount of years/paintings/experiences we accumulate pursuing this insane lifestyle, as well as reflecting the increasing amount of travel tied to my painting. I'll be back in Hawaii next month and I have a trip to the Yucatan planned for next February, so I'll get no sympathy when I complain about the cold weather in January.
To paraphrase Thomas Hart Benton, "Being a painter is the greatest job in the world, it's just the first 20 years that are rough"
Titanic 11x14 Oil
Well what can I say, it's been awhile. I changed the title of the blog since it hasn't been a painting a day site for months, it hasn't been much of a blog at all. Since my last entry I've been to Telluride Colorado and Door County Wisconsin for plein air events and spent 2 weeks on Grand Island doing an Artist's in Residence through the Hiawatha National Forest in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I'll blog more on those experiences, the image above was painted in Michigan, while painting this old iron fishing boat I was approached by a local, and as often happens I was provided with the back story to my subject. The boat is referred to as Titanic and surprisingly is still in use, recently to haul rocks used to reinforce a shoreline along Lake Superior and prevent a lighthouse's foundation from being eroded away.
More soon, I promise
11x14 Oil
On the road to Telluride with Scott Llyod Anderson, we stopped at the Badlands National Park in South Dakota to paint. It is such an amazing landscape that only having time to do one painting there is a tease, but is was good to move the brushes and a nice warm up for the Plein Air event next week. I'm in Erie Colorado as I write this, tomorrow we're going paint somewhere along the way to Telluride, subject matter shouldn't be a problem as we cross the continental divide.
6x8 Oil
This small painting was done Saturday during my outdoor class. A student wanted to work on pulling form out of a big cottonwood tree so I said I would paint the same one, soon the entire class was lined up painting the same tree. It's a worthy subject, this tree dominates the Bruce Vento Park here in St. Paul.
I'm off to Colorado on Thursday for the Telluride Plein Air Event, I'll try to post from there.
11x14
Another Lake Superior shoreline, I could paint these for years and not get bored, they're so deceptively simply, but actually contain an amazing variety of shape and color. I love how bright the lake can get in certain light conditions.
14x18 Oil
A student from last week's workshop sent me a couple of pics of the demo I did, so I'm including the in-progress image. I love to paint these rock formations, they're beautiful and challenging. I think I need a new painting jacket.
Telluride Valley Floor 11x14 Oil
