Cat Eye View 24x18

Not far from here (200 meters) I spied a long-legged, rusty brown bobcat. I was on a little jog and instinctively reached for my side-arm. (which I never carry...lucky for him) And had it been a mountain lion, all the more luck for him that he didn't encounter me in a surly mood. Here's a little known secret and one that you don't often associate with men of my adventuresome cut and profile. I'd sooner fight a salt water croc (been there, done that) than climb on rocks while dangling from a rope or just about any other kind of popular outdoor adventure "sport" people (crazy people) partake of these days. But give me a six inch knife clenched between my teeth and mysteriously and magically I channel Jeremiah Johnson and Grizzly Adams at their best. I know this might not sound like it jibes with the Catch-n -Release Hunting club philosophy I espouse, but, truth be told, no ferocious creature in his right mind should ever try his hand (or paw) at meddling in my affairs. I am quite inexplicably unafraid of even the most venomous and dangerous of creatures. That said, I am a fairly passive painter of peaceful pictures, and for the most part, am content to spend my time making pretty pictures and contemplating things eternal. I really like these simple views...silhouetted trees and the Santa Catalina mountains at sunset. This is available on auction. Open link above to view/bid.

Picacho...Organ Mts. 48x60

I had to get the profile right for these mountains so I drew the whole painting with a pencil first. I used to do that a lot for studio pieces...or with vines charcoal. The top pics shows how I built the sky first working top down. Since I already had made a study of this and had it as a reference I didn't feel the need to block in the large shapes of the mountains and foreground. I pretty much had the values nailed in my smaller first piece and was fairly confident I could get it right. It turned out nice for a big ol' bad boy. The photo is a little over exposed so I had to turn it down a bit/lost a lot of the detail on the clouds and darkened overmuch the foreground. Well, you get the idea. These are the kind of paintings that keep the paint companies in business. For the price of your favorite dog and next first-born child I will make one for you too.

Come Sit A Spell 18x18 Wonderment 24x36

Both of these neat new pieces are available for sale on auction. If you'd like to place a bid open this link.

Three Fingers Of Death

I had to accommodate a very large 48"x60" canvas the other day. So, I moved my trusty easel and as I did, caught a glimpse of the rarely seen back side. The paint encrusted support that holds my canvases seemed larger than I remembered. I knew there was a bit of a build up of old paint there but never imagined what I was about to discover. To my amazement there were fossilized remains of old brushes, teeth, bits of bone and hubcaps and handlebars from a bygone era. It was over three inches tall and 1 1/4 inch thick. I cut it off on the table saw (wouldn't break!) and it revealed a multi-hued mosaic of beautiful layers, each one representing a color phase as I developed as a painter over the centuries. I will post pics of the big ol' canvas in a day or so...Organ Mountain Monsoons. In the meantime you can check out new paintings for sale here.

Highwaymen 24x18 Swiftly On The Mountain 24x24

Two of my personal favs of late. Highwaymen is a view I have heading west from Catalina. I got in some good monsoon action (photos) towards the end of summer and have a whole lot of ideas for future work in a "Highway" series. The second painting is a "master series" piece built over some time. It wasn't really my intention to build it that way but I needed to nail those mountains. They're the Organ Mountains looking east from Picacho Country Club golf course in Las Cruces, NM. I didn't want to sell this yet since we are supposed to hang a little show this winter in New Mexico. I had it up in the store and someone made an offer and the pot of beans was getting low and, well, you can imagine the chaos that ensues when my voracious and calumnious progeny gets hungry...It ain't pretty. These, however, are (pretty) and one is for sale...you can click on the link at the top right of my blog page. (If you get this as an update in your mailbox you'll need to go to the blog to see the sale link)

Oregon, Arizona and California

Three of my favorite states are represented here. Nothing to show for a fiery blast round trip to Minnesota this past week. My Vikings beat up my Cards at the noisy, purple Metrodome and I found a few new subscribers to the Catch and Release Hunting Club I founded (Eddie has been removed from the honor roll...Christmas goose is in the freezer. Need I say more?) So, forthcoming; pictures of barren trees, frosty land, rusty cars and wildfowl on the wing. I didn't have much of a chance to get in any real art pursuits. The few photos I took will have to suffice for winter inspiration. I came home to sunny skies and balmy temps. Hardly the elements necessary for wintry wonderlands. I am working on a very large 4x5 ft. canvas this next week or so. It's a big ol' monsoon cloud over the Organ Mts. in New Mexico. I'll post pics when it's done.

"Rio Grand" 12x24, "Golden Grassland" 24x24

Guest post by Marissa Hawkins.

When the cat's away, the mice will play. And when the artist's away, his progeny will work. That's the way it goes in a family business. Although working at home is nice. Where else could you be excused for a piano/chocolate/let's-blow-this-off-and-go-out-to-lunch break?

Packaging days are the busiest for us. Getting a painting from the drying rack into a home takes several steps. My brothers scramble to finish frames. The shipping department (that would be me), handles printing of packing slips, varnishing, final inspection of paintings and frames, packaging, labeling, and delivery (from the basement to the front door), as well as the occasional blog post or Ebay listing. All the while, my dad keeps a watchful eye over our work, answers emails, practices duck calls, creates masterpieces, and does just about everything else.

It's not a bad gig, being a painter's kid, aside from any infrequent disagreements over music in the studio and the potentially brain-damaging fumes. But we really don't mind Uncle Bob (Dylan). And it would not be home if it didn't smell like Kamar varnish, fresh oil paint, and mineral spirits.

The best part is, if your favorite artist (and mine) should choose to take a half-week duck hunting trip up north, he has someone to cover for him. That's the way it goes in a family business.