Lit Forest Floor

"Lit Forest Floor", 10x8", oil on panel

The weather turned hot yesterday, which provided the perfect opportunity for an early morning hike.  It also provided the perfect opportunity to have the forest to myself. And I wish it was mine. Creek crossings and lots of limestone, pooled water (my dog enjoyed that), bird calls I haven't heard in a season,  drystack walls from multiple generations back, moss starting it's spring coat and more. It was senses overload for a good morning.  The tree canopy is yet to grow, but I will be back.

"Lofty Space", oil on board, 20x16"

I have been wanting to do an interior for a while, since wintertime is generally when we turn inward, literally and figuratively. This scene from a lofted building is a photo I took last winter about the same time. I thought it would be an easy one to start with, but it got the best of me. While most of the scene is outside the windows, I attempted to paint it so it would be secondary to the viewer, with the bright empty space being the more important. I hope I pulled it off. It is hard for me to gage since this is my first interior.

Golden Days

 

Golden Days, oil on gessobord, 12x12"

This field of winter grasses and left-over leaves bore the last resemblance to fall on this particularly sunny day in January. I took this photo reference while hiking in Indiana before my son returned to college after the holidays.

It is so wonderful to have a working knee again.

Michigan Dunes

Michigan Dunes, oil on gessobord, 12x12"

I tried to work on still life for about two hours yesterday, but it wasn't happening and they became swipers. I had found this photo a few weeks ago and saved it for another time, which ended up being yesterday and finished today. I need a vacay. Visions of beaches are seeping into my subconscious.

Early Spring

Early Spring, oil on gessobord, 6x6"

The weather is like none other this year. Call it what you will, but it's not normal. These jonquils sprouted quickly and bloomed in February. Regardless of time of year, they are always beautiful, and welcoming...a definite ushering in of spring.

Fishing Lake, Parklands 2

Fishing Lake, Parklands 2, oil on mounted canvas, 10x8"

I struggled with this painting to the point that the first version was wiped away with mineral spirits and a rag. The funny thing is, unlike gessobord, the image didn't completely go away. It was like a ghost :-) So I went with it, started over with the "ghosted image"and eventually was satisfied with the results. This is another image of the beautiful new Parklands of Floyds Fork park in Louisville.