Thursday
May232013

THE DREAM, THE STRUGGLE, THE VICTORY-cover on a new book

A new publication produced by Covenant Communications has used my painting, "The Dream, The Struggle, The Victory".  The title of the book is "History of the Saints" and is a well written depiction of the settlers who came out  west.  The book also has several other of my paintings along with other artist's works. 

Thursday
Mar212013

Sycamore Creek-The Final Phase (I hope)

Sycamore Creek-A major painting 38x60  (with some additions)

In February of 2013 I bring this painting back onto my easle.  I have decided that the large rock that juts into the stream (see picture below) caused too harsh a seperation between the foreground and the upper part of the painting.  In other words it didn't give our eyes and smooth enough flow as we gaze at the painting.  There is always a risk of decreasing the visual effects of a painting when you start monkeying around, but I am almost finished and this will be the final phase (maybe).  It seems to be coming along.

Thursday
Mar212013

Sycamore Creek-The Next Step

Sycamore Creek-A major painting 48x60

Some twenty years after the sketch (below) painted during the Boy Scout Camping trip I decided to tackle this large painting using the 24x30 sketch and a few snapshots. I started this in September 2012.  I finished it and showed it in my studio and a few other places.  It turned out really nice...BUT...if a painting is in my studio for too much time I might see some things I want to do to it!  So, a few months later I take this painting and see some areas where I might make improvements.  See the additions to this painting above.

Thursday
Mar212013

Progression-Sycamore Creek in Arizona

Sycamore Creek location painting

A few years ago I accompanied my son Todd, and some Boy Scouts on an overnight camping trip at Sycamore Creek in Central Arizona.  The weather was warm and while the boys got up and ate breakfast and then took a swim in the creek, I got out a 24x30 canvas and did this sketch.  I liked how it turned out.

Tuesday
Jan292013

Honeymoon Trail at the Dixie State College Art Show

                   HONEYMOON TRAIL  15x30 oil painting

Honeymoon Trail is being shown along with OVER THE MOUNTAIN (below) at the Sears Invitational Art Show at the Dixie State University in St. George, Utah.  The show starts at the Sears Gallery on Dixie State Campus on February 15 and runs through March 1.

As the Mormons settled in Utah in the middle of the 19th Century under the direction of Brigham Young they began to disperse north, south, east and west to build colonies of small communities.   St. George was the closest place where L.D.S. couples who lived in Arizona or other southern areas could travel to be married in the temple there.  In those days the treck would take several weeks and of course they were chaperoned.