"Stellars Jay" watercolor on paper
     This was a fairly quick watercolor. Loosely applied and quickly painted, watercolor takes on a life of it's own.

Master-label

  A very kind woman recently remarked that I am a master of watercolor and for that kindness I am  truly thankful. But. I am concerned that the term 'master' carries with it an implication or indictment of finality, that in mastering something there is no longer anything in the medium to be discovered. One of the reasons that watercolor fascinates is the possibility of something new. Bob Ross spoke of  "happy accidents " and that happiness is something I look forward too.

" Jumping Rope "

watercolor on paper 9 x 22"
A cool, cloudy late-Summer day here in Denver makes one think of the coming change of seasons. Here's a little reminder of Summer.

Sacramento Basin Commission

These are photos for a recently completed commission for Venoco Oil in Denver. After opening a floor for their Sacramento Basin group I was brought in to create a painting representing that region.
I wanted to show the landscape and how, after you look you begin to see. I had this vision to create a piece that almost becomes sculptural. To achieve the desired effect I mounted canvas to a plywood panel that had been affixed to stretchers. The small panels were then attached to the large panel and stand proud about one-inch.
The client was very happy with the end result.

Late summer Eleven-mile Canyon, CO

My son and I took a late-summer camping and fishing trip to Eleven-mile Canyon in south-central Colorado. I am amazed at what an excellent fisherman he has become, he is still quite young and he is already a much better fly-fisherman than I.
This painting is from a photo I took of several people fishing that weekend.

Rainy Day

I just finished this little watercolor as a commission for a Christmas gift and even though I slammed it out in two days I am very happy with this painting. Because of the flat light in the scene I was forced to flatten my colors and there-by developed a style that I have been working at for quite awhile.
I'm not sure if these surprises are the essence of Art but they sure make it fun.

This watercolor is a scene just a little north of Gunnison, Colorado. It had just finished raining and the sun was starting to pop out.
The Gunnison Valley and surrounding area is a very beautiful place and I miss it and the people very much, I might go back someday.

Floyd and Delta Dawn

As a kid the Fourth-of-July was always a favorite, family, fireworks all the usual fun. But for the past twenty or so years the Fourth-of-July meant driving up to the Black Hills of South Dakota to visit my ex-wifes family. I loved those visits and miss them very much but the person I'll miss the most is Floyd Tetrault. Sitting out on the front porch on a hot afternoon just shootin' the breeze with Floyd talking about life, politics, bucking horses, fishing, it was all good. Floyd passed away recently and I miss him, a good cowboy and a great friend. Vaya con Dios.

Work in Progress

This piece is pretty obvious. This was one of those things when you set your coffee cup down and Boom! there's a painting. I don't have a lot to say about this piece but I do like all the blue.

Happy Spring!

Here's a little watercolor to celebrate the beginning of Spring!
Spring has sprung, the grass has riz.
I wonder where the froggies is.

"Denver"

Every so often people ask me if I have a favorite painting and my usual response is " they're all my favorites" or "it's too hard to decide". This little painting is one of my favorites, it shows an unusual view of Denver, not the typical tourist view. No mountains, no drama, just the plains and the sky.

"Venice Beach,CA"

This piece is a favorite. To me Venice Beach means a lot of things, some of them not so great. It is a beautiful, interesting slice of life in Southern California but is also a pretty rough area with a dangerous side.
This scene alludes to the sun and surf element of SoCal but illustrates the fact that even in paradise people have to make a living.

"Sea Lion"

This watercolor was done from a photograph of a Sea Lion taken at the Denver Zoo. I do a lot of on-the-spot sketching and also take photos. I certainly have mixed feelings about animals in captivity but zoos present a marvelous opportunity to draw animals up close.
I am fascinated by water and the way light bounces off of and passes through it. I like this vignette style of painting. Leaving only that which is important to tell the story. Or maybe I'm just lazy.

"Great Blue Heron"

Thought I'd change it up a bit. When I was younger I painted a lot of birds. I tired of the paint-every-feather mind-set and drifted away from animal art. I really love painting animals but now I'm exploring ways to be accurate , realizing the whole not the parts.
I like this painting because it reminds me of a lot of the small lakes and ponds in this part of the world.

"Tire Swing"

The Taylor river above Gunnison, CO provided this scene. This is one of my favorite spots in Colorado and the fishing ain't bad neither. I like this piece because the winters here are beautiful but we still can't forget summer.

"Wyoming"

This watercolor shows a view of eastern Wyoming, approaching the Black Hills. Though not as obvious as western parts of the state, the eastern parts of the Cowboy State are very beautiful.