Wind, on top of the bluffs.

Last friday was a windy, rainy morning. In order to paint, I needed to find something to shelter my easel. These hay bales worked well.


Views of the bluffs are challenging to say the least. I was very interested to paint this epic view, after viewing the film "Aliens in the Hill" at a halloween movie night at the Schonfelds. The film is set, somewhere in those hills, and documents a family's encounter with Aliens. Haloween is the best!

18"x24". oil on canvas.

Six rainy days, one sunny.

Painting on overcast days is always enjoyable. You are able to open your eyes and observe subtle colors, and their vibrations. When it rains, it is almost a bonus. A prizm effect happens that is of interest to the artist, this however, is only true if you can find a dry area to paint from.

I painted from inside the barn this morning at Denise Radke's farm. The prizm effect was happening as the sheets of moisture flew around the trees.


12"x16"


11"x14"

There was one sunny afternoon this week, and it lead to both of these.

9"x12"


11"x14"

Rain Delay

It has been a wet autumn here. The one sunny morning that we had this week was filled up with schoolwork. I have been painting under the umbrella as much as time allows right now.



This farm is tucked away behind Bender's, on Mile Rd. (I believe.) Cows. Good times.



11x14. $250



Here is a Rainy late afternoon. This farm is the first white barn on the left after you pass Keonecke Ford on the way to LaValle.



9x12. $175



I was completely rained out and soaking wet (but happy) when painting this one. There came a point when the paint would not stick to the canvas any more.



12x16.



This weekend is the Sauk County Artist Association Fall Art Tour. I will be participating in the un-officail D-Tour. The D-Tour includes a opening tonight at the Wollen Mill Gallery, and several other events. My role in the D-Tour is to be out painting on Town Hall Rd. on Sunday after 3pm or so. If you'd like, stop out and see me on the D-Tour.

Bonus Post!

In a new collection

The Sauk Counth Health Care Center is moving very soon, and I am excited to announce that three of my works will be represented in their collection. These paintings have not appeared here, on my blog, before, so it is a good chance to share them with you.
Thanks to Dana and Kay from the Blue Heron for facilitating this sale.


11x14


16x20

And the third is the Picture of round bales that Maralyn is looking at in this picture.

Autumn is here!

18x24"


9x12"


12x16"


9x12"

Finally, the best time of year to paint. Cool weather, and an explosion of color. I will be out painting as much as possible during the next month.

Also, some good news, my work has found a home!
The Blue Heron in downtown Reedsburg has several of my works on the walls now, and I am gearing up for a exhibition there mid-November. I will make a post with exact times and dates soon. Salute!

Art Meets Agriculture - Juried Show in Platteville

This piece, along with 3 others were accepted into the Art Meets Agriculture show at UW-Platteville. The opening will be September 29 - this tuesday - from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

24"x36"

Amish Oat Shocks

Oat shocks are very interesting. Amish farmers cut down the grain, and bind it together in 7 bundles, and then stack them together so they can dry in the field. When one comes across a field of them, it is almost an unbelievable scene, commerical farming focuses on high volume and overall production, it is refreshing to see smaller farms that stick to time honored traditions.

Last year, Josh Hess and I found a field of oat shocks out by Hill Point. We painted out there every day, until they were thrashed. This year, during the same week in late July, Jim Splitgerber and I were driving along, and found another field of them towards Ironton.

This first was painted very rapidly. The goal was to capture the late afternoon light.

12"x16" oil on canvas. $295.

This second was mid day, when I had a bit more time.

12"x16" oil on canvas. $395.

I marked my calender for the harvest in 2010.

Morning Light

I have really enjoyed waking up (semi) early to go out and paint. The morning haze simplifies everything, and the colors are amazing, while they last. I usually am out painting by 7:30 a.m., and the effect lasts anywhere from 15-45 minutes. It takes longer than that to paint a canvas of this size, so it is very important to take a mental snapshot and rely on visual memory. It's a great exercise.

This first one was painted a few weeks ago. As I drove through the countryside I could see sheets of moisture that were suspended in the air. It was almost like smoke.


Morning on Terrytown. 18"x24". $450.

I pass this farm every morning that I work.

Morning on Hwy. H. 16"x20". $370.

Online Exhibition

Paintings from After School Studies. The show will run through the second week in September, at University of Wisconsin/Baraboo-Sauk County. More to come in the coming days, including photos from opening night.

After School Studies - Saturday Night!

After School Studies - Exhibition

I just finished hanging my show titled "After School Studies" at the UW-Baraboo/Sauk County Schwalbach Gallery. The opening reception will be this Saturday, July 25 from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. Please come and celebrate this body of work!

Churchill Farm.

Two brothers own this farm. It was nice talking to them in between milkings.

16 x 20 oil on canvas. SOLD. Thanks Jim!

Junction Rd.

Summer on Junction Rd., right past the horse farm.

16 x 20 oil on canvas. $225 - FREE shipping.

Dramatic Sky over White Barn.

Another reason to pull the car over and paint.

9 x 12 oil on canvas. $150 - FREE shipping.

Terrytown Rd., Farm.

A dramatic sky over a farm on Terrytown.

11 x 14 oil on canvas. SOLD. Thanks Lucy!

Summer Sky, Beth Rd.

A little summer sky painting.

9 x 12 oil on canvas. $150 - FREE shipping.

Venice

Venicia is one of a kind. No traffic; just canals, sunsets and spaghetti frutti de mar. I will return to paint in Venice some day.

14" x 11" oil on canvas. SOLD.




11" x 14" oil on canvas. SOLD.

Pisa

We took a day trip from Florence to Pisa on a stormy day. I was happy when it began to rain because it cleared the tourists from the courtyard and gave me a clear view of the leaning tower.

9" x 12" oil on canvas. $200.

Cinque Terra

The Cinque Terra was one of our favorite stops during our travels. It's rugged coastline has a hiking trail that is very challenging, and perfect for lugging a french easel upon. You hike between villages and eat gelato and drink birra inbetween to catch your breath.

9" x 12" oil on canvas. $225.

2 from Paris

A view of the River Seine with the eiffel tower in the background.

11" x 14" oil on canvas. $250.

On the way back from painting the first I had to stop and make a quick color sketch.

9" x 12" oil on canvas. $200.

Sunrise in Amsterdam

The best time to paint in Amsterdam is early morning, the rest of the day you would have to dodge bicycles! This is a canal not far from the van Gogh museum, a place I frequented during my visit.

9" x 12" oil on canvas. $200.

Cloudscape over Farm

I was filming myself painting for a semester project in history. Too bad the batteries died before I finished! This is just off Terrytown Rd. (I know, what a surprise) and was painted during my free period.

11x14 oil on canvas. $250.

Lehman Sunset

A little golden hour painting. The location is by my freshman year (high school) algebra teachers house. I dropped the class at the time thinking "I'll never need to learn algebra"... well, I'm back in an algebra class now, around 15 years later.

9x12 $150.

Gibraltar Rock in Lodi, as seen from outside Baraboo.

This is the scene off of Freedom road, this side of Baraboo. I was paining away and a farmer and his grandson drove up on a tractor and told me that I was painting a scene of Gibraltar Rock which is about 40 miles away. I just thought I was painting some cool blue bluffs.

16x20 oil on canvas $400.