"The Banjo Player" WIP

Update on progress - still a long way to go.

"The Banjo Player" (24" x 36") WIP

Yay!!! Christmas Break!!!! That means I have some time to work on "The Banjo Player" . His face is starting to take shape. There's a lot of character to capture. I'm sure he has quite a few stories to tell... Someone told me that each line on your face is a little remnant of a past experience. Happy or sad, each traces it's mark. From the referance photo, the banjo player must have had a very happy life - I hope to be able to capture that. So far, just the basics.

Leave a comment if you like - critiques are always very welcome. It's how I learn and improve.

"The Banjo Player" WIP (24" x 36")

I started this painting of the banjo player last week. I'm using a reference photo originally taken by Allen Russell.
Link to Mr. Russell's main page:
Allen Russell Photography "Life in the American West" http://www.allenrussellphoto.com/

Thanks Allen for permission to use your photo for my painting. You can view the reference photo at Montana Old Time Fiddlers Picnic, Livingston...

Christmas break next week!!! Looking forward to spending time with family and friends!!!

820 John Deere (12" x 12") WIP

Here is the final product......."820 John Deere" and "Nathan" (You can take the boy off the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the boy)

Just about finished. Have some minor adjustments to do and a few details.

Companion panel - nearing completion.



Needed to let Nathan dry before doing any more. Hope to be finished with both panels in a week or so.

"Nathan" (12 x 12)

I started this yesterday.

Our son, Nathan, is a farm boy at heart. Eventhough he is a civil engineer working for a water resources firm in Englewood, CO, he still retains that "heart in the soil" attitude. Nathan liked the novelty of running the dirt-in-the-face, no air conditioning, 820 John Deere Tractor (circa. 1950s). And so, the subject of this painting.

"You can take the boy off the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the boy."

My plan is to include another 12 x 12 panel of him working in the field. Hope it turns out.

"Walking Home" (24" x 18")

Noticed a bit of an anatomical issue with the older girl's legs and feet. They appeared to be walking ahead of her (see previous post below). Think I solved the problem ......?????

Time to move on to another project.............................................

"Walking Home" (18" x 24")

I'm going to call this finished. Or, at least finished for now. Might do some tweeking on the feet yet. Trying to capture the feeling of movement was (is) quite a challenge.

This painting is reminiscent of my childhood (minus about 100 years - our road was graded). Our bus route was really long, about an hour, and we were the last ones off. At one point the bus came within a mile of our farm. On nice days we would ask the driver to drop us off and we would walk the mile home, saving us from the agony of riding the whole route. And, we would get home about a half hour sooner...

"Walking Home" (WIP)

Just about finished. Wondering what to do with the fields. Leave them.......add some cows....... picked corn field?

Any and all critiques - comments are very welcome.............

"Walking Home" (18 x 24) WIP

Starting to add the finishing touches. The children still need a lot of work. Feet are always difficult for me to get right. I'm tempted to paint some grass to hide them.

Thinking about putting cows in the field. Not sure if it's a good idea.....................

"Walking Home" (18 x 24) WIP

Getting a bit more done on this painting. Not finished with the kids yet, and will add farm buildings and some cows.

"... I Get It"

How do you feel when you finally figure out that elusive problem, the answer to the next question/challenge before you???? What do you think of when you hear the words, "Holy s---...I GET IT!!!".

Those three precious words "I GET IT" (along with the attention grabber of "holy s---)" is the focus of my next painting challenge. (Thanks Kathy for the idea, and to one of my students who originally utterd those precious words when she finally figured out how the periodic table was arranged.) How can I capture on canvas the image of a student "getting it"????

I don't have a solid plan yet, but thinking about a student with that look of revelation surrounded by a collage of various subject materials that finally she can make a connection with.....

Let's see where this journey takes me/us...... Please feel free to post comments about what you think about this project....additions??? corrections????

"April in Alaska" (18" x 24")

Finished.... See anything that needs tweeking?????



I'll admit, this was the most challenging paintings I have done yet. Drying time of a week or so, then ready for shipment.

"April in Alaska"

Almost finished..... Just have to add a few more highlights on the aspens, and sharpen some edges. What do you think?

"April in Alaska" (WIP)

A little more progress. Starting to define Josephine a bit more. Nearing the end of this journey. Still a lot more to do until complete ... mostly details.

"April in Alaska" WIP

Here's what I accomplished today. Think it's comming along. Have a lot to do before I call this one finished. Next step is to work on Josephine, the fire pit, and details.......details......details.....

A bit more tweeking on the background - still not quite right, but getting there. Can't wait to start working on the kids.

"April in Alaska" (WIP)

A bit more done on the trees. Starting to define the Aspens in front of the greenhouse. Will put some aspens on the right to balance the tall trees on the left.


Stop back in a couple days and see what's new..............

"April in Alaska" WIP (18 x 24)

It's been awhile since I've posted anything. School started and I've been very busy trying to work out the kinks in a new curriculum. But, took time to relax and work on a new painting.

My nephew and his family lived in Alaska for several years. My sister Marcia wanted a painting of a special time they had roasting hotdogs with their grandchildren Josephine and William when they were there last April. The composition of the painting includes Denali Mountain. Though not really this close to their house as seen in the painting, Marcia wanted to include it because it's such an icon to Alaska. The building in the background is a greenhouse.

I have a long way to go to finish this, but have a fairly good start. And so I start on another journey of learning and discovery....

Trail Road (24 x 18) WIP

Here is today's start on a landscape "Trail Road". This is a rough blocking-in . Glare you see on the midline trees if wet paint. Think I'm off to a fairly good start.

We'll see what happens with this ..............

Highlander #1 (12 x 12) WIP

Here is the beginnings of a series of close-ups of Scottish Highlanders. This is still quite rough and will need to put in highlights and more detail in the hair. My husband was wondering why I would do this series ... don't think he's a fan of cow paintings. But I think they have such personalities - they make me giggle. Anyway, it's an opportunity to practice painting hair. They have a lot of it.

I started working on #2 as this one dries..............Check back again soon to see the latest updates. Sorry about the glare - wet paint




P.S. Thanks to Shayne McGuire of "Myths and Legends Photography" for permission to paint these beautiful beasts. Her website address: http://www.mythandlegends.net/ check it out!!! Beautiful work!!!