Wildflower — SOLD

I saw these wildflowers while walking along the Rio Grande. Their appearance suggested they were past their prime, and I thought I would take advantage of the short time left to show them off against a brilliant blue sky.

Rio Grande View

This painting was done during the last days of August and is a depiction of the Rio Grande as it flows through Albuquerque. The river has a muddy color, but from this vantage point, its color is the reflected light from the sky, shadows and the surrounding landscape. The feature I like best about the Rio, as a design element, is the series of shallow, meandering channels that zig zag, split and rejoin.

Latecomer - SOLD

The skies were clear all day Monday, when we drove around the rurals near Santa Fe. On our way home, we encountered a stray thunderhead. It formed just in time to show off its beauty in the early evening sun.

August Evening — SOLD

Juniper trees help define the contours of the land along the highway to Cochiti Lake, north of Albuquerque. A hazy sunset created a soft light on the landscape.

After The Main Event

Friday was a wonderful day for clouds. The sky was gray in the morning, and Albuquerque finally got some much needed rain. By afternoon, patches of blue were appearing, and I headed for the mesa for a better look. I have a convertible, so I had a spectacular view of the sky. I got some good painting material and ideas for larger paintings. I'm headed for Santa Fe for two days and hope to have some paintings to post from that trip this week.

Down The Street

I've been wanting to paint a street light at dusk for years. There is something about the warm glow of the artificial light against the cool color of the sky that appeals to me. I'm also fascinated by the area right around the light, where there is an absence of color in the presence of light. It sounds like a contradiction, but that is what I see. Can anyone explain this visual phenomenon?

Evening Calm

This is a second view of the sunset from two nights ago.

End Of The Day

This is the sunset from last night. Earlier in the day, my wife and I drove 200 miles of highway around New Mexico, in part, to find new material for painting. The best lighting conditions and subject I was able to find was this sunset, just minutes before arriving back home.

Wrapped In Blue - SOLD

This cloud was almost directly overhead. The sun was behind the cloud, making the edges of the cloud very bright and the sky very blue. Conveying this dynamic light effect in a painting is great fun.

Early Light - SOLD

Here is another back lit effect, with the Sandia Mountains obscuring the rising sun for a few more minutes.

Quiet Dusk

The location for this painting is about a mile from my house in Albuquerque. The sun was setting, and I had to work fast to make some color notes during last few minutes of light.

Morning Light

The sun was creeping over the Sandia Mountains, and I wanted to capture the near silhouette effect of the tree in the morning light.

Trying To Rain

Here is another view of one of the ancient volcanoes on the West Mesa of Albuquerque. The time is late in the day, when only the cloud tops received the direct rays of the sun. Not enough moisture in the air to allow much rain from these clouds.

A Cloud Askew - SOLD

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This impressive cloud caught my eye on the grasslands west of Albuquerque. The cloud was changing shape fairly quickly and I snapped some photos to use as reference later in the studio.

Afternoon Buildup

This is my first posting. As is typical in the summer, afternoon cumulus clouds grow quickly. By the time I finished this painting, the cloud had expanded appreciably. The land feature is a remnant of an ancient volcano on the West Mesa in Albuquerque.