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 Small Sunriver Scene Everyday I drive past this scene I am amazed at the beauty of the mountains. The fall colors give just the right boost of color to the landscape. This piece is done with watercolor on cradled claybord. It is 5″ x 5″. You can see the texture of the claybord through the paint. If you are interested in this painting send me an email. I am selling it for $85, plus shipping.  Wyoming Summer When decorating your home consider buying original art. Since I am an artist, this subject is very close to home for me. Not only am I an artist but I am also an art collector. I love filling my home with original art work created by other artists. Each wonderful original piece of art tells its own story. There are so many places to buy images to decorate your home. Some people feel that they can not afford original art so they spend several hundred dollars on a print instead of going to local artists or art galleries. You might be surprised to find that local original art work isn’t that outrageously priced. You can probably find some original work pretty reasonably priced. So why buy original art?
So the next time you want to buy something for your home or as a gift for a family member or friend think about buying original art. Why? Because if you do you will have a unique investment that should last. You will be supporting an artist, creating a focal point in your home, and will have a reminder of something that you love or are inspired by.
 Happy Painting! A few months ago I sold a painting titled, Cosmos at the Coffee Shoppe. The unframed painting was shipped to my customer, Betty Dunn, in Navasota, Texas. I asked Betty if she would mind sharing a photograph of the art work after she got it back home from the framer. Betty did just that and you can see how beautifully matted and framed the painting is. I think it looks great. It looks like a happy painting. When you purchase an original piece of art work it is important to frame it properly. The materials used are crucial to making sure the art work will be around for years to come. When framing a watercolor be sure to ask the framer to use all acid free materials. That includes the backing, matboard, and tape. Make sure that the glass does not touch the art work. That is one purpose of the mat. The mat creates space between the art work and the glass. Do not use cardboard and masking tape when framing. Those two items will cause discoloration and problems with your art investment. I like to use linen tape and acid free foam core for the backing on my work. I also try to purchase museum quality matboard if I am doing my own framing. As far as the frame goes, that is personal taste. Try to pick something that is not going to compete with the art work. The purpose of the frame is to compliment the art work not take away from. Another thing to think about is where you hang the work. Be sure that the painting will not be in direct sunlight. Sunlight can cause the work to fade. I love it when I see one of my pieces nicely framed and hung in the home or office of a customer. It makes me proud to see my work being enjoyed by others. Original art work is something to be enjoyed, loved, and protected. Thanks Betty for sharing your photo!
 Towering Ponderosa Pine
There is a trail not far from my home in Bend, Oregon where the trees are so majestic that I spend much of my time looking up. It is quite hard to hike and look up at the same time. You tend to trip a lot. I get dizzy as well. Because I enjoy viewing the trees so much, I decided to spend some time taking photographs of the trees from my perspective. Afterwards, I created a painting of one of my favorite trees. It is a Ponderosa Pine tree. I titled the painting, “Towering Ponderosa Pine.” This original painting is currently for sale. It is 15″ x 21″ on watercolor paper. The painting is watercolor with some pen and ink. The price of the painting is $275.00, shipping included. If you have never purchased original art work before, this would be a great one to start with. Click the button below to purchase.
If you would rather have a print, canvas, or card of this painting go to Fine Art America to see the sizes and type of art work that are available.  Aspen Forest We have a lot of quaking aspen trees in our yard here in Oregon. The white bark of the tree trunks stands out in contrast to the dark greens and browns in the forest setting. When the leaves shimmer and shake as the wind blows I become mesmerized by the scene. This drawing is done from memory with a whimsical approach in pen and ink. For a larger image go to this link. I am offering this original 11 x 14 inch drawing for sale unframed for $120. It is on acid free Bristol Board. The price includes shipping. Contact me if you have any questions or would like to purchase the original. If you would rather have a print on canvas, metal, or paper; view all the options at Fine Art America. You can even get cards with this image, or a iPhone case.  Fall River Scene The Fall River is just down the road from where I live. The river is only 8 miles long and about 25 to 30 feet across. It is very shallow and from what I hear is a great place for fishing. I love going for long walks along the river so I can enjoy its beauty and the tranquility I feel when I visit. There are some great hiking trails that take you all the way to the springs where the river comes gurgling out of the rocky ground. I have hiked and snowshoed the trails in different times of the year. Everytime I visit I feel refreshed. Of course when I hike the river I bring my camera. I am not sure how many pictures of the river I have taken. Let’s just say, “A lot.” Anyway, I have plans of doing numerous paintings of the river, some large and some small. Today I want to share with you a small watercolor of part of the river that caught my attention. In this view, the beaver had really taken numerous trees out. Those fallen trees crisscross the edge of the river creating a pattern of water, texture, and light. This original watercolor painting is 11 inches by 15 inches. It is on 140 lb watercolor paper. I am selling the image, unframed and unmatted, for a $120.00. That price includes shipping. If you have never invested in original art before, this would be a great piece to start with. If you would like to purchase this piece, click on the PayPal button below. The photo of the painting is low resolution for speed of downloading. If you would like to see a better quality picture before making your decision to purchase, click the link to Fine Art America. While there you can see the other options for purchasing cards or prints. If you have any questions, please email me or write a comment at the bottom of this post. Thanks for coming by.  Deschutes River View Central Oregon is a beautiful place. The views are breathtaking. I feel lucky to be able to experience the mountains, rivers, forests, colors, and textures of the area. I painted a small watercolor with pen and ink of the view near Sunriver, Oregon. The artwork is 15 inches wide by 5.5 inches tall. I am selling the original piece for $90.00. What a great gift this would make for a family member or friend. There are so many paintings I want to do from this area. One place in particular is the Fall River. I have discovered the joy of hiking with my dog, Molly, along the river bank. Each time we go on the trail I find something new and interesting. The beauty changes with the time of day, season, and weather. What a blessing. If you want a larger version of this piece, you can purchase a print of it in various sizes at Fine Art America. I think you can even get it 60 inches wide. That is big! Here is the link.  Floating Market I had two of my paintings win first place ribbons at the Brenham Fine Arts League. The painting above is a watercolor on paper titled, Floating Market. I got the subject matter for this painting when I traveled to Thailand a few years ago. The vendors paddled up and down the water way selling all types of cooked foods, fruits, vegetables, clothing, etc. It was fascinating to experience.  Gecko Magic My other painting was in the Mixed Media category. I used watercolor and pen and ink. I love the colorful geckos in Hawaii and I wanted to express my feeling of fun when I see them running about.
The Brenham Fine Art League is sponsoring an open art show. The show will be held Saturday, February 9. Glenn Bahm will be the judge. This is just a one day show. Entries are received Friday, February 8 from 10 am to 4 pm and Saturday morning, February 9, from 8 to 10 am. The judging will take place from 10 am to 1 pm. The doors open and the public are invited to view the work from 1 pm to 4 pm. The judge will be giving critiques of various work after the awards are given out. There are categories for all levels of artists from School Students to Professional Artists. School students do not have to pay an entry fee either. I plan on entering some of my paintings. I haven’t been involved in a show in a long time. I hope to see some of you there!  Gecko Magic I love geckos. I was never really around many until I lived in Hawaii. My love for geckos inspired this painting of the little guys. I wanted to create something that was fun, colorful, and had personality. I used mask to create designs around the gecko drawings and to also create patterns in the background. After the mask dried I wet the paper and put in an abstract wet in wet wash of greens and blues. Once the painting dried and I removed the mask, I added another glaze of blue over the background to make the geckos stand out from the background a bit. I did not want the contrast to be really obvious because these guys are known for their ability to hide in the greenery. This is not the finished product. I will include pen and ink in the art work as well. That means I get to put in some of my fun doodles. I will post a photo of the finished product when I get done. By the way, I think these geckos are called Hawaiian Green Geckos. |
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