New Painting, "King of the Hill Country"

King of the Hill Country, 30X40, oil on linen

Close-Up of brush work

There is no better fitting symbol for Texas, in my mind than the longhorn. An imposing animal and fiercely independent, the longhorn seems perfectly at home here today. Probably because the longhorn and Texas have such a proud history together. You could even say they've grown up together. Naturally, I placed this small herd in my favorite part of Texas, smack dab in the middle in Texas Hill Country.

Many thanks to Wally Penberthy, for taking me on a tour of his ranch in his jeep (all the bumps and bruises were worth it). The landscape is based on a hill on his place which we climbed one beautiful morning. The longhorns are owned by a nearby rancher which we drove out to see. They were happy to pose for me, at least till the truck came along and dripped off the new salt blocks in a distant field. I never knew they could runs so fast! And that was the end of the photo shoot.

"King of the Hill Country" is an idealized painting, complete with fields of blue bonnets and live oaks. At 30X40 inches it's one of the largest paintings I've done to date, but because it is an idealized view, it benefits from it's bigger size. I've included more detail in the foreground and reduced the amount of detail as it gives way to the middle ground then to the background. Just as the eye sees things.

This painting will be included in my upcoming one man show at the Bosque Arts Center, in Clifton Texas. Show opens on July 21 and runs through August 8th. I will be there for an artist's reception on Friday, July 24th, from 6-8 PM. It will be hot, but we'll have wine I'm told.....and dancing girls.....and cirque de soleil....annnd. Alright, maybe not, but we will have wine. And lots and lots of paintings and drawings. Thirty or so in all with prices to fit just about any budget. Limited time offer while supplies last.

Lunch Line, 24X40, oil on linen

I've also reworked "Lunch Line" a bit and will also be at the show. I've settled down the sky and distant mountain a bit, knocked down the intensity of the colors, and added dust with floating bits of hay, lit up by the sun. All in all a much better painting.

Simple Beauty...to paint, or not to paint

Simple Beauty, 12x9, oil on linen panel

Hi All.
OK, so I've been told my those in "the know", that I should never paint those things that are obviously beautiful. That it's like throwing an underhand softball pitch to Hank Aaron (I'm definitely not Hank Aaron in this analogy). It's waaay too easy. To which, I respectfully say....Fooey! Why not paint beautiful subjects? These kinds of picturesque scenes are the very essence of what makes the west, and, the landscape, so alluring. That argument is like saying, don't listen to beautiful music, because it's too easy, there's no challenge in the listening. It all comes down to why you listen to the music, or why you look at art. For me, it's always been about the way it makes me feel....the enjoyment. Personally, I would much rather look at a painting of fall aspens than a city alley. And I believe most people would too.

Cowboys and Miniatures are like peas and carrots...

Saddlin' Up, 11X14, oil on linen panel

Hi Everybody,
This painting is of a Texas Cowboy. After lunch he's ready to get back out to finish the day's work. It's a simple scene, with a simple story. But those are the one's I seem to gravitate to. Nothing preachy or profound or political. Just regular people going about their business. Of course, when I try to saddle up, my horse jigs and dances all over the place. Cow horses have a lot more training than the one's I get to ride. Or maybe it's just user error (more likely).

In this sun drenched painting, there is light bouncing all over the place. It really does hurt your eyes when you are actually on site. So it's important to paint reflected light, but not to paint it so brightly that it competes with the sunlit areas. I used to paint the reflected light too bright and wondered why things were out of whack. After all, if a little is good, then a lot must be better, right? Always control and compare your values and you won't have to regret (or repaint) it later.

I'm going through this stage where I'm finding that I enjoy painting the miniatures more than I enjoy doing the larger paintings. Although, I really like how the larger paintings look when they're done and hanging on a wall. There is much more enjoyment for me to paint something quickly and see it come together. It must be AADD, Artist Attention Deficit Disorder.

I'll be visiting Alaska to see family, and will be bringing my paintbox to finally get out of the studio and get some location work done! I expect to do a lot of scraping. I'll post anything that makes it past my palette knife.

Thanks for lookin', Steve

New painting for upcoming one man show

Into The Light
oil/linen, 16X20

Close-up view of brushwork

Closeup view of brushwork

Hi Everyone,
As I've mentioned in passing in some of my other blogs, I'm getting ready for my first one person show, coming up at the Bosque Art Center, July 21-August 8, 2009. I'm thrilled to be given this opportunity to have my first solo show at the venue that essentially launched my professional career. I'm sure you can imagine that I've been painting furiously to have the number of paintings I'll need to fill the space. In fact, I've probably more than enough now, but I'm always trying to do better and larger pieces, so that it's not a show of 6X8, 8X10, or 9X12 paintings. I'm just about done with the "King of the Hill Country" 30X40 painting which is to be the centerpiece of my show. You may remember the King of the Hill, study, that I posted a while back. That's the study that I did before I tackled the more ambitious piece. I'll post the large one when I'm done, which will be soon....I hope.

This painting is all about light. It really doesn't matter where this country road is. It could be anywhere. It just happens to be in Clifton, Texas, the site of my upcoming summer show. I'm pretty sure, even the folks there would have a hard time identifying it's location. But like all backlit scenes, I love the play of warms and cools, lights and darks. Everything has to be in correct proportion to everything else for these lighting effects to read properly. There isn't much room to fudge. It's one of the reasons I like painting them so much. It's like painting people. You can't fool the eye with incorrect values or color temps. They have to be right. It keeps my eye sharp. The focal point of where the road bends behind the shadowed trees is the area of greatest contrast and interest. Everything else had to be painted to be subordinate to that. I separated the shadowed tree from the trees behind it by cooling the background and lightening the value.

Thanks for visiting, Steve

Last One Back

Last One Back, 30X24, oil on linen

Hi bloggers,
It's been a month since my last post (sounds kind of like a confession, don't you think?....forgive me father, it's been a month since my last blog...). I have been painting furiously and not goofing off, uh....really. I'm working on several larger paintings at the same time, so it feels like forever till one is finished. I wanted this painting to have a dramatic feel to it. Nocturnes are one of my favorite things to paint. This cowboy is coming back to camp after dark. The long day is now over and it's time for chow and a chance to rest. The campfire is waiting and will help to get the chill out of his bones. Out here you don't get paid by the hour. You work till the job's done. And you sleep really good at night.

This is a painting with lots of angles to it.The clouds, the rider, even the ground is sloped. Everything has the feeling of dynamic movement. Nothing is standing still. Just the way real life is for these guys.

New Landscape

Philosopher's Rock, Tanque Verde, 9X12 oil on linen panel, ©2009

Hi Everyone,
This painting is of an area near Tucson Arizona known as Tanque Verde Falls. I live in Minnesota and though I'm looking to eventually make the move to Arizona, I don't know where the scenic areas are. Luckily, my wife grew up in Tucson and she knows where these areas are. During our last trip home for us to visit family, she wasn't able to take me out sightseeing as we usually do. Ann's dad offered to take me to one of his favorite spots, the Tanque Verde Waterfall. When we got there, and I stood high above the area looking down to a river far below, I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. When we climbed down to the river itself, I was surprised at how much water was flowing here in the desert. It was like an oasis in the middle of the desert. There were a number of people splashing in the pools, swimming, playing with their dogs and just having a ball. Obviously, this scene isn't of the waterfall. But I was struck by the fact that this tree had sprung up out of the water in front of this huge boulder. Then I realized that the water was unusually high and this tree was normally along the bank for most of the year, not growing out of the water.

I love to paint backlit scenes. I love to look at other artist's paintings of backlit scenes. The way the branches are lit up and fairly glow is such a fun effect to try to reproduce. Strictly speaking this tree is side lit, but the effect is the same. The way I've found to paint this effect is to make sure that the area behind the subject dark and cool. That way the transparency of the tree and the light hitting it will be highlighted (no pun intended). This pool of water was deep and the rust color was deep and saturated. It was a spot loaded with paintings waiting to happen.

Thanks for checking in, Steve

Ojibwe dancer's portrait

Anishinaabe, 16X20, oil/linen

Eyes Closeup




Feather Closeup

Hi Everyone,

Here is a painting I did of an Ojibwe dancer I came across at a pow wow last year. He was always smiling and seemed to know everyone there. As I was taking photos, I was lucky enough to get some serious expressions. I had a very clear idea in my head of what I wanted this painting to look like. That's not always the case. His face paint and porky roach was an important part of this one, but like so many portraits, the eyes tell the tale. So I made the background simple and neutral. The area around his eyes are the sharpest and most clearly defined. I enjoyed doing this one, getting lost in the painting of the different edges and textures. Feathers, beads, skin. They all have their own unique edges, and therefore their own unique brushwork. I always start with the face and usually can tell if a painting is going to work for me pretty early on. Though, sometimes you can't tell which areas of a painting will give you trouble. I swear, I wish I had a nickle for everytime I thought a difficult passage was going to trip me up, only to the tough part paint itself and have the simple parts derail. Well, that keeps me on my toes anyways.

The name of the painting, "Anishinaabe" is an Ojibwe word. In the language of the Ojibwe, "Anishinaabe" (pronounced Ah•NISH•in•AH•bay) means "one of the people," "original people," or "original man." "Anishinabe" is how the Ojibwe people identified themselves. I felt it was the perfect name for these noble and honorable Native Americans.

Steve

Thanks for looking, Steve

Front Row Seat

Front Row Seat, 24X30, oil on linen

This painting came from my desire to paint the translucency of water. The rhythm of the foam and the challenge of painting the foreground rock as it disappears into the sea. When I finished this painting, and had the wave breaking behind the middle ground rock, I felt that the focus of the painting was missing. That's when I put in the sea gull on the rock, right in front of where that wave is breaking. In a moment, he's going to be wearing that wave.

Earnin' Your Keep

Earnin' Your Keep, 12X16, oil on linen panel

This study was done as a donation for an upcoming benefit at the Bosque Conservatory in Clifton Texas. This was a scene I came across at the Tucson Rodeo. These were the horses that were to be ridden by the pickup men, the riders that help the roughstock riders dismount from their bucking broncs or bulls. All saddled and ready to ride, they walked toward the arena with calm purpose.

Cowboys and Indians magazine highlights Steve's Art

Before the Day's Heat, 12X16, oil/linen panel

The April edition of Cowboys and Indians Magazine has a full page feature on my artistic philosophy and bio in their Open Gallery section. I happen to be a subscriber to Cowboys and Indians mag, since I noticed that lots of my western art collectors were subscribers as well. In it they feature lots of celebrities who either act in westerns or are horse owners/ western ranch owners themselves. As well as articles on the western lifestyle and property. Also they feature some of the most beautiful western art and jewelry being produced today. I am very humbled to have been contacted and written up by Managing Editor Ann Orsinger, who wrote a very accurate account of who I am as an artist and what I strive to do. I've had other write ups, and I know how horribly wrong they can go, even with the best of intentions. Thank you Ann for getting it right. Just a note for all the artists out there who aren't sure if the trouble or expense of having a professional website is worth it, I can tell you that it absolutely is. It's how many of my collectors have found me, and now, how this magazine has discovered me. In addition, I can't disclose the magazine yet, but one of my paintings will be featured on the cover soon. They also found me through my website. I'll tell you more when I can...


This painting is set in the early morning in a canyon in Zion National Park. I love the bond that develops between the rider and his horse. This horse is about to get his fill of cold mountain water. Run off of some distant mountain. Of course, the cowboy makes sure they're upstream from the herd.

This painting will be included in the Texas Art Gallery's Fixed Price Draw on May 8,2009.

Steve

Late Day Light Display

Late Day Light Display, 9X12, oil/panel

Hi Everybody, while at a plein air workshop in Wyoming some years ago, I painted at this scene. The painting I did on site was of a different view and was more of a quick study. But I stopped long enough to snap a picture of this scene to paint at a later date. When I finally got round to painting it this past week, I decided to add this late day light effect as the focal point.

study for future painting "King of the Hill"

King of the Hill, study, oil/panel, 12X12

This is a study I did for a painting I'm beginning work on called "King of the Hill". The larger more ambitious painting is being done for a fall auction and won't be available until then. So, why do this painting? Artists who do studies have lots of reasons for why they do them. I did this small 12X12 painting for a number of reasons. First, I wanted to work out the general sunlight value for this work. I wanted to make sure I had gotten the illusion of sunlight right before starting on the bigger work. Also, this longhorn was very mottled and confusing in places in the original photo I took. This gave me the opportunity to simplify the effect and get it right before tackling the much larger version. I've struggled in the past with painting a dog that was mottled, and I wasn't looking forward to a repeat of that, yikes! Another reason to do this version was to workout the line of rocks and path leading your eye to the focal point. My goal was to put something in that wasn't too obvious or overwhelming. I think I ended up with a nice balance. And finally, I wanted to have something for the Texas Art Gallery Fixed Price Draw coming up in May. These paintings are generally smaller, so this painting will work well for that. Besides, Texas loves their longhorns. So do I. You know what I mean if you've ever had the opportunity to see a herd of them in the wild. They are impressive. This study is just a small portion of what the larger version will be. That one will have a small herd tucked in the grass lower on the hillside, and of course much more landscape. The setting is the rolling hills of central Texas, otherwise known as the Texas Hill Country. For me, it's one of the most beautiful places in the United States.

Thanks for looking, Steve

Big Dreams

Big Dreams, 24X18,oil on linen, ©2009

Close-Up Detail


Close-Up Detail

The idea for this painting came to me when I attended a junior rodeo last year. I was amazed at the kids, who were competing in most of the same events as any regular rodeo, calf roping, team roping, barrel racing and of course mutton busting. The other thing I noticed was that everyone was laughing and having the time of their lives. That is until it was time to take their turn. Then they became as serious and steely eyed as any seasoned hand. I mean, they were serious as a heart attack. The boy in my painting wasn't any one competitor from that day, but rather an idealized young man with his hand on his rope and his eye to the future.

Big Dreams will be at Trailside Gallery's Western Classics show, March 16th-28th, 2009 at the Scottsdale gallery location.

One piece of news I've been meaning to share with you is last December, the Oil Painters of America awarded me Signature Status. It was a goal I had set for myself in 2005 when I attended my first OPA National show. I was only a visitor to the show and was blown away by the talent and quality of the art on display. Then and there I decided to work as hard as I could to get into the next Nationals, and to attain the designation of signature member no matter how long it took. To gain this designation, a member must be juried into three national shows. These shows happen only one time a year, so it takes members at least three years to accomplish this. Once you've reached this goal, you still need to apply to the membership committee by submitting eight to ten of your paintings along with a bio, show history and any other info you think might sway them in your favor. They then vote on your application, and if all goes well, you get the thumbs up. I'm truly honored to be in such good company. Thanks guys!!

Whew!!! I finally was able to get a new blog posted. It was forever since the last one. Believe it or not, I've been spending all of my time chained to my easel trying to finish several paintings for some up coming shows. Painting is as close as I'll ever get to giving birth. It's not an easy process usually, though some definitely go easier than others. But hopefully, when you're done you have something that brings you joy. Not to mention, you hope it has all it's fingers and toes, and can stand on its own! Thanks for your patience. I'll be posting more new work very soon.

Steve

Holiday MIniature Show opens soon...

Shade Buddies, 12X16, oil on linen board


Water Ride, 12X16, oil on linen board


Valley of the Patriarchs, 8X10, oil on linen board


click here to view: Trailside Galleries, Online Holiday Miniature show

Tis the season.....for Miniature shows that is. These three paintings, are my contribution to Trailside Galleries Holiday Miniature show. All are perfect for that western art lover in your life. And none are so big as to break the bank. The show runs at Trailside Gallery, in Scottsdale, AZ, from December 1 thru December 27. I will be there on December 4th for the artist's reception. The reception is from 7-9pm, so if you are in the area, please stop in and say hello, I'd love to meet you!

My First time being tagged...

Valley of the Patriarchs, 8X10, oil on linen panel

Well, I can't believe it's been a whole month since I posted last. I just got back from Zion National Park in Utah. Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe what it's like there in the fall. I cannot wait to get back. But on to other things. I received a post from the very talented painter and blogger Teresa Rankin, that she had tagged me on her blogspot. I had no idea what she was talking about, but Teresa has been so kind and supportive to me and I appreciate that. So I skipped over to her blog to see what all the hubbub was about. This is what I discovered...... In the blogging world one blogger can "tag" another by adding a link to your site from theirs. This is great, in that lots of people who have never heard of you get the opportunity by following their link. I do this all the time. I'll click on the links of the artists whom I admire, to find lots of other artists who's ability and vision blow me away. It seems like every day I stumble on another incredible talent. It's one of the reasons I love the internet so much. However, there are a few rules you have to follow if you are tagged (tagging ettiquette I guess you could say). Here are the rules:

1. Put a link in your posting to the person who tagged you.
2. List 7 unusual things about yourself.
3. Tag 7 other bloggers at the end of your post and comment on their blogs to let them know.


Hmmmm, I suppose I can think of seven unusual things about myself, but can I come up with ones that won't completely embarass my family or require me to undo all the good that my expensive therapy did by digging up my past. I'm game to try, so here goes...

1) I play the Tin Whistle (aka, penny whistle or irish whistle). There, I said it, and I'm glad it's out. Haha!! What on earth is the tin whistle you are probably asking, and why would anyone play it. Well, the tin whistle is just what it sounds like. It's a cheap whistle with six holes and is played primarily in Irish music. Usually you can pick up a good whistle for about ten bucks and they don't sound much different than the more expensive whistles. Why do I play? Lots of reasons really. Back in school I played the trumpet and almost became a musician. But I went the artist/illustration route. I haven't picked up my trumpet in many years. In the past year, I wanted to get back to playing an instrument, but wanted it to be cheap to buy, easy to learn, perfect to pick up and play at the end of a long painting day. It's also very portable, so that I could take it with me and play it when I wanted on the road, or the opportunity arose (like around campfires at the end of a painting day). There are very few things as uplifting and beautiful as a well played tin whistle.

2)When I was sixteen, I almost lost an eye. I was helping my uncle convert a stock car into a racing car. I was with my buddy, and we were trying to take the windshield out of the shell of the car. I pried a screwdriver under the seal of the windshield to try to get it to pop out. Next thing I know the windshield had shattered into a gazillion tiny fragments and I had one slice through the cornea of my left eye (this was in the dinosaur days before helmets and protective eyewear were the norm. I took sixteen stitches to the lens of my eye during micro surgery by an incredibly talented doctor who was a specialist in occular surgery. He happened to be in the area, training other doctors to repair the eyes of people who were dumb enough to do something as stupid as me. Its why I wear glasses to this day and why I will never be able to wear contact lenses or have Lasik surgery to fix my vision. Jeezsh, It's a wonder any of us live to adulthood. I never have stuck my finger in a light socket though.... those people are reallllly dumb. I think there were about 6 years in a row that I ended up in the hospital or emergency room during my preteen to early teen years for one thing or another.

3) I am distantly related to Chris Kirkpatrick, of N' Sync fame (he's the one with the Dred locks). Very distant. My Aunt was his Grandmother. That's pretty distant.

4) My wife Ann and I met at the opening of one of my art shows.

5) I have absolutely no home handyman skills. I do my best, but I'm hopeless.

6) My favorite movies are kind of oddball comedies. Grumpy Old Men, Grumpier Old Men, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, and Mel Brook's homage to Alfred Hitchcock, High Anxiety. But I don't get the humor of the Three Stooges. What's that all about?

7) I'm a huge fan of the UFC and MMA. Can't get enough. I also love rodeo and the PBR (bull riding). But I can't stomach hunting. In fact I can't even watch it on TV. I have nothing against it personally, and I understand why it's necessary. I just can't do it myself. Fishing is not a problem, and I love to get out whenever I can (which ain't often).

8) When I was working as an illustrator, I did the artwork for some of the Count Chocula, Frankenberry and Booberry boxes. Also the illustration for the Monopoly Junior game box. I've worked on Wheaties, Trix, Lucky Charms and Cinnamon Toast Crunch as well as many others. I guess I'm the one responsible for trying to get your kids to throw tantrums until you gave in out of frustration and bought the product just to shut them up. This was followed by the sugar rush in which they bounced off the walls until the eventual sugar crash and coma.

.... well that's it. Just to see if you were paying attention, I threw in an extra one that is a bald faced lie. Couldn't help it, it's just how I am. But can you tell which it is?

_______________________________________

Here is my list of 7 other artists which I want to tag. I'm not too worried if they've already been tagged by someone else. They are definitely worth checking out, IMO.


Bill Anton in my opinion, one of the very best western artist's working to day. Bar none.
Rusty Jones and incredibly talented plein air painter. I'm looking forward to meeting Rusty in May.
Jacquelyn Bischak paints figures with feeling and mood better than just about anyone. Her draftsmanship is second to none.
Jennifer McChristian a painter's painter. One of these days I will take a workshop from Jennifer. She has much to teach me.
Xiangyuan Jie also a painters painter. The other artist from which I will be taking a workshop at some time in the future.
John Taft I love the direct and unfussed with nature of John's paintings.
John Hughes John is a master of plein air. I truly don't know how he does what he does in the field.

Heres a bonus post to my cousin Jason Eustice. He is an incredibly talented, up and coming country songwriter/singer. His father was also a promising songwriter/singer who died very young and who's star burned out way too soon. Jason is following in his fathers footsteps and chasing that dream. I'm proud of you Bro'. Enjoy!!


Thats it. I hope you got a kick out of my post. Thanks for wasting some time with me.

Steve

P.S. The false tidbit is #4. I wasn't painting yet, when I met Ann way back in 1999. We actually met at swing dance lessons. We both love 1940's big band swing music. I actually got the painting bug on our honeymoon in northern Minnesota. True story.

New painting for Texas Art Gallery's Fixed Price Draw event on November 7th

Indian Maiden, 12X16, Oil on linen panel

I painted "Indian Maiden" for the Fixed Price Draw at Texas Art Gallery on November 7, 2008. What is a fixed price draw, I hear you asking (well maybe not out loud)? It's really simple. The painting is offered at a show with a box next to it. Every painting in the Draw has a price clearly marked next to it. During the Gallery draw event, everyone who shows up, gets to walk around enjoying the paintings and deciding which they would like to take home with them. You add your name to the other names in the box for the painting you want. At a designated time the gallery gathers all the boxes and selects the name of some lucky collector who then can then buy the painting. This can be a good thing and a bad. I've seen people put their name in many boxes just hoping to take one of their favorites home, and been selected for every painting they applied for. Of course they have the right of refusal if they get in over their heads. I've also seen many disappointed collectors go home empty handed. It just depends on lady luck. Fixed price draws are a very good way for people who don't necessarily have deep pockets, to be able to compete on a level playing field with those collectors who do. Ann and I have gotten a several paintings this way from painters who's paintings are so in demand that often times they are still wet when they're sold!

I painted Indian Maiden after going to an Ojibway PowWow in Minnesota this past July. I caught this beautiful girl in a quiet moment between dances. I wanted to paint something that had a timeless quality. The photos of Edward Curtis came to mind and I decided to paint her portrait in a sepia tone. The paint in the background is quite thick and textural, much like a stucco wall. This works well to set off the more controlled paint on her face. Otherwise the painting would, for me, have been too bland. My favorite part of this painting is the where her hair is in shadow on the side of her head and the individual hairs which are lit up by the sun (above and to the left of her ear). This really gives the feeling of the strongly lit scene which was infused with sunlight.

Cowboy Payday

I've been painting lots since I got back from the Bosque Conservatory's Art Classic show in Texas. Ann and I had a great time, as usual. I want to say Thank You to Wally and Punky Penberthy for generously opening their home and hearts to us. They have a wonderful collection of art and I was happy as a pig in mud, while I was able to soak it all in. The painting "Walk Softly" sold at the show to a couple of incredible collectors and I thank them for that. You might remember that that was the painting of the mountain man holding a war club, which I shared earlier in the year in this blog. It was shown step by step during it's creation. And though, at times, the creative process isn't pretty and it took a while for me to get it right, it was worth it. These collectors told me that reading the blog on that painting's creation gave them a connection to it that's rare. It's always a thrill when a painting sells. It's even more thrilling when you get to know the people who buy it. Thanks Bob and Billie!!

Painting UPDATE: Sleeves added to Cowboy Payday!

Cowboy Payday, 24X18, oil on linen





Detail View 1

Detail view 2

The idea for this painting came on the day I was talking to Alessandro. He was the horse wrangler at the YO Ranch in Mountain Home, Texas. I immediately liked Alex. When he walked into a room you knew it. He walked big, the sound from his boots and spurs boomed off the wooden floors. He talked big. I don't mean he bragged. I mean that you could tell he spent most of his life outside, since he used his outside voice. We started making small talk at breakfast and before I knew it he had talked me into a trailride (O.K, I volunteered myself for a trail ride). After we had saddled up and were on the trail, he told me how he had moved to the U.S. from Italy and that he had always wanted to be cowboy and work with horses. His job as a wrangler allowed him to do that, and he loved it. He told me he wasn't getting rich and that he probably never would have a lot of money. So, of course, I asked him why he did it. After all, his job was long hours of hard work. Why take a job that didn't make you rich? He just smiled a sly smile and with a sweep of his hand to the land, he said, " Out here, everyday is payday". That's where the idea for the painting came from. This is Alex on his horse. Most cowboys are pictured in button down shirts, but Alex liked sleeveless shirts, and he had the build that allowed him to wear them. I had a tough time deciding on whether to keep him in his sleeveless shirt, or put him in the traditional cowboy shirt. Since this painting was all about the freedom that comes with the job, I decided that leaving him in his sleeveless wouldn't single handedly cause the bottom to fall out of the western art market, wink wink. I took him out of the Texas landscape and put him in a Wyoming scene in the Fall. I wanted to condense the idea down to show that all cowboys, no matter where they're from, are rich in the ways that are most important to them. They feel that if they have a working truck, a good horse, a dog, and a job they can take pride in, they are very well paid.

I thought about this while I painted this picture and had to smile to myself. Being an artist who walked away from my job as an illustrator, I understand completely. In the end, some things are more important than money. The memory of my trailride with Alex for example. And the blessing of being able to paint memories like these.

taker' easy, Steve

New Painting: "Distant Promise of Rain"

Distant Promise of Rain, oil on linen panel, 8X24"

Detail view

This is a vista view from the top of the hill which houses the grotto of the San Xavier Mission. Everwhere you look there's big air, and if you are a plein air or landscape painter, you know there's nothing that makes you want to grab your brushes and paint, more than a good bit of atmospheric perspective.

This painting will be included in the Plein Air Painters of the West show and sale at Segil Fine Arts in Monrovia, California. The show will run from October 18-25, 2008. For more information Click Here.

September Song

September Song, 24X40", oil on stretched linen

Hi All,
This is my latest painting which I call, "September Song". I was inspired to do this painting during my last trip to the Rocky Mountains. That was in May, not September. But I came across this early morning scene and knew it would be perfect for an elk painting. The elk population is doing incredibly well in the park. In fact, you can't go very far without seeing herds of them grazing or walking. I have been to the Rockies in September which was when I heard my first elk call. They did echo up and down the canyons, particularly at dusk and again at dawn. So I set this painting in Autumn and added a bull elk with a full rack. The time is early morning and he has lifted his head to bugle his call. There is steam rising off his back and his breath is visible. Here is a closeup view of the elk:


It's such a joy to still be able to visit these wild places. I haven't decided where I will send this piece yet.For now, I'll keep it in my studio, turn it to the wall and put a little time and distance from me. Then I will see if there are any other tweaks it needs.

Thanks for checking in, Steve

New Painting: "Lunch Line"

Hi Everyone,
I've been painting furiously in the studio since I have a number of shows coming up soon. This is one of the paintings I'm going to send to Texas Art Gallery's Auction in November. Even though the auction isn't till November, the paintings are due in the middle of September.

Lunch Line, 24X40", oil on linen

Back in June, I spent a few days in Colorado. While there I met Ian, the wrangler for the ranch where I was staying. He was kind enough to allow me to follow him around snapping photo reference of him doing his everyday chores. This painting is a result of that day. Lunch time came around, and as he started filling the troughs with hay, the horses all took their places along the rail and waited. As he filled the troughs, it got pretty dusty. With the sun backlighting the scene, it fairly glowed with light. I knew when I was standing there that I would be painting this scene. I combined many photos to get this painting. A couple of photos for the background, the wrangler came from another and the horses were placed to best show off their individual colors and poses. I almost never get that perfect photo from which I can paint in the studio to make the scene I have in my head.

Sometimes naming a piece is harder than painting it. Once in a while I have the name nailed down before I start. Sometimes I come up with a name and think of a scene that fits it. But usually its a bit like giving birth. I think about it, let it develop in the back of my mind, but never force it. Thank goodness it doesn't take nine months for it to be born. Often times I'll discuss my ideas for names with my wife Ann. Sometimes she likes what I come up with, other times she just smiles at me (that's how I know I need to keep working on it). After a short brainstorming session, she came up with the name for this painting "Lunch Line". I knew when she said it, that it was the perfect name.

Along with a custom western frame from America West Frames and a name plate, the painting has the impact I first dreamed of when I was standing at the site. If you are a painter looking to take your painting to the next level, I've found a custom frame with a name plate is the way for me. I always love to look at paintings that have a name plate that tells you the name of the painting, along with the artist's name. It just feels so complete to me. Like a cherry on top of a sundae. After all, I like to think of the frame as an extension of the painting. If you choose the right one, you can make a good painting look great! The way an artist frames their paintings tells me a lot about what they think about themselves as an artist. If you put cheap frames on your work, it tells the world that even the artist doesn't think that much of it. Scott Christensen once told me that when he first started out, often the galleries would make more on one of his paintings than he would, because he would put the best frame on it that he could afford. Since artists pay for the frame themselves, the cost of the frame is taking that part of the profit directly off the top. But your paintings will show much better and in the long run, your reputation will grow because of it. Collectors of art aren't just informed on art, they also know frames. So do yourself and your legacy a favor and put the best frame you can on your painting.

Who's Your Daddy

"Whos Your Daddy", 20X24" oil on canvas, ©2008

Hi Everybody,
I did this painting as a result of my recent trip to the YO Ranch in Mountain Home, Texas. This ranch, which is located in the heart of Texas Hill Country, is rich in history and animals. In addition to the exotics that roam the 50,000 acres, like Giraffe, wildebeest and camel, they have lots of longhorn cattle as well. If you've never been close up to one of these bulls, you can find yourself pretty intimidated by their size and power. Everything about them shouts power and nobility. Instantly recognizable, Longhorn cattle are prized for the size of their horns. Horn spreads have been recorded over seven feet! These calves were following their daddy and sticking pretty close to him. But they also were pretty interested in me. I did my best to keep a healthy distance from them, since all animals can be pretty unpredictable when it comes to their young.

My aim in this painting, beyond showing the bond between this bull and what I assume were his offspring, was to convey the heat of a Texas day. The sun is so bright that everything fairly glows. I love the boxy lines of cattle, especially the longhorn variety. I can see why Texas is so in love with these animals. They are a ball to paint!

Thanks for looking

Native Dancer 1, new series has started

Hi Everyone,
it's time for another post! I finished this one yesterday and am excited to have begun a series of native dancers that I've been thinking about for some time. Last week Ann and I had some of our extended family from Norway make the trip to Minnesota. They stayed with us for a long weekend before moving on to stay with other family members. When we asked them what they wanted to do while here, they told us without hesitation that a pow wow was a must. Luckily the Ojibway (Chippewa) were having one of theirs that weekend. It lit the fire under me to begin this series while it was still fresh in my mind. Man, those drumming circles are LOUD! I bought a CD of indian drumming at the pow wow and played it while I painted this piece.


This painting is all about the rhythm, balance, color and energy the pow wow dancers display. No unnecessary details here to distract from the focus. Just pure joyous abandon (just like in painting). It was a ball to paint. I discovered that when you photograph the dancers, often times they are obscured by so much fringe and movement. Usually you can't tell what the dancer is doing. You can't simply paint what you see, but must simplify and construct something out of which our eyes can make some sense. You must paint what you know, not what you see. That's the challenge on a painting like this. So much of this painting is about feel and intuition. You have to feel when it's right and when it's finished. I could have easily allowed myself to overwork it. I also wanted a more energetic and abstract background than I usually paint.

Thanks for looking, Steve

Three plein airs from trip to Rocky Mountain National Park trip

Hello everyone,
I'm posting three of the paintings I did on location in the Rocky Mountain National Park, June 9-14. The first is a view of Twin Sisters peak as seen from across Lily Lake. As I painted this, there was a chipmunk who could smell the energy bar I had in my backpack. These critters are so tame that he grew brave enough to jump onto my lap and beg for a piece of my bar.

The Twin Sisters, 9X12 oil on linen panel

the second painting was painted at Mary Lake outside of Estes Park, Co.

Mary Lake Shoreline, 8X10 oil on linen panel

The third painting was done along the Trail Ridge Road at the Ute trail trailhead, in the Rocky Mountain National Park. According to the signpost nearby, prehistoric people used this path thousands of years ago. The Utes and Arapaho indians used the trail to cross from their Winter to Summer grounds. The trail led trappers and prospectors across the Rockies in the 1800's. All of this took place at an altitude of about 10,500 feet. The wind was blowing so hard that I had to sit in my car to paint it, so I wouldn't be blown over the cliffs. Being from Minnesota, where the tallest thing around are the buildings, I was pretty happy when I finished this one and could move on. Trail Ridge Road peaks at about 12,110 feet. I made it to 11,800 feet before the wind felt like it would blow the car over the side of the mountain and I turned around. The day before the park service had closed the road due to high winds.

Rocky Mountain Pass, 6X8 oil on linen panel

I always have a great time in Colorado and I can't wait to get back there again. Next time I think I'll go later in the season. Estes Park had gotten three inches of snow the day we arrived which was June 6th. I would have thought the snow was done for the season, but I guess winter goes slowly that high up. I'm really glad I over packed and brought along some warm clothing with me.

________________________________________________________________________

One final note. When Ann and I were driving from the Denver Airport to Estes Park, we passed through Boulder. During our breakfast we noticed that there was a western art museum a few blocks away and decided to stop in. I didn't know anything about the Leanin' Tree Museum, but immediately knew we had stumbled onto something special from the moment we arrived.

The Leanin’ Tree Museum of Western Art in Boulder, Colorado, exhibits the private art collection of Ed Trumble, Founder and Chairman of Leanin’ Tree, Incorporated, publisher of fine art greeting cards since 1949. His collection was born of a passion for American western art that has spanned five decades and continues to grow today. The scope and quality of this rare collection will surprise you. As we walked around, we were stunned by the scope and quality of this man's collection. Over the past 50 years he has assembled a virtual who's who of western art and shares it with the public (and here's the best part) free of charge. He doesn't charge a nickel for you to see it! Not only does he have a wonderful collection of paintings, but there is an incredible sculpture garden as well, with some monumental bronzes. There are 250 paintings and 150 bronzes by some of the west's art masters. If you are ever in or near Boulder Colorado, do yourself a favor and take an hour or so and treat yourself to this visual feast. I promise you that it will stay with you for a long time to come. While you're there take a moment to say hello to Sara, the museum's curator. The museum is lucky to have her.



Till next time, thanks for looking, Steve

Thanks for looking, Steve

New Painting, "Rocky Mountain Fall"

Rocky Mountain Fall, 9X12 oil on linen panel

Hello Everyone, thanks for checking in. I've been working on some larger studio paintings lately. I've not been able to get outdoors more than once or twice since returning from Texas and I miss it. But the cure is on the way because I will be heading to the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado this week. Part of the reason for the trip is to attend a family member's wedding, the other part is to be able to bring my paints and camera and get some quality on location painting time. The last time I went I was just getting started at plein air painting. I wasn't yet ready to tackle the complexities of the mountain vistas. I'm really excited for this trip. I did this painting as sort of a warm up to painting there. I handled it much as I would any on location subject and gave myself a limited amount of time to complete it. The next morning I touched up a couple of areas.


Happy Painting, Steve

Recent painting trip to Texas Hill Country

Looking to the West, 8X10, oil/linen board

This painting was done as a result of my recent painting trip to Kerrville and the Texas Hill Country in Mountain Home, Texas. I spent five days painting and taking reference there two weeks ago. I wish it had been longer. While there I stayed at the YO Ranch and had hoped to be able to wander the private ranch, which has exotic animals such as wildebeast, camel and giraffe on the grounds. Not to mentions thousands of deer and cattle. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to roam the ranch freely, since it is also a hunting ranch, where hunters pay lots of money to visit and kill these animals ( not the camels and giraffes though). Next time I'll probe a little deeper about the ranch rules. I figured with 50,000 acres, there would be plenty of room for me. Oh well, live and learn. But the people there were wonderful and helped direct me to lots of beautiful places at which I could paint. This painting was done back in my studio though, right after I got back home. I took the photo on my way back to my cabin after a long day spent painting in the field. I was beat and couldn't have done another painting if my life depended on it. So I stopped the car and stood by the side of the road and just took it all in. Of course I took some pictures, but that only took a moment. The rest of the time I watched, I took mental notes on the color temp shifts and the values. So many artist's I talk to talk about doing the same thing all the time. They are constantly noticing the complexity in the colors of nature. About how she balances out the warms and the cools. How marvelous it is to really look at the way God has mixed it all up so that it all makes perfect sense when you are experiencing it, but how difficult it is to invent it out of your imagination back in the studio. There are subtleties there that seem to be insignificant, but if you leave them out, your work will always have an amateurish quality about it. That's why I paint on location. It's information you can gain no other way. It teaches me every time, how little I know, and how I understand even less.

Fishing the Llano River (field study), 6X8, oil/linen panel

I did this painting on location on the same trip. I did 10-12 paintings while there, but I only brought a few home with me as carry on. The rest I Fedexed home along with my easel and paints. I'm still waiting for that box to arrive. This was a beautiful spot along the South Llano river which runs through Junction, Tx. I started the painting without the figures, and about half way through, these fishermen came along and make a perfect focal point for this piece. I'm going to start putting more figures in my on location work. They add so much to a painting I think. I love that the main figure in this one is setting the hook. A little action in a painting can be such a good thing.

Morning Texas Pasture (field study), 6X12, oil/linen panel

This was also a plein air piece. There were cattle that dotted the far pasture, and I might add them to a larger studio painting of this. But this one's size made me a little hesitant to try to do that. I love back lit landscapes. That's why I do so many of them. This one was my first piece of the day and I couldn't have asked for a better subject. I was just off the highway, where no one goes slower than 70mph. It's good training for being able to block distractions out while you paint. If you can concentrate while Semi's blow by you, hell bent for leather, then you're ready for all the crowds you attract while painting on location. No doubt.

Thanks for looking, Steve