"Half Dome" Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Half Dome"
Oil on Canvas 20" x 24"

Here is the finished piece... For more details and progress here.

"Half Dome" Painting In Progress

"Half Dome" (In Progress)
Oil on Canvas 20" x 24"

Two summers ago, my family and I took a great vacation to Yosemite and I'm finally getting a chance to paint a painting of Half Dome as seen from the meadow near the Merced river. This is indeed a magical place. For more details and progress here.

"Jackrabbit" - Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Jackrabbit"
Oil on Canvas 11" x 14"

Here's a fun little piece I just completed! For more details and progress here.

"Wary" Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Wary" Oil on Canvas 24" x 32"
Here it is, the finished painting...you can follow my progress in more detail here.

"Wary" - Painting In Progress - almost finished!

"Wary" Oil on Canvas 24" x 32" (painting in progress)

This is my progress for days five through seven...I've just got a little more of the foreground to finish up, a few details and it will be done! Check back for more progress..more details of my progress here.

"Wary" - Oil Painting In Progress

"Wary" Oil on Canvas 24" x 32" (painting in progress)

Here's my fourth day's progress...I couldn't take it any longer, I had to start painting the Indian. More to follow..more detailed progress here.

"Wary" - Original Oil Painting (in progress) by Mike Callahan

I'm beginning a new painting...I'll try to keep my progress updated here. Above are my reference materials for the painting. I had already painted the study for it, I'll be using that for my color and values. I decided to put an Indian warily watering his horse in the shallow stream. I was able to get a nice shot of a horse that was rather nonchalantly grazing in a nearby field. I didn't see any Indians around, so once again I asked my son Ian to pose for me. He humored me and I turned him into an Indian in the sketch shown above. Just to make sure he fit on the horse, I scanned my sketch, gave it a quick wash of color and put him on the horse in Photoshop. I put the both of them in my original reference shot. Now I'm ready to begin.

"Wary" Oil on Canvas 24" x 32" (painting in progress)

This is the first couple of morning's progress. I've started as usual, underpainting and sketching in my major elements in the wet underpaint. More tomorrow..more detailed progress here.