"DEEP ROOTS" New Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Deep Roots"

Oil on Arches Paper

18"x 24"

There was a time a few years ago when I was a "Daily Painter". That is, I painted one small painting every day. Such an endeavor is a great discipline and I recommend any serious painter try it for 30 days at least. It gives you much more confidence and directness in your painting and it forces you to become very efficient in your execution. This translates to larger work after the discipline has been established and you will be amazed at how quickly and efficiently you are able to produce paintings.

However, once you have attained that, it is an equally beneficial discipline to slow yourself down and create a "slow painting" once in a while. That is to say, take your time, make sure your composition works, observe your subject, look for subtleties, tackle a difficult lighting situation and focus on light values, ponder each stroke, scumble, glaze and enjoy the process. You will probably be very pleased with the result!

"LOOKS LIKE RAIN" - New Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Looks Like Rain"

24" x 30"

Oil on Linen

This painting is painted from some reference shots I took from my High Desert Ranch trip last year. It was very overcast that day, but some dramatic scenery nonetheless. Running into this cowboy named Moe was a huge added bonus!

"DOWN TO LIBERTY LAKE" New Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Down To Liberty Lake"
Oil on Canvas 30" x 24"
As you might be able to tell, I'm going through my reference shots from my Ruby Mountain backpacking trip of last September. This painting comes from a shot I took of a couple of deer hunters descending the trail to the glacial Liberty Lake. (Being a really deep, cold glacial lake, it really does have that turquoise quality of blue!)...Enjoy!

"UP LIBERTY PASS" new original oil painting by Mike Callahan

"Up Liberty Pass"
36" x 24"
Oil on Canvas

The Ruby Mountains in Eastern Nevada are often referred to as 'Nevada's Rockies'. Parts are mighty rocky, I can tell you that much! This is another painting from the backpack trip my son and I took last September. We were heading back out of the wilderness area when we met up with this outfitter going in to pick up one of his clients. At close to 11,000 feet, and having already travelled several miles that morning, it kind of made me wish I had a horse!

"TRAILER HITCHED" new oil painting by Mike Callahan

"Trailer Hitched"
20" x 20" oil on canvas
I'm sure I really annoy people when I drive; I'm constantly looking around observing things, looking for things that really lend themselves to a painting. This painting is one of those times, my wife and I went out early one morning in search of some dramatic lighing on the landscape and as I was driving along the road, there were these to beautiful Paints hitched to their trailer readied for a ride. I hit the brakes and pulled out the camera...this painting is the eventual result.

"COWBOY'S RIB" - New Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Cowboy's Rib"
16" x 12" oil on canvas

"This painting is the second to last from the Tule Peak/Winnemucca Ranch series I've been doing...it's called 'Cowboy's Rib' because that's the name of the ridge that we climbed to get to the top of the peak. This is a view looking up the canyon that runs along the rib near the base of the mountain before things started getting really steep...enjoy!"

"LONELY AT THE TOP" - New Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Lonely At The Top"
12" x 16" oil on canvas
"During last summer's trek to the top of Tule Peak, I was intrigued by the tenacity of the Juniper trees that grew on the rock outcroppings near the peak. This is one of those lonely, ardent strugglers. Even though it is only at about 8,000' in altitude, it's close to 4,000' above the valley floor a mere three miles away! Aside from snow, I have no idea what water it may ever get, and it has to grow in near constant wind. I guess that explains why there are so few of these up there at the top!"

"TULE SPRING" new original oil painting by Mike Callahan

"Tule Spring"
12" x 16" oil on canvas
"This is Tule Peak just a few weeks ago with the last dusting of snow falling on it over night - but alas, spring's triumphant advance continues, evidenced by the greening of grasses and underground springs yeilding their abundance. This is another one, like last weeks, where I was thoroughly taken by the early morning light on the mountain broken by retreating clouds in the sky - I've done my best to capture that here...enjoy!"

"Dogskin Peek" Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Dogskin Peek"
12" x 24" oil on canvas
"This is Dogskin Mountain with the spring's last dusting of snow on it peeking out behind the foothills a few weeks ago. I just loved how the sun kept highlighting certain features as it broke in and out of the clouds early one morning. I've tried to capture it here for you...enjoy!"