"Tilisco"
18" x 24"
Oil on Canvas
On occasion I like to take compositional risks and on occasion such risks pay off! This painting will and my previous post, "Buckaroo" will both be featured in an upcoming national show in Missoula, Montana at the Dana Gallery's Icons of the West show. It's an invitational show that I'm honored to have been invited to! If you are anywhere near Missoula, you should check out the show...it opens June 16th and runs through September 1st.
Here's a painting of a buckaroo I just finished from some reference I gathered late last summer. The buckaroo is a specific type of cowboy from the Great Basin. He comes from the vaquero tradition and typically wears a different sort of hat than other cowboys. There are probably a lot of other differences that I'm unaware of as well.
"A Little Rusty"
20" x 24"
Oil on Linen
I just love it when I come across these old relics...I found this one in a field in a remote rural community and one of the things I was most amazed by was that this old workhorse, after being put out to pasture, if you will, has merely sat quietly, no pillaging, no vandalism. The windshield was still intact and it wasn't riddled with bullet holes either!
"Into The Wind"
30" x 24"
Oil on Linen
I'm pleased to finally be getting around to sharing some of my High Desert Ranch paintings with you. This one was painted from a reference shot taken at the same location as the one I shared last week. It's the same buckaroo, Moe.
This painting was on my easel during the Reno Open Studio tour and is in a video produced by Suli Yi of Voice of America...you can see his video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8UxnQ7dkBU
It's in Chinese so you can't really tell what they are saying, but my segment starts at the 4:58 mark and I'm speaking in English.
P.S.Who wants to go? Watch for a special announcement in the next post for your opportunity to come on a painting adventure to the High Desert Ranch in June!
"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!
"Six of One"
20" x 30"
Oil on Linen
Here's my latest painting. I shot the reference for it at the Cedarville Rodeo in August, there was this line of cowboys that I found intriguing. They were waiting to compete, but I thought that changing the lighting and putting them in a different location would give this painting a bit more charm!
"The Recalcitrant"
20" x 30"
Oil on Linen
Here's one of my most recent cowboy paintings I've been working on. I shot the reference for this painting at the ranch rodeo in Cedarville back in late August and the background is from out in the Winnemucca Ranch area. When my son was just a little tike, I used to read him a story titled, "The Recalcitrant Calf" and ever since I've thought that the word "recalcitrant" is a very appropriate one for calves!
"Quick Turn"
18" x 24"
Oil on Canvas Panel
Last spring I went out to Winnemucca Ranch to gather some reference for some paintings and who do I see but my old buddy Dennis McCroskey chasing this little cow around! His activity provided me with this great little shot...I really enjoyed painting this piece; it was a fun one! ...Enjoy!
"Old West"
9" x 12"
Oil on Canvas
I was looking through some of my older reference photos and I decided I wanted to paint a few more of Bodie, probably the best preserved ghost town in the United States...here is a fun little painting of several of those great buildings...Enjoy!
"Not So Fast"
Oil on Canvas 24" x 30"
I've finally finished...you can see a large posting of it here.
