New Conte Drawing

Untitled Study
Carbon and Conte on Toned Paper
8.5" x 8"
I recently decided I needed to draw more, so I bought some conte and some toned paper...here's my first drawing in a while...a study for part of a painting I have in mind. I know it's a little different for me, but hey, that's how you grow as an artist!

"SUN LIT" New Oil Painting By Mike Callahan

"Sun Lit"
Oil on Canvas
30" x 30"

Here's another painting from my Ruby Mountain trip. When we were on the trail, the Sun broke through the clouds and illuminated this peak for just long enough for me to get a great reference shot. I really like this scene because I think it really portrays the immensity of the place. Enjoy!

"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!

"JED" - New Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"JED"
Oil on Canvas 30" x 20"
Last September, my son and I took a backpack trip into the Ruby Mountain Wilderness Area. On that trip we ran across this old outfitter and his dog sitting at his camp watching the pack mules while his clients were out hunting Mountain Sheep. I asked him if I could take his photo and he agreed. He wasn't very talkative and really didn't say anything beyond agreeing to have his photo taken. He had on a copper bracelet with the letters JED on it...I don't know if those were his initials or if his name was Jed...Enjoy!

"GRAEGLE CREEK CATARACTS" New Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Graegle Creek Cataracts"
Oil on Canvas
24" x 30"
Last spring I took a trip up to Long Lake and the snow was really starting to melt...the water coming down Graegle Creek was just blasting over these falls and I've wanted to take the challenge of painting them for some time now! Enjoy!

"ANOTHER DAYBREAK ON THE COLORADO" - New Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Another Daybreak on the Colorado"
24" x 32" Oil on Canvas
Here's another painting done from the banks of the Colorado River from the trip I took to Moab last year...enjoy!

"LAST BOAT ON THE LAKE" New Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Last Boat On The Lake"

Oil on Canvas 20" x 24

It was late October when I last went up to Tahoe to shoot some reference for this  series I've been doing and when we went to the dock at Zephyr Cove where there are typically lots of boats, there was just this one!

"SECRET COVE #2" New Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Secret Cove #2"
Oil on Canvas 24" x 30"
Here's another painting of the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe...it's the second new Tahoe painting that is currently featured in a 'Tahoe' show at the Truckee River Gallery thru December 21st. If you get a chance stop by and see the show; I was at the reception Saturday night and there's a lot of great work in this show!

"SPARKLIING SHORE" - New Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Sparkling Shore"
Oil on Canvas 24" x 30"
Here's my latest painting of the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe...it's one of two new Tahoe paintings that will be featured in a "Tahoe" show at the Truckee River Gallery from December 3rd thru December 21st. If you live nearby, please mark your calenders for the reception on Saturday, December 6th, from 4-7p.m.

"DAYBREAK ON THE COLORADO"-New Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Daybreak on the Colorado
Oil on Canvas 24" x 30"
My right arm is working again and here's the first of many paintings I intend on painting with it...this is a scene from the banks of the Colorado river near Moab, Utah from the trip I took last year...Enjoy!

Free Landscape Oil Painting E-Book Now Available for Download

If you are interested in my tutorials, I now have something just for you! I'm giving away my new e-book called 'My Approach to Painting the Landscape in Oils' It is 37 pages covering everything from materials, color palette, composition, technique and more! I'm excited to be able to finally make this available and when you sign-in for the free and immediate download, as an added bonus you will also be signed-up to receive a NEW twice monthly Painting Tips Newsletter for FREE! You can get your copy by going to http://www.mikecallahanart.com/paintingtips ...Enjoy!

New E-book coming!

New E-book..."My Approach to Painting the Landscape in Oils" by Mike Callahan coming soon!
For those of you who have been wanting more tutorials, there's lots more on the way! Be watching this blog after next week to find out how you can get your complimentary copy of Mike's 37 page e-book!

"LEFT-HAND LILLIES" new Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Left-hand Lillies"
28" x 22"
Oil on Canvas

I couldn't help painting during my recovery from shoulder surgery, but I obeyed the doctor's orders (and my pain!) and didn't use my right hand. On my easel is a painting I call, "Left-hand Lillies" and I painted it entirely with my left hand. By the way, I'm not the least bit ambidextrous!
I've posted it online; you can see a larger version of it here...enjoy!

My Art To Be Used On The Cover of "RATTLE"

My painting, "Long Day" is going to be used for the cover art of the poetry magazine, "Rattle" for their cowboy poetry issue. It will be in Barnes and Noble and Borders on December 1st. You can pre-order a copy if you would like at http://www.rattle.com/cowboy.htm. I'm quite honored and excited to have my work featured on this great magazine!

"RANCH HOUSE" - New Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Ranch House"
16" x 36" oil on canvas
"This is an early morning view of the house at the Marshall Ranch out in the Winnemucca Ranch area. I painted it from a different view last year for the Winnemucca Ranch show at Patagonia. At any rate, I was intrigued with this view so typical of these old Nevada ranches where years ago ranchers planted rows of Cottonwood trees around their ranches which is not only practical, but impressive as well. Enjoy!"

"THE MEADOW" - New Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"The Meadow" 12" x 9" oil on canvas
I participated in a 'quickdraw' event this weekend - a fundraiser for the Scenic Nevada organization. I had an hour and a half to complete this painting on the grounds of the M&L Ranch in Reno. The afternoon and evening were great, the weather was superb, the barbeque, absolutely delicious and my painting auctioned off at a nice price raising a good sum for the organization. My only regret is that I somehow forgot to pack my trusty camera and so the only photo I have of the painting comes from my friend Nancy Peppin's iPhone. Thanks Nancy! There were thirty artists there and the event was a great success, a great time was had by all! Enjoy!

"A PRINCE OF CATALINA" - New, original oil painting by Mike Callahan

"A Prince of Catalina"
16" x 20" oil on canvas
In contrast to the harbor in Avalon, the interior of Catalina Island is dry and grassy, perfect for a herd of buffalo that have lived there for quite some time. This bull that we saw was big, but surely not the biggest, that's why he's a prince and not yet the king! Enjoy!

p.s. I'm toying with a new, enhanced feature on my site that enables the viewer to zoom around and look at the details of the painting to a much higher degree...you can check out the enhanced, zoomable page with audio commentary by clicking here.

"AVALON AWAKES" - New Painting and Podcast from Mike Callahan

"Avalon Awakes"
18" x 24" oil on canvas
This is a painting from my recent vacation...one of the stops was beautiful Catalina Island off the southern California coast. This is a view of the harbor at Avalon at about 8:30 in the morning.
p.s. I've created my first ever podcast featuring this painting and a little more description...If you'd like to check it out, click here...it's M4A format, so you'll need Quicktime if you don't already have it...
(free from Apple, click here if you need it).

Portrait of My Parents

Portrait of my parents - Ed & Alyce Callahan
on their 50th Anniversary
24" x 32"
oil on linen
For a long time now, I have been planning to paint a portrait of my parents. As their 50th anniversary approached, one of my brothers told me that this would be the logical time to do it. I was gone on vacation two weeks ago, so I had to get it done in an inordinately short amount of time, but I pulled it off somehow and so, here it is...stay tuned, next week you should start seeing paintings that come from my vacation trip - hint, think sailboats, ocean, ...

"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.

"INDIAN PAINTBRUSH" - new original oil painting by Mike Callahan

"Indian Paintbrush"
10" x 8" oil on canvas
Sometimes when you are hiking in the desert, something catches your eye and repositions your view from wide angle to close up...that's what Indian Paintbrush flowers will do; they are such bright, energetic and unexpected flowers usually growing where nothing else will...enjoy!

"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!"

News from Oil Painter's of America National Juried Show

Mike has received the Classic Framing Inc. Award of Excellence
for his painting "Wild Mustangs" at Oil Painters of America's National Juried Show
in Missoula Montana... Click for details!

"MULE DEER MORNING" - New Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Mule Deer Morning" 24" x 20" oil on canvas "It's been a while since I've painted any wildlife so I thought I'd paint a nice buck looking for a secluded place to bed down for the day...enjoy!"

"THE STILL, RAGGED EDGE" - new oil painting by Mike Callahan

"The Still, Ragged Edge"
20" x 24" oil on canvas
"This is a shot of the Southeast side of Long Lake as seen late last fall. I was taken by how the still water contrasted with the ragged edge of the shore with its sharp rocks and broken trees...enjoy!"

"Sierra Splendor", original oil painting by Mike Callahan

"Sierra Splendor"
40"x60" Oil on Canvas
SOLD!
I just finished this commissioned piece...it's very large and I had a great time painting it...I've posted a tutorial for it as well, you can see the painting progress by clicking here.

"Self-Portrait" - Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Self-Portrait"
24"x28" Oil on Linen
I did this painting mainly because I wanted to enter the American Artist Magazine's Self-Portrait Competition, and secondly because I've always thought it would be a challenge to paint a self-portrait and well, I'm always up for a challenge!

"Valley Floor" - Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Valley Floor"
24" x 30" oil on canvas
"This painting is done from a shot I took on my recent visit to Arches National Park near Moab. We were in a hurry to get back up to Delicate Arch while we still had sun (it was being obscured by clouds intermittently all day) but when we found this spot near the trailhead, I just had to pause to photograph it knowing it would make a great subject for a painting. Enjoy!"

"Aspen Path" Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Aspen Path"
Oil On Canvas - 24" x 30"
"We got a very early snow this fall and as a result, there were lots of Aspens turning color with snow on the ground too which is sort of unusual for us. I shot the reference for this painting on a glorious afternoon in October on the trail that goes around Spooner Lake. Enjoy!"

Last Week's Studio Demo

Untitled - Studio Demo 02-03-08
16" x 12" oil on canvas
"I painted this piece from the many reference shots I have of Tahoe. Actually, the participants of the demo chose it; I gave them a choice between two. There was a great deal of interest in how to paint water and the clear waters of Lake Tahoe gave me ample opportunity to demonstrate."

Get a Free Download Open Edition Print

"Wild Mustangs"
High Res Download (2.3Mb) Requires Adobe Acrobat
Click Here

"Long Day" - Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Long Day"
36" x 16" oil on canvas

My good friend Dennis McCroskey is the model for this painting...he's the real deal and this is from a photo he provided...at least the cowboy is, I shot the clouds that I used in the background. The unstable weather that we get on the Eastern side of the Sierras yield some pretty impressive clouds from time to time.

"Tim Finnigan" original oil painting by Mike Callahan

"Tim Finnigan"
8" x 10" oil on canvas

This is a fun little portrait I painted of my daughter-in-law's little brother Tim.

"Snowpile" Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Snowpile"
10" x 8" oil on canvas

This is piece was done as a challenge that I gave to the critique group I'm in. The challenge was to paint something "ugly", but paint it well...this is my effort toward that end!

"Sierra Buttes Ridge" - original oil painting by Mike Callahan

"Sierra Buttes Ridge"
8" x 12" oil on canvas
Study

This is the second study I did for a proposal for a larger painting...the clients chose this view and I'll be painting it much larger (40" x 60") in the following months...stay tuned for my progress in here and on my site.

"The Shore of Long Lake" - original oil painting by Mike Callahan

"The Shore of Long Lake"
8" x 12" oil on canvas
Study

This piece I did as a study for a proposal for a commission. It's a similar view to the view I painted in the piece title "Long Lake Ice"...the clients did not choose it; they chose the one posted above this one.

"The Mayor's Cup" - Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"The Mayor's Cup"
24" x 36" oil on canvas
Commission

This pieces was commissioned by the City of Sparks through their artist of the month program.

Slide Mountain - Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Slide Mountain"

Oil on Canvas 16" x 28"

This is a piece I was commissioned to do for a Christmas gift. I'm just sharing it now because I didn't want to ruin the surprise. I'm told the recipient loves it! It's a scene of Slide Mountain as seen from Washoe Valley in Nevada. The area on the mountain that looks light gray is actually the part of the mountain that has slid off in years prior, the most recent and most devastating being in 1983.

"Early Snow" - original oil painting by Mike Callahan

"Early Snow"

Oil on Canvas 7" x 5"

Merry Christmas! Wishing You and Your's All the Blessings of Christmas this Holiday Season and a Peaceful and Prosperous New Year!

"Ornaments" - Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Ornaments"

Oil on Canvas 5" x 7"

As the Christmas season rapidly approaches, I find myself busy as ever. I've finished the commission I've been working on and will post it after Christmas. In the meantime, here's a little piece I did for the Tubac Center of the Arts Little Treasures show. I'll try to post once more before Christmas, but if I don't make it, Merry Christmas!

"Tule Peak" original oil painting by Mike Callahan

"Tule Peak"

Oil on Canvas 11" x 14"

This is the only remaining piece that's still available from the Winnemucca Ranch / Citizens for Sensible Growth Benefit show! The show was a near sell out for me! You have one last chance to see this piece as the show is coming down on Dec. 6th. Erik Holland will be at the Patagonia Service Center from 3-6:30 pm tomorrow, December 5th, so if you want to see it or the other great art in the show, hurry over there! The directions are below!
You can see a larger version of this painting by clicking here.


Patagonia, 8550 White Fir, November 29th, 5 to 8:30 pm.

Directions: Take 4th street west of Reno to Woodland ( just beyond Mayberry intersection). Turn left on Woodland and cross the RR tracks. The first right is White Fir. Take White Fir around to just before the Truckee River Bridge, and turn left into the parking lot.

"Winnemucca Ranch Road" - New Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Winnemucca Ranch Road"

Oil on Canvas 12" x 16"

I've been busy working on a commission recently, so I probably won't be posting too regularly till after I'm done and on to something else (the commission is a present and I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise!)
The painting shown above however, will be featured in a show and you are all invited to the opening reception this Thursday, the 29th from 5-8:30 PM! I'm sorry for the short notice, the show kind of crept up on me...the announcement with directions follows below -
You can see a larger version of this painting by clicking here.

Press release:

Winnemucca Ranch Art Show
AT PATAGONIA, NOVEMBER 29TH 5 TO 8:30 PM

On a sunny day in October, 16 artists gathered to paint the beauty of yet another area slated for sprawling development. The Winnemucca Ranch and the adjacent Marshall Ranch, thirty miles north of Reno, are soon to be covered with 14,000 homes. This is just the tip of the iceberg of sprawling development schemes that include the Ballardini Ranch, central Storey County, the east Truckee River canyon, the hills above south Reno, and incursions into Washoe Valley. Someday we’ll have to add an extra “D” to those trucks that drive around the area emblazoned with the slogan,” We love(d) this place”.


The “paint in” includes Jean LeGassick, Pat Wallis, Craig Mitchell, Patti Christensen Woodard, Chad Sorg, Tyler Sorg, Ann O’Lear, Ray Freeman, Crystal Harling, Karen Kreyeski, Erik Holland, Carol Foldvary Anderson, Renate Neumann, Brian Amme and Shawna Baker, and Mike Callahan.

Paintings produced ranged from intimate scenes of cottonwoods in full October glory to sweeping views of the valley looking down towards Sparks. Fifty percent of sales will benefit Citizens for Sensible Growth to support efforts in concert with other groups to promote a more sustainable growth pattern. We look forward to making this a yearly event, with a focus on a different threatened area every year.

An opening is scheduled at Patagonia, 8550 White Fir, November 29th, 5 to 8:30 pm.

Take 4th street west of Reno to Woodland ( just beyond Mayberry intersection). Turn left on Woodland and cross the RR tracks. The first right is White Fir. Take White Fir around to just before the Truckee River Bridge, and turn left into the parking lot.

"Glance" - New Oil Painting By Mike Callahan

"Glance"
Oil on Canvas 8" x 10"
This has turned out to be a breakthrough piece for me. I've discovered what for me is a way to get great luminosity in skin...I've posted the details in a step-by-step of the painting as well as a larger picture that you can see by clicking here.

"Sunflowers" - new oil painting still life by Mike Callahan

"Sunflowers"
Oil on Canvas 10" x 8"
I set up and painted this little still life of some sunflowers in my grandmothers pewter coffee pot...I've posted a short, one page step by step of the painting as well as a larger picture of it, you can see it by clicking here.

"Trickle" - New Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Trickle"
Oil on Canvas 10" x 8"
I went on a hike earlier this year in the desert and we came across this little stream early in the morning...a little trickle really, but it was the only water we crossed the whole trip...If you would like to see a larger posting of it, along with a step-by-step of the painting of it, click here.

Along The Colorado - new plein air oil painting by Mike Callahan

"Along The Colorado"
Oil on Canvas 12" x 16"
Here's another one from my recent painting trip to Moab. Painting this was absolutely blissful, standing there in perfect 75 degree weather in the shade with the Colorado River gently flowing by!...If you would like to see a larger posting of it, click here.