Summer Morning

A bit different approach to tackle a photograph taken of the Palouse. I did it in pastels, but on a rather large scale, 24 X 36. No artistic reason - Julie wanted a large painting to put above the fireplace in the summer!

Evening Clouds Over the Mountains

When you live in Moscow, Idaho, you either come to love every variation of the look of the mountains or you take them for granted. Being married to a girl who has loved them all her life, it was inevitable I would come to love their ever-changing looks, too. Much like the ocean, they are never look the same day to day. So...one more view, in late summer, with pastels.

Don't Fence Me In

Part of what makes Idaho so great! These gracefully aging vehicles are out near the Church's property, just under Moscow Mountain. I love the rust, the rough wood, the classy look of days gone by, all sitting in the great outdoors. Hardly a unique site, but so what? It stirs my soul - hope it does yours as well!

Remodeling Magpie Shed

Sometimes I'll have occasion to re-examine a painting and decide it still needs work. Such was the case on this one - I'm submitting a couple paintings for possible inclusion in a local display and this shed was one I wanted to submit. However, upon unearthing it from storage, I thought it looked rather anemic, so I bolstered it up with more contrasting colors and shades (BEFORE above, AFTER below). Anyway, I feel better about it now. Thanks for looking!

Sagging Elevator

It's not every day I see a scene, take a photo, then paint it as soon as possible. This one, however, was just like that! Kathryn and I actually came across it while we were...umm...going the wrong way and heading south from Pullman toward Lewiston. We passed this poor old thing and I nearly drove into the ditch staring at it. Once we turned around, Kathryn shot some photos with my phone (!). Talk about a building with character - I'd never seen anything like it before. The sky and light combined to make a rather idyllic scene. A sweet gift from a kind Father.

Evening Bins

Julie wanted another autumnal picture, I wanted to do another pastel; they came together in selecting a photo from Bill Church's archives. I'm really enjoying doing pastels on a larger scale (this is 14 X 20) now that I have sanded paper. It's a bit hard on the finger tips though, since that's what I like to use for blending and smoothing colors. Ah well, guitarists get calluses on their fingers, right? Another reason watercolor still is my favorite medium.

Saturday Morning, 12 Degrees

This wasn't the scene I was looking for on that very biting cold morning; I was on my way north to take some shots of Max Ryan's home. But the light was wrong at his house, so as I returned to town I saw this off to my right. In painting it, I limited my palette to mostly cool colors to try to communicate how cold it was. The light really did produce those strong, horizontal shadows. Hope you like it - barns and snow - soul warming!

North Idaho Parking Lot

This is a scene I've wanted to paint for quite a while, but it didn't seem right without snow on the ground here. My friend, Bill Church snapped and named the original photo. Although I tweeked the scene a bit, I kept the name he gave it - very apropos! As with so many country scenes on the Palouse, there is a story behind each element in this composition. I love old cars and these two vehicles have more to say now than they did the day they were bought. Merry Christmas!

Oaksdale Flour Mill

We've passed this Flour Mill countless times on the 'back' way to Spokane, cruising slowly through Oaksdale. I finally stopped and took a picture since Julie has commented on its unique aspect each time we go by. I tried to convey its texture and varied colors of weathered wood siding.

Winter Rest (from photo by BIll Church)

It's really great to have friends who do all the hard work in getting fascinating photo subjects! When I saw this on Bill's blog (check his out!), I knew I had to paint it. It speaks of the great Palouse in so many ways - I hope I did it justice.

Tall Shed

Isn't this an interesting shed? I've been in Idaho for over 30 years and don't think I've seen one quite like this. I passed it on the way to Lael Camp (it wasn't moving, I was). I asked my friend Bill Church (who always has his camera because he's good at taking pictures - and vice versa) to take a shot of it and the surrounding buildings. He did, but neither of us could figure out what it's used for. Any insights?