The Southwest Trip-Part 1

I have just returned from a vacation trip to the Southwest. We flew into Las Vegas, and drove all the way around the Grand Canyon, seeing the sights as we went. I am going to break down our adventure into several parts, as there is too much to talk about in one blog entry.




Day 1

We started our trip with a flight to Las Vegas, where the rental car agency upgraded us to a Toyota Prius. Based on how much driving we would be doing, we figured the gas savings would more than pay for the extra fee, and we were right. First on the agenda was to head to a supermarket and stock up on some food, a disposable styrofoam cooler, ice and cold drinks. We managed to find a Wal-mart that happened to be undergoing a big reorganization, and it was a challenge to find the coolers, but after a slight delay, we were on our way to Boulder City and the Hoover Dam.

The dam is certainly impressive, but the day was hot, and I was not prepared for the wind along the top of the dam. We didn't really have the energy for the full tour, but we paid a lower admission for access to the museum exhibits and the observation deck. As you walk in, they take your family picture against a green screen and later you can purchase a photo of yourselves in front of various settings--places in which you never actually set foot. We declined the pictures, and continued on our way to Kingman, AZ, our first stop on the way to the South Rim.

Day 2

We hit the road early after taking advantage of the hotel's continental breakfast, and drove east on Rt. 40 to the town of Williams, a major stop on the historic Route 66, and the starting point for the Grand Canyon railway. We stopped just long enough to poke around the souvenir shops and have a coffee break.


Soon we arrived at the Grand Canyon South Rim. We debated catching the National Geographic IMAX movie at the theatre outside the entrance, but we decided we would rather see the real thing. The most popular Mather Point viewpoint was closed off due to construction, so we parked near the Visitor's Center and walked a section of the Rim Trail, and easy, paved walkway along the top with many views of the canyon.



That's all I have time to post for now. To be continued...

And now for something completely different...

Peony Bud, oil on gessoboard, 8 x 8 in.
Available for purchase, $350.00

I have been photographing many things in the garden this spring, and I've been wanting to do a small series of paintings featuring simple flower elements. My goal is to bring something to the painting that I can't capture in a photograph, yet I want these to be luminous, detailed, with lots of contrast and stark, graphic shapes.

The first successful one of these is this white peony bud. Peonies are one of my favorite garden flowers, yet they are so short-lived. Cutting a few and putting them in a vase results in a shower of petals on the table a day or two later. I love the look of peony flowers just before they have opened up--the perfect roundness of the bud, it is such a solid shape, before it opens into a marvelously perfumed, delicate voluminous flower.

Flower paintings aren't the only thing different about this summer. I'm calling this the year of trying new things...from participating in a local theater production, to doing the bicycling leg for a relay team in a sprint triathalon.

The horse paintings are not completely in the background. I currently have on the easel an 18 x 36 in. oil of some working draft horses. There is a lot of fussy harness work on this piece, and I have been picking away at it for a few months now.
There is probably another couple of weeks of fussing ahead of me. I really don't like it when paintings drag on for this long, and when they do, they either get abandoned or I finally reach the point where I just have to knuckle down and finish them. This one has far too much going for it to abandon. And now, there are some more brass rivets that need my attention.

Big Chicks and a lot of Bling

Big Chick, 40 x 30 in. oil on canvas
This big fluffy chick has been finished for a while, but it's always a challenge to photograph these large canvases, and the time and weather finally cooperated to get it shot outside. This little gal is much much larger than life, and she makes an impact on the wall.



Bling, 40 x 30 in. oil on canvas
Bling is another large canvas, and this one is nearly ready for hanging. Still awaiting a final varnish and hanging hardware. Shiny silver bits on halters and bridles are always a challenge, but so satisfying to finish up with those bright white highlight spots. A chain lead shank never looks right until the final highlights go in. I enjoyed the blue eye of this paint--it's not often I get to paint a blue eye.


Studio work has been a bit derailed lately, with all the work involved in putting in the garden, and running around to family events. This summer I will be trying something completely new to me---participating in a local community theater production of Oliver! My son and I both have ensemble roles, so we will have fun getting our feet wet in this new venture, without a huge time commitment of learning a lot of lines. It was so rewarding to challenge myself with something completely out of my element. I have no illusions of being a good singer...I guess I can hit the notes, but my voice is not pretty--I can blend in with the chorus just fine. But I have to admit to being a musical theater geek--I often paint to the music of the great Broadway soundtracks.
I know of many artists that have talent in both the visual and performing arts, and I have always been one who has the desire to do something musical, but do not have the gift to be able to play an instrument. So perhaps this is a sign of the desire breaking through. Hopefully I will not completely embarrass myself.

The Banded Mane

The Banded Mane, oil on board, 8 x 10 in.

I've been working on a series of small paintings on board, inspired by my photo references from a local horse show last fall. The evening light was glowing pink on the back of this pinto pony, and his banded mane looked so cool with the stripes of white in his mane. It's an unusual viewpoint, but there is beauty to be found in these odd angles, and if you only saw this pony from the front, you wouldn't be able to appreciate all of the hard work put into that mane!

Spring is a busy time around here. Gardening and other outdoor farm chores are taking away from studio time, and yet I am squeezing in a little work here and there.

If you are in Woodstock, Connecticut, check out the Artists' Collaborative, at the Artists in the Country site, County Road, West Woodstock. The barn is open from 11 - 5, Sat. and Sunday for the next two weekends in April. Several artists, including myself, have set up displays in the barn. There are paintings, photographs, jewelry, and some ceramics and glasswork. Beautiful art in a beautiful setting.

More Dogs!

Cheerio , oil on gessoboard, 8 x 8 in.

This week's painting is a study of Cheerio. I captured a moment of contemplation, as she lay on her bed in the living room, with winter sunlight pouring in. Her eyes, with the little brown eyebrow points have so much expression in them. I can hear her sighing in this one. She really wants to chase Pixel, but has decided to behave herself for the moment.



The Cell-Phone Dog , oil on gessoboard, 5 x 7 in. $75.

Also just off the easel is this little yellow lab study. This dog works for the state prison system, and is trained to sniff out cell-phones. She has that lovely, gentle lab face. This little painting is for sale. If you are interested in purchasing her, please contact me.

Going to the Dogs

Pyrannes Pup 4 x 6 oil on canvasboard, $50.


Bulldog Study 5 x 7 oil on gessoboard, $75.


Little Collie Mix 11 x 14 oil on canvasboard, $125.


St. Bernard 4 x 6 oil on canvasboard, $50.

Hmmm, last year was the year of the chickens..I think this year might be the year of the dogs. At least it's starting out that way. I have been inspired as of late, to do a number of quick, small paintings featuring dogs that I have photographed in my travels. I usually find one or two to photograph at an outdoor art show, and there are also dogs at town events, parades, and soccer games. Since I tend to photograph these dogs on the sly, with a long zoom lens, I have no idea what their names are, or who their owners are, but something about them just called out to be captured in paint.

Since these are quick studies and unframed, I am offering them up for sale at very affordable prices. If you are interested in purchasing any of these--shoot me an e-mail.

More dogs to come...

Painting in the New Year

"Snow Lashes", photograph, 2009

I'm back in the studio at last, after a month of Christmas preparations, holiday concerts and gatherings, gift shopping and wrapping, and holiday baking.
Just days after Christmas was over, I was driving to Long Island to deliver paintings for a show in Oyster Bay, New York, home of Teddy Roosevelt and the Teddy Roosevelt Association. TR and the Horse is an exhibit featuring myself and four other equine artists. We will each be exhibiting 7-10 pieces of our own work, and a few drawings of Teddy Roosevelt's favorite horses. My contribution is an ink wash drawing of Manitou, his favorite hunting horse. The preview party will be January 9, and the show will run through the month of January.

Oyster Bay, as is turns out, is also home to quite a few Underhills, and there is an entire room full of archives and geneology on Underhills, maintained by the Underhill Society. Since I'm only an Underhill by marriage, I lack the knowledge of family names to do any real research into the family history, but it was fascinating to know that it was there.

My little trip to Oyster Bay was a perfect excuse to visit a friend in Manhattan, and so to avoid the scariness of driving into the city, left my car in Oyster Bay and took the Long Island Railroad to Penn Station. This made my return trip quite the ordeal, as it is an hour and a half train ride to Oyster Bay and then it was a four and a half hour drive home in bumper-to-bumper traffic on 95. Apparently New York City rush hour begins at 2 in the afternoon.

So now I am back in the studio, inspired to paint a few dogs. Kimberly Kelly Santini's book, Painting a Dog a Day, was a Christmas gift, and her wonderfully expressive paintings of dogs have inspired me to tackle a few myself, and revisit some of my reference photos of dogs I have encountered at various events.

Today, I ventured no farther than my own paddock to photograph Niqui and Keeper in the wet snow. The photograph above features Niqui and her beautiful long eyelashes.