The Point - Bear Lake Cuchara Colorado

8 X 6 Oil on Canvas Board $115
Includes shipping and insurance in U.S.

At the end of this rocky jetty was the best fishing on Bear Lake this past August. It was also the place that one of the local black bears chose to show himself causing all the kids and their parents to scramble to safety, leaving rods and stringers of fish. But thanks to the enforcement of the "Do not feed the bears" rule, the bears are getting shyer and easier to chase off. Now I don't recommend anyone chasing a bear, but shouting at the one I saw from a distance worked this summer. Last year, the bears were undisturbed by people and continued all the way around the lake, effectively ending our fishing for the day.
I am going to try something new with my painting postings on my blog. Normally I post a small image of the painting and this is to prevent "thieves" from stealing the image and reproducing it - and yes that is happening more and more now that computer "galleries" are becoming so common. I have had my work copied, but I have not yet detected any outright direct reproduction.
Often collectors want to view my work up close, and I am more than willing to send a larger image to them - but then I realized that I could do this here, also. And we will soon have that ability to look at a "close-up" on Daily Painters, too. But I have to load a large data file image of the painting which makes it easier to steal and reproduce. I have, however, decided that worrying about theft is something I can eliminate from my brain. So now if you "click on" the image of my paintings, you should be able to see the details more clearly. I am doing this in the hopes that you will be able to better view my technique. And if some art dealer in China decides he can sell it without my permission, so be it....
Genesis 1:26
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

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Big Bear Market

24 X 30 Oil on 3/4" gallery wrap canvas
Check with Artist for Availability

I have been obsessed with bears and bison lately, it seems. Say, that sounds like a good title for a painting - perhaps I do need to combine the 2 obsessions into one painting and be done with it!
This painting fairly glows on the canvas and looks 500% better in person. I think it will need to be hung in a gallery to be seen in its true light.
We just returned from camping at Ink's Lake in the Hill Country of Texas - near Marble Falls. Beautiful lake, spacey campsites and perfect weather. The fishing wasn't too good, but I did manage to snag a couple catfish, a bunch of perch and 2 nice striped bass. The 3 black bass I caught were under legal size, but were still a lot of fun to land.
These are our camping buddies from out latest trip - and I understand there are possibly 4 more couples who may want to join us on our next venture. Looks like we may be starting a "club"!
As soon as I finish up some paintings I have already started, I will be doing some lake images. It's hard to make myself complete a project before I start another - my father was the some way. I cannot count the number of "projects" in our garage that looked like great ideas at the time, but never were completed. I take after him in this regard, but I try to be aware of it better.

Isaiah 59:11
We all growl like bears; we moan mournfully like doves. We look for justice, but find none; for deliverance, but it is far away.

It's a Bear Market!

5 X 7 Oil on Board $100
Includes shipping and insurance

It's hard to stay away from the little paintings because I get the satisfaction of COMPLETING something in a day. The big ones take 3 full days of painting, minimum, and in the case of the two-horses-in-the-water painting, I'll need at least 2 more, uninterrupted days to complete it. That's the tricky part of painting with oil. If you want the "oil effect" of soft edges (and acrylic painters hate this!) you need to work continuously or use mediums (additives) to slow the drying process.
The little paintings are a contradiction in assembly. Under certain circumstances, I wish the paint would dry faster (for instance, I will still need to add a couple more strokes to this one after it dries a bit), but I still want the soft, blended edges that oil paint offers. I have not yet experimented with the new water soluble oils that are supposed to have the consistency of traditional oils, but dry fast (and wash up with soap and water). And it's not because I have that much invested in oil paints. Most of the paints I use fit into a couple small shoe boxes. They are large tubes, but not that many colors. I mix most of what I paint with from the basic primaries of cad yellow, cad red and ultramarine blue. I can make my own burnt umber from those three, but I use it in a tube, too. And titanium white. I have a small tube of ivory black, but I never use it. If I was left on a desert island with those 4 (maybe 5), I would be happy.
Back to the bear. We enjoyed watching this fellow on Bear Lake in Cuchara, Colorado this past summer. He pretty much cleared out the fishing ledge on the back side of the lake - looking for trout along the edge. Trout are fragile and many folks remove them from their line and throw them back, not realizing that unless they are handled VERY carefully, they usually die. And float to the edge of the lake. The bears know this and daily go shopping along the edge, clearing out the fishing folk!
I am also working of a large semi-abstract of this image. Watch for it!
And don't forget the big half-price sale starting November 1!!
Luke 12:37
It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.

Bear Footing

24 X 30 Oil on 3/4" gallery wrapped canvas
Check with artist for availability

Four out of the 7 days we were at Bear Lake near Cuchara, Colorado we saws bears. And since I always have my camera handy, I got LOTS of bear pictures. This is from the first sighting and this bear cleared the lake quickly of all fishermen! He first showed up at the far side of the lake and lumbered around to the side where most of the fishermen were. Fortunately, he went slow - looking for fish - giving us all time to pack up our gear and move. He did run from rocks chunked at him, too - twice. But when he returned to the spot where the fishermen were who threw the rocks, they left and gave him the right-of-way. Smart move.
I took photos while hidden in trees about 100 feet from him. I and some other fellow campers stayed behind trees and shrubbery and kept quiet while we watched him fish. Believe me, we were ready to run if we had to!
Mark 1:16
As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

Looking for Dinner

6 X 8 Oil on Masonite $115
Includes shipping and insurance

Well, we are finally back from our big summer trip. Except for rioting flower beds and grass tall enough to hide in, everything at home seems just fine. And to top it off, a cold front followed us home from Colorado and brought 20 degree cooler weather and rain to Texas - LOTS of rain, which our area sorely needed.
I painted this little painting while at our next-to-last campground - Bear Lake near Cuchara, Colorado. We were there 7 days and saw bears 4 of those days, and I got pictures of each sighting. I have many more bear pictures planned - both large and small.
This lake is stocked periodically with rainbow trout and is available for anyone to fish. Unfortunately many people throw back the trout they catch, without being very careful with the fragile fish and they die. Bad luck for the fish, good luck and easy pickings for the bears. They are quite aware that at any given time there are dead fish along the edge of the lake, waiting for them to scoop up and eat. And the bears come at all hours of the day - quickly clearing out the fishermen lining the edge of the lake! I kept my distance, but still stayed and snapped hundreds of photos. What fun! I will be painting from the 7 weeks' worth of photos for years, I think.
And this October I will be having a HUGE SALE of all paintings from last year that are not yet sold. So stay tuned and get ready. I haven't decided whethert to host the sale on Ebay or just cut everything unsold a certain percentage. BUT BE ASSURED, I want to clean out my storage and you, dear collectors, will benefit!
Job 8:14
What he trusts in is fragile ; what he relies on is a spider's web.