Looking for Spring

SOLD to a collector in Canada

I know it's February, but there is a touch of Spring in the air. Dandy can feel it and she's appears to be looking for it. All the horses are ready for green grass. Dandy is still quite fuzzy despite the 90+ degree temperature yesterday, and her dark coat reflects every color of the rainbow.

Yesterday was very warm, but the horses were acting as if it were a cold day - kicking and bucking. I saw them through the studio window and grabbed my camera as I ran out the door. I was wearing shorts and had my painting apron on. Easy stopped dead in his tracks and stared and stared - not recognizing me in shorts, I guess! I could have taken offense, but I just assumed he was blinded by my white legs! PJ was surprised, too, and took off bucking like a young athlete - which she is neither.

Today is supposed to turn cold again - hopefully the peach trees will resume their slumber.

Media: oil on gessoed masonite
Size: 8 in X 6 in (20.3 cm X 15.2 cm)
Price: $115 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $115 includes shipping and insurance in US
Overseas shipping available
Or, send me an email

Keep it Tight

SOLD to a collector in North Carolina

The horse is doing his job - keeping the rope taunt - while the cowboy does his. A hard job made easier with a good horse. I almost painted the horse's tail unbraided, but I decided to leave it exactly as I saw it. I am willing to bet that this cowboy DIDN'T braid it, either! What are the odds that his girlfriend keeps this animal all trimmed and combed? Perhaps I should re-title this painting "Whose Horse Is It Anyway???"
I also photographed this painting in a frame that I thought makes it look really good. I am taking a number of paintings to 3 different galleries the end of March and many of the paintings I have on my blog and in Daily Painters will be moving and no longer available through me. What does not sell in the next 4 weeks, can only be purchased through my galleries.
Proverbs 12:10
A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal.

Media: oil on canvas board
Size: 14 in X 11 in (35.6 cm X 27.9 cm)
Price: $200 includes shipping and insurance to U.S.

How to Purchase:SOLD

Or, send me an email

Roper 1 - Timing is Everything

6 X 8 Oil on gessoed masonite
Check with me for availability

There must have been 100 competitors at the roping I attended Sunday afternoon. I was there 2 hours and witnessed at least 30 of them compete. One right after the other. Not many of them missed their mark, either - and no one got hurt, despite the fast action and the explosive way the cowboys must dismount their horses and run to the calves. Like many events in life, timing is everything - the toss of the rope, how it settles precisely over the calf's head, the dismount at the exact moment the horse is stopping, the sprint to the calf, the tying of the feet...all makes a 5 second difference between a winning time (about 7 seconds) and a good, but losing time (12 seconds).
From those that don't win, you don't witness any theatrics, either. The cowboys simply dust themselves off, pat their horses in thanks for their efforts, remount, coil their rope and start thinking about the next opportunity.
Galatians 1:10
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Check with me for availability
send me an email

waterhole

Contact Artist for Availability

This animal is just too nice to quit painting. This time from the other side with his closest shoulder forward, a different background and slightly smaller. On 3/4 inch canvass with painted sides, wired and ready to hang.

I will probably continue with this series for a while and also the rodeo roping events series. I am coming down to a deadline where I need everything completed so I can frame them in time to go to some galleries. I really prefer to varnish them, too, which is REALLY hard to do safely with oils. I have varnished paintings that I thought were fully dried and made a total mess. But that's better than accidentally spraying adhesive on them, like one of the Daily Painters did! Ouch.

2 Corinthians 5:8
We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Media: oil on gallery wrap canvas ready to hang
Size: 20 in X 20 in (50.8 cm X 50.8 cm)

How to Purchase:

send me an email

Roping

nodp
I have spent much of Sunday afternoon at a roping competition where I took advantage of wonderful light, fantastic subjects and a-typical February Texas weather. Get ready for some cowboy paintings!

On The Run

Contact Artist for Availability

I seem to be doing a lot of running horses images lately - with an even more than average amount of red. Perhaps I am thinking about the stock market too much?

This was another image from the Kalispell, Montana horse event last summer. As you may remember, I am particularly fond of bay horses and this fellow was especially well turned out with a very confident rider. Regretfully, we didn't return the final day to discover the winners. In my opinion they were all champions just by virtue of competing.

I have a whole file of just competitors faces. Most are intensely focused and some are grimacing in extreme concentration. But a few are so totally enjoying themselves and grinning from ear to ear that I found myself pulling for them to win (and wishing I could be momentarily in their space). I am still dreaming of flying...

Ephesians 6:6
Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.

Media: oil on canvas ready to hang
Size: 18 in X 18 in (45.7 cm X 45.7 cm)
How to Purchase:

send me an email

The Eventer 2

18 X 24 on 1 1/2" gallery wrapped canvas, ready-to-hang
Another image from Kalispell's horsey event. This was captured during the cross country steeple chase event. One horse at a time on a timed course. Points are taken off for hitting jump rails or refusals. We were sitting along the "experienced competitor's" route so we didn't see but one refusal and very few rails knocked.

This event requires the animals to be in better shape that just about any other event, with the possible exception being those that compete in long distance endurance races. The horses are "vetted" the morning of the event and I heard that one animal was disqualified for soreness. Considering that many come from the other side of the country and Canada, I think I would have been terribly disappointed.

I am still dreaming of flying on a horse.....

Psalm 22:5
They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

Media: Oil in Gallery Wrapped Canvas
Size: 24 in X 18 in (61 cm X 45.7 cm)
Price: $200 includes shipping and insurnance in US

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $200 USD
Or, send me an email

The Eventer

SOLD to a Collector in Ohio

This is NOT a Quarter Horse! Maybe a Trakehner? Holsteiner? Hanoverian? I saw this handsome fellow at an equestrian event at Rebecca Farms in Kalispell, Montana this past summer, and the event was every bit as colorful as this horse! Mike accompanied me for 2 days in Horse Heaven - watching incredibly turned out and athletic animals (and their riders) compete in dressage and cross country events. There were a number of world class competitors, too and it was a thrill for me to witness. Most of the horses were thoroughbred and warm blood crosses - a huge variety of sizes, shapes and colors - even several Paints! All were tall and balanced and in condition that would rival any Olympian.

I have a list of things I would love to do before I die. One of them is take a champion horse over a jump. That will never happen; it's too late as I have discovered that my bones take too long to heal now (I have broken 4 over my lifetime). But I still can enjoy watching those younger and much fitter "fly" on a horse. And dream.....Or watch my friend Trista when she competes on Gizmo....

John 1:7
He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.

Media: oil on stretched canvas
Size: 20 in X 20 in (50.8 cm X 50.8 cm)

How to Purchase:

SOLD
Or, send me an email

On the Way to the Bison Herd

On the Way to the Bison Herd

Donated to Optimist Auction in Stephenville, Texas 2010:
Still in Jackson Hole. On the way to finding the bison herd. I hang out the window, snap the camera and get GREAT images! This was one. Sun going down behind the hills to the west. I loved the light!

Psalm 97:11
Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.

Media: oil on linen panel
Size: 10 in X 8 in (25.4 cm X 20.3 cm)
Price: $115 US includes shipping and insurance

How to Purchase: This painting is no longer available

send me an email

Fuzzy Arabian Dream

11 X 12 Oil on flat canvas $100
Includes shipping and insurance

No, your monitor is not out of focus - I "fuzzed" this painting on purpose. I was frustrated with the original working and took a large brush to it for fun. After it dries, I'm going to go back and add a few specific details and see what evolves. Stay tuned. OR if you like it as is, let me know and I will stop......
My spring is getting quite busy. I have 2 gallery shows in April and a show in Granbury for the entire month of May at the Lake Granbury Visitor's Center. ALSO if you take Western Art Collector's Magazine, look for my ad in the April issue. Fellow Daily Painter, Laurie Pace and I have reserved a full page. This issue features Texas artists, so we figured it would be a good time to take the plunge. Don't ask me how much it costs - let's just say it's a good thing I like beans and rice, and my Mom is a great cook and loves to share!!!!
Proverbs 16:19
Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.

Jackson Hole Barn

16 X 20 Oil on Canvas $125
Includes shipping and insurance

About 10 miles north of Jackson, Wyoming on the way to Yellowstone, there's a turn-off of Hwy 191 called Antelope Flats Road. This is in the Teton National Park and a huge herd of wild bison freely roam this area. To the West is the Snake River and a magnificent view of the Grand Teton, and to the East are open plains, prairies, lush meadows and, if you are lucky, the wild bison and antelope that live there. There also are a number of structures that are famous for being phtographed and this barn is one of them. This area of Wyoming is wonderful for photographers (Ansel Adams made the Tetons famous from here) and I always enjoy looking through my photos, reliving our trips.
This is part of my normal learning procedure before I paint a large painting - a color study to establish a palette. This one has a lot of paint and texture and has painted sides ready to hang.
Job 40:20
The hills bring him their produce, and all the wild animals play nearby.

Family Ties

nodp
I posted this last week even though I was not completely satisfied with it and I KNEW I had to do something more to it. I left it out and studied it and visualized what was missing, and this afternoon I tackled it. I received several e-mails that said ya'll liked it as is. Well, I didn't and this is today's work. I like it better. Sometimes, change is good - and I'm NOT talking about our political leaders - I mean within OURSELVES!

18 X 24 Contact Me for Availability

James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

London Bridge at Lake Havasu, Arizona

NODP
I have spent a very informative afternoon with my oh-so-brilliant fellow artist, Laurie Pace. This painting is a commissioned piece for an art consultant in California who wanted a print of an original painting of mine. The only problem with that idea was that the first time I painted this image, it was only 6 X 8 and too small to enlarge to 24 X 36. So I agreed to re-paint the image - larger - so a quality reproduction could be produced. Once the painting had dried, I took it to Laurie in Dallas (I am the country mouse - she is the city), and we confabbed on the production of the print. I am living proof that it is never too late to teach an old dog new tricks.
To make a long story short, the print emerged beautifully from her magic machine, she instructed me regarding some necessary self-promotional tools and, as usual, bolstered my ego.
We also printed a couple "extra" prints that are available for purchase, in a smaller format (18 X 24). I will limit any reproductions to 20 of this image. And, of course, the original 24 X 36 painting is available for purchase as well. Contact me directly for purchase.
2 Corinthians 13:3
since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you...

Sunset Lovers

SOLD

About This Painting:

A collector suggested this painting. She said that if she and her husband could be animals, they'd be strong, free and wild Arabians running into the sunset together. I rather liked that imagery and had fun assembling it.

I've been using a lot of Cad Red and Orange lately - fiery skies and sunsets. I have been in contact with other Daily Painters that feel as I do about the rising economic crisis and it's beginning to be reflected in my art. It's hard to paint sweet and safe when there's a storm raging outside.

Jeremiah 25:32
This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth."
Media: oil on stretched canvas
Size: 20 in X 16 in (50.8 cm X 40.6 cm)

How to Purchase:
send me an email

Foal Love

About This Painting:
Two of my favorite babies - daughter Merideth and filly foal Dandy. This is from the first time they met - and Dandy typically was fearless, and Merideth, typically, had her trusting her instantly.

Psalm 112:7

He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

Media: oil on gessoed masonite
Size: 8 in X 6 in (20.3 cm X 15.2 cm)
Price: $115 includes shipping and insurance in US

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $115 USD
Or, send me an email

London Bridge, Lake Havasu City, Arizona

24 X 36 Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas
Contact me for prints any size

I painted this once before as a small painting and have had several requests for print renditions. So I painted it again with the intent of offering prints. Contact me...
Mike and I are already planning our summer RV trip - and I would love to add Arizona's Painted Desert to the itinerary. I know for sure we will be going to Cuchara, Colorado and my new favorite camping grounds - Mueller State Park west of Colorado City. Creede is another favorite place - we followed the Rio Grande to its humble, spectacular beginnings there last June. I doubt we will travel as far as Montana again this year, but I will feel it tugging.
During last summer's trip I took a major hit on blog visitor numbers by not posting most of the time we were gone, and I hate to do that again this year. So I suspect I will make more effort to paint on the road this summer. I need to "practice" plein aire painting before I go, though. I ENJOY painting in nature when Nature is being nice - but when I did it in Wyoming summer-before-last it was hot and windy and buggy and I whined most of the whole time. I love my studio! And I have great respect for those that paint on location!
Proverbs 30:25
Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer.

Media: oil on gallery canvas
Size: 36 in X 24 in (91.4 cm X 61 cm)

How to Purchase:
send me an email

Sunset On The World

16 X 20 Oil on Canvas
Contact Artist for Availability

I thought I knew where this painting was headed when I started it. I was way wrong! I THOUGHT it was going to be one of my more photographic paintings. You can see I got distracted. The world as we know it is leaving - the new day's dawn will be exciting for some and scary for others. I find it a challenge and one that I know I will survive. As a result of feeling like this, my art is changing, too.

At any given time I have at least 5 paintings in various stages of progression. Some I complete in a day (the smaller ones). Most take 2 to 5 days to finish. Often I spend a half a day just researching, going through my photographs, sketching compositions and then finally putting the idea to canvas and laying in an under coating of paint. Then I have to wait until the undercoat dries to add the details. I did that with this one, but I did not like this painting after I started it. So it has sat in plain view, accusing me of neglect.

Meantime my friend, Laurie forwarded me an e-mail from a patron who wanted horses in a sunset. And that’s what moved me to “divert” this image to a more abstract image. It was definitely an evolution that I literally wrenched from my soul! I have a feeling there will be more like this in the future.

Proverbs 24:14
Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

Media: oil
Size: 16 in X 20 in (40.6 cm X 50.8 cm)
Price: $200 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $200 USD
Or, send me an email

Teton Color Study

8 X 10 Oil on gessoed masonite $100
Includes shipping and insurance in U.S.

This is a quick study for a larger painting which will have several horses in it, of course. The location is just north of Jackson, Wyoming where the big wild bison herd can usually be found. We went there again this summer looking for the herd - and all we found were a few scraggly old cows - not the huge herd we found the summer before. But that was OK because later we found thousands of bison in South Dakota. Hope they are surviving this rough winter....
Leviticus 27:32
The entire tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd's rod—will be holy to the LORD

Smiling Jasper

18 X 18 Oil on Canvas Not For Sale

This lovely black Lab, Jasper, belonged to, or should I say, "lived with" my adorable brother, Boyd, and his even more adorable wife, Tami (he definitely married above himself!). Unfortunately Jasper died last month after a long illness and now romps and waits for us with my puppy Kibble and her sister Winkie. I actually have several more dogs waiting for me, but those are the most recent departures. Boyd sent me the poem Rainbow Bridge a couple weeks ago, and if you have lost a beloved pet and want a good cry, go here. Get a Kleenex first.
Jasper had a typical Labrador personality - never unhappy, always glad to see you and ready to chase her ball at a moment's notice. Even when she was loosing her sight, she made that effort to play - she was irrespressible. Our old yellow Lab, Casey, was the same way - you absolutely could not make him angry - one of the best breeds for a family dog and last count, at the top of the list in America for pet dogs. And justifiably. See you in Heaven, Jasper, 'cause Heaven would not be Heaven without our puppies, and I KNOW that's where I'm headin'!
Love you, Bro.
Psalm 115:15
May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
(Heaven is mentioned in the Bible over 600 times - must be something to it!)

Bay Horse

SOLD

My favorite horse color is palomino - I used to long for Trigger as a child. My second favorite is blood red bay - they are so sharp looking with those black legs and black mane and tail. This particular fellow was raised by my talented friend, Trista. She visited today to trim my horses' feet and coincidentally I was painting one of her horses. You might recall that Trista is multi-talented. Not only is she a farrier, but she is also an excellent trainer. Her colt, Gizmo, is one month younger than Dandy (we weaned him with Dandy), so we are sharing baby horse stories at this stage. She will also be the first person to ride Dandy, when the time comes. She plans to event on Giz, and since he is already a full hand bigger than Dandy, I suspect he will be big enough to do anything.

Psalm 131:2
But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

Media: oil on linen board
Size: 10 in X 8 in (25.4 cm X 20.3 cm)
Price: $115 USD

How To Purchase: SOLD

Future Fear

Contact Artist for Availability

There's flames on the horizon. Are they subsiding or getting closer? Our California friends are familiar with wildfires and so are we in Texas, but there may be even scarier things in our future...

I am praying for our leaders and the people in our community. We are a close knit group in Morgan Mill, Texas and I was honored with the privilege of caring for one of our newest members today - Marissa Gilliss. She turned 2 months old Thursday and is FINALLY staying awake long enough to smile and gurgle and flirt with us. Thank you, James and Krissi, for trusitng us with her - she is a pleasure and a reminder that God blesses is in many ways. Every time I see her, I am awed...Babies are God's assurance that this is a world without end. Amen.

Psalm 9:8
He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice

Media: oil on stretched canvas
Size: 20 in X 16 in (50.8 cm X 40.6 cm)

How to Purchase:
send me an email

Your Turn or Mine?

Contact Artist for Availability
Each one of these images came from a different photo. I couldn't decide whose turn it was to be painted, so I painted them all! As a result, the title has TWO meanings!

You may have noticed a change in my style and palette lately. I am trying different techniques and colors - less white and more color that is undiluted and more saturated. I have no idea if I will settle into one format more than another. Sometimes change needs to happen just because - and I'm not talking politically.

James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Media: oil on gessoed masonite
Size: 8 in X 10 in (20.3 cm X 25.4 cm)

How to Purchase:

send me an email

Real Cowboys Still Exist

30 X 40 Oil on canvas done in 2006
Not Available

I attended a "mugging" several years ago and got some wonderful photos of cowboys having fun. It was my first such event and I didn't know many of the folks participating. One of the images that resulted from that day was this very large painting of a cowboy who impressed me - not only with his capabilities, but also his demeanor with the other cowboys, his animals and his children who were with him. That painting went to a show in a New York gallery and has been on display in a number of different places. It has been hanging in my studio for several months now, and it's been odd how a number of people claim to recognize the cowboy.
Last Wednesday we were hosting a Bible study and one of the attendees saw the painting and declared "I know that feller. He's helped me with my cattle. Bary Clower is his name and he's a fine Christian man with a reputation for being true to his word". I instantly decided that Bary needed to own this painting so I asked Bill to get a hold of him, and tell him to come by my studio, but don't tell him why. Well, to make a long story not quite as long, Bary and his daughter, Courtney, came by last night and viewed his painting, declaring "That's me on Dunny". Over his protests, I gave him the painting and I hope to be able to get more images of this "real cowboy". There's not many of 'em left.
John 12:47
As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.

Rope Halter

Contact Artist for Availability:
A rope halter is really one of the best tools a horseman can have. It's extremely versatile - fitting a variety of horses - including yearlings. This one is being used like a hackamore for training. And making one is an easy, handy craft to learn.

I made my first rope halter years ago - following the "recipe" in a Western Horseman's magazine. It was the handiest and most effective halter I ever owned - and safe. Made of cotton rope, if the horse ever got it tangled in something, it was much more likely to break than a nylon halter. And that was a GOOD thing. I actually know someone whose horse died because he got his halter tangled in a farm implement and choked himself. I never leave halters on my horses, but if I had to, one made of cotton rope would be my first choice.

Psalm 119:61
Though the wicked bind me with ropes, I will not forget your law.

Media: oil
Size: 5 in X 7 in (12.7 cm X 17.8 cm)

send me an email

Is That REALLY Your Calf?

SOLD to a California sitcom set designer
About This Painting:

It was a surprise to see this solid red heifer calf beside her almost all white Momma. Cow genetics, especially in Longhorns, are highly unpredictable - which is part of what makes them fun to raise.

I am a great admirer of the artist, Xiang Zhang. It would be highly presumptuous of me to even presume this painting looks like something he would do, but he truly does influence my work. His rich, imaginative use of color and fabulous brush strokes are worth studying - and I have. I guess we all have idols and he is one of mine. Perhaps "idol" is too strong a word - "mentor" is better!

1 Samuel 12:21
Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless.
Media: oil on canvas board
Size: 12 in X 9 in (30.5 cm X 22.9 cm)
Check with me for availability

send me an email