"Aspen Spires"

"Aspen Spires" 20x16 oil

I feel the Aspens are most glorious during the Autumn months, especially near and on the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff, AZ. Looking up to the peaks from Hart Prairie, two Aspen trees tower above everything else. I enjoyed creating vibrancy with complimentary colors in this piece: yellow and purple. I look forward every year to visiting the Aspens in October!

"Journey to West Fork"

18x24 oil

This painting was inspired from West Fork, one of my favorite places to hike. This particular location was unique to me for the calm waters on the right and the dramatic waterfall on the left. Also, the contrast of the red cliff versus the dark shadows of the trees helped create this dynamic scene. I am using a new technique for creating blacks without actually using black paint and I have found I am able to tie in my color pallette in these blacks easily and successfully. It is exciting!

"Juniper"

16x20 oil painting

This is the same juniper tree I recently created a pencil drawing of, but a different view. The roots intriqued me and seemed to be very imaginative. In this painting, I really applied the paint heavily to make the tree appear how it does in real life with it's alligator bark. It was a joy to create this painting because of the movement and strong tree trunk gave me a sense of majesty. Enjoy!

"West Fork Reflections"

"West Fork Reflections" 11x14 oil

This painting is a view from West Fork canyon wilderness. The red rocks tower above and lush vegetation grows along the creek. It's a place of solitude and wonder. This particular painting show a brightly lit background with softer hues in the shadows and reflections in the creek. I decided to leave some colors bright for more impact, and to try a new approach to color. West Fork is one of my favorite places to photograph and hike!

"Juniper"

"Juniper"

20x16 graphite & colored pencil

This juniper tree is located south of Prescott next to Wolf Creek. This tree is like a sentinel overlooking a rock precipice into the Forest below. I particularly like the way the roots have been exposed from flooding waters and yet the tree still survives and clings to the rocks. I created this scene using a photograph as reference. I am using colored pencils and a 3B-graphite pencil. I've tried it before, but not at this scale. Many hours were invested in this piece!

"Beaver Creek"

"Beaver Creek"

20x16 oil

Beaver Creek is located near Sedona and provides great hiking. This creek is like an oasis in the desert, where plant life abounds next to its clear running waters. I enjoy the looseness of this painting creating an impressionistic and mystical landscape.

"Inner Basin"

"Inner Basin" 36x24 oil painting

This painting represents the glorious Aspen trees in Flagstaff during fall colors in October 2007. My wife and I hiked from Lockett Meadow where the colors were not at there peak. However, once we arrived to the higher elevation of just above 10,000 feet, there were some groves of Aspens that were excited about fall and this painting portrays one of those groves. The sun is back lighting the leaves, shimmering the golden leaves. Also, in this painting, I resisted using black. The darks in this painting were obtained by mixing blues, browns, and reds to create a more colorful shadowing effect. Enjoy!

"West Fork Oak"

"West Fork Oak"
24x18 oil painting March 2008
This painting represents the Fall season at West Fork in Oak Creek Canyon, just north of Sedona, Arizona. My wife and I frequent this trail, especially in the Fall when the oak leaves are changing to red along with many other colors from a variety of deciduous trees. This particular image features a Ponderosa Pine tree with oak branches and leaves forming a halo. The bright Arizona sun is highlighting these leaves causing a sparkle effect. Look forward to more new paintings recently created but currently drying in my studio.