I have been working a little on my Moose-Grizzly painting the last few days. I had begun this as an Oil Painting but did not like where it was going so restarted with gouache and enlarged the size. Now a little happier with it. I'll get on it today.

I worked quite a bit yesterday on my Oil Painting, ABOVE KEPLAR CASCADES. It is finally beginning to look like something but I need to adjust darks and lights and just getting into detail on the grasses. I really fought the water trying to get transparency and yet shadows to all work together.

This year they gave us 90 minutes to do our quick-draw which seemd like a long time when one is used to doing them in 45 or 60 minutes. So I got to do a lot more detail than usual. It auctioned for $2200.00 so maybe that was worth it. I was certainly happy with it.
We spent the better portion of the day then running into old artist friends and meeting new ones at all the gallery shows going on. Also took in the Miniature Show and the Western Visions show at the Wildlife Art Museum. Both great shows.
By sunset we were on Pacific Creek which has been closed off to all tent and pop-up campers due to Grizzly activity. We hiked along the stream bed until running across a very large grizzly track in a sand bar. Vicki declared the day over. And it was after a hamburger at the Hatchet Restaurant on the way home.

Yesterday was the annual Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival which I am always one of the Quick-draw artists. Here I am working away at my watercolor with gouache painting, TETON COLORS.

Back from Oregon and traveling the back roads of Idaho where we shot a lot of research material for future paintings. Visiting with family and friends at and along the way we are now back in the studio and gallery and painting away. I have several paintings that I am working on and spent yesterday working on the water of my Firehole River, ABOVE KEPLAR CASCADES, an oil painting. I am finally feeling better with the water trying to get both transparancy and shadow work into it. I have blocked in the right hand side which will be mostly grasses with maybe a few small trees. Undecided at this point. Tomorrow is my big day painting in Jackson at the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival where I will be doing a quick-draw in the town park. Will post that later.

Delivered the Brooks Lake Creek painting to Brooks Lake Lodge this morning at sunrise. At 25 degrees this morning it is very frosty and fall like. Spent the morning with artist friend Les Lefevre by going on over Barbers Point back to the hiway. Definitely a road not for the faint of heart. Would hate to meet any one on that road or do it with any kind of mud on it. Came out here at Wind River Lake. A beautiful fish filled spot. On to Spread Creek looking for Grizzlies. Lots of sign everywhere but no sightings.
Tomorrow at 5:00 A M we are off to Oregon for a week for a family reunion so will be absent from posting for a while. God bless and back to painting then.

I have finished this Gouache watercolor painting.

BRENT CREEK ASPENS

8.5"x23.75"

I am pretty happy with the way it came out.

SOLD

I have spent the morning working on this Gouache watercolor painting that I started yesterday. Detailing out the Aspens and the vegetation at the bottom working generally from left to right. It is slowly coming along.

I have added more white and some blue to the water to enhance the transparency look to this. I think it is finished.

BATCHELOR CREEK 9"x12" Oil Painting

I was a shop keeper today as I was yesterday. 1 more day to go then I get a break. Will be off to Oregon[LaGrande for a family reunion]for a few days then....

I have several paintings I have posted that I have to get on to but was kind of excited about doing this from some photos I took the other day. Am ad-libbing a little with the addition of some yellow in the Aspens.[It is O K I have an artistic lisence]It will be another 10 days to 2 weeks befor that occurs. But there is some snow in the forcast for tonight. Anyway this is a gouache watercolor and image size is 11"x22". I love doing those long narrow formats.

BROOKS LAKE CREEK

11"x14" Oil Painting. The Pinnacles rising above Brooks Lake Creek are always an inspiring subject to paint.

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I have spent the last couple of days working on this oil Painting depicting a small mountain stream that runs off Windy Peak above Dubois, Wyoming feeding into Little Warm Springs Creek. It is a pleasant little stream falling quite steeply off the mountainside through a very narrow little canyon covered in evergreens and Aspen. I will let it dry a few days befor finishing the whites depicting the waters movement.

MOUNTAiN RIVULET

9:X12" Oil Painting on gessoed masonite.

Being as I seem to be in my stream painting period I began this Oil painting of the Firehole River above the Keplar Cascades. I have it nearly blocked in and have begun some detail work in the back.

I have spent the past three days working on this 12"x16" Oil Painting depicting a Brown Trout. They are just now beginning to go into their spawning season and are a really popular fish in the Upper Wind River country.

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BUFFALO VALLEY SUNSET is a 12"x20" Oil Painting of Mount Moran in the Grand Tetons of Wyoming

Two paintings I finished up including, MOUNT MORAN EVENING, 9"x12" Oil Painting
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I have gotten way behind on my blogs so I have spent today trying to do a little catch up and have posted my August Outdoor Adventure from several weeks ago. I hope you will take the time to check it out and see what I have been doing in the back country. This time in the Wiggins Fork and Bear Creek area.

I just had to post this photo of Ian Tyson and the stage set up along the river in the town park. What great music he writes and sings. Some may remember him from the old Folk music days of Ian and Sylvia. Four Strong Winds? He does the most wonderful cowboy and western music with a sound that is only his own. And of course Dubois song., The Old Double Diamond

Saturday night the town festivities continued with the Ian Tyson concert. My favorite singer and performer. Moneys from this concert went to the Needs of Dubois which is moneys for special needs for folks with illness or down on their luck. I was a recipeint of this with my cnacer a few years back and sure do believe in the endeavor and contribute wholeheartedly. Here is some of my family, Son in law, Clay Ward, master bronze finisher, Vicki's sister, Jenny sitting on the ground, Vicki's folks, Vicki and in the front row, grand daughter, Calli and my daughter, Janet. Tom Lucas, my pardners wife-Tammy Lucas.

My finished Gouache Watercolor painting of Brooks Lake.
Other events taking place were Indian dancers performing right behind us as well as a Chainsaw carving contest by some of the top artisans in the country and later a Pig wrestling contest. A number of vendors were also set up and the Bacon brothers performed for over a thousand people which is a great event for a town of less than that population. Proceeds go towards establishi8ng a ranch retreat for surviving families of service people lost in the Iraq and Afghan war. This year a number of those folks stayed at the Absaroka Guest Ranch NW of town and it is a time of healing and sharing for those families who have contributed their best to America. A worthy cause that is all ready reaping huge rewards and times of healing. God bless them all.

This has been a big weekend for Dubois with a huge fund raising endeavor for two causes going on. The Bacon brothers were in town to put on a concert in the town park for raising money for the Chance Phelps foundation which goes to families of soldiers lost in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Named after Chance who was the featured soldier in the movie last year of Taking Chance starring Kevin Bacon. Kevin and his brother make up the band. Michael Bacon was in the gallery and we had a nice visit with he and his wife. Part of the days events featured my pardner, Tom Lucas and myself who donated a Quick-draw painting done in the town Park saturday morning. The weather was perfect.

I have begun this Gouache Watercolor painting on a full sheet of Arches 300# watercolor paper. Looks like a study in green and I guess it is. I pretty well know what I want to do with some manipulations as I go so am detailing it out as I go.

I had previously posted this painting on my blog but am doing so again to announce that I won the Peoples Choice Award at the Pioneer Museum's Western and Wildlife Invitational this past weekend. it turned out to be a great show as I sold it and another major painting as well as 4 smaller ones. Several good commissions and was tops in the Quick-draw auction. I have slacked off a bit spending some time in Jackson Hole area chasing critters and the light around. today it is back to work as I am a shop keeper in the gallery

This is a pretty energetic painting that I have been thinking about for a while and contains an awful lot of elements that I am now trying to tie together and make a painting of. I have underpainted it in Acrylic just to get a base on then detailing it out in Oil. it will be pretty flat looking when detailed out and I will then have to pick out lights and darks to make it a painting. If everything goes to plan. Right now it is a botanical nightmare of mostly blue Lupine and some wild Geraniums. It is 24"x30 " Oil Painting on gessoed masonite[untempered]

I worked on my Grizzly-Moose oil today. Detailing in the Sow Grizzly and touch up on the Moose as well as brush on the bank, the water and a zillion rocks on the gravel bar.

EAST FORK MORNING
11"x14" Oil Painting

It was an interesting afternoon with a heavy Thunderstorm with a little hail mid afternoon and a 4.8 earthquake a little after 6:00 pm that I sure felt. A fantastic sunset in the evening topped it all off. From the hill above my house in Dubois, Wyoming

I worked pretty exclusively on my Columbines today and have pretty well finished them. I see a number of touchups but am really close to calling it finished.
COLUMBINES 14"x18" Oil Painting on Ray Mar canvas

I spent all day yesterday working out detail on my Colorado Columbines. Another day such as this and I should have it pretty well finished. 16"x20" Oil Painting

I started this Oil Painting of Wild Columbines 16"x20" yesterday. Pretty well have it blocked in. first with Acrylic and now beginning work in Oil. These flowers are currently blooming in the mountains and are real beauties.

I have begun detailing this painting of the Moose-Grizzly painting. I have wiped out the grizzly and moved them a little higher in the painting and changed a few things around. It is looking better now.

I think I am pretty well finished with this painting. It will go into the Pioneer Western Invitational in two weeks. FROSTED RANCH is 15"x30" Oil Painting

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Continuing to work on my Grizzly-Moose idea I have blocked more in.

The DAY OF THE COWBOY in Dubois, Wyoming is over and I'm afraid I have relenqished my crown. I knew I would not have a chance with this busted up foot not allowing me to wear Cowboy boots. I even lent my spurs out to my pardners wife who clanked up and down the town Boardwalks showing off her boots and cowgirl hat. I did the quick-draw in the town square but it was forgotten as an announcement of the days events and I was the loneliest man in Dubois as I had a construction worker from the new road construction over Togwotee Pass as my audience. A few folks strode by but didn't stay long as this fellow was puffing away on a cigarette and talking non-stop. It is just as well as I would like to take it back into the studio and do touch-up and make it a completed painting.

In the meantime across the street in the Gallery the girls did a bang up job on Gallery sales. It has been a great busy week.

Yesterday I began my idea of a Grizzly with two cubs walking up the river while a Cow Moose and calf are walking the same direction up a river channel. This painting is 12"x30" Oil on Canvas. I will finish blocking it in today and a little detail work as I go. Who knows how interesting this encounter might become.

Today is the National Day of the Cowboy in Dubois and the town is going all out so I will be putting on my boots and spurs. A parade is schedualed along with a shoot out on the square across from our gallery. At the same time I will be doing a quick-draw of my own there. I sure hope they don't shoot the paintbrush out of my hand. I won the "BEST DRESSED COWBOY" last year and will be defending my title again today. {see my posts from one year ago-if you can find it} I just hope it warms up as it is 38 degrees this morning with a wind blowing. Brr.

The last few days of this week I worked up this painting from some photos I had taken near the south entrance to Yellostone Natl Park-along the Snake River. It is 10"x18" Oil on Masonite. As I worked on it I had another vision of something that just might work and so yesterday began another using the same landscape but including wildlife. See next post.

I began my morning this morning having a cup of coffee with this big fellow. Actually I drove up a road south of town and found him sitting along a mountain pond about 6:30 am. He is a big one and made for a most enjoyable subject while I finished off that cup I took with me. Later in the day it clouded up and this and many roads in our area become a quagmire of mud with a steady rain all day. We sure needed it as it has not rained in nearly a month.

I had started this Gouache Watercolor painting 14"x18" during Museum Days as a painting demonstration but it needed a lot of work by the end of the day last saturday so today I spent a great deal of time working on it. I think it is nearing completion.

I have added horses to the ranch scene. They need to be detailed a bit yet then it is decision time as to what else needs to be included.

Last night Vicki and I spent the evening on the East Fork river looking for wildlife and searching out wild places. I have posted our adventure on my OUTDOOR ADVENTURE Blog and hope you will take the time to check it out.

I didn't get anyting done on my ranch painting today but friday I hit it pretty good. I still plan to put a few horses or some such into it and will be more work on the foreground but am liking what is going on it the back ground as well as in the middle areas.

Today was Museum Day in Dubois. An annual event that features many residents displaying, teaching, and showing off their skills in arts, crafts, Horsemanship. You name it it can be seen along with a Stew that is to die for as well as squaw Bread. I spend most of the morning doing a painting demonstration followed by a Quick-draw with my pardner, Tom Lucas from 1:00 to 2:00 pm. It is auctioned off as a silent auction. It is grand fun and looked forward to locals as well as tourists passing by. Here I have finished my painting and taking a breather.

I had posted this painting several months ago and I then entered it into the WRVAG Show held here in Dubois. This is one of the largest Art Guild run shows in the nation and this year had well over 400 entries nationwide. A number of our gallery artists enter and it is pretty cool to announce a number of them won awards in the show. I won top Landscape Award with RAMSHORN PEAK. 15"x30" Oil Painting on Canvas. [pictured above]The show reception that kicks off the 10 day show was this evening and it was nearly standing room only. Will be a lot easier to return later to really view the show. There is some outstanding art displayed there and sales this evening were pretty brisk.

four weeks ago I applied for membership in the OIL PAINTERS OF AMERICA and today received notification of acceptance. I am now an associate member and can apply for their shows. Notification was just in time as tomorrow is the deadline for entry submissions to the Westrn Regional show they put on. I just finished my entries so now the waiting begins. Again.

I started this painting yesterday and continued to work onit today. It is a ranch scene with a frosted look to it. FROSTED RANCH 15"x30" Oil Painting on linen canvas. I have a show coming up next month that kicks off the Wyoming state Fair and it will be one of the entries.

I had a great time this evening doing a quick-draw at Ring Lake Ranch for their sharing time. followed by a great dinner and an auction of the painting to end the evening with 50% of the proceeds going to benefit the ranch.

Sunday, July 11th Vicki and I left Dubois for a day out meeting fellow gallery artist, Devon Meyers and her two kids, Sheldon and Terra for a day along the Falls River that flows out from the SW corner of Yellowstone Natl Park. We had a wonderful day on the river visiting Cave Falls and Horsehoe Lake nearby.
Beginning with a rootbeer break in Ashton, Idaho and finishing off the day with a great Mexican food supper in Driggs. Catching the sun setting over the Tetons on the way back home was a perfect way to end a perfect day.

I have pretty well finished the water on this painting touching up a little of the grasses as well. On to other paintings.
FIREHOLE RIVER 18"x24" Oil Painting on gessoed masonite.
This is one of the most beautiful of rivers coursing its way from S W corner of Yellowstone on past Old Faithful and joining with the Gibbon River to form the Madison River. One of the major streams in Yellowstone National Park.

I spent the day in the gallery painting on this Oil started several weeks ago. A lot of grass work in between visiting with customers. Working on the detail and trying to get the darks and lights to work. The last hour I went into the water detailing it out. Will hit it again tomorrow I hope. FIREHOLE RIVER 18"x24" Oil Painting on Masonite.