High Country

This painting could be of many places that we have been in the high country of the Colorado rockies. This is Elk country. It is Dense forests made practically impenetrable by undergrowth and fallen timber. Rock outcroppings pepper the landscape with dead end sheer drops that insure a very circuitious or vertically rigorous route to get anywhere. In this country, it is easy to grossly underestimate the distances.

I did this painting yesterday afternoon as a class demonstration. This sketch is representitive of several of the painting techniques that I use consistantly in my paintings regardless of the subject matter. the piece is approximately 10"x14". I am offering this piece as a "Sunrise Painting". As such the price is $100.00 plus shipping and handling.

The Teacher, Oliva

I finished this painting this afternoon. I started in last Friday Afternoon as a demonstration for the Advanced Watercolor Class. The work was done to demonstrate value painting, how to lose edge into shadow and the simplification of shapes by combining shapes of similar value and my theory of painting design.
April and I met Oliva three years ago in Mbale town on the East side of Uganda. She is a joy. the photo for this painting was taken by me as we sat waiting out an intense thunderstorm in a small mud and wattle hut with a dirt floor North of Mbale town. It was very dark in the hut as there were no windows. This was the home of seven boys orphaned by aids that we had gone to visit.

Oliva works with an NGO called Womens Concern Ministry. They minister primarily to the orphans and widows of aids. They assist them in getting on thier feet by teaching them survival skills and providing them the most practical of material assistance. For instance they teach them to plant and to nurture thier own crops for food. They give them seeds for thier first crop and hoes to work the soil with. Women's Concern Ministry has been recognized by the UN for their work.

Class Demonstration

I did this sketch in an advanced watercolor class that I was teaching last week. It is a simple piece but effective I think. I did it on the spur of the moment actually in order to demonstrate the techniques I use in my paintings. It began as a single line drawn from left to right. Much of my theory of painting design and technique is contained in this little sketch. The trees were added at the very last when the class began to ask what it was. It is representitive of many places that I have been high in the Colorado rockies. Very fun. It is painted on a quarter sheet of St. Cuthberts Mill, 200#, CP.