Large Landscape Paintings

Cottonwood in Winter Light 30x40

I have painted this scene just a few miles from my house many times. It is in an area called Fletcher Flats, the snow and the light in winter are always a visual dance of the palpable and the ethereal

Cottonwood Reflections 24x36

The quiet harmonies of color and texture set this painting off. This is a calm area of water in the Arkansas River Valley and makes a great visual mood of serenity and meditation.

 

Arkansas River Valley Cottonwood 36x24

Beautiful Colorado cottonwood, they have so much character and individuality. Shaped by the weather extremes they tell a visual story of high country survival and life. Mountain life can be hard and a day to day struggle but living here is worth it for the beauty is unlimited as we can see in these expressive trees.

Almost Spring 20x30

This is a late winter early spring painting. The landscape is waking up from its winter slumber, Ice is melting and the willows are starting to grow new shoots. I like the contrast of warm light and cool shadows. Warm water and cool ice, the seasonal contrast of natures change.

Blue Skies Above Cottonwood Lake 20x30

Cottonwood Lake is due West of Buena Vista Colorado, this was done on a beautiful mid-summer day. The continental divide lays just to the west of the lake. This is typical of Colorado high country lakes, pristine and quiet. I have done many paintings of this area and will probably do many more due to the great variety of the area and the rich beauty it affords.




Homage To James Reynolds 18x24

This is a study of the James Reynolds painting, “Colorado Winter”.  James was one of my favorite artists.  He died in February 2010, at the age of 83.  I was fortunate to have met him and had the opportunity to have talked with him on three different occasions, at his one-man shows in Vail.  We always had lively discussions about art and the beauty of the west. 

His work continues to inspire and challenge me to be the best artist I can be.  We both shared a passion for art and the Rocky Mountains.  I would like to share with you my humble homage to him and to the beauty of nature.



Colorado Light 30x30

This is an area along the continental divide, on the eastern side, near Buena Vista.  It is a lovely valley called the Arkansas River Valley.  I have painted many landscapes here, where the winter days are crisp and usually clear.  This is one such day.  I love the patterns of scrub brush leading into the tree line and up to the blues and whites of the mountain.  In paintings like this, I feel the day.



High Country Late Summer 24x30

This painting focuses on the greens of summer that are shifting to the browns and reds of fall.  I love this transition as well as the season change.  The day still felt like summer but the color transition of the landscape reminded me of the cool nights and approaching fall.  This was painted in Tarryall State Park, one of my favorite spots in Colorado.



Platte River Shadows 30x36

This was a cold February morning on the Platte River just north of Ox Yolk.  Standing in the shadows, the light coming into the valley was a welcomed beacon, promising  a beautiful day on the way.  I love portraying the way the light plays on the river and bursts into the valley.  I enjoy the dichotomy of Colorado winters a wonderful mix of warm and cold.



Winter Solitude 24x36

I love the location of this summer house on the Platte River, between Deckers and Buffalo Creek.  The late winter snow is melting away, while the ice on the river tenaciously holds its snowy grip.  Warm light cascades in shadowy patterns, illuminating the summer cabin.
 


High in the Gore Range 30x40

High in the backbone of the Gore range, winter in Colorado is spectacular.  I love how the patterns in the foreground lead us into the cold air of the high country.  The distant warm light on the Gore Mountains beckons us into the scene.  This painting presents the area at it’s most pristine.




Late Fall Missouri Backwoods 20x24

Most of my family lives in northwestern Missouri, and I always visit during late fall.  This painting was done on my dad’s farm, not far from the spot my grandmother was born in a log cabin, which is now long gone.  I have walked in this area, and hunted in this area most of my life.  Every time I paint it, I sense my own history.



Fall on the Eagle River 30x30

What a great late fall day this was, you could see just a dusting of snow, on distinct ridges.  The Eagle River at its shallow point, was waiting for the winter snows to replenish it.  The color harmonies of red and green are very pleasing to my eye.  Enjoy the painting and watch the wonderful Colorado summer gracefully building into winter.



High Country Monsoons 20x24

Colorado High Country can be very dry in the summer, and the summer monsoons are a welcomed event.  This painting of the Arkansas River Valley from the Salida, CO area shows how the wild flowers pop and mountain streams fill-up.  I love painting during the monsoon season, the landscape becomes alive with verdant greens and blues.



Fall on the Front Range 20x30
This image was done on a great fall day near Larkspur CO. I love the sense of history I feel when viewing historical
buildings and ranches along the front range. There is a lot of growth in this area, and I want to capture the areas history
before it gives way to the twenty first century.



Warm Winter Light 24x36

This was painted about 5 miles from Deckers, CO, not far from my home and studio.  The mid-morning light was warm and a wonderful contrast to the snow.  The sunlight felt great on my back on this cool morning. 

Even thought this is a winter scene, it is warm and inviting.  I love the patterns of the trees and the warm reds and violets of the rocks and stream.  I portray allot of panoramic scenes in my work, however occasionally a wonderful little vignette demands to be painted, and this is such a painting. 

Snowy Road Near Morgan Bottoms 16x20

This is a cold winter scene between Steamboat Springs and Craig Colorado. Winter cottonwood stand in muted silence against the high plains snow of mid-winter.I love the harmonies of warm cool colors and the muted value range.

 
Winter Cottonwood in Fletcher Flats 16x20
This is an area about eight miles from my home and studio. I did this on three afternoon settings, I love the winter in Colorado the days are consistently sunny and usually quite mild. I enjoy painting the warm tans and browns of the trees and contrasting it with the cool blues of the sky and shadows.