My latest commission is done! I really enjoyed the tackling the challenges of this piece from it's massive scale, to the minuscule details of the houses to the fluffy clouds. Castle Rock is truly a beautiful area and I feel honored to recreate it as a painting. I hope you enjoy these photos and be sure to check out the time-lapse video at the bottom!
Daily Figure Studies
Hi friends, so recently I was inspired by another artist to aim for painting a figure study everyday in order to push my skills and experiment with new techniques. And while I haven’t been able to create a new one everyday it’s been a great way to take a break from a long project and work on my rendering skills. Here are a few pics of my recent studies along with time-lapse videos showing their process!
New Terra Human Study
Here is a new Terra Human study titled "Impending Storm" this piece explores how our internal world affects our external environment. As the storm develops and creates conflict in his mind so too does the storm gain power above him.
This piece started just as a figure study but while I was working on it I felt excited to push it further and experiment with it. I really enjoyed creating the environment around this figure and pushing my technique to make sure he seemed incorporated in it.
This piece is available to purchase for $250 in my online shop! CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE!
"Seeking Balance" A New Terra Human Painting
Hi friends, my newest Terra Human piece has been finished! And I thought this would be a good opportunity to share some progress photos and talk about my process when creating this challenging painting!
When I initially laid out my shapes I accidentally over-estimated some things like the length of the figure and the height of the mountains. So I then needed to reshape these components while also starting to figure out my colors. The unfortunate part of my figure was that my reference photo was obviously not in this sunset environment so I had to adjust the colors and shadows of her skin to make it appear that she is actually being lit by this sunset.
A huge component of this piece was the figure’s face. Her head was tilted back and to the side so this created some very challenging perspective with her features. After several tries I was able to capture her features and move onto the lace in the dress. The intricate threads in this dress were challenging but worth the struggle. I used a very small brush with long bristles so that I could create long smooth strokes. After all of the controlled details it was nice to then add in some abstraction and expressive strokes to create some movement. Once I felt close to being done I took a break from the piece and ended up coming back to it to enhance some of the colors in the sky and trees.
After many hours of work this is our final result! This original painting is available to purchase in my online store for $850. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE!
"Old Mill" has been sold!
Hi friends, I'm happy to say that my original painting "Old Mill" has bee sold! I'm very proud of this piece and I'm happy to see it going to a new home 😀
Accepted to the Stanley Arts Festival!
Hi friends, I'm happy to announced that I've been accepted to the Stanley Arts Festival in Denver this coming September!
Last year I wasn't accepted to this great festival so it's really nice to feel an improvement!
I will be able to share more details closer to the event, but this should be a great festival! After all it’s produced by Cherry Creek Arts!
Works in Progress
Hello everyone, I just thought I would share two progress photos of some paintings I’m currently working on! The photo on the left is the face of a 18”x24” Terra Human painting that is almost done! The photo on the right is a shot of a smaller Terra Human study that I’ve enjoyed working on.
Both of these paintings should be done this week and I’m excited to share the final results!
Recent Art Sales!
Hello! I’m happy to say that two very new paintings in my Small Works Collection have been sold! “Luminous” and “Snow Covered Rockies” have found two new homes and I’ sure they will be greatly appreciated. I’m very proud of how these two paintings turned out and I feel very fortunate with how quickly they sold!
Veteran Artist!
🇺🇸Hi friends, I would love to share a brief story with you. In my short flight from Chicago to Virginia two days ago I sat next to a man who was a Vietnam veteran. This kind man saw me drawing in my sketchbook and asked if I was an artist. After answering yes, he told me he was one too! He said that he used writing and drawing to cope with his PTSD over the years and it was a sort of therapy for him. By writing and drawing about his experiences in Vietnam he has been able to honor those that were lost and continue his own healing process.
We talked the whole flight about both of our relationships with art and how it can help heal people who have traumas in their lives. Towards the end of the flight he said he loved meeting artists because there is something unique about them. They document history in a way and create something that outlives them. This man chose mostly to give his drawings to his family and close friends in hopes that he would be remembered through his art. He gave me permission to share a few of his drawings on social media because I felt this story was important to share.
This man told me that war strips you of your identity and humanity but art can help restore these key aspects of yourself. So please remember these selfless people who have sacrificed so much for our safety. We are forever grateful 🙏🏻
"Between Worlds" A New Terra Human Painting
Hello everyone! Here is my newest Terra Human painting titled “Between Worlds.” I’m very proud of what I’ve accomplished in this piece and I would like to share a little bit about the process with you! Overall visually with this piece I wanted to approach it like a classic portrait and then let my imagination have some fun with the surreal and abstract aspects of the painting. This process and visual composition is fairly different from my typical approach to figures because I usually show the whole person and they are typically in a dynamic pose within a large landscape scene. So I thought a change would be nice in order to try something new.
In terms of concept I wanted blur the line between humans and nature. I wanted trees and grass to be seamlessly growing on this figure as if it was a completely normal thing to see and understand. I wanted this very unrealistic dreamlike image to somehow make sense in the viewers mind so that the concept can come across effortlessly. A big theme in this piece is humility and a strong respect for the nature that surrounds us and I wanted this image to be a visual representation of that . You can read the full description of this piece by clicking HERE!
Terra Human Timelapse
Here is a quick time lapse showing the creation of a new Terra Human painting! This one is going to be slightly different that my previous pieces and it feels good to explore! 😬 View the final product soon on my website!
New Figure Study Available for $100!
✅This 9"x12" figure study is available for purchase for $100.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE!
I'm always trying to improve my observational skills as well as my rendering techniques in these studies and this study proved to be trick. The slight tilt in the head and slouched posture were my biggest challenges.
"Unspoken" A New Terra Human Painting
I’m very happy to have finished my newest Terra Human piece titled “Unspoken.” At the start of this painting I wanted it to be personal to me and to reflect a specific aspect of my childhood. This aspect being my shyness and how it evolved over time. When I was young and in school I never felt like I had much to say because I didn’t see the value of my input. But as I got older my shyness evolved into a willingness to listen and an awareness of the value of words and how just a few can have the most power when used properly.
Now lets jump into the process!
In the above row of process photos you can see how I started with a golden yellow background color which would serve as our sunlight. After that I started with a line drawing of the figure and his surroundings to make sure everything was in its right place. After that I blocked in large ares of color and value.
Once I had a sufficient amount of paint on the panel I could start creating more value in shadows and highlights. After these I could get into some finer details with smaller brushes as well as abstractions with the palette knife.
After many hours of persistent work here is our final product!
This piece is currently available to purchase for $900. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE!
"To Be Seen" Accepted to a National Show!
I’m happy to to report that my painting "To Be Seen" has been accepted to the 14th Annual Emerald Spring Painting National Exhibition in Oregon!
I'm honored to have a painting in this great show and if you are in the area I would highly encourage you to check it out!
The Judge's Critique & Artist's Awards Presentation are on Friday evening, May 3rd, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. at the Emerald Art Center, 500 Main St, Springfield, OR.
"Majestic Rockies" Has Been Sold!
I’m happy to say that “Majestic Rockies” has been sold!
I’m very pleased with how this study turned out and I’m so thrilled that if found a new home!
Sometimes when I start small studies for large paintings I can’t help but bring them to completion because of my excitement. This piece was a great practice painting for a great Terra human piece which you can view by clicking HERE!
"Rise and Fall" New Terra Human Painting!
I’m very happy to have finished my newest Terra Human piece called"Rise and Fall." This is a piece about facing challenges. We all have difficulties in our everyday life that can rob us of positivity and leave us with little hope for improvement. And at the end of each day our personal challenges can leave us exhausted and drained and yet we find the courage to wake up every morning to try again.
Every person on this planet has seemingly microscopic battles that they fight every day in order to live the life they love. We are all facing hardships in our own ways and knowing this can make us more accepting and understanding of others.
In terms of process this painting had a lot leading up to it. I create a photoshop rendering early on but I wanted to create a study for each aspect of the piece so that I could really do the image justice. I never used to be much of a fan of working on studies because I felt like it was just taking away time from the final product. But I’ve realized more and more how important these studies are to the final painting and how much you learn from them. The two images below are the two studies for this Terra Human painting.
Creating these two studies helped me notice small details in each image that I could apply to the final product. Studies are where you can make mistakes and learn from them in order to improve the final piece.
Below you can see the final product! Some obvious improvements from the studies are the more accurate and warmer colors, the perspective of the figure and better more 3D shapes in the cliff.
This piece is currently available to purchase for $700. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE!
Overall I’m incredibly proud of not only the final result but also the process behind this painting. I always want my paintings to portray a certain complexity that cannot be put into words .
"Jemez Springs" Throwback Thursday Sale
This weeks Throwback Thursday Sale features "Jemez Springs”
This 11"x14" piece is framed and ready to hang with a sale price of $130.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE!
I frequently reminisce about the creation of this piece because I was able to paint on sight surrounded by the stunning nature of New Mexico.
"Protected" Throwback Thursday Sale!
This weeks Throwback Thursday Sale features "Protected"
This 18"x24" piece is framed and ready to hang with a sale price of $375.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE!
I have always loved the concept of this piece. I wanted the figure to be protecting this small tree but who is protecting the figure? This person is physically vulnerable and yet emotionally strong.
Landscape Study Time lapse: Canadian Rockies
Here is a fun painting time lapse of the beautiful Canadian Rockies!
I’m super inspired by these dynamic cliffs at the moment and I’m planning some great Terra Human paintings!
I will post the final product soon!
"Old Brother" on Sale!
Here is my first throwback Thursday sale!
“Old Brother” is for sale for the reduced price of $200!
This price cut will only last through the weekend!
This piece is 24”x30” and has a coat of varnish.
Here is the original high quality image.
Here is a sample image in a living room.