The Colors of Autumn

The Colors of Autumn is my latest painting. It's obviously not a desert scene, the landscapes I always felt are my best paintings, but sometimes when it's fall, I want to do something that celebrates this wonderful season.

The size is 18" x 24" / 45.7cm x 61cm. I gave it a slightly blurry look to give the image a dreamy appearance. The inspiration came from an image I saw on deviantArt.com, and the composition follows a painting I made many years ago with elk instead of a deer.

Enjoy!!

The Colors of Autumn

Detail

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com

Autumn Splendor

It's no secret that my favorite season of the year is autumn, when trees seem to be huge flowers that bloom in radiant colors.

Autumn Splendor is the latest painting that shows my idea of what fall looks like (which it doesn't in the desert where I live!). Complete with some mallards, my favorite species of duckies.

The location is imaginary -- but it's a place I'd love to see. Enjoy!!

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com

Autumn Glory

Autumn Glory is my newest painting. This is one of the peaks in the Elk Range in Colorado -- near Aspen, and the same mountain range that includes the fabled Maroon Bells. I think this mountain is Pyramid Peak, although I'm not sure about that. The size is 11" x 14" / 28cm x 36cm. I may do a reshoot of the painting, since this one didn't come out that great.

I had considered adding some wildlife to the scene -- some mallard ducks or maybe some deer (I DID see a buck and doe together when I was there), but then I decided -- naaahhh. I didn't feel like it!

Enjoy!

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge or www.SouthwestSpaces.com

Thanksgiving Paintings

 It's almost Thanksgiving, and I actually managed to finish a couple of Thanksgiving paintings in time for the holiday. The still life was one I started many years ago and set aside to finish...someday! 😃 The other piece, complete with church and turkeys, is a totally recent artwork.

Thanksgiving       8" x 10" / 20cm x 25cm

The Blessings of Thanksgiving
14" x 11" / 35.6cm x 27.9cm

I hope you and yours have a lot to be thankful for and that you'll have a truly blessed Thanksgiving!!

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com

Halloween Art

 Halloween has come and gone -- too quickly, in my opinion.

Now my thoughts have turned to Thanksgiving, another point in the season that I need to prepare me for Christmas.

But first, here are some Halloween-themed paintings that I finished recently. (One CAN be a Halloween image, but it's really a nocturne that could be thought of as creepy and Halloween-ish). 😃

Hi, Bunny! Hi, Pumpkin       8"x10" / 20cm x 25cm

A Walk in the Moonlight       8"x10" / 20cm x 25cm

The Morning After               8"x10" / 20cm x 25cm

And finally, one painting that is just about autumn, Colorado style near Cripple Creek:

Untitled (so far)                 8"x10" / 20cm x 25cm

Finally, I started on some Thanksgiving paintings that I hope to post here soon.

Enjoy the season! It's moving through fast!

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com

Two Desert Paintings!

Two new desert paintings!

The first is one I made while my vision was foggy last month (from films that developed on the lens implants I received after my cataract surgery three years ago). I was able to tweak the painting a bit after I got the laser treatment to remove the films, but there were still things I just couldn't see while the world was blurry -- such as the brush marks and ridges of paint that took away from the smooth surfaces I prefer on my paintings. Oh, well. I guess I can live with it. Below are the images of the entire painting plus a detail showing the two bunnies:

In the Arizona Sun................... 24"/45.7cm x 61cm

Detail -- two desert cottontail bunnies!

Then, after my vision was cleared up, I started and finished a smaller painting showing the entrance to the Alabama Hills region at Lone Pine, CA. You've undoubtedly seen views of this magnificent area in movies -- Clint Eastwood's Joe Kidd and Kevin Bacon's Tremors come to mind -- with the east face of the mighty and rugged Sierra Nevada mountain range in the background and "rock piles" littering the desert floor. Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the lower 48 states, is the cluster of points to the right of center.

As one enters this special place, a lone cottonwood tree appears to the north of the road among one of the rock piles. We happened to see it in early November, and the golden yellow made it a star shining in a blue and brown vista! So this was what I painted:

Lone Cottonwood in Lone Pine....... 8"x10"/20cm x 25cm

So that's it for now!! More paintings are on the way -- thanks for reading this, and thank you for your support!

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge or www.SouthwestSpaces.com

Duck Pond

 Well, what th...

I finished a painting a couple of weeks ago, and I haven't written about it yet!! Until now!

Duck Pond (note the two duckies!) is a scene featuring Mount Sneffels in Colorado. It measures 18" x 24" / 45.7cm x 61cm. The mountains are close to what they actually look like; the foreground is a mix of reality and imagination.

The autumn colors tell us this must be mid-late September. The Colorado high country is spectacular at that time, and I miss seeing it.

Enjoy!!

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com

Shoulda Woulda Coulda!!!

Photo of Mt. Sneffels, Colorado, USA

Shoulda Woulda Coulda...

If I WOULDA known that Mt. Sneffels in Colorado was going to become my favorite mountain to paint, I WOULDA spent a lot more time there exploring, taking pictures, sketching, stuff like that. I SHOULDA done that so I COULDA made lots more painting of the place, probably without having to use my imagination as much to fill in the blanks!!

This is one of exactly TWO pictures I took of the rock (on 35mm slide film...this is a scan; the foreground is cropped out). It was mid-September in 1996 or '97 -- autumn colors were at their peak all around us, but not here. Another week or two, and there'd be a lot more zonking yellow. Telluride is on the other side of these mountains and over to the right a bit.

I'm working on a painting of this magical place now. I've never done a painting of the Sneffels Range that I've been really happy with. I hope THIS will be the one! 😊

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com

Halloween Time!!

Tomorrow night is Halloween!! While I don't go overboard with it, I do enjoy the season and reflect on the sights and experiences I had as a kid on Halloween.

Appropriately enough, I did manage to finish a couple of paintings with a Halloween theme. (If I ever complete the book I have in mind filled with end-of-the-year visions, these two will be in it!)

Ghosts     14" x 11" / 36cm x 28cm

The Morning After        8" x 10" / 20cm x 25cm

I enjoy painting seasonal images like this when the season is going on, but it's hard to get as much done as I'd like in the time that I have. I need to work on seasonal paintings when it's not the season!

So I hope you have/had a fun Halloween and then you began to reflect on the next holiday -- Thanksgiving!

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com

Fall in the Desert

Fall in the desert?? C'mon -- Joshua trees and saguaro cactus don't offer much in the way of autumn colors!!

But fall colors do happen in desert areas -- one just has to know where to look!

Like -- near places where there's water, or where water may collect under the surface for a while. There you may find cottonwood trees and other smaller shrubs that change in the fall or early winter months.

For example, in early-mid November, cottonwoods in the Owns Valley of California change to a bright golden yellow. No other colors, unfortunately, but they can sure add a whole new look to a desert that may otherwise appear rather drab.

Mt. Whitney                                   8" x 10" / 20cm x 25cm

For example, this is my latest painting of such an area. It shows the eastern face of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, a bit of the Alabama Hills which are just off to the right, and what I believe is a park in Lone Pine, CA. Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental United States, is the distant jagged mountain glowing white with snow.

I hope to paint more scenes from this special place sometime soon!

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com

Autumn Equinox -- at Last!!

Autumnal equinox finally arrived today (although the day's almost over as I write this). Autumn is when my world turns into a fantasy land -- fall colors, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. (Once Christmas ends, the magic seems to end, too, and the time that follows is kind of a downer).

I thought I'd celebrate the beginning of this special time by posting images of some autumn paintings by artists I greatly admire.

View of La Crescenza                             Claude Lorraine
Looks like the beginnings of fall in Rome

Nutting                                                    Thomas Moran

Autumn on the Wissahickon                     Thomas Moran

Autumn                                                     Thomas Moran

The Autumnal Woods                  Thomas Moran

Autumn                                                Frederick Edwin Church

Autumn Woods                                                  Albert Bierstadt

Cresheim Glen, Wissahickon, Autumn                      Thomas Moran

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com
 

The Beauty of Autumn Colors

Sometimes I think I must be part duck. When autumn hits, I get this excitement that I can't explain. If I were a duck, maybe I'd want to migrate! (But I don't feel like going anywhere). 😀

But autumn is the start of an entire holiday season, each with its own look and feel. Autumn itself is kind of a holiday to me -- cooler temperatures (except here in the desert!) and the harmonious color combination of reds, oranges and yellows -- again, not as much in the desert.

Autumn never used to be a big deal to me until I discovered duck prints -- images of different species of ducks (with mallards being my favorites) set against fall landscapes and marshes, typically as hunters might like to see them.

I'm not a hunter, but I happen to love mallard ducks -- alive, not to eat!

So I painted a Colorado autumn scene with a small group of mallard ducks swimming peacefully in a pond. Somewhat imaginary, but it wouldn't be unheard of to stumble across a scene like this:

Aspen Pond            10" x 08" / 25cm x 20cm

I also finished a painting of a rufous hummingbird. I don't associate them with fall, but ya gotta admit: they ARE fall-colored!

 

Rufous Hummingbird          08" x 10" / 20cm x 25cm

I already have someone who is interested in this piece; Aspen Pond may appear on my website, or I may just keep it. I have to decide.

My website URLs, by the way, are www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com.

Enjoy the colors of the season!

Mark Junge

 

The Colorado High Country in the Fall

August was a month devoted to moving. I HATE moving -- but in the long run, it will be worthwhile.

I haven't been able to paint for over a month. So for now, here is a painting that reminds me of how beautiful the Colorado mountains can be in autumn. (This is a piece from 2005 -- an oldie but not a moldie!)

Elk Meadow               36" x 48" / 91cm x 122cm

I expect the Colorado high country will be looking like this very soon -- any time within the next couple of weeks. Wish I could be there to see it.

Mark Junge
www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com
www.FineArtAmerica.com (for prints)

Maroon Bells -- An Oldie but Goodie Painting

Maroon Bells (my first of several paintings I've made featuring this famous mountain in Colorado) is something I started in the late 1990s and reworked several times since then. The date on it is 2004, which was the year of my last update. And now, I've developed so much more as an artist that it's tempting to tweak it some more. We'll see if I do that or not.

Maroon Bells

The size is 30" x 40" / 76cm x 102cm and was an early exercise in using the transparent glazing techniques I learned while living in Colorado. I had yet to learn some of the finer points of working in a classical - traditional style such as the Golden Mean and other stuff.

Most images of these wonderful mountains feature a lake in the foreground. As it was, I had to hike to this spot from the entry gate where I parked, and the lake is another two miles (3.2km) toward the mountains from this spot. I had already walked 6 miles / 9.7km from the gate -- 6 miles is where the Bells first come into view -- and I was pretty tired by then, especially after carrying my camera bag and tripod the whole time. And it was mostly clear when I started out, but then began clouding up -- typical for Colorado weather! So this is as far as I went, and after walking back to my truck -- 12 miles / 19.3km round trip, I felt miserable and called in sick to work the next day!

I did see deer during the hike, but they weren't where I showed them in the painting. OK -- so I cheated! ☺

Thankfully, I have photos of Maroon Bells and the lake from a previous year in June when the road was open and I could drive to the parking lot where the lake is. In autumn, so many people want to go there, they close the road to all vehicles except for tour buses that haul people back and forth from nearby Aspen. I didn't have time to find out where in town the buses stopped, hence the hike.

SO -- if you ever get a chance to go up there, I highly recommend it. Late September - early October are the peak times for fall color, which doesn't last long. Find out in advance how and where to catch the buses, unless you REALLY like walking!

Mark Junge
www.SouthwestSpaces.com or www.MarkJunge.com
www.FineArtAmerica (for prints)

Autumn in the Mojave

Autumn in the Mojave is my latest painting (although lately it has felt more like winter in the Mojave!)

Autumn in the Mojave           11" x 14" / 28cm x 36cm

The scene is based on a view in Joshua Tree National Park in southern California, USA. It's rare to see the desert like this even when it rains, but it certainly does happen. The landscape is brightened by autumn-blooming wildflowers -- the larger rabbitbrush and the smaller desert marigold in the immediate foreground.

The desert is an amazing place with many different moods, visible to those who spend lots of time here and are fortunate enough to catch the land during its fleeting moments of magic and mystery.

Mark Junge
www.SouthwestSpaces.com
www.MarkJunge.com
www.FineArtAmerica.com (for prints)

Desert Snow

One normally does not put "desert" and "snow" in the same sentence. Deserts are thought of as hot, dry places...snow is the last thing you'd expect to find out there.

But it does happen -- in the true deserts, and in places that are not deserts but that look desert-y.

The Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs, CO is a place that looks desert-y. And it typically snows there in greater or lesser amounts.

I posted on Facebook the following image of a painting I did years ago showing the Garden of the Gods in the snow:

A Snowy Thanksgiving                             22" x 28"

(I should mention the image was scanned from a 35mm slide. Sorry about the huge copyright symbol!)

Meanwhile, an artist friend from Oregon -- one of the artists I met years ago at an art show -- is now teaching painting classes in Wickenburg, AZ. He has included gallery space, mostly for his own artwork, but then he saw A Snowy Thanksgiving. He loves it and asked me to exhibit it, along with 5-6 others (all with snow) in his gallery. The gallery would have just his and my art.

I have seen other red rock areas with snow (i.e., Bryce Canyon National Park) in addition to Garden of the Gods. And the Mojave desert sometimes gets snow, and -- more rarely -- even the Sonoran desert of southern Arizona gets snow on occasion (which disappears quickly afterwards).

So -- we'll see what I come up with in the months ahead. The gallery opens in October, and the grand opening is in November. I'll let you know exactly where and when things will be happening.

I'll continue to be in touch, and thank you for your support!

Mark Junge
www.SouthwestSpaces.com
www.MarkJunge.com
www.FineArtAmerica (for prints) 

Autumn Nymph

Autumn Nymph is finally finished!

Autumn Nymph     20" x 16" / 51cm x 41cm

I mentioned this painting on my previous post -- a gal taking in the beautiful fall colors of a maple forest (maybe even producing the colors!) with leafy garlands on her head and in her hands. I was going to title it "Goddess of Autumn" or "Queen of Autumn," but I really didn't attire her in a godly or royal outfit. Plus, she has a playful expression that one sees all the time on nymphs. 😀😀😀

And one item of blue, which turned out to be an indigo bunting. I originally thought of painting-in a blue morpho butterfly -- those neat flutterbies with the iridescent / metallic blue wings. However, their wings are brown on the undersides, and looking up at one would display more brown than blue. So I went with the bird instead.

Frankly, I've got a long ways to go when it comes to painting portraits or the figure in the classical-realism style I'm addicted to. I received some help with the face from friend and master painter Virgil Elliott. I've learned that doing this in my fast-drying acrylic adds significantly to the challenge. If I decide to pursue this subject matter, I may have to use oil paint for portraits. Or learn how to get around the problem of having little time to blend colors smoothly.

The woman was a former co-worker of The Wiffee's back in the 1980s. I took a series of photos of her -- she even had some ballet skills to help her look graceful and even more awesome than she was! (I shot black and white film -- I have no idea now why I did that instead of color!) She's a bit on the plump side, but "curviness" happens to be attractive, and even a turn-on, to me. I know lots of other males agree with me.

The painting sort of looks like the real person, but not entirely. Virgil suggested I spend a lot more time just drawing and improving my skills. I'd have to agree with him.

I don't know if I'll try to sell this, but I'm thinking -- this one may be just for ME! It was a great learning experience, but I need to get better at rendering the face and figure.

Like they say: Back to the drawing board!


This piece will appear on my yet-to-be-launched website, www.SurrealMark.com. In the meantime, my landscapes still appear on my existing site(s):

www.SouthwestSpaces.com
www.MarkJunge.com
 

Still Working!

Phew! I can't tell you how glad I am that the elections are OVER!! The complaining and "the world's gonna end" stuff have started, and I think I'll take a break from Facebook for awhile until that dies down, too.

Meanwhile, I HAVE been working on a painting, although progress has been slow. It'll include a figure of a young woman, much closer than I normally paint figures (when I actually DO paint them). Being into the traditional / classical realist look, I want the gal to have that look to her. Frankly, I'm pretty inexperienced at painting or drawing portraits or the figure.

This is her face which, after consultations with a classical painter and friend, Virgil Elliott (at www.virgilelliott.com), we decided she's lookin' pretty good at this point. (Sorry about the glare on her hair at the upper right area).

She's going to be a "spirit" of fall, but I haven't decided if she'll be a goddess, queen, princess or nymph of autumn. I'm leaning toward the last one, since I didn't dress her in royally-elegant clothing.

So now I'm adding lots of fall maple leaves, a garland of leaves on her head, and she'll be holding a garland in her hands. The "nymph" is looking up at a yet-to-be-painted item in blue -- possibly an indigo bunting or those amazing metallic / iridescent Morpho butterflies. It will be the only blue in the painting, which will be predominately reddish-orange.

I think it'll be a neat piece when it's done, but I'm taking my time on it. It's gotta be done right!

When it's finished it will appear on a website I haven't created yet: www.SurrealMark.com. In the meantime, my landscapes appear on my "main" website at either of these URLs:

    www.SouthwestSpaces.com
    www.MarkJunge.com

 

An EASTERN Landscape?!?-

An eastern landscape?!? I thought Mark Junge was a painter of western and desert landscapes!!

Well, I love autumn colors, and although the West has its share, the East coast has all of the ochers, rusts, oranges and reds that make fall so much of what it is.

In the Catskills               11" x 14 '/ 28cm x 36cm              acrylic/panel

This is a scene we happened upon on a trip we made to upstate New York. The view, while less colorful than many other sites we visited, had the neat little barn or storage shed, a few other small buildings and a small silo. I don't know if this area was used to grow hay or if it was pasture land (there was a barbed-wire fence around the lot, which I didn't paint in). Also, the fence was mostly hidden by a "hedge" of small shrubs; again, I painted only a few in the foreground.

When it's actually fall, that's when I feel the most like painting autumn scenes. Seems like once we pass Christmas, all thoughts of painting fall or Christmas/winter artworks melts with the snow. (Actually, BEFORE the snow melts).

So for now, I'm indulging myself with autumn paintings. Maybe I can finish another one or two before the holidays are over.

http://www.SouthwestSpaces.com
http://www.MarkJunge.com

 

Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak                                                           18" x 24"

Pikes Peak is a painting I made back in 2006. I always liked the piece, but I felt it needed just a little more...perhaps a little tweaking.

So I tweaked it, and I (personally) think it looks better now.

Pikes Peak is the mountain west of Colorado Springs, CO. This view shows the mountain in early September after a storm covered the hill with snow. It's early morning, and this is how it appears if you visit the Garden of the Gods Club, named after the Garden of the Gods -- a series of red sandstone rocks and spires in the middle distance. Pikes Peak is one of Colorado's "14ers" -- the elevation at the top is at or over 14,000 feet above sea level.

Colorado has some spectacular scenery, and this area is certainly no exception