Pinnacle Peak

The desert expresses several moods to me, and I try to show different aspects of those moods in my paintings. Sometimes the mood is simply a straighforward one, with blue skies, bright sunshine, lots of space. Sometimes I focus more on the surreal and other times I prefer the dramatic, or even a theaterical, edge.

The image I've attached is a scene that I felt deserved a dramatic touch. This is Pinnacle Peak, Arizona, northeast of the Scottsdale/Phoenix area. The morning I was there, cloud shadows and spots of light covered the desert. I made the shadows more obvious. Although it's a little small and hard to see in this reproduction, the spot of light in the foreground illuminates a cactus wren, going about the business of finding tasty goodies to eat.

Unfortunately, also the last time I was there, the area was not as pristine as I painted it. The flatlands at the base of this mountain had become open to development, and one can no longer get a clear view of Pinnacle Peak from its south-facing side due to the houses that have been built there.

Hail to the Chief

I watched the presidential inauguration today. I enjoyed the pageantry and Obama's speech as well as some of the other events.

And wow!! What a lot of people in attendance! I wouldn't have been able to deal with the crowds, stand around on my feet for hours, and be in sub-freezing weather -- guess I've gotten too old and soft for all that. So I was one of many to watch it on TV. (I'm not sure which was worse -- the conditions I would have encountered in DC, or the incessant drivel I had to put up with from the TV commentators!)

I'm hopeful things will start to get better in this country and the world -- maybe sooner rather than later. Please join me in hoping!

Britney Spears

OK, I DON'T have any paintings of, or buzz about, Britney Spears, and I'm not a portrait painter, anyway.

If I did paint people, however, I think it'd be fun to paint her. I'm honestly not a big fan of her music -- maybe I'm too old or somethin' -- but I do consider her a really attractive female. I could see doing a Rembrandt-esque portrait with a dark brown background, her in dark clothing, and a pensive look on her face.

I would, of course, want to work from life as I worked on the painting, but I doubt that would ever happen -- I have absolutely no connections or clout with N-E-1 in the entertainment industry. And actually, I'm not into the celebrity worship that so many others are into. It would be fun to paint Britney, but that's about as far as it goes. Red carpet, sightings, Golden Globes, Grammies, Oscars et al -- BOR-ING!!!

So in the meantime, I guess I'll continue to paint landscapes, missions and the occasional fairy. Be sure and look for these on my Website: http://www.southwestspaces.com/.

(The picture of Britney comes from http://www.starpulse.com/).

Harris Hawk Once Again

"Master of the Skies" is a female Harris' hawk, sitting on a skeleton of a saguaro cactus while a passing cloud shades the predator, leaving her almost silhouetted against the sky.

If I were a mouse or a bunny, I might be horrified by this sight. But as a human bean (?!?), I admire the beauty of these raptors.

Side-Blotched Lizard

Cute little guy, huh? This one was about 6"/15cm long, nose to tip of tail.

These are quite common in the desert. They breed throughout the year and can lay up to six clutches of eggs a year, with 2-6 eggs in each clutch. It's good that they're so prolific -- the desert has lots of critters that like to eat them!

Side-blotched lizards are rather colorful, but one has to get fairly close to see the colors. It, of course, is up to the individual lizard if you will get close enough to study him/her. But when you can, these reptiles seem to exhibit all the colors of the Southwest -- which happen to be my favorite set of colors.

And now I have some of the best photos I've been able to get of this species. Expect a painted portrait of this little friend sometime in the future.

A Lazy Day

Good grief! I sure didn't get much done today -- too sleepy. I really need to start going to bed earlier!

I also need to get the latest painting photographed and posted. In the meantime, here is a detail from a larger painting I completed a few years ago. There's nothing like the desert in the spring! Good for a lazy day!

Ajo Spirits and Joshua Tree

These are the only two paintings I have ever had printed (other than on my Epson printer, assisted by my computer). Ajo Spirits (on the left) were photolithographs, the other (Joshua Tree, on the right) were made as Giclees ("zhee-CLAY"), which are just fancy inkjet printer reproductions.

There are two reasons why I've decided not to pursue additional printing at this time: (1) it's an expensive investment; (2) the repros never look as good as the originals, especially when they're side by side.

Why is that, you may be asking yourself? Well, it's because I normally paint with glazes, a technique developed by the Old Masters. Glazes are transparent layers that, when applied numerous times, give the painting a stained-glass look because light penetrates the layers, reflects off of the canvas or panel and back towards the viewer -- just as light penetrates stained glass and appears rich and deeply-colored.

At this time, there are no printers that can produce the look of glazes. In fact, paintings that reproduce the best are those that feature an opaque paint film (so the light doesn't penetrate), no three-dimensional brush strokes or texture, and a matt finish (a glossy finish enhances glazes). I have created paintings that meet those criteria, but frankly, I would rather become known for making classical-looking works in the tradition of the Old Masters, although the paintings will still have a contemporary twist to them.

Without intending to, I've become a "purist" when it comes to my work. No prints. Although my paintings do look fine when reproduced, they lack much of the intrinsic beauty that the originals have. It's possible I'll need to make some tough choices in the days ahead, but for now, I'll need to keep painting and excuse myself from the print market.