Pomegranates with Blossom

Pomegranates with Blossom
11 x 14

I had done a previous painting with a single pomegranate in an 8" x 10" canvas but I was not too happy with it. Unfortunately Lori liked it a lot, so I was forced to do one that I could also like.
This does not photograph wonderfully, it is darker or more saturated than it appears here. [another way of saying my photo skills could be improved]
Pomegranates come in a wide variety of color varieties and with this commissioned work I had to stay with a selection not chosen by me.
I added the blossom and leaves for balance and the more uniform green umber background, which heightens the red/persimmon colors of the pomegranates.
I also had the left calyx, or flower end, done when I was ordered to change it and make it larger and darker so that had to be reworked.

Bald Eagle over Resurrection Bay

Bald Eagle over Resurrection Bay
16 x 20

Seeing an eagle is always special. It was also an uncommon experience until I visited Alaska. Near Anchorage, Seward and other areas with open water I found eagles as frequently as House Sparrows elsewhere.
If you don't get a thrill from seeing an eagle soaring over open water then you are missing something elegant and perfectly crafted.
My translation captures only a small portion of that power.
This canvas has a medium yellow ground coat [yellow ochre] under the eagle and the sky - it adds a bit of hidden warmth to the otherwise very cool blue.

Mt. Timpanogos

Mt. Timpanogos
18 x 24

Having spent so much of life near this beautiful mountain, it was an easy decision to want to paint it.
I chose a time one hundred years ago. I thought of a lot of other things to put into the painting [old equipment, etc.] but in the end I decided that I liked the cleaner look -that's why I chose to paint it in this more pristine condition, rather than after all the 'development'.
I just let the old fashioned haystacks and fence suggest the time depicted.
Winter also suggests the accumulated strength and purpose of life.

Van Cherry

Van Cherry
12" x 16"
acrylic on canvas

Van Cherries are large, glossy red cherries with a exceptional flavor and a shorter stem. The cherry is an interesting subject for painting - a basically one color fruit which is actually more complex when studied.
The other reason for painting this was that the 'Bing Cherry' painting was claimed and a second painting was needed.
I hope that our cherry trees will have a good crop for us and to share with the neighborhood birds.
Makes me want to eat some right now...

Phantom Ranch, Grand Canyon

Phantom Ranch, Grand Canyon
18 x 24
Phantom Ranch is at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and as such it enjoys a very unusual climate. Lots of heat and some protection. The iron in the rocks gives this deep red/rust coloration and the shrubbery and trees can seem unnaturally bright against the drabness of the more typical desert flora.

Half Dome from Cooks Meadow

Half Dome from Cooks Meadow
16 x 20
Of course the family has shared time here. This approach was inspired by a David Muench photograph that became a Sunset magazine cover a few years ago. He had found a location where he could photograph autumn leaves from beneath and still have Half Dome be the center of focus.
I may revisit this and try painting it as a springtime version
[Incidentally the sky in the upper right does not have vertical streaks, again a photographic anomaly]

Bald Eagle
12 x 16
This came about in an interesting fashion. I am considering painting a Maine landscape [where I hope to visit again this summer]. The scene needs something in the upper left, so I was considering putting a bird there. Looking for a suitable bird I found this eagle and decided to paint him alone rather than a small portion of a larger work.
For a basically black and white bird he has a surprisingly large amount of detail. Incidentally there is no pure black on this eagle

Afternoon Tea
12 x 16
This was planned as an 11 x 14 canvas - which I had on hand. When I drew the preliminary, it didn't fit well. So instead of reducing it, I picked up a slightly larger canvas.
When I photographed it, I noticed that the shadows were not quite right, so it had to be reworked.
As you may notice, I like painting lemons.

Summer Subjects

Three Cherries
11" x 14"

Putting three cherries together more than triples the problems. They look boring if all three cherries are the same. I liked the shadows on this

Heermann's Gull
11  x 14
Heermann's are a very striking West Coast gull. The adults have this greyish/black body, white head, black primaries and a wonderful combination of black legs and red bill. Yet most people only notice a dark gull, hardly separating them from the common Western Gulls on the beach

Canoe on Sand Dunes
11 x 14
This was a fun exercise. It has only two colors: a small amount of Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Umber along with Titanium White.

Still Life

Bing Cherry
8" x 10"

I enjoyed this because you can see a cherry in so much more detail when you study it. Natures colors and texture are very complex

Eureka Lemons
11" x 14"

This started out with a different setting but I didn't like the way it was appearing so I altered it after nearly completing the painting. I put a new bottom half on the painting and gave the lemons a light colored shelf to sit upon. The painting isn't heavily shadowed with this more or less front lighted subject.
 

Lisbon Lemons 2013
11" x 14"
After the fiasco with the Eureka Lemons I decided to try again with different lemons and a straight-forward grey/green background.

Pomegranate
8" x 10"
Not my personal favorite however some others like it.
I liked the strong persimmon color value.
It is supposed to be sitting on a countertop, however it looks as if it is about to roll off the board towards the left. I should have flattened one or the other angle on the board.