Grand Prismatic Spring

14" x 11" Oil on Linen.

For Sale at DailyPaintworks (click here to bid.)

Grand Prismatic Sprint is amazing when you see those National Geographic aerial shots, but in person it is even more stunning. The colors are an amazing rainbow made by different bacteria living at the various temperatures out from the center of the spring. My most memorable view was this one from the hill to the south east (as I remember) that has an unofficial trail. Along the top of this painting you see the grey boardwalk that gives visitors a closer look at the spring.

I am considering whether this or some other composition would make a good larger painting.

Cold Morning Sun at the River

14" x 11" Oil on Linen.

For Sale at DailyPaintworks (click here).

This is a cold look into the blazing sun at the Wenatchee River in Leavenworth, Washington.

Swan Reflection

10" x 10" Oil on gallery wrap canvas.
On auction at DPW.

This swan has been in my photo reference for a while. It has nice wild reflections and is romantically from near Chillon Castle in Switzerland, I believe. The swans I recently painted reminded me of this one, along with looking for a good reflection to paint.

I hope to be posting more regularly now that the holidays are over and I seem to be on the mend from a very persistent bug.

Dawn Treader At Dawn - Finished?

24" x 18" Oil on panel.

Coming back from vacation, I worked on the painting that was still on my easel. I changed some values all over the painting. I mainly lightened up the water and worked on the reflection of the sun back in the rippled water. I also worked some details in the boat, but stopped before I got too far past a suggestion. I think this is probably done. It has a nice punch with such a rainbow of colors. I left the last few strokes at the bottom of the sun reflection alone, since they captured how I remember Impression Sunrise. (It's interesting that my memory of the painting makes it more vivid; an interesting little "exhibit" on the painting is here.)

Billster and Julia the Child

Whoa, a few weeks ago, Margo posted this beautiful family pic to Facebook and I thought it would be fun to paint. It took a while, but here's my take. The photograph still might be better, but I'm calling this version done as it has been on my easel for quite a while.

I took some in-progress shots along the way.


My first session was just establishing some water color and beach color. Then I moved on to the figures.


I finished sketching in the figures and boat without trying to be too tight and detailed for this size painting.


I finished up with darkening the distance after trying it lighter. I think the difference in light reflecting on the water is greater than the atmospheric lightening that I usually think of in landscape painting. The darker water also helped the boat and figures pop out more.


20" x 16" Oil on pumice panel.

Skykomish River below Eagle Falls

(Click for a larger view.)
24" x 18" Oil on panel.

$300 - Shipping extra.

I really enjoy the RED of the bushes in Sky valley during the winter. I believe these are the same Scotch Brush that provide wonderful yellow color in spring. The section of river in this painting still holds some of the amazing green to teal color of the water from our mountain streams. This calmer part of the river is just below the tumult of Eagle Falls. You can see the rocky wall on the left here where the river is widening out.

Dragon Boat Study

(Click for a larger view.)
6" x 12" Oil on mounted canvas.
In the collection of Marilyn Drew.

This is a study for a possible larger painting of a Dragon Boat. It's from a photo of a practice session with Cat Dailey's team. They are preparing for the World Championship if I understand it correctly.