Lop Sided Tree

 

10" x 8" Oil on Panel

The tree really does look like this. 

There's a trail I walk from time to time that leads along the base of the mountains by town. At one point along the trail I can look up the mountainside and see this tree, my attention drawn by it's unusual shape. One day I finally decided to haul myself, and some painting gear, up the steep mountainside for a painting. The way was not only steep, but the ground was not very stable, making footing less secure. The tree was farther than I realized, so the climb took longer than I thought it would. Eventually I reached the juniper tree and the limestone cliff it was growing out of, and made this painting.

There was some wildlife I enjoyed seeing as I hiked up the mountainside and also along the way back down. Three vultures were winging about the area as I climbed, and later as I descended I crossed paths with some chukar partridges and a heard of mule deer. It's always a nice bonus when oil painting combines with nature watching!

Throwback Thursday Portrait

 

18" x 24" Charcoal on Gray Paper

I don't often do "Throwback Thursday" posts, but here goes one. This sketch is probably from the 1990's. This was drawn back when Doyle Shaw had a studio at the old Peteetneet building in Payson. Doyle had an open session once a week where he would find people to sit for three hours (with breaks, of course!), and everyone attending the session would chip in five bucks to help pay the model.

I can't remember the model's name, but I really enjoyed drawing her. I believe her parents had come from India. A week or two later, her husband also sat for us in a session. I seem to remember his nickname was Taj. Unfortunately, I no longer have the drawing I made of him. He had been born in India, but, when he was a little child, was stolen and sold into the adoption market. He was adopted by an American couple who believed he was an orphan. Years later, as an adult, he traveled back to India to find his birth family. It would not do justice to his amazing story for me to try and wrest from my faded memory the details of the adventure he told us about, but if I find out more, I'll post it here. In the mean time, I hope you enjoy the drawing!

For more about portrait sessions, go to "Labels" on the side bar and click on "portrait", "sketching" or "drawing".