Ritorno :

Ritorno

16 June 2026

Acrylic on canvas

20 x 24 in (50.8 x 60.9 cm)

FOR SALE

This was another painting for the MANY HAPPY RETURNS theme in the local airport. You can read more about it in Dodecaluna. This one zooms in on Pikes Peak and brings in bolder strokes. It was fun to paint with the looser strokes and less detail. The sky took some extra work as I used a blue that doesn't cover very well, but I think that complimented the overall relaxed feel. The most part that took the most attention was the jet and the contrails. I think the addition of the aircraft ties in nicely to many happy returns.

I painted this rather quickly and only took a couple shots. It was a paint-over of Sabre Two.

I liked the original clouds, but they were a bit too spiney/wing-like.

This is the frame currently holding Ritorno. It was the same frame holding Sabre Two,

but the green is so much better with this painting. Remember, most frames can be removed.

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Dodecaluna : 2026-06

Dodecaluna

15 June 2026

Acrylic on canvas

20 x 16 in (50.8 x 40.6 cm)

FOR SALE

I love the sky and love the moon, but this added Pikes Peak as a contender to be displayed in the COS airport. The title is "MANY HAPPY RETURNS - A Birthday Exhibition for Colorado and America". I originally painted a jet landing but reread the description. It read, "Written by Catherine Lee Bates in 1893, America the Beautiful is a poem inspired by the American landscape, and the towering mountain we navigate east vs west by everyday here in Colorado Springs: Pikes Peak. The poem was later paired with the hymn Materna by Samuel A. Ward, becoming the song we know today, a celebration of America's Mountain, the spirit of unity, our rich and diverse history, and the beauty of this land. They wanted artists' interpretations of that. As the mountain helps people return home, we are also in the era of retuning to the moon. I thought a rather fitting combination. The title is a subtle nod to those who've stood on the moon...the twelve. It's for those that get the connection, but if you're reading this, you have a handy hint.

This is the frame currently holding Dodecaluna, made from Radiata or Monterey pine.

It has a light bevel and is lined with black.

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Cantando : 2026-06

Cantando

10 June 2026

Acrylic on hardboard

21 x 26.5 in (53.3 cm x 67.3 cm)

FOR SALE

I painted this for a call for art the original idea was to use Winogrona, but I didn't like it very much. Nor did I think it conveyed the idea of a chorus group very well. I was going to paint over Winogrona, but I had enough hardboard left over so I spared it - for now. I like how it turned out and think it's a better representation of the targeted organization. The only think I would change is the sun or cloud in the left corner. I might've stretched it further across the sky to make it more mysterious. "Cantando" is the present participle in Spanish for singing or the Italian musical term meaning "in a singing, songlike style". I thought the title worked well in both cases.

This is the frame currently holding Cantando. It's nice an simple and I think the

gold makes a nice compliment to the colors of the painting.

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Vaquera : 2026-06

Vaquera

04 June 2026

Acrylic on hardboard

46 x 32 inches (116.8 x 81.3 cm)

FOR SALE

There was an art project/call for art titled Stronger Together and I painted Vaquera as one of the entries. Cottonwood Center for the Arts (CCA) in partnership with the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region (COPPR) established the call to mark the 20th anniversary of COPPR (underwritten by Herman Tiemens). The project was designed to foster a deeper connection between local creative organizations and local creatives, to benefit our community at large. I'd say which organization this is for, but I'd rather not presume it'll be selected. I wanted to try pink for the clouds which I thought worked better than I imagined. It helped me be a little looser with the sky and foreground which I also thought worked well. The woman, or the vaquera (female cowboy or cowgirl) is corralling the clouds with her magnificent ribbon. Maybe to move them somewhere needed or to bring clearer skies...maybe both at the same time. 

On the left is a gif showing some along-the-way shots...about 3-4 days with painting. 

On the right is the frame currently holding Vaquera. I think it's a great match

but it's known people don't like my frames. It originally held Fifty Pound.

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Matron : 2026-05

Matron

30 May 2026

Acrylic on canvas

20 x 16 in (50.8 x 40.6 cm)

FOR SALE

This was the last painting I made for the call for art at Bosque (more at Beseech). I think buffaloes / bison are pretty cool animals. I also wanted to use another black canvas. A black background is tricky... you have to envision where the shadows/black will be and leave those areas alone. Of course, you can paint black over it, but it's a cooler effect if you can leave it raw. The same holds true for a white canvas - assuming you can well-plan any areas of highlights. I'm still working on doing anything well. When painting faces - whether human or animal - it is amazing how subtle changes can change everything. A bison herd is led by a matriarch, typically the oldest and most experienced female cow. That's a good word, but I thought matriarch might be a word I want to reserve (I do what I can to avoid repeating titles). Matron is a synonym for matriarch and is often used for women running a household.

This the frame currently holding Matron. Hand made from Radiata or Monterey pine.

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Beseech : 2026-05

Beseech

29 May 2026

Acrylic on canvas

16 x 20 in (40.6 x 50.8 cm)

FOR SALE

I wanted to make another set of clouds with a palette knife and there was a deadline approaching for an art call. This call was for the Bosque Art Classic at the Bosque Arts Center. I was invited last year so I wanted to submit again. This depicts someone with their horse but we're not sure what is happening. Is the horse tired or sick? Has it passed? Does the rider just need it to go a bit further? In any case, the companion is beseeching the horse to go on.

On the left is the canvas before I started - it was being used as a brush cleaner.

On the right is the frame currently holding Beseech, made from Radiata or Monterey pine.

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Mohnnacht

Mohnnacht

26 May 2026

Acrylic on canvas

16 x 20 in (40.6 x 50.8 cm)

FOR SALE

I wanted to use another black canvas and try flowers to make a good contrast. I think the poppies came from the proximity to Memorial Day. I thought the contrast turned out well. You'd be hard pressed to have this illumination of flowers with such a dark sky, but that adds to the fantasy. I entertained added other flowers but thought a poppy-only field worked pretty well. The title comes from Deutsch. Poppy is mohn and night is nacht. Sometimes I merge words (I think I like single word titles better) but in this case it was automatic. Poppy night is mohnnacht. German likes to combine words into bigger words.

This is the frame currently holding Mohnnacht. I made it from primed trim board with finger joints. I thought I'd try this wood for a frame I'd color. I'm not sure I'd do that again. The issue is sanding. If you sand it, you have a pretty significant white dust issue - it clings to everything. Initially, I used the color shown as another primer, but the color was a great match.

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Sonno : 2026-05

Sonno

25 May 2026

Acrylic on canvas

20 x 16 in (50.8 x 40.6 cm)

FOR SALE

I had recently seen one of those glorious skies where a cumulonimbus is peaking out above the lower, darker clouds and illuminated in amazing later-day light. I like how this turned out but the brightness you see with your eyes is hard to capture. Next time, I'll try making the surrounding sky and clouds darker. That might get me closer to that brilliance. The form is just a form but there's a hint that it could be someone taking a rest after a long day and/or long travel. In a sense, it compliments Long Ride and Long Mount. 

This is the frame currently holding Sonno. Hand-made from Radiata or Monterey pine.

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Nottetorre : 2026-05

Nottetorre

20 May 2026

Acrylic on canvas

20 x 16 in (50.8 x 40.6 cm)

FOR SALE

I bought some black canvases and wanted to use one sooner than later. I didn't really have a plan for this but I love clouds and I love the moon. I started with the clouds and thought I'd add a moon. The area below the clouds turned out better than I expected. You can't really tell what it is - which I like. Is it water, terra firma or a mixture of both? There are no stage pics as I painted in in a could of sessions.

This is the frame currently holding Nottetorre. I made it with some very nice, clean wood.

I can't decide if a black frame would be better. I think the lighter wood makes a better contrast.

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