'Awapa Sheep Camp' - Utah Highlands

-
I thought I would post a few photos of a painting that recently sold.. it took me a long time and many many revisions.  Mainly it took so long because I was not used to mixing so many greens .. a color I rarely used in my landscapes and actually avoided.  So I decided to face my fears and do a green painting.

This is an impression of one of the sheep camps you might find on the Awapa Plateau in central Utah.  It is a vast upland region close to Capitol Reef NP.. high meadows and scattered stands of trees.  The winds can be fierce.  You will not see any tourists up there.. maybe a modern day cowboy or a 4x4 adventurer.  Being above 8000'.. it's a great place in the summer when it's hot down below.. great camping.. and vey beautiful.




20x20       oil on canvas       SOLD



Here is a photo of just one of the very early stages of this painting:





And a later stage .. not as green as the finished piece:







Popular posts from this blog

'Chamisa' .. won TWO awards :)

-
Image
Just got back from camping near Escalante - Utah while participating in their Plein-air Competition for the week.  I wasn't having much luck painting rocky landscapes .. so I thought I would try my hand at the lush rabbitbrush lining the roads .. a subject that I had only attempted once before.  Tricky to get the weight of the flowers just right .. a fun challenge. To my surprise .. this small oil won two awards .. the Award of Merit [one step below Best of Show] .. and the Artist's Choice .. an award which I will certainly treasure.  It sold before I could take a better photo .. but this image gives you an idea of the painting in it's rustic frame. Right now I am re-supplying and packing up to head out to Moab .. another big Plein-air Competition .. hope I can find a decent camping spot during their busiest time of year .. will report back in a couple weeks. 8x10    oil on canvas panel    SOLD ..  and another photo .. ...
Read more

'Hite Overlook'

-
Image
First time painting on a cradled wood panel .. gessoed white .. then a layer of magenta acrylic.  I like the wood surface .. not as slick as I thought it might be. From an overlook along the highway  .. northern end of Lake Powell in Utah .. The focus of this piece is on the abstract patterns made by the rock formations that used to be covered by the lake.  Hite was a busy marina for houseboats and fisherman .. no more.  This scene is from when there was still some lake water .. but because of persistent droughts in the Southwest .. only the ancient Colorado River flows by now I might paint a pink glaze over the finished piece like this earlier version .. I like it :) 16x16   oil on wood panel natural maple frame Gallery 24 - Torrey Utah
Read more

'Reef Savanna'

-
Image
Drive down the Notom Road on the east side of Capitol Reef NP and you will come upon a wonderland of towering walls of colored earth .. sparsely dotted with Utah junipers and blue-green sage .. great area for an afternoon jaunt across high desert savannas.  20x20   oil on canvas    framed in carved gold wood      Sold Visit    Gallery 24 in Torrey  .. Capitol Reef area And a couple of early versions and a blurry closeup of the ancient tree ..
Read more