In this painting update more detail has been added to the background trees and the grasses. The elk haven't been touched since they were initially painted in except for blocking out some of the branches in the closest one's body. This is where the process of painting takes some time. I am now working on easing the dramatic pointed shape of the foreground shadow.
Several times each year, I get commissioned to create a painting. Sometimes it is of a family pet, or a special scene of someone's children, but most of the time it's a painting of a favorite hunting spot with ducks coming in. Inspired by an earlier painting I did called The Next Five, this painting is exactly that and is a surprise gift for a surprise 40th birthday party. The painting features a flock of pintail coming into an Oklahoma wetland at daybreak. The focus of the painting was capturing the essence of the Oklahoma landscape. Early morning clouds offset the open skies where a flock of pintail have locked up their wings to sail in. The last of the Fall foliage clings to the trees as the marsh gets ready to surrender to winter.
The second elk has been added as has some detail in the background grasses. There is going to be a lot of foreground detail and this painting is going to be a lot of work to get what I am foreseeing. I like the way the tension is developing between the two bull elk though. I may submit this image to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for consideration to create a print to benefit wildlife conservation. They see many paintings from many artists, but it is always worth trying.
This painting has just been started and my goal is to post continued progress as it happens, giving you a glimpse into the process. The first steps were to lay in the basic placement of the meadow and the future shadows that will be in the grasses. I then blocked in the background trees. All of this has been done with a #10 round and a #12 flat. The first bull elk was laid in with a #2 round. There is going to be another bull coming in from the uppr left hand corner, which is what the front bull will be looking at.
American Miniatures at Settler's West Galleries is fast approaching and here is one of my paintings that is going to be included in this year's show. It's called Pancake Pear and Gambel's and measures 10"x8". I am madly working on my second painting which is a desert landscape and I will post it when it is finished. The show is February 14th at the gallery in Tucson, AZ. This year I will be in attendance and am looking forward to seeing this spectacular event in person.
Ducks Unlimited has published an article in their January/February issue about my art and the International Artist of the Year honor. If you would like to read it, you can click here.
About a week and a half ago I stopped by the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge on my way back from the Peppertree Art Show (which was an amazing end to one of the best shows in the country). Many species were numerous on the refuge including white-fronted geese and snow geese. This group of geese was one of many to come into the refuge while we were there. At times, tens of thousands would get up and swirl around like a massive tornado then set back down. 
