Grateful Notices: Light Through the Green Woods oil, 40 x 40

 Light Through the Green Woods oil, 40 x 40
Private collection

This was a simple idea that turned out to be a very big endeavor. Compositionally, the idea is having the light coming through a forest. In the process, I lost track of all the changes I made to the painting. The colors were pulling me as the painting developed, originally as mostly yellow and mauve. Once I added the orange, they took over. Finally, the addition of greens calmed the scene, allowing the yellows to come through in a more discreet way. In the end, the aquas gave the oil a greater vibrancy.

It was quite an effort, much was learned and it slowly evolved over the course of about 8 months. What a puzzle to solve!

New Work: Corals Emerging, pastel on sanded paper, 22 3/4 x 17

Corals Emerging  pastel on sanded paper, 22 3/4 x 17

This is a demonstration pastel that I did during my last Making it Fine Art Workshop for the Pikes Peak Pastel Society, Colorado Springs, CO. View the pastel page

The plan was to make a good start and keep things loose - not go into a pictorial approach. While I was working it, I asked the group to call out colors to use. It worked out to be a nice combination of colors, patterns and interesting edges.

I'm considering doing an oil demo of this same image in this weeks Workshop at my home / studio this weekend.

Grateful Notices: View to the Foothills, Orange Glow

View to the Foothills, Orange Glow oil on canvas 30 x 58 inches

This is the recently finished commission for a delightful Denver couple.

The origin of this image is the view behind my home. It is a long meadow with the foothills in the background. 

It is always an honor to receive a commission and even better when the clients take an interest in the painting as it progresses It challenges me to do my best work.

This oil took on a number of changes along the way, but kept to the theme of high contrast trees against the glowing landscape.

I delivered to their beautiful home last Sunday and installed it over the fireplace.

Thank you!

Ken