"The House That Chirp Built"

A few days ago Tiny reminded me that I am supposed to be taking snapshots of my works in progress. The various stages of paintings are often quite different from the finished result. In my case, I often edit out a lot of imagery that is rather amusing. Such is the case with this painting. It looks rather bland in comparison to the previous stage, which I failed to record. The painting is definitely in a transition phase. The whole thing needs refining, and the wacky architecture is a bit too wacky. More figures will be added, such as the one in the attic. In short, more fun will be had! So it's back to the drawing board! "The House That Chirp Built" is a 38" x 44" oil on canvas, started in 2010.

"Ocher Rider"

In 2009 I worked on a series of western themed paintings, some of which related to Tiny Montany's Ghost Town Sound Project. There are many picturesque ghost towns throughout the state. Many are closed to the public and under private ownership. Some of the downtown areas of Montana municipalities, like others across the country, are in danger of becoming ghost towns due to the downturn in the economy. The rider series alludes to the horsemen riding out of the past, perhaps to the rescue of endangered communities. "Ocher Rider" is a work in progress, oil on canvas, 36" x 24" started in 2009.

"Guardian of the Falls"

Depending on the time of the year, the flow of water allowed through the series of falls affords different elements of each of the falls to become evident. So it is with Rainbow Falls. A fortuitous excursion with Tiny Montany and Ginger offered a rare glimpse of the guardian of the falls, beyond the rainbow, the froth and the thunder. "Guardian of the Falls" is an oil on canvas, 48" x 36," painted in 2004.

"Beyond Hole in the Wall"

The White Cliffs of the Upper Missouri Breaks are spectacular. In the off season it is possible to take day trips by motorboat, provided your guide has the proper permits. Otherwise, you must canoe in with your camping gear and haul everything out. It is scenic beauty which at times seems man made--architectural and sculptural forms abound. Some were pointed out, but others can be discovered on your own. You might see, as I did, sculpted busts. such as the one in the left foreground of this painting. Or, hiking up one of the many trails along the route, you might come upon seated figures carved out of the rocks by mother nature. "Beyond Hole in the Wall" is a large scale oil on canvas painted in 2005.

"First Stroke--One Hand"

In the 80s I did a series of watercolors about creativity in childhood. The "First Stroke" series deals with the imagination of children, how they think and how they develop their imagination through drawing and painting--hand/eye coordination, story telling skills, etc. I found it visually interesting to incorporate images from the child's imagination in the paintings. "First Stroke--One Hand" is a large scale watercolor on paper, 38" x 50," painted in 1985.

"Jamaican Children"

Here is the final version of the painting I started earlier. The pencil study was done in the 1980s, but I did not feel I could do it justice at that time. I wanted to capture the joyous enthusiasm of the children and a sense of the lyricism and rhythm of

island life. It brings to my mind some of my favorite music of Jamaica by Scotty and Eric Donaldson.

"Jamaican Children" is a 30" x 40" oil on canvas painted in 2010.

The Vision Mountain fire which took place in 1995 in the month of October devastated over 12,000 acres. This series of watercolors was completed in 2003 from photographs I took in the 1980s. My original large scale watercolor, which I will show at a later date, was completed in 1989, before the fire. I am not sure which of the landscapes depicted in my paintings remained unscathed. They remain fresh in my memory, and I hope to revisit the area to determine the nature of the damage and to see how far along the rehabilitation process has progressed. I treasure the walks taken here with family and friends. "Vision Mountain 4" is a watercolor on paper, 24" x 30" painted in 2003.