Birch Tree Sketch

A lot of artists get the compliment a lot of how talented they are.  Most artists don't really don't like this as it ignores the hard work and practice each artist works with and struggles with daily.  I think this is part of the purpose of this blog, along with the fact life is short and you should do stuff while you still can.  I always wanted to be a better artist and this blog is a documentation of the journey.

This is a practice sketch of Birch trees as I work on improving my eye and drawing skills.

Oak Tree Sketch study

I worked on this Oak tree sketch with pencil.  It is not an original design but it is part of the practice I am working on to improve my skills.

The River Valley in January

This is a small snow study, not an original design but it definitely reminded me of time I spent in Upstate New York freezing my tail off and it reminded me of my high school time in Colorado also freezing my tail off.  This is the block-i and it will need improvement on the details of the ice, the river, and the icy butte on the right.

Paratroopers Twilight Jump

 I added the Paratroopers and their parachutes.  They have their rucksacks hanging from the lowering lines as they are ready to execute their Parachute landings.  I use to do this and I had my night jumps and twilight jumps.

Get Well Card Giraffe

My co-worker had her ankle operated on so this is her Get Well Card, a giraffe with a cast.  This is a pencil sketch on a blank card.

New Tree sketch practice - the Pines

I found a new source of practice sketches for my tree work.  I like the use of white areas mixed with the dars so it makes for a better sketch.

Alaska Fjord Waterfall painting the plan and the block-in

This is another painting from my Alaska trip.  I have included the planning sketch and the initial block-in of the oil painting.  This is a little bit of a switch for me as the background is so dark and the foreground trees are lighter, so I will have to work this one a lot to get it where I want it to be.