Two more Arkansas "sky" photos

I'm still working on my studio (almost done, really) but wanted to share two afternoon "skies" with you.



They look like fires but they're clouds.
















Clouds DO have silver linings! :-)

And how about that sunbeam? I couldn't have made this up!

Spectacular sunset in NW Arkansas

Here are a couple of photos of the western sky after a storm had gone through our part of NW Arkansas. I had intended to make paintings, but I was too busy looking and making photos! The colors are really close to what the sky looked like. No manipulation with software.

Summer Vegetables - Wk 37-38 DSFDF Challenge

Summer Vegetables 8x10 Oil on Masonite

This is my submission to Karin Jurick's Different Strokes From Different Folks (DSFDF) challenge for week 37-38. Every other week or so Karin posts a photograph on the DSFDF blog and artists from around the world submit their work to be posted.

This is the only painting I've done for about a week. I've been working on my backyard studio - putting joint compound on the newly installed sheetrock. I hope that I can begin painting the walls (and ceiling) this weekend then begin moving my art "stuff" into THE STUDIO from a 3rd bedroom in our house.

The Studio - it's almost finished!

My back yard studio is almost finished! Yesterday the sheetrock was installed. Today I began taping the joints getting ready to apply the joint compund. Then we paint and move my art "stuff" from the third bedroom in our house into THE STUDIO!!!!!

Melissa and I started building the studio just about a year ago then I had to quit because I had to have an operation. By the time I had recovered and Melissa & the doctors would let me do stuff it was getting too bad to work on the studio and it became sort of a wood-working, storage and etc. place. I make many of the frames for my paintings as well as make my own Masonite panels from scratch. Every once in a while I'll make stretchers and stretch some canvas. I don't particularly like painting on canvas but making them is fun.

Here is one photo of the exterior and four photos of the interior - albeit a mess with ladders and tools and construction stuff. Melissa & I and built this thing completely by our selves. I had help from a neighbor with erecting the walls and the roof - I couldn't (wouldn't?) carry bundles of roof shingles up a ladder! I hired out the electrical, the siding and putting up the sheetrock.

Looking NE the door opens up onto an 4'x8' "proch"
















Looking N.E. again - showing the little storage loft. The ceiling of the studio is 13 feet.
















Looking N.W. The windows on the right face North.

This is where I'll put my painting stuff - easel, storage and etc. The dogs (two boy boxers and a girl miniature schnauzer) will hang out here with me if they aren't hanging out with Melissa.











Two antique stained glass windows on the south wall. Melissa bought them for me on eBay. We'll build some storage cabinets down low and display some artwork (gourds as well as paintings) above.















THE STUDIO! TA DAHHHHHHHHHHHH ! ! !

This is looking towards the Southeast from our back deck/patio. Melissa installed the rock walk that runs from our deck to the studio front porch.

The studio is 16 feet by 20 feet. The porch is 8 feet by 4 feet.

Pennsylvania Farm #2

Pennsylvania Farm #2 12x30 Oil on Masonite

This is a larger painting suggested by the Week 35-36 Challenge on Different Strokes From Different Folks (DSFDF). The painting that I submitted was posted earlier. Karen Jurick posts a photo on her DSFDF blog and "challenges" artists to make their art based on this photo.

I saw this photo as almost an abstract and tried to render it as such - ALMOST an abstract. The buildings and silos in the foreground have some shading but the fields have no detail.

A View From My Window #3

A View From My Window #3 9x12 Oil on Masonite

This is another Arkansas sunset done "semi" plein air from my "studio" window. I started the painting last night AFTER I had taken a digital photo. I finished it up this afternoon using the photo. The sun had dropped below the horizon so the foreground looked very dark in the photo - I could see it well last night. But I didn't need the clutter of the foreground for this "quick" rough painting.

Even after laboring over the sky today, I still didn't capture the color! At least I caught the essence of the colors. Or at least I think that I did.

Fishing Boats Heading Out

Fishing Boats Heading Out     11x14 Oil on Masonite 

Two small fishing boats heading out for the day. This is a composite of three or four photographs and one screen shot from a digital "movie".