Joe

Joe - Oil on canvas 8" x 12"

Another study from my head painting class. This one was a lot of fun since Joe had a shaved head and the subtle shapes of the skull could be seen as well as the gray blue shade of the scalp where the hairline began. I become a bit more confident in my oil painting with each successive study.

Painting Mount Hayden

Mount Hayden- Grand Canyon North Rim

Mount Hayden was backlit after an hour or so

Last Friday afternoon we went to Point Imperial on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I hiked out about a half mile to a vantage point where I could see Mount Hayden (named after the Arizona Pioneer Charles T. Hayden) which is the most distinctive formation on the point. The weather was threatening rain, so I opted for watercolor instead of oil since I figured I could make a quicker bolt for the car if the weather turned dicey.

Mount Hayden - watercolor 6" x 9"

It turned out that the rain held off but the shifting light from the scattered clouds presented a real challenge. In the end, I went for the first impression I had with the peak lit and background in shadow, though I have reference now to also paint the complete opposite. The result was not quite what I hoped for (is it ever?), but I had a great time painting the view.

Living On The Edge-Part 2

The Drop - I am in the little red box

The drop off would obviously have been a fatal one if I had made a mistep, but honestly I never felt in any danger and never got any closer than about six feet from the edge.

Angel's Window - 9" x 12" oil

The painting was a bit of an exercise in frustration mixed with the sheer fun of painting. The light shifted every few minutes and I had to decide whether to change the painting or go with my memory. I enjoyed myself very much and had a good time chatting with the many people who stopped to take photos and watch. I felt a bit like a celebrity for a moment. Here's how it turned out.

I guess he didn't know the backstroke

The only casualty of the whole afternoon was this unfortunate fellow that fell into my turpintine pot and drowned himself. For a while I thought that some sort of leaf had blown in, but when I cleaned my brushes, I realized I had pickled a wasp. So, R.I.P. my bug brother, you sacrificed for art.

Living On The Edge

Painting at Angel's Window - July 2010

I just got back from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon where my wife and I spent a few days on vacation. My dear wife was gracious and indulgent enough to let me paint a couple of times while we were there even though it gets a bit long and boring for her (thanks babe!).

In progress

One morning we went to Cape Royal where there is a great natural rock arch called Angel's Window. I found a nice little spot close to the rim and set up the oil painting rig. The light was not great due to overcast skies, but I gave it a shot. It was obviously not going to be about the result, so I just tried to enjoy the process of painting on location. Many people stopped to look and ask to take photographs. I bet I was the only artist they saw in the park, though I knew that was not the case since I ran into fellow artist Dilleen Marsh painting in the park earlier that morning.

On the Edge - Angel's Window

My wife went out to the window and took a few shots of me painting from across the chasm. I'll show everyone just how far the drop off was tomorrow. Let's just say I was careful every time I stepped back from the easel.

Revelation

Revelation - 19" x 13" acrylic

This one is from the Scuffy project also. This is the moment when he looks back and realizes that all the stuff that scared him was really just everyday stuff. All of these pictures are done acrylic over a digital underpainting/drawing. I printed out the drawing after I added some color tones and then mounted it on museum foamcore and painted over the top. Here's a look back at the resolution of the story after Scuffy has captured the crow.

Attack of the Laundry

Attack of the Laundry - 19" x 13" acrylic

This painting is from the picture book that my wife and I wrote together called "Scuffy, a Scarecrow's Tale". In the story, Scuffy is scared of everything and imagines all sorts of dangers (including rabid scarecrow eating shirts and sheets).  I have been shopping it around to publishers (it's been rejected a few times so far) but no taker yet. It was part of my MFA thesis project so I have a complete story and dummy all sketched out and four finished paintings. It's ready to finish and I would love to have somebody pick it up. The closest we came was one of my previous publishers liked it a lot, but were already doing a Jane Yolen scarecrow story. Well, who really wants to compete with Jane Yolen? I posted another picture from this series a few weeks back.

Gila Monster

Gila Monster - 11" x 14" Acrylic

by Greg Newbold

I did this painting for a 4th Grade Reading textbook cover. It sailed through all the approvals during the creative process and I was really looking forward to seeing it on the cover of a book. When I got the artwork back some months later, I was informed that it had been shot down by some of the higher up suits. When I asked why, I was told that someone decided that Gila Monsters were "too scary" for fourth graders. Really? I have had several small people living in my house for a few years now and none of them were ever scared by a picture of a lizard trundling through the desert. On the other hand, my boys love this piece, so now it hangs in the hall just outside their bedroom door. Someday, they may have to draw straws to see who gets it. But I got paid, so go figure.