Art in Mind

Filming a rain storm outside the studio...

2011-09-22T22:12:00.002-06:00

Friends make everything more fun!

2011-09-22T22:02:00.002-06:00

This is a little stray kitten that showed up one day. He's very friendly and I've named him George. he kept me company on walks.

This is our dog, Tilly, who often is my buddy for checking pivots and cleaning sumps. She is 17 years old! She loves to ride in my car and hang out the window on hot summer days. She's a calm, sweet dog whom I love dearly.

This is Tuxedo. He's also a stray, but has a great personality. He's feisty, playful, and talkative. I'm pretty happy to be around my little "friends" all summer, and I miss them when I'm back in Bozeman.

Mix it up!

2011-09-22T21:56:00.002-06:00

This summer, because I got to paint, I also had to practice my very rusty skills of color mixing. Not as easy as I remembered, especially when I was trying to up my painting skills. This requires accuracy. This photo depicts the massive amount of paint I ended up with before I got the right color. This is much more than I needed for the size of painting I was doing, but luckily, oils don't dry fast, so I stuck it in an airtight container and marked it with the date. Hopefully, I can revisit it and use it to make another color for a different painting. Waste not, want not.

"Bike Love"

2011-09-22T21:51:00.003-06:00

Prints of vintage bike illustrations, with little sayings and such in a vintage "speech bubble."

"Deepest Oceans" - A new series of prints...

2011-09-22T20:54:00.001-06:00

A poster for Gillian Welch...

2011-08-31T19:52:00.003-06:00

I was so honored to do a poster for them, love them! I'd been listening to their album for a week in my car, when I got the call to create a poster for their concert here in Bozeman. Kind of a wierd coincidence, but I was happy to do it.

August Art Opening at the Tartoo Gallery....

2011-08-30T22:05:00.007-06:00

These paintings are the result of some long, hot hours working this summer. They are all oil on canvas, which is a new move for me. Generally, I use more materials in a painting, but lately I've been feeling that oils are plenty good as a material on their own, and the colors they can produce are so vivid and rich that I no longer want to search for a medium. I have many more ideas that I would have liked to have gotten painted, but it's always good have some ideas stockpiled for a rainy day. (photos courtesy of the Tartoo Gallery.)

Summer Studio 2011

2011-08-30T21:53:00.003-06:00

Here's a shot of the inside of my studio for this past summer. I enjoyed the fresh air and natural light. The best thing about working in this particular space was that it solved a long time problem for me. There was pegboard already installed on one of the walls and I used that surface to hang the paintings while I worked on them, which completely eliminated the need for an easel. Personally, I've always hated easels. They're expensive, they take up too much space, and the ones that are affordable are wobbly and unstable. Pegboard is adjustable, cheap, and plenty secure to hang any size painting on. FYI, I suggest putting peg board in your studio.

Blank Canvas

2011-08-30T21:49:00.002-06:00

I often have canvas that is still in it's plastic packaging for a year or more. School keeps me too busy to paint outside of the summer break. I was lucky enough to have two months or so this summer to work on paintings for the show in Tart, so these got to come out of their packaging and become supports for my ideas. It's hard to look at them for nine months, waiting that long to try out new ideas.

The beauty that is color...

2011-08-30T21:26:00.003-06:00

It had been eight months since I'd seen these, and they'd sat in a stainless steel bucket for the winter. When I dumped them out, all those feelings of excitement came rushing back. I love the smell of the tubes of oil paint. It's an old smell, and it's like I've smelled it for hundreds of years myself. It's one of the most familiar memories I have in life. I felt like I couldn't get to work soon enough. I forced myself to show them some love, and cleaned each one of them, throwing away the ones that had dried beyond use. Color is such a mesmerizing thing to me, and seeing them all helter skelter together on my little blue table made me feel like I could pick any one of them and it would inspire an entire series of paintings.

"Sign Language" Art show at Tart!

2011-06-27T13:01:00.004-06:00

This August, I will be showing my new work at the Tartoo Gallery at the Emerson Center in Bozeman. All of the paitings, save for a few, will be of vintage ads from Butte, Montana. If you've never been to Butte, then all I can say is that you have to go there to fully appreciate what an odd little town it is. When I say "odd" I mean it lovingly. Butte has that certain something that gets my mind churning with ideas. As such, I have chosen the non-profit organization Butte Citizens for Preservation and Revitalization to receive 10% of the show's profits for their continuing care of Butte's beautiful historical architecture. If you are interrested in properties that Butte CPR has saved from destruction, please visit http://www.buttecpr.org/ .

Yummy new business cards...

2011-06-27T12:51:00.004-06:00

I finally designed some new business cards with my updated information. I know how nice it is for customers to be able to reach you, so these will come in handy. They have four sides, leaving a large amount of space so that the text doesn't seem crowded. Go big or go home, I say. I put two of my floral illustrations on the outside front and the inside bottom, so you get a little more of an idea of what I do. I will be distributing them this summer at the Red Ants Pants Festival and my art show this August at Tart.

The Red Ants Pants Music Festival...

2011-05-26T19:58:00.003-06:00

This is the design for the very exciting Red Ants Pants Music Festival to be held in White Sulphur Springs, Montana in July. The creator and coordinator of the festival, Sarah Calhoun, owns her own business creating beautiful, high quality work pants for women. I was super stoked to work with Sarah in creating the poster artwork for her festival and this is the end result, which I am very proud of. There will be art, crafts, music and much more, so I recommend a trip to MT! If your are interested in attending the festival, please visit Sarah's website for further information/ticket purchasing: www.redantspantsmusicfestival.com

New "Pigeon" print series...

2010-12-05T18:06:00.004-07:00

The six prints below are my new digital prints created around that infamous bird, the pigeon. They can be seen on nearly any rural building, abandoned train, and high above perch. That's because nature is always waiting. It waits for us to leave, and it swallows our buildings and well-meaning attempt at taming it. The pigeon is merely a reminder of this. They are opportunists who can seek out those little spaces humans don't inhabit, and make them their own. These prints were made from my own photographs and observations of the pigeon in its own natural habitat, which were at one time habitats of the human. The prints come in 11x17, 8x10, as well as 10x15 and 12x18 limited edition prints. Poster sizes are being looked into!

"Watch Your Step"

2010-12-05T18:04:00.000-07:00

"Still Life with Pigeons"

2010-12-05T18:02:00.002-07:00

"Rural Route Mail Boxes"

2010-12-05T18:02:00.001-07:00

"Passengers"

2010-12-05T18:01:00.001-07:00

"The B & G with Pigeons"

2010-12-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

"Identity Theft"

2010-12-05T17:59:00.001-07:00

Art Opening on Friday!

2010-10-25T08:57:00.004-06:00

You can find me at the lovely Bozeman Public Library on Friday night from 5:30-7 pm. My art will be on display in the library's atrium from October 29th through December. If you would like to check out the library, they have a very helpful website here. All art is for sale, with a portion of the proceeds going towards funding for the library. I'm super excited about the show, hope to see you there.

"Tufted Titmice" on birch panel

2010-08-02T20:49:00.001-06:00

"Robins" on birch panel

2010-08-02T20:47:00.001-06:00

"Chickadees" on birch panel

2010-08-02T20:42:00.002-06:00

These bird paintings on Birch wood panels were supposed to be an experiment, but the first one turned out so well that I decided to roll with it and made three. They are currently in my show at Tart in Bozeman, "The Bird's the Word", through August 11th. They are 12"x24" and sprayed with a matte varnish.

"Yellow-rumped Warbler"

2010-07-06T17:56:00.003-06:00

These birds are all watercolors done for my upcomming show at Tart, in the Emerson Cultural Center in Bozeman. The opening for the show starts July 9th, and they will be on display through August 11th. If you feel like stopping by, drinks and snacks will be served from 5-8 courtesy of the lovely Anna Vischer, who owns Tart. There will also be some of my oil paintings, as well as a collaborative painting by Debbie Clapper and myself for sale. Prints of all 12 birds are available through my Etsy store, www.paperandcanvas.etsy.com.

"Tufted Titmouse"

2010-07-06T17:56:00.001-06:00

"Ruby-crowned Kinglet"

2010-07-06T17:55:00.002-06:00

"Round Robin"

2010-07-06T17:55:00.001-06:00

"Pygmy Nuthatch"

2010-07-06T17:54:00.001-06:00

"Mountain Chickadee"

2010-07-06T17:53:00.000-06:00

"Meadowlark"

2010-07-06T17:52:00.000-06:00

"Magnolia Warbler"

2010-07-06T17:51:00.003-06:00

"Hermit Warbler"

2010-07-06T17:51:00.001-06:00

"Common Yellowthroat"

2010-07-06T17:49:00.000-06:00

"Black-tailed Gnatcatcher"

2010-07-06T17:48:00.000-06:00

"American Redstart"

2010-07-06T17:46:00.001-06:00

"Sunset Grain Elevator" - Commission Project

2010-05-07T12:34:00.004-06:00

This is a commision project that I finished over Christmas break last year. It was ordered for a couple's anniversary gift and they gave the painting to each other. I'm always happy to do art, but it makes it especially fun when I know it means something particular to the people I'm making it for. The finished size is 36"x60". It had to be shipped to California, and in case your wondering, that was the biggest size they'll ship before it has to be considered freight. I'm glad we didn't have to go that route. I started out with the canvas, which I stretched and primed myself since no one in Bozeman sells them that large. I then do the linework and tape it off with tissue paper so that when I paint the background it doesn't splatter into the areas I wanted to stay white. Then the tissue is removed and the linework is reinforced with Sharpie and lineweight added. Then the details are filled in with the water soluble pencil, and there you have it...a painting. That is the format I generally follow for all paintings.

"Qwerty Love" - A series of seven new drawings

2010-01-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

2010-01-08T09:19:00.003-07:00

After finding an old typewriter in my grandma's grocery store, I fell in love with them. I decided I wanted to draw several of them from different decades. They all function in the same basic way, but their styling differs quite a bit from decade to decade. The seventies typewriters are boxy and often the body is an odd colored plastic. The fifties were all about pastel colors and being made to last. The sound they make is just awesome. The one I found had probably not been used in twenty years, but the ink ribbon still works and all the keys are in perfect condition.

Tart Show

2010-01-02T12:41:00.003-07:00

Stop in and take a look in Tart, where I have my art on display from December 10th through January 2010. There's also jewelry made by many talented designers, prints, cards, hats, clothing and lots of other goodies by local and regional artists. Currently, my series of drawings featuring vintage typewriters from different decades titled, "Qwerty Love" is on display. Framed and unframed prints are available, as well limited edition sizes.

Some new work...

2009-08-06T13:52:00.003-06:00

"The Hotel Finlen"

This is a mock-up of a new painting that I'm working on. This hotel is located in Butte, Montana.

Top 5 songs I'm listening to in the studio this week:

2009-07-27T15:59:00.002-06:00

1. Whispered Words (pretty lies) - Dan Auerbach
2. I'm on Fire - Electrelane
3. The Mountain - Heartless Bastards
4. Party Punch - Oh No Oh My
5. The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

My second favorite thing to do is organize....

2009-07-27T15:49:00.003-06:00

I easily spend more money on Sharpies than on canvas. I found a whole bunch of them in a box under my bed. So, naturally I reorganized my entire "supplies shelf" around the reclaimed Sharpies. I found the little yellow bird and put him in the window. It's amazing what happens when you look under your bed. There was also dust and cat hair, in case you were wondering.

All the birds but no poop...

2009-07-27T15:39:00.002-06:00

These are all finished linework, and still need to be painted. The larger ones are 11x14 and 12x12. The smaller ones are 8x8. I'm having an art show over Christmas of this year at the Emerson Cultural Center here in Bozeman, at the Tart gallery. I really enjoy the bird paintings, they make me happy. When I'm finished with the linework and it makes me smile, I know I have gotten where I want to be. Bird, bird, bird!

In the beginning there was only pencil....

2009-07-27T15:34:00.004-06:00

...then I had to go over it again with Sharpie. This is the finished linework for the first painting in my new series, which I hope will be done in a year and half. They will all feature advertising slogans, signs, ect., incorporating a little of the surrounding information as I see fit.

"Vogue Cleaners"

30"x40" canvas

Chickadees Trio - Commission

2008-07-17T21:04:00.004-06:00

These little birds were my first triptych and I think they came out pretty cool. I have my art up at a little gallery in the Emerson Cultural center in Bozeman called Tart. So far, I've gotten great feedback and sold a couple of other 12x12 bird paintings on display there. I am also doing a robin painting for the same family that I think will come out swimmingly. These are sprayed with a matte varnish, which I have found I like better than the glossy. Not sure why.

February Art Show

2008-03-16T17:34:00.004-06:00

This was the funnest night ever, thanks to a lot of people who came from out of town just to attend my art show at Montana State University. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and looked at my work and signed the guest book with their wonderul comments. And thanks to the Exit Gallery for the great job they did hanging the art and hosting the reception.

"Birds of a Feather" - SOLD

2008-03-16T17:28:00.002-06:00

Title: Birds of a Feather

Medium: Oil/Water Soluble Pencil

Size: 36x48 inches

Support: Canvas

"Poppies"

2008-03-16T17:18:00.004-06:00

Title: Poppies

Medium: Oil/Water Soluble Pencil

Size: 30x40 inches

Support: Canvas

"Perch" - Collaborative painting with Debbie Clapper

2008-01-14T18:34:00.000-07:00

Title: "Perch"

Size: 14 x 18 inches

Support: Canvas mounted on board

Materials: Acrylic, pen and ink, water soluble pencil

This was a little weekend project that Debbie and I worked on while I was in Denver a week ago. We had a great time and I think this painting turned out fabulously if I do say so myself.

You can purchase this painting at www.paperandcanvas.etsy.com

"Song Bird" - SOLD

2007-12-31T20:45:00.002-07:00

Size: 9x12

"chipping sparrow" - SOLD

2007-12-31T20:41:00.001-07:00

Size: 9x12

"Still Life"

2007-09-16T14:52:00.001-06:00

Size: 24x36 inches

Medium: Water Soluble Pencil/Oil

Support: Canvas

Registered with the Fine Arts Registry

Certificate of Authenticity Available

Painted staple-free edges

"Turning Point" - SOLD

2007-09-16T14:45:00.001-06:00

Size: 36x48 inches

Medium: Water Soluble Pencil/ Oil

Support: Canvas

Registered with the Fine Arts Registry

Certificate of Authenticity Available

"No. 633"

2007-07-16T19:51:00.000-06:00

Size: 30x48 inches

Medium: Water Soluble Pencil/Oil

Support: Canvas

Registered with the Fine Arts Registry

Certificate of Authenticity available

Painted staple-free edges

"The Largest Living Thing" Wall Mural - SOLD

2007-07-16T19:44:00.000-06:00

Title: "The Largest Living Thing"

Size: 84"x96"

Medium: Acrylic

Support: Canvas

"Globetrotters" - SOLD

2007-07-11T19:00:00.002-06:00

Title: "Globetrotters"

Medium: Water Soluable Pencil/Oil

Size: 36"x48"

Support: Canvas

painted staple-free edges, gloss varnish

Registered with the Fine Arts Registry, Certificate of Authenticity available.

"Ray's Feed & Grain"

2007-07-11T18:38:00.001-06:00

Title: "Ray's Feed & Grain"

Medium: Water Soluable Pencil/Oil

Size: 24"x36"

Support: Canvas

Painted staple-free edges, gloss varnish

Registered with the Fine Arts Registry, Certificate of Authenticity available.

Collaborative Painting with Debbie Clapper - SOLD

2007-06-14T15:30:00.000-06:00

This painting was done with my wonderful friend, Debbie Clapper. It is done with water soluable pencil, marker, pen and ink, and acrylic. I think it turned out to be quite the artistic item.

"Hand, Wrist, Watch"

2007-05-17T14:26:00.000-06:00

Title: "Hand, Wrist, Watch"

Size: 16x20

Medium: Water Soluable Pencil/Oil

Support: Canvas

Staple-free painted edges, gloss varnish

Registered with the Fine Arts Registry, Certificate of Authenticity available.

"Bird Quartet" - SOLD

2006-08-13T16:45:00.000-06:00

Title: "Bird Quartet"

Medium: Water Soluable Pencil/Oil

Size: each are 10" x 10"

Support: Canvas

all have painted staple-free edges, gloss varnish

"Mad Cow"

2006-08-13T16:41:00.000-06:00

Title: "Mad Cow"

Medium: Water Soluable Pencil/Oil

Size: 24" x 36"

Support: Canvas

staple-free painted edges, gloss varnish

Registered with Fine Arts Registry, Certificate of Authenticity available.

"Portrait"

2006-08-02T11:31:00.000-06:00

Title: "Portrait"

Size: 40" x 50"

Medium: Water Soluable Pencil/Oil

Support: Canvas

painted staple-free edges, gloss varnish

Registered with Fine Arts Registry, Certificate of Authenticity available.

"Do Not Enter"

2006-07-06T11:08:00.000-06:00

Title: "Do Not Enter"

Medium: Oil/Water Soluable Pencil

Size: 36" x 48"

Support: Canvas

Painted staple-free edges, gloss varnish

Registered with Fine Arts Registry, Certificate of Authenticity available.

"Girl Looking to Side"

2006-06-01T17:37:00.000-06:00

Title: "Girl Looking to Side"

Size: 16" x 24"

Medium: Water Soluable Pencil/Oil

Support: Canvas

Painted edges, gloss varnish

Registered with Fine Arts Registry, Certificate of Authenticity available.

"Fresh Paint"

2006-06-01T17:34:00.000-06:00

Title: "Fresh Paint"

Size: 24" x 48"

Medium: Water Soluable Pencil/Oil

Support: Canvas

Painted edges, gloss varnish

Registered with Fine Arts Registry, Certificate of Authenticity available

"Independence"

2006-06-01T17:29:00.000-06:00

Title: "Independence"

Size: 24" x 48"

Medium: Water Soluable Pencil/Oil

Support: Canvas

Painted edges

Registered with the Fine Arts Registry, Certificate of Authenticity available.

"Rainbow Bar & Lounge"

2006-04-07T19:05:00.000-06:00

Title: "Rainbow Bar & Lounge"

Size: 36" x 60"

Medium: Water Soluable Pencil/Oil

Support: Canvas

painted staple-free edges, gloss varnish

Registered with the Fine Arts Registry, Certificate of Authenticity available

"Bird in a Thistle Patch"

2006-03-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

Title: "Bird in a Thistle Patch"

Size: 36" x 48"

Medium: Water Soluable Pencil/Oil

Support: Canvas

Painted staple-free edges

Registered with the Fine Arts Registry, Certificate of Authenticity available

"Lilac Branch"

2006-03-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

Title: "Lilac Branch"

Size: 36" x 48"

Medium: Water Soluable Pencil/Oil

Support: Canvas

painted edges, gloss varnish

Registered with the Fine Arts Registry, Certificate of Authenticity available.

"Before & After"

2006-03-25T16:43:00.000-07:00

Title: "Before & After"

Size: 24" x 36"

Medium: Water Soluable Pencil

Support: Canvas

gloss varnish

Registered with the Fine Arts Registry, Certificate of Authenticity available

"Flora with Red Background"

2006-03-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

Title: "Flora with Red Background"

Size: 18" x 36"

Medium: Water Soluable Pencil/Oil

Support: Canvas

painted staple-free edges

Registered with the Fine Arts Registry, Certificate of Authenticity available

"Cow Parsley"

2006-03-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

Title: "Cow Parsley"

Size: 48" x 24"

Medium: Water Soluable Pencil/Oil

Support: Canvas

painted edges

Registered with the Fine Arts Registry, Certificate of Authenticity available

"Satchmo"

2006-03-25T16:10:00.000-07:00

Title: "Satchmo"

Size: 24" x 36"

Medium: Water Soluable Pencil/Oil

Support: Canvas

Painted staple-free edges, gloss varnish

Registered with Fine Arts Registry, Certificate of Authenticity available.

"Chatter Current"

2006-03-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

Title: "Chatter Current"

Size: 36" x48'

Medium: Water Soluable Pencil/Oil

Support: Canvas

painted staple-free edges, gloss varnish

Registered with the Fine Arts Registry, Certificate of Authenticity available