Saturday, January 9, 2010

Morning Storm Over Big Timber, Montana
18 x 24
oil on panel
2010


This is my first painting of this year. We were visiting our friends' ranch for a week and the first morning we awoke to this incoming storm at dawn. The colors were so vibrant you could drink them from the sky. I stood on the back porch to watch. A cool breeze carried a sweet morning essence across the ridge and far away I could hear the sibilant rhythms of water striking ground. It was truly a special moment, dare I say, sacred? Though I did take a few photos for reference, this painting is based mainly on memory.

I'm settling in nicely in my winter studio. It's very cozy, the cats like to sleep in here when I work and I can call out to April in the next room. I've got so much to work on I've decided to just plow through as much creative work as possible this winter. My friend Shawn gave me a small digital video camera for Christmas so there will be some interesting videos on this blog later on. But today I need to finish work on my class syllabus, classes start in less that two weeks.

Have a good week, back next weekend with another painting.




8 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sorry..made a massive typo. I'll start that again.
    Sounded like a truely beautiful moment that you described. I wish I were as motivated as you Denny, but with all the snow falling here (finally) I can't motivated.
    Beautiful painting...

    ReplyDelete
  3. April~ Motivation can be difficult and often the best solution comes down to self- trickery. Examples: I will only go in the studio to tidy up, but end up picking up a brush anyway. Or, if I spent one hour focused on a painting, then I can have that brownie. (Often times one hour turns to two, etc.) The brain is mysterious and there's so much psychology interwoven with art making. I've also come to terms that there will be productive times and not so productive times in my art time line, and I'm good with that. Like the tide, there's ebb and flow.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for the very useful advice. My problem is the internet. If my computer is off I get more done. Then again I distract myself well enough even when it's off..don't know how to solve this.. I'll try tricking myself...that brownie idea sounds good...

    ReplyDelete
  5. love the underlying simplicity and vibrant color of this painting. Ah yes, classes starting up soon...I enjoyed this winter break. I'll try some self-trickery right now, get of this darn computer and get to the studio!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks, Andrew...ahh yes, computers, the big time suck. Good luck with your classes this semester!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love the simplicity of this, Denny. It makes you look at what you were trying to convey. That beautiful sky.
    HAPPY NEW YEAR

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks, Gary~ nothing beats the magnificent skies of Montana and Wyoming!!

    ReplyDelete