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This is the builder of the chicken tractor. He was hard at work building for several years while we were in Ohio. Those chickens were spoiled, that is for sure. The other day, I came across this photo and was struck with the colors, light, shadow, and just plain goodness, so I just had to paint it. It is oils on a 20×24 stretched canvas. We are done with chickens, but we talk about how we enjoyed them when we had them. We even play with the idea of getting some here… Nah.

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If you know somethin’ well, you can always paint it, but people would be better off buyin’ chickens. — Grandma Moses

A little while back, I got a book at the local library used book sale. It is a book of quotes and there were some from Wernher Von Braun. He is a very large part of the NASA program, here in Huntsville. Then, when we went to the Space and Rocket Center, I saw quite a bit about him there. So, I decided to make his portrait with the moon and Saturn, which is what some of his rockets were named after.

This is pastels on watercolor paper. I painted the paper with burnt sienna to give it a tone. Then I drew the initial sketch with graphite and white charcoal. I sprayed a workable fixative over that and then used pastels to color it. It is 11×12.

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For my confirmation, I didn’t get a watch and my first pair of long pants, like most Lutheran boys. I got a telescope. My mother thought it would make the best gift. — Wernher Von Braun

Greetings! Today was all about exploring Alum Hollow on Green Mountain right here in our beloved Huntsville, Alabama. Although the waterfall eluded us, this day, we enjoyed wandering through the cool woods, soaking up the tranquility. I couldn’t resist capturing the mesmerizing beauty of the many mushrooms that we saw as we meandered. We also bumped into a couple of other hikers, one of which was a photographer who was also enamored with the mushrooms. We had an enjoyable chat and swapped cards. Maybe one of these days I will make a painting of some of these mushrooms.

Trail pics:

Shrooms! Glorious Shrooms! And now for the mushroom glamour shots.

Below is my favorite of all the mushroom shots. I didn’t even notice the poison ivy, today, until I was uploading the photos to the computer. LOL! Oh, well. I didn’t touch any that I know of. I will find out soon, if I did…

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The sudden appearance of mushrooms after a summer rain is one of the more impressive spectacles of the plant world. — John Tyler Bonner

This past Monday, which was dreary and rainy, my mom and a friend and I went to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center here in Huntsville, Alabama. It had been a long time since I had been and it has grown quite a bit. It was a hike, but it was so interesting that it was worth it. I took a lot of photos and here are a few. For more info, you can click here.

I will go into space only if I can wear my earrings. LOL!

I don’t remember what this is, but I think it is a model of a space taxi-type of thing.

This is the Saturn V rocket, I think. It was massive and kind of scary to walk under it. But very nifty, too.

This is a mosaic made with tiles from a mosaic which is on a church here in Huntsville (First Baptist Church Huntsville). The original tiles started falling off the church. They were totally removed and replaced and the old tiles were used for various other artworks, including this one. It is beautiful in person. My photo does not do it justice.

Lego art!

If you can, and you are interested in space stuff, you ought to go. Miss Baker, one of the little monkeys who went into space, is buried right by the entrance. There are various rides, like the takeoff simulator, flight simulators, g-force thingy’s, etc. I think anyone would enjoy it. And, of course, as I was walking through it, I was thinking of all the art I would love to make…

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I have learned to use the word ‘impossible’ with the greatest caution. — Wernher Von Braun

Well, I saw someone doing this nifty thing and thought I would give it a try. It is mixed media (pen and colored pencils) on 100% cotton 300 pound watercolor paper. It was a lot of fun and very relaxing to do. I actually did the sketch and the pen work on my drawing table in the studio and then did the coloring while watching a movie in the living room.

Can you see where I put my signature?

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Every man’s work, whether it be literature, or music or pictures or architecture or anything else, is always a portrait of himself. — Samuel Butler

The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, is one of my family’s favorite movies of all time. Ron and I watched it the other night and I just had to do a portrait of the lovely Mary Kate. In this scene, she is watching Sean Thornton as he is sitting his horse, pausing during one of his hot-blooded rides through the countryside to try to assuage his frustration over not being able to marry Mary Kate.

Can anyone quote what Father Lonergan, as the narrator, said during this scene?

This is charcoal on 12×16 toned pastel paper.

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This is Ireland, Sean, not America. Without her brother’s consent, she couldn’t and wouldn’t. I’m sorry for the both of ya. — Michaeleen Og Flynn

This painting was from a photo that I had taken a few years ago. I think I used a zoom lens from my front yard. I love that barn! LOL! I have so many photos of that barn. I have several paintings, also. But, this picture was more about the light and shadows.

This is oils on a 9×12 piece of loose canvas. Below I have shared the reference photo that I took. I rarely like to show the reference, because it is so easy to pick the painting apart. But, in this case, I like that it doesn’t look too much like the reference. I like my interpretation. I like the looseness and the intensity of the colors. I may do it again, someday, but I am enjoying this one now.

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What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives? — E. M. Forster

Today was a funny day. Last night, I made a duck and a wreath out of polymer clay. Today, I wanted to bake it, so I reached into the cupboard to get a pan and I pulled out a 9×13 glass pan and it shattered on the tile floor of the kitchen. What a noise! And what a cleanup! So, I got that taken care of, put some tin foil on a metal pan, and put the sculptures into the oven. I set the timer and sat in my chair in the living room to read while waiting for it. I started to smell something strange. I looked up and the house was filling with smoke! I had set the oven too high! LOL! What was I thinking? I ran in and opened the oven. Bad idea. Lots more smoke. I shut the oven, turned it off, and ran around opening the windows. It took a little while, but the smoke cleared out. Well, they are not supposed to be brown, but I think they will work. I just have to paint them and no-one will ever know. (Except you guys…)

So, after that fiasco, I decided to get into my studio and paint. I’m so glad I did. I copied a painting by Edgar Payne called Kearsage Peaks, High Sierras. I enjoyed painting it and love how it turned out.

This is oils on a 16×20 piece of loose canvas.

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If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. — Vincent Van Gogh

Train tracks in the early morning in Florida. The reference photo for this painting belongs to Chris Fornataro and I followed along with his video. I like how it turned out.

This is oils on a 9×12 loose piece of canvas.

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When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer. — Corrie Ten Boom

We have a couple of very large and beautiful multi-trunked dogwood trees at our new house. So, I wanted to paint a dogwood tree. I wanted to take a photo of my own trees with the sun shining on them, even if they are not blooming right now, but it has been overcast and rainy. So I found a lovely bunch of photos online and here is what happened:

Soft pastels on an 8×10 homemade black sanded board. I was definitely in my happy place, playing with the colors, and making a mess. What fun!

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Life is a great big canvas, throw all the paint you can on it. — Danny Kaye