Perhaps we all mark time in different ways. Not surprising – mine is measured in paint! 2015 has been another creative year in which I was fortunate to continue to explore (and hopefully grow) as a painter. This year in particular, I received tremendous joy from painting the magnificent beauty that surrounds me in Jackson Hole, as well as from the wonderful folks I met through art.
I am so very grateful for the amazing support I continue to receive as I follow this dream. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. May the new year be filled with abundant blessings!
In reviewing the painting of the past year, each was important, but here I am highlighting some of the work that taught me something significant.
Free
I believe artwork should evoke emotion in us, and it has been my goal to create paintings that tap into the inherent nature of our emotions rather than recreating photo-realistic representation. In order to achieve this, I utilize tools such as simplification, color, and mystery.
In “Free,” I was inspired by a photo of a crane taken by
Michael Forsberg. Thanks to the position of this bird, and the loose, spontaneous medium of watercolor, this image captured a freshness that I just loved. In fact, I loved it so much, it later inspired a larger oil painting entitled “Joy” (pictured below). This subsequent image was painted in oil in order to create a large-scale painting. At 48 x 48, this oil work has the strength of impact I was hoping for.
Never Tired
If I had a nickel for every time I have painted these mountains! Ever challenging, I am still not tired of this subject matter. And in fact, this is the view of the Tetons from the Triangle X Ranch, a view I grew up with and have admired since I can remember. This image was created on location, showing the spring snow load up high and the green of the valley floor with its budding wildflowers.
Misty Morning on Spring Gulch
In my job, I am blessed to have the privilege of painting on location. Setting up my easel until I complete a painting affords me a chance to immerse myself in a moment. This misty morning on Spring Gulch Drive was one of those magical moments. I was so grateful to have the opportunity to take in the dreamy scene through my brush.
I am hugely inspired by the work of
John Henry Twatchman & was thinking of his work when I saw these this herd of cattle barely visible in the fog.
Three Matriarchs
Often I am asked how long it takes to finish a painting. The answer varies. Some plein air studies take a couple of hours. The “Three Matriarchs” took over 2 years. It is an image that evolved on its own, and I often didn’t know in which direction it was to move. So I would wait and be open until I received an impulse to add to it or change it. In some ways, I had to grow as an artist until I had developed the needed technique or artistic understanding learned in another painting along the way, such as in “Heroic Sky.” If anything, “Three Matriarchs” taught me a great deal about patience and persistence. I am so deeply honored that this painting is now in the permanent collection at the National Museum of Wildlife art.