My reading glasses,...

This is a photo of my reading glasses sitting atop last January's issue of "American Art Collector" magazine.  If you don't get this rag, you should.  Not all of the artwork is "upper level", but most of it is, and it's such a quality magazine when it comes to representational painting.  One or more of these mags are sitting atop my coffee table on any given day.  (You can also see the "Spectrum 12" illustration magazine in the upper left-hand corner of the photo.  I've been getting these as X-mas gifts the last few years.)  If you haven't checked either of these out, you'd better "get on the ball", as they say.  (I got a kick out of my glasses sitting on the Alyssa Monks cover painting.)

Last February,...

From a road trip with Cousin Jonnie,...

"How Now Brown Cow"

From the sketchbook,...

From the big ditch,...

This is titled, "Buzzard's View".  It's acrylic on canvas and it's 48" x 32". 
I was thinking of the writer Edward Abbey as I painted it.  I believe he mentioned that he'd like to come back as a turkey buzzard in his next life.  (Most likely for the great views the bird must get.)
My family and I had a lot of those views when we took a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon.  This particular painting was put together with the aid of a few different references and memory.
Abbey loved Arizona, but he definitely looked down on the idea of commercial flight over the canyon.  (Sorry Ed.)
(Sorry,...it's a bit blurry.)

Dear Virgo,...

"Dear Virgo, Self Portrait" 18 1/2 x 11 5/8 alkyd on paper and board.  He reminds me of myself.

If you've never travelled to Modena,...

"Round Bales, Modena" 

This is an acrylic on hardboard.  Cousin Barry has owned it for years now and was kind enough to snap a photo for me.  It was painted from reference material taken near Modena, Wi.  What a beautiful part of our state!  It must be 30 x 30 or so.  

Your own back yard,...

I think fall skies are the best skies.  I took this a couple of nights ago in the back yard, and yes, I'm as sentimental as Dorothy is.

Blast from the past,...

"Dead Horse Slough" 30 1/4 x 25 1/2 acrylic on canvas

This is another invented landscape, but Dead Horse Slough is a real place in the Chequamegon forest near Clam Lake, Wi.

"Here and There" 23 3/4 x 35 1/2 acrylic on board

I photographed this a bit crooked, but,...that's an actual deer vertebra attached to the painting.  I thought it looked like some strange sort of figurehead in the sky.

In the studio,...

This is a view of my workspace.  I'm thinkin' it's only going to get better, but everything is a work in progress.  Here's a quote from Thomas Watson,..."If you want to succeed , double your failure rate.",....  (Guess I damn well better get busy!)

Character studies,...

"The Young Republican"

I did this drawing a while ago.  He looks as though he's trying to influence someone's vote.  Anybody else tired of the politcal season yet?!  I miss the sixties.

"The Independent"

The young republican isn't going to convince this guy of anything!

I did this to experiment with alkyd paints.

The old homestead,...

This is an ink and colored pencil drawing from the sketchbook.  If you don't have time for anything else,...just keep drawing!

Cloud Christopher and The Don Kenn Gallery,...

"Cloud Christopher"

I call this "Cloud Christopher" because it guided me all the way home from Mondovi to Eau Claire one night.  It kept the same basic shape, but the evening light transformed it into something different every minute.  

I like this photo, but the real reason I'm posting tonight is to make certain you don't miss my links section.  Tonight I added a link to the Don Kenn Gallery.  You have to check these drawings out!  They're amazing!  From what I've  read, these are all done on post-it notes!  Crawl around on the net and you can read more of this amazing artist's story.  As you can see, I have a lot of links, but I could add so many more.  The artwork out there is amazing.  One site leads to another.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!  Don 

From the sketchbook,...

"The Wall Flower"

"Lead Singer"

"R. Crumb and Phil"

Two paintings and a drawing,...

"Antlers" 17 x 15 acrylic on board

"Dugan Valley" 9 x 11 3/4 acrylic on watercolor paper

"Moose Ridge" 8 1/4 x 12 pencil & ink

Three paintings,...

 "Burning Barrels, Hovey Valley" 9 x 12 acrylic on canvas
This is an invented landscape based on my memory of Hovey Vallery northeast of Gilmanton, Wi.



                     "County Road TT, Buffalo County" 7 3/8 x 11 1/4 acrylic on watercolor paper

Southwest of Mondovi, Wi.

                                                 

"Landscape For Sam" 24 x 30 acrylic on canvas

I asked my son Sam to do a rough drawing on a blank canvas.  I told him I would show him how to make a painting out of it.  He lost interest, but I couldn't let it go!  His drawing was somewhat surreal, but it was fun!

Tree frog in the kitchen window,...

I took these two photos around suppertime last night.

Hmmm,....I've never eaten frog legs before!