Another catch up post (multiple paintings)

I have been concentrating my spare time in designing a website and other activities. I have, however, done a few paintings here and there. It is time to post them.

TELLICO RIVER

This is painted from reference taken on the Tellico River in the Cherokee National Forest near Tellico Plains, TN. I laid down a watercolor foundation and added gouache (opaque watercolor) to bring out the fall colors.

HIGHWAY 40 BLUES

This is a scene I have noticed countless times and wanted to paint. I love the distance, the shadows and the lonely feeling of a long highway.

HILLOCK, MOUSETAIL LANDING

I sat in a camp chair and painted this during a cold boy scout trip to Mousetail Landing state park in Tennessee.

RIVERWOOD LANE

Afternoon shadows and fall colors caught my attention on this typical street in my neighborhood.

TENNESSEE RIVER VIEW

I took a wrong turn trying to meet up with the rest of the boy scout troop and wound up here. I decided to go ahead and do a quick painting while I was lost.

AUTUMN TREE BANK

My family took a little trip to a trail near our house. I stopped near a pond and rendered this.

TULLAHOMA APPLEBY'S

Christmas season 2013…I left a family reunion behind for a little while and drove to this empty parking lot and found some interesting colors and shadows.

TULLAHOMA SIDEYARD

I drove around Tullahoma during our annual visit to the inlaws and found this nice composition near an old school.

Auburn Afternoon

My son is a sophomore at Auburn University. I designed this painting based on a photo I took there some time ago. The two students walking are based on a drawing I did looking at another photo. I used a base painting of watercolor and added some gouache.

War Eagle!

Posting Catch Up

I have neglected to post all my paintings here. This post will be a catch up.

Here is a 5 x 7 painting I did while sitting in my car in Tullahoma, Tennessee. It is an abandoned house along the side of the road. While I painted it a jogger came by and asked if I needed any help. I told him what I was doing and he jogged on down the road, leaving me with, "God bless you."

"Abandoned"

This one is based on an old photo I had of my boys and their cousins. I decided to try my hand at oils once again and did this 6 x 6 inch rendition. Those are my boys on either side and their cousins in the middle.

"The Cousins Are Coming"

Small Cascade, Algonquin Park, Canada

Here is another painting inspired by my recent canoeing/backpacking trip to Canada. We found our island campsite and put up our tents etc... Then we canoed to a nearby island where there were waterfalls and rapids. This is one of the smaller side cascades away from the main surge of water.

Another painting from Tellico Plains Trip...Steer Creek Road

Another painting from our recent trip. This is the road off of the main highway where we turned off to find our cabin. I tried to get permission to paint on site, but was unable to find any landowners at home. So I contented myself with some photo reference.

Trip To Tellico Plains, Tennessee

August 2013 - We just got back from a trip to east Tennessee near the Cherokee National Forest. We stayed in a cabin near Tellico Plains and I enjoyed the time I had to paint. 

 Bald River Falls

The falls drop over 100 feet. My 16 year old son climbed up and jumped off at a point around 24 feet from the bottom. My goal was to capture the feel of the swift water and the subtle shadows and other dark places.

 View from Huckleberry Bald

We walked a trail through woods and meadows to reach the top of this 5600 foot mountain. A "bald" is an appalachian phenomenon still unexplained in which some of the mountain tops are devoid of trees. We walked through the grassy trail listening to the hum of thousands of bumblebees enjoying the red and white clover blossoms. The woods were full of huckleberries and blueberries. The view, of course, was spectacular.

 Sycamores By The Creek

This is the creek that wound around our cabin.

 Towhee Falls

This is one of the many beautiful waterfalls in the nearby hills. We had it all to ourselves. I painted while my wife and sons explored and read. Those overhanging leaves are rhododendron.

Mossy

This one is already sold...or at least has a claim on it. I walked away from the campsite into a more dark woodsy area and found this little scene. I was attracted to the textures and contrasts and the idea of the cycle of life.