Announcing my new calendar for 2012.   Visit my online store to purchase.

After the concentrated effort needed to prepare for an art show, it can feel so good to unwind after the show is over.  I took a short time to “play” with oils, deciding that fun would come in the effort to loosen up mind and body and just wildly swish paint all around!

I did a few studies, and gave myself time limits on each one (of about two hours), to force my brain to edit visual information and paint from the heart.  The pieces are small,  simple and splashy.   The following are the results:

This next one took a wee bit longer…a little study of my crazy dog Kippy…

I haven’t done a painting from my trips to beloved Africa for awhile so I decided that the time has come!   The Cheetah has the distinction of being my favorite of all the big cats.   What an amazing specialist they are.   They are poetry and grace in motion.  And even when lounging on a rock pile or termite mound, they still exude a fragile, perfectly designed power.   This Cheetah only seconds before was lounging on rocks, dozing in what is left of the late-day sun.   But a hunter can never fully sleep.  A sound in the distance interests the cheetah enough to sit up and take notice.   Is it time to stretch those long lean muscles in preparation for a 60 mph dash for dinner?   Or is the sound insignificant, warranting one to go back to napping again?

“Spots on the Rocks”   Acrylic on masonite (12″ x 18″)

I’ve been painting up a little storm this fall and winter.   Below are some new paintings!

This first painting was inspired by time spent on my beloved kayak this past fall.  Belted Kingfishers are one of my very favorite birds.  They are notoriously difficult to photograph, as they are flilghy and frankly kind of spastic.  They love to tease and taunt photographers.   I’ve been very lucky to get fairly close to some of them in my boat.

The Kingfisher below is a female.  She has just caught a minnow in a cove on a nearby lake.  She will gulp it down VERY quickly so that other Kingfishers in the area won’t have a chance to steal it from her!

“Maid of the Mist”

(Belted Kingfisher)   11″ x 14″ acrylic on masonite.

“Here Kitty-Kitty”

(Cougar)   11″ x 14″ acrylic on masonite.

This painting was done to pay tribute to one of North America’s great predators.  The epitome of secrecy and stealth, cougars are now being found in areas far east of where they are normally expected.  They can live right under our noses without our notice.

“Breakfast Berries”

(American Robin)  9″ x 12″ acrylic on masonite.

I often refer to robins as “mind their own business birds”.    They are in just about every backyard east of the rocky mountains.  Although common, I think they are beautiful birds and love their way of staying out of the “drama” often caused between other bird species.  Robins just go about their business and stay out of trouble.

This painting was inspired by watching robins gorging on berries this past fall.  I loved the idea of doing a painting that used largely one side of the color wheel (red, orange and yellow).    This Robin is just about to snatch a berry.  If you blink, you’ll miss it! 

My new wildlife art calendars for 2011 are now available.  The images included in this years calendar are viewable below.

Calendars are available for purchase through  my online store.   Enjoy!