Exoplanet - Red Dwarf Transit

Things have been going rather poorly on Earth lately (in America in particular), so this painting takes us someplace far away. We stand on a slushy, terrestrial planet at the outer reaches of its star's habitable zone. The sun here is a blazing red dwarf that looms above us, casting a ruddy, warm glow across snowy hills and a cold lake. Other worlds dance through their orbits in the sky, with one planet transiting the star as we watch. Total eclipses cannot happen here, but transits of other planets are a regular occurrence. To put it in perspective, a star system around a red dwarf is about the same size as the moon system around Jupiter, so with little optical aid, one could see details on the other worlds. Red dwarf stars live a very long time, so perhaps life will evolve someday on this cold planet.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Old Autumn Sycamores

As fall spreads over the land, a chill breeze starts to turn the leaves to fiery colors and the grass to dried earth tones. Here, we see a pair of old sycamores at the edge of a scrubby forest. These ancient guardians have been here far longer than the young trees around them, and they face yet another coming winter stoically. Low light plays across their gnarled, pale trunks, and their leaves glow with copper colors before blowing away in the cold wind.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Rocky Autumn Foothills

 
When we think of autumn, the most common images that come to mind are the fiery colors of New England or the golden aspens in the high elevations of the west. This painting explores a different region. Here, we see the cottonwood trees in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains as they turn yellow in the chill autumn air. Every tree is precious here, for dry grasslands are the norm, and the change of seasons is always beautiful even in unexpected places. 

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Fleeting Summer Days

 
As August rolls on, the days are becoming shorter, and summer is winding down. Back to school sales are in full swing, and the first fall leaves can be seen on a few vines and understory trees here and there. But for now, let us enjoy one last day at the beach, far from work and crowds. Watch the sun swing low amid a cloudy sky, illuminating the waves in gleaming light.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Waterlily Trail

 

As the summer heat grows beneath a blazing sun, let us visit a marshland where the water flows and droughts aren't a worry. Here in lazy stream, waterlilies bloom in pink and reddish hues, catching the summer sun. 

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Dusty Prairie Storm

 

Spring this year throughout most of the US has been plagued by severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flooding. Summer has now begun, bringing with it a terrible heat wave and early tropical storms. As bad as the severe weather is, storms can bring rain to drought-stricken regions, and they are beautiful when they are not dangerous. Here, we see some late afternoon thunderstorms billowing over the dry hills and grasslands typical of the plains and western US. 

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Francis Scott Key Bridge - Twilight

In the early morning hours of March 26, 2024, the huge cargo ship Dali lost steering and torn through the western support pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge outside of Baltimore's harbor. In seconds, the bridge collapsed, sending six men to their deaths and forever changing the city's skyline. Some things seem so permanent; you'd never expect them to be gone.

This may be the most difficult painting I've ever created. I rarely paint cityscapes or architecture since fine details and complex perspectives are overly challenging. On top of that, the Key Bridge was a local icon with clearly defined features - I can't just create a generic bridge in its place. Finally, the bridge's main structure was an overwhelming lattice of trusses, something well outside the norm of what I paint - a maze of detail that can only be suggested and not actually drawn in fully. I hope I did it justice. 

Here, we see the bridge on an evening like any other with the lights of Baltimore's harbor in the background and peaceful sunset clouds in the sky. While it was just a bridge, I will miss it. Its distinctive arch could be seen from afar and welcomed me back to Baltimore. May those who lost their lives that dark morning rest in peace. 

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"