Pine Trees in the Snow

Winter will be here soon, though it will be longer before there's any snowfall. But in the northern pine forests, snow already blankets the ground and glows in the low-angle sunlight. Amid the cold beauty, the warmth of even a winter sun is welcome.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Solar Echoes: Science-Fiction RPG

Over the past few years, a friend and I worked on designing and publishing our own tabletop science fiction RPG. We wanted to create a fast, fun game system that encouraged players to plan out their tactics and work as a team, and I believe we've achieved those goals. The game universe is inspired by all the classics of science fiction, but it clearly has its own identity and works well for any campaign setting, ranging from gritty, street-level special forces operations, to "high science fiction" with exploration across vast reaches of space and epic combat between deadly starships.

My own role in this game ranged from helping design the rules and creating missions to supplying the digital space art that fills a 2-page, full color spread at the beginning of each chapter in the core rulebooks. It was a fun experience, and the game is now available for purchase in both physical and digital forms.

Check out the website at: http://www.solarechoes.com/solarechoes/

Enjoy a grand mix of great artwork and fun gaming!

Late November Afternoon

Autumn's glory fades in the late light of a warm November afternoon. Soon, a cold evening will descend over the forest, and snow will follow in the weeks to come. This scene was an interesting one to paint since it is first time I've tried painting a backlit landscape (not counting sunsets) where the viewer is looking directly into the sun.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Stormy Autumn Road

Storm clouds and tree tops are illuminated by the setting sun along a peaceful road in autumn. For the second year in a row, a hurricane threatens the Mid-Atlantic states in fall, prompting me to paint this scene before all the autumn leaves are blown away on the winds.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Autumn Leaves Above

Autumn is swiftly on its way to this part of the country, and the trees are starting to change colors. In a few weeks, golden, crimson, and orange leaves will be lit up against cold blue skies all around the area - a magnificent contrast of color!

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Patapsco: Autumn Rail Valley

There's a small valley near the railroad tracks and a popular hiking trail in Patapsco state park. The tracks sit up on a hill that sweeps in from the left, forming a small valley filled with trees that turn beautiful colors in the fall.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Natural Bridge, Virginia

Back in 2004 on our way to the Smoky Mountains, my brother and I visited the Natural Bridge of Virginia. This amazing wonder of the world is a classical subject for landscape painters - enjoy!

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Hazy Summer Morning Walk

As August rolls on, the worst of the summer heat fades away, leaving hazy mornings well suited for a walk amid the trees and fields. The goal here was to handle a mix of greens with subtle hues and variations; the misty background trees provide a nice backdrop to the contrast created by the shadows of the foreground trees.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Evening Fields and Trees

Evening casts long shadows across forgotten fields and trees. I love the pinks, purples, and flecks of orange that color the clouds near sunset, and the sky is the showpiece in this scene. The low-angle light provides nice contrast in the trees, each lit up with bits of gold.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Hilltop Giants in Spring

Ancient conifers stand in a hillside clearing on a cool and sunny day as a faint breeze stirs their branches. It can be tricky to create a good sense of scale in a painting - how does one convey the concept of a tree that stands over 200-feet tall on a canvas less than 2-feet tall? Relative sizing works well, as does putting in extra detail - the mind reads the thick, fluted and gnarled trunks as large and ancient.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Sycamore Drive

Towering sycamores glow in the sun as afternoon shadows are cast along an old country road. The light worked out very well in this painting - the shadows from the trees on the left contrast well with the illuminated sycamores on the right, providing a feeling of late afternoon. The trees and road worked out particularly well here, and the scene has a good sense of depth to it despite not actually stretching on for miles.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

May Storm in the Mountains.

It's that time of year again, when thunderstorms echo through the rolling mountains and valleys of the Appalachians. The old trees on a hilltop stand against a dark sky as the wind builds before the storms. Rolling hills are a fun subject, and once one has visited this part of the country, the place will stay with you for a lifetime.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Niagara Falls - Canadian Falls

Back in the summer of 2003, my brother and I visited Niagara Falls. This painting of the huge Canadian Falls goes along with the earlier one of the American Falls.

Acrylic Painting: 14" x 17"

Niagara Falls - American Falls

Back in late summer of 2003, my brother and I visited Niagara Falls, and it was an amazing sight and a great vacation. This bold painting is based upon a photo I toke from the Maid of the Mist boat, which passes near the base of both of the Falls.

Acrylic Painting: 14" x 17"

Golden Trees and Reflections

This autumn view was inspired by a photo in this month's WetCanvas Landscape Challenge thread. Scenes like this one are common along many of the rivers and streams in the eastern United States in the autumn since so many kinds of trees, from hickories to sycamores to tulip poplars, turn shades of copper and gold in the fall.

Acylic painting: 14" x 17"

Sycamores by the River

This painting is actually a very old one that I reworked to bring it up to my current standards. Unlike many of my old paintings, this one had a good composition and generally decent color selection, so it could be built upon and improved. The original painting was far too dark and shadowy (that was how I painted back in the day), and the water needed more detail and reflected light. Fortunately, the changes were easy to make - the old painting is shown below as a comparison.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

First Snowfall in the Smokies

We haven't had much snow here on the east coast this winter, and so I figured I'd paint a scene somewhere in the Smoky Mountains where snowfall is more common, even in early winter. Enjoy!

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Onondaga Lake with Snow

There hasn't been an inch of snow here in Maryland all winter, so I had to turn to other parts of the country for inspiring winter scenery. This painting was based upon a photo I found along the shore of Onondaga Lake outside of Syracuse, New York. It's a beautiful part of the country, provided you like snow in the winter.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"