Isolation - Humphreys Peak

The theme for the past month or so has been one of isolation and social distancing in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. So, I figured I'd paint a scene related to that theme based upon a photo taken on my most recent trip out west in last June. Here, we see Humphreys Peak in the distance - the tallest mountain in Arizona - from somewhere in the desolate, empty lands between Antelope Canyon and the Grand Canyon. While the mountain and the city of Flagstaff are both around 100 miles away in this view, there is basically nothing around us; it's about as "socially distant" as one can get. This painting was both challenging and easy to paint for the same reason - there's essentially nothing in the scene aside from crumbling desert rocks, some brush, and the distant mountains under floating clouds and a blue sky.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Old Redbuds New Spring

After a warm and snowless winter, the flowers are all blooming early in Maryland. At the edge of a forest, we can see several old redbuds amid the yellow forsythia blooming to greet a new spring.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17" (SOLD)

Updated painting information

A quick note: all paintings displayed on my blog have been updated to list if they are already framed and if they've already been sold. You can find this information at the bottom of the entry for the painting on this website.

Crossroads of Winter

Winter is a season of contrasts and changes, marked by the passage of time. One year passes to another, the weather wanders between harmless and brutal, and fiery skies oppose the frozen earth. Here, in a wooded park after a modest snowfall, we stand at the crossroads of winter, contemplating the various paths in all directions and marveling at the eerie contrast around us.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17" (SOLD)

From Glacier Point in Winter

This painting was inspired by my trip to Yosemite in 2018. Here, from the Glacier Point overlook, we see the high Sierra mountains in winter, with sunlight gleaming off Half Dome in the distance. Clouds float above, illuminated by the winter sun, the only warmth in this cold and wild landscape. This was an interesting painting since it ended up far more high-contrast and tonal than most of my works, but it's an accurate reflection of the overwhelming contrast between light and shadow on Half Dome most of the time.

Acrylic painting; 14" x 17"

Grandfather Mountain - autumn evening

In early October, I visited my brother and his family down in Charlotte, NC. While I was down there, we all took a day trip out to see Grandfather Mountain, a well-known site in western North Carolina. This impressive mountain has a double peak that is over a mile in elevation; while it was cloudy that day, it was still a great trip. We saw huge rocks, countless trees starting to turn fall colors, and hiked up a rocky trail to the swinging bridge near the top that is about a mile up. At the peak, even with the clouds, you can feel just how rugged and remote a place it is. We finished up at the visitor's center, which was large and very well maintained, complete with a cafeteria, museum, gift shop, and occasional live animal demos. This painting captures the rugged, split peak of this famous mountain in its autumn colors. If you're ever in the area of Grandfather Mountain, it is well-worth a visit.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Bryce Canyon - Stormy Day

This scene was another inspired by my trip out to the canyons of the West this year. When we visited Bryce Canyon, distant rain storms could be seen, casting a thin veil of rain over the far-away cliffs. This was another very challenging scene to paint. There is tremendous depth to the scene, and one can't simply hide the mid-ground behind trees since you're standing on the rim of a canyon, looking over the middle distance. Next, Bryce Canyon has distinctive colors and rock formations, but trying to paint the spires of countless hoodoos vanishing into the distance would be an exercise in futility; I was able suggest at the shapes of the rocks and trees, and I think that worked out pretty well. Finally, getting the foreground to look right wasn't easy until I settle on letting it mostly be in shadow so it stood out from the very bright rocks beyond. In all, this was not an easy painting, but I'm happy with the results - I think it captures the vast scale of the scene and looks like Bryce Canyon.

Acrylic Painting: 14" x 17"