Tribute - Nightfall

This painting is inspired by a mix of scenes: Isaac Asimov's "Nightfall" story, the classic science fiction artwork of the book "Cycles of Fire" from the late 1980's, and my experience watching the sun set and the Milky Way fade into view at Death Valley. The stars were painted using an old toothbrush and a watery mix of paint; I held the brush close to the painting and gave the bristles a slow flick to produce the scattered light of countless stars bit by bit.

Here, in a dry region of an Earth-like world, we see the sun set and a single constellation with millions of stars fade into view. The blazing light of a huge globular star cluster dominates the night sky with its warm glow. What legends of the stars would form on a world like this?

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Snowy Sequoia Solitude

Continuing the theme of isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, here we have a different take on the concept. A lone, ancient sequoia stands in a snowy forest in the Sierra Nevada mountains, far away from civilization. While there are other trees around, none of them have experienced all that this mighty tree has in its thousand or more years of life, so it is still alone, in a way.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

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"