Part of the Environment
— Design aspect of an animal and the human space is combined to create an iconic image
— Merging wildlife with design
— Bringing an exterior aspect of the human environment into the interior space
— References from snapshot images from the trail camera; minimal human intervention
— Sketch-like quality to show their fleeting nature; the animal is there and then its gone.
A Primordial Dream (recently sold at Mark Bettis Studio and Gallery)
In Depth (recently sold at Mark Bettis Studio and Gallery)
Faraway
The first completed painting from references taken in the Grand Canyon. Faraway, 16” x 20”, acrylic and ink on canvas, 2022, Mark Bettis Studio and Gallery.
A golden glaze of ink was cast on the final stage of the painting to give it a uniform cast and a surreal, dangerous atmosphere.
The beginning…
Starting off the canyon expedition series in gold— an aged tone with dramatic lighting.
— An 8” x 10” painting of my view from the raft while the sun was starting to set. The shadows close in on us and the temperature dramatically decreases as the darkness envelopes the canyon walls. It felt as though we were chasing the light for that last bit of warmth of the day.
— The light sits on the canyon walls to reveal the strange contours, like water that’s been frozen as it flows down the cliffs. There’s a rhythmic balance of structure and fluidity, as the rock plateaus and then flows again, cascading down to the edge of the river.
— 48” x 72”… they have to be large paintings. A view from the river looking up at the gigantic rock formations. The walls almost appear to move in real time.
— An 8” x 10” study of the light hitting the canyon wall.
—20” x 20” painting of Lava Rapids (class 9)— the last of the giant rapids on the expedition through the canyon. Scouting view. In progress.
— Using the tone of From an Old World for the canyon. The moodiness translates well to a wild and dangerous landscape. It also processes as something ancient or aged.
Rover
Rover, 36” x 48”, acrylic on canvas, 2021
Using a reference from my trail camera on my property in Marshall, NC. Black bear are more elusive around rural areas and the only way for me to consistently capture an undisturbed image is through the camera trap. I love painting an isolated moment in the wild.
Texture, color, light and detail
Taken from the bottom of the Grand Canyon— the ultimate references for rock formations
