Still hot august nights

And the weather has actually gone up a few notches so we do have hot august nights. All kinds of interesting people come to these events ... and always lots of biker people. Bikers are not all bad... just like all other kinds of folks .... no one group is all bad. I captured this guy in the midst of lively conversation with some of his friends in downtown Reno.... discussing cars no less ... they are everywhere.

Oil on canvas 6c8

Who dat?

Practicing oil painting is always fun .... many times it does not come out all that good and sometimes it does. Sometimes it is all in the eyes of the beholder. Sometimes in the eyes of the artist. It's fun practicing on family members ... they may not always like it but the experiments is fun.

Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes ... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. ... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things. ... They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do." Steve Jobs

hahahahaha  :-)

oil on canvas 4x6

Guardians

At the hot August nights hundreds of people bring their cars.... then sit and wait, guarding their machines and carefully watching over .... sometimes from a distance, sometimes from right beside the vehicle. I happen to capture this couple sitting in the shade over against a building.... they don't miss a thing.

 Oil on canvas  6x8

Hot August Nights

The month of August is Hot August Nights in Reno.... that is simply a celebration of old cars, hot rods and restored vehicles. A Sight to behold too be sure. I walked downtown one day to see what was actually going on. Cars everywhere and roads blocked. For those walking it was OK. I took some pictures from which I will be making sketches and small paintings.

oil on canvas 5x7

Sketch from Teton River

One day while sitting on the west bank of the Teton river near Driggs I sketched this picture. While some of the pictures are not the best it does implant a vivid memory so that I will not forget the place nor the circumstances. It was a fun day. At this place a man walked by, a German fellow, and explained that right down the bend, within eyesight, is where the elk herd crosses and that this very area is where people come to see much wildlife. That was exciting. Nice to talk to the locals.

oil on canvas 5x7

A Man called Scott

I recently attended one of Scott Christensen's awesome  workshops up in the Grand Teton region.
Scott's demo and teachings are really great. I was glad to have been able to make the trip... it was on my bucket list :-)   Had a great time with some fine folks and wonderful artists.
Did this little sketch of Scott  .... 5x7 ..... hope he isn't looking now

 oil on canvas 5x7

Everybody's sweetheart

Full of vim and vigor... that's our little girl. Who could help loving that little face

Oil on canvas  6x8

A girl I Love

We all like to paint pictures of favorite people... the one's we love. Sometimes they don't come out perfect but we keep trying...then one day it will all come together. This is the best I can do for now but it does remind me of her if there are no photographs close at hand and she's far away. I'll keep working on it.

oil on canvas 6x8

Grand Teton National Park

Took a trip to the Grand Teton National Park in July and had a fabulous time. Watched demos by the great Scott Christensen and got out to paint at local spots. The main object of plein air painting is to have fun and enjoy the process whether the results are good or not so good  :-) The local plain air painting did not go too well for me but I got some good visual memories and insights.
The first picture is my sketchbook paintings... oil on canvas paper 3x4. I had to repaint these and rely on memory a lot.

Most of the following were from memory and photos but one is actually a plein air painting. All the pictures using photos as a reference are adaptations since I rarely copy photos exactly and I am still trying out different styles. These are oil on canvas paper and oil on linen, 6x8 and 5x7 in size. The young man is Lyle Wu, a 15 year old who is an excellent artist and still in high school. A fine young man.