Sunset on the Mississippi at Nauvoo

8x10, acrylic on canvas panel, © 2001 

Private Collection

5x7, water color plein-air sketch with pen and ink on paper, © 2001 

Collection of the Artist

On a visit to Nauvoo, Illinois, we were sitting waiting for the evening entertainment at Sunset on the Mississippi when the sky turned magnificent. I had a small watercolor studio and painted the scene and came home to develop the small acrylic painting above it.

Quince Rufus Pack

14x11, acrylic on canvas, © 2001
Collection of the Artist

We had a postage stamp size picture of Marge's great grandfather. It is a high contrast snapshot pasted in a genealogy book. I thought it would be great to bring him into color.

My Youth

16x20, acrylic on canvas, © 2000

Collection of the Artist 

Once in awhile inspiration comes from the dim recesses of the mind. This one came from a time our family went on a fishing trip to Henry's Lake. There were several photographs taken that day. I awoke one morning with the idea that I had to paint this piece. It is very autobiographical as I see myself shielded from the world and its entanglements that surround me. A great piece to bring to life.

Wasatch Peak

24x36, acrylic on canvas, © 1995
Collection of the Artist

One day on a business trip to Salt Lake Community College I was stricken by the nearby mountains and wished for a camera. I explored some promotional materials from the college and found a picture that was nearly what I saw, so this was based on that reference photo. If you can't live in the mountains at least you can look at them.

Scottish Castle

18x24, acrylic on canvas, © 1994

Collection of the Artist

I had painted the painting of the Izatt Cabin in Gem Valley for my wife's parents. Some time later her mother was making sure that her treasures went where she wanted them. She gave the painting to her son. I wanted her to have an original painting, and she had a poor print on the wall of this very Castle in Scotland. I painted this from another reference source and gave it to her. When people came to the home, they would ask, "How did you get something like that?" It seems that original paintings are unusual in peoples' homes.

Utah Monuments

18x24, acrylic on canvas, © 1993
Collection of the Artist

When looking for inspiration to paint, I look through all the photos that I have taken and then at the reference materials that I have on file from which one may surface as inspiration or as a challenge. This was one that surfaced as—"can I do that?" It was a great painting to work on just to see the image emerge from the canvas.

The reference source was a Union Pacific calendar.

LeGrande Light

18x24, acrylic on canvas, 1993
Collection of the Artist

Business trips take me to many places that I would not normally find for myself. In 1993 we were installing training for the Automated Train Control System (ATCS) and that took me to LeGrande, Oregon. After the day's activity, I took a drive into the nearby mountains, and on a small logging road found this light.

Big Cottonwood Canyon Morning

16x20, acrylic on canvas, © 1993
Collection of the Artist

We camped in the Big Cottonwood Canyon as part of a family reunion. We were taking my daughter to college on that trip. I went looking for light and found this. It has been an enduring favorite for me.

Grand Teton Barn

16x20, acrylic on canvas, © 1992

Private Collection

One of the most photographed barns in the world is at Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This was derived from such a photo.

Sunset Pond

12x9 acrylic on canvas board, © 1990
Private Collection

When I had a make-shift studio in the basement, I wanted to paint something. I went down one evening to find something to paint. I decided to derive a painting form a Walter Foster painting book "Landscapes You Can Paint" written by William Palluth. I painted it to learn the techniques that were being presented in the book. Marge came down when I started to paint and 90 minutes later when I had finished. Size and using a work that had some problems worked out helped with the time.

Gem Valley Canal at Grace

16x20, acrylic on canvas, © 1990
Collection of the Artist

One fun thing that we did on our annual visits to Grace, Idaho to visit my in-laws was to walk up to the Canal and skip rocks from the wooden bridge that crossed the water. This little falls was over some lava rock within sight of the bridge.

When we went back in 2007, we found that the water had been re-channeled and the small falls no longer exist. I went to the middle where the falls had been and picked up a piece of black lava rock which is now in the rock garden around the fountain in our back yard.

My wife's mother was showing someone a picture of the painting, and the fellow wanted a copy. He had it blown up and hung on his wall. That spot was where he was baptized into the Church as a young person before they had fonts in buildings.

Old Stagecoach Road Stream

24x36, acrylic on canvas, © 1989
Collection of the Artist

This subject was taken on a trip to Colorado Springs to see my brother. Our family went up to Pikes Peak and on one road—Old Stagecoach Road—we saw this scene. It was just right—the light I mean. This was the last one that I painted at Halsey with Tim Saska. He demonstrated some of the foliage in the middle ground. A principle that he taught here was that you have to have areas of darkness so that the viewer has somewhere to go in the painting. He also added some of the colors from the foreground into the trees to harmonize the painting. I also remember finishing it at home after the workshop.

A fellow who came to our house for dinner was talking to me about what I did. I told him, and I said that I painted also. He said, "Oh, what do you paint?" I said, "Well, I painted this one." He got up and took a closer look at the brush work. He said that he had wondered why I had a "cardboard" painting in the home. I took that as a compliment.

Montana Stream

18x24, acrylic on canvas, © 1989
Collection of the Artist

This subject was taken from a railroad calendar and painted at the Halsey Art Workshop with Tim Saska. Tim demonstrated some of the shadows and trees in the background. It was great working with Tim and watching the demonstrations with other students.

Desoto Bend

18x24, acrylic on canvas, © 1989
Collection of the Artist

I took a picture on a beautiful autumn day at the Desoto Bend Wildlife Refuge. I went to Halsey to study with Tim Saska, a painter from Lubbock, Texas. I had seen his work in the Artist's Magazine and wanted to see him work. Tim helped by demonstrating some leaves in the foreground trees. I learned that acrylic paint, to work well, must not be too liquid. That is so that you can drag the paint and let the support do most of the work for you. A great lesson. Tim has since passed—it was great to paint with him.

Geese over Flathead Lake

24x36, acrylic on canvas, © 1987

Private Collection

The painting was derived from photos provided by Terry and Beth Pack. These had meaning to them, and I stitched them together and made a composition from the resultant panoramic picture.

The Fishing Trip

11x14, acrylic on canvas, 1986 

Private Collection

This painting is a historical picture of my parents before they were married—that was taken when they were on a fishing trip in Idaho. It was a fun picture to see and was also one that my father enjoyed immensely.

The Milk Run in Gem Valley

11x14, acrylic on canvas, © 1985
Private Collection

This is a painting from an historical photograph of my wife's mother and her mother, Orpha Izatt, at a neighbor's ranch. It was a favorite of a niece, and she wanted it painted in color. It was a fun piece to paint—all the gray wood. I submitted it to the L. D. S. Church competition. It passed the first jury but did not make it to the final exhibit.

When I painted it, I had finished everything but the face of the woman. My wife was concerned that I would not make it right and spoil the painting. I really just painted my wife's portrait as she looks so similar to her grandmother, and it worked out okay.

The Pierce Home on Hamilton

11x14, acrylic on canvas, © 1985

Private Collection

A secretary at the railroad wanted a house portrait in pen and ink or watercolor. I tried to make a drawing but ended up with a painting of her house. I removed some poles and things in the foreground, which is why a photograph did not work. I believe that the house was on east Hamilton Street.

Colorado Rockies

18x24, acrylic on canvas, © 1984
Private Collection

A compilation of two photographs. One was sent to us from a friend who lived in Colorado and another in the Boys Town area in Omaha, Nebraska.

    Albeit a little chalky, it is a time of learning and application of things learned. I see things that are relevant to other paintings and opportunities to paint with other artists. There are things I would do differently now, but imperfectionism has gifts to give us.

    A timeline to be creative is a problem for me. That happened in this painting. Because I was painting so infrequently at this time, I had to relearn every time I picked up a brush. That and controlling yellow were my battlegrounds.

Nebraska Boys Town

18x24, acrylic on panel, © 1984
Collection of the Artist

Near 132nd and Pacific Streets as one exits the Trendwood development, I saw this scene over and over. At times beautiful—at times not. I determined that I would paint it. I went back on an overcast day and took some photos from which this was painted. I took it to the Southwest Area Art Club critique night, and the person critiquing commented that there should be more depth and about the awkwardness of the dead tree limb in the foreground.

I probably should have gone back and fixed the problems, but I would always rather learn from a painting and then paint a new one with that knowledge built in.