Cowboy Dragonfly Riders

I've been working on these lately as I have had several good captures of dragonflies in the field next to where I live and thought it would be cool to put some of the cowboys I have from the Reno Cattle Drive riding them. I have strange dreams, what can I say? Here is what I have created so far.

Dragon Rider

 Cowboy Bee Roping

Western Snake Doctor

I started by putting each one in a setting by itself and now I can add all these guys into one composition. I am working on one with multiple characters in it right now, I just need to find a good background. Maybe a saloon?

Saytr painting complete.

I nitpicked a little today but I am pretty happy with this one so its done. I added some protruding spine shapes and refined some shadows and highlights that were bothering me.

Fine Art Prints are available on my website and the original will be at the Reno River Fest in August.

Here it is:

Saytr

 

New Painting WIP "Saytr" 3

I broke out the oil paints today and worked glazes all over the painting. I'm liking where it's at right now and will probably do a little nit picking detail work tomorrow and it will be done. 

Here it is right now.

To see the step by step process to get here read on after the break.

New Painting WIP "Saytr"

Here is the painting as it sits on my easel this morning.

I think I will switch over to water based Artisan paints from this point on so I can

 do glazing and some wood graining on the head easier.

To see the step by step process to get to this point read on after the break.

If you have some time you can check out more of my work on my website.

New Digital Work in Progress: Entrance to Khazad-dûm 2

I've added more to my new work. here it is as of right now.

To see the step by step process read on after the break.

New Digital Work in Progress: Entrance to Khazad-dûm

I started a new Digital Art piece today. I was inspired by a rock outcropping I came across while walking my dog. It looked like a doorway into the rocks so I decided to make it become one.  Khazad-dûm was a Dwarf kingdom in Middle earth so I decided this was an entrance.

 

 Here is the image as it sits on my computer right now. 

To follow along the step by step process for creating this image read on after the break. 

I'm trying to decide what to do next, I like it as it is and think it would also look cool later in the evening or at night. We'll see how that plays out.

 

You can see more of my work and order Fine Art prints 

with a money back guarantee on my website. Check it out when you have the time. 

 

Rock Trolls in Nevada

There are a ton of rocks and boulders around where I live in Reno, Nevada and with the arrival of our new puppy, courtesy of the Nevada Humane Society, I have been taking an awful lot of walks around them. I decided that while was doing these walks I may as well take my camera and I have started to see faces in the rocks as well as in wood and have decided that people need to know about them. 

Well wait no longer here they are, Rock Trolls in Nevada!

Troll 1

Here are some of the rocks where we take our walks and some of the trolls are hidden in there.

 

 

Troll 2

Troll 3

Troll 4

 

 

 

Now that I know they are there Bella and I will keep watching for them as we explore the area.

Man Saves Nature- Work In Progress 3

 I added and subtracted a few items and here is where it stands as of right now. For details read below for step by step edits. 

Man Saves Nature- Work In Progress 2

This is the image at the time of this post, I am also thinking of different titles as I work on it. Like "The Spark of Life", "Wired", "The Birth of a Tree" or "Embryo" all probably taking the image in new directions. This could also end up as a series, who knows. Oh the life of an artist.

Read after the break for the steps up to this point.

The Phoenix Rises

I have entered a contest where I have to paint a Phoenix. I have never done a 

Phoenix before and it isn't usually my genre of subject but I really like
 the idea of painting fire so I thought I would give it a try.

 I will be posting a daily step by step process of the work and on the fly changes as they happen.

 I am working on an 18"x23" sheet of smooth watercolor paper and using acrylic paints.

The first step is very wet paper and thinned airbrush acrylic black
(Createx Wicked Colors) applied with a 2" synthetic brush.

While it was still very wet I used an old watercolor technique of throwing kosher salt into the wet paint and then letting it dry. I figured that would get me some cool fire-like texture under my later painting. Here is what I got.: