Just to break up the landscapes I painted this rainbow trout. It was a fun change of pace, a lot of paint manipulation and experimenting. The painting difficult to capture with a photograph so I am including a closeup that is more inline with the feel of the painting.
Both of my recent paintings of rainbow trout. I was starting to put together a small collection of them but now one of them has sold via Instagram so the collection is already not a collection… I am not complaining I am pleased there is an interest!
Apparently I am doing a little series of trout paintings! This was not my plan but was inspired by some 10” paintings I created a bit over a year ago. Fish are an intriguing subject with their slick metallic skin and smooth curves. This second painting is also 14”x11”.
This is a 14”x11” acrylic painting. There is an intriguing quality to the slick silvery body of a trout, it makes for a compelling subject. They are one of the creatures that live in that big body of water I have become fairly obsessed with so it is nice to pay tribute to the mighty rainbow trout.
After setting up my art show in Baker City, Oregon I found myself with a free morning. I drove up to Phillips Reservoir and took an easy 4 mile hike.
A beautiful area with open meadows sprinkled with sagebrush. Forests of ponderosa pine, tamarack and fir trees. Stunning snow capped peaks and a lovely lake to top it off!
I rarely see bluebirds, they are beautiful elusive birds that love my kind of country. Today I saw dozens of bluebirds, an otter, eagles and hundreds of ground squirrels.
This 16″x16″ acrylic painting was inspired by the valley south of Flathead Lake in Montana. Ninepipe National wildlife refuge is a large bird sanctuary in that great big valley.
I drove to Montana to see the National Bison Range. I had not been there since I was in my early 20’s. Unfortunately a lot of the park was closed but it was still worth the short road trip. Amazing country alive with wildlife! I took a lot of reference photos and will definitely go back in the spring to see the baby Bison!
I am on a slight side track of late. Working on a few images of rainbow trout. This is an acrylic painting 10″x10″.
This is a painting I did ages ago. I was painting over a very coarse texture created with modeling paste.
I have always been a fan of bison, though they are a tragic symbol.
This is a video of a Great Blue Heron flying with a fish in it’s beak.
I have never seen a heron grab a fish in the middle of a lake. They are big wading birds that wonder along shorelines. They frequently stand still for extended periods and can be easy to miss, blending with limbs and vegetation. I spotted this particular heron hundreds of feet from shore flapping around in a frenzied manner on the surface of the lake. When it finally left the water it flew towards me and I could see it had captured a pretty good meal! It is a little tricky spotting the fish from the iPhone video but I would guess it was well over a foot long.
A long weekend at Lake Pend Oreille. Always great to get away and spend time with Mother Nature.
I went on a six mile hike that reminded me of my age and questionable physical condition. I was rewarded with solitude, a sense of accomplishment and wildlife. I saw moose droppings. I flushed three white tail deer. Enjoyed the chattering of squirrels along with the lonely call of a varied thrush.
I hope everyone had a great weekend!
