Cougar Peak #243

4.75" x 6.75" Acrylic on Paper

Today was a bit overcast, and where the sun had usually risen and blanketed the mountain in a bath of light, none of that could be seen this morning. Again I started this painting out with a pastel sketch, and then started in with my acrylics, trying to keep my value changes a bit more subtle, since there were no great contrasts today.

And once again this marks the end of another month, so I have included an image of thumbnails showing the month as a whole.....now onto September!!

Cougar Peak #242

4.75" x 6.75" Acrylic on Paper

I love these crisp late summer mornings, when you can feel the air bite into your skin and sting your nose, as the light crawls over the mountains and splashes light upon the peak. For this image I again used the same technique as I have for the last few paintings, first starting out with pastel and then working over the top of it with acrylics until I achieve my desired result.

Cougar Peak #241

4.75" x 6.75" Acrylic on Paper

The mountainside once again stood there as a majestic thing of beauty, just waiting to be painted. Once again I started this image out with pastel, and then from there proceeded to finish the painting with my acrylics. Tonight there were so many colors being displayed on the mountainside, as the sun slowly fell, that it was fun trying to capture bits of them before they vanished into the night.

Cougar Peak #240

4.75" x 6.75" Acrylic on Paper

Ahhhh...the bitter cold greeted me again this morning as I headed out the door to paint. The temperature was a brisk 35 degrees this morning, just a few degrees shy of cold death. Once we get a good frost, things will really begin to change and the ushering in of fall will have begun. For this painting I again worked with my acrylics, first doing a quick sketch with conte, sealing it with an acrylic varnish, and then painting over the top of that.

Cougar Peak #239

4.75" x 6.75" Acrylic on Paper

Again on the mountainside another beautiful evening as the warm rays of sunlight laid upon one side of the mountain. For this image I did a quick sketch of the mountain with a conte. I was mesmerized by the deep blue color that filled up the shadow side of the mountain, set against the warmer hues of green and orange that faced the sun.

Cougar Peak #238

4.75" x 6.75" Acrylic on Paper

Today the mountain was overshadowed by clouds, and the whole valley took on a gray stormy feeling. For this painting I started out by doing a quick sketch with my pastels. After the sketch was completed I came back in with my acrylics, glazing and adding a highlights, and adjusting values here and there.

Cougar Peak #237

4.75" x 6.75" Acrylic on Paper

I decided for today's painting to switch back over to my acrylics, it had been a while, so the change was nice, plus I needed to use my paints in my palette before they started growing some sort of new life form. Scraping off a thick layer of dried crusty paint, I started adding those crusts together and then applying color in big broad strokes onto my paper, that I had first under painted with burnt sienna. I then came back in over the top adding my hightlights and finishing touches.

Cougar Peak #236

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Paper

Another day, another beautiful morning on the mountainside. On today's painting I used an old worn out bristle brush, and started out my painting scrubbing deep and hard with it, thinning down my paint a bit. After I had my main shapes laid in, I came back in adding details, and applying a little bit thicker application of paint for the highlights.

Cougar Peak #235

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Paper

On this painting I did a bit more blending than I usually do, as I tried to capture the light as it climbed over the nearby mountains and bathed the peak in light. I like how the top of the mountain has a softer feel to it in places, and how the light transitions into the shadows on some spots instead of the hard edge.

Cougar Peak #234

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Paper

Today was most beautiful, and a perfect temperature for painting. The air and the light had almost a feel of fall to it....it is coming quickly, early this year I think. On this painting I again started out with a quick sketch using my paints, and from there blocked in my main value shapes, finishing with the highlights. The evening light as it hits upon the mountain is always just slightly different, but always beautiful.

Cougar Peak #233

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Paper

Today I woke up to more clouds and rain, and the mountain was pretty much obliterated by clouds. I started this painting out concentrating on the darker mountain shapes, cutting them in quickly. After that part was completed I came back in working in the clouds, and then finally putting in the tree, barn and field on the bottom.

Cougar Peak #232

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Paper

Again another day of blues, grays, and rain. In many ways a pleasant change from all of the heat, and the much needed moisture is always welcome. For this image I started out quickly roughing in the main shapes of the mountain, and from there blocking in my values, finally working on the details to finish up the image.

Cougar Peak #231

4.75" x 6.75" Digital

A change in the weather happened today and a rain shower moved in briefly covering the mountainside in lovely chaos. Everything got dark and dreary, the color palette changed, and for a brief spell it no longer felt like summer. I decide to work in Photoshop today, and I grabbed an oil painting I completed this weekend not related to Cougar Peak and used it as a base layer, sampling bits of color and texture. This can be a good way of starting sometimes when you have this big white canvas looking at you.

Cougar Peak #230

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Paper

There was a definite chill in the air this morning when I was out painting. You can feel fall wanting to creep in and put it's slow, but beautiful, strangle hold on the land. It won't be long and the sharp knives of a killing frost will stab and slice up those oh so delicate of leaves.

Cougar Peak #229

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Paper

I ended up doing this painting towards the very end of the day when just before the sun settled down behind the hills, throwing it's last rays of violet sunlight upon the hills. I was particularly drawn to these wonderful violet and orange hues, something that you can only catch in summer.

Cougar Peak #228

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Paper

Well, the smoke has finally decided to move in. We have been fortunate so far this summer not to have a lot of smoke, but the winds have changed today and have started to blow one of the nearby fires our way. I kept my oils dry and chunky for this one, spreading on paint vigorously as I attacked my paper, trying to keep things blended and hazy.

Cougar Peak #227

4.75" x 6.75" Pastel on Paper

For today's painting I wanted to capture a bit of that mid morning light, and again my pastels were calling to me. I started out by doing quick sketch in sort of a mid value blue. After that I laid in the lighter value on the canyon and then finally coming back in with my smaller value changes, highlights, tree, barn, etc..

Cougar Peak #226

4.75" x 6.75" Pastel on Paper

This is the first painting I did while puking sick with with a migraine headache. I can't say that it is the most enjoyable painting I have ever done, but.......it had to be done. I decided to work in pastel, because I could be fast and furious, and quick. Did I mention quick? I didn't have to wait for paint to day, mix paint, wash brushes...pretty much I can just basically attack the paper. Now if I can just get some rest, and attack tomorrow feeling fresh.

Cougar Peak #225

4.75" x 6.75" Digital

My computer was beckoning me for this painting, so I had no other choice but to listen to the call. I started the image out on a medium value blue and then worked my values up and down from there, first doing a quick sketch and then concentrating on the large shapes, working down smaller and tighter.

Cougar Peak #224

4.75" x 6.75" Gouache on Paper

For this painting I decided to work on a piece of kraft colored paper, which allows for a nice medium value to work off of. I did a quick sketch in pencil, letting it just lightly skim the paper. I then came in with my gouache, blocking in the canyon and the outline of the ridges, finishing it off with the hightlights, barn, tree, etc...

Cougar Peak #223

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Paper

It is hard to beat these beautiful summer evenings, and later on in the winter a person will think about those long nights, and the warm rays of light as they splash along the mountainside. I switched back to my oils tonight, this time working on the lighter value side and then end the end goin back in and putting in my darks, which is opposite of the way I usually work, but one must keep trying new things.... so they say.

Cougar Peak #222

4.75" x 6.75" Pastel on Paper

The morning had such a fresh feel to it, so I wanted to try and capture that a bit, and for some reason pastel just seemed right. The pastel colors are vibrant and it allows me to work fast and loose, laying in my shapes and lines really quickly. I started by laying out a quick loose sketch, and then from there went into blocking in some of the main shapes, all the while working quickly to keep the energy level up.

Cougar Peak #221

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Paper

Another beautiful evening, as the sunlight lays across the mountainside. I decided to work up this image in oils, once again switching around my mediums. Since there is not a lot of variation in the look of the mountain at the moment, changing mediums help me to keep it somewhat fresh and different from day to day.........these sunny hot days can't last forever, at least I wouldn't think so.

Cougar Peak #220

4.75" x 6.75" Acrylic on Paper

Finally a little bit of change in the weather...it has been quite the run of 100 degree weather, and blue skies everyday. Today the sky was filled with clouds, and a few that looked like that they could bring rain. The sun hadn't been able to pop through the clouds and light up the mountain yet, but beyond the mountain the sky was lit up, so it created almost a silhouette on the top of the mountain. For this painting I concentrated on trying to get that silhouette, blocking in the shape of the peak with a large flat brush, and then coming back in with a smaller brush adding bits of detail here and there.

Cougar Peak #219

4.75" x 6.75" Acrylic on Paper

For today's painting I decided I wanted to get back to a bit more acrylic. I started out this image, forgoing the sketch and just jumping in directly to painting. Usually I like laying in my horizon line first, and then from there work up blocking in the canyon and the shadow side of the peak and ridges. After that stage is complete I come in with my lighter values, and in a sense "turn on the lights."

Cougar Peak #218

4.75" x 6.75" Pastel/Acrylic on Paper

For today's painting I started out working with pastel on paper, not just a quick rough sketch, but taking the pastel a bit further. After I was to a point that I was happy with, I sealed the image, and then painted over the top of that with acrylics, adding highlights and all of the little nuances.

Cougar Peak #217

4.75" x 6.75" Watercolor/Gouache on Paper

On this image I decided to switch things up again once more. I began this painting working with watercolors on wet paper. After I had gotten where I wanted with the watercolors, I came back in over the top of the painting with a bit of gouache. Finally not feeling that the painting was complete, I decided to then work over the image a bit with a Sharpie marker....and walaaaaa!!

Cougar Peak #216

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Paper

More sunshine, more oils, more mountain, and another painting. Again I did this painting in oils, as I have done for the last week. This time I laid in the sky first and then did a quick sketch of the mountain over that. I worked into the canyon, establishing my darkest values, and then worked on the sunlight side adding in details, pushing the values around until I was happy with what I had.

Cougar Peak #215

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Paper

Barefoot in the grass, birds chirping, and the smell of the morning dew....ahhh. This morning was rather pleasant as clouds rolled in cooling things down a bit, but leaving paths for the morning light to cut through and light up the mountainside. Again, I decided to do this painting in oils, forgoing my sketch I jumped straight into painting, letting the flow of the brush take me where it would.

Cougar Peak #214

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Paper

I decided to do today's painting using my oils as I have the last couple previous days. For me it is a nice change from the acrylics, playing with a bit more texture and a thicker application of paint. As with yesterday, I did a quick sketch in pencil and then laid in the big blocks of color and value, paying attention to how I laid down my strokes, and then finally coming in and laying in the highlights and finishing touches

Cougar Peak #213

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Paper

I had so much fun with my oils yesterday, that I decided to try them again. Yesterday I worked on a piece of white comic backer board, but today I worked on a piece of grey printmaking paper. To start out I worked up a quick sketch in pencil, and after that was completed, I came back in over the top with my oils, building up the values in the canyon first and then progressively working towards my highlights.