Cougar Peak #314

4.75" x 6.75" Acrylic on Paper

The mountain was rather spectacular this evening as the sun went down. The sky finally cleared just enough to let a bit of sunlight shine through and lay upon the mountain in a fiery magenta, showing off a bit fresh snow that is starting to take hold.

Cougar Peak #284

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Paper

Today I started painting with my oils, and was really enjoying a laying down my strokes, that I ended up getting to a certain point where I liked what I had even though it was not finished, or what I consider finished usually. The painting has bigger chunks of white showing through from underneath which is had for me to do with oils, and it never looks very good in my opinion especially on canvas, but on the paper I liked it for some reason and decided to leave as is.

Cougar Peak #281

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Chipboard

I painted this image today after the sun had set behind the mountain and the mountain was all cloaked in shadow. As you can see nothing is really highlighted on the mountain, and it has taken on a dark and somber tone to it, plush chilly too.

Cougar Peak #271

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Paper

Rain invaded the valley today, like the tenticles of an octopus the clouds enveloped the peak of the mountain, and wrapped it in a blanket of cold. I started this image out doing a quick sketch in pencil and then came over the top of it with my paints working down low first and then finishing off the image with the cloud mass

Cougar Peak #267

4.75" x 6.75" Pastel on Paper

For this painting I decided to switch things up once again and work exclusively with pastel, or Nupastel to be the case. I started this image with a dark brown stick and then moved over to dark blue and purple to block in the canyon. Finally I came back in with my warmer hues or oranges, pinks to finish up the image and add in all of the final details.

Cougar Peak #264

4.75" x 6.75" Digital

I decided to have a bit of digital fun tonight while I tried to capture some of those last fading rays of sunlight as they fell upon the the mountain tall. For this image I started out working over a nice chocolaty brown. I then worked on establishing most of my darker values, finally coming back in and laying in my highlights and detail work.

Cougar Peak #260

4.75" x 6.75" Digital

Today I decided to take a break from the traditional and switch on over to the digital, or that is Photoshop. For this image I worked up a nice sienna colored bg using a large brush, much like I would prepare a traditional painting. After that was done I blocked in some of my main values, the shadow in the valley, sunlit side of the mountain, sky, field etc. Once that is completed all that is really left is tying together the image, adding details, subtle values, highlights, etc.

Cougar Peak #257

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Paper

Ahhh....those oranges and purples again. What a combination they create as they clothe the mountain in majesty. On this image I started to directly laying in the canyon with it's hues of deep purple and blue, and then slowly let it spread out out from there. Once this was done I came back in blanketing it in oranges and greens, setting it ablaze then with it's final highlights.

Cougar Peak #256

4.75" x 6.75" Pastel on Paper

This evening I decided to bust out a bit of pastel and get my fingers dirty. I started out the image laying doing the trees by the horizon with a nice stick of warm green. From that point I moved on up the mountain, laying in the canyon and then coming back and adding the highlights and warmer yellows and oranges.

Cougar Peak #255

4.75" x 6.75" Acrylic on Paper

I decided to take my acrylics out with me this evening and take a break from the oils once again. Grabbing a sharpie marker I very quickly laid in a rough sketch of the mountain. Once I had my sketch completed I came in with my paints, keeping my brush strokes fast and spontaneous so as to help keep up the energy of the moment.

Cougar Peak #244

4.75" x 6.75" Oil on Paper

Today marks once again the beginning of another month. For this image I decide to switch back over to my oils, partly because I had oils that needed to be used up, and partly because I had been painting with my acrylics all day and was ready for a change. I approached this image pretty much the same as I do my others, first blocking in my big shapes concentrating on my values, and then coming back in with highlights and finishing touches.

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 #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 #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 #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 #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 #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 #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 #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 #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