August 2014
I had such fun with this painting. Friends of our have a ranch located northwest of Boulder County near Longmont, Colorado. For years, they have been the caretakers of a herd of buffalo on their property. Knowing that new calves would arrive sometime this year we asked them to call when they arrived, which they did earlier this summer. Photographing a herd of moving, grunting, snorting, glaring, sneering 1,200 pound animals can be quite intimidating when the only thing separating them from myself was the door of what seemed to be at the time, a very small Subaru.
Just last week, we returned from a trip to Wyoming and in Yellowstone National Park with has the largest herd of free-roaming bison in the world, numbered at 3,500 animals, we enjoyed watch the various groups of American Bison in their wild habitat.
As an artist, the importance of conveying feelings in a painting can be every bit as important (if not more) as accurately representing the subject matter. This 9x12" painting is appropriately titled "Back Off".
I made deliberate decisions that would help create a mood or a feeling for the viewer. Look for these elements as I describe my process: 1. I painted the bison cow on the left side, larger, used darker and more intense colors and painted her with strokes than I did with the other two subjects. 2. I gave her a bold, swinging tail to indicate strength and movement. 3. I "blurred" the features of the buffalo calf to add to the sense of its vulnerability and cradled up against the other cow on the right. 4. I created the sense of a wall of wildflowers and grasses in the foreground as another visual obstacle to the animals. 5. I painted a slightly threatening sky with the use of dark grey clouds. So what you see an what you feel when looking at a painting is the result of what an artist has done in creating it. A well-crafted painting has the ability to convey so much more than a photographic representation.
While in Wyoming, we also spent time at Grand Teton National Park where I sketched bald eagles scanning the Snake River for unsuspecting Brown Trout below, sketched minty-colered sagebrush with their gnarled, blackened branches, recorded the multitude of surprising colors in the lichen on the surfaces of the rocks, watch a garter sake slithering over the sand of the riverbank and took many reference photos for possible future paintings.
Until next time - Terry Irwin
________________________________________________________________________________________________
July 2014
What a joyous month is July because it seems the world is now bursting with colorful blossoms. This month in celebration of floral exuberance, I wanted to highlight tow of my recent painting featuring flowers, those that are cultivated and those found
in nature.
"Tlaquepaque Red" (8x10", above) was inspired by a day spent strolling through a charming village in Sedona, Arizona. Sunlight wafted gently through the tall sycamore trees overhead casting shimmering light and shadows as it settled on these cheerful blooms flourishing in a terra-cotta pot. I was so mesmerized by the simple image and it was the meditative quality of the scene that I wanted to capture. I hope this painting is are a reminder that beauty may be found all around us, if we slow down enough to become aware of it.
You can see this framed pastel along with a number of my other paintings at Breckenridge Gallery, located at 124 Main Street in Breckenridge, Colorado. Owner, Garry and Janet Freese have been in business for over 30 years and have a large selection of paintings and sculptures from many talented artist whom they represent. If your travels take you near Breckenridge this summer, I hope you will stop in to see the variety of quality artwork that is available in this beautiful gallery.
My second featured painting comes from our many hiking trips into the high country. Through experience, I have learned that it is difficult to really appreciate the wonder of wildflower unless you get down to their level. In the case of "Indian Paintbrush" (8x10", right) that meant first discarding my daypack, getting down on my hands and knees in mucky soil and finally, completely laying flat on my stomach so I could really observe them. I think whoever named this particular flower much have had a creative spirit and a wonderful sense of humor. Indian Paintbrush blooms in a variety of colors like bright scarlet, purple rose, pale yellow, intense rusty orange, and faded lime green. When I was first introduced to these flowers as a small child I thought the petals held some kind of magical paint and if I'd only been allowed to pick them (I wasn't) and had been able to dip them into my watering canteen, I thought surely they petals would have revealed themselves as luscious, luminous fluid colors.
May you enjoy this colorful season of blossoms where you reside too.
Until Next time - Terry Irwin
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
June 2014
To those of you who may be unfamiliar with Trail Ridge Road, it is an awesome 48- mile motor route which runs between Estes Park and Grand Lake, Colorado. It is the highest continuous paved road in the United States and 11 miles of its roadway is over 11,000 feet in elevation. At its highest paint at 12,183 ft. it is normally 20-30 degrees cooler than at either end of the motor route. In summer, it can frequently be a place to sight elk who roam in the high country for the lush summer vegetation and to escape the
warmer temperatures at the lower elevations below. Despite my seventeen years in Colorado (and numerous elk sightings) it is always a thrill to spot them in their natural habitat, high up on the windswept tundra. This painting "Grazing the Tundra" (11x14")
depicts a small herd of elk; savoring the plentitude of available lunch choices and basking in the summer breezes overlooking
the valleys below. The distant mountains behind the elk helps to put the immensity of the tundra in perspective.
I also wanted to share with you some of my photos of my newly completed home gallery (below). My husband, John, maneuvered subcontractors, painted walls, installed carpeting and all of the shelving, so he gets a great deal of credit for making this gallery a reality. Should any of you be interested in seeing my work first-hand, I welcome the opportunity to share it with you. Just give me a heads up ahead of time so I'm not covered in pastels when you call.
And last of all, a big thank you to everyone who either came to watch me paint outdoors last month at the "Passport to the Arts" event in Santa Fe, New Mexico or attended my presentation at my one-person art show, "Painting the Dusty Trail" in Bella Vista, Arkansas. It was great to see you there.
Until next time - Terry Irwin
________________________________________________________________________________________________
May 2014
May 9th, Santa Fe, New Mexico
I have been invited to participate again in this years, "Passport to the Arts". This annual event takes place in the art district known as Canyon Road. It is home to over 80 galleries and provided the opportunity to observe over 100 professional artist from all over the country creating art outdoors. I will be painting another wonderful animal portrait in from of the McLarry Modern Gallery from 9 am - 3 pm. If you are planned to attend the event, I hope you will stop by to say hello.
May 18th, Bella Vista, Arkansas
I am very excited to be honored with one-person show at the beautiful "Inn at Bella Vista". There will be about 25 framed pastels on exhibit and for sale, featuring many of my newest paintings. On Sunday, I will be giving a presentation about pastels, my inspiration for selected painting and giclee prints.
In my studio over the last month, I have been exploring the use of light in my paintings. One example is this one titled "A New Dawn" (11 x 14") which was inspired by a short hike I had taken through the countryside in England. I wanted to use the reflected light on this massive tree trunk and the receding carpet of wildflowers to evoke a sense of tranquil stillness. The scene represents a singular moment-in- time that is fleeting, which adds to the magical wonder of the whole forest experience. It was a joy to paint. I hope you will enjoy it too.
Until next time - Terry Irwin
