This is one of the stacks on the Rieke Ranch north of Deer Lodge. Yes, that's a canal to the right, and a shadow across the foreground.  Later I stood next to that big tree and painted.  I'll add that painting soon; I'll be in Roslyn, Washington this coming weekend for my yearly plein-air workshop with Catherine Gill and Darrell Anderson. This is the town where Northern Exposure was filmed......very picturesque......the hi-light of my painting-teaching year.

That's the bunk-house at the top of the drive, the main house is on the right.  the entire ranch has the patina of long use, and  artful and honest living.  Maybe that's my fantasy........There are tours throughout the ranch that might illuminate this, but I was totally focused on the physical graces of the place during the day there.

Grant-Kohrs throne room

Notice the small out-house in the middle of this drawing...It's not a good practice to put the "center of interest" in the very middle of a composition, but I'm sure that's the best place for it in this case, having obtained this condition many times in the past.

Grant-Kohrs Ranch

The sketches that follow were done recently at the Montana Painter's Alliance  fall paint-out in Deer Lodge Mt. and on the Little Blackfoot on the Rex and Judy Rieke ranch.  This may be the wash-shed at Grant-Kohrs as it's between the main house(behind) and the bunk house

loader

This is a plein air oil painted in Deer Lodge (Mt.) yesterday.It's a little rough but considering the  subject, I'm pretty happy with it.  The old oldsmobile behind it really sets it off.  The steel building was more black than this image shows.

Shaman, 8x5, monoprint

This print is from a series of about 16 prints I've called the "Mystery Series".  I will add some more in upcoming posts so you can see how divergent the imagery becomes through this mono-print process.

Snow and Ice, 14x14

This is a water-media piece done from a sketchbook page that was drawn on-site; not a bad practice for this particular time of the year in Western Montana.  

Rising Thought, 11x14 Monoprint

This print is inspired by implications of balance in polarity. It hints at light and birthing.

Winter Hills

This is a small watercolor done on a special gesso surface which produces the granulation and texture so helpful in such a natural subject.

resting

This is typical of my figure drawing technique.  I use Nupastel on smooth paper, both on edge and point to produce a wide variety of line and volume, following the idea that less is more.  This is probably a 10 minute study.