F-15 Eagle

When I was in the Air Force, I worked on many types of aircraft to include HH-53 Helicopters and even the Space Shuttle carrier. But, by far my most favorite aircraft of them all that I worked on was the F-15 Eagle. It’s just an amazing aircraft in many ways and has stood the test of time of decades. This painting is my tribute to it.

NOTE: After I finished this painting, I noticed a figure in the clouds. It was totally unintentional, but there it was. It’s a figure of a man’s face staring down. The face image is above the right wing near the orange color. Do you see it? You can clearly see the nose, eyes, hair and beard. When I showed my wife, she said she didn’t see it at first, but seen something else that I didn’t see. A large figure of a man saluting above and behind the plane. He is wearing a military dress hat. His arm extends left and then back to his brow saluting. His arm is overly large, but it clearly shows a salute. Do you see it? Again, this was totally unintentional. Then my son found another image in the clouds. It appears to be a man’s head staring down to the bottom of the lightning bolt crashing around the white cloud. The man’s head is right to the left of the nose of the plane. I guess something was speaking through my hands when I created these clouds. Weird…eh?

Moonlight Hiker

With the Covid Pandemic there has been upheaval in everyone’s lives. During this past year I took a break from my wood canvas art paintings. Just recently, I decided to explore art again. I do absolutely love working with wood and painting, and combining the two for me is rewarding. My oldest son back in 2000 hiked the Appalachian Trail. It inspired me to try a different art form. 3D art I guess you would call it. The piece you see here only has about $15 in materials, but I know could sell it for many times that. The laired panels to create the 3D look is just from a 1/8″ piece of wood panel which I bought at a big box store for about $6. I just cut it to make it look like mountains and then sanded and painted them. The frame is just repurposed from an old ugly painting it once held that I bought from a second hand store. The cutouts of the hiker, trees and moon were bought on-line for cents on the dollar. The cutouts are bare wood, so I painted them with the colors that I thought would best suit the picture. The creation is just a labor of love for my son and what he accomplished. I presented it and gave it to him last week, and he absolutely loved it. I don’t know what is more rewarding, making art or giving it away. Anyway, I just thought I would share it here, and welcome any comments.

Stairway To Heaven

I did this painting in honor of my mother who recently passed on 21 Mar 2020, and for my wife’s mom who passed ten years earlier on 4 May 2010. My wife and I loved our mom’s dearly. I wanted to create something special for them. Oddly enough I finished the painting on Easter Sunday. As I was painting it (and I’m not making this up), I was listening to my favorite Rock station. I love old 70’s Rock music when a song started playing. You guessed it…. Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” played. It was an emotional painting for me, but at the same time it was comforting knowing that both our mothers walked the Stairway To Heaven. I used 3 pine board planks glued together for my canvas.

Penelope & Louis Sunrise Snow Moon

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This is my 9^th painting of Penelope and Louis continuing their globe trotting adventures. Here they are in the Falkland Islands at sunrise with a February Snow Moon. The Falkland Islands are considered as being the Penguin capital of the world. 5 species of Penguins live on these islands in the South Atlantic. I painted this on 3 small wood pine planks.

A Haunting Alley Springs Mill On The Jacks Fork River

Alley Springs Mill

I’ve always wanted to do a painting of Alley Springs Mill, but I wasn’t sure on what kind of mood I wanted for it. Then it kind of hit me with Halloween coming. I decided to do a ghostly, haunting theme. It’s not quite night as the sun rays fall on the mill and the moon rises above the bluff. An unworldly set of tiger eyes pierces through the trees. Just staring and waiting for the impending darkness. I think I created an uneasy beauty with this theme. It took me awhile to get this one done because I wrestled with how I was going to create the mood. I almost left the tiger eyes out, but then decided to go with them. I hope it was the right decision. This painting is done on 4 pine planks glued together.

Big Piney River Frog Gigging

Recently, my oldest son and his fiancee, my niece and her fiancee did a float trip on the Big Piney River. When my son posted some great pics of their trip, I asked him if I could use one to make a painting. The painting here is when my son snapped a pic of my niece’s fiancee standing at the river’s edge watching the frog giggers light up the other side of the river bank. The beam of white light freezes the frogs stare, so they can gig them with their long spears. I’ve been on the river myself watching people gig for frogs. As they troll up river, the echoing sound of the flat boat motors bounces off the bluffs in the thick black night. It’s a sensory experience to behold. Their brilliantly strong spot lights pierces the darkness with ease. The bull frogs eyes glow in the blinding white light. They freeze like statues, and then with a swift gig their fate has ended. I made this painting on two small pine planks glued together.

Elephant

One of my Nieces (Michelle), told me she likes elephants. So, I decided to paint one for her. These are indeed incredible animals. I basically only used three colors. Black, White and Antique Gold (for the sun on the elephant and African prairie grass. This painting is on two small pine planks glued together.

Penguins Hiking

Penelope and Louis Hiking

This painting is of Penelope and Louis Hiking. It’s the 8^th painting of them in a series I am doing. I used to small pine planks glued together for the canvas.

Penguins In Africa

This is my 7^th painting of Penelope and Louis penguin adventures. This time they find themselves in the African plains. This painting was inspired by my 8 year old grandson who says he wants to be a zoologist when he grows up. He asked me…”Grandpa can you paint the penguins in Africa?” He loves everything animals! How could I say no. I did this painting on 3 pine board planks.

Mount Katahdin

Strategic Moves

A challenge and a victory. Hiking the Knife Edge Trail to Chimney Peak on Mount Katahdin Maine. Like the game of Chess it takes strategic moves. I did this painting for my oldest son. I combined his love of Chess and hiking into one little painting. It is a reminder and tribute to him for tackling the Appalacian Trail back in the year 2000. This is small wood canvas measuring only 5″ X 7″.