We decided to pick up a frame order in Arizona, and while my mother-in-law had visited Arizona, she had never seen Saguaros. We decided to combine efforts: she'd fly home to Florida from Arizona, and my wife and I would pick up frames. My mother-in-law is 80 going on 60 and hiked with us, providing a wealth of knowledge on plants. Although this was to be family time, I was surprised by the amount of reference gathered.
My interest in animal life is varied, but the desert has beckoned me since my first trip to New Mexico as a teen. I had time to study and view the desert perhaps more intimately than on past trips. Putting some meat on the bone, so to speak, with new paintings was a goal. As a professional painter, I wanted to cast aside thoughts that restrain creativity.
I began with inspiration as a driving force, and the desert did not disappoint. I saw more mule deer on this trip. While this wasn't as in-depth as a typical research trip, it panned out with some good reference and more so in inspiration and knowledge.
I was able to catch this little rabbit taking a break from the heat of the day. The cottontail was such a good model, he demanded to be painted. Fortunately, he was quite content to rest in the desert shadows while I took some pics and made mental notes.
The trip taught me I can become too comfortable in the studio, but more surprisingly in the field as well. I can't force inspiration. There is something always more interesting. Sometimes it is as simple as a little cottontail.
  

Available: Legacy Gallery

More info:
​"𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝑻𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒔 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆" ©2022 𝑰𝒏𝑺𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒚
𝑻𝑶𝑱

When it comes down to it, longhorns are downright relatable. Anyone who has lived half a life can admire their tough-as-nails, at times ornery, at times sweet, disposition. The Spaniards knew what they were doing when they brought them to the Americas. 

I started painting longhorns right out of the gate. I got inspired by our dry summer and that welcomed drenching, unusual for Aug/Sept. Locals rejoiced and not only the two legged variety! We had a blast watching whitetail frolic and nearby longhorns act half their age. 

I enjoyed painting Settlin' the Dust so much I had this fellow I wanted to paint too.

𝑺𝒑𝒓𝒚 𝑩𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒚𝒆𝒔 ©2022 Museum Western Art 2022 RoundUp

​On the farm, I couldn't escape nature. The seasons of plenty and times of thrift were yearly if not  daily reminders of the rhythm of life. The weather was watched with  appreciation of sunshine and often with prayers for a good rain. 
My family took me west on trips and I fell for Terlingua, Big Bend, and the Texas Brush Country. Travel outside the state was to escape Texas' heat. Summers we left for the mountains of New Mexico and Colorado. I owe much to my sister Margaret, who also purchased my first art books. To this day she exhibits an adventurous spirit not seen since our ancestors left Germany for Galveston.

𝐶𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝐺𝑜𝑙𝑑 ©2022
18" x 14" 
National Museum of Wildlife Art
​2022 Western Visions

Tis the season soon! Fall kicks off the small works shows giving opportunities to purchase small paintings and sculptures. Working mood and story on a small scale can be difficult, but artists muster efforts to satisfy and engage new and seasoned collectors! What a great time to be a western/wildlife artist or art collector!

My warmest thoughts are of past shows, Whistle Pik Gallery Christmas Miniatures, Legacy Gallery Holiday Small Works Show, and into the new year with Stu's American Miniatures Show at Settlers West Gallery. While Whistle Pik is no longer with us, there is ample opportunity with the current museum and gallery shows. 

I throw my hat in the ring with Crown of Gold. My enjoyment of painting our natural world is limitless, but I count moose as a thoroughly fulfilling subject. I wanted to evoke a yearning and inquisitive aspect of this bull. The cottonwoods were brilliant and matched the gleam from his antlers, but his gesture was paramount.

Available @ 2022 Western Visions, National Museum of Wildlife Art 
​

Early last summer we noticed a particular fawn.  Short-legged, a little gawky, she seemed to prefer us to her peers. If we sat on the porch to enjoy the evening, "Lil Bit", as my wife named her, came to visit. Her mother's grunts were useless as "Lil Bit" scampered up unabashedly. With no other deer in-sight, she disregarded chainsaw activity, and burning brush to graze alongside us during chores.

​When we took to a hotel during our February ice storm, we left a supplement of corn nearby for the wildlife. Two does and a variety of birds were lost, but Lil Bit appeared unscathed.

​If this little doe has anything, she has moxie.  Although she is becoming more doe-like and visits less frequently, her trailblazing style is infectious.

I'm honored to have "Hondo Honcho" as the cover for October's issue of Texas Outdoors Journal. TOJ is the go-to publication for game and conservancy in Texas.
Info: Texas Outdoors Journal 

​"Heads Up" could well be the theme for 2020. Much maligned, the year will go down in the history books as a heck of a tough year to get through. However, when things go awry, opportunities are born! I won't sit and cry in my oatmeal, it's time for work and as my wife says, "At least we don't have a skunk in the attic". Well said. 

These thoughts stem from a commission destroyed in freight shipping. Other artists told me it would happen eventually. Yep, Murphy's law caught up to me. I had to adjust plans, create a painting to surpass the original, order a new frame, and negotiate reimbursement for the original with the shipper. I'm one to believe that no experience is without a reason and I'm stubborn enough to not allow this experience to eat at me.

Let's keep our heads up, get out there and get after it! In response to the change of schedule I painted "Heads Up" for The Museum of Western Art, Round Up Show and Sale. Always wary this buck has raised his head from a quick graze. I hope it is a scene many can relate to!

The 37th Annual Roundup at The Museum of Western Art in Kerrville, TX will be held Sept 26 -Oct 31. 

​Back in early 2019 in planning paintings for the 2020 show at InSight Gallery, I decided I wanted to paint a moonlit longhorn scene. I got inspired after seeing such a scene after a long day of reference gathering. 

After the initial sketch is in place, I pay closer attention to anatomy. I continue to refine. 

Now I begin to put a wash down. This will give a warm undertone. 

Jumping forward I begin to refine in color. I continue this process until completion. Although the scene is serene, I wanted a shimmer and movement in the light. Western history and cattle lore often centered around the night watch. The stars are bright on this night, but the longhorns take center stage. 

A strong fall cold front arrived bringing an early freeze. Ideal weather for our whitetail, they appeared oblivious to the frigid temperatures. Our kids visited with their blue heelers and the deer made quick game of these two porch dogs. The does came to taunt each morning casually  bounding over the fence when time arose. This went on each morning until a buck interrupted with more pressing issues. 

The bucks made fast haste of the cold snap. The rattling of tines were heard most evenings echoing across the valley. It's the timeless, sweet music of nature that feeds the soul.
I'm reminded of what fuels me. The new windows overlooking our valley have made the studio a joy to work in and I'm eager to get painting with each sunrise. Much like the blue heelers, I have never been one to let go of a chase. 

We made the move! I hope it is our last! We moved back to Fredericksburg and closed on our home last week. Some remodeling of studio space should give plenty of north light and room to work. I am eager! It may take longer on landscaping and living space, but our contractor is on the same page that the studio takes top priority. 
Fortunately, I have found space to work until the studio is completed. 
In the midst of the move, I was commissioned to paint a steer painting. I'm doubly honored as the couple is new to collecting western art. 

I wanted to play with the light on the bluff with the blue tones of the shadows on the main longhorn. He could have been bathed in light, but I wanted to steer away from the obvious, (no pun intended). The painting is a large 36" x 48" and I wanted it to echo the rugged beauty of the west.
I hope to update soon with our move -in and finished studio!

"Spanish Dagger" 24" x 40" Briscoe Western Art Museum Auction 2019 

I aimed to muster up the best of the Texas brush in "Spanish Dagger". Each year the lure of the whitetail increases with each passing day as fall nears. Bucks can be monsters in the brush and this guy was a brute. It is all about the buck and the yucca, both of which are aptly nicknamed "Spanish Dagger".

In South Texas, seasonal colors vary from year to year depending on temperatures. I've been there when barely a sprig of green is evident and then other years, like the one in the painting, summer hugs winter allowing for extended growing season creating a thick yet airy lushness as rain allows.

"Spanish Dagger will be at the Briscoe Museum of Western Art, live auction March 29. 

"Horns at Honey Creek"  is reminiscent of scenes throughout Texas, however, this is set west of San Antonio. Love of family and land kept this second painting close to home. My grandparents arrived as children in Galveston, TX from Germany in the 1880s. They met, married and purchased 239 acres, not 10 miles from where I grew up in Central Texas. We all have stayed in Texas since.

Longhorns captured my imagination early on. Self-reliant, rugged and the mascot for the University of Texas in nearby Austin, longhorns dotted the landscapes of ranches throughout Texas and were accessible subjects for me to paint.

"Horns at Honey Creek"  is in the Hill Country. I'm unsure if the creek got its name from the color or the taste, but I imagine it's probably a little of both. The dappled light of the shade play on the pattern of the longhorns. Summer is ending with cooler days on the way.

"Horns at Honey Creek" 24" x 32" Briscoe Western Art Museum, Night of Artists 2019

"Western Winds" 24" x 36" 

"Afternoon Social" 18" x 24" InSight Gallery 

"Ridgetop Morning" 9" x 12 oil/board

Just crated these for Settlers West American Miniatures Show. The Mule deer is from a recent research trip. Light is an important factor in my paintings. On this one, my aim was the morning light. I had followed this buck and sensed he was getting impatient with his quest for the does. It made sense he was going to crest this hill. The lighting was great, my model was superb and I was in position. The does meandered down the hill and out of view, but their addition to the scene was crucial to the painting.

"Jumping Jack" 9" x 12" oil/board

"Gillespie Gold" 22" x 35" 

"Timbers Edge" 24"x36"