Great News: Gordon is now available for Pre-Order online!
Just go to: http://www.gordonthebison.com/ , scroll down and click the “Buy Now” button. The book will be shipped to the address you provide at the beginning of May.
Presentation of “Gordon”
I will be presenting my children’s book, Gordon, April 16th, 6 pm at the Pikes Peak watercolor Society.
https://www.facebook.com/events/686792184718845/
Ghost Ranch 2
I finally finished this painting. Along with the last painting of the Mesa, that I painted, it will go to the Karan Ruhlen Gallery in Santa Fe this April. It is of the cliffs at Ghost Ranch, New Mexico near where Georgia O’Keefe had a house. Ghost Ranch is one of my favorite places to paint. Now that I have painted these two paintings I need to get back there to gather more subject matter. I plan on hiking up to the top of Chimney Rock to get a look at a few more magnificent views the next time I get out to the ranch.
Update
It’s been awhile since I wrote any updates. But as you have seen, if you have connected to my gordonthebison Facebook page, I have been working on the children’s book “Gordon.” It is a story about a baby bison. It has gone off to the publisher to be printed.
In the meantime I have still been painting. The Karan Ruhlen Gallery in Santa Fe (https://www.facebook.com/karanruhlen?fref=pb&hc_location=profile_browser) just told me yesterday that they sold two large pieces. One is the painting that is at the top of my Facebook page. (30″ X 60″) It is the large horizontal lavender field. The other is this large sunflower painting. (36″ X 36″)
Gordon the bison
I have taken my watercolor skills into a whole different level.
I’ve written and illustrated a children’s book named Gordon. Keep an eye out on the facebook page for news and updates!
Ghost Ranch Workflow
This is a sequence to better show the workflow of my painting from start to finish
Ghost Ranch
Well, it’s been a long time since I last posted my progress on the painting I have been working on. Why is it so hard to find the time to get to my easel? So many things seem to get in the way of my painting. Tax time doesn’t help! Anyhow, I finished this painting last week and have been having a little difficulty getting a good image of it. So here is the final photo of this painting. I can now get on to the next painting. The new canvas is already on my easel.
Sketch for my new painting
I usually do a sketch before I paint a painting. This helps me to figure out the rhythm and the values. Plus it helps me to get back into the mood that I want to express.
Inspiration for new painting
I was at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico when I saw this scene. I had to paint it. Anyhow, I thought it might be fun to have you join me in the process of bringing this painting to life. I will post my process and progress over the next week or so as I go through the stages to complete this painting. I hope you enjoy following it to completion.
First light
For a while now I have been looking at these hogbacks and how Pikes Peak can be seen behind them. Every time I drove up Highway 24 and got around 30th street I would think about painting this scene. So one morning I got up before sunrise and sat out there waiting for the sun to come up. I wanted to see how the first light would look on the hogbacks and if it would be as dramatic as I thought it would be. I wasn’t disappointed. I couldn’t wait to paint it. This is the result. It is a 36″ X 48″ painting and will be going over to the Broodmoor Galleries as soon as it dries and is framed.
It always feels good to finish a painting because it means I can now turn my attention to planning the next painting that has been rattling around in my head. I always find the most exciting part of doing a painting is when I begin laying on the first marks and establishing the rhythm of lines and shapes. I’ll be starting the next painting today!
marthamansstudio 