Little League

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Little League.jpg

This is supposed to be me as a kid playing Little League baseball.  You can see Granger Elementary school in the background.  It has been torn down.  There were no bleachers for the fans to sit in.  Instead, they sat on the bumpers of their cars or trucks parked nearby.  You can tell it is early evening because of the shadows.  The car is a 1959 Plymouth.  The truck is an early ’50’s Chevrolet, while the next vehicle is a Volkswagen beetle.  This is painted fairly vaguely, with just enough detail to take me back . . .

“Hey, Batter!  Hey Batter!  Hey Batter!  Swing!!!!”

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Wading

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Wading.jpg

I had taken my wife and three little girls on a ride from Idaho Falls to Yellowstone National Park, then south though Grand Teton National Park.  As a not very smart dad, I didn’t realize that a ride that long is very hard for little kids.  They were tired and cross.  What finally happened that made them happy was stopping at Jenny Lake where I let them get out of the car and wade.

I noticed the colors and patterns in the water as it moved back and forth, the backlighting on the kids as the sun went lower in the horizon, and the branches that were between us.  The painting is supposed to give the late afternoon feeling and an atmosphere of fun.

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Vernazza

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Along Italy’s western shore is a beautiful area called Cinque Terre.  It is a national park made up of five towns: Rimaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Monterosso al Mare, and Vernazza.  These towns are built along steep hills along the coastline.  In years past, they were targets of pirate attacks.  Nowadays, they are a paradise for tourists.  The towns are connected by trains or boats, but the most exciting way of visiting them is the trails between them, high on the hills above.

This is the view from the trail above Vernazza.  Note the multi-colored buildings, the blue harbor filled with boats, and the tower overlooking the sea.  I love painting the beautiful places of the world.

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Jen & Ashley

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Jen & Ashley.jpg

This is my daughter and granddaugher having a nap.  I love their pose.  The painting was done in my typical manner — I looked for shapes of values and colors and put them together like a jigsaw puzzle.  They became the picture you see.

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Lost in Thought

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Here is a person lost in thought.  She sits on the end of a picnic table at a downtown park.  The strong contrasts of dark and light add interest to the picture.  The trees form a silhouette while the blossoms, sky, building and street are practically white.  Sunlight is portrayed by the yellowish tint on the grass with dark green shadows, while the person is backlit.  The parking meter, newsstands and windows across the street are painted faintly to make the picture interesting, but not steal attention away from the subject.

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Venice

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Venice.jpg

This is the beautiful city of Venice. You see depth in the painting because it has linear perspective. The waterway is wider at the front and narrower at the back. The buildings do the same. Note the reflections in the water. The white part is the reflection of the sky, while the rest is reflection of buildings and gondolas. There is a magic in that place. I’ve tried to create that magic feeling in the painting.

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Horse Guard

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I love Britain.  My ancestors were British.  Whenever I go there I feel like I’ve gone back home.  The soldiers with their ceremonial uniforms excite me.  I should tell you exactly what street these guys are on, but I can’t remember the name of it.  I do know they’re just up the street from the gate to 10 Downing Street.  Their helmets shine.  Their uniforms are crisp and gallant.  I love the pageantry.  It makes me proud that British blood flows in my American body.  This was really a fun painting.

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Chuckie’s Breakfast

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's Breakfast.jpg

As a kid I loved to visit my grandma’s house in Idaho Falls.  Her kitchen was right next to a window, and the sun would shine in on us as we ate breakfast.  I remember my little brother, Chuckie, always wore red and white striped pajamas.  This is how I remember him.

Notice the way I’ve portrayed the sunlight coming in from the window.  The pajamas are half shadow, half light.  Chuckie’s face is illuminated. and a a sliver of shadow is on the opposite side of his face.  The wall is yellow where the sunlight hits.  The table with everything on it is in shadow.

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