Got to show off the newest addition to our family--a one year old beagle/dachshund cross that Brenda found online at a pet rescue center in Hermiston, about 75 miles from us. We drove over today and made it official, signing the adoption papers. He reminds us a little of our beloved old Pablo, who died almost two years ago.

We haven't decided on his name yet. All our dogs have been named after artists, writers or poets. Right now we're leaning toward Jasper (after Jasper Johns) or Leonardo (Leo for short.)
Any suggestions?



Flashing that winning smile.

Even though it's blurred, I like this photo because it expresses all the energy of our exuberant new pal, as he happily thanks Brenda for rescuing him from the pound!

Bower

Watercolor on paper, 5" x 7"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
SOLD

This little Victorian style cottage in Union has this wonderful trimmed-hedge entry. I looked up the word "bower" in the dictionary and found it can mean a leafy shelter or arbor, as well as a rustic cottage, so the title seemed appropriate.

We just returned from a week-long trip to southern California, where we proudly watched our oldest daughter Heather receive her masters degree from the University of Redlands. We also took care of some unfinished business--finally closing out the storage building we've been renting down there for the year and a half since we moved to Oregon. We hauled our stuff back in a U Haul behind my truck...whew! Doesn't it feel good when you finally tie up some nagging loose end from your past?

Sorry these posts are so sporadic, but it's going to be that way for some time. I won't bore you with the list, but this spring/summer has grown hectic, with multiple projects that all seem to need doing at the same time. I'll try to check in with a new painting as often as possible. Thanks to all of you who so faithfully (and patiently) follow my postings--it means a lot!

Clouds of May

Oil on board, 6" x 6"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
SOLD


I'll be traveling for several days and probably won't have a chance to paint or post for awhile. Enjoy these beautiful spring days and I'll be back ASAP.

Spring Greens

Oil on board, 6" x 6"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase


It is stunning how beautiful it is this time of year. After recent cold spells, yesterday's 80 degrees seemed almost unreal.

Threatening Rain

Watercolor on archival rag paper, 5" x 7"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase


When spring arrives doesn't it always seem like there are more things to do than there are hours in the day? Blog posts will be sporadic for awhile, as I work on commissions, a mural project and other obligations. I'll post a small painting as often as I can.

Room With a View

Watercolor on archival rag paper, 6" x 6"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
SOLD

These old cabins haven't seen human habitation for a long time. They're for the birds now.

Farm in the Swale

Watercolor on archival rag paper, 5" x 7"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase

Like many of the old farmhouses in this region, this one appears to have grown in parts and pieces over time, with additions built on to the original structure as need arose. The result is a kind of "practical architecture" that has its own charm.

Happy Mother's Day

Here's my mom on her 99th birthday in January, being congratulated by our granddaughter, Arielle. They gave her a "queen for a day" tiara at the senior center where the party was held, but of course she's royalty every day in our family. The second photo is my wife Brenda's mom--aged 87. She's a sweet lady who--in my experience--puts the lie to all those bad mother-in-law jokes. We're looking forward to taking them both to a Mother's Day Brunch.

Undercurrent

Watercolor on archival rag paper, 6" x 6"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase


Here's a bookend to yesterday's video post:

No painting today, but I spent some time at one of my favorite places in the valley and shot some video:

Backlit Cottonwoods

Watercolor on archival paper, 6" x 6"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
SOLD


This watercolor is based on the pencil study I posted April 17th.

Springtime in the Foothills

Watercolor, 6.75" x 9"
$285 plus $8 shipping in U.S.
Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase


A larger painting today. I set out to convey a feeling of the full richness of spring, trying hard to keep the colors and values as fresh and intense as possible.

Spring Burning

Watercolor on archival rag paper, 5" x 7"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
SOLD

It was a gorgeous spring afternoon when I left the studio. The sun was shadow-boxing with a sky full of billowy clouds. I roamed around awhile before heading home, just soaking up the richness of the day. After a week of being housebound I felt liberated. A couple of miles from town a lazy drift of smoke near the creek caught my eye. It was a rancher's slash pile, burning away the dead brush and fallen limbs of winter.

Corner Window

Oil on board, 5" x 7"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
SOLD

Speaking of doors, I walked through one last week I wish I hadn't: the sick door. I guess this bug isn't the dreaded Swine Flu, but it's piggish enough for me! After four days of cold capsules and cough syrup, feeling worse each day, I dropped the tough guy act and went to see the doctor. He quickly diagnosed pneumonia and prescribed antibiotics. Worst of all, I managed to give it to Brenda and now she's fighting through the same stuff, a couple days behind me.

I finally felt well enough today to get back in the studio and do this painting. Everything is relative, isn't it? Although I still have a pretty bad cold, I felt positively chipper just being able to work again. And when I left the studio, the late afternoon sun illuminated the fresh grass and new buds on the trees. Cooped up in the house, I'd missed a week of spring greening--the world looks brand new!