Works in Progress
Visit the galleries at: Desert Southwest, Pacific Northwest, People & Animals, Mostly Natural, Abstract, and Under $100.
I hope you enjoy these progress photos of my current painting in progress
(as of March 1) and four recent paintings.
They’ll give you a good idea of the phases and layers of acrylic painting, and how my work evolves from the first session into the final work.
Ragged Top
Painting an impression of this striking mountain north of Marana in the heart of the Ironwood Forest National Monument.
Ragged Top – Session 1 – Just getting started
Painting the sky and clouds moving over the mountain to set the striking profile
Ragged Top – Session 3
Developing the shadow and light of this rugged mountain
and setting the foreground
Ragged Top – Session 5
Adding the desert shrubs and numerous distant saguaros
Ragged Top – Session 7
Finishing the ground, adding lots of vegetation and starting the larger saguaros
The Bloom
Painting an impression of a night-blooming cereus cactus and its beautiful and short-lived white flower.
Cereus – Session 1 – Just getting started
Just beginning to shape the cactus stalks, with plenty of thorns,
and the ground behind
Cereus – Session 4 – Working Through the Background
Adding more shape and shading to finish up the background
Cereus – Session 6 – Defining the petals with shading and light
Adding color to start to define the petals
and the shadows that create each one
Cereus – Session 10 – A lot of time to lighten the petals
but keep the shadow and light
Adding layers and layers of white to soften
and brighten the flower. Color and structure now in the center.
More highlights the last week and added a few dew drops.
Cassini’s View
Watch Jupiter start to unfold. Painting many of its moons will be the last step.
Jupiter – Session 1 – Just getting started
Just beginning to shape the planet with shadow and light
Jupiter – Session 3 – Starting to see the planet
Adding more color and depth to space, adding a base coat and
beginning to shape the planet’s surface with shadow and light
Jupiter – Session 4 – Seeing more color and light
Expanding the color, light and depth of the planet’s surface
Jupiter – Session 6 – Finishing up the planet
Expanding the color, light and depth of the planet’s surface
and adding all of the moons
St. Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church
Developing the arches, angles, shadows and layers of this courtyard,
based on a late 1950’s historic postcard of the church (photo by Ben Maxley).
St. Philip’s Church – Session 1
Detailing the layout of the architecture,
starting to fill in the background.
St. Philip’s Church – Session 6
Slow going :-), but adding detail to the background inside
the courtyard, the columns and porch, adding the bench and urn
St. Philip’s Church – Session 10
Adding the urn and the bench on the porch to show depth, and
adding two more columns, the grassy area, and growing some ivy
St. Philip’s Church – Session 18 – Final
Growing more ivy, along with the mesquite tree in the courtyard,
then adding the color on the foreground arch
and shaping and defining the front columns and adding highlights
Curiosity Sunrise
Moving from a photo of a Mars sunrise to a painting for the
Univ. of Arizona Lunar & Planetary Sciences art show in February 2025.
Mars and Rover – Session 1
Painting and tinting the sky,
setting the base color of the planet
Mars and Rover – Session 3
Smoothing the tint in the sky, adding texture and dimension to the
planet surface, plus the under color for the Mars Rover
Mars and Rover – Session 4
Starting the sun and aura of the planet, plus
coloring the Mars Rover as it descends
Mars and Rover – Session 6 – Final
Working on the aura of the sun and planet,
plus the highlights and details of the Mars Rover