"Patrol"

Since I switched to oil two years ago, I've enjoyed painting little pieces - more than I ever did in watercolor. Perhaps I have less time at stake with a small painting . If it doesn't work.....wipe it off and start over. Sometimes I will waste an entire day just playing - turping off - and starting over. At the end of the day, I don't have the feeling that I have nothing to show for the day - but I almost feel exhilarated from the experimentation and new things I have learned.

This little fox (6" x 6") started out this way - just an experiment...but I stopped after the first few swipes with a rag. I liked it - so left it 'half finished'.

This painting will be one of the 18 pieces I'm showing at Art for the Sangres in Westcliffe, Colorado, September 27th. http://www.sanisabel.org/art_for_the_sangres.asp


My friend and fellow artist, Terry Miller, attended this year's Birds in Art Exhibition at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin. My painting, 'In the Wind' is in this year's exhibition. I was unable to attend because of scheduling conflicts. Terry has written a blog on this year's exhibit. http://pencilshaver.blogspot.com/

"Little Dogie"

SOLD
I'm working on oils for an upcoming show; Art for the Sangres, in Westcliffe, Colorado on September 27th. www.sanisabel.org This great show benefits the San Isabel Land Protection Trust. The one day event includes a silent auction for plein air paintings that the artists paint the day of the show.

I'll show 18 originals, but ten of them will be little pieces, such as this 6" x 6" oil, titled, 'Little Dogie'.

NEW EMAIL ADDRESS!

Finally, I have come out of the dark ages - and now have broadband wireless internet, thanks to Verizon. I have a marginal cellphone signal at my home, which surprisingly, is enough to get a signal for wireless broadband.

Hughes satellite is getting its walking papers. (No, I would never recommend HUGHES)

My new email address is: earnshaw@swiftaz.net I promise it won't change after this, as I'm using my brother's company, Swift Wireless for my mail. (www.swiftwireless.net)

Please make a note of my new address and delete the old address (earnshaw@hughes.net)

Aotearoa - Land of the Long White Cloud

After a painting trip to Colorado, I flew home to New Zealand - or Aotearoa....The Land of the Long White Cloud, to see my Aunt...who is not well. New Zealand is often shrouded in clouds....easy to see why the Maori named it Aotearoa.

New Zealand or Aotearoa mean the same to me......home.

It's a hard life - but someone's gotta do it!

In mid-July, I spent five days painting in the Rocky Mountains with a group of artists, including V....Vaughan, Joe Garcia and my artist sister, Joanne Hanson.

As you can see, it's a hard life but the great weather didn't last.. It got even better with rain, snow, low clouds and cold temps. I actually prefer the inclement weather. It's moodier and there are no bugs!

Watercolor Workshop

I am teaching a three-day watercolor workshop at the Sedona Arts Center, September 6, 7, 8.
For more informtion, please contact Vince Fazio at the Sedona Arts Center, www.SedonaArtsCenter.com.

Aspen - Columbine Landing

SOLD

I'm in Colorado painting with 14 other artists for Parade of No Homes....a fundraiser for the Continental Divide Land Trust Coalition. http://www.cdlt.org/ I'm painting with V....Vaughan, Joe Garcia and Joanne Hanson.

This is yesterday's 8 x 10 oil.

Colorado - Parade of No Homes

This week, I will be in Colorado, participating in the first annual Parade of No Homes - a driving tour of protected open spaces with artists on-site, capturing the landscape on canvas. Sponsored by the Continental Divide Land Trust in Frisco, Colorado, art created this week will be for sale, along with food, cash bar, live music, silent auction and 'green' non-profit booths at the annual Friends of Open Space Party. For details and more information visit www.cdlt.org.

Over the past few years, I've done three limited edition prints to raise money for the Continental Divide Land Trust. Winter Fox is the latest. It is available for $35 from the organization.

If you subscribe to my blog, I apologize if you have received today's post twice. Blog spammers spammed me - and the only way I could get rid of it was to delete the entire post, then post it again.

"No Peanuts for Santa"

Four years ago, I discovered that I'm allergic to peanuts. The life-threatening diagnosis is also life changing in a positive way. Eating in restaurants and airplanes isn't quite as easy as it used to be but I feel so much better....it is a fair trade.

I learned that there are two to three millions others in the U.S. with peanut allergy. The majority of the severely allergic are small children. I belong to an online peanut-allergy forum where, in December several years ago, I posted a 'No Peanuts for Santa' poem, where Santa discovers he is also peanut allergic. The response was so good, I decided that when I had time, I would do illustrations to accompany the poem and self-publish a children's book, 'No Peanuts for Santa'.

The time has come...so this month, I've started working on the book. But who would agree to pose as Santa? Who else, but my good friend and fellow artist, Joe Garcia!

I share with you, one of the reference photos.

"Low Clouds & Cows"

....or is it 'Low Cows & Clouds?'. This is a 12 x 24 oil that I've done for an upcoming show, 'Art for the Sangres' in Westcliffe, Colorado. The piece just wasn't working until I took the plunge and strengthened the foreground with cad yellow & permanent rose - then added the dots and dashes of bright yellow/white behind the cows. I like it!