Inspiration

My wife had a friend we knew in Arizona come visit us here in Florida.  Lots of conversation regarding the 7 years we lived in Arizona took place - lots of memories were brought up.

Since then my artistic mind has been in the deserts of Arizona - I love the desert lands.  This is a sample of several that I have painted since the visit of our friend.  These were painted in a loose painterly style using a 2 1/2 inch brush and a palette knife and of course a love for the Southwest.
The 2 1/2 inch brush is a Purdy angled trim brush from Home Depot - one that I use for painting projects around the house and have been doing so for over 20 years now!  I use dish detergent to wash out my brushes and then I comb them out.

These paintings are what I call "mindscapes" in that they are painted from memories of many-many hours of plein air painting in the deserts of the Southwest

The Desert I See

18 x 24

Arroyo Seco No. III

18 x 24 

Mesa Crossing

16 x 20

Into The Badlands No. II

18 x 24

Hope you enjoyed my "visit" back into the Southwest deserts.  If you have any questions regarding these or any other paintings please contact me at:

rvpainter@gmail.com

JR     :>)

Oh Give Me A Home ----------- No. II

I love the "plains" lands - so quiet and peaceful - one can just imagine when the buffalo roamed - if you listen and use your imagination you can hear the thunder of their hoofs!!!!

18 x 24 on acid free heavy linen paper - done alla prime with big brushes - Professional Chroma Interactive acrylics - some gusto and a true love for this land.

I start out with a nice straight horizon line

I throw in the sky and the start of the "plains land"

Using big brushes the painting develops quickly

DETAIL

JR     :>)

Daybreak - The Florida Panhandle

12 x 18 - acid free linen paper - Professional Chroma Interactive acrylics - big brushes - done with gusto in a somewhat painterly style.

First I do a sketch with brush and very wet paint

Stayed on the Florida Panhandle for 2 weeks while on our year long full time RV adventure - wonderful scenery and fantastic beaches

JR     :>)

Into The Maze - Grand Canyon

This painting represents sort of a conglomeration of many of the vantage points along the South Rim and the North Rim. Having lived in AZ for 7 years we went to the Grand Canyon many times - mostly the South Rim and only once to the North Rim (which is nicer than the South Rim.)

12 x 18 - alla prima - Chroma Interactive acrylics - heavy linen paper - dry brush process with love for the Southwest.

JR     :>)

Mid Desert Scrub Cacti

In between the low desert and the high desert is a section of desert that I call the Mid-Desert - lots of desert floor and mountains but yet not a lot of vegetation - sort of "scrub" vegetation at best.

12 x 18 - acid free heavy linen paper - Professional Chroma Interactive acrylics - done in a painterly style with big brushes and gusto with a great appreciation and love for the Southwest.

JR     :>)

Red Rock Crossing - Sedona AZ - Cathedral Rock

We lived in Arizona for 7 years and spent a lot of time going up to Sedona for plein air painting - photography - site seeing and great restaurants.  My wife showed her photography in a gallery and I showed my paintings in the same gallery in Sedona.

Red Rock Crossing State Park is a beautiful area and one of the best spots to view Cathedral Rock a very well known red rock formation.

12 x 18 on acid free linen heavy paper - using professional Chroma Interactive acrylics - dry brush - alla prima.

First I do a rough sketch of what the painting will consist of as far as the basic rock formation - this is done with a brush.

The painting takes shape based on my sketch and I make changes as necessary 

DETAILS

JR       :>)

  

Silent Night - 1st Snow High Country - NM

12 x 18 - Chroma Interactive acrylics - alla prima - large brush in a painterly style.
Having lived in the high desert in New Mexico for 5 years, winter time was a great time for painting - we lived at the base of the Sangre de Christo mountains which provided lots of scenery!!!

JR       :>)