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Winners of the "Best Collection" Award

2014 Red Wing Plein Air Competition

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Fishing at Sunrise, Oil on linen, 12x16 (SOLD)

Painted earlier this month just as the Fall colors were starting to peek through. 

I sold this painting yesterday during the Saint Paul Art Crawl before I had a chance to post it here or on my website.

Starting today I am opening my studio for private showings. 
If you see something you like and would like to see the original, or would like to see something similar, I would be more than happy to make an appointment with you for a private viewing in my studio. Just send me an e-mail telling me what you would like to see and we'll work out the details. I look forward to seeing you at my studio.

Superior Spring Morning II, Oil on Linen, 30x36 (sold)

I am honored to have been commissioned to paint "Superior Spring Morning II" by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. It is based on a painting I did in 2010 called simply "Superior Spring Morning".

Karol's Bridge, 16x12, Oil on Linen

Karol's Bridge is my name for this bridge. I don't even know the actual name of this old gem. Karol is our new friend who took us all over Chippewa Falls And Eau Claire in search of painting locations. She fed us and entertained us with wonderful stories and piano playing; made us welcome in her home, but most importantly, she gave freely from her heart to both Jerri Jo and me, and we are happy she is our new friend. This painting is dedicated to her.

The Rendezvous, Oil on Linen, 12x9 (SOLD)

Up until yesterday, this was hanging at the Frameworks Gallery. My 2-person show with Derek Davis is hanging there until July 6. You'll want to see the show before some of the best work is sold.

Life at the Pace of Pigment

Paintings by Derek Davis and Tom McGregor

Frameworks Gallery

Ford Parkway and Cleveland Avenue, Saint Paul

651-698-3372

Through July 6

The Ball Ideal, Oil on Linen, 14x11 (SOLD)

Imminent Fall, Oil on Linen, 24x18

Tomorrow is the first day of spring. We have two feet of snow on the ground to prove it. Watching the late season snow last week, I was drawn to thoughts of summer. This studio painting is roughly based on a plein air painting from a couple years ago. I remember it was quite warm and we had had a lot of rain in recent weeks. The grass was green and lush while the trees were already starting to turn. The word "Fall" in the title, of course, has two meanings.

Crystal Sky, Oil on Linen 12x16

It was around 0ºF with a pretty fair wind. The air was filled with tiny crystals of ice. As I worked the crystals would get mixed into my paint giving the surface a sandy texture. Additional texture was achieved by working on a recycled panel. All this texture lent it self nicely to the subject matter.

Spires at Dusk, Oil on Linen, 24x18 (SOLD)

With temps hovering below zero for the past several days, I find myself in the studio with brush in hand. One advantage to working in the studio is that you're not battling the clock, allowing you to slowly build up paint. Much of this painting is done by layerings of complimentary color on top of semi dried layers. I tried to stay within a very narrow range with the values.  

Slow Fall Into the Bog, Oil on Linen, 9x12 (SOLD)

This was painted in fast fading afternoon light. Within minutes of setting up my easel, the sun was obliterated by a thick bank of clouds. I knew I had only a few minutes to capture the light before it faded to beige. There's a special look to a painting that is painted fast and furious. It has the look of  adrenaline.

Calm Before the Storm, 24 x 36, Oil on stretched linen (SOLD)

Revised 1/8/13

Please come to my exhibit at the Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, Wisconsin. I have been working towards this show for three years. With thirty some paintings, this is my largest show to date. I'm calling it "Treasured Places" because they are. The opening reception is this Friday, January 11, 6:30 - 8:30pm. There are 5 other artists also having their opening receptions at the Phipps that night. You'll find me in the Commons Gallery on the upper level.  I would love to see you there. The show runs through February 10, 2013. I will also have a few paintings hanging in the Hudson Public Library for the duration of the Phipps exhibit.

The Park Bench, Oil on Linen, 16x12 (SOLD)

I was quite surprised to see that it has been so long since my last post. August and September were busy months. For a short time in September my paintings were in 7 different venues. That is an all time record for me. Thank you to everyone who came by during Art Crawl last weekend. We had a really nice time visiting with all of you.

 You have a couple more weeks to see the Project Art for Nature show at the Stillwater Library Gallery.

My goal this month is to launch my painting web site. Stay tuned.

Fog at Dawn, Oil on Linen, 16x12

One of two paintings that will be part of the Project Art for Nature (PAN) exhibit Earth, Air, Water, Life at the Stillwater Public Library Gallery September 8 through October 29. Each painting is accompanied by a label written by the artist. The label for this painting reads: The wide expanse, so beautiful to look at while dawn's fog has not yet burned off, Lake Pepin’s natural flora are threatened by the increased rates of sedimentation from upstream sources, leading the Lake Pepin Legacy Alliance to call the phenomenon a “wet desert.” The lake is filling in at a rate ten times greater than pre-colonization, due largely to increased run-off from farms along the Minnesota River.

Receding Fog, Oil on Linen, 18x24 (SOLD)

This studio painting is based on a 9x12 study I did a couple weeks ago at the Parley Lake Winery Paintout. I got there about 6:30am just as the fog was starting to lift. I painted fast and furious to try to capture the effect. Yesterday I painted this larger studio painting quite quickly as well. There is something you capture when you don't give yourself time to second guess what you are doing.

Loring at Dawn, Oil on Linen, 16x12

It was kind of cool  showing up for the Basilica Block Party 5 hours early. Of course I was out of there 2 hours before the festivities began.

Saint Paul at Dawn, Oil on Linen, 12x16 (SOLD)

After 23 years of living in Saint Paul, I still get a thrill from its old buildings and bridges along the mighty Mississippi. The bluffs surrounding the city on three sides afford the viewer unrivaled panoramas. When I first moved here, many of these views were choked off by buckthorn and weed trees. In recent years, there has been an asserted effort to get rid of these and plant native ground cover. Once again many of the panoramic views the cities founders were so careful to preserve, are enjoyed by all.

I arrived at this location right at sunrise while it was still cool. Later in the day the thermometer made it up into the mid nineties.

The Wash, Oil on Linen, 11x14 (SOLD)

20 minutes before sunset I saw the light in our back yard and I had to paint it. I had enough strong notes to be able to paint until well after dusk. Still I came back the next evening and fixed some values.

This is one of 8 paintings I've painted in the past week. It's been a huge week for me, since some of them are 16x20s and 14x18s done on location. Depending on the weather, I've been getting up around 4:30am to be set up by sunrise painting. Sooner or later, I'll get around to posting some of them. I will also be going live with my website in the next few weeks.

Picking Up Two, Oil on Linen, 18x24 (Sold)

(revised 1/9/12, 1/12/12, 6/14/12)

As  a plein air painter, I have to admit I am not a purist. A purist starts and finishes a painting on location. The original field study for this painting was done two and half years ago. This is the third time I've worked on this studio version. The way I see it, is that if I think I can improve the painting, i'm going to try. 

The field painting was more of a mid day painting. The sun was over my right shoulder at an angle that obliterated just about all the shadows from the rocks and there was no tug boat. The tug came as I was finishing up, so I snapped a reference photo. On the original studio version, I wanted to get more of a late afternoon feel with long shadows on the rocks. So I put the sun over my left shoulder and reversed all of the shadows and warmed the colors from the previous painting. 

This time, I needed to deal with the fact that the barge is at a different angle than the tugboat and back barge. They are at a different angle because they have not been tied together yet. I have attempted to capture the moment that they make contact. I remembered that there was a barge hand at the fore ready to untie the cable as soon as another hand tied the two together. I felt it was important to put this deck hand on the painting so the viewer would understand what is going on. The barge is "picking up two" more barges.  So I took a photo of myself posed the way I remembered the deck hand looked and used that as a crude reference to paint from.

And of course, you can never fix one thing without fixing a few dozen other things, like warming up the sky, rocks and water and generally repainting the painting.

A Rooster Crows, A Crow Caws, Oil on Linen, 14x18

Another dawn painting, this one was also painted over the course of two mornings at the same location. It's a great time of day to see wildlife. I saw deer, turkeys, hawks, an unidentified yellow bird that was not a goldfinch or an oriole, countless herons, and the reason for all the hawks - rabbits! Lots of rabbits. Did I mention I saw all this within the city limits of West Saint Paul.

The shadow across the foreground was a very fleeting effect. It lasted for only a few minutes. I used the second morning to verify my values. It's easy to second guess oneself. I turns out, I was pretty close the first morning and so I mostly added details on the second outing. Please forgive the glare in the photo. For some inexplicable reason, this painting was exceedingly hard to photograph.

Dawn of a New Summer, Oil on Linen, 18x24 (SOLD)

revised 8/25/12

This is a studio painting roughly based on a plein air painting I did in March called Dawn of a New Spring. For me, a painting is successful if you get the sense of the temperature and humidity of the day. The Spring painting was done on location while we were still in a drought. There was no snow and the grasses showed no sign of life. The clouds burned off minutes after sunrise and everything faded to beige. I wanted the studio painting to feel much warmer and wetter than the earlier painting. To me, it looks like it's either going to rain, get really hot, or both.

Dawn of a New Spring, Oil on Linen, 12x16

March, 2012

Restoration at Dawn, Oil on Linen, 16x20

This prairie restoration is close to where I live. Judging by the height of the plants, I'd say there was a controlled burn less than two weeks prior to when I painted this. I'm looking forward to visiting this site throughout the growing season. 16x20 is a pretty large plein air painting for me so I painted on location for 2 short sessions on consecutive mornings. The first morning, I covered the canvas and captured the strafing light on the hill crests in record time. The second morning, there was a haze in front of the sun but I was able to witness this beautiful sunrise sky and work on the shadowy foreground detail. Still there was more refinements needed in the studio.

Relief from the Heat, Oil on Linen, 16x12

I've never been a big fan of  paintings of posed models. I prefer paintings of people doing natural things. You'll see people as small components in my paintings because that is what I can capture quickly on location. A couple little dabs and viola–a person off in the distance. I am working on my first studio painting in quite some time where people are the focus of the painting.

Who's Your Friend? Oil on Linen, 9x12

This was painted a couple months ago, but I got busy and never documented it. I love the colors of winter. The sun is low in the sky all day, giving off those golden rays that in the summer are limited to dawn and sunset.

Bottoms Floral, Oil on Canvas, 11x14

Yet another painting from several years ago with a complete overall. I'm really having fun with these old paintings.

Thank you everyone who stopped in for a visit during the Saint Paul Art Crawl. If I didn't get an opportunity to talk with you, or you'd like a chance to see the work without distractions, send me an e-mail. I'd love to hear from you.

Calming Waters, Oil on Canvas, 10x20

(revised 4/11/12)

This is painted from a field study I'd kind of forgotten about. The study was painted 2 years ago half way between Grand Marais and Grand Portage. Quite by accident we found this very isolated point just about a half hour before sunset. I painted a 9x12 in record time as the light faded.

Flat Irons Meadow, 16x12, Oil on Canvas

I've been missing the mountains lately. Going through old paintings, I came across this one from a trip to Colorado a few years ago. Again, I liked the composition but not the brushwork. So I painted right on top of the original until there was not one square inch of the original painting showing. 

Feeling Their Oats, Oil on Linen, 12x16

(Revised 3-29-12)

On yet another 70º March day we ran across these two horses yucking it up. First one would whinny, then the other. Then they'd both stomp around. At one point, while they were out of view, I heard what could only be a horse kicking the barn door. I'm going to assume they were just having a good time, but one never knows.

Originally I painted the horses running , but for some reason, it didn't feel right, so today I straightened out their legs to make them appear to be just standing. It seems to fit the peaceful feel of the scene a little better.

James at High Water, Oil on Linen, 9x12 (SOLD)

Anyone who grew up in Jamestown, ND knows exactly where this was painted.  When I was in my teens, you would find me somewhere in, around, or on this lake most days during summer. This was painted last year. That wasn't that long ago. Still I got it out today to fix a couple minor issues and ended up basically repainting the whole thing.

Cows with a View, Oil on Linen, 9x12

Another one going to North Dakota next month. I should say it's going BACK to North Dakota. I painted this one a couple years ago outside Katherine North Dakota. I reworked about half of it this morning.