This is an 8X10 oil by Judith.  It was begun plein air and finished in the studio.  Her easel was set up on a public fishing dock facing the Northeast.  Faulkton Lake is about 25 miles from our home.

Bale Out is a 9x12 oil that shows a typical autumn setting

This is a plein air 9x12 oil painted on site by Judith.  A small group of painters set up in a Lincoln, Nebraska city park across the street from this large, picturesque home.

Some new images have been posted on this, 15 January 2015. We'll need to take some time to post title, sizes, etc. If you would like more information right now, please email us: spitshine58@gmail.com. We're glad for your interest in our work.

This is a 16X20 oil on stretched, primed canvas.  The subject is an abandoned church school building in South Dakota.  It's still somewhat structurally sound but has been unoccupied for many years.  Daniel painted a 9X12 plein air sketch onsite and then did this larger size in his studio.  No prints have been made but the original is for sale.  Please email for more informatiion.  

New Oil Paintings for January 2015

REACTIVATING

We'll be entering new images and posts over the next few days.  It's simply resolving to become more active in this mode.  For those of you who have 'stuck with us' we really hope you'll submit any comments and suggestions.  Thanks for checking in.  Dan and Judith

Gene's Mares

This is a quickie effort from today. About 45 minutes spent out in the wind in a hooded sweatshirt hunkered up against one of our sheds in the backyard. These horses live next door ( we live right on the edge of our small town. ) Of course, the animals don't know enough to stand still and that makes for a challenge along with all the other attendant plein air obstacles. But, it is to be considered a learning experience and it's especially good to be getting out now that the weather is beginning to warm.

Alley Shed

Two approaches to the same subject ~ I'd done a quick pen/pencil sketch in this alley last summer in the early morning light. The knife painting is 8x10 and the other is 5x7.

Icy Lake ~ Plein Air

It isn't usual for us to be out

for any plein air activity

during winter months but we've

had some fair weather on

a couple occasions. This

frozen, small lake is just

three miles from home. I

did add the trees back in the

studio. It's 8x10 oil

South Woodlot

This is definitely just a WIP and I intend to finish it today. I spent about 2 1/2 hours yesterday ( 11 Sept 11 ) in our woodlot where we gather our firewood. It's located two miles south of our home. The setting is strewn with downed trees as well as new growth in all sizes and shapes. The huge fallen cottonwoods have accumulated over may years but they're too large to handle for firewood use unless heavy equipment could be used. We don't have that ! This is 9x12 oil on canvas board. Palette; CYL, CYD, CRL, ALIZ, ULT and Permalba White. Dan

Sodbuster Barn

I've recently begun working more with gouache
in order to be more familiar with its properties
for winter studio work. There are many similarities
to oil but the quick drying time takes some time to
get accustomed to, I think. This decaying barn
was located just a bit north of the South Dakota
northern border into North Dakota. It's near the
site of a semi-annual Sodbuster Festival where
out-dated farming methods are displayed. Most
work is done using real horse power! Since I
painted this scene, the building was razed and
burned. That has become almost a pattern in
my quest for the old and worn. Churches and
farmstead buildings have disappeared in the
wake of being recorded on canvas. There is a
sadness in it but no solution. Only to keep
at whatever subjects appeal to us and they do
seem to have much appeal to landscape painters
everywhere.

September 2011

Time just plain gets away from us. Blogging takes time!.......for sure.......and it's time we ought to spend standing before our easels. BUT.........since we do find that following the blogs of others can be of help and inspiration we do hope to get back into some regular additions. As our winter approaches we also have determined to produce some plein air oil sketches to use as reference after the cold chases us indoors. We hope our followers haven't completely abandoned us. Stay tuned. Dan and Judith

Absent For A While

We have escaped to Arizona for a while. The snow and cold was gettng to our sensibilities so we're now enjoying temps in the 70's, sunny skies, music and art. We will be back into our easels and tubes within the next three days and hope to have new stuff to post.

Studio Oil

Decided on another landscape challenge for this very cold day. The studio is most comfortable. This is 9X12 Oil on Hardboard. In keeping with the times maybe I'll call it, "Bale Out." Dan

Studio Oil

I decided to have a go at the December Landscape Challenge from WetCanvas! this afternoon. There are three choices and I felt I'd been doing enough snow for a while so here's a scene from the Adirondacks. It's hot off the easel and there is glare from the sticky, wet oil. 9X12 on hardboard. Dan

Three Point Nine

Thank you BettyMay. As you might find, I put in a little time at the same spot this morning in different light - to say the least! This one took 50 minutes partly owing to the the fact that immediately after I'd drawn in some guidelines with a thinned brush I tipped the panel upside down onto the palette surface. So there I was, scraping off five different-colored blobs of fresh paint. One of the hazards of working in a cramped space with pochade box in your knees. Oh well, this is still more fun than working.

Field Oil Sketches

have a little plein air oil sketch to get on here in the WIP stage. This is done from the pickup cab, parked in the same place as Three Point Nine on 25 Dec. Conditions were entirely different: fog, haze, frost and COLD. But warmer than yesterday. By the time I took the photo through the windscreen, the fog had lifted somewhat so things were coming into focus. I'll put up the photo too and then continue work on the 5X7 Oil. Dan

Gmail - (no subject) - spitshine58@gmail.com

http://mail.google.com/mail/#inbox/11e73ac903ede00c

You don't have to be a plein air nut, but it helps! Ventured out for a while this morning before the temp had quite inched up to four degrees F. It began warming soon afterward though so I was comfortable in the passenger seat of my old Toyota pickup. This cold, snowy little scene is on the east edge of our town and I just like the way the contra jour light was finding its way through those bare trees. The sunlight was filtered but still quite strong. 8X10 Oil on hardboard. Dan