Okay, now we start to add some color. I am doing this by adding thin glazes of color and gradually building up color. Clouds have always fascinated me , from down here they appear to have mass and even be solid. They catch and reflect light much as we would expect but, being gaseous they fill with light and glow in a way that is quite unique and I find this challenging and exciting.

Cloud Value Study

This painting was originally to be about birds and as I was developing the values for the clouds it took on a life of it's own. This study was done to establish the lights and darks and I used Payne's Gray and White.
Acrylic on canvas 36x48"

Bass a la Cart


And now, for something a little different. This is a Bass I carved and mounted on wheels.
Initially the idea was to make a statement about the silliness that goes on in creating 'natural carvings'. But, as will happen the idea sort of grew on it's own. This is not a childs toy, this is a sculptural piece and is appreciated by artist and fisherman.
The fish is hand- carved from a block of Solid Basswood and measures seventeen inches from tip to tail. The entire sculpture stands twelve-and-a-half inches tall.
I am selling this sculpture for $350.00 USD plus shipping.
I also have a Pike to sell and am working on other fish. I would be happy to discuss creating a custom sculpture if there is a certain fish you are interested in. Thank you, Greg

The Summer Game

I'm putting the finishing touches (I hope) on this piece inspired by my son and his playing the beautiful game. He's the catcher in this piece and if I may so he's pretty good. I love baseball and better poets than I have written about the game so I'll refrain from trying to be too clever.
I hope this piece will be the starting point for more paintings.

Acrylic on canvas 36x48"

Sacramento Basin Commission




These are photos for a recently completed commission for Venoco Oil in Denver. After opening a floor for their Sacramento Basin group I was brought in to create a painting representing that region.
I wanted to show the landscape and how, after you look you begin to see. I had this vision to create a piece that almost becomes sculptural. To achieve the desired effect I mounted canvas to a plywood panel that had been affixed to stretchers. The small panels were then attached to the large panel and stand proud about one-inch.
The client was very happy with the end result.

Rainy Day

I just finished this little watercolor as a commission for a Christmas gift and even though I slammed it out in two days I am very happy with this painting. Because of the flat light in the scene I was forced to flatten my colors and there-by developed a style that I have been working at for quite awhile.
I'm not sure if these surprises are the essence of Art but they sure make it fun.

This watercolor is a scene just a little north of Gunnison, Colorado. It had just finished raining and the sun was starting to pop out.
The Gunnison Valley and surrounding area is a very beautiful place and I miss it and the people very much, I might go back someday.

Floyd and Delta Dawn


As a kid the Fourth-of-July was always a favorite, family, fireworks all the usual fun. But for the past twenty or so years the Fourth-of-July meant driving up to the Black Hills of South Dakota to visit my ex-wifes family. I loved those visits and miss them very much but the person I'll miss the most is Floyd Tetrault. Sitting out on the front porch on a hot afternoon just shootin' the breeze with Floyd talking about life, politics, bucking horses, fishing, it was all good. Floyd passed away recently and I miss him, a good cowboy and a great friend. Vaya con Dios.

"Denver"

Every so often people ask me if I have a favorite painting and my usual response is " they're all my favorites" or "it's too hard to decide". This little painting is one of my favorites, it shows an unusual view of Denver, not the typical tourist view. No mountains, no drama, just the plains and the sky.

"Venice Beach,CA"

This piece is a favorite. To me Venice Beach means a lot of things, some of them not so great. It is a beautiful, interesting slice of life in Southern California but is also a pretty rough area with a dangerous side.
This scene alludes to the sun and surf element of SoCal but illustrates the fact that even in paradise people have to make a living.

These two pieces were done for an oil company in downtown Denver. They are Acrylic on canvas and both measure five feet by nine feet
I must admit, I viewed these oil rigs in a fairly negative light. These rigs are often seen as blights on the landscape and noted for their harsh impact on the environment. From the beginning, I wanted to offer a positive view of the subject but not do a mere "puff" piece.

After a great deal of research I was a little surprised to find out that these structures often created biomes that had a very high concentration of sea-life. Under these artificial environments exist rich, very diverse communities of ocean dwellers.
The surface piece was inspired by a photo the client had that showed a large group of sea-lions resting on an oil drum used as a marker. I simplified the view showing three sea-lions and painting the barrel in a plain manner. The rest followed fairly easily. The landscape is a loose interpretation of the Santa Barbara coast.
The underwater scene was a little more difficult. I took liberties with the scale of the structure and the animals, to portray this scene accurately the vertical legs of the rig would of been much bigger. This painting is successful because the viewer understands the environment but the focus is on the animals. The movement through this painting is good and avoids the "aquarium" effect.

Another alley. When I started painting alleys in my neighborhood I had no idea I would strike such a chord with viewers. People have universally been drawn to these paintings and always seem to know right where that alley is. Alleys seem to have a life of their own and lend themselves to a more intimate view of a neighborhood.
When we were kids the alley behind my grandparents house beckoned with the promise of great adventure. Being allowed to explore and play in the "Alley" was almost a rite of passage.
Walking an alley affords one a glimpse into others lives that is not allowed from the street. People and even dogs seem more friendly in an alley and conversation is invited and you are able to linger and slow down.
I suppose I could go around and find alleys to paint but I think I will stick to those I know even though that will limit my output.

"Crested Butte, CO"


My maternal Grandmother was from Crested Butte and I have family buried in the old cemetery that is included in this painting.
A favorite family story is that my Great-grandfather "snowshoed" from the Floresta mine, several miles above Crested Butte, on Christmas Eve to marry my Great-grandmother. I love this story and even though things have changed considerably in this part of the world I like to think I've made some sort of connection. Circle of life indeed.

"Utah Highway"

Okay, back to the landscapes. As much as I like to paint wilderness, the element of landscapes that fascinates is the intrusion of people. This painting includes the roadway for what it is. I'm not trying to make some big-statement, it's there, it is.

"Sea Lion"


This watercolor was done from a photograph of a Sea Lion taken at the Denver Zoo. I do a lot of on-the-spot sketching and also take photos. I certainly have mixed feelings about animals in captivity but zoos present a marvelous opportunity to draw animals up close.
I am fascinated by water and the way light bounces off of and passes through it. I like this vignette style of painting. Leaving only that which is important to tell the story. Or maybe I'm just lazy.

"Great Blue Heron"

Thought I'd change it up a bit. When I was younger I painted a lot of birds. I tired of the paint-every-feather mind-set and drifted away from animal art. I really love painting animals but now I'm exploring ways to be accurate , realizing the whole not the parts.
I like this painting because it reminds me of a lot of the small lakes and ponds in this part of the world.