Kestrel

It is about that time.......the dead of winter when days are short and I get stuck inside more than I want. Well, I got the itch to start painting some and did this Kestrel last night with some titanium white and payne's gray. It was nice to kick back and only worry about using two colors. I actually did this bird for the cover of a birding phamplet which will be in black and white. It was a good warm up piece for me and got me anxious to start on some paintings. I've got some good ideas for my paintings this year.......a bedded buck in snow, strutting turkeys on a steep meadow, and such. I'm going to give the fish a break and concentrate on some mammals instead. Check back in and maybe I'll have something to look at.

Illinois 2010

Just got back from the Land of Lincoln and it was good! The wind blew hard for 4 straight days but the temperatures stayed cool and allowed for some pretty good action. I saw alot of good bucks with most of them coming to the rattling horns, which makes it even more exciting. I was able to pursuade this buck that my rattling horns were more interesting than the doe he was cutting and chasing.

If you want to see what a true monster whitetail looks like then check out this buck taken by Adam Laverde.

It was a real gift being able to put my hands on something like this. It's not very often that you get to see something like this in person. Keep your eyes open because more likely than not you will see this deer again somewhere. Congrats to Adam for tagging a once in a lifetime buck!



Strokes of Genius 3

About 2 months ago I submitted artwork for the next edition of North Lights Book called Strokes of Genius 3: The Best of Drawing. Well guess what.......I got a package in the mail today and was pleased to find out that my "First Cast" scratchboard made it into the book. The book will be available in October 2011 and I can't wait to see my work inside along with the best artists around today. I wished I had sent more than one entry in, but figured I would save some money and just submit that one. I feel confident now that my artwork has reached the level I wanted it to, and I feel more comfortable now embarking on more artistic challenges. The book should be a great one and I would suggest buying one even without my artwork being in it. I will keep you posted next year when it comes out on the stands.

Field and Stream Total Outdoorsman Challenge

The last thing I ever wanted to do was have to compete at a Field and Stream Total Outdoorsman Challenge regional qualifier in order to get my ticket to Dogwood Canyon in Missouri for the finals. Having placed 4th at the finals last year pretty much forced that hand I didn't want to play, but I was happy with the outcome at the regional in Nashville, TN this past weekend. I tied with 1st place, but ended with 2nd after the tie-breaker. This guarantees my ticket to the finals and a shot once again to reclaim the title. It's not going to be easy with the competition that the event is drawing, but with a little luck who knows. I've been really focused lately on the South Holston Flyfishing Festival where I will be the featured "starving" artist. I have been too busy to do any art, and for those hoping to see some, I'm sorry. You just might have to wait until this winter to be totally honest. How can I get all the good reference material unless I'm out there doing it? Hey, I hunt/fish then do art. Not the opposite.  

River Smallies

Not much to say here......except it's that time of year we wait for.

2nd Place at Delaware Trout Stamp Competition!!

I've got some good news for those who were wondering how I placed in the 2011 Delaware Trout Stamp

Competition. The brown trout above got 2nd place and the brook trout I did made it to the second round! I know, if you ain't first your last...but I was merely hoping to get a top 5 finish, and that in itself is tough considering the amazing works from very accomplished artists that enter each year. I want to thank Charles Craumer again, owner of 307 Outfitters in WY, for the reference photo. If you want to catch one of these big browns give him a shout http://www.307outfitters.com/ . I really wished I could have been there to see all the incredible artwork. I am really honored that my artwork was thought good enough to receive second place and the first place piece by Jeffrey Kleinfelter was just awesome. I have alot of respect for these great artists and I'm honored just to be thrown in the mix with them.  Now I must begin my ideas for the 2012 competition! I would like to enter the duck competitions, but I really enjoy getting reference material for fish.............if mallards start taking a clouser on the swing, then we will see.

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

Here has been my spring in a nutshell soo far......the white bass run was good, turkeys have been better, and the best is yet to come-Roanoke river stripers. I got me a good bird on opening day and went the following Saturday with my ole buddy Walker. We didn't here any birds at daylight, so we proceeded to get that knot in our calves that all serious turkey hunters know about.  If you've never had it then you've either gave up too quick or your one of the lucky ones that live in the "flat country". I'm glad I had Walker with me this morning because I usually go solo and find myself rambling out loud about how I wished these turkeys were easier to get to, or how nice it would be to hunt down east on some flat ground. But there we were, barely able to talk after a rushed and long "ascent" to the top of the ridge chasing a faint gobble, when Walker stopped and made me aware of the amazing view that awarded us. Sure, I've been on that ridge before but I have always been soo focused on looking for unturned leaves, black football shaped moving bodies, and anything with the color red, blue, or white. So there I was this morning, soo thankful to be chasing turkeys in the mountains. I almost feel sorry now for those that have to walk miles on flat ground with no view to ponder and no mountain spring to quench your thirst. So here I am now, vowing to have a different perspective on mountain turkeys and taking more time to stop and smell the umm............... ramps!