"A River Runs Under It"

This may be my last winter painting for a while. It's a scene on Belle Isle looking down at the ice. Little sections of the river have thawed, with the sky and trees reflected in the water. The ice was translucent, revealing dead leaves underneath. Sometimes you see a scene that looks so abstract, you can hardly believe your eyes. 

"Argoflex"

Another cool camera made by the Argus Camera Company of Ann Arbor, Michigan. I had no idea they were made here in Michigan. The company had a long history and only went out of business a relatively short time ago. It would be cool to start a collection of their cameras. For this one, I found some interesting material in my wife's sewing closet. I like the way the cloth is reflected int he flash unit. 

"Ice Follies"

Late winter on Belle Isle. It was just warm enough for some of the ice to melt on the river. The sky was a crystal clear blue and the reflection of the trees made for an interesting composition. Painting the translucent ice was a bit of a challenge--but I think I pulled it off. 

"A Cat Named Nebbiolo"

We had the pleasure of having our daughter's Abyssinian kitten for a couple weeks. The coolest cat ever. So I decided to attempt a painting of him. Let me say, cats aren't an easy subject, that's for sure. For a first try, I think it turned out okay. Looks like I have a lot to learn. At least I think I captured a bit of his personality. 

"Sticks. No Stones"

Late winter/early spring walk. Nothing in the way of plants coming up. The pond at Metro Beach was still pretty dead with last year's reeds rotting away. Saw these twigs poking their heads out of the water and with the bright sky and contrasting clouds, made for a Zen-like scene. 

"Brownie Moviecam"

An interesting old movie camera from Kodak. Not only was it cool looking, this thing weighed a ton. Built like a tank. I found this colorful fabric in the back of my wife's sewing closet and though it would make a perfect backdrop for the camera. Pretty exotic, eh? 

"Grandpa Birch"

A few weeks back we were out on a hike and I spotted this gnarly old birch. It had so much character I just had to photograph it, and paint it. The sky was a bright blue and the show and ice was just beginning to thaw. It's days like this that make it all worthwhile! Someday, Spring might even get here to Michigan. 

"Plein Old Studio"

I've noticed just about every painter does a self portrait and a painting of his or her studio.I already attempted the former, so here's a stab at my studio. I've omitted the gargantuan rowing machine which takes up about a quarter of the room. But other than that, this is pretty much what it looks like. It's all windows, which let in tons of light, even on overcast days. It's a joy to work in. And with the high-fidelity stereophonic unit blasting, it's my little bit of paradise! 

"Creeky Door"

I was on a hike with my partner, "Coach" and we somehow got off the designated trail. We ended up in a wild part of Wolcott Mill Metropark. At one point, we followed 31 Mile Rd.  past a dead end sign and it turned into a ditch, flanked by a stream. Then we came across this old, rusty car door on the banks of a creek. Later, we found a whole car rotting in the middle of a field. Apparently, the locals use the park as their own, personal dumping ground. Way to respect Mother Nature guys! 

"Starflash"

Obviously, another in my series of vintage cameras. I love the simplicity of the design of this one. Ideal for beginning photographers. I'm surprised at how many different models Kodak produced over the years. And the last I headr, they were pretty much out of the photography business. What a shame. 

"Snow. Leaves. Paw."

I found this odd scene hiking along the Huron River. I only saw one paw print,  which I thought was odd. How the heck did that get there? once again, nature constantly surprises me. It really does pay to take a closer look sometimes! 

"Nodes"

I took a hike on Belle Isle on a sunny morning about a month ago. The far end of the island, near the nature center was totally frozen and the wind was blowing like crazy. But the landscape was almost surreal. I spotted this scene in a frozen pond. The water had frozen but the reeds were still intact. I think it had an other worldly look to it. 

"Hawkeye"

This camera was a bit on the mundane side. So I decided to pick an interesting

background. I found this curtain material in the closet and thought it would add a bit of color and interest to the painting. I'll have to get to a fabric store one of these days and pick up some interesting material for future backgrounds 

"What Lurks"

Saw this scene at Kensington Metropark late winter. I liked the weird underwater formations and submerged tree trunks. 

"Imperial"

As I've mentioned before, I'm always taken aback that the U.S. manufactured so many different kinds of cameras. Obviously, this is another in my series of cameras. I'm always looking for different backgrounds. In this case, I found a rain poncho hanging on our stairwell. Huh, why not give it a try? It kinda works. 

"Ice Fingers"

Saw this unusual scene while hiking at Kensington Metropark. The lake was totally frozen over. However there were a few patches where some cracks were beginning to appear. This looked like an octopus or some other sea creature. The leaves added to the surreal appearance. Ya just never know what you're going to find. That's why I keep on hiking!