Boulder Flatirons Painting

I realized the other day that even though I've lived in Boulder for over six years I had yet to do a painting of the Flatirons. Many would call the Flatirons an icon of Boulder. I think technically the Flatirons fall under the category of "foothills." They are jagged rock formations that look like they shot up out of the ground. We have enjoyed a lot of hiking and climbing on and around the Flatirons, so I have positive associations with them, which I wanted to show in my painting. I chose to do a simple but colorful representation of the Flatirons, giving them a warmer color than they actually have when seen from such a distance (although, I noticed when climbing the Third Flatiron that the rock was actually very red in some sections).

"The Flatirons" acrylic, 2012

Sea Turtle #2 Painting

I've completed another sea turtle painting-this time for my brother's birthday. He really likes sea turtles. Maybe this runs in the family? I decided to create a composition that was more of a view from above rather than the side view that I used in my first sea turtle painting. I also chose a warm-colored sea turtle to create more of a juxtaposition with the cool-colored water. In contrast, the other sea turtle painting that I did ended up focusing on a very limited color palette and consequently the completed painting wasn't as visually appealing for me.  Happy Birthday Jon!

"Red Sea Turtle" acrylic on canvas, 2012