Backcountry Heaven (Douglas Island - Juneau, Alaska)

Winter is on the way! A neighbor who does lots of adventures

sent photos of a wintertime ski trip on Douglas Island (my home).

I asked permission to try to make a painting from one or a combination

of his photos, and he gave the A-Ok.

The following are shots of the painting's progression.

My sketch of the scene. It was a combination of a couple of his photos.

Transferring it to my surface with charcoal ... I don't think I set it with alcohol this time.

I just began painting.

Backcountry Heaven  ©TGRobus    oil on board      12.5 x 16.5 inches

Matt had made a support and a frame ages ago, so I just had to prepare the surface and he glued it all together, I painted the reveal and the frame black. 

So, it is a wood panel mounted on wood panel in a floater-style frame!

Here is the back.

I enjoyed painting this. 

When you look at it, I want you to feel as if you can imagine skiing 

the snowy mountains of the backcountry in winter. I haven't been 

in this particular place, but have been skiing in similar

Alaskan snowscapes. I hope I captured the

feeling of awe and joy when you are out

in the quiet of the winter land.

As we enter from autumn to winter, I hope everyone continues to be safe 

and stay healthy and active ...

... and do things that make you happy.

Thank you for checking this blogpost ... I really appreciate it!

😷

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❤️

So Many Ideas, So Little Time!

I am working on a new series,

one that may not be too inviting to some.

It is called

DOR

(Dead On Road).

This is kind of a hard one to explain, but here goes.

There have been paintings of dead things throughout

history. Think of the paintings by Chardin.

The Ray by Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin   1728    

45 x 57 inches  It is at the Louvre. 

I love the cat.

and

Rabbit and Copper Pot  1739-40

 

My idea is to give a bit of dignity and beauty to these poor creatures 

who tried to get to the other side of the road.

Road savvy these guys were not.

For the past 9 - 10 years I have been stopping on the side of the road - 

while biking, walking, driving or being a passenger asking for the driver to please stop 

and let me go take a quick picture or two of the DOR.

Well, I guess it is better in many ways,

than being a parasitologist, as my uncle was ...

and now my brother is - when they see a DOR,

it is picked up! and put in a bag 

to take back to the lab to look at its

guts for parasites!

I only take away photos.

I decided the first one is a baby porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum,

that I found on the side of the road while I was biking North Douglas Hwy.

 My supports are all Masonite and all the same size, 

24 x 16 either horizontal or vertical as I am doing here.

I used acrylic for my underpainting and am continuing to do the

painting using oils and Cold Wax Medium (approx 1/2 & 1/2 mix).

I'm showing you the good, bad and ugly of the process

so strap yourselves in.

Oh, and I am not even finished with this one and I am beginning another,

so this will be something I will post

now and then.

Thanks so very much for checking in!

Take the greatest care!

🎨😷