Fond memories of Montana

This is another painting I did while living in Montana. All my paintings were painted from life and in one sitting. I think that they have a fresher look that way. Any time I would go back in and rework a painting I did from life it would always wreck the feeling I once had. Now that I work so much in the animation world I see painting as a way to keep me fresh and enjoying art. It brings me back to why I became an artist in the first place and helps me forget about all the stuff that goes on in the big studios.

Painting on the Spot

I used to do a lot of outdoor painting in oil before I got into digital painting. It's hard to do. A lot of really good digital painters can't do it. I took a couple of years off from working in animation and moved to Montana and painted all the time. It took me about a year to get good at it. I wanted to be a full time painter but the bills out paced the sales so I went back to work in animation. I still paint. I did this one one weekend not too long ago. I did it over at the Brand Library in Glendale. Green is a color that can be hard to control, I usually use it sparingly but this looks ok on this little one I think.

Snow Baby Buddha

We went skiing last weekend and I got a little into a snowman making project. It was fun. We lit it up with solar garden lights at night and it looked like the entrance to a monastery with the Baby Buddha out front.