Mark Rothko "Red" Commission, Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre.

Mixing Paint to Recreate Mark Rotko's famous "Red" paintings.

My wife Bridget served as my studio assistant. Here she applies paint to the large studio easel and drop cloths to give the set a well used studio feel. We were treated very well by the members of the theater staff. We were housed in a gated apartment complex used for visiting cast members, and treated to dinner at the nicer restaurants. And we were paid well to boot. All in all it was a lot of fun.

I had to do some research on Rothko's methods, I learned he would use layers of color to build up subtle color differences in his work. While I do not paint like Rothko, I have respected him since High School, and first realized the inherent power of color in a work from him. Trying to reproduce his works was not as easy as it may seem. I feel I fell far short. Some of the repertory theater staff were hoping to gain possession of the pieces after the show, unfortunately the Rothko Foundation would not allow this, The pieces were used in other performances in Texas, and elsewhere.

These were taken during the performance. By Permission and Courtesy of  Mutz Photography.

Taken during the Red performance. By Permission and Courtesy of Mutz Photography.

Red Performance. By Permission and Courtesy of Mutz Photography.

Red Performance. By Permission and Courtesy of Mutz Photography.

Red Performance. By Permission and Courtesy of Mutz Photography.

A Progression.

First Draft of Eastern Washington, Acrylic on Panel, 38" X 48"

Eastern Washington, final version of painting, Acrylic on Panel 38" X 48"

A Collection of Works

Buffalo Prairie Near Black Jack Missouri, Acrylic on Panel,38" X 48"

First Warm Day of March, Acrylic on Panel, 38" X 48" Mr. and Mrs. Steve Emerson Collection

What I Saw in Bridget's Garden, Oil on Panel, 20" X 30"

Ozark Glade on a Cloudy Day, Acrylic on Panel, 38' X 48"

A Collection of Works.

Black Trees Near Deepwater Missouri, Acrylic on Panel, 38" X 48" St.Clair County Library Collection.

Camping on the Missouri River, Acrylic on Panel 32" X 48" Private Collection. When i was a boy my father would take us down to the Missouri River with his friends to shoot old muskets from the American Civil War. We would make a day and night of it with lots of food and drinks. We liked to get the attention of the river boat captains as they made their way up the river. We would give them the pump sign a signal that they were to blow their horns. they would usually swing their search light around and spot on us.

My Childhood Play Place. oil on Panel, 18" X 24" Mr. and Mrs.Sean O'Brien Collection.

Hope and Nathan at the Bloch Museum, Acrylic on Panel, 30" X 40"

Painting From a Digital Sketch

The Original Digital Sketch done in Painter 2.0

The finished work titled, North Woods. Oil on Panel,32" X 48"

The artist at work in his cow shed studio.

A Collection of Works.

Sonya, The Hot Mess, Acrylic on Panel, 38" X 48"

Quidi Vidi Village, Newfoundland by Moonlight. Acrylic on Panel, 38" X 48"

The Orange Road, Oil on Panel, 20" X 30" Private Collection.

The Pine grove on "B" Highway, Acrylic on Panel.

A Collection of Works

Yoder's House, Acrylic on Panel, 18" X 24" Mr. and Mrs. Brad Korris Collection.

Yoder's Son's House, Acrylic on Panel, 16" X 20" Private Collection.

The Red Chair, Acrylic on Panel, 20" By 30" This is a Commissioned work, in a Private Collection.

Stand of Native Missouri Short Leaf pines, Acrylic on Panel, 38" X 48"

A Collection of Works

Winter Light on Hogle Creek, Acrylic on Panel, 20" X 20"

Imaginary Mountain Lake, Oil on Canvas, 30" X 40" Private Collection in Montana.

Tracks in the Snow, Acrylic on Panel, 38" X 48"

Willows on Truman Lake Oil on Panel, 20" X 30"

A Collection of Works.

The Swimming Hole, Oil on Panel, 18" X 24" This painting is kind of a departure from my usual style, but was a lot of fun and is pleasing to my eye color wise. Mr. and Mrs. Sean O'Brien Collection.

Swinging Bridge Road at Evening, Miller County Missouri, Acrylic on Panel, 38" X 48"

The Blue Sign, Oil on Panel, 18, X 24"

The Burning Bush, Oil on Panel, 20" X 30" Mrs. Kimberly Osborn Collection.

A Collection of Works.

Henry County Hideaway, Acrylic on Panel, 38" X 48" My wife and I live on the western edge of the Missouri Ozarks. To the east are the forested hills of the Ozarks to the west the rolling and treeless plains of the prairie. Something about rural Ozark life just seems to make a landowner collect old cars refrigerators and whatever.

Highway 83 and Highway EE. Acrylic on Panel, 38" X 48" I sometimes paint scenes for the color they contain rather than the subject matter. This is the case here.

Dry Creek Bathed in Russet. Acrylic on Panel, 20" X 35" Private Collection.

The Guy in the Yellow Shirt,.Springfield Missouri Museum of Fine Art, Acrylic on Panel, 35" X 48"