Some paintings start with a plan.
This one started with an anniversary trip.
My wife, the incredibly talented artist Karisa Lee, and I spent a weekend away and made time to do what we love most: exploring new places, getting up close with God’s creation, and being creative. One spot on our trip was a visit to Lavender Kisses Farms and set up on location to paint highland cows in real light, real weather, real time.
Painting outdoors pushes a lot of variables you can’t control in the studio. You have to simplify fast. You have to commit. And you have to respond to what’s actually in front of you, not what you wish you were seeing. That day, what I saw was calm presence. Personality. A quiet confidence that somehow felt both gentle and strong.
That is where The Gentle Scotsman began.
What changed after the farm
This piece didn’t stay a simple plein air painting.
When I brought it back into the studio, I let it evolve. It went through major transformations as I reworked the structure, pushed the values, and refined the color until the cow felt fully alive on the canvas. Exploring how acrylics act on canvas was causing some surprises and pushed me passed what I would typically do with my comic technics.
That is one of my favorite parts of the journey right now. I’m learning to honor the first instinct, while also giving myself permission to make deeper decisions with time. The final painting holds both sides of that process:
- The immediacy of that day on the farm
- The slower, more intentional decisions that only happen back in the studio
Why I’m sharing the work in progress photos
I’m including on location photos and work in progress images with this piece because they document the story behind it. They show how it was built, reshaped, and brought to completion.
For collectors, that kind of transparency matters. You are not just buying an image you like. You are collecting a moment in an artist’s timeline. This one captures a real day, a real place, and a real shift in my work as I keep moving from comics to canvas.
About my Studies series
This painting is part of my Studies series. These are not prints. They are not practice throwaways. They are finished originals. They are one of one, signed, and once they sell, they are gone.
I price these lower on purpose because they represent me building momentum, sharpening my voice, and sharing the transition in real time. If you have been looking for an entry point into collecting my original fine art, this series is designed for that.
If it connects with you, grab it while it’s still in the studio.
