New Sno-Cat Painting

It seems I have a couple more in me for my collection. Finished yesterday, paint still wet, 1988 Tucker 1442B (that I really wish I could have bought the real thing, of course!) and a Thiokol 4T2 in the works. Can't wait to have them hanging on the wall! Love that 4T2!!!

Nice art. Is that Bobcat in the Thiokol?

Thanks! I don't know who it is--but I know who it isn't...me. If the sun comes out I'll try to get a better photo tomorrow.

Much better light this morning for photography! I should get putting some paint on that 4T2 drawing this morning too.

Nice paintings. Any elusive paintings of a Kristi in the future?

Shown in it's natural habitat, Al's garage?

Thank you very much! I've been wanting to paint a Kristi for some time. I've never had access to a suitable photo. I did do a "Barn Cat" painting once (my avatar photo). I know Kristi is one of the four noble brands named on my official Snowcat Forum hot chocolate mug! Maybe some day I'll get to paint the elusive cat????

maybe you could do a snot trac pulling a krusty home and don't forget all Big Al's bling

Reply to john smith0341, "These painting are good but if you do more clear it will look much more attractive from now.Painting should be clear and clean."

I guess the post has been removed already. I spent some time on the reply so I'll post it.

Anyway, here's my reply-


Sounds like you want a photo. Or like Photorealism genre painting. I guess it is a matter of personal taste.

This is a stylized painting. The scene never existed. The background is a typical dream scene for a snowcat. It is painted in what I think of as a diorama style with the surrounding areas pure fantasy. The snowcat is painted crisply, that is, more detailed, as a contrast to the what has been called American primitivism style painted background and foreground (less detail and more fantasy).

The styles and colors work to highlight the snowcat via dramatic contrasts. It is best to see the painting in person as it is much larger (and photos of a painting are never as good/true as the original--especially when I am the photographer!).

As with most paintings you either like it or don't like it. I painted it as an amusement for myself. The background is based on the terrain found at the upper portion of the Wildcat lift area at Alta Ski Area, Utah at twilight.

Orange and blue are "complementary" colors (color theory). They set each other off. And have balance.

At least this is stuff I think about while planning and painting. Thanks very much for the criticism--I am always looking to improve. (And I have a long way to go!)(I got started painting snowcats, I think, as a substitute for never getting to drive my currently broken and chronically too-far-away Tucker.) There are a couple more detailed snowcat paintings buried on my website.

Thanks again!

I'm going to attach my latest outdoor oil sketches. You probably will like these less. They are painted outdoors racing the sun's swiftly changing shadows and highlights. (If you look closely you can see a little fly stuck in the paint!) Once again they appeal to me but maybe nobody else. It's kind of a challenge to paint them that quickly.