What to buy a Nature Lover? | A One-of-a-Kind Twisted Tree Painting!
You’ll never have to agonize over what to buy a nature lover again. Get them an original painting made from a rock. No two are ever alike.
Artist Statement | Welcome to Wild Ozark
Thanks for taking a look at my artist statement. Welcome to Wild Ozark! Click on through and leave your introductions!
Pigment Foraging | Late Summer Means it’s Time for the BLUE!
I’ve been watchfully waiting for this week to begin. All summer, I’ve waited. Watching. And I was beginning to get a little worried that they might not be here this year. But this week the dayflowers bloomed and the pigment foraging began. Yesterday I left the house at nearly 0830 and it was already hot …
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Black Pigment | My Favorite Source is the Hardest
There’s a black, gritty stone that lives here at Wild Ozark and I do not know what it is. I *think* it is a form of bitumen, a very poor quality sort of coal. Whatever it is, this is the best source for black pigment that I’ve found. Previous to this discovery, charred bone was …
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A Meandering Mind, Cluttered Studio, and Holding Patterns
So, I’ve been puttering around and staying busy lately. But I can’t start anything major just yet because I’m in the middle of a lot of small projects. However, that’s not the real reason I’m not getting a whole lot done these days. The blame really goes to my meandering mind. There’s just so much …
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New Exhibit Acceptance | 2021 Bosque Art Classic
I’m super excited to announce that Petunia was chosen for the 2021 Bosque Art Classic. A heartfelt thanks to juror Tyler Crow, the youngest artists ever inducted to the Cowboy Artists of America. It’s an honor to have a painting of mine hanging alongside the many other incredible works that turn up for this show. …
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Pop-up Exhibit at The Gathering | Art on the Bricks | July 8
If you’re able to get out there on short notice, I’ll be at the Art on the Bricks pop-up art exhibit on July 8. Showtime is from 4:30 to 7:30, and there’s a lot more than just art going on. There will be food, music, shopping, and art on display all around the downtown area …
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Earth Tone Art | Earthy Artwork by Madison Woods
How gorgeous is the pigment in this stone! The richness of our sandstone colors led me to creating the paints that I use in my earth tone art. If you’ve landed on this page, you’re probably a fan of nature. Do you like the earthy colors, too? Have you ever noticed all of the colors …
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Kingston, Arkansas | A Rural Ozark Town
There are some hidden treasures in the Ozarks. The tiny little town of Kingston, Arkansas in Madison county is one of them. It’s been my adopted home-base since 2005, when I moved up here from south Louisiana. The town itself is tiny, consisting only of a simple square with a gazebo in the middle for …
How Did the Buffalo National River Get its Name? | “Namesake”
I bet you’d already guessed it. The namesake of the Buffalo National River is … the buffalo. But that’s a misnomer. What we call ‘buffalo’ are actually bison. The American ‘Buffalo’ is really an American Bison. Before Europeans arrived on this land, there were bison everywhere. Many tribes of Native Americans depended on them, literally, …
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Yellow-Billed Cuckoo | Rain Crow | Madison’s Earthy Art
Follow along as I paint a picture of the yellow-billed cuckoo! Featuring earth pigments from Ozark rocks, clay, and bone.
Whippoorwill Says “Time to Plant Corn”
Yesterday evening I heard the first close whippoorwill of the 2021 season. Rob said he’d heard it the night before and wondered that it didn’t wake me up. And this week we “mowed” grass for the first time. But that’s not what you think.
Soul of the Ozarks | The 6th Painting | Red Fox Kit
My 6th painting was a special request by my granddaughter. She loves wildlife and wanted me to paint a fox. Her actual favorite was a kit fox, but instead I painted a red fox kit. I had a good photo to use for that one, taken by photographer friend Terry Stanfill, whereas I did not …
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Maybe it isn’t sandstone… Bituminous Coal?
The first time I saw it, the thought that it isn’t sandstone did run through my mind. Other possibilities include bituminous coal. Could that be what this strangely behaving rock is?
The Beauty of Rocks | How I Use Our Most Abundant Resource
There are many reasons I love the rocks here at Wild Ozark. But I think I can narrow it down to the functional beauty of rocks.
Painting in Progress: Dr. Carter’s Office
My current painting in progress is one of the buildings on the grounds of the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, located in Springdale, Arkansas. Dr. Carter’s Office was moved to the museum at a later date, but started life in the late 1880’s in Elkins, Arkansas (Washington county).
It’s a good day to make paint!
SNOW at this late date? What happened to springtime weather?! Today I’m staying inside and will just make paint.
June 2021 Exhibit: Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
On June 12, from 10 am to 2 pm I’ll be on the grounds at the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History painting. There are lots of things on their grounds that I’ll like to attempt. It’s my first time doing a public painting thing, so wish me luck! If you’re in the area, please do …
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2021 April | Wild Ozark Musings | Monthly Newsletter
This is a website version of my monthly newsletter that goes out to subscribers. If you’d like to get this in your mailbox each month, just head on over <click here> to sign up. Sometimes I may post it here to the website, but maybe not always. The best way to be sure you get …
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A Bearded Dragon in Ozark Pigments | Painting Process
Here’s the process for my Bearded Dragon painting. All pigments are from Ozark rocks.
To my website subscribers: Just in case …
I’m deleting all of the users from my website’s database. There are so many spammers/hackers and bots attempting to leave comments and registering as users lately, that I have to wipe the slate clean. When I’m done, I’ll have to add one of those irritating Captcha things that make you choose pictures to identify yourself …
Hermit Journal Updates | Early Spring Activities
It’s been a busy past couple of weeks here at Wild Ozark. Early spring and warmer weather brings a flurry of activity here at Wild Ozark. I’ve been working on our garden, grinding more rocks, and generally just enjoying the warmer weather. The temps are still cool enough for a jacket mornings and evenings, but …
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Making Smooth Paint from Rock Dust (Earth Pigment)
Since I wrote my first post on ‘how to make handmade watercolor paint‘, I’ve learned some things. That first post is still a good starting point for anyone starting out. It just doesn’t go into how to make *better* paints. Either way, whether you stop at the rough version, or go on to refine it, …
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Monthly Hermit Musings | A Glimmer of Spring
A few green things are peeking out, and I’m beginning to see the glimmer of spring. Yesterday I sent out my monthly newsletter to subscribers. Each month I try to write up a summary of all that went on out here since the previous month. And also each month I have a little giveaway and …
Stones to Grind | A Fantastic New Interview and Publication
Lisa J. Tomey interviewed me way back in 2019 for an article to be published in Okra Magazine. Just when it was about time for it to run, Covid struck and that article got pushed back on the publisher’s to-do list. Well, I’d almost forgotten about it, but Lisa did an awesome job of keeping …
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