John K. Harrell

This is the cover of the October 2010 issue of Southwest Art Magazine. I was honored that my work was chosen to be featured on and in the magazine this month.
Thank you Southwest Art!

These are all of my paintings for this years Governor's Art Show held in Loveland Colorado beginning April 24th 2010. My Client Doug Farquharson who I did a big commission for in December of 2009 has graciously allowed me to use some more of his reference of Africa as the theme for my work at this year's show. The painting entitled Sanctuary is the painting being published in the show's brochure.
A hearty thanks to Doug and Linda for this honor.

For my show at Brushstrokes I decided to concentrate on subjects that are urban in nature and specifically Denver landmarks. Clients and patrons of the gallery often ask for specific scenes in Denver so I decided to focus on images that are popular with patrons and spark an artistic interest with me as well. Enjoy the show

I have good friends who live just around the corner of this theater so I see it quite often. When I drive by it on Broadway it always evokes memories of an old Hollywood movie premier I would see on TV. Seeing a movie at the Myan is always special and makes it feel like a step back in time when going to the movies was considered an almost elegant affair for the common man.

Union Station is such a Denver landmark and continues to be such a social and economical hub for the City of Denver. That being said I just think its a cool building and wanted to paint it. I am very pleased with the finished painting!

If one was to visit Denver the 16th street Mall has to be a priority on everyone's list of must see places in the City. The shopping and restaurants are awesome and the views spectacular. The most recognizable landmark would be the May D&F tower which is in this painting
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The Tivoli is a popular hang out with the younger crowd of Denver. It is located next to the Auraria Campus. It has great shops and restaurants and a fantastic micro brewery.

I had to sneak one more in of the 16th Street Mall. The fall was short this year but I managed to get a couple painted with the fall feeling in downtown.

I am very partial to this park. Our gallery is only a few blocks from Washington Park so I see and experience its beauty almost everyday. I have painted it a few times but never get tired of it. Its popularity with the residents in Denver is overwhelming and I get asked to paint it all the time. Every time I go and take pictures there is always something new to explore and paint so I never tire of the request!

This is a piece I have painted in support of Project Education Sudan. This wonderful organization's mission is to fund and assist indigenous Sudanese organizations and communities that create educational infrastructure in rural southern Sudan. They support the building of primary and secondary schools, as well as adult education and teacher training.
To help generate funds for these endeavors Project Education Sudan invites a talented group of artists to paint works of art depicting life in the Sudan. This years exhibition and auction is being held on September 26, 2009, 6-9 P.M.
Further information about the show and auction can be seen here.

This lovely lady is named Frannie. She is the loyal companion of a great client of mine by the name of Jeanne Achziger. I had great fun taking her photograph in the strawberry batch in Jeanne's backyard. This is the resulting portrait. I am very pleased with the final painting and honored to have had the opportunity to paint Frannie. Thanks, Jeanne!

I have the honor of participating once again in the Governor's Invitational show. These are the pieces that will be on display beginning on April 11, 2009 the night of the official opening event.
The show runs through May 17th, 2009. I encourage everyone who love art to attend this show. It is one of the best shows in Colorado!

The theme of my current show at Brushstrokes was to create six compositions from one source. I chose and urban subject. The largest image is what I created all the pieces from. Enjoy!

I have acquired wonderful new representation at the Bonner David Galleries in Scottsdale Arizona. This is a wonderful gallery with fantastic owners and staff. I am very honored to be included in their fantastic art family.

I have a one man show opening there on December 08, 08 and runs through December 31, 08. In conjuntion with the show American Art Collector has written an article in this months issue show casing my work and introducing the my show. I will post a link this week to the article.
December is an exciting time for me and my carrier I hope you follow along and and catch the ride!

These are a few of the paintings in my show and can be purchase at the Bonner David Gallery.

This is a commission for a good friend and talented Architect by the name of Michale Knorr. He has a fantastic firm here in Denver by the name of Michale Knorr and Associates. If you ever are in need of an architect's services you should look him up! He created the design for my new house and it's fantastic!

This is another urban street scene from Denver Colorado. This piece is now in a juried show at the Denver International Airport on the A concourse. So if you are traveling and get to that area of the air port stop by and see the show. It has over 400 pieces of art on display through January of 2009.

This is a commission my two clients, Bill McDonough and Rob Munger. They gave me a wonderful picture to paint from their travels to Spain. I am very pleased with the outcome and hope they are as well.

A late fall day in Colorado, very magical to see and paint.

Sometimes I come upon a scene so simple but so moving. I just had to paint this image because it evoked such emotion in me. It reminds me of my childhood and takes me to a restful place as an adult.

I was on my way to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris when I saw these two Parisians having a wonderful chat while the dog had interests all his own. It brought a smile to my face.

I was trying to get the feeling of anticipation these people were showing while waiting for the bus. The urban landscape is wonderfully alive!

This original acrylic painting is very textural when viewed up close. I enjoy making a painting about the texture as much as a powerful image. Enjoy!

I've have used wonderful colors to bring this Urban scape painting to life. The wonderful warm colors give this image a magical feel.

This is an abstract floral that I painted from an image in my mind. I don' t do that very often. I am very pleased with the outcome.

This is one of my new pieces for our Anniversary show on March 14, 2008. This is a very impressionistic interpretation of a city street in Denver.

Today's painting is a scene from just across the street from our gallery. The lights and snow add a certain atmosphere to the urban setting and makes it so cozy. Hopefully, I have portrayed that feeling in this piece.
Enjoy!

It's the time a year that some of the wonderful mountain towns in Colorado are winter paradises. Aspen is no exception. I was up there last week and had a fantastic time taking pictures. Talk about cold, I could barely work my camera it was so cold, but beautiful none the less. This study is on the main pedestrian street in Aspen and was just about twilight. The dichotomy of the modern cars and the horse carriage was fascinating so I just had to paint it. A very timely subject.

One of my favorite times is walking through the city streets when it's snowing. The falling snow muffling the sounds of the city and the promise of a warm fire when I get home safely. How wonderful a moment! This is a street near my home where I take a walk with my dog every day.

This is another city scape in the fall. I was intrigued by all the lights and color of the scene on this day. The lights of the trolley become the back drop of the City's hustle and bustle. I am finding the doing these small paintings a challenge and excited about what I am able to portray in the small format.
SOLD

Anyone who owns a dog is so in love with them, and I'm no different. Penny just warms my heart and sometimes I just have to paint her. This is the fourth painting I have done of her and I am sure it wont be my last. Her gesture in this pose has such expression even with out seeing here eyes. Painting her has really made me realize how much fun it is to paint dog portraits. I see dogs in a whole new light.

This is another painting of Portland Oregon. I'm very enamored with the look and feel of this city and I'm having a great time painting it. Painting these little paintings is really sharpening my skills as a painter and challenging my daily dedication to doing them. I like a challenge for sure.

SOLD

This is another composition from a trip to Portland, Oregon. I had a wonderful time in the city and it inspired many of my recent paintings. Portland is the only other city that I think I could live in other than Denver. The city and its red trees were spectacular to say the least!

This is today's painting. It is a local scene from Downtown Littleton Colorado. I am very intrigued by reflections in any form so I tend to paint subjects that contain them. I like urban subject matter and feel this composition is a winner!

SOLD

This is the second of two paintings that are my show pieces for the 2007-2008 Nomadas Del Arte Plein Air art show held during the month of March 2008 at the Sage Creek gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The work had to be completed some time in 2007 to be eligible for entry. I did this painting on location at the Red Rocks Amphitheater just outside of Denver Colorado. The sunny warm fall Colorado day filled the landscape with wonderful light and made the landscape just glow with spectacular light and color. It was a complete joy to be painting that day. Enjoy

This is one of two paintings that are my show pieces for the 2007-2008 Nomadas Del Arte Plein Air art show held during the month of March 2008 at the Sage Creek gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The work had to be completed some time in 2007 to be eligible for entry. I did this painting on location at the Red Rocks Amphitheater just outside of Denver Colorado. The sunny warm fall Colorado day filled the landscape with wonderful light and made the landscape just glow with spectacular light and color. It was a complete joy to be painting that day. Enjoy

This piece is a large textural abstract painting. I use a combination of texture and color in my abastractions to achieve my compositions and let the painting process dictate the progression and completion. That in itself is a whole different approach to my painting than I typically use in my more representational work. It's a challenge, but I find that it's making me take artistic leaps in my work.

This is a new city scape I just finished. It is a scene from Portland Oregon. I enjoy painting small paintings and the subject mater worked beautifully. The light from the reflections caught my eye and I use them to create mood and interest in the painting.

Patrick came into the Gallery on September 15, 2007. He spent quite a time browsing the fine art and decided on this image for his first original piece of art for his collection. I was truly honored to paint this for him. Patrick was a joy to work with and has to be the youngest collector of my work to date. Thank you Patrick and I hope the painting has found its place in your home!

This is a small painting I did of some grapes I took a picture of in Tuscany Italy a couple of years ago. I have always been drawn to this image and finally got around to painting it. I tend to pick compositions that zoom into the subject making them more intimate paintings. Enjoy.

It was my pleasure to meet Peter in the gallery on a Sunday a couple of weeks ago. He said that he had looked in the window but had never been around when the gallery was open. Peter bought this piece to hang in his home and mentioned that his house had a lot of windows so the art he chose was very important to him because space was limited.
So when he purchased this piece I was to say the least, thrilled and honored to be a part of his art collection. Thanks Peter!

This piece is a combination of my traditional technique and my abstract explorations. I've use a combination of materials and collaged paper to create the texture before beginning the painting itself. It is a very loose and bright painting and I am excited about the finished work. The next painting is a 48 x 48 abstract. Can't wait to post it.

I have been invited to participate in this show benefiting Project education Sudan.
The focus of this organization is on building community, self-sufficiency and hope for the people of Sudan by supporting indigenous Sudanese organizations that model our values and make primary and secondary education available for all. The Project creates hope in Sudan by reuniting families separated by years of civil war.
I selected an image from pictures provided by the organization that touched my heart. The image is of a Sudan mother. I was struck by the her beauty and strength in her gaze. I hope my painting conveys her essence. I will post the Invitation to the event held on September 15, 2007 very soon.

This piece was commissioned to paint from the Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL. I was honored to be selected to do this piece and hope it brings healing to those who see it there.

I got a new toy! I thought why not go green and commute to the studio on a scooter. So voila, Craig's List comes through. My new scooter is a Honda Metropolitan and gets 80 Miles to a gallon. Penny is strapped on the back in her crate and off we go to the gallery to paint. What great fun I have at my job. So if you see a big guy with a little dog on a red and white scooter laugh and wave!

I have been invited to participate in the Art Students League of Denver exhibit entitled "20 Years Impact Two". This exhibition showcases artists who have studied at the League and become successful in the art world at large. Nominated by past and present faculty, these artists represent the diverse impact the Art Students League has had on the community. Everyone is welcomed to attend the Opening Reception Friday, August 3rd, 5:30-8:00 PM. The Exhibit runs August 3 through September 21.

On Saturday Terry and John Hebebrand came to Brushstrokes Gallery to pick up their commissioned painting of the Colorado Sheep. I titled the piece "Gazing". This is the second piece they have commissioned from me and hope it won't be the last!
It was a pleasure painting it for them and hope its found it's place in their growing art collection.
Thanks again Terry and John!

Terry and John,
Here is your finished painting. I am very pleased with the end result and it looks great in the frame you picked out. The painting is waiting here at the gallery for it's new home!
Thank you for allowing me to paint this for you.

Here is the beginning of a commission for Terry and John.

The size of this piece is 24 x 30 and the medium is Acrylic. They chose the image for this painting from my source photographs and the sheep are from a ranch close to my parent's house in Durango, Colorado.

So far I have laid in the composition, and the basic shapes and values. I enjoy painting high contrast values like the ones in this commission. Next, I will work from the background to the foreground of the painting and define my shapes as I go.

Tune in tomorrow and see how things are shaping up!

Jay and Jeannie,

Here is the picture of the painting you were interested in when you came into the gallery today.

You were a delight to meet and we appreciate your visit into our gallery.

Let us know if we can be of any further assistance.

Here is the finished painting!

I think the values and temperature of the paint captures the warm atmospheric nature of the city just after the fall rain storm.

I had fun painting it and even more fun selling it today at Brushstrokes Gallery!

This is today's project. It's a small 6 x 4 urban subject. I have laid in the basic composition and filled in my initial values and color palette. Sometimes it can be a challange to put a lot of information into a small painting, and this is sort of pushing the limit.
I am encouraged so far.
Check in tomorrow and see the final result!