Elk

Hello Everyone,

I spent the first few days of my time in Colorado watching the elk engage in the annual ritual of the rut. This ritual includes bulls forming "harems" of cows, nervously guarding those cows, stealing cows from other harems, and bugling back and forth either to warn other bulls to stay away, or to announce their approach. I also had the privilege of seeing a few antler clashes between bulls. These magnificent creatures are incredible to watch this time of year, and it could be downright comical at times if the elk were not so majestic.

Below are two paintings inspired by my experience. The first shows a bull seeking out another bull who is calling in the distance. This bull most likely thinks he can steal a cow or two from the other bull's harem.

The second painting shows a lone bull in the meadow calling out in the evening light. Most likely his group of cows is behind him and he is giving a warning call to any others who would dare to take from him.

Answering the Call

Oil on linen panel, 12x16

$1,500, framed.

Meadow Monarch

Oil on linen panel, 12x16

$1,500, framed.

See more at www.JasonTako.com

Oil Painters of America Acceptance!

Hello Everyone,

I'm happy to announce my acceptance as a member of the prestigious Oil Painters of America. This is an organization that features the finest representational oil painters in the United States.

I am also honored to announce that my painting Duckweed & Breeze was accepted into the Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition which will be held at Southwest Gallery in Dallas, Texas, May 13th through June 15th, 2016. If you are in the Dallas area be sure to check out this show which will feature some of the best of representational art.

Duckweek & Breeze

Oil on linen, 24"x18"

$3,000, contact Weiler House Fine Art Gallery to inquire 817-457-3343.

See more at www.JasonTako.com

Mountain Goats at Night

Hello Everyone,

I have always been intrigued by nocturnal paintings, especially the western nocturnal paintings of artists like Frank Tenney Johnson. However, nocturnal wildlife paintings seem to be rare, and I have never seen a nocturnal painting showing mountain goats.

These two paintings show mountain goats traveling through extreme alpine country on a starlit night. While mountain goats do roam at night, hardly anyone gets to witness this. These two paintings give us a glimpse into a rarely seen world.

Midnight Descent

oil on linen panel, 14x11

$1,200, framed.

Night Travelers

oil on linen, 18x24

$3,000, framed.

See more at www.JasonTako.com

Reaching Great Heights

Hello Everyone,

Below is the largest painting I have done to date, and one that I am very happy with, both because of the way it turned out and because of the experience it invokes.

Lake of Glass was my the primary destination in Rocky Mountain National Park. I trained all summer, and once in Colorado I packed my gear and hiked for over 4 miles, with an elevation gain of over 1,500 feet, until I reached Timberline Falls. At this point, one must climb almost completely vertical wet rocks for about 30 feet and then climb another 70 feet at slightly less of an incline to reach the lake. It may not sound that bad until you consider that I had over 30 lbs of painting equipment on my back. After some hesitation, I emptied my pack of all immediate non-essentials, hid them under a bush, and made the climb.

When I arrived at the top of the falls, I walked onto the shore of a beautiful emerald-colored lake lined with rocks and boulders, surrounded by a wall of mountain peaks. It was one of the most beautiful places I had ever been. Looking behind me, I could see how high I had climbed which this produced in me a paradoxical feeling of fear and exhilaration. The wind was incredibly strong but the skies were almost perfectly clear. One thing I enjoy about the mountain peaks is hearing the wind as it blows through the tops of the peaks. After some looking around, I set up and created two field studies, the second of which resulted in this painting.

Ascension-Lake of Glass shows the height and grandeur of the mountain peaks as they tower over the lake. The detail and clarity of the foreground rocks, contrasted by the cooler tones of the peaks emphasizes the feeling height, as well as the large size of the painting. Up close the painting is composed of many bold and thick strokes of color which meld into a realistic image as you view the painting from a distance. This painting is unique given its vertical format and the emphasis on the peak. If you love the west; if you love mountains and have a large wall space, this painting is for you.

Ascension-Lake of Glass

Oil on linen, 48x36

$15,000, framed.

Contact Jason@JasonTako.com to inquire.

Jason working on Ascension

The final painting.

See more at www.JasonTako.com

New Painting!

Hello Everyone,

I have been busy these last few months working on paintings from my September trip to Colorado. One of the places I painted was in Mt. Evans, in central Colorado. Mountain goats can be found at the top of this mountain. When I arrived there I set up my easel to plein air paint, despite the fact that the winds were incredibly strong. Mountain goats have no problem with this, but painting in strong wind always gives me a feeling of urgency and even slight anxiety. However, I was able to get a quick sketch of one goat that was bedded down for a time. This sketch proved invaluable for capturing the colors and glow that the camera missed.

This new painting, "Mountain Glow" depicts a trio of mountain goats bathed in afternoon light. The tundra grasses display a slight autumn color, yet the goats still maintain some of their previous winter coat which will soon be replaced by their new winter coat. The dark shadow side of the more distant mountain side emphasizes the glow on the coats of these beautiful and rugged creatures.

Mountain Glow

Oil on Belgian Linen, 18x36

$6,000, custom distressed wood frame with gold liner.

Contact Jason@JasonTako.com to inquire.

April Workshop

Hello Everyone,

I will be teaching three workshops this year. The first one will be a five-day plein air painting workshop, April 18-22 in Cary, North Carolina. See full description below...

This workshop will focus on learning and developing the techniques and philosophy of plein air painting. Plein air painting is the best way to not only gather accurate colors and values in a landscape, but it is the primary way to grow as a landscape painter. However, as they say, "It ain't easy." How to paint fast? How much detail do you need? How to determine colors and values? How do you deal with constantly changing light, wind, rain, bugs, etc.? These questions will be answered and the answers demonstrated. This will be more than just the typical demo then pat the student on the back workshops that are so prevalent these days. I am always very generous with information that will help the artist grow.

The cost is $550 per artist, and artists can register by contacting the Cary Arts Center at 919-469-4069. My last workshop in Cary sold out and there was a waiting list. Spots are already filling up, so this workshop will most likely sell-out quickly. See more information on my upcoming workshops at www.JasonTako.com/Workshops.html

"Well balanced between lecture, demonstration and individual guidance. A Five-Star experience!" -Margie Rodman, Cary, NC.

"The workshop was fantastic!I cannot think of a concept he did not cover in-depth. My sense of color mixing has vastly improved. I feel I have grown tremendously as an artist in just one week." -Bettina Lewicki, Cary, NC

Preserving the Past

Hello Everyone,

I hope you had a blessed Christmas and a wonderful start to the New Year! For many of us, the new year marks not only a new beginning, but also the passage of time. And we may ponder different memories of these times now past. For me, certain locations can represent a feeling of nostalgia and tell a story about the past. When I paint certain locations I will sometimes think about the stories that might have occurred there. Old barns definitely fit into this category. Who built the barn? What kind of animals where kept there? Did children play in there? Where barns dances ever held there? Sometimes I will meet the owner of the barn and hear these stories. Sometimes the barns are lovingly cared for, other times they are abandoned and left to fall apart. In some cases I wonder if the owner will tear the barn down so they don't have the liability of kids getting hurt while playing in a dilapidated barn under their ownership. In any case the stories are there and when I paint I like to think that in a certain way I'm preserving these untold stories.

The barn in this painting no longer exists. I painted it from a small field study and not long afterwards it was torn down, only to leave an empty lot. I don't know if this area will be developed or if the field will be left empty, but in any case I know that barn had some stories attached to it. For me, painting is a way of preserving these stories, and preserving a part of American history. Someday most barns like this will be gone, but I hope painting them will keep them alive for many generations.

Tree Shadows

Oil on linen, 24x36

$6,000 framed.

Contact Highlands Art Gallery at 908-766-2720 to inquire.