Watercolor Grays Peak, Don Ruth the works

This is the first picture I painted after a hiatus 15 years. Life was busy with work and raising kids. Now I am coming back to what I love. Grays Peak is the last peak visible on the right. It is the only 14er I have climbed. 8x5.5 watercolor. SOLD

Watercolor Collegiate Mountains, Don Ruth the works

Painting 1 For Sale. This picture is a combination of two pictures: the Collegiate Mountain Range in Western Colorado and the foreground is from a Grey's Peak pictures I took. For Sale for $65.00. 8x5.5 Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Shepherds Home Sweet Home  Don Ruth the Works

I have collaborated for this picture. Holly Freeman of Holly Freeman Photography took a photograph specifically for me, from which I painted this picture. She is a wonderful photographer and you can see her work on her website at hollyfreemanphotography.com. She has also interviewed me regarding the collaboration and as an artist. Click here to view the blog. The mountain in the background is Chair Mountain as seen from Colorado Hwy 133.  11x7.75 Watercolor. SOLD

Watercolor Greys Ascention donruththeworks

Painting 1 For Sale. Several years ago my son, my niece and her friend and my niece-in-law hiked to the top of Greys Peak. We saw Torreys but decided one 14er was enough for one day. This view is at about 12,500 feet and the path ran through low rough foliage. We started about 7 AM and soon we took out our outer coats and draped them over our packs.  For Sale for $75.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Beirstadt Morning donruththeworks

Painting 2 For Sale. My wife and I did some hiking in December on the other Guenella Pass where we had a wonderful view of Mount Bierstadt through the trees. For Sale for $65.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Wintery Longs Peak donruththeworks

Painting 3 For Sale. Another photo by my friend Mike. He and his friends were scrambling on the rocks in the foreground, but in the distance across the valley was the majestic Longs Peak nearly lost in the clouds. In Watercolor one has to not paint in areas where one wants light to come through. Painting the mountains and leaving the clouded areas was a challenge, but it worked out nicely. Someone told me they like seeing the pencil lines of the sketch. I like some of the lines, but not most of them. The current pencil I'm using is hard to erase after the painter is dry. I guess it adds character to the painting. For Sale for $65.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Winter Warmth donruththeworks

Painting 4 For Sale. A small watercolor of a winter scene in the mountains, which are shrouded in clouds in the background. For Sale for $65.00 framed. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Toward Serenity donruththeworks

Painting 5 For Sale. A small watercolor of the mountain pass beyond Big Timber Montana. I love this picture with the bright yellow hay field after harvest and the blue mountains rising up in the distance. I spent many a summer in those mountains in high school and college. For Sale for $65.00 framed. Click here to purchase this painting.

Oil Pastels The Memory Trees donruththeworks

Painting 6 For Sale. The main tree in the middle is scarred, pitted, and dead. One wonders what it has been through during its existence; what memories does it possess. This was good practice working with light and dark, as well as getting a feel for oil pastels. Near Divide Colorado. For Sale for $65.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor The Approach donruththeworks

Painting 7 For Sale. Wyoming has awesome plateaus around Kaycee. This looks like the approach to some sort of mysterious territory from the Lord of the Rings. The sky is expressive; I love using the dark blue is washes and just letting them lead the eye toward the main image of the painting, the plateaus. The dark shadows of the plateaus help to move the eye along a right to left path. The after-wash clouds also draw the eyes toward the focal point of the painting–the break in the dark shadows about a third of the way from the left of the painting. For Sale for $75.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Shrouded in Mystery Longs Peak donruththeworks

I took this picture several years ago while traveling back from Greeley CO and Long's Peak was in the distance as the sun was low in the sky. Because it was a blustery day and snow was on the ground, the wind caused the middle ground to be hazy. I used large quantities of white paper to create the middle ground. It turned great creating a mysterious mood to the picture. I was at the Highlands Ranch Craft Festival when this was sold to one of the show's operator's  father, who came to the booth and looked at it for long time and bought it.  SOLD.

Watercolor Colorado Sand Dunes donruththeworks

This picture was taken around 15 years ago while we were on a camping trip to the Great White Sand Dunes National Park and Reserve in the San Luis Valley Colorado. I painted this painting while sitting at a booth at a craft festival in Loveland in 2022 on off the shelf cheap watercolor paper and with an off the shelf watercolor paint set and brushes. What's cool about this paper and paint set is that the paint acts completely different that on the expensive 300 lb paper I normally use; the washes blossom differently as seen in the clouds and sand. Not For Sale.

Watercolor Panoramic Vista donruththeworks

A view near Divide CO on top of a huge Rock formation several of us hiked to.  SOLD.

Watercolor Mt Princton CO donruththeworks

Painting 8 For Sale. I took this image when my wife and I had gone to the Collegiate Mountain Range. This is Mount Princeton. For Sale for $65.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Planting in the shadow of Square Butte donruththeworks

Painting 9 For Sale. A small watercolor of Square Butte Mountain in the Judith Gap area in Western Montana where my parents farmed in the 1940s. I took this picture while we were driving by it on our way to Bozeman, MT. For Sale for $65.00 framed. Click here to purchase this painting.

Pencil Prairie Farm donruththeworks

Drawing 10 For Sale. I took this picture 40 years ago in Montana. A typical farm scene. For Sale for $40.00. Click here to purchase this drawing.

Watercolor Mother and Child donruththeworks

Everyone loves cows, it seems. I painted this one prior to a festival and it sold quickly at that festival. A tender moment between mother and child.  SOLD.

Colored Pencil Prarie Lonliness donruththeworks

Painting 11 For Sale. I took this picture 40 years ago in Montana. A typical prairie old homestead scene. I did this in colored pencil. I cannot seem to do slow detailed colored pencil painting. I have to do them fast like a watercolor. They all have a hurried, sketchy feel to them.  For Sale for $40.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Pastel Lion's Head Rock New Zealand donruththeworks

Painting 12 For Sale. My friend Anna took this picture while in New Zealand. This is Lion Rock Piha Beach New Zealand. For Sale for $65.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Oil Pastels Into the woods donruththeworks

3 For Sale. I took this picture in December of 2020 and did the oil pastel drawing in 2021. I like the free, fast style, the light breaking through the trees. This is at Big Brother and the Three Sisters, about 40 minutes from Denver on Hwy 285. For Sale for $40.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Evening Storm donruththeworks

This has been a popular picture that I've now painted and sold twice. Everything about this painting works.  SOLD.

Watercolor Interested Cows donruththeworks

Everyone loves cows, it seems. I painted this one prior to a festival and it sold quickly at that festival. The sky worked out really well, as did the cows.  SOLD.

Watercolor Wyoming Slaughter House donruththeworks

A group of abandoned, decrepit buildings along northbound I-25 in Wyoming. I believe this was once part of a cattle operation in which cattle were kept and processed for sale.  SOLD.

Watercolor Buffalos donruththeworks

Everyone loves buffalos, it seems. I painted this one prior to a festival and it sold quickly at that festival.  SOLD.

Watercolor Happy Cows donruththeworks

Everyone loves cows, it seems. I painted this one prior to a festival and it sold quickly at that festival.  SOLD.

Watercolor Grays and Tores Peaks donruththeworks

Painting 14 For Sale. My friend Mike took this picture of Grays and Torreys Peaks in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. This is the second time I've painted this picture. The first one hangs on the wall by Mike's desk at work. For Sale for $40.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Real-life Legos donruththeworks

A small watercolor of an apartment complex being build on Alameda Ave. and Broadway in downtown Denver CO. SOLD.

Watercolor Boulder Valley from Louisville CO donruththeworks

Painting 15 For Sale. A small watercolor of the mountains around Boulder CO as seen from Southeastern Louisville CO. or Sale for $65.00 framed. Click here to purchase this painting.

Pastel Duck Lake Guenella Pass CO donruththeworks

Painting 16 For Sale. A pastel painting of Duck Lake on the other side of Guanella Pass, which goes right by Mount Bierstadt. For Sale for $65.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Downtown Fall 16th and California donruththeworks

Painting 17 For Sale. A small watercolor of the 16th Street Mall in October of 2021 while I was manning my booth at an art festival. For Sale for $65.00 framed. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Lamenting What Was donruththeworks

Painting 1 For Sale. A small watercolor of a forgotten and decrepit duo—an old farmhouse and vehicle left out in the field. For Sale for $65.00 framed. Click here to purchase this painting.

Pen on Paper Clock Tower Denver donruththeworks

Painting 18 For Sale. A small Pen drawing of the clock tower on the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver, CO. I have had a booth at several art festivals in Skyline Park across the street from this iconic structure. For Sale for $40.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor  A Might Fortress donruththeworks.com

Painting 19 For Sale. A small watercolor of plateaus one sees on the drive from Denver CO to Billings, MT, while driving through Wyoming around Kaycee, WY.  For Sale for $65.00 framed. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Beirstadt Spring donruththeworks

Painting 20 For Sale. A small watercolor of Mount Beirstadt taken by my friend Kenny from work a few years back. I've left the edges rough and have framed it without a mat to accentuate the edges. or Sale for $65.00 framed. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Ride Home donruththeworks

Painting 21 For Sale. On my way home from work heading west from Ward Road on 58th in Arvada CO. Small Watercolor 3x5. For Sale for $65.00 framed. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Mountain Stream donruththeworks

A mountain stream commissioned as a Christmas present. A different technique was used to create the transition between the edge of the bushes and the darker background of trees—dabbing a dry brush with paint on it. Watercolor. 9x6. SOLD

Watercolor In Remembrance 1 donruththeworks
Watercolor In Remembrance 2 donruththeworks
Watercolor In Remembrance 3 donruththeworks

My friend Don died during 2020 from COVID complications. The above three paintings a different views of the same area in which his ashes spread by his wife and two children. Watercolor. 7x5 ea. SOLD

Watercolor Remembering Home donruththeworks

Commissioned to remember a childhood home. Watercolor 10x8. SOLD

Watercolor Hawk donruththeworks

Sold as a Christmas present. Watercolor. 8x10. SOLD

Watercolor  Donna's Wedding  Donruththeworks

Donna wanted a picture of her wedding with her father who has since passed away. Watercolor 8x10. SOLD

Crater Lake CO Watercolor  Don Ruth the Works

A friend sent me a picture or three of his camping trip in the Colorado mountains. I asked if I could use this one of Crater Lake and he said he wanted me to paint it for him. 6x5 Watercolor. SOLD

Man's best friend  Watercolor  Don Ruth the Works

My son, Tim, loves to spend time in the mountains with his good fiend, Fang, his cat. Yes, he can put a color on Fang and she won't fall over and refuse to go anywhere; in fact, she love traipsing along with Tim into the mountains. This is in the parking lot of the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado in the San Luis Valley. 8x10. Watercolor. Not for Sale.

Miss Adventure Pants and friends  Watercolor Don Ruth the Works

My friend, Mike, in the background, has a really good friend who is a trainer and avid mountain woman, Miss Adventure Pants. A gift to her. Not for Sale.

Square Butte Harvester Watercolor Don Ruth the Works

Painting 22 For Sale. While driving through western Montana, from Fort Benton to Bozeman, one will pass this wonder, Square Butte. My dad painted this butte and I've painted several. I took this picture while we were driving.  4x3 watercolor and framed. For Sale for $60.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Road to Princeton  Watercolor Don Ruth the Works

Painting 23 For Sale. Several years ago, my wife and I traveled through the Collegiate Mountain Range in Colorado. This is Mount Princeton. For Sale for $30.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

On Top of the knife Edge Watercolor Don Ruth the Works

Mike, the mountain man friend of mine, loves to scramble on these type of landscapes—knife edged beauty on top of the world in Colorado. Watercolor 4x5. SOLD

Through the Trees Oil Pastel Don Ruth the Works

Painting 24 For Sale. I hiked around the rock formations called Big Brother and the three sisters, about 40 miles from Denver CO. There was some good light and shadow play going on that morning. 5 x 7. Oil Pastels. For Sale for $60.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Shrouded in Clous-RMNP Watercolor Don Ruth the Works

My friend Romney and his kids do lots of hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park outside of Boulder CO. He took this picture. 5x7 Watercolor. SOLD

Rocky Mountain Fall-RMNP Watercolor Don Ruth the Works

Painting 25 For Sale. My friend Romney and his kids do lots of hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park outside of Boulder CO. This is another picture he took. 5x7 Watercolor. For Sale for $60.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Rocky Mountain Serenity Watercolor Don Ruth the Works

Painting 26 For Sale. My friend Romney and his kids do lots of hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park outside of Boulder CO. Yet another picture he took. 8x10 Watercolor. For Sale for $80.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Longs Peak  The Works  Watercolor

At the Handmade in Colorado Art Festival in downtown Denver, a woman described being in the mountains in Colorado, how serene, restful and quiet it was. She had me paint this painting for her that she would put up on her office wall to look at during her working days as a means of relaxing and giving her peace.  15x11 Watercolor. SOLD

Cool Blue Vintage GMC Truck Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

At the Handmade in Colorado Art Festival in downtown Denver, a gentleman wanted a painting of his restored vintage truck. This was a blast to do, as I hadn't done a picture like this for a very long time. I did it in sections, which as it turned out made it much easier to do than I would have thought.  10x8 Watercolor. SOLD

Say what? Daughter on mom's lap Don Ruth The Works  Watercolor
Sleeping Beauty Daughter sleeping while dad looks on Don Ruth The Works Watercolor

At the Handmade in Colorado Art Festival in downtown Denver, a gentleman wanted a couple paintings of his little daughter. The top painting depicts her on a sunny day while on mommy's lap and the bottom painting has her sleeping soundly while daddy looks on.  Both 5x7 Watercolor. SOLD

Arvada Abandoned House Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

Painting 27 For Sale. While at the Handmade In Colorado Art Festival in downtown Denver, in between visiting with people at the booth, I painted this picture of an abandoned house in the horse property area in Arvada Colorado. I used different paper than I normally use, and I used an off-the-shelf beginner's watercolor set to paint this picture.  6x4 watercolor. For Sale for $40.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Socked in Mountains Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

Painting 28 For Sale. A scene from Clydhurst Christian Ranch (as it was called back in the mid 70s) that I took while working as a counselor there. Actually there are cabins that chose not to show in this picture, but it was socked in on this cold and rainy day.  6x4 watercolor. For Sale for $40.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Brothers House Don Ruth The Works Watercolor

At the Handmade in Colorado Art Festival in downtown Denver, a gentleman wanted a painting of his brother's newly purchased house.  10x8 Watercolor. SOLD

The Hug Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

At the Urban Market Art Festival in downtown Denver, a woman wanted a painting of she and her husband hugging. This painting was to surprise her husband on their anniversary.  11x14 Watercolor. SOLD

Greeley Grain Elevators Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

Painting 29 For Sale. A small painting of grain elevators at Sunrise in Greeley Colorado  3x2 watercolor. For Sale for $25.00.  Click here to purchase this painting.

Wife and Husband series Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

At the Handmade in Colorado Art Festival in downtown Denver, a woman wanted four paintings of she and her husband from various scenes for Christmas presents. Three at 5x7 and one at 7x9 Watercolor. SOLD

Harper Lake Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

Painting 30 For Sale. A small painting of Harper Lake in Louisville Colorado.  3x2 watercolor. For Sale for $25.00.  Click here to purchase this painting.

Flatiron Panorama Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

A small painting of the Flatirons near Boulder Colorado as seen from Louisville. 5x2 watercolor. SOLD

Flatirons on Fire Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

Painting 31 For Sale.  The Flatirons in Boulder Colorado. 9x7 watercolor. For Sale for $100.00.  Click here to purchase this painting.

Mothers house in Louisiana Don Ruth The Works Watercolor

At the Urban Market Art Festival in downtown Denver, a woman wanted a painting of her mother's house before it was ruined by a hurricane earlier this year. I had to reimagine the house as the photos I had were poor black and white images of only part of the house.  9x7 Watercolor. SOLD

Snowy the cat Don Ruth the Works Painted Rock

At the Handmade in Colorado Art Festival in downtown Denver, a woman wanted a painting of her cat Snowy on a rock. Acrylic on a river hand sized rock. SOLD

Mother and Son Don Ruth the Works Rock Painting

At the Urban Market Art Festival in downtown Denver, a woman wanted a painting of her Mother and Brother on a rock. Acrylic on a river hand sized rock. SOLD

Brother and Sister Together Don Ruth The Works Watercolor

At the Urban Market Art Festival in downtown Denver, a woman wanted a painting of her mother and uncle together. Her uncle had recently died. This was to help her mother remember her brother. 7x5 watercolor. SOLD

Black Cat Looking Out the Window  Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

At the Urban Market Art Festival in downtown Denver, a woman wanted a painting of her cat looking out the window. 5x7 watercolor and colored pencil. SOLD

The Kiss on the Wedding Night Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

At the Urban Market Art Festival in downtown Denver, a woman wanted a painting of she and her husband on their wedding night. She also wanted it in black and white only. 5x7 watercolor. SOLD

No One Home Abandoned Farm House Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

I took this picture some 40 years ago, but recently painted it then sold it as a summer art festival. This one turned out really well. The trees in the background were made with a ragged sponge. Washes were used for the foreground and dried up bush. Dry brush was used to make the building.  9x7 Watercolor. SOLD

Sunflower Don Ruth the Works  Colored Pencil

During the pandemic we have know of several people who died. Two elderly couples in particular did not die as a result of COVID, but from old age complications. With both couples, the "sickly" one died and surprisingly, the "healthy" one died soon after. For one of the couples, the wife loved Sunflowers; instead of bringing a sunflower at the memorial, I gave the family this drawing. 7x5. Colored pencil. Not for Sale.

The Deadly Pumphouse

When a little girl, my wife's sister died in an accident in this little pump house on their farm. Many decades later, this pump house has been spruced up by her cousin and wife so that it no longer looks like a fiendish building out to get little children. This picture was drawn on a card given to my wife's cousin when she visited that farm in the summer of 2021 to show some friends her childhood memories. 6x4. Oil Pastels. Not for Sale.

White Sand Dunes Trek Don Ruth The Works Watercolor

I took this picture in the early 2000s when on a trip with several families. We would camp near the dunes every other summer. I painted this painting one weekend and sold it the next at a summer art festival. 7x5. Watercolor. SOLD

Longs Peak Via the Flatirons Don Ruth the Works Pencil and Photoshop colorization

Drawing 32 For Sale. Longs Peak as seen from the Flatirons in Boulder Colorado. 11x5 pencil and colorization in Photoshop. For Sale for $65.00.  Click here to purchase this painting.

The Bridge Don Ruth the Works ballpoint pen

While driving on I-25 through Denver, I drove under this bridge and took many pictures of it as I passed under it. This drawing came from one of those pictures. I sold it at the Urban Market Art Festival. 4x6. Pen on paper. SOLD

Jungle Cat Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

At the 16th Street Mall Art Festival in downtown Denver, a woman wanted a painting of her cat that was killed in a car accident as a way to remember her one time best friend.  9x7 watercolor. SOLD

Greeley early morning life-Grain Eleators Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

Another Greeley elevator painting from the same picture; this one is larger and has more elements in it. . 9x7 watercolor. SOLD

Happy Cows staring at the camera Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

I've noticed that at the art festivals I sell at that people like cows and every time I get one painted, it sells. I painted this painting one weekend and sold it the next at a summer art festival. 7x5. Watercolor. SOLD

Idaho Springs Colorado overlook Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

Painted for my son on his 30th birthday to remember a day my wife and I hiked to this spot together. Many people were climbing around the rocks and viewing the beautify Colorado Rockies. 7x5. Watercolor. Not for Sale.

Isabelle Peak Colorado Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

My other son took this picture in while backpacking several years ago. I painted this painting one weekend and sold it a couple weeks later at a summer art festival. 5x3. Watercolor. SOLD

Fishing Lesson Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

At the 16th Street Mall Art Festival in downtown Denver, a woman wanted a painting of gentleman teaching a young boy where to cast his line. The man has since died. This is a good memory.  14x11 watercolor. SOLD

Christmas Repose Dog resting under the tree  Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

At the 16th Street Mall Art Festival in downtown Denver, a woman wanted a painting of her German Shepherd sitting in front of the Christmas tree. 11x14 watercolor. SOLD

Watercolor  Shepherd on Snowy Porch  Don Ruth the Works

At the 16th Street Mall Art Festival in downtown Denver, a woman wanted a painting of her German Shepherd sitting on her snow covered porch. 11x14 watercolor. SOLD

Keyboard of the Rockies and Longs Peak Don Ruth the Works Watercolor

My friend took a picture of this scene in the winter, see below. Here is one in the summer. I painted this painting one weekend and sold it the next at a summer art festival. 7x5. Watercolor. SOLD

Montana Road Signs Don Ruth The Works Watercolor

Painted for my cousin while sitting around by my tent at the Red Ants Pants Music Festival during the summer of 2021. I used an off-the-shelve watercolor set and watercolor pad. 6x4. Watercolor. Not for Sale.

Sunday Afternoon Walk Watercolor Don Ruth The Works

This image is near Great Falls, Montana. This is one of my favorite paintings because not only did everything work out so well, but it evokes a sense of serenity. 4x9 Watercolor. SOLD

A mountain lake that could be in many places in the Rocky Mountains. I have painted this image several times at various sizes and this is by far the most successful. The reflections turned out really well. The gives a wonderful sense of depth and atmosphere. I'm working hard to get highlights and shadows into trees, which seemed to work particularly well here. This scene also evokes a sense of serenity for me. 7.5"x6.5". Watercolor. SOLD

Evening Storm  Watercolor  Don Ruth The Works

I've had this picture around for a long time, but have never painted it. I made a smallish version and the dark, threatening skies represent a storm ready to strike. Yet with the light on the horizon, there is a sense of hope that the storm will pass and good times will come. This barn has weathered many such storms, but has the ability to endure yet another one.  SOLD

Admiring the Scene  Don Ruth the Works  Pastels

I put up a sign at a recent festival that said, "Give me a picture and I'll paint/draw it for you." I got three takers. This is the first one, which I drew in my motel room. This was the son and daughter of a Colorado couple. Pastel on paper. 8x10.  SOLD

Young Love  Don Ruth the Works  Watercolor

This is the Second taker from the sign mentioned above, which I painted at home. 5x7.  SOLD

Fly Fishing Boy  Don Ruth The Works  Watercolor

This is the third commission from the above mentioned sigh, which I painted once home. It took me two tries to get this one right! 5x7.  SOLD

Grain Silos Don Ruth the Works Colored Pencil

I drew this as a card for someone on a watercolor pad of paper. 6x4. Colored Pencil. Not for Sale.

Winter Mountain Stream Don Ruth The Works Watercolor

A friend at work found out I did paintings and commissioned me to do this painting for a gift for a family member. Watercolor. 8x10.  SOLD

watercolor Florissant Treescape  Don Ruth The Works

Painting 33 For Sale. Florissant Colorado is a cool place with interesting rock formations. But what about treescapes? This picture was taken at a base of a hill looking up at a horizon line of trees with a clump of thorny bushes in the foreground. This picture has a different feel that most of my paintings.  For Sale for $100.00. 11"x7". Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor  Abandoned tracker Don Ruth the Works

Painting 34 For Sale. This is an old tracker that had been abandoned. I took this picture way back in the '70s and have finally painted it in 2021. This is in eastern Montana near Billings. Watercolor 9.5x5. For Sale for $75.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Evening Walk Don Ruth the Works

"Evening Walk." My wife was traveling to Luster Montana to visit the farm on which she grew up and her cousin John is the one who was going to escort she and her friends around the old place. As a gift for his kindness I painted this picture of cattle life on the high plains in Eastern Montana. 7"x5". Watercolor. Not for Sale.

School's Out Prairie schoolhouse Colored Pencil Don Ruth The Works

This was drawn as a card for a friend of mine who has made beautiful music for many of us in our church. She said it reminded her of her days in a one-room schoolhouse when she was growing up. If a student had to go to the bathroom they had to raise their hands with either one or two fingers showing, indicating if they had to go "number 1" or "number 2". This particular school is in northwestern Montana some 30 miles from the schoolhouse my mother attended. 6x4. Colored Pencil on Heavy Duty Sketch Paper. Not for sale.

Watercolor  Aspen Forest Bailey CO Don Ruth The Works

My Friend Anna gave me a bunch of photo to use for paintings. This one is going to her in thanks. This is the Meridian Trail near Bailey CO with the aspens in full Fall color. I've done a couple tree-covered paintings lately and find them to be challenging and fun. I have been pleased with the outcomes. For this one I masked out the foreground trees, which allowed me to put in the background, painting over the trees, which resulted in a more realistic feel to the trees growing in the distance. Watercolor. 7.25x4.25. Thanks Anna. Not for sale.

Watercolor  Sunset Pikes Peak  Don Ruth The Works

This is another picture given my by Anna, Pikes Peak at sunset as seen from Woodland Park CO. I usually don't do too many sunrise or sunset scenes, but this one turned out nicely. Watercolor. 7.25x4.25. Thanks Anna. Not for sale.

Watercolor Hell's Hole Trail Arapaho Nat. Forest  Don Ruth the Works

Painting 35 For Sale. This is another painting from Anna's photos. This is Hell's Hole Trail in Arapaho National Forest in Colorado. The focal points, the two trees have much character. Thanks Anna. Watercolor 9x7.5. For Sale for $100.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Cape Reinga Lighthouse New Zealand  Don Ruth the Works

Painting 36 For Sale. This is another painting from Anna's photos. Another coastal painting, but this time it is from the coast of New Zealand. Cape Reinga Lighthouse. Thanks Anna. Watercolor 9x7.5. For Sale for $100.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Home on the Range Watercolor Don Ruth the Works

This is a quick small painting to use up small left over pieces of watercolor paper and they make great gifts if I need to give someone a painting for a special occasion, or if at a festival I need a small price point for someone wanting to buy a painting but doesn't have a lot of cash. A great scene drawn from when I was traveling through Wyoming, somewhere near Casper. Watercolor 3.5x3.25. SOLD

This small painting is from a set of pictures I took while huffing and puffing my way up what is called the Red Rocks Slide Loop trail in Morrison Colorado. As one is on that trail, these monster rocks are all around. This painting was reworked to give it more depth. It has a surreal feeling with the seemingly sparkling trees, which are just highlighted branches in the bright sun. Watercolor 3.5x3.25. SOLD

Drawing Flatirons Don Ruth the Works

Drawing 37 For Sale. An image I did while working on a logo for someone. This is the Flatirons in Boulder CO. For Sale for $70.00. 11.25x6. On Heavy Sketch paper. Pencil. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Rim Rocks Billings MT Don Ruth the Works

Painting 38 For Sale. As you Drive into Billings Montana from the northeast (Hardin) you drive close to these Plateaus, but what we Billingsites call the Rim Rocks. You can't really see it too well here, but the Yellowstone River runs in front of the Rims. The foreground is the mount leading the the river. I painted a really small picture of this and I've painted this image on a rock.  For Sale for $100.00. 10.5"x7". Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Little Big Horn River MT  Don Ruth The Works

Painting 39 For Sale. This river is in eastern Montana, near Custer's Last Stand area. This is the Little Big Horn River. To make branches I try to use twigs. But while I was making the tree trunks and branches, the new twig's tip I was using broke, so some of the lines were thicker than I'd like, but actually the trees turned out pretty well.  For Sale for $75.00. 8"x7.5". Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Red Barn Louisville Watercolor Don Ruth the Works

Driving into Louisville Colorado on the Southeast side of town you will drive by this iconic barn. The day I took this photo the skies were hazy with wild fire smoke, so I took the liberty of adding a nice late summer sky. The Louisville Chamber of Commerce used this painting for the cover of their annual Directory. 9x12 Watercolor. Commissioned. SOLD

Red Barn Smoky Skies Watercolor Don Ruth the Works

Painting 40 For Sale. As you drive into Louisville Colorado from the south you will drive right by this iconic barn. The wild fires were beginning to rage in Colorado, which caused the sky to be hazy and have an orange aura around the sun. Washes and dry brush were used.  For Sale for $45.00. 7.5"x6.75". Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Sunset on Lake Harper Don Ruth the Works

Painting 41 For Sale. Sunset at Harper Lake in Louisville CO. This is the second rendition of the same tree a few pictures down from here. I see myself as a sort of post-impressionist painter and one who views every picture when painting it as a totally new experience. Thus there will be changes to the structure and look. They are my impressions. For Sale for $250.00. 14.5" x 11". Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Harper Lake At Peace  Watercolor  Don Ruth the Works

Painting 42 For Sale. Harper Lake in Louisville CO is providing me with plenty of painting fodder. This view is on the south shore of the lake. There are plenty of cottonwood trees around the lake that are artworks of their own.  For Sale for $40.00. 7.5"x3". Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Harper Lake On the Move Watercolor Don Ruth the Works

Painting 43 For Sale. Harper Lake in Louisville CO has some truly cool looking trees and brush. Added to that, the clouds were really working in my favor that day. This picture had the added benefit of a troop of geese making their way from one side of the lake to the other. For Sale for $250.00. 14.5" x 14.5". Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Harper Lake Tree Watercolor Don Ruth the Works

Painting 44 For Sale. Harper Lake in Louisville CO has some truly cool looking trees and bushes. Washes, dry brush and scratching were used. For Sale for $250.00. 14.5" x 14.5". Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Louisville Red Barn Watercolor Don Ruth the Works

Here is the iconic red barn again. Above is a larger one used on the cover of the Louisville chamber of commerce; this one is viewed from the back side of the barn. This smaller painting are for those who can't afford the larger picture or who have smaller spaces to fill, like a desktop, a small wall, in the kitchen or bathroom, etc. Plenty of washes were employed, then the dry brush and finally scratching. 8"x2.25". Watercolor. SOLD

Harper Lake Tree bushes Watercolor Don Ruth the Works

Painting 45 For Sale. Drive north on McCaslin up to the top of the hill and you see this lake on your right. Now you might have the initial sensation that I had—this lake is flat and boring. However, when I got out and walked around the lake, I found some amazing trees and grasses and bushes, when combined with great clouds and the time of day made this lake quite enchanting. I've painted much larger versions. But this one and others to follow are for those who can't afford the larger picture or who have smaller spaces to fill. Plenty of washes were employed, then the dry brush and finally scratching.  For Sale for $40.00. 8"x2.25". Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

I've made the case in the above painting for how enchanting this lake is with its varied pictorial opportunities. Plenty of washes were employed, then the dry brush and finally scratching.  SOLD

Watercolor  Into the Woods  Don Ruth The Works

We went hiking outside of Divide Colorado, up a short but steep trail to a rock wall upon which was a pool of water that remained year round because of a concave dip in the rock. The scene for this picture was on the trail that was in the middle of the forest with many pine and aspen trees. The sun was poking through the tree tops causing splashes of light and dark. This painting was, for me, a study in shadow and light.  SOLD

Watercolor Rock Wall 3 Divide CO Don Ruth the Works

Painting 50 For Sale. This is the far right side of the rock wall mentioned above. We had to scramble up the wall in order to get to the pool. There was a great play of light and cast shadows on this ancient rock with moss spots dotting the its face and little aspen shoots coming up through the cracks. On top of the wall is a leaning dead tree making quite a dramatic image. This is my first finished painting of 2021, complete on News Years Day—A great start to a new year.  For Sale for $150.00. 10.5"x13". Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Idylic Mountain Scene Divide CO Don Ruth the Works

This scene was on our way out of the hike to the never evaporating pool on top of the rock wall, heading toward the trailhead, in a meadow of sage grass.  SOLD

Free at Last  Watercolor  Don Ruth the Works

There is a program in the Colorado prisons in which wild mustang horses are trained to accept saddles and to let people ride them, then they are adopted out (sold) to new owners. This is way inmates can work toward their own freedom. These horses epitomize freedom. But this picture was made for the wife of a friend who died. Before his death his body confined him to a wheelchair and later a bed. Now he is free to run where ever he wants in the land of unclouded days. Sadly, his wife followed him in death transformed to life and freedom. 7.5"x4". Watercolor. Not for sale, gifted the family of the lost friends.

Painting 51 For Sale.  A lone cabin in the prairies of Montana or Colorado.  For Sale for $45.00. 7"x4". Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Pencil Drawing Robin Hood Don Ruth The Works

Pencil 52 For Sale.  I've do collaborative work with Tim Ruth at the High Plains Library District in which I do a video of me doing a drawing or painting. Check them out – the john Henry Video, Brare Rabbit and How to paint a watercolor painting. Coming soon: the 1914 Christmas Eve Truce. Here we did the story of Robin Hood. Tim tells and sings the story of Robin Hood while I'm drawing this image. This is a quick drawing. Visit the High Plains Library District YouTube page to view this video or go to videos on my website.  For Sale for $100.00. 12x9 Pencil on high quality sketch paper. Click here to purchase this painting.

Montana Formations  Watercolor  Don Ruth the Works

Painting 53 For Sale. Montana is a wonderful place for scenery. While driving from Fort Benton, MT to Bozeman, MT, we drove past this area with huge rock formations jutting out of the earth. This would be like the foothills in Colorado, but much more rugged. The trees were made with a piece of a sponge that had been roughed up to create organic shapes. Then I went over them with a small brush to add detail. Adding other colors into a picture that aren't necessarily there adds interest to a painting. The rust and reds have been added for that purpose. For Sale for $160.00. 10x6.25 Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Coastal Bliss  Watercolor  Don Ruth the Works

Painting 54 For Sale. My friend Jeff traveled down the Oregon coast. This is Canon Beach and that prominent rock is called Haystack Rock.   For Sale for $170.00. 15x9.5 Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Beachfront Cliffs-Oregon  Watercolor  Don Ruth the Works

Jeff took this great picture of Oregon's coast. The only thing I did different was add the seagulls. I've added a great technique for doing trees--a jagged edged sponge saturated with color dabbed on the page to create a more organic look for trees. I also dabbed it in the foliage area below the tree line. SOLD

Crested Butte Panorama  Watercolor  Don Ruth the Works

This is a panoramic shot of the town of Crested Butte, except for the fact that I took out the town or the ski lift. Nice washes as a base, then going over them with dry brush in the sky and on the earth. The distant mountains turned out well, pretty much how they looked in the photo. The other weird thing is the dark shadows on the landscape from the passing clouds, causing the closest mountain to be almost black.
Thanks to Jeff for the photo. Not for sale.

Going Up to the Mountain of God  Watercolor  Don Ruth the Works

Painting 55 For Sale. Jeff took this great picture of the backside of the Maroon Bells. He was close to the base of the summit by a mountain stream. This reminds me of what Mount Sinai might have looked like to Moses and the Children of Israel—no trees, only a burnt looking bare mountain top. I know these look weird, but this is what they look like.   For Sale for $45.00. 5"x8". Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Mount Rushmore in Profile  Watercolor  Don Ruth the Works

Painting 56 For Sale. Jeff took this great picture of a profile of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.   For Sale for $45.00. 5"x8". Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Mountain Stream Crested Butte Watercolor Don Ruth the Works

Jeff took this great picture of the valley leading to the Maroon Bells. 5"x8". Watercolor. SOLD

Flatiron Dreaming  Watercolor  Don Ruth the Works

This is view of the Flatirons near Boulder Colorado as one is traveling toward that city on Hwy 93. There is this broad valley leading up the the Mountains. I have used many washes to indicate trees and undulations in the landscape and gone back over them with dry brush and finally with the knife to create scraped highlights in the foreground. Note that I didn't get all my pencil lines fully erased before I took this picture. So be it, they add yet another element of character to the painting. This was a gift to a friend who is moving away from Colorado and her view of the Flatirons. 8"x4" Watercolor. Not for sale.

Crested Butte Approach  Watercolor  Don Ruth the Works

This majestic view was seen and shot by my friend Jeff. I like doing small painting. It forces the painter to maximize the space and to get it all in in a blink of an eye, so to speak. Its easy and fun to get good washes and even details in. I'm not one to work on minute details, but to seek an impression. Not for sale.

Maroon Bells' backside  Watercolor  Don Ruth the Works

My Friend Jeff went hiking around Crested Butte Colorado. This is the backside of Maroon Bells in mid summer. A loose style with washes, dry brush.  SOLD

Big Sky Farming Watercolor Don Ruth the Works

Painting 57 For Sale. I didn't grow up on a farm, but my wife did and I have certainly driven through farm country. Montana farming, in the western part of the state is especially cool, because you have the fields, but also the mountains in the distance. This picture was taken while I was standing in front of the one-room schoolhouse my mother attended in grade school.  For Sale for $200.00. 15x9 Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Amidst the Trees  Watercolor  Don Ruth the Works

Another wonderful picture sent to me by Mike Simon, an avid mountain scrambler. I'm not sure where this is, but it definitely heading to the top of the world. Plenty of washes, sponge work were used in this one. Not for sale.

On Top of the World  Watercolor  Don Ruth the Works

This looks like a weird moonscape with mountains. Well it is on the top of one of the many peaks in Colorado. My friend at work loves to scramble up these gigantic monsters of creation. This is from a picture Mike Simon took and sent me. We think the mountains beautiful as we view them from a distance, but being up on top of them is usually cold and windy. The two peaks in the distant are Greys and Torreys Peaks as seen from Mt. Edwards. Not for sale.

Forgotten Valley Barn  Watercolor  Don Ruth the Works

Another small painting. My son went on several hikes in the foothills to the west of Denver. He went to a lake in an area called "Forgotten Valley." This barn was along the way. I love how watercolor doesn't always turn out how the artist intended; "happy accidents" happen frequently. This is the second rendition of this barn; the first is on the other side of the watercolor paper. Here I made three washes: the sky, the middle ground hill and the grass. Then I added the details like the barn and trees. But the background hill is sort of lost and the trees have taken over the scene so that that barn is nestled among them, giving this painting a whole different feel than the photo. I also added some sort of plants in the foreground.  Watercolor 4x3.5. Not for sale.

Changing the truck for Trees Watercolor Don Ruth the Works

I love painting things that have worn out and have been abandoned, like this old Chevy truck. It was left in a field and the foliage has overgrown the truck—trees are growing up in the bed of the truck; you can't even see the wheels or fenders much any more. Its a sad thing, but necessary for life to move on. I often wonder who drove such trucks and what were the trucks used for. Now its only target practice. SOLD

Pencil 58 For Sale.  I took the picture of this fallen tree three or four years ago up near Divide Colorado. I started drawing the tree with just a pencil and was going to add color pencil. But as I was nearly done with the tree, I decided a black and white only look would be preferable to adding in color.  For Sale for $100.00. 12x9 Pencil on high quality sketch paper. Click here to purchase this painting.

colored pencil Fall Mountain Cabin Don Ruth the Works

Color Pencil 59 For Sale. I have not done a colored pencil drawing in such a long time that I actually don't even remember when was the last one. But of late I've done two. One was for a project for Northern Plains Library System and this was the second one, for me. This is a picture I have wanted to paint for quite some time of an idyllic cable in the mounts during the fall season. I have not been able to paint due to a surgery, so I've decided to start doing pencil drawings. The focus is clearly the cabin and I tend to lend a quick, sketch feel to the picture.   For Sale for $100.00. 12x9 Color Pencil on high quality sketch paper. Click here to purchase this painting.

Color Pencil 60 For Sale. Here is another colored pencil drawing. The watercolor for this is the first painting above. The difference between this and the painting, other than the medium is I included the bridge, which is in the photograph, whereas in the painting I excluded it. Also with watercolor its easier to put in trees and to make them look organic, than it is with pencil.   For Sale for $100.00. 12x9 Color Pencil on high quality sketch paper. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Montana Serenity Don Ruth the Works

Ah, the serenity of fishing in a beautiful, quiet mountain lake. I was terrible at it as I got older. I never wanted to get the right equipment and thought I could just get out there and do it. But alas, that is not how it works. I do, however, remember some great times as a kid fishing on lakes in Montana with friends or an old man who took me up on weekends to a lake to fish in good and bad weather. 15x10.5 Watercolor. SOLD

Watercolor Horned Plateau Wyoming Don Ruth the Works

Painting61 For Sale. There are some majestic plateaus as one drives from Cheyenne to Casper Wyoming. These particular plateaus were near Kaycee, Wyoming. I employed washes and dry brush to bring this painting together. For Sale for $170.00. 11x7.75 Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor The Scramblers Don Ruth the Works

I have a friend who does quite a bit of back country hiking, snowshoeing, scrambling, etc. through the Colorado Mountain Club. He in this painting, the figure standing on the summit on the right. There are four people in this image; three are obvious and the fourth is harder to spot. This is a difficult picture as its so barren and the contrast between the summit in the foreground and the mountain in the middle ground, which stands in stark contrast to the foreground summit, yet there is little detail because of the time of day and the atmosphere. Once one is above tree line, the mountains almost look like dunes of a dessert. Not for sale.

Watercolor Reclamation Project Don Ruth the Works

Painting 62 For Sale. I think I took the picture of this old building being overrun by weeds back in the 1970s. I was searching for a picture to paint when doing the how to paint watercolors project and ran across this. It has a great composition and the potential for good washes in the foreground. Here I used a variety of techniques: washes, dry brush, scraping, sprinkled salt, sponge and twig & ink.  For Sale for $170.00. 11x7.75 Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Box Canyon MT Don Ruth the Works

Painting 63 For Sale. This picture is seen from Clydehurst Christian Ranch in the Montana Mountains on the Boulder River about 30 miles from Big Timber, Montana. The canyon before the furthermost mountain is Box Canyon. I painted this picture while filming a "how to paint a watercolor painting" video, which you can view by clicking here.  For Sale for $170.00. 11x7.75 Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

My son is always on the lookout for great scenic pictures. Several paintings in this site were taken from photos he has taken. This one is of Long's Peak seen from around Walden CO.  SOLD

Watercolor Keyboards of the Rockies Don Ruth the Works

I have a friend who does quite a bit of back country hiking, snowshoeing, scrambling, etc. through the Colorado Mountain Club. He was snowshoeing on the backside of Longs Peak in the far right, and the Keyboards of the Rockies about in the center. 7.5x5 Watercolor. Not for sale.

Watercolor Square Butte MT Don Ruth the Works

This the famous Square Butte in Northwestern Montana. It is famous in my family anyway because my father painted a picture of this mountain/plateau on a piece of wood. His is much better than mine. But this land formation is special to me because it is the same picture he painted and it is near where my parents farmed in their younger years. SOLD

Watercolor  No More School  Don Ruth the Works

This is an abandoned schoolhouse in Northwestern Montana. I painted this on some rocks also.   SOLD

Watercolor Fly Fishing Don Ruth the Works

Painting 64 For Sale. I was never a good fisherman and when I tried fly fishing it was a failure. This person has a better cast than I ever had. I was working to get good contrasts and depth as well as movement. This is the Boulder River in Montana near Big Timber. For Sale for $250.00. 15x11.5 Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor. Beartooth Farm. Don Ruth The Works

This is two pictures combined. The mountains and foreground are in Montana north of Bozeman. The barn and yard in front of it are taken from a picture near Greeley CO. This worked out well as the barn is sort of the focal point, but it leads the eye into the expanse of the mountainous countryside. SOLD

Watercolor Boulder River Tranquility  Don Ruth the Works

Another small painting. This is the Boulder River near McLeod Montana. This is a quiet spot in the river. Washes and the trees came out well. Watercolor 5x3.5. Given as a gift to my great niece.

Another small painting. These were two trees I saw while driving between Billings Montana and Denver. Because of washes used in watercolor paintings quite often have surprises, and this picture is a great example of "happy accidents." The distant background is a wash that took on a life of its own, but to great effect. It gives the feeling of a hazy morning that really highlights the tree on the right. The dark tree on the left adds great perspective and depth to the painting. Watercolor 5x3.5. Not for sale.

This scene is also along the Boulder River near the Hidden Waterfall. In the background is the formation known as Lionshead. When I was in college I drove by this formation many times on the way to the summer camp I worked at in the summers. Watercolor 5x3.5. SOLD

Watercolor When the Wheels Fall Off, Don Ruth the works

 An old abandoned farm truck left out in a field. On my cousin's farm near Fort Benton Montana, he has a place in his field that is a graveyard for old farm equipment. Not for Sale.

Watercolor Old Serenity, Don Ruth the works

An old barn as seen at the bottom of a hill with the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop. Gifted.

Watercolor Run Down San Luis Farm CO Don Ruth the Works

An old barn with the Great San Dunes in the background, located in the San Luis Valley. SOLD

Painting 65 For Sale. This farm is run and operated by my cousins John and Ron and where my Aunt Evelyn lives, near Fort Benton, MT. The picture is taken from the resting place of my parents who are buried on a hill overlooking this beautiful restful scene.   For Sale for $170.00. 12x9 Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

The Works Watercolor Montana Farm

This is of a farm in the vicinity of Judith Gap Montana. My parents farmed in this vicinity back in the day. 12x10 Watercolor. SOLD

Watercolor Florissant River CO Don Ruth the Works

Between Divide CO and Denver, in the mountains you will come to Florissant, which is full of interesting rock formations. This is the Florissant River. Not for sale. 8x6 Watercolor.

Watercolor Grand Tetons WY Don Ruth the Works

I was commissions to paint this sky and to add some mountains and a lake. I found a picture of the Grant Tetons and a picture of a barn. But I wanted to colors to be right for a sunset, so I found a Grand Tetons image at sunset with a lake. I combined the sky, the mountains, the lake and the barn from four different pictures to make this image.  11x8.5 Watercolor. Commissioned. SOLD

Watercolor Holly Ranch Lake TX Don Ruth the Works

On a vacation the week before Thanksgiving we spent time in this area. This is Holly Ranch Lake. Not for sale. 4x6 Watercolor.

Painting 66 For Sale.  We loved going to the Great Sand Dunes on camping trips, hiking the dunes early in the morning and of course, playing in the water in the heat of the day. For Sale for $60.00. 12"x4.75". Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Somewhere in Western Montana. SOLD

Watercolor Graveside Sunbeam 1 Don Ruth The Works

I was commissions to paint this graveyard scene in which the sunbeam occurred right after the funeral of a grandparent. This was the first version and is on the back side of the next painting. 14x11 Watercolor. Commissioned. Sold.

Watercolor Graveside Sunbeam 2 Don Ruth The Works

I was commissions to paint this graveyard scene in which the sunbeam occurred right after the funeral of a grandparent. This was the second version and is on the back side of the previous painting. 14x11 Watercolor. Commissioned. SOLD

Watercolor Winter Barn Don Ruth The Works

I was commissions to paint this barn. 14x11 Watercolor. Commissioned. SOLD

Don Ruth the Works Watercolor Sherando Lake Bathhouse

This is the bathhouse at Lake Sherando in Virginia. This is painted for a friend. Not for Sale.

Watercolor Don Ruth the Works Alaskan Cabin

An Alaskan Cabin painted on commission. Since the completion of this painting, the owner of this cabin has died and now this painting reminds the children of their father. SOLD

Watercolor Don Ruth the Works Dry Wyoming Winter

Painting 67 For Sale.  Traveling through Kansas and Oklahoma were many such buildings and farms. There just happened to be an oil pump that I took out of the painting. For Sale for $60.00. 6.75"x5.5". Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

Don Ruth the Works Watercolor Eaglesmere Lake

Painting 68 For Sale.  My son hikes and backpacks. This scene at Eaglesmere is one place where he journeyed in Colorado. For Sale for $60.00. 4.5"x7". Watercolor. Click here to purchase this painting.

As we were driving north from Divide Colorado, we drove through the aftermath of the Hayman Fire. This image offers hope after the destruction as there is growth occurring. Watercolor 4.5"x7".  SOLD

Watercolor Mount of the Holy Cross 1 , Don Ruth the works

A friend was hiking this trail with a great vantage point of the Mount of the Holy Cross. 4"x7" Watercolor. Not for sale.

Painting 69 For Sale. Our family reunion was in Fort Benton, MT, near my cousins' farm that at one time was a big cattle operation with a large feed lot. But that doesn't mean there were no cattle left. This group of three were wondering around. The photo is by Mady Braught and this is my interpretation. I've called this the 808 Gang. Watercolor and colored pencil. 8.5" x 7.5". For Sale for $120.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Don Ruth the Works Louisville Main Street

I was commissions to paint a picture of Main Street in Louisville CO, for the cover of their Chamber of Commerce Directory. 9x12 Watercolor. Commissioned. SOLD

Watercolor No Longer Needed Don Ruth The Works

I took a photo of his truck some 40 years ago. I love this image. This at one time was someones workhorse, now its discarded and scavenged. Watercolor 11x7. SOLD

Watercolor Golden Livingston MT, Don Ruth the works

My watercolor teacher from long ago painted images with one or two colors. This picture is at sunset with a filter. I seek a post impressionistic style. This is near Livingston Montana. 7"x2.5" watercolor. SOLD

Watercolor Boulder River Valley Don Ruth The Works

Painting 70 For Sale. This is an image from my past in the Boulder River Valley in the Abzorkee Mountain Range 32 miles from Big Timber, Montana on the grounds of Clydehurst Christian Ranch. I've used washes in the background, then added dry brush techniques on top of the washes and color pencil to give some highlights. I even used a toothbrush to sprinkle color texture in the foreground. Watercolor 15x11. For Sale for $250.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Mediterranean Coast, Don Ruth the works

Painting 71 For Sale. A friend visited Italy and sent me images of his trip. Beautiful coast line. 11x7 watercolor with colored pencil. For Sale for $110.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Montana Reflections, Don Ruth the works

Painting 72 For Sale. Eastern Montana is a harsh place with stunning landscapes upon which to reflect. 10x8 Watercolor. For Sale for $110.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Mexican Train, Don Ruth the works

This picture is of my friend and his father and uncle on their land in Mexico as they traveled by horseback. Watercolor 14x8. Not for sale.

Watercolor Montana Creek, Don Ruth the works

Eastern Montana offers beautiful landscapes. 5"x3" Watercolor. Not for sale.

Watercolor Mount Bierstadt Summer, Don Ruth the works

Some friends climbed Mt Bierstadt. 5"x3" Watercolor. Not for sale.

Watercolor Winter Mt Bierstadt, Don Ruth the works

Mt Beirstadt in early winter. 5"x3" Watercolor. Not for sale.

Watercolor School's Out, Don Ruth the works

What went on in this school house in Valentine Montana, now decrepit and forgotten. 13x7.5 Watercolor. SOLD

Watercolor Winter Snowshoe Path, Don Ruth the works

A friend snowshoed this pass with peaks Grays and Torres in the distance. 5"x3" Watercolor. Not for sale.

Watercolor What Once Was, Don Ruth the works

Painting 73 For Sale. A study in old building textures and sunlit from behind the clouds. 13x6.5. Watercolor. For Sale for $120.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Mountain Stream, Don Ruth the works

A snowdrift over a stream in the Colorado Rockies. 5"x3" Watercolor. Not for sale.

Watercolor Mount of the Holy Cross 2, Don Ruth the works

What a view through the trees across from Mount of the Holy Cross. 3"x5". Watercolor. Not for sale.

Watercolor Grand Vista, Don Ruth the works

I used a lighter blue paint and experimented with more white space peeking through, as well as the use of ink applied with a twig and some oil pastels for highlight. 11x7.5. Watercolor. SOLD

Watercolor Grassy Mountain Lake, Don Ruth the works

The clouds turned out pretty nice. This was a more ambitious painting with the grass in the foreground. Plenty use of scraping with an exacto blade and color pencil for highlights. 11.5" x 9" Watercolor. Not for sale.

Watercolor Choteau Sunset Trek, Don Ruth The Works

Outside of Great Falls Montana is a place called Choteau. In the distance are the Rocky Mountains as geese make their annual trek. This painting displays a mixture of washes, dry brush and overlays to create a sunset scene of tranquility. Watercolor. 11x8. SOLD

Watercolor, Prairie Encroachment, Don Ruth The Works

I took the photo for this painting a very long time ago in Montana. It may take a while for gravity and weather to wear down the rock walls, but the rest of this wood cabin is slowly being dismantled by the ravages of nature. Watercolor. 15.5x11. SOLD

Watercolor Mom's Schoolhouse, Don Ruth the works

This is the derelict one room schoolhouse my mother attended in Fort Benton, Montana. Since this picture was taken, the outside of the schoolhouse has been renovated. This painting was used in an auction to raise funds for the renovation of the interior of the building and my son is the one who purchased it; it hangs on the wall of his house. Plenty of washes and dry brush techniques were used to create the effect of worn out wood. Sold at auction. Watercolor 14x12. SOLD

Watercolor On the Road Out, Don Ruth the works

Painting 75 For Sale. This picture is of a run down barn on the road to Onley Springs, CO, which normally seems like a road to nowhere. But this is actually on the way from the Crowley County Correctional Facility and I named the picture, "On the Road Out." Washes, dry brush, ink and scratching were used . Watercolor. 11x5.5. For Sale for $90.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Schools Out Don Ruth the works

Painting 76 For Sale. This is a prairie schoolhouse in the same vicinity as the one in which my mother attended as a child in northwestern Montana. This one is within site of Square Butte, which I have undefined in this picture, but is located in the far left of the picture. Square Butte is seen in another painting I did as seen in this portfolio. I've painted this image on rocks and as a smaller version. In the smaller version I didn't put in the swings and slide. Watercolor 8x6. For Sale for $65.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Hazy Longs Peak, Don Ruth the works

This picture of Longs Peak in Colorado is depicting a hazy day with clouds partially obscuring the view of the mountain. Washes, salt and dry brush techniques were used. Watercolor. 7x5. SOLD

Watercolor The Airstrip, Don Ruth the works

This pictures is of the Air Force Academy Air Field as you enter Colorado Springs, Colorado. Washes, bleeds and dry brush techniques are used. 11.5"x5.5". SOLD

Watercolor Mountain Fog, Don Ruth the works

This tiny painting uses washes, some dry brush and scraping. This is in the Boulder River Valley in Montana. Watercolor 3x2. Not for Sale.

Watercolor Boulder Valley Past, Don Ruth the works

Wonderful washes that depict a scene from the past in the Boulder River Valley outside Big Timber Montana. Watercolor 6x3. SOLD

Watercolor Beaver Home Sweat Home, Don Ruth the works

Painting 77 For Sale. This scene of a beaver house is in the Absorkee Mountain Range on the Boulder River about 30 miles from Big Timber Montana. Water Color 11x11. For Sale for $200.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Approaching Bozeman, Don Ruth the works

This picture is on the way to Bozeman Montana. Watercolor 8x3. SOLD

Watercolor Evening Cast Don Ruth the works

I don't know exactly where this location is, but my guess is its in eastern Montana near Glendive on the Yellowstone River. Watercolor 8x6. SOLD

Watercolor Sacrifice Cliffs, Don Ruth the works

Painting 78 For Sale. Another small painting. This one is right outside Billings Montana on the Yellowstone River and pictures Sacrifice Cliffs. Nice washes and dry brush textures. Watercolor 4x3. For Sale for $20.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Sunrise Grain Elevators, Don Ruth the works

Grain Elevators in the early morning light in Montana—or any farming community in America. Small painting. Watercolor 4x3. SOLD

Watercolor One Room School's Out, Don Ruth the works

I love this image of an abandoned schoolhouse in the Montana Prairie. Small image. Watercolor 4x3. Not for Sale.

Watercolor Approaching Mount of the Holy Cross, Don Ruth the works

A small painting of Mount of the Holy Cross in Colorado. Working on contrasts. Watercolor 4x3. Not for Sale.

Watercolor Flatirons' Shadow, Don Ruth the works

The Flatirons with Longs Peak in the background. This is one of the series of small paintings. Watercolor 8x3. SOLD

Watercolor Nobody Home, Don Ruth the works

This was painted along with a series of small painting. This an abandoned outbuilding in Southeastern Colorado. Watercolor 4x3. SOLD

Watercolor Square Butte's crop, Don Ruth the works

This is Square Butte Mountain in Northwestern Montana, close to where my father and mother farmed when they were first married in the 40's and close to where they grew up. This was commissioned by someone living in that area. Water color 4x6. Commissioned. SOLD

Watercolor Stormy Reflections, Don Ruth the works

I'm working with layering paint in watercolor. This is a wonderfully beautiful mountain lake scene. Watercolor. 14x12. SOLD

Pastel Things That Go Bump In The Night, Don Ruth the works

Painting 79 For Sale. This is a pastel painting I did as a young man. It evokes emotion. Pastel 24x18. For Sale for $300.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Don Ruth the Works Luster MT Church

This was done for my father-in-law and was the church he and his children, including my wife, attended back in the day. The best part of this painting to me is the foreground--the mud looks like mud and standing water. This was done from a small black and white photo. 15x12 watercolor. Not for sale.

Don Ruth the Works  Watercolor  Winter Wolf

This picture hangs in my house and was painted upon request for my wife. Not for sale.

Watercolor Buffalo Montana Church, Don Ruth the works

This picture hangs in my house and is the church my parents attended in Buffalo Montana. This picture won honorable mention in an adjudicated show at Eastern Montana College. Not for sale.

Watercolor Clydehurst Cabin, Don Ruth the works

In the summers while I was in college I worked at a camp called Clydehurst Christian Ranch in the Absorke Mountains in Montana. This cabin was actually the chapel, but I took off much of the building to make a lonely cabin. Not for sale.

Watercolor Dark Tree Walking, Don Ruth the works

This was a live painting, on the far reaches of campus at the college I attended. It sort of holds a sinister look to it, but its darkness is a result of painting live out of doors in the daytime. It has a moody feel, which I like. Not for sale.

Watercolor This side of the Mountain, Don Ruth the works

This pictures the view I had while backpacking in the Absorkee Mountain Range. Ask me someday about the story that goes along with this picture. Not for sale.

Watercolor Montana Plains Farm, Don Ruth the works

This picture hangs on a wall in my house. It is so typical of Eastern Montana. But the lure of this one is that people no longer inhabit this farm. I wonder how life was for them out in the prairies of Montana as homesteaders. Not for sale.

Watercolor Multnomah Falls, Don Ruth the works

This picture hangs on a wall in my house. It was rescued from oblivion by my niece when she was going through piles of old stuff in my parents house after they died. I painted this long before I actually lived in Portland Oregon and drove past Multnomah Falls often on my way through the Royal Gorge. Not for sale.

Watercolor Winter Sagebrush, Don Ruth the works

This picture hangs in the dining room of my house and is a favorite of guests. A quick glance at this may fool one into thinking its an abstract image, when the reality of it is that its just sagebrush on the prairies of Montana. Not for sale.

Watercolor The Bridge, Don Ruth the works

Yes there is a bridge in this picture. This on the campus of the college I attended with two huge cottonwood trees on either bank of the creek it spans. This is one of my favorite pictures. Not for sale.

Watercolor The Tree, Don Ruth the works

This old tree was a live painting on the banks of the Yellowstone River outside of Billings, Montana. I painted it live then came back to the studio to finish out the branches with ink applied with a sharp little twig. Not for sale.

Watercolor Lightening Has Struck, Don Ruth the works

Painting 80 For Sale. I painted this with lots of color and style. Watercolor. 21x14. For Sale for $280.00. Click here to purchase this painting.

Watercolor Lake Yellowstone Sunset, Don Ruth the works

I used to think this picture was too simple to be any good. But the thing about watercolor is what washes do all on their own after the painter has applied the paint. This image exudes peace and quite and rest. I love how the washes of color intermingle with each other in the shoreline.

Watercolor Prospector Cabin, Don Ruth the works

This picture, which hangs on the wall in my basement, is one of my favorites because of the washes mixed with salt, the textures in the wood and the shadows.

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