Wild Ozark™

~ Nature Artist in Kingston, Arkansas ~ Sharing my experience with Nature through art & writing about my life in the Ozarks

Wild Ozark: Where Madison Woods paints with Ozark pigments … and talks to rocks, creeks, and trees.

Blog

It All Started a Year Ago with a Smashed Rock

It all started with a smashed rock on the driveway.

A smashed rock on the driveway, much like the one that sparked off my journey of a lifetime.

This time last year I was in Doha, Qatar hiding out from … Read the rest “It All Started a Year Ago with a Smashed Rock”

5 July 2019
Making My Own Watercolor Paints from Ozark Pigments

2023 Anniversary Update

This year I’m not making many watercolor paints, except in workshops. Instead, I’ve begun to focus on making oil paints from these earthy Ozark pigments! The passion is still strong for the colors, but it is so … Read the rest “Making My Own Watercolor Paints from Ozark Pigments”

3 July 2019
Paint-making Tips and Tools: Tiny Jars

As I reordered some supplies the other day, I thought it would make interesting blog posts to show you some of my favorite tools and paint-making hacks as I run across them. This one is tiny jars. I love these … Read the rest “Paint-making Tips and Tools: Tiny Jars”

2 July 2019
Shades of Shale

Black shale is a common rock in our creeks and streams. The rocks are brittle and easy to crumble, and make a dark gray rub. A great candidate for making some paint.

And it makes a really buttery textured paint. … Read the rest “Shades of Shale”

26 June 2019
Gathering Earth Pigments Among the Floodwater Gifts

I went down to the Wild Ozark creek to see what gifts the water brought this time and found a whole new gravel bed! Once I’m done gathering earth pigments from it I can put some back on the driveway, … Read the rest “Gathering Earth Pigments Among the Floodwater Gifts”

25 June 2019
Stacked Rocks Still Life Painting- the Process

The Process Story of “Ozark Rocks and Leaf”

This painting started out plein air. The grandkids were visiting and wanted to go splash around at Felkins creek. While they played, I began painting these stacked rocks with a sycamore leaf.… Read the rest “Stacked Rocks Still Life Painting- the Process”

23 June 2019
Pottery Shard

A few weeks ago during my morning walk, I found an old pottery shard. So I put it in my pocket and finished my walk. It looked like it might make a nice paint, but I debated over whether or … Read the rest “Pottery Shard”

20 June 2019
Join me on a Forage?

This workshop has ended. Contact me to schedule private workshops on your schedule, or check back on my Workshops page to see when new group workshops are scheduled. You can also sign up for my newsletter to get current schedule … Read the rest “Join me on a Forage?”

31 May 2019
Pigment Hunting at War Eagle

On Sunday we took a field trip out to the $2 hole at War Eagle Creek near the Mill where some of my paintings and prints are offered for sale. Rob wanted to look for arrowheads while I planned on … Read the rest “Pigment Hunting at War Eagle”

23 May 2019
Going to Grizzly: Woodworking Tools for the Future of Wild Ozark

So after a year of Rob working overseas to fund this goal of buying good woodworking tools, we took to the road today and headed to Springfield, MO. Destination? Grizzly.com.

Excitement

A happy man in woodworker’s paradise.

Disappointment

Some of … Read the rest “Going to Grizzly: Woodworking Tools for the Future of Wild Ozark”

17 May 2019
She Delivers in Spades
I went down to see what gifts the creek brought when the waters receded from my favorite little spot 💕 She always delivers in spades when she rages 😁

Look at all that color!
Why the rocks?

If you haven’t … Read the rest “She Delivers in Spades”
3 May 2019
Check the Fences… and Waterfalls

I didn’t intend to check the fences on the steep side of our property this evening. I say the ‘steep side’ as if there is only one. Ha. No. Most of the sides on our square-shaped 160 acres are steep. … Read the rest “Check the Fences… and Waterfalls”

1 May 2019
Potted Ginseng Seedlings in Arkansas

So I have some help this year with the ginseng nursery from a pair of young organic, permaculture enthusiasts who are ready to learn about being good ginseng stewards. That means I will after all have some potted ginseng seedlings … Read the rest “Potted Ginseng Seedlings in Arkansas”

29 April 2019
Brahman Baby in Gray-scale

© Gabby Phillips

So I’ve got something entirely new and out of my usual realm drying on the easel.

If you scroll down, you can watch “Brahma Baby” in progress, from start to finish.

If you’d like a print of … Read the rest “Brahman Baby in Gray-scale”

25 April 2019
The Sound of a Flock of Goldfinches

Today as I was driving the 4-wheeler down the driveway to go check the mail, I heard the sound of a thousand birds in the trees. Maybe I’m exaggerating, but maybe not. It was a big crowd of noisy American … Read the rest “The Sound of a Flock of Goldfinches”

23 April 2019
Ozark Birds of Prey : Red-shouldered Hawk

Just finished this red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus).

The original is SOLD. Prints are available.

Progression Pics: Art in Progress

I post all of the steps as I’m doing it at Instagram, so if you want to follow … Read the rest “Ozark Birds of Prey : Red-shouldered Hawk”

16 April 2019
Wild Waterfall Shale

Making paint from waterfall slate

Slate isn’t the easiest rock to grind up. The first time I made paint, I gathered a few rocks from here and there to see what I would get. This rock lives near the waterfall … Read the rest “Wild Waterfall Shale”

16 April 2019
Two Screech Owls in a Tree

This morning before I left the house to go to the post office, I briefly thought about whether I should grab the camera or not. I decided to not. It had been a few days since I’d last caught even … Read the rest “Two Screech Owls in a Tree”

8 April 2019
Early April in the Ginseng Habitat

Every year the same flowers bloom in pretty much the same order. And although I have hundreds of images in my files, I can’t help but start heading out with the camera. The blooms start in early April in the … Read the rest “Early April in the Ginseng Habitat”

7 April 2019
A Paint-Making Experiment with Murdoch’s Mystery Rock

A thoughtful person by the last name of Murdoch, who happens also to know a bit of geology, enjoyed my display over at Kingston Square Arts, bought a print, and then came back and left me a box of rocks. … Read the rest “A Paint-Making Experiment with Murdoch’s Mystery Rock”

2 April 2019
Weekly Update & Color Experiments

It’s been a busy past few weeks for me here at Wild Ozark. Today I’m doing some color experiments with suspended solids and trying to separate out some pigment.

There’s a whole blog post over at the PaleoPaints site to … Read the rest “Weekly Update & Color Experiments”

2 April 2019
If the Creeks Don’t Rise… Springtime in the Ozarks

Wild Ozark will be at Terra Studios tomorrow.

But with the rain we might get overnight and in the morning, the odds are looking poor. If I can’t make it there on Saturday, then on Sunday I should be able … Read the rest “If the Creeks Don’t Rise… Springtime in the Ozarks”

29 March 2019
Handmade, Wild-crafted Paleo Paints Mini Cubes

Paleo Paints Mini’s are mini cubes of watercolor paints using Ozark pigments. Each one is approximately 3/8 inch cubes. They’re wild-crafted and handmade. Smaller than a standard half-pan but far larger than a sample dot, these are perfect for creating … Read the rest “Handmade, Wild-crafted Paleo Paints Mini Cubes”

22 March 2019
Pink Tequila

Pink Tequila comes from a pink sandstone, but the resulting paint or pigment color isn’t pink at all. Or at least, not very much. It’s closer to orange, but there is a slight pink tinge to the orange.

This one, … Read the rest “Pink Tequila”

21 March 2019
Cromwell’s Sunrise

Cromwell’s Sunrise is a warm golden yellow Wild Ozark Paleo Paint made from a stone of northwest Arkansas. This color began with a rock gifted to me by another northwest Arkansas artist. He saw it while out hiking and thought … Read the rest “Cromwell’s Sunrise”

20 March 2019