Daniel Ragsdale Combs

This is a great way to start the 2026 year!! I found out that I won another International Art Award from an online Gallery "My Best Work 2025" show that I submitted one of my graphite drawings to!! It definitely tells me that I'm on the right track with my work! Here's the gallery exhibition. https://www.camelbackgallery.com/mybestwork2025exhibition

My sketching is pretty much on point right now! Did this café study in about a half an hour, Pilot G-2 07 Ink Pen, 5" x 8 1/4".

Still getting the hang of printmaking class at the Mesa Arts Center

Coffee with Creamer, Linocut on Lennox 100 paper, image size 6" x 8", paper size 10" x 12".

Tutorial Tuesday, working on this watercolor painting for a demo tutorial. Working with a large flat brush to block in main shapes. I'll be leading the Veterans Art Class with Mesa Arts League at the Aster on Thursday from 10 am - 1 pm.

Been working on this Linocut, 6" x 8", carving this morning before heading to a couple of errands. Then I'll be going back to working on the watercolor paintings! 💙🎨✨️✨️✨️✨️

Picking up in the morning where I left off tonight, tree study, 12" x 9". Second watercolor is what I started as part of a demo for a class I'm leading at the Aster in Mesa Thursday, 8.5" x 11".

Set my painting apron down while I ate dinner and someone is very happy I'm working hard on my art tonight, 🤣 🎨✨️✨️✨️

Working on some watercolor paintings tonight on my Motivation Monday. This is one of them. Tree Study, watercolor on watercolor paper, 12" x 9"

Scratch Art Sunday: Just sketched this one out this evening. Reference picture was taken on one of my trips to Chicago.

Shaw's Crab House in Chicago, Scratch Art, 8 3/16" x 11 3/8".

Currently working on my with Faber-Castell Light Yellowish Glaze 9201-104, Prismacolor Yellow Ochre, Prismacolor Canary Yellow, and Derwent Art Violet. Lightly adding Canary Yellow to the light sources and blending into the Light Yellowish Glaze and Yellow Ochre. Continuing to mix my favorite manufacturers colors. 11" x 8.5" on Pentalic Acid Free 130 lb professional quality multimedia sketch paper, Nature Sketch.

Watch List Wednesday: On this Wednesday I'm sharing one of the most influential artists in my art journey, Gottfried Helnwein (born Oct 8, 1948 in Vienna) Austro-Irish Artist✨️ I vividly remember the first time I saw his amazingly disturbing photos he took for the Marilyn Manson covers at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH I 2003! They hit me hard with their provocative imagery and play with theme and light. I then started following his work. His painting and drawings often crossing the line of photo realism, mystery, and disturbing dreams are even more potent. They are often monumental in scale and play off modern takes on old themes. I absolutely love his work! Hope you find his work just as meaningful.



American Madonna (Epiphany IV)
2000, Oil and Acrylic on Canvas, 177 cm x 213 cm

At Madame Tussauds Vienna 2003

Epiphany III (Presentation at the Temple)
1998, Oil and Acrylic on Canvas, 50 cm x 70 cm

Retrospective at Albertina Museum Wein 2013

Kind IB
1991, Oil and Acrylic on Canvas, 210 cm x 141 cm

Epiphany II (Adoration of the Magi)
1996, Oil and Acrylic on Canvas, 210 cm x 310 cm

Marilyn Manson Cover Art, Photo

Check out his website at www.helnwein.com