Painter's Process

Oaks Bottom 5 [again]

2012-01-29T20:39:00.000-08:00

The workshop I taught was this weekend and I learned a lot! I`ve always heard teachers say that and it`s true.
For today`s demonstration, I wanted to show that a failed painting can be given new life. The bottom painting was the fifth in a series I did six years ago of the wetlands landscape of Oaks Bottom in SE Portland. I never was sure about it and probably would have destroyed it but Laura Foster liked it and I trust her. There was stark quality which didn`t seem right, but I kept it and stored it away.
So the workshop seemed a good opportunity to demonstrate how a combination of mediums and experimental techniques might revive the painting`s chances. The gamble worked and the new version is much more to my liking.

Mixed watermedia on Yupo 26"x20"

Eugene Hills

2012-01-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

Driving south on I-5, just before Eugene, there are a series of round hills to the east with the Cascades behind them. They`ve fascinated me for years but I`ve always been going somewhere else and only managed one quick sketch and photos from the speeding car.
They were the subject of my last demonstration where I painted from memory. Nine painters were in attendance and everyone knew exactly which hills I was talking about. One had an obsession with them that eclipsed my interest. I thought they may have been formed by the Missoula Floods, but learned they were volcanic plugs like Mt. Tabor and Powell Butte in Portland. I shouldn`t have been surprised landscape painters could talk geology. I thought, these are my people!
The bottom image is the painting when I stopped working on it to pick up another. The middle one was my effort to finish it in my studio. I kept it in view and soon realized it wasn`t working at all. What was I was trying say? The 'memory' I wanted to make visible was of a storm cloud hanging off the mountains, hovering over these green grassy hills.

mixed watermedia on Yupo 20"x13"

Cat on Klimt

2012-01-24T10:27:00.000-08:00

This my beloved Louie painted in 1994.
I have several things in process yet can`t seem to close on any of them. As I`ve been painting, I`m trying to translate what has become instinctive, into words. The workshop I`m presenting is this weekend and I want to be as articulate as possible.

mixed watermedia on paper 10"x8"

Across the Refuge

2012-01-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

A quick 'daily' painting done last night while waiting for something to dry.

oil on canvas 10"x8"

Central Coast

2012-01-17T09:58:00.000-08:00

I snapped a photo of this outcropping from the car on the way to the San Luis Obispo airport last week. There were several of these monoliths in the area, the most famous being the rock in Morro Bay. The central coast is relatively undeveloped with rural areas that seem like what California may have once been. I got nostalgic for my childhood in the 'Inland Empire', something that rarely happens.

oil on paper 18"x19"

Badlands Winter

2012-01-13T23:10:00.000-08:00

This was the second demonstration painting I did for a group of artists last weekend. Originally, it was just a doodle, I was trying some inks on Yupo without any image intended. I brought it along to show how a mixed media technique would allow me to go back into it years later and 'find' a landscape.

Mixed watermedia on Yupo 9"x12"

Flight over California

2012-01-12T16:55:00.000-08:00

It`s a joy to visit old friends. It`s good to be home.

Oil on canvas paper 9"x12"

Iris

2012-01-07T20:06:00.000-08:00

I'm in my homeland, California. Date palms, Eucalyptus, and Pepper trees!

oil and oil pastel on canvas paper 7"x7"

Rain Forest Autumn Study / Interview

2012-01-06T10:14:00.000-08:00

This was a practice painting in preparation for a demonstration I`m doing tomorrow for a group of artists. My oil painting technique isn`t too different from the watermedia process but painting on Yupo is the wild card. It is just so slick and tricky, I wanted some recent 'familiarity' before I begin.
Because I`m often asked if I have an instructional video, I made a proposal to Creative Catalyst Productions to create one. I didn`t get a response so I forgot about it. Months later I received a nice note from the video producer explaining they could not produce one at this time but they would like to do an interview. It was published today on their blog.

mixed watermedia on Yupo 13"x20"

Night Marsh and a brave peach

2012-01-04T11:21:00.000-08:00

In Sept. John was eating a Trader Joe peach and noticed a tap root breaking out of the pit. He`s a nurse so he dug up some dirt near the driveway and planted it in a pot. It`s never even lost its leaves despite many sub-freezing nights! This seed had an agenda, it was not about to decompose anywhere. Its destiny is to be a tree!

Night Marsh oil on canvas 40"x40"

New Year Fog

2012-01-01T18:04:00.000-08:00

Just like the future, foggy.

oil on canvas paper 12"x9"

Waterfall

2011-12-30T20:58:00.000-08:00

I was working on a companion piece to this, using a technique she pioneered, when I heard that Helen Frankenthaler had died. It was a tough week for heroes, John Chamberlain also left us. Is it just me or does anyone else think so many great human beings seem to die at the end of the year? Yaclav Havel!

oil on panel 6"x6"

Night Marsh Studies / abandoned forest

2011-12-28T23:05:00.000-08:00

Before Christmas I had become stuck in a large forest painting. It was hard to concentrate and nothing made it spark. So I set it aside and did small things. When I had completed the first study here, I realized that forest was a lost cause but it would be great as an under painting for a large wetland at night. I turned it upside down and began. I`m happy with it`s progress.
The second study was done this afternoon when I returned from the art supply store. The national retailer Dick Blick bought our long time local supplier last Sept. but I hadn`t been in yet. Because I spent so much money at the former business I was recognized as a 'preferred' customer. They gave me a tote bag full of art gifts! Free stuff gets me excited so I had to try some of it out.
The bottom image is the forest I painted over.

oil on panel 6"x6"
oil and oil pastel on canvas paper 8"x8"
oil on canvas 40"x40"

The Oak in Winter

2011-12-25T21:33:00.000-08:00

Huge oak trees border Bryant Woods on the west and a meadow to the east, all beautiful and protected for wildlife. I used to drive there until I figured out short cuts from home. Now I can run there and in a fairly small area, see wetlands, a river, the canal that feeds Lake Oswego, a fir forest and the tall grassy field. Lots to work with!

mixed watermedia on Yupo 12"x9"

Christmas Ornament 1992

2011-12-25T00:05:00.000-08:00

For an AIDS benefit auction. It was fun to make.

Over the Sea 19

2011-12-22T21:49:00.000-08:00

watermedia on paper 12"x9"

untitled forest

2011-12-19T14:35:00.000-08:00

I was playing around hoping to make another transparent watercolor, but it was not to be. The painting comes first, not the technique. I`ve been looking at traditionally painted watercolors lately and when they`re good, fresh looking, they are a joy.
I`ve set aside my big oil painting for a while, I`m not in the mood for battle.

mixed watermedia on Aquaboard 6"x6"

Columbia

2011-12-17T15:03:00.000-08:00

I`m closing in on my big forest painting.
Meanwhile, this large piece is about six years old. It`s based on a tiny sketch of the Gorge I did on top of those bluffs 25 years ago. Old sketchbooks can be a source of new ideas.

oil on canvas 60"x48" framed

Over the Sea 18

2011-12-13T22:01:00.000-08:00

I came to think of this series of sea/skyscapes as a tribute to my late brother Gary, yet they also have been my 'go to' motif when I need to paint but I`m empty. Like tonight. When I returned home from taking Mom to the mall, I couldn`t begin to get involved with the big oil painting in process of Bryant Woods, but I wanted a brush in my hand.

Toward Bryant Woods

2011-12-10T20:41:00.000-08:00

In my oil painting technique, I use a white and a medium which contain an alkyd which speeds the drying process. Yet because there is usually so much revision, I still find myself waiting for the paint to dry. I truly don`t know how traditional oil painters have the patience.
This down time is when I do small stuff like this one.

Wetlands Somewhere

2011-12-08T13:52:00.000-08:00

This began as my demonstration painting for the last class I did at the Lakewood Center. I wanted to show how the sky and clouds in particular could be used 'architecturally' to emphasize the subject in one`s painting. The Swiss painter,Ferdinand Hodler, did this routinely to the heighten the emotional impact of his landscapes. It`s a simple thing and is almost always credible.
So in short order I had this handsome cloud and then made some thick random swipes of paint at the bottom which I moved around with a squeegee. When the sky itself is the subject, it just needs to be anchored.
When I brought the painting home, I was in love with my cloud. Since I have been painting the autumn wetlands of late, I thought I could incorporate that subject with this sky. That proved tricky. My live-in meteorologist/art critic said 'those kind of clouds are really rare in [western] Oregon, especially in the fall'. This added to the confusion as I tried to meld the busy chaos of a marsh with a soaring cumulus cloud. This may not survive, it`s against all the rules of painting to 'save' things, the whole should always be in play. It usually is for me but this time I 'defended' a cloud.

The Longest Night

2011-12-06T22:16:00.000-08:00

It will be here soon.

Refuge Autumn Study 4

2011-12-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

I`m including photos of Minto Brown Island to show how it could leave such vivid memories.

Pasture/Slough Study

2011-11-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving was dry and sunny. In the Northwest we don`t take that for granted, we go outside. I don`t know if this is actually true, but I`ve heard that in Juneau AK elementary schools, they call a recess if there is a sun break. So we had to go somewhere and revel, and I didn`t want to get back into a car for long, having traveled for the holiday to Vancouver [WA]. The new Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge was nearby and as is common, these wet places are usually bordered by farmland.

Ruth Armitage, the host for my workshop in January, asked me to write something about the class and myself. This is what I sent her;

In this workshop I`ll focus on the versatility of combined watermedia, how to push the image much further than commonly thought possible. Through the use of various acrylic mediums, transparent watercolor can be extended and enhanced by the body and texture of these materials. The vibrant plastic paper Yupo will be the primary support I demonstrate on, traditional watercolor papers are also responsive.
Our individual motives and ideals about painting will be explored as we choose our subjects. As a landscape painter, I believe it is critical to analyze and understand my emotional reaction to what I`m seeing before I begin. These 'feelings' become memory and guide me throughout the many small experiments which build the painting. I refer to photos and drawings to structure a simple mental composition, then I proceed by intuition, chance and remembrance. Usually there are elements of abstraction which emphasize the aspects in the landscape that move me. The altering of 'natural' color, the simplification of forms, distorting the perspective, adding pattern to convey depth, and using gestural brush work are strategies I use to get close to the essence of my subject. Visual accuracy is not too important, what I`m after is a unique and personal vision.
For many reasons, I chose to forgo a conventional education though I read extensively, visited many museums and galleries and figured out the technical requirements of painting. Through luck, I was able to work briefly with a hero to legions of painters, Richard Diebenkorn. It was a month long workshop, he didn`t say much but did seem to approve of what I was doing. That was enough. That 'blessing' caused a leap in my ambition and eventually led to much stronger work.
I think I have something different to contribute in this workshop; some innovative methods and techniques as well as fresh ideas about where you might want to take your painting.

There is one opening left.

Refuge Autumn Study 3

2011-11-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

Again, from memory.
I was explaining to a painter friend exactly how this works; because I know the wetlands well, I can begin a random improvisation. At the waters edge, there are usually grasses. Behind them are shrubs that have lost most of their leaves this time of year, leaving the colorful branches exposed. On dryer ground, larger trees have a foothold. As I work, my memory of the atmosphere guides my choices. I exaggerate the color, warp the perspective and organize the forms into something that works aesthetically but also retains a sense of the place. What appeals to me most about these marshes is their chaotic diversity of color and texture. They seem wildly alive, even when becoming dormant.

Refuge Autumn Study 2

2011-11-25T09:35:00.000-08:00

Another from memory.
I`ve photographed the Minto Brown Island wetlands thoroughly and never saw a view like this, but this is an accurate impression.

Creek Shadow Autumn

2011-11-21T22:16:00.000-08:00

This was my demonstration painting for the watermedia class I`m teaching this month. The bottom photo was where it stood after one session. The second, was what it became in the next. I then finished it in my studio. I had been preaching the importance of painting from memory. The evening before the class, I was hiking around Mt. Talbert at dusk. It was too dark for photos so I was just enjoying the fading light with the maples blazing orange all around me. So when I began the demonstration, I had strong impressions from my walk. As I worked I really thought I was in trouble, it was very black. But, because I was using Yupo, its brilliant white surface shown through each dark layer and gave it the murky glow I had remembered.

Refuge Autumn Study

2011-11-19T08:14:00.000-08:00

Painted from memory last night. I`ve wandered around Minto Brown Island enough to recall the mood this time of year. More often than not, it`s helpful to begin on a tinted ground. Values fall into place.

Arroyo

2011-11-15T20:46:00.000-08:00

The inspiration for this painting was in Northern California but it soon became New Mexico. I ran in the dry river beds of Santa Fe County for so many years, they have stayed vivid in my memory.
The geometric image is a section of my beautiful new quilt made by the talented Jo Reimer. Not only is it gorgeous but it`s also the perfect weight; not too warm but heavy enough so that when making the bed, it floats back down nicely into place. She doesn`t make these anymore and I feel quite lucky to own it. I love functional art that is well designed, it truly improves the quality of my life.
The Brush Creek Ranch near Saratoga Wyoming,has invited me to be an artist in residence this spring! It`s a new program at an established resort. It will be great to spend time in the Rockies again.
Four openings remain for the workshop I`ll teach in Oregon City at the end of January. I`ll be talking about and working with mixed watermedia, using experimental techniques with an emphasis on the landscape. Please write me if you have any questions.
Also, a show of my largest work will be on exhibit at the Hanson Howard Gallery in Ashland Oregon next summer, opening July 6.

Down into the Water

2011-11-10T21:47:00.000-08:00

2005.
I`m trying in my new work, to focus on smaller parts of the landscape, almost like still life. This, from a few years ago, is almost there. The varying degree of abstraction I use is always determined by the subject. What do I emphasize, distort or distill to get to the essence of this landscape? With a closer view, I`m finding more precision is called for yet I don`t want to illustrate it. This is a challenge.

At the Edge of the Field

2011-11-07T22:34:00.000-08:00

Also from my visit to Minto Brown Island last week.
The color is peaking, the rain is intermittent and I`m trying to be outside as much as possible. It is exciting!
Ruth Armitage has offered her studio for me to teach a watermedia workshop Jan. 28th and 29th, with the next weekend, Feb. 4th and 5th reserved in case there is bad weather. There is room for eight and the cost is $175. Please contact Ruth if you`re interested; ruth@rutharmitage.com

Winter Slough

2011-11-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

In this month of November, I`m teaching a watermedia class on Saturdays. This was the demonstration painting I did yesterday. I asked everyone to try and paint something from memory, the idea being they would remember what most impressed them. Because I had been to Minto Brown Island just days before, I had the sloughs and trees in mind. I also wanted to show how something full of detail, such as a tangle of bare branches, could be suggested through pure 'painterly' means. Individual trees could be ignored to emphasize the atmosphere of the whole.

Slough at Dusk Study

2011-11-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

Any plein air artists who are local and happen to read this, should know about Minto Brown Island. It`s along the Willamette on the west side of Salem, not far from the city center. Like Sauvie Island, it`s a wildlife preserve, with some agriculture as well. It`s wetlands are the most colorful I`ve ever seen and they peak in November. I was there last Sunday and it`s getting good. Soon it will be spectacular!

Rocks Near the Water Study

2011-11-01T10:13:00.000-07:00

Since it`s raining again, the rocky cliff behind Oswego Creek has resuscitated. It`s nice to have it a thriving green once more.
The big Sitka Art Invitational is this weekend! It`s a unique opportunity to see a lot of good work at one time. $5 admission.

untitled Landscape

2011-10-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

I was riding around the valley the other day admiring the fall color, the rolling sky, the fertility of the land, and when I got home, I wanted to get something down while it was fresh. Well instead of peaceful vineyards and meadows, this apocalyptic landscape was what evolved.

October Marsh

2011-10-25T18:20:00.000-07:00

This is the painting that`s confounded me, I hope it`s finished but I`m not sure. Finding the right balance between atmosphere and detail is the issue.

Across the Field[s]

2011-10-22T22:05:00.000-07:00

From 2002.

I`m working on a watery landscape full of autumn color that won`t quite come together yet, but I`m hopeful.

Iron Mt. Study 2011

2011-10-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

Last year I painted this view in watercolor.

Stand of Autumn Alder

2011-10-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

Nisqually Summer

2011-10-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

I was there in mid September at the end of summer.

Roseness

2011-10-10T12:36:00.000-07:00

It`s tiny but it`s new.
Last night I finally got restless and started messing around on a small panel. Something like roses began to appear and I went with it.

Pinot Noir

2011-10-08T22:22:00.000-07:00

From exactly five years ago, just before the harvest.
We were set to visit Eastern Oregon this week when John caught a bad cold, then me. It`s been sort of dream like drifting from a book, to the TV, a nap, the computer, eat something, nap... I think tomorrow I`ll be able to paint.

Refuge Slough

2011-10-06T18:29:00.000-07:00

Deep fall color is still a few weeks away in Western Oregon. It`s always surprising after months of green.

The Alders in Spring

2011-10-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

This was uncertain for days, then Jo Reimer gave me a tube of cadmium green and it was rescued.

Ross Island Sand and Gravel

2011-10-01T00:18:00.000-07:00

The Inner Landscape of Beauty / Palm Canyon

2011-09-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

A show of Molly Reeves paintings with mine, opens this Saturday at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Wilsonville. The theme is oriented around the late John O`Donahue`s ideas about landscape, our inner worlds and the impulse toward beauty. He was a remarkable poet who had a deep relationship with the Connemara countryside where he lived.

An old friend just sent me this photo of a landscape I did in the 70`s. The subject is a canyon outside of Palm Springs where we used to hike. There are several of these, the most famous being Tahquitz Canyon, where a scene from the movie 'Lost Horizon' was filmed.
Her parents bought it and I never took a photo of it. My memory of it was completely off, no surprise there.

Oneanta Gorge 2011

2011-09-25T18:42:00.000-07:00

I always love painting this place. The last two Cliff Studies came from sitting at the mouth of this gorge with a long lost friend. We sat on a rock, looked up and took it all in.

Cliff Study 2

2011-09-23T22:23:00.000-07:00

Another daily.

Cliff Study 1

2011-09-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

A daily painting.
Chunks of basalt fall from the cliffs in the Columbia River Gorge. They quickly accumulate soils and decomposing plant life and are soon colonized by all manner of new vegetation.

Arboretum Wind

2011-09-19T16:32:00.000-07:00

Deep Forest Shallow Pool

2011-09-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

Any healthy forest in the Northwest can be quite dark in the summer. The damp, rocky pools where just ferns and mosses grow, especially appeal to me. There`s something solemn and peaceful about such places.

Landscape Abstraction

2011-09-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

I don`t do many paintings that have unrecognizable elements.
David Trowbridge and I are collaborating on a couple of pieces for a benefit for the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology. I was trying to create something evocative yet neutral for him to respond to. We`re going to trade our paintings back and forth until we get something we like. With this abstraction, I got carried away and think I`ll keep it.

Collage #4

2011-09-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

My BFF is visiting from New Mexico and we`re having fun despite the scorching weather. We scheduled her visit now, before the rains and after any chance of summer heat. Oh well, it`s not raining.

The Morning Fog Surrounds the Sun Drifting above the Waves

2011-09-08T23:01:00.000-07:00

It took me a very long time to appreciate the work of Joan Miro. I couldn`t 'get' it until something in me was ready. Now it strikes me as profound, though I have no idea why or how he painted as he did, I`m just so glad he did.
Some of his later works have the most beautiful poetic titles.

Rio en Medio 6

2011-09-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

A snowy landscape for our belated heat wave.
This came from a most amazing hike last April in New Mexico.

Water Wetland Field Study

2011-09-02T22:28:00.000-07:00

I spoke too soon about our benign weather, the forecast is for the upper 90s by weeks end.

This improvisation began with the idea of contrasting the 'wild' wetlands with the geometry of agriculture. It`s a theme I`ve long been interested in. Without much of a design in mind, it quickly became a scene with many revisions. When it started to look like a Roman fresco I thought I might be on to something.

Creeklight

2011-08-31T22:25:00.000-07:00

While every place in the country was sweltering this summer, the northwest was blissfully cool. We just broke 90 degrees a bit over a week ago. In early August I talked with someone from Seattle who said at that point, the city had reached 80 for about an hour and a half. The weather has been gentle and sweet and yet I still managed to grow ripe tomatoes!
This was lucky.

A daily painting I did after my weekend of collage.

Collage #2

2011-08-29T18:59:00.000-07:00

New Day

2011-08-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

An idea I`ve had for a long time, is to use my reject Yupo watercolors for collage. Yesterday I did it with this simple first effort. Although it`s tiny, I was cutting and moving shapes around for a good three hours before I reached for the glue. The process was awkward and used a part of brain that isn`t active much, it felt really unfamiliar. The work of Romare Bearden has excited me for a long time. It`s inventive and hopeful and rich. He was the ultimate collage artist.

Shorewash [1999]

2011-08-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

David asked to see another from that earlier period I mentioned in my last post. I`m happy to oblige.
Day after day this week, I worked on a canvas that always seemed close to having the sensibility I was after. At the end of last night`s session, I realized it was hopeless. That is such a strange feeling. Was I delusional all along? Many times during the process I congratulated myself for being tenacious, that it would be worth it. But it wasn`t.

Genesis

2011-08-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

From my last abstract period, 12 years ago. I was trying to meld aspects of geology, atmosphere, weather, botany... into a nonverbal narrative. It was overwhelming and mostly unsuccessful. I turned to painting the creeks and forests near my home.
I`ve been asked to participate in an exhibition inspired by the late Irish poet, John O`Donohue; "The Inner Landscape of Beauty". He saw the attraction to beauty as a spiritual impulse and found parallels between our experience and feeling and the wilder landscape outside. A moving interview with him, shortly before his unexpected death at 53, can be found here. The venue is a new one for me; the Narthex Gallery of St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church in Wilsonville OR. I`ve been persuaded that my work is appropriate for this intersection of faith with art.

Watercolor Creek

2011-08-19T10:35:00.000-07:00

Since I was already working on Yupo with the commission I just finished, my tolerance for frustration was higher than usual. I decided to try for a watermedia version of this. It took three days!

Light in the Forest

2011-08-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

This was a commission from a hotel that wanted a large version of this tiny 5"x5" painting. I don`t generally accept them but this seemed like an interesting project.

Path through the Winter Grasses

2011-08-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

This just came back from the Seattle Art Museum`s Sales/Rental Gallery, it`s been on loan the last several years. I gave it a bit of a makeover.
The subject is a marsh in the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge near Olympia WA.

Winter Fog in the Forest

2011-08-10T22:05:00.000-07:00

This is an improvisation melding two different landscapes, one local and one of a coastal forest. I`m not yet convinced it`s right. Those two trees remind me of opera singers, which I`m not sure I like.

Tillamook Head

2011-08-07T22:48:00.000-07:00

And another daily.
A view of the mountain from the beach at Seaside.

Deep Summer Field

2011-08-05T23:12:00.000-07:00

Another daily.

Split in the Cliff

2011-08-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

From a walk along the Old Salmon River on a flank of Mt. Hood. It looked like a chunk of the basalt just fell out.

Alders in Summer / Norma`s Garden

2011-07-31T08:53:00.000-07:00

A mixed watermedia on prepared paper.
In 1986, I helped my brother Mike and his wife Norma move into their new home out in the country. The site had been carved out of pastureland and literally nothing was there, just bare dirt and the house. These photos are a testament to one woman`s vision and the phenomenal fertility of the Northwest. Norma`s garden is a work of art I`ve seen evolve all these years. It`s truly breathtaking.
In mid June after cutting my hair, Mike asked if I had time to come by the house and see the garden. Because of our long wet spring, everything was at it`s peak a month late. I left the shop, went and got some Burgerville, and we sat under the 'big top' eating as it gently rained. Such a perfect moment is rare.
My awesome, glamorous sister in law not only creates magical environments, she`s an inventive photographer as well.

New Shasta Bally

2011-07-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

I`ve moved to the other side of my studio and I`m using watermedia. The extraordinary painter, David Page Coffin, suggested I apply a thin coat of acrylic medium to the watercolor paper before beginning. The paint sits on the surface, similarly to Yupo. Though I haven`t done anything worthy yet, I sense great possibility. This reminded me of painting on gessoed yupo. There`s more control and a quicker drying time. Here I tinted the gesso with cobalt blue.

Willamette Valley 2

2011-07-24T22:34:00.000-07:00

2002.
When I post older work, it`s because I`m working on something larger, or ambitious, or problematic.

Across the Field

2011-07-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

A daily painting.
Views like this are common throughout the Willamette Valley.

Full Moon / High Tide

2011-07-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

1988.
I`ve always loved painting the ocean, even when I lived in New Mexico.

Dusk on the Channel

2011-07-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

When I posted an older watercolor of this subject, someone suggested I do it in oils, so I did.

Creek...

2011-07-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

This one came quickly but without a title.

Rose

2011-07-10T10:07:00.001-07:00

Photographing paintings in the backyard, I noticed this pale pink rose poking out of a nearby bush. So I cut it off, put it in water, brought it into the studio and painted it.

Rain in the Orchard

2011-07-07T10:46:00.000-07:00

I was distracted and felt stuck which is mostly rare. So I began looking through the thousands of images of other painter`s work I`ve collected on my hard drive. I`ve recently re-discovered George Inness and have looked closely at what he did. They are so romantic as to be sentimental at times, but I ignore the human narrative and just drink in the atmosphere. That man spent considerable time outdoors! HE is the master of light!
I did this in his spirit as I figure out what`s next.

February Forest Study

2011-07-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

I`m gearing up to try for another large winter alder rain forest. The first one was painted over, I didn`t get it right. For a painter, any forest is a complex web of information. What makes the coastal forest so elusive is the ethereal light. Alders are deciduous, so in the winter they`re completely visible. The trunks are encased in moss and the finer limbs shine with a silvery lichen. Without all the summer vegetation, one can see deep into the forest which seems to glow.

Streamside / Blog Birthday

2011-06-30T22:01:00.000-07:00

Three years ago, Rob Jones suggested I begin blogging. Because I had an interesting project I wanted to document, I began Painter`s Process temporarily. Acting on his advice has proven to be the best career effort I`ve made. Thanks Rob!

Dusk on the Channel

2011-06-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

This is from 2000.
When I told my brother Gary the title of the piece, he snorted "broccoli on the channel".

Rivulet

2011-06-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

There was a tiny little stream that trickled down a hill at Whiskeytown that fascinated me. This is my second painting of it but it looks nothing like the real place. Competing ideas caused this to go its own way.

Creek Alcove

2011-06-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

This canvas has a history. This is the large painting I struggled with throughout the Spring. It began as an estuary in the morning. That wasn`t working out so next it became a view of Government Island in the Columbia River. From memory, which didn`t prove too reliable. So again it evolved into an estuary, without success. Next up was a creek bank that I couldn`t quite tip over into resolution. Luckily, I then went to New Mexico and then Whiskeytown and I found some new inspiration. This is a calm little corner of Brandy Creek. The study worked and I had some confidence it would be a credible big painting.

Brandy Creek

2011-06-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

I had to do some business at the White Bird Gallery, so I thought let`s make it a little holiday. I reserved a place at Oceanfront Cabins in Oceanside. Luck was with me, the weather was calm and bright and we would be there during a minus tide the next morning. If they`re 'deep' enough, you can get to places one rarely can. Usually the significant ones are at two in the morning or some other impossible time. This one would start flowing back in at 8:30 AM. Lost Boy Cave is here and only accessible with a good minus tide. Even so, we still had to climb over mussel encrusted rocks, which my middle aged knees were not confident of doing. But we were in that cave at the lowest ebb and it was so worth it. Getting inside had been something I`ve wanted to do for years.

Brandy Creek Dusk

2011-06-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

The night before leaving Whiskeytown, I walked up the creek right before darkness. It is rare for me to be outside at that time, I`m usually painting. Having been a waiter for 30 years, I can`t seem to get out of swing shift mode. Which is too bad, walking in the woods in that diffuse light is so beautiful.

Davis Gulch 2 [Whiskeytown]

2011-06-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

By all accounts, the swimming here is spectacular. It gets very hot even in this far northern part of California. I would love to return in summer and swim to one of the islands. The lake has so many coves and inlets, it appears that everyone could have their own private beach!

Sunlight-Brandy Creek

2011-06-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

I`m working on smaller paintings of the Whiskeytown area to send back for display in the visitor`s center.
In a recent comment, 'Moss' asked that I elaborate on the content of the workshop I gave a couple of weeks ago.
Well, it began with an emphasis on seeing. Since we were in a beautiful mountain community, landscape was the source material. I asked the participants to 'dissect' what was before them, then note any emotional response that process produced. I wanted them to respond to the elements that excited them, be it a spatial quality, the unique light, a particular landmark, maybe the textures or something more diffuse;, just the mood of the scene. They made quick sketches then returned indoors to begin. Using their memories and brief drawings, compositions were arranged. Everything that followed was an attempt to help them realize their 'vision' of the subject. The techniques involved different mediums in pursuit of this goal. Traditional watercolor methods require too much planning, any excitement for the landscape can be lost. I showed them strategies I use to keep the work going. Make a 'mistake', paint over it with acrylic. And bear in mind the different abilities each medium possesses and how they interact. Combine whatever it takes to arrive at something personal. Variations of these ideas throughout the day.

Rio en Medio 5

2011-06-04T08:47:00.000-07:00

This is the New Mexico painting I couldn`t finish before I left for Whiskeytown. Despite Chuck Close`s famous snarky comment about only amateurs needing inspiration, I think it`s important. A two hour walk in late spring up a tiny canyon in the mountains north of Santa Fe gave me mental images that will last a lifetime. That was a gift.

Brandy Creek Alcove

2011-05-31T22:13:00.000-07:00

The last painting of my residency at Whiskeytown.
The area is California at it`s best; friendly, spacious and natural.

The Perfect Day - Shasta Bally

2011-05-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday! Having survived my 'teaching' gig, I was fresh for painting. Then the director of the program here at Whiskeytown, Sheila Edridge, invited me for a ride on the lake in her vintage motorboat. It was surprisingly peaceful and the weather was sparkling.
Today is my last day here, yet I have another painting in mind that I hope to eke out before I leave tomorrow.

Trinity Alps

2011-05-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

Well that was an interesting experience.
It`s kind of profound to be listened to so intently. I hope they didn`t feel too harangued. My message was uncomplicated; focus on the subject and your own motivations then simplify everything else to emphasize that.
They were very good sports as I trashed traditional watercolor technique.
Painting is hard, we need every means possible.
This was my demonstration painting.

Davis Gulch

2011-05-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

One of those beautiful coves I mentioned.
Tomorrow, as the public service part of my residency, I`m teaching a workshop with 30 people signed up. Yikes!, I`m not a teacher, but I am a talker. Maybe that will be enough.

Rivulet and Creek Rapid

2011-05-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

I`m painting with watercolor and acrylic because of their portability, and I`m appreciating just how versatile oil paints are. I wish I had them with me.
This place is subtle and gorgeous. Driving by, you would see the lake and maybe assume the park was all about boats. Being man made from a canyon, the lake has many coves and bays which are lovely. The hiking is mostly vertical with rewards for the effort. The oaks alone are worth a visit.

Oaks at Brandy Creek

2011-05-24T13:10:00.000-07:00

Here`s my latest and a view of my 'studio'.

Heat Lightning / Shasta Bally

2011-05-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

Driving back to the cabin from Weaverville the other night, I saw heat lightning for the first time since I lived in New Mexico. Such a beautiful phenomenon! Just dazzling far away light without any sound.

Brandy Creek at Whiskeytown

2011-05-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

John just got on the bus for home and I`m ready to paint. This park is absolutely jewel like. Why it`s not better known is odd. New paintings soon!

#13, 25 and 27

2011-05-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

These are the first of my 'daily' paintings, done for a benefit in 2008. Thirty one paintings in thirty one days!
Rio en Medio 5 just couldn`t be pulled together before I leave for California tomorrow.

Rio en Medio 4

2011-05-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

Rio en Medio 3

2011-05-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

This is the most literal painting I`ve done in some time. On the hike this series is based on, the snow was beginning to fall as we climbed a bit higher. In this piece I tried to suggest that dusky quiet light just before the flakes start falling.
I hope to complete two more this week before leaving for my residency at Whiskeytown.

Rio en Medio 2

2011-05-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

Rio en Medio

2011-05-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

When I lived in New Mexico, I walked up the canyon of this 'river' often. Though I`m not a nostalgic person, I wanted to see it again on my recent visit. By any measure it`s a modest little creek but what a moment to see it! The new greens of Spring were well underway, the leaves that fell last fall carpeted the ground in gold and further upstream, it began to snow! It was spellbinding with it`s seasonal contradictions. The mood was so vivid, I think I have several paintings to get out as soon as possible.