#31 Across the Field

Here is a classic example of the 'figure/ground' relationship. There is a subject and the space around it. Make that interesting. A landscape without human elements might rely on a metaphoric composition for it`s poetry. Or banality. This one walks the line.

#30 The Field in Winter

When the leaves have finally fallen, our views open up. Space and distance are rediscovered. You can watch the storms race in from the Pacific. The bare winter branches are gold and maroon again under the huge moving sky.

#29 Evening Slough

Various waterways parallel the Willamette and
the Columbia. The rivers contain the currents leaving these backwaters deeply serene and quiet, especially in the evening. You can smell the wet and the green.

#28 Tidal Lagoon

#27

#26 Sanctuary

Beautiful idea. The state of Oregon has left Cape Meares wild, a lighthouse even warns people away. You can look down from the high cliffs onto scores of nesting birds and sea lions. There is drama and urgent business below.

#25 Path

Any painting begins with some sort of mark, anywhere. There may be an idea or reference to guide me or not. Stroke by stroke the painting is built with the best of intentions. I`ll rotate the image continuously as I work hoping something will spark. An investment is abandoned over there for this new experiment here. The stakes are high.

#24 Wet Pastures

#23

Blossoms are hopeful.

#22 Morning Slough

#21 Bare Trees

There has been one person most responsible for me being able to paint, now into middle age. My bright and generous brother Gary bought my work early and often. When I was just 19 he financed a year of painting during a time when I lived on a communal farm far from home. His faith and support I could always count on. This week we discovered he has pancreatic cancer. I hope I can help him now.

#20 Estuary Island

As the Columbia River nears the Pacific, the distinctions between air, land and water get fuzzy. Depending on the the tide, what was once firm ground, can soon become island, bog or estuary.

#19 Winter Stream

It`s July and this morning was cool and cloudy. Just the way I like. I ate blueberries and a nectarine on my cereal and I will paint until dark, 9 pm these days. Summer in Oregon means abundance, it`s beautiful indeed. But I crave winter. Went there for awhile with this painting.

#18

Should anyone stumble upon this blog and these numbered paintings, there will be 31 in all. Thirtyone artists, thirtyone days in July, all priced at $31. It`s a benefit for arts education. Exhibition and sale August 1 in Portland Oregon.

#17

On the Delta

#16 Another Dune

#15 Along Multnomah Channel

#14 Dune

In many places, the Oregon coast is bordered by grassy dunes. They have a dreamy quality. Being above the beach, they`re breezy, somewhat shady and have panoramic views.

#13 The Tree before the Forest

I may be hitting my stride. Toy northwest landscapes! Purified to a 7 inch square! This may be my calling; an expressionist miniaturist. Furious, tiny brushstrokes transforming the block of wood into a sublime icon of the Oregon countryside! Now I know what I must do with my life.

#12 Mt. Rainier

From a quick sketch I did on a train. Somewhere near Tacoma. What a hulking presence! Not surprisingly, when I disregard time, I come up with a better little painting. I want to be good AND fast! This one took a half hour.

Blue Magnolias #9, #10, #11!

Three Watery Landscapes

These will be part of my show at the Hanson Howard Gallery in Ashland Oregon in August.

#8

Oh dear, 23 more to go. I hate to complain but a 7 inch square is not the free, open and exciting format to try out new ideas after all. What was I thinking?

#7 another landscape?

Every abstract piece I`ve ever painted alluded to the landscape or a figure in the landscape. Even #7. Here too is an older watercolor. I`ve liked this one for a yearning quality it has for me.

#6

This one is a wet summer landscape. Although July, the weather has not been too hot and it has rained. What a western Oregon summer should be; lush, fragrant and cool. Here is a quick color sketch of summer.

#5 Another for Mr. Motherwell

#4

This one is a tribute to Robert Motherwell. Wasn`t he great? What hand to eye cordination! Almost athletic. These are colors he used as well. A gesture for Bob, a 20th century giant.

#3

OK, this isn`t so fun anymore. Actually it`s proving to be the challenge I signed up for, though I expected it would be tricky because of the scale. It`s the surface. Although I primed these panels with some gesso, they`re just sucking up the paint. I`ll make some marks, turn away for a moment and then come back to something quite different. I have an adversarial relationship with the plywood. Keeping my eye on it.

More Tropics!

I was goofing around when I began these paintings on leftover scraps of Yupo. Odd dimensions, I know.

#2!

These panels are so much different than the slick plastic 'paper' Yupo that I`ve been using for watermedia. Sort of like painting on bark.

Hot Color

A commission from my brother Gary. He said paint me something 'tropical'. After painting winter landscapes for months, I guess I needed color. Like food. I`m starving and I didn`t know it.

My New Blog #1

Just to do something different, I am part of a project that will be fun and benefit Artists for the Arts, an educational organization.
Thirtyone artists painting a small piece for each of July`s 31 days and priced at $31. The exhibition is August 1. You can read more about it here; http://www.thirtyshows.blogspot.com/ .
My intention is to work quickly, maybe 31 minutes. The paintings will be on a 7" square of raw, rough wood. Behold #1!