Logjam

                                                            Logjam oil on canvas 56x40


 This is the second  image of this logjam  I`ve painted. Both come from the fleeting glimpse I had of this chasm as I was driving down Mt. Rainier a couple of years ago. There was such a brute wildness to the scene, it made a deep impression. Painting from memory has a unique freedom to it. Rock, trees, clouds and water are quite forgiving, I just keep moving the paint around until it looks 'right'. Years of observation and drawing get me close enough to allow improvisation once I begin.

                                                                   Magnolia I-pad drawing

work for sale in my studio

Cambria

This was the demonstration painting for the class I taught last Saturday. I asked everyone to work from a drawing. I chose one I did last year in California. After walking on the bluff above the ocean, I came indoors and did a sketch imagining the cliffs from out in the water. I believe when I draw my subject first, there is often more insight and understanding of it when I begin to paint.
This coming Saturday we`re going to work from something actual, like a flower or some other still life. We all have great cameras in our pockets with our smart phones. I`m very grateful for this but there is a real risk we won`t slow down enough to closely study something.
watermedia on paper 20"x16"


available work in my studio

Kauai 5

I knew of this cove from photos years before I eventually saw it. When I flew over and recognized it, I felt affection, 'we finally meet'.
oil on cradled panel 20"x20"

North Umpqua Study 6

The scenic North Umpqua River area has the most unusual Northwest rainforests that I`ve seen. There`s a sense of the violent geology that still percolates underneath. I wish I lived closer. Tomorrow I`m exploring some of the Columbia River Gorge, another astounding landscape.
I love Oregon.
watermedia on paper 10"x8"


Available Work