Camassia Oaks

                                                        Camassia Oaks oil on canvas 20x16


 I`ve painted these three oaks several times but never felt I succeeded. So when I was in Camassia last week, I stood on a rock above them and studied them carefully. I`m getting closer.

Laura Foster became my friend years ago after she bought a painting. When we met, she told me she wrote walking guidebooks. Later while shopping I saw "Portland Hill Walks" at Fred Meyer [northwest mega grocery store] and I bought it.
This was way more than maps and landmarks, it was crammed full of history, cultural context, botanical and architectural details, vintage photography and practical information such as where to get a drink of water and use a restroom. John and I would do one of the 'walks' every Sunday followed by Burgerville. The Oregon City walk was one surprise after another, sort of like a scavenger hunt.
 The morning after my mother died and my studio flooded she was at my house  hauling away wet cardboard, organizing my packing supplies and offering needed moral support. Within an hour, her wonderful hydrologist husband Kevin arrived and assessed the situation and told me what I would need to do. Though I refused to even shake his hand, he still caught the wicked chest cold I had.
True, selfless friends.
Laura is publishing a new book on the Columbia River Gorge and I can`t wait to get a hold of it. I want to know where to go that does not involve a waterfall! And where to eat!! When we`re living in Camas, the Gorge will be near and beckoning, and I know the guide will be super helpful. Watch her describe the book in this video.


 You visitors that are artists, listen up. Imagine you get out of bed in the morning and before you`ve even had your coffee, you`re at the kitchen table drawing! Yes drawing, dreaded drawing! I swear, this Procreate drawing app with the pressure sensitive drawing stylus is mesmerizing! No more tedium! Putting in a background color is instantaneous, shading is fast and easy, corrections are immediate! I could spend all day with this thing! Its great advantage is there is no artifact. And that is precisely why I don`t give it all my time. I need to make a living. But for 'research' such as life drawing and location studies, it is ideal.
This was a quick one;

                                                                Oswego Lagoon-Ipad


This is how I did it;

Here are a couple of others;

                                                            Oregon Refuge-ipad

                                                                    Forest Details-Ipad


 Now that we finally have an open door with Cuba, I hope to see one of the lyrical, dreamlike paintings of Tomas Sanchez some day.

                                                                         Tomas Sanchez


Ongoing through March during regular business hours at the Johnstone Financial Advisors;

work for sale in my studio

New Year Oaks - new and old abstraction

                                                    New Year Oaks oil on canvas 20x20


 Lacamas Park in Camas WA abounds with old heroic oaks flanking its peaks. Walking uphill you can see sections cropped by a rocky foreground or masses of dark green firs. In the winter fog, the bare trees seem especially noble.

 My friend Don Gray was in the studio recently and said something to the effect of 'I don`t see why abstraction seems so hard for you, you do it well'. When he speaks I listen. I have always done some as a respite from representation but when I `ve tried to really focus on it, I hit a wall in short order. It feels like I lack the maturity. Nonetheless, again I`m contemplating a commitment of several months to see what happens this time. I could just be restless because it`s summer. Often I feel trapped indoors because of the heat and intense sunshine so I`m not getting out into nature as much as I`d like. Consequently I have few fresh ideas for new work. It`s August, the cool and color of autumn aren`t far off.

                                          Scent in the Morning watermedia on paper 12x9

 Here is a new one [above]. Below are some I did 27-30 years ago.

                                                            oil on canvas 40x30

                                                                    oil on canvas 46x46

                                                          watermedia on paper 9x12

                                                            oil on canvas 48x36


 A couple of years ago an old friend from New Mexico was visiting and we painted together in the studio as it rained a deluge outside. I mentioned Charles Burchfield and I was surprised she didn`t know of him. I wonder if he`s being forgotten? He could never be categorized as his work is truly visionary and it always seemed to me well before its time. Take a look at these, they pulsate!;

                                                             Charles Burchfield

                                                              Charles Burchfield


 Almost incredibly, he was very successful even though he was most active in the first half of the twentieth century. I find his uniquely personal response to the landscape awe inspiring.

                                                          Love Nympth by Anders Zorn

This painting by Anders Zorn is so cheesy it transcends itself into greatness! Look at that skin! The color is so remarkable! The bottom 2/3rds is almost monochromatic broken only by the red foliage. The upper third is animated by a luxurious palm with much more vitality than the nympth. I have stared at this for long periods of time. A guilty pleasure.


 Being a dropout, I`m always late to the party. Only now have I finally experienced The Great Gatsby. I listened to the Audible.com version masterfully read by Jake Gyllenhaal. I was flabbergasted by such beautiful writing! Within a few paragraphs, I was taken. The visual images were so atmospheric and the story just ached. My goodness. At the moment I`m listening to Annie Proulx`s That Old Ace in the Hole. She`s a genius and I `m loving it but I`m going to listen again to Gatsby when I`m finished.

work for sale in my studio