February Forest Study

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.

Winter Creek

The dark mouth of Oswego Creek as it joins the Willamette.

Light in the Forest

From a tiny study done in 2008.
Last weekend two talented painters drove up from California to work with me. Specifically, me and Yupo. I have developed a way, maybe attitude, allowing for more control and versatility. I found it a worthy thing to do because as a long time watercolorist, I loved how the brilliant white surface shone through the paint. But, being plastic, it`s tricky. We had great fun and although I`m not a teacher, they said it was just like a workshop. I do know I talked a lot. Sometimes in conversation with other artists, I startle myself with the intensity of my opinions.

Winter Thicket

From 2008.
I`m happy to return to my life and I can`t wait to paint. The gesso is drying, soon I will begin. There are more alder rainforests still in my mind that I want to realize while my experience is fresh.

Swale

What a great word! I got it from Don Gray, a fellow Oregonian. Another in a series of winter forests that took on a life of it`s own.

Minto Brown Island

A new oil painting of the nature preserve in Salem Oregon.