The Cloud Lifts off the Mountain

                               The Cloud Lifts off the Mountain watercolor on Yupo 26x20


 The mountain was Mt. San Jacinto.
When the Santa Ana winds howled through Fontana CA where I grew up, the smog was ripped away and suddenly we could see the mountains that surrounded the valley. Off in the southeast was Mt. San Jacinto sitting like a ship in a harbor. Just on the other side of it is Palm Springs.
When I got my drivers license at 16 the desert was a frequent destination as long as I was back on time. A few years later I read somewhere about some canyons south of Palm Springs which were palm oasis you could hike in. I soon explored them and have continued to do so.
So in between two of the northwests recent snow storms, we flew to Calif. for some warmth. That normally parched desert was so wet, grass was growing beside cacti. Some plants were already blooming but the big show is just beginning now. It will be spectacular!

 The view from our Air BnB. It was in the Mesa neighborhood right up against the mountain.

 A view up into Tahquitz Canyon. I wrote about my first visit here when it was finally opened to the public.

Tahquitz Falls. This is a special place.

Grassy desert.

Coachella Preserve. I lived near here the winter of 1980. It was private property then but my landlady knew the caretaker and I was allowed in.  Because of the principles of evaporative cooling, one can be comfortable here on a scorching hot summer day. I may try to paint this pond with its confusing reflections.

 Murray Canyon. I had painted these rocks in 1980 and wanted to see them again. This involved crossing the creek many times. I trudged through the water with sneakers on. Much better than risking my new knee by falling off a stepping stone.

 This was a 360 photo John took with his fancy camera. It is the greenhouse at the Moorten Botanical Garden. I have driven by it dozens of times and never went in. This visit we did.

                                              [untitled] oil on Multimedia Board 12x12


 Another new one and I`m struggling for a title. The big black thing is a root ball of an evergreen that toppled in a windstorm. You see them often in our forests but are they ever called something else? "Root Ball" is not a great title.

                                                                Wil Wheaton


 A friend posted a link on Facebook to an essay by Wil Wheaton on depression. It`s a moving account of his disease when it began in childhood. Mental health is still not given proper respect even though we have mass shootings seemingly daily. Consequently, it`s not diagnosed in kids until they have suffered horribly. My own began in adolescence and it was terrifying. My parents, god bless them, listened to me and did what they could. Viable medications were still many years away so they got me involved with the local art center and I took classes.
 For adults. Like now, the people with time enough to paint are often retired. So I was this frightened kid plopped into a bunch of mostly women elders. They helped save my life as I had never been in such a dark place. Soon I had my role in life and I`ve been grateful for this answered question ever since. It is so unnecessary for children to bear depression anymore. Yes it`s serious medication but it works.
Anxiety and depression often intertwine. If you know an anxious child, ask some questions.

 No one tells me anything! Last I heard Joni Mitchell was on her deathbed clinging to life. I`m mostly repelled by celebrity but she is, or was an important artist. I`ve been hoping she pulls through as I`ve searched in vain for updates.
Looks like she did! And holding hands with David Hockney no less! There`s some good news! Hockney draws as well as anyone but I sure wish he would turn down his color!

                                                               by David Hockney

                                                                 by David Hockney

You never know who`s watching.

                                                           cartoon by Jeff Stahler




paintings in my studio for sale [updated]

prints on Fine Art America

Demos

                                                 Winter Water watermedia on paper 22x15


 Last weekend I was in Seattle teaching a workshop in 'Abstracting from Nature'. I had the group I hoped for, all were experienced artists.
 Having recently walked along the swollen Tualatin River, I chose a rain saturated bit of river bank for my subject. A simple composition. Probably because it was on paper instead of Yupo [plastic], it was not the dynamic illustration of my technique I hoped for. I figured most of them would not be familiar with Yupo and were likely to have brought paper so I began with Arches 140 lb. cold press. Back with it in my studio, I`ve been able to finally evoke that typically bleak Northwest winter landscape.

                                                Forest Improv watercolor on Yupo 20x13


 The next day, my demo was on Yupo and I chose to paint a forest without any reference. This was the improvisational technique I find to be so fun. I`m in forests all the time and can easily visualize what they look like, so I just began. I should have chosen a less awkward size but oh well. Everyone was game to try working with Yupo and the results were quite interesting.

                                                       Marsh watermedia on paper 20x20


 Yes, this is the painting from my last post but I had really screwed it up. So as a last quick demo I showed them how I rescue something. If in fact I saved it.
The workshop was personally satisfying, I felt like I was in the trenches with the participants, all of us crawling toward beauty.

                                                                Nell Irvin Painter


 I love a story of someone who broke character and did something completely unexpected. After a long career as a historian, Nell Irvin Painter retired and then went to art school. At 64!
Reinvention is said to be uniquely possible in America. I hope so. This kind of chutzpah is thrilling. If Nell can do that, what am I capable of?
Here is a fascinating short interview with her.
Some advice for those considering later-in-life adventures;

My second piece of advice is don’t see yourself through other people’s eyes. If you’re over 28 in art school or pushing 40 in a youth-obsessed culture, what’s reflected back at you can leave you feeling discouraged or ignored. However, if you see yourself through your own eyes, or those of your best friend or a loving partner, you’re much more likely to perceive both your strengths as well as your weaknesses, and that’s a good place to start. _N. I. Painter

Here is one of her paintings;

                                                 Soul Bowling by Nell Irvin Painter

February is black history month.

 Have you ever heard a more ferocious courage? 

Muhammad Ali was not going to Vietnam.

He will always be an example of incorruptible integrity.

                                                      Exile watermedia on paper 39x28

 This is from 1989. I had it pinned above a table in my last home in Santa Fe, and my kitten Louie decided to climb it. Little claw holes  and scratches right in the middle!

work for sale in my studio [updated]

Prints from Fine Art America

Marsh Forest

                                           Marsh Forest Study watercolor on Yupo 8.5x11


 I want to thank all of you who told me what we should discuss when I teach next weekend. My first thought was to emphasize technique but  I heard that I should address color choice, emotion and the landscape and selecting personal subjects. So I`ve been thinking. Of course this is the stuff that never is verbalized by me even to myself. I know instinctively what to draw or photograph when I`m out in nature. Now I`m figuring out how to talk about it. It`s uncomfortable. There is a yearning quality in my response to nature that I don`t understand. Beyond Romanticism. I find ephemeral scenes lit temporarily in a poetic manner and I`ll take a picture. If what I`m seeing is really striking, I`ll remember it too. Then I begin painting but it`s more like an excavation, subtracting to find my painting. This is better shown than explained.

                                             Cape Arago watercolor on Terraskin 14x11


 From my time in Coos Bay a couple of years ago. That eroded coast would provide a lifetime of subjects if I lived near. Without bias, the Oregon Coast is the most astonishing, compact, jewel like series of landscapes, one after another. And it`s never crowded other than Cannon Beach. If I lived in the interior of the US again, I would come here to this coast to be by this sea. Not Hawaii or Mexico or Greece. There is a wild, interactive relationship between the water, sky and land that`s palpable.

                                                          unfinished marsh


 I should have left it alone but it wasn`t finished. I thought last night.
Now this no longer exists but that`s ok.
If there is time in my workshop I`ll demonstrate a do or die effort to rescue something that`s ruined. Good things can happen if there is nothing to lose. I once said to Don Gray that all my paintings were better 20 minutes before I finally stopped. He said that`s true for all artists. We keep pushing for more clarity until we go too far and then backtrack as best we can.

                                             man in motion by Eadweard Muybridge


 Eadweard Muybridge was a bookseller until he cracked his head in an accident and became a determined innovator of photography. It appears that brain damage can unleash tremendous creative potential. This article in the BBC explains how even dementia can unlock hidden talents.
It does not mention if the poor high school football players with concussions become more creative. I wish it would have included this kind of trauma.



Igor Mosiychuk, have you heard of him? I sure hadn`t but apparently he`s quite well known in his own country, Ukraine. He`s a watercolor wizard unlike any other;

                                                            by Igor Mosiychuk

                                                                by Igor Mosiychuk

                                                                  by Igor Mosiychuk

                                                                      by Igor Mosiychuk


 Yes, they have a traditional sensibility but who cares? They are so dense with lyrical color and mood.
If you have an extra hour or so you can watch him demonstrate here.

                                            Oaks at Brandy Creek watercolor on Yupo 12x9


 For the first time in my 25 years in the Pacific Northwest, winter is bugging me. It`s too cold. Usually I`m head cheerleader for all things gloomy and wet but not this year. Now I don`t want sunshine mind you, that low angle light is blinding this time of year but a warm breeze would be nice. Here`s to Spring and its gentle promise.

Goodbye Mary Oliver, thank you!


updated webpage

work for sale in my studio

prints on Fine Art America

New Forests - teaching questions

                                                           watermedia on Yupo 14x11


 No titles on these new works yet, it`s been mortal combat just to get something decent.

                                                          oil on multimedia board 14x11

                                                       watermedia on Terraskin 16x11

                                                             oil on multimedia board 7x5

                                                  watermedia on Terraskin 14x28


 With each recent painting, I`ve been mentally verbalizing what I`m doing. In early February I`m teaching a workshop in Seattle and want to be prepared. Talking while painting is something I discovered I can do and it`s the only way it feels natural to teach. The class is just two days so I`m trying to distill what I do into concise helpful units. For example I`m taking and will talk about a big variety of brushes. When I`m in the fray, I choose which one to use much like a surgeon would. Carefully. Each type does something specific and I believe the right choice is crucial. That being said, I also believe they should be inexpensive. Precious tools and materials really inhibit me.
A friend suggested I talk about color, she thinks it`s the most distinctive aspect of my work. It might be the most subconscious of my decisions too so I am happy she pointed it out as worthy of a discussion. Do any of you who look at my blog and work have any thoughts as to what you might  like to hear from me in such a setting? I`m not fishing for compliments, I`m just curious what others think is important in painting. I`ve never taken a workshop like this and I want to provide as much useful information as possible.
I will talk about having a real connection to your subject and the importance of knowing your reasons for painting and of what your ideals might be. These psychological questions are often uncomfortable especially for new painters yet they are worth asking though as the answers can set a course of forward motion.
Thinking about the process so much makes me realize how individual and instinctive it all is. Just the way we hold a brush will determine the sensitivity and energy of the mark it makes. And how we hold it is also probably genetic. It`s not a coincidence my handwriting looks like my Dads`.
There is plenty to love in painting, just creating something is often thrilling. If we go deeper, get more personal, we will encounter true tests of our character. If our best self prevails in those situations, painting becomes our companion and the real fun can begin. If I can make that experience more accessible, I will be happy.

                                           
                                          a poem from Martha Graham to Agnes DeMille
                                         [thanks to Dana and Laura]

                                                       Chasing Rivals by Matthew Dibble

                                                       Mecca Chip by Matthew Dibble

                                                        Earth Vanishes by Matthew Dibble


 I`ve mentioned Matthew before, I think he is truly an exceptional painter. He walks right up and steps into the shoes of Willem de Kooning, one of the greatest artists in history. Without explanation or apology Matthew extends the territory of abstract expressionism. His personal story is an inspiration. The investment group, Brighthouse Financial, made a little commercial/promotional video featuring Matthew, and it`s sweet. His show 'Legendary Bog' is up at the First Street Gallery in New York until January 26 2019.

 In New Mexico, I almost always knew what phase the moon was in. I worked at night and in the Southwest it is impossible to ignore the sky. Now in the Pacific Northwest, hardly ever. Too many clouds and trees! With this chart I can check with a glance.

 Here is a man who paints with the tide.




work for sale in my studio

Workshop in Seattle Feb. 2&3

Prints from Fine Art America

Winter Night

                                                Winter Night watercolor on paper 48x36


 This is exactly thirty years old. It came from a night drive through the Rockies in Colorado lit by moonlight. I was driving home to New Mexico through the Salida Valley passing one enormous mountain after the other. The whole valley was illuminated by the reflected light from these glowing monsters. Memorable! I had to paint something!
 So we in the northern hemisphere just experienced the longest night of the year under a huge full moon. The solstice is a holiday that excites me. Civilization took hold because agriculture was predictable and another growing season always returned. We are as dependent on this cycle as we ever were. The north leans back toward the sun and the world will eat. No life is possible without the sun. That`s a big deal.

 Here is a young Navajo girl singing a gorgeous tribute to the solstice. She understands.

                                                                by Emil Robinson

                                                              by Emil Robinson


 These two paintings by the inventive, always interesting Emil Robinson, epitomize what is special about Christmas. It`s all about the light. For me these are stunning in their emotional purity. This is what I love about Christmas. When it settles down, when the room hums with color and safety and contentment. Were it so for everyone.

 Lisa Pressman is an artist I admire. So when she announced a year end sale by the Multimedia Artboard Co., I was curious, I had never heard of it. One stiff non-buckling board suitable for oils, inks, watercolors and presumably encaustics as that is Lisa`s medium of choice. It sounded too good to be true but it was on sale. So I bought some and had a rough start because of the absorbency but it soon became interesting. The price is right, it comes in some big sizes and I think a painting could be presented like any other oil and not a work on paper. The first piece below is it. Sort of like painting on gessoed rag board.

                                                     Forest Wall oil on panel 12x12

                                                 Theater of Trees 2 oil on panel 12x12

                                       Untitled Christmas Landscape oil on panel 12x12

                                                     Nordic Season oil on panel 12x12


 These are my latest works. I feel ambivalent about each of them so they may not survive. I need to set them aside for now and go on to new projects. I could use an unequivocal success and I know it will only come if I`m working. I couldn`t be more inspired, the landscape is full of mystery and I feel great so forward!

  Those of you who are artists, who are trying to build or grow a career, you might benefit from the counsel of Alan Bamberger. He suddenly appeared on a Facebook group I belong to in a discussion about bartering and discounts. He was no-nonsense and practical. I did a little search of his site and found this treasure trove of articles addressing the many conundrums of the art world. They are well worth browsing especially if you have a particular issue on your mind.

                                                                        Li Huayi

                                                                      Li Huayi

                                                                       Li Huayi


 The ink painting traditions of eastern Asia have called to me since I was a kid. When I saw them in encyclopedias, the simplicity of the technique and the other worldly landscapes got my imagination racing. I think of myself as a watercolorist largely because of this influence. I remember copying them and even tinting the surface to make it look more like rice paper or silk. The monochromatic palette was a comfort and something I could emulate. I still love it though now I can recognize the difference between the Japanese esthetic and the Chinese. Li Huayi, born in Shangai, paints in the tradition of the Chinese masters but he wants them to be distinctly of our present time. I think they are quite different in that viewer is hovering in the landscape rather than seeing it from a place of security. Here is a fascinating interview with him.


 As political as I am, I don`t understand foreign policy at all. Yet I`m certain we would not be so involved in the mid-east if it were not for oil. In all the rage and despair over the president ending our engagement in Syria, I sure don`t know what we accomplish by staying. Here is a defense of his decision from the left. Rolling Stone no less!

                                                                     Emile Carlsen


 This time of year, the losses we all carry hurt harder.  The voice of Bing Crosby can buckle your knees. I`ve learned a Jewish expression that can give a little elevation; "may their name always be a blessing" What they gave us rather than what we lost.





work for sale in the studio

Seattle workshop Feb 2 and 3

prints from Fine Art America