Blog

Four of us headed out to Smith Rock today...blustery sunny (mostly) day. I really get tired of people who say, "Oh, the light changed." That is what plein air is all about...however, this day we had tumbling, fast paced clouds and I had to stick a paint rag in my mouth to avoid saying, "Oh, the light changed!" Just tried to remember the scene as I first saw it and in about 20 minutes it would return for one second!

Today feels like the first day really back in the studio for several weeks. I started a commission using my usual process of toning the canvas, then sketching in the painting. In addition, I started a second painting. In the process of doing this second painting, i decided that since I am painting them concurrently, I would keep a record of both. One record goes to the client (of her painting) and the other I will blog. So this is that second painting. It is step 1 and step 2...step one was to tint the canvas with a diluted mixture of red-orange and ochre. I then did a sketch and started the preliminary blocking of values and color...but at this point I realized that I had a painting the was roughly in thirds...one third ground, 2/3 sky...this proportion did not really emphasize the drama of the sky enough...so I started over...wiping out all of the foreground/land and some of the sky. Here is the first start...and where the painting is now.
Intend to record this entire painting process.. Comments and feedback happily appreciated!!!

I continue to be attracted to the golden hour of painting...that time that is late in the afternoon towards twilight or twilight itself. Most of these are studio paintings as the light changes so fast that only the most daring of plein air painters can capture this outside...though I have heard of people using headlamps to see their canvas. May try this but not yet.

In my last blog I mentioned wonderful clouds we had last night...here is an example. I took this photo from my front window about five PM...will probably use this and other photo reference for a painting in a week or two.

Actually an almost 2 week hiatus after the paint out in the Columbia Gorge...house guests, end of summer festivities, etc. kept me away from painting. But I think time off is good for reflection. This simple little study is just to keep my hand in while I plan my new direction. No drastic changes...still very attracted to cloudscapes, but thinking of the drama of the clouds late in the afternoon when the weather is changing. We have had some wonderful (and at the same time scary) storms...huge thunderheads...a greenish cast tot he light, etc. Will maybe be moving more toward nocturnes. I am such a fan of the work by Charles Rollo Peters, maybe I can head that direction for a time.

Tonight is the opening of the Plein Air Painters of Oregon show at Clearwater Gallery in Sisters...hope to see lots of folks. Two of my paintings were admitted...this one from last last year at Diamond Oregon is all about that SE corner of Oregon that I love. We will be leaving for the Warner Valley later this month and I hope to paint a lot.

Last night was opening night of my two person show in Bend, Oregon. Nice turn out. I am sharing this event with Nancy Dasen...an amazing print maker and clay sculpture artist. Do come by.

Spent a wonderful week painting at the Columbia Gorge with approximately 40 other painters as part of the Pacific Northwest Plein Air. The opening was Thursday and it was truly amazing how wonderful the work was...about 4-6 paintings from 40 artists. Wow...I was fortunate enough to sell one of my studies already. This little painting of Mt. Hood was done standing at the side of the parking lot for Timberline Lodge...ah, the romance of plein air. It was about 40 degrees out at the time. And it was the weekend of the huge Hood to Coast run...so while I painted hundreds of runners ran by. They were a lit warmer.