Blog

This is the fun part of any painting (that is if things have gone well and you are not in "repair/recycle mode")...picking out the hilights...making a few things pop. All along I listen to the voice of one of my best painting coaches, Jean Legassick, "what is it you want to paint," to guide me in composition, value, etc. But this is the time when I get to add notes of color...the frosting. The painting is about 90% done...and today I emphasized refining the sky and clouds, making sure the atmospheric perspective of the mountains was correct, working on the foreground and adding some color to the trees in the foreground. In studying the photo and remembering, the light was coming from the west...even though it was mostly overhead, so I got to hilight the western side of the trees. Now I will let it rest for a few days and look at it with fresh eyes. By the way, this is a 15" x 40" painting.

God bless the undemanding house guest! My long term friend Diane was here this week, but had no trouble when I spent most of two days in the studio. (Since she is a busy executive, it is likely that just having quiet time out here in the high desert was what she actually wanted.)
I on the other hand was doing what I like doing best--painting. This commission painting is going well...it is a pleasure to paint this scene and that has a lot to do with the pleasure. The scene is from some photo reference I took when hiking around Sparks Lake in the Cascades. I remember the day...it was clear, bright and I believe just edging towards autumn. The only challenge is that my photo is from mid day so there are few defining shadows. The light source is just overhead so in order to avoid a strictly local color painting I am searching for the color notes that convey the magic of this area. The strip of land with the stunted trees is so beautiful I want to do them justice.

Today (after a wonderful but sinfully filling Thanksgiving) I had to get back to the studio. I decided to work on a commission. In fact, I decided to capture the work as it emerges. Displayed here are the first several steps...I toned the canvas with some Cad Orange, deep hue. Then I sketched the section of Sparks Lake that the clients had indicated worked best for them. Then the under-painting...and now I am beginning to work on the detail. This is fun for me as it really keeps me having a dialogue with the painting...I have my painting mentors perched on my shoulders whispering, "OK Janice, what is it you are really painting; remember warm in front, composition, value, chroma....."
Subsequent posts will follow this work (If I don't get so involved that I forget to photo the phases!).

The prior post has the view of Mt. Hood as I painted it several weeks ago. I was never satisfied by that painting...something was wrong. So a couple of days ago I sanded down the original and went back to my photo reference and several other photos of Mt. Hood at Twilight...then a complete redo. With the phrase "less is more" at the front of my mind, I decided to lessen the contrast and make the colors more subtle. And now, at least temporarily, I am satisfied!

This view of Mt. Hood at twilight always bugged me....so I was reticent to show it. I really don't want work out there that does not satisfy me (of course over the years my standards get higher...and there certainly are paintings out there I wish weren't!).

But.......with this in mind read my next blog.

I have a client who lives on the most beautiful part of the Deschutes...south of Bend, Oregon. I have painted her section of river in the past. When she asked if I was interested in another commission, I thought it would be another view of the river (her property offers many stunning views). Instead she wanted a painting of her pasture...she spends contemplative hours out there.
After taking several photos of the pasture in warm afternoon light, and after a phone call from her asking if I could possible put her two horses in the painting (they were in a paddock at the time I took the photos), I said "yes" and then thought..."How am I going to make this an interesting painting?"
First I decided to have a very high horizon to create some tension...then after getting photos of her horses...I looked on the web for other photos of similar horses in poses that would better balance the painting and direct the eye...and then I worked and worked on the painting...dreamed about how to resolve issues with it...worried, worried, worried. One day I thought, "What would Cark Rungius (wonderful landscape painter from the last century) do?" So I referred to his works and realized that the way to make the pasture interesting was to avoid large passages of grass and instead take a more impressionist approach. After that everything fell into place.

Other artists provide so much help...and it is not stealing or borrowing...it is praising.

I showed the painting to my clients and they loved it...but at the back of my mind was a nagging thought, "It is just not right, yet." So I said, "I need to let this painting sit for a couple of weeks...first it needs to dry and frankly, I may just want to do a little touch up." Well, this morning with fresh eyes I realized that there was too much value contrast. So while painting another painting, using a soft teal gray I realized that what was needed was the use of that very color to mute some of the contrast in the Smith Rock painting...and after a couple of hours...I am now satisfied. The scrumble gave just the environmental/atmospheric light that I wanted.

I find that I need to let most paintings set for awhile...some longer than others.

If she(s) does...then she will know I have finished the commission. We will see!

I think I will even make this painting my featured painting on the first page of my site...

This is another painting in the series Vicki Shuck and I are developing--I have enjoyed painting each one in this series, but this one particularly drew me in. It was approaching twilight and I had driven on the road from Diamond to Princeton. I was parked by David Thompson's ranch, The Swamp Creek Ranch (horrible, but historic name for a beautiful ranch). When I looked in the other direction I realized that I was being treated to a marvelous sunset over the Diamond Valley. Of all the places in the world (that I have seen), this and the Warner Valley are my favorites for painting.

By the way, listened to William Kittredge speak last night. His family owned the MC ranch on the Warner Valley. If you want to read a writer similar to Wallace Stegner, I really recommend him...a true authentic voice of the west.

Vicki Shuck and I are in the middle of our project..Reflections on a Way of Life. Be sure to look at this section on my site, for the full overview of the project. Today I worked on one of my favorites...a view of Mary Otley's ranch in Diamond Oregon. This was taken from her porch...she can look out over her many acres. This day her Red Angus were getting ready for weaning. In the picture is one little calf getting what may be his last lunch from "mom." It is a stressful time for the cattle, but they are handled gently by the hands on this venerable lady's ranch.

I have been working on a huge (for me...28 x76) commission. It has been great fun, but that is a lot of canvas (plus working on another that is approximately
40x40....and equally difficult as I need to cover a lot of foreground and make it visually interesting!)...think I am close to finished with this one...unfortunately the photo did cut off a bit of one of the spires on Smith Rock.

Other paintings were more typical of this beautiful red rock country...this was just outside the door of our cabin!

I call it chasing the sun as afternoon moves quite quickly...by the time I finished the painting the red rock was almost all in shadow. Plein air painting teaches you to be quick!

Just returned from Sedona where I took a class from Joshua Been. I really recommend this rising star in Plein Air. He is extremely conscientious and quite knowledgeable. His enthusiasm is infectious. Here is one of the paintings I did while on site.

It was a challenge as we were perched on a ledge staring into a small waterfall.

But the weather was not too hot, and there were no bugs...so perfect plein air conditions!