Studies from Cody, WY

I guess it's possible to do good work without really coming up with an image you want to put in a frame. Following instructions, I did my block in (or as the painters out west like to say, "mass it in") and went after the color. These are both 6" X 8" studies on canvas board. The mountain scene is very high key with a lot of subtle color, but I remember really liking doing that one. I thought they were good for gathering information: the colors were accurate and the values stay where they are supposed to. I have a large painting in mind that will use what I have here, but that will be a while before it gets posted.

Wildfires at Yellowstone/Ralph Oberg Workshop

Shortly after posting last time I departed for Cody, Wyoming to take a workshop with Ralph Oberg (in the blue shirt)and John Potter (back view with red headband). You can check both of their websites to see their work. The emphasis was on design, massing in the values and getting the color right. I felt I did well -- posts of the paintings to come. I didn't come away with anything for the frame, but good studies. While I was there the wildfires at yellowstone, about 30 miles away, were clouding the sky with smoke. You can see the orange tint to the sky in some of the photos and the aftermath of the scorched earth in a couple others. We painted at a location about 5 miles away from the fires, but it was clear that day. I passed the burned earth and a camp for firefighters.

Plein Air with an old friend

Last week I drove to see Dan, an old friend from art school, who had some time off work. We drove to a location where he was working on a large (like 30" X 36" canvas -- something way too big for me to do outside) painting of a church in a churchyard. More specifically, a church with attached graveyard. I set myself up looking north while he was pointed south. We were both in the shade and luckily so because it was very hot that day. I did this 8" X 10" in about an hour and left out the headstones. The other picture (pencil on paper) is of my friend Dan that I did about 30 years ago. Both of us are well preserved.

Barns & Farms show, Kewuanee, Wisconsin

The last two years I was fortunate enough to have two paintings chosen for the Barns & Farms nationally juried show in Kewaunee, Wisconsin. Each year I've sold one and then had to return to pick up the other painting. When I left home it was 92 degrees; along the lake in Wisconsin it was 68 degrees. I love driving in farm country and I stopped to paint by this harbor where the Kewaunee river meets Lake Michigan. (Not all that pleased with what I did this time, so I'm not posting that dog.) About 25 miles south of Kewaunee is the town of Two Rivers, Wisconsin along Lake Michigan. There's an old pickup truck parked at a gas station. It's a Chevy short box, either a 1939 or 1940. Despite the high price of gas and the long drive (3 1/2 hours), the scenery and old cars along the way make the journey worthwhile.

Sunset photo and two PAs from The Fields Project

Now it's been a couple weeks since I did The Fields Project. The people there and the artists as well were all very nice and went out of their way to help us out. I can't as yet say whether I will return there next year since I have enough trouble figuring out my life day to day. The two PAs are both 8" X 10"s and were done in an hour to an hour and a half. The sunset photo was one of many beautiful ones. Oregon, Illinois is about an hour west of Chicago. Once you are there, you feel a million miles away from Chicago -- which can be a good thing!

Wm. R. Leigh and Joseph Raphael

These are a couple watercolor works I did for practice. The first is Wm. R. Leigh the painter who trained in Germany and then painted in the American West (done about 9 X 12 inches). The other is Joseph Raphael, another artist, but not the California Impressionist (done about 5 X 7 inches).

The Fields Project, Oregon, Illinois

I've spent the last eight days in Oregon, Illinois as part of The Fields Project. It's been organized for about ten years. For me it was an opportunity to do some plein air painting out on the local farmland. You spend a week at the home of a local farmer (at no cost!!!) I had an excellent time, met and developed friendships with several of the people and farmers there and swallowed an untold number of insects while painting -- they seem to fly right into your open mouth unmercifully. When I look around for my soon to be painting, I don't care whether it's in the sun or shade, so I wound up in the sun a little too much. By Thursday I was doing watercolors sitting down. Hey, I'm just a city kid and not used to standing in the hot sun for hours and hours. The 2009 Fields Project in already being planned (see their website). On the easel (or pochade box), are two of my 8 X 10s. This is a nice opportunity to get together with other plein air painters as well.