Forests
« Previous EntriesMultnomah Falls
Wednesday, February 13th, 2013
Multnomah Falls, Hwy 84 East, Oregon 18H x 24W inches Oil pastels on 100% cotton paper, almost finished, work in progress details below
Deciduous Forest
Friday, December 7th, 2012
Deciduous Forest (Washington State USA), 12 x 16 inches watercolors on paper
Thumbnails 1. resist medium applied, dried and first paint application 2. peeling off the dried resist after painting dark hues of sap green 3. stage 02, after peeled off resist medium 4. before brushing off the rubberized pieces of resist medium that bounced onto the paper, it occurred to me that they could be reattached as leaves, using more medium as glue. I won’t use this idea here, but may use it at some point in the future.
A while back, I had visitors attending a show of mine peel off the rubberized medium to reveal the flowers on “Flowering Shavingbrush Tree”. (The painting has since been cropped to a smaller size). This could also be an interesting way to “wrap” a small paintings, either to surprise a client, or when giving as a gift…cover the entire surface or certain areas, and have them discover what’s underneath!
Northern Delights 04
Friday, November 30th, 2012
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Northern Delights 04, 12 x 16 inches watercolors on 120 lb cold pressed 100% cotton paper
1. Applying resist medium 2. Watercolors, a limited palette, were also dripped down the page, and colored pens add more details
Big Leaf Maple
Sunday, November 4th, 2012
Big Leaf Maple, near Port Renfrew, Vancouver Island, BC (Canada) 12Hx 16W inches watercolors on 140 lb 100% cotton paper
Missing routine
Thursday, October 11th, 2012
The Campsite, watercolors, 24 x 30 inches watercolors on 140 lb cold pressed paper
I finally brought my watercolor paints back from my son’s place in Canada, where I left them so they wouldn’t freeze on the 5-day drive back west last November. Driving again, I’ve just returned from this year’s visit, when I gave my grandson a one-of-a-kind fabric book hand-made for his first birthday (details posted next). I plan to make him something special every year.
So, a couple of new brushes and 12 x 16″ paper block, and now with the rainy season upon us back in Oregon, I look forward to establishing a routine of painting again. Invigorated by a summer full of gardening and flowers, the stunning scenery across America this time of year, plus reviewing archives of work I haven’t seen for ages, I’m all set to splash out some new watercolors. Our Portland house is a renovator’s dream (nightmare?), and we’re not out of the woods yet, so to speak. Attempting to gain back the focus more on art than house, smaller paintings are more manageable, and less of a production than my typically large canvas paintings…however, I’m curious to see how watercolors dis-behave on primed canvas at some point!
Framing on Northern Delights 02 update
Tuesday, December 14th, 2010
Northern Delights 02, 24H x 36W inches acrylics on canvas, adhered to a 36H x 48W x 1D inches canvas. Mask/resist medium was used to maintain white spaces and pure colors in both sections.
The central painting was started in 2008, and the framing dilemma resolved today – a perfect example where some paintings just need to hang around for a while before they are well and truly finished.
I began extending the scene of the central painting onto the back “frame”, a 36H x 48W x 1D inch canvas, in the same style, but stopping for a coffee break, then coming back with fresh eyes, decided to quit in the early stages. I’m pleased with the clash of styles – a rather impressionistic style framed inside an abstract. Art is the best place to exhibit any rebellious tendencies! Besides, formal frames can sometimes cut off the energy of a composition too abruptly. Every painting does not need a frame, but finishing the edges should always be considered.
Here is the finished painting as it was previously. I used masking medium to block out areas that are intended to stay white, and am continuing the same technique on the back frame.
Stars and Fireflies
Sunday, June 27th, 2010
Home from Singapore for a few days, and having to go north to pack up the Dancing With Trees exhibition, I drove up to Ontario first so I could see my sons in Canada before Christmas. At night in the fields and trees from Tennessee to Michegan there are stars and fireflies in the trees – so magical! Until I can express it in paint (and I must!), here is a quick photoshop impression.
Dancing With Trees Art list for Madison, WI
Friday, April 16th, 2010
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Paintings as shown are not to scale in comparison to one another
The Dancing With Trees Art Exhibition celebrates the importance of trees and forests throughout history, portraying their diversity and relationships through a variety of creative associations. Twenty three of the paintings in this collection are on exhibit in the Steinhauer Trust Gallery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, May 1st through June 30th, 2010. Opening Reception Saturday May 1st, 12:45 – 4:00 p.m.
All life forms on this planet proliferated, continue to flourish, and ultimately depend on the existence of trees. While the message is urgent, I consider humanity’s role on the planet as positive, with the statement that creativity is our greatest asset; that “Our carbon footprint is worthy”. Further, creative thinking is our most primal, yet highly advanced and ever-evolving contribution toward solutions to healing wrongs done and changing ingrained habits to ones that are more appreciative of the environment in general.
Purchase Art here Purchase Photography here
Little pen sketches
Thursday, February 25th, 2010
Marie Lake campsite, Alberta, 8 x 10 inches pen on paper
I’m trying to get a painting started that’s all planned in my mind’s eye, but have been finishing written articles and upgrading/updating the websites, so these little pen sketches are all I can manage lately; maybe a series is borne?
The Campsite
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009
Above, finished Oct 29th: The Campsite, Maine, USA – 15 x 22 inches Watercolors on 140 lb. acid free cold press premium paper, professionally framed
Thumbnails, Oct 21st: 1) Value sketch using Payne’s Gray 2) Oct 21st in progress 3) finished, left detail
~ 2nd week of Watercolor course offered by Jo Williams ~
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