First Snow 02, 12 x 12 inches acrylics on canvas

Entry for The Square Foot Show in Bismark, ND on August 1st – 25th, 2017

 Sold, but a similar one can be created upon request. Please allow 7 days to paint before shipping.

Hannah, 11 x 14 inches graphite on paper. This was a special commission for a good friend. I no longer offer to do portraits – pets, absolutely – but while I love drawing people, the work and long periods of in-between study I require take too long to warrant what I’d need to charge. There are other artists who specialize in only portraits and do nothing else.

The photo was a very small file, only 500 pixels wide, plus the feet were not in the frame, so initially I thought it impossible to work from, but started anyway. All works on paper begin with taped edges, leaving an inch of border which helps when it comes to framing, especially if composition is off a bit. I scribble in the main shapes lightly, gradually building up areas with lines and then shading as confidence grows. As marks, once placed, are difficult to erase, the face details are drawn in more gradually than the rest of the composition.

I remember that my friend used to call her grand-daughter Hannah Banana, so I snuck some banana shapes onto the blanket  – that will be a surprise for her when she sees this. I smudge the graphite and use erasers quite a bit, a good technique for subtler details like the background and blanket pattern.  Eraser sticks, 2 different sizes, are perfect because they are held and used like a pencil.

Mt. St. Helen’s Indian Paintbrush Washington, 14 x 20 inches watercolors work in progress. The mountain and central areas may need to be darker, but I’m going to set this aside for a few days and come back to it. Lower left detail:

Work in progress, Stellar’s Jays at Nimkish Lake, Vancouver Island BC, 18 x 24 inches watercolors on 140 lb. cold press. For years I’ve been visualizing a painting that portrays the Stellar’s Jay in various poses, representing general character. My Dad pointed out that Stellar’s Jays don’t usually group this way, which is an accurate view of the broader behaviour that didn’t even occur to me. Interesting! Phase 02 below and detail image – the yellow is masking medium:

Normally I don’t outline anything when starting a painting, which works fine with acrylics because it’s easy to change things throughout the process, but watercolors don’t allow for much room for error, especially if you don’t have much practice with them. Wingin’ it usually works for me because I don’t mind failure in exchange for experience, but mapping out the shapes and arrangement lightly in pencil really helps, and confidence is fundamental to painting well.

Smoky Lake Summer, 14H x 20W inches watercolors on 140 lb. cold pressed premium. 20H x26W inches approximate size framed. This is my favorite summertime memory of Alberta… miles of moving shadows across bright Canola fields and expansive, moody skies. The painting started off without the tree but needed a focal point. Detail images:

Diamond Lake Oregon – moonlight study – 14H x 20W inches watercolor on 140 lb cold pressed premium. 20H x26W inches approximate size framed.

Kaniksu National Forest, Idaho – 14 x 20 inches watercolors on 140 lb cold pressed. 20H x26W inches approximate size framed. Detail images:

Clearcut, Tillimook OR – 18H x 24W inches watercolors on 140 lb cold pressed premium. Framed size 27H x 33W with white mat, white wood frame with crackle finish. Detail images:

Multnomah Falls, Oregon – 25H x 31W inches framed size, watercolors on 140 lb cold press premium. Dark sienna brown frame. The white of the falls was achieved by a quick, spontaneous application of matt resist medium, removed after the painting was dry.

Fern Gestures, 14H x 20W inches watercolors on 140 lb. cold pressed. 20H x 26W inches white mat, white wood frame with crackle finish.