Just Before Dinner

"Aspens Corner"

oil on canvas panel, 8" x 10"

In the late afternoon, yesterday, I ran out of gas. I HAD to sit down and rest. We have been ‘touring’ through Wyoming . . . .driving, walking, standing, shopping, gallery looking, etc . . . .and I came to a physical halt. Just couldn’t do any more. I had to rest.

So, I found a stool, took my paints and went to our front yard to sit and paint for a while. This is what came out. And this is what it really looks like!! Rough neighborhood, eh?

I had taken about 15 photos with my digital camera (has an SD card) . . .and none of the photos recorded onto the card. When examining the card on computer, the numbers assigned to the images skip those numbers of the photos taken, but the images are no where to be found. Does anyone know why this might happen, or how to avoid it in the future?

Making the Best of an Emergency

"Afternoon at the Firehole"

oil on linen panel, 8" x 10"

When travelling, I have the constant urge to paint. I suppose it is the visual adventures that occur around every corner that excites the urge.

We are in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and touring the area to include the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. The internal summoning to the easel was gaining volume as was my frustration as the days have passed. I MUST PAINT ! Inside, I am thinking “If only for a few moments . . .!”

Yesterday, four of us (two couples) were driving through Yellowstone National Park, which is a doubly amazing place because there are so many unusual sights . . .erupting geysers . . . .steam bubbling from the ground . . . .magnificent rivers . . .Buffalo . . .Elk . . Moose . . . .Antelope. . . .gorgeous meadows . . . .waterfalls and much, much more. To top it off, it is the peak of Spring here. The grasses and wildflowers are lush and in full bloom. What an incredible time!!!

And so, I stopped to paint . . . .and you better paint FAST because there are other people who are waiting for you, Mike . . . . .so git r done . . .and don’t dawdle.

Standing in a 15 mph wind with gusts to 35 mph in the gorgeous light of the late afternoon, I opened my pochade box to find the paint had slid around inside of it and made a horrendous mess. There is paint everywhere but where it belongs. While cleaning the box and preparing it to paint, the wind is grabbing the easel and attempting to throw it into the meadow. There is buffalo fur all over the trees next to where I stand . . . . . .which means this is probably their bedding place . . .better watch out! The group is wanting to eat, to see other sites, but I must paint. So I did. Quickly, without remorse or reconsideration of a single stroke. Just get it done and do it quick.

What an absolute joy to look across the meadow, across the river and paint all that magnificent light !!! Even if it is nothing more that a fast arrangement of smudges and smears. I must shove the doubts away and take what I get in this emergency. Niiiiice! :-)

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On The Value Of Experiments

"Bridging the Gap"

oil on canvas panel, 8" x 10"

Every day is different when it comes to painting. I never know what the day will hold until I approach the easel . . . .unless I am working on a specific project. Then, I am like a wild dog with a bone. Nothing will dissuade my purpose until it is finished.

As you know, Dear Reader, I have been busy this last week with plein air work . . .and I had to interrupt a project of a very complex studio watercolor to do this plein air work. Work? Whoops! This isn’t work !! This is absolute entertainment . . . .at least until I get to the place where I am saying to myself, “What am I going to do with THIS?” Or, “There has to be a better solution to this problem than this meager outcome!”

And so I experiment . . . .or do ‘studies.’ Many artists I know believe the studies or experiments to be a waste of time and materials. In my opinion, failures or lackluster results are our constant companions in the pursuit of good art. It is these kinds of outcomes that frustrate us and awaken the curious artist to new methods or approaches or, the thirst for growth.

I recently visited the website of Scott Christensen, a master painter. On one of his pages, this quote appears . . . . .

"Nature does not capriciously scatter her secrets as golden gifts to lazy poets and luxurious darlings, but imposes task when she presents opportunity." Edgar Payne

Opportunity is with us artists constantly. How can we ignore the siren of successfully answering that opportunity with good painting? We can’t. What’s more, we must constantly try new ways, new subjects and build our skills with executing values, colors, edges, techniques and designs. Any one of these things is worth years of study!

Simply put, we must constantly step away from the projects to accomplish good practices and set up our growth to the next tier of skill. I repeat: Constantly. It is a part of the pulse of the artist’s life. In this game, ‘good enough’ just isn’t good enough. We must always reach for better.

Yesterday’s piece was one of those quickie experiments . . .to use an orange toned canvas and paint thin to allow that orange to show through in key places. This was a one hour test. Here is the outcome. There are parts I ignored, such as foreground textures and shapes, just to see what would happen IF I completed the test or experiment.

My studio is full of ‘experiments.’ In fact, most everything I do is an experiment. If I have that attitude about every painting, then the fear of failure escapes me and I make new discoveries about my work.

Priceless !!

Setting Up Color

"Misty Brilliance"

oil on linen panel, 8" x 10"

Some days it pays to get up early. When it comes to painting, some days it pays to stay in bed. Or so it seems. Today was an excellent day!!

The title of this piece came after I had completed the piece. The process here was to set up the brilliance of the color. To play down value contrasts and surround the color with neutrals. It is the neutrals in a painting that make the saturated colors seem as though they are screaming . . . . . . . . .or at least singing.

Today as I pushed through this piece, I found myself paying special attention to diminishing values and contrast in depth. That threw the foreground out at the viewer and emphasized the subject . . . .my beloved ice plant and all its colors against the sandstone cliffs of the Santa Cruz County coastline. I learned more as I painted this piece . . . . .let the paint do the talking, not the details. Why does a painter have to relearn these simple lessons over and over and over and over???? I guess habit must take over eventually. Details and minutae do nothing to make a painting stand up and sing.

I can smell the air in this painting . . . . .I am smiling !!!!!

Another Plein Air Attempt

"Rincon Cove"

oil on canvas panel, 12 x 16

Today held another plein air attempt.

I suppose I can always be counted upon to pick the most complex subject to paint. There are certain things I am drawn to . . . . rocks and water have never failed to hold my interest, but to smite me with their subtle lighting changes, striations and reflections. Here I am supposed to be making paintings to provide to the museum . . .and what do I do? I choose something that has challenged me since I began painting. Nope! Don't pick an easy one. Go for the stuff that'll beat me up if I don't get it right.

Chalk up another one.

For some reason, the image does not upload. Maybe it broke the camera? Do ya suppose it is trying to save me embarrassment?

Finally got it to upload. Here is the effort. I had fun, but I didn't get that delightful "kick" when a great one comes along.

Oh Yeah! That's Better!

"Ice Tower"

Oil on canvas panel, 12" x 16"

Here on the California coast we have a succulent plant that grows along the cliff edges (and inland, too). It turns all colors of red, orange, rose, brilliant green and has beautiful yellow blossom. I am sure it has a latin name, but the common name is "Ice Plant." I guess you might be able to see the reason for the title.

This piece felt soooo much better than yesterday. I think I might have been to tired to really do a good painting yesterday. I also remembered a few things today that I had forgotten yesterday. This painting was FUN! It went together nicely. I am always disappointed, however, in the photos. So, I guess I will need to begin studying photoshop so I can put these guys up in the way they really look. There are alot of subtle tones and tints which have disappeared in this photo, but you get the idea.

Foreign In My Hands

"Wet Island"

Oil on canvas panel, 8" x 10"

This little piece was done in about 90 minutes after digging out all my plein air equipment following a 6 plus month haiatus . . .(izzat how you spell it?)

Last year I participated in the local museum's sponsored plein air event to raise money for the museum. It is a lovely event, though I wasn't able to help the cause at all . . .no sales last year. I promised myself I would improve and do much better this year, but, alas, I let time get away from me . . . .and lo! it is upon me again!! I am not so sure that it is because we artists are flakey by nature, or that it wasn't until a few mornings ago that all the dates for the event firmed up. but one thing is for sure. I am NOT READY! That means it feels like I am the rankest amateur in the entire group of 31 artists!!

For the last few days I have been working hard (labor!) around the house . . . .a close by forest fire prompted the work . . . . .to try to make things less apt to catch fire if a windborn cinder fell upon us. That meant cleaning ALL of the various organic stuff off our roof (Many surrounding trees here.) Three days of labor . . .no kidding! . . .scraping and sweeping and cleaning between every wooden shingle!

Anyway . . .I HAD to go paint today. We are leaving on a ten day vacation at the end of this week and this plein air event is demanding paintings before I leave . . .and I can't give them something I painted last year!! Nope! It has to be stuff painted THIS WEEK!! Yikes!! So, I went to work . . . .physically spent from the last three days work and not caring if I produced much . . .but I HAD to do it. To limber up, if nothing else! So, the brushes came out and I went to work . . . . .but it was as familiar as Greek worry beads in my hands . . . have never held them!! . . . . .after painting these tight watercolors for the last few weeks, oil brushes felt foreign in my hands!!

So, here is today's efforts, dear readers. A long time ago, I promised myself I would post all my efforts, good or bad. I already know this is amateur as hell, but feast your eyes anyway and know that failures are actually necessary in an artists' life . . .they spur us forward and help us learn on the way. Cheers to failures, eh?!! :-)

Committed, But Unsure

"NY Crosswalk"

watercolor, 22" x 30"

Some time ago, I decided that I wanted to really raise the bar in my watercolor work . . …...I am committed to press the design aspects and to thoroughly inject complexity into the work. That last part is that part of which I am unsure.

Complexity can be a double edged sword. And I am feeling the puncture wounds from both edges. Complexity is not necessarily *details* . . . .oh, boy! Do I hate that word. Details are not in the list of design elements for a reason. The do nothing to enhance the content or the measure of a good painting. And details become the bane of those who become stuck in them because they don’t know when to give them up for more important matters.

As an example, I could have put sun glasses and nose and lips on the guy at the far left of the painting. But, for what? To say he has a face? No! The shadow on his face and the color of the reflected light under the bill of his cap is much more important. In the painting, his face is slightly smaller than my thumbnail on my left hand. How many times can you say that you can actually *see* such detail in real life when someone’s face is that far away and that small? Impossible!

As another example, the guy in the shorts in the foreground has a greater purpose than to be just standing there. His purpose is to connect and relate the bottom of the painting with that big DKNY sign on the side of the building. His shirt is black and so is his hair, but not as dark. His shape acts as a point of transition and connection with the rest of the painting. It takes away the staccato shock of that sudden deep black of the sign and provides the eye with a bridge into the better lit area of the painting.

And light brings up another point. From left to right and from the right side of the piece to the crosswalk there is gradual transition of value in the color of the light, as witnessed by the surface of the street. It gradually gets lighter and lighter. That big giant black in the background always threatens to demand all of the attention by the sheer weight and size of it. So, tricks had to be used to distract from it. I could not have very light values around it. In fact, to get the eye off the wall and onto the street, I used opaque paints on the building and gradually lightened them as the painting transitioned toward the street. On the street, everything is in transparent color, so the light from the white paper shines outward at the viewer and makes the tints of pure color in the peoples’ clothes attract attention.

Then there is the composition. Squint at the piece and you will see an “L” lying on its back. That is very much a purposeful move! That “L” puts the eye into the area where the direction changes from horizontal to vertical. And that is where all the comparatively small shapes live to hold the eye.

That is all what design is about. Details do no work whatsoever, other than to distract the viewer’s attention. The fight in this painting was to not get sucked into the details. The painting is about the light, the heat of summer, the atmosphere and the place . . . . .not the lips on the guy to the far left . . .or his shoe laces. If I wanted that I would have published his photograph. My problem is that I am unsure if I should be pursuing all this complexity. I have several more paintings in me that are waiting to get out with that in them. And I am anxious to go back to my big swaths of paint and let the paint speak for itself . . . .not someone’s lips.

In the meanwhile . . . .I must answer the muse.