Let's Try Again- New Paintings & Drawings

Several readers wrote to let me know they were having trouble viewing the images in my last post. So I am reposting them. Thanks to those of you who let me know!

You should be able to click on all images for a larger view.


This first image is a painting which is headed to the Small Works, Great Wonders show at the National Western Heritage Museum in OK City.

Woods Lake Interior

20 x 16

I am hard at work on some larger paintings, but here are several drawings and a few small paintings. 

Two Trees 

charcoal on Twinrocker handmade paper

12 x 10

 Woods

charcoal on Twinrocker handmade paper

12 x 20

 Morning Walk, Fence Line

11 x 14

Backyard, Evening

8 x 10

Happy 4th and New Work!

To all of you in the USA, Happy 4th of July!

This painting was begun before I went to Colorado in June and was based on field work I did last year in June. I had gotten it to a point and was really stuck, so the trip came at a good time enabling me to revisit the motif and refresh both memory and inspiration.

Last June I worked most of the time in a lovely aspen grove near my cabin. I did numerous drawings of individual aspen trees as well as ponderosa pines (which I posted here and here)  and some motif drawings as well. But I did not really follow up on any of them until a few months ago. The idea came from a desire to revisit the subject but also the fact that I had been looking at the work of Emil Carlsen quite a bit. I was intrigued with his backgrounds and how he was able to create something that was at once atmospheric but also had some very definite decorative qualities and a flatter picture plane.

So, my idea here was to not follow my usual method of creating a background with multiple layers of scumbles applied with rags but to use more of a dry brush approach with more texture and opacity, but to try to make it read simultaneously as "air" but also decorative and somewhat flat. At the same time I wanted to continue with the challenge of face lit subjects and to also play with the idea of volume and flatness in those forms.

Aspen Grove Interior

39 x 33

Oddly, the "experimental" part of the painting seemed to go fairly well and I was happy with that part after a couple of passes.  Here are a few details.

But, the part that should have been easy- the foreground grasses- just would not come together. I had originally envisioned some dappled sunlight in this area but every configuration I tried ended up detracting from the "main event", so eventually, when I returned from my trip I eliminated it. As a result I repainted the foreground about 6 times. Luckily, although I lost the transparency as a result, the layers and shifts in temperature (which this image doesn't capture very well) made up for it. The more simple "light shade" of the foreground seemed a better fit for the image.

Colorado!

I am in Colorado on a two week sketching trip! The mountains are beautiful and the air is cool, but I still seem to find myself in the woods, whether it's an aspen grove or stands of huge ponderosa pines. Here are a few drawings. All are charcoal on toned paper.

Recently Adopted!

These four paintings recently found new homes. Thanks to my wonderful collectors!

 Sunset Pines

11 x 14

 Dusk-Edge of the Woods

18 x 24

 Aspen Twilight

20 x 24

Winter Morning

18 x 14

Telluride...Again

It's almost the 4th of July and that means I am headed to Telluride this week for the Plein Air Invitational. I have lost count which year this is- my sixth or seventh  I think. But, anyway, it is always a treat and I welcome a few weeks in the cool mountain air. This year I am also teaching a workshop at the Ah Haa School of Art in Telluride after the show.

As in year's past, artists are invited to bring one studio piece with them, which can be sold along side the work produced during the week. This is mine. This is a small clearing I've passed many times on the way up to Woods Lake outside of Telluride. The evening light transforms the scene into something really special. This one was tough to photograph and the image doesn't convey the dark transparent richness of the foreground.

Aspen Twilight

18 x 24

Available at Telluride Plein Air Invitational

Here are some details.

Grudge Match

Summer Song

25 x 21

Some paintings just seem to fall off your brush effortlessly. From the first whisper of an idea to the last little tweak, they proceed as if the conclusion is forgone and inevitable, gracefully coming to fruition just as you imagined in your mind's eye. This was not one of those paintings.

This painting came kicking and screaming every step of the way. It started as the demo piece for my workshop in Taos. After bringing it back, I decided I didn't like the composition or the color harmony. I chopped it- from a 30 x 24 to its current size. Now, this is something I never do. But, it needed it, so I took a saw to it. I glazed it, reglazed, it got too dark, I scumbled it, and glazed it again.

More glazes, and then some glaze impasto. Too warm, I glazed it with a cool transparent blue on the left side. The top foliage wasn't right. I painted it out and scraped it back a half dozen times. Some velatura passages in the foliage. Glazes on top of that. I gave up on it. I came back to it. I hated it. Then I liked. Later the same day I hated it again.

Finally, there were little glimmers of hope. I kept at it, finally getting down to a few small adjustments. And then it was done, or I called it so. I've made my peace with it. But, I still hold a grudge.

All images can be clicked for a larger view.

Telluride Plein Air- Day IV

Summer Aspens

24 x 18

Well, I've talked about it all week and here it is. Ta Da! At the risk of repeating myself, this image really does not do it justice. The lit up area behind the trees is warmer and the aspens behind that are delicate hues of mauves and greens. But, this is the best I could do.

We turned our auction pieces in tonight (this is mine) and I have to say, I was impressed with the caliber of the work. The silent auction is tomorrow night and then the public sale starts on Sunday.

Getting Ready for Telluride, Part II

As I mentioned in my last post, I like to think about what motifs I might want to paint and even do a few thumbnail sketches to try out some design ideas. Often artists who return to these events will choose to paint a few of the same or similar scenes from year to year. In Telluride, there are lots of "iconic" scenes and townscapes that get painted every year. Generally, I stay away from those subjects, but this year I think I might try a variation on that strategy.

Wyatt's Aspens
16 x 12
Private Collection

A few months ago I painted a small piece called Wyatt's Aspens which was painted from memory but based on a place in Telluride. The first year I did the show, I stayed with a host couple who lived in an area above the valley, near the airport. It is a beautiful, high place with gorgeous aspen groves and lots of elk. It was a wonderful place to paint. That first year, I remember being so surprised to see a hang glider sailing by high above the valley below but at the same altitude as me! It is not unusual to see airplanes on approach to the Telluride airport, winging their way right past you! I liked the way the small painting turned out, so this year I plan to attempt a larger version. Steve has made a beautiful tabernacle frame for it- so now, I have to do it!

Telluride Plein Air- Day Six

The Hidden Pond

12 x 24 triptych

Last year as we were driving out of Telluride I noticed a small pond set back from the road and screened by a stand of aspens. I managed to get Steve to stop and find a small turn off which took us back behind the pond. That was the photo I posted earlier this week. Here is the piece I completed this year at that spot. Although it hasn't found a home yet (several others did today though!) , there has been a good deal of interest. Tomorrow is the second and last day of the public sale.

Tomorrow is the big 4th of July bash in Telluride. For a tiny town, Telluride does the 4th right. Almost every house in town is festooned with flags as are all the street lamps. About 8,000 visitors will crowd into this small town nestled at the end of a box canyon for a good old fashioned home grown parade. All veterans whether residents or visitors are invited to walk in the parade (Steve will walk in the parade again this year, USMC 1967-69). Right as the parade gets underway, two F-16s come screaming down the valley from the west , flying right over Main Street and then bank up and away over the San Juans. Later, the fire department hosts a huge barbeque and spectacular fireworks at the town park. Its a great place to spend the 4th and to say Happy Birthday America!

Telluride Plein Air Day 2

Aspen Trio
Triptych- each panel 8 x 6
Sold

OK, so first-I am sorry about the quality of images I'll be posting this week. Trying to do this on the go doesn't always yield great results. Here's my fist effort- a trio of aspen paintings at afternoon, evening and night.

Last night's artist orientation was thankfully a bit shorter than previous years. It was great to see everyone returning and also to meet the new artists who are here for the first time. For a list of the participating artists and more info about the event click here.

Although everyone has told us about how much rain and cool weather Telluride has had this summer, today was sunny and warm. I've got the aspen triptych finished and most everything else in various stages- from underpaintings to first glazes. I'm using a bit more opaque paint than I usually do just so I can get the work done in time. This year we have one less day to paint (only three full days plus two partial days) so there is more pressure than ever.

Time to head out for evening light......

On the Road to Telluride

Telluride Dusk
20 x 20

We're heading out Saturday morning for Telluride. This painting is one I am taking for the exhibition which hangs while we paint en plein air next week. The insurance company finally authorized the repairs to my car and a rental, so we'll be driving a spiffy mini van with lots of room for frames, painting gear and other essential stuff.

Painting Telluride is always a challenge for me- much cooler light and big, spectacular views. Its the poster child for what the Hudson River School painters would have called "sublime". But these days, I favor more intimate settings, so I'll be looking for a clump of cottonwoods or a stand of aspens.
I plan to blog throughout the week, so check back in- and wish me luck!

Technical Difficulties

For some reason I am not able to download images from my digital camera to the computer. Keep getting some error message about a power surge on the port, so I am hoping its a problem with the USB cable, as the port seems to be working otherwise. Got a new cable ordered today, and since it will be a while before it gets out here to the boonies, I am posting a piece I painted last year at the Telluride show.

Aspen Nights
14 x 18 2007
Private Collection

As regular readers of this blog know, I am a big fan of nocturnes. Love to paint them, look at them, and stand outside and gaze at the real thing. An artist friend of mine says I am a Neo-Romantic. Is there such a thing?