Day Seven - Lost a day in Bend, but the SKIES of Idaho!

I'm in Twin Falls, Idaho now. A really LONG nine-hour day on the motorcycle, and not much to talk about the flatness and austere beauty of western Oregon and the rolling prairie in Southern Idaho...but I can paint it! This is a 9 x 12 of the evening last night, caught as the sun was headed 'way off there into the evening. It stays light so LATE here, that I was putting the final brush strokes on at 9:45. I am really, really happy with this one. It's drying in the carrier today.

As you know, day six was spent in Bend, waiting for service on the Red Queen. Lots of time to write and think about directions on the real road and the imaginary idea road of my future.

I've decided that visiting my friends in Colorado has a high priority, so I am headed down through Utah to get closer to the time I'll be with them. I love western Colorado--where my dad was born, in tiny Hotchkiss, in 1906.

Here's the Red Queen amongst all the wide open space.

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Day Five, Delayed in Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon, has many attributes, one of which are the Three Sisters mountains to the west. I was delayed by a needed service on the Red Queen (my name for my motorcycle), and so I spent the night in a local motel. The evening sunset is both beautiful and yet portends wet weather coming. So I painted it. The colors aren't quite true (they are better in person), but with the heavy cloud cover and poor lighting, this is the best I could get. I may be wet today on the road, but beauty is everywhere!

I went north on Highway 97 to Bend after a restful night along the Little Deschutes River in this lovely campsite:

 While walking in those bushes (over my head, they are BIG), I saw a coyote that was mighty interested in Sparky, who was on his leash. Bigger than the SoCal coyotes, this one looked well fed and beautifully pelted. A little too up close and personal for me, but I do love the wildlife!

Now I'm headed out east, for parts unknown. I hope to have wifi again, and be able to post more paintings and adventures for your pleasure. Here's the Red Queen parked for the night in the motel. No camping and windy this evening!

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Day Four - Oregon and Rivers!

I finished the 6x8 oil of Two Cows this morning, and am posting it for your enjoyment. It really smacks of California rural to me, with the live oak leaves patterning the sky and shadows. ($225 via Paypal) It's now in the wet painting carrier in the motorcycle trailer. This way of traveling is awesome!

Yesterday brought me inland from the cool coast of California, traveling north on the 101 along and through redwood forests and coastal beauty. Then I turned inland on Highway 199 along the Smith River watershed.  Can you see the color in the water? Who knew--turquoise?

Gorgeous rocks and clear water here, and I will paint it! Experiencing it first-hand is how I get a connection to a subject, and this river is one that I'll revisit many times in the future.

I came to the Medford/Jacksonville area, and think this is perhaps the best place for consideration for me. Today I will do some wandering around the various connected cities, and then back up into the mountains for the trek north and east. 

I hope you're enjoying this journey as much as I am, and please share this with anyone who might be interested.

Thanks!

The Color System is HERE
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Third Day out and finally Cooler!

I just had to leave the 90+ degree heat yesterday, so I headed west--across the great valley of California and to the coastal mountains. It was only a 270-mile day, but I was limp as a dishrag when I finally met the cool air coming over highway 36 to the coast.

Some express interest in how I do these paintings, so I thought I'd share this one "in process". I decided that since I was so wiped out yesterday, I would do this one in two stages, and not do a plein air one. (I was just going to stay in the campsite!).

This is another 6 x 8 oil, taken from the source material along Highway 49--the gold and blue of California. I like to cover the canvas with loosely thick oils, and then spend time tweaking the edges to make the finished image. This covering of the 6 x 8 canvas took only about 30 minutes.  I'll finish it today and share it with you tomorrow.

Today I head up the gorgeous Northern California coast, along the 101 highway between Eureka and Crescent City--the most northern city in the state. Then I turn inland and go into Oregon, to end up somewhere near Medford.

The motorcycle is performing perfectly, and and I captured some of the ride over Highway 36 on video. I'll share the link with you once it is uploaded.

Here's my campsite in Fortuna. It is even CHILLY this morning! But look at those redwoods....

The Color System is HERE
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