Oct 10 - The Best One

Here's the painting--a tiny 7 x 5 acrylic, and I just love it. The photograph doesn't show the subtle light grays in the mid ground, but it does show the variations on the lichen-covered rocks and vegetation in the foreground. Why do I love it? Memory reinforcement. This is a recreation of the memory I shared with you yesterday, and it is what makes artists who we are. We live, feel, and then it comes out of our brushes to visual results.

I don't want to sell this one, and almost pulled it from the four that are in Pinetop. But I realize that in making art, the sharing of the paintings is part of the connection I have to humanity. So these ones that are so meaningful to me must go on to others.

The underpainting didn't speak of what was coming, did it? The vision was in my head of what it would be... that's the hopeful optimism of an artist! And doing it is the practice that all artists must pursue to be able to effectively convey his or her vision.

The good news is that the workshop in November is now full, but I am taking a couple for wait listing. I won't have another workshop until March of next year, so this is a great time to get a snoot full of Color System! All have their supplies lists and I'm looking forward to teaching face-to-face (versus online courses at the college).

I do have a demonstration coming up on October 12 at Corona's Art Association. This will be at the Corona Heritage Park and Museum, at 510 Foothill Parkway in Corona. I'll have my new DVD there and will be painting a misty light painting in acrylics. I know the subject matter will be from my recent trip! Hope to see you there, or at the Temecula demo the following week on the 19th.

Did you notice that today is "10-10-10"? As dates go, this doesn't happen all that often. We get it for the first twelve years of a new decade. Then it is gone again, for 100 years. Wouldn't it be nifty to have been born on one of these unique dates?

Congratulations to new collector Shannon Hennigan of Penn Valley, California for her purchase of "In the Park", a 6x6 oil.

You can see my entire blog HERE.My workshop schedule for 2010 is HERE.Color System information can be found HERE.If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Oct 7 - Revisions when we get smarter

On Tuesday evening, I listened to the critique given by the judge for Paint the Aspens as about eight of us put our work up for the "dice and slice". For me it was wonderful to be reminded yet again how important design is to making good paintings, and I vowed to go back and revise the painting that I shared with you yesterday. Here's the revision, and the areas that needed work are fixed. It still isn't a dynamic work, but it was a good "warm up" for the painting days ahead. Can you see the differences between it and yesterday's? They are major! (Besides taking out the repeating three little pines.)

I've been staying at Hawley Lake for the past couple of days (scheduling yesterday's posting to come to you even though I'm not there to send it). Paintings coming off the brushes have pleased me immensely... and the joy of staying in an almost-deserted campground are not only reflected in the number of paintings, but also in the joy that Sparky and Willow exude when let loose to run off energy!

Somewhere on an earlier walk, Willow lost her chain collar...so now she runs by Hawley Lake with the old nylon one. If you enlarge this view, you'll see Sparky's legs are flat out as he tries to keep up with graceful Willow. What joy!!

Only one more night in this paradise, then I leave the White Mountains to return to the desert and another state below. My heart will stay here for a while, though...More paintings tomorrow!

You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2010 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Oct 6 - The first painting from Paint the Aspens

After the rain of yesterday, I headed out to Sunrise Ski Area and set up my gear along side SR117. Interestingly enough, this is an area where wildlife management has reintroduced wolves into the region. I didn't see any while I painted, but the dogs were v-eeer--rr-y interested in the smells alongside the road! (Yes, they were on leashes.)

What fell off my brushes was this view back the way I'd come, done in acrylics on an oddball size of 12 x 10 inches. I was trying to get a depth from foreground to midground by using the group of aspens on the left to bring the composition forward. I used solid gel mixed into the acrylics to get additional texture in the leaves and grasses, and it is very effective!

The color on this isn't accurate, as there is no purple in the sky, and the intensity of the aspens isn't showing. I'll use my other camera tomorrow and see if I can get a better image.

Camping at Hawley Lake last night was TOTALLY solo. The closest campers packed up and left after the rain, so there were no other campers, and I had the entire place to myself. The elk came out of rain-drenched hiding and their calls carried across the lake and into my soul as I sat by the fire and cooked bratwurst and potatoes in the flames. What a life!!

Talk about gorgeous light across the lake this morning...everywhere I look is a future painting. So peaceful.

When I get back, I have two art group demonstrations, almost back-to-back. One for Temecula and one for Corona. And even though I'm up here at 8,200 feet, I'm still sending out DVDs when I get into town and get the orders. Your packages will say "Sent from Paint the Aspens", if I mail it from here.

You can order my latest DVD "Twilight/Misty Light" HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2010 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Oct 12 - Painting in Arizona and Hawley Lake

One of the nice things about on location painting (and one of its down sides!) is how the light changes from moment to moment. I was walking the dogs in the morning, and saw the distant light across this promontory of trees and rocks, and thought I'd like to get a small painting of this scene. The reflections were what held it up for me, and the flash of orange on the rocks. So this 7 x 5 inch oil came off the brushes as a fisherman in his floating inner tube came by several times. He had good luck catching rainbow trout--but kept throwing them back. I would have taken one of the smaller ones for my dinner, but he was too far from shore.

"Reflections" is available through Joyous Lake Gallery in Pinetop/Lakeside, please let me know if you'd like to add this one to your art collection.

On the way out from Hawley Lake, I found these fellows to show you that although the roads are very well maintained, the "wildlife" will keep your speed down. This trip I didn't see any elk, but saw these ladies each time I was on the road.

You can see my entire blog here.

Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.