Fall Beach

Remember Fall? Just a few weeks ago I went for a walk at Sauvie Island on the beach of the Columbia River. It was sunny and serene, although hunting season. This is a small 8" x 8" study I started plein air and finished later. The photo was taken with incandescent light (since there was no daylight at all today) so the clouds look a bit dingy. Oh well, the winter solstice is past and the light will return!

Layers

Two paintings developed from the William Park workshop. For the less successful ones, the choices are to just keep on going to develop or "fix" it, paint over it to become something else, or save it as a reminder of your learning process. I did a complete paint over of one of the paintings of a river based on a value study by Celeste Bergin posted on her blog. Hers was mainly in grays and vertical, I used a horizontal format and added warm and cool colors. The layers are mostly thin glazed layers, with some of the color and texture of the original painting showing through.

The eye peeking through a veil was started on the first day of the workshop. At first there were abstract lines and shapes, a round form became an eye, and a bit of blue was added. Other layers gradually transformed it. It reminds me of a dream of a bride with a veil, torn Japanese paper collages, the misty waterfalls of the Columbia Gorge, rain.

Workshop day 5

On the last day of the William Park workshop I worked on my larger canvas portraits of Fred, 20" x 24" and 30" x 40". It was great to work larger after so many small pieces, working larger uses more of your body with energy and feels like an immersion into the space of the painting. It was really interesting to see the development over days. Nothing is finished, maybe there will be more crows or fish, colors change, everything will evolve!

Workshop day 4

Day four was full of activity. In preparation for Fred's afternoon model session, I painted a 20" x 24" canvas in rectangles of different colors, thinking there would be different images in different spaces, maybe some flowing into others. It was a single long pose, not quick motion filled poses suitable for sketches. I started in the lower middle, put in lots of detail, then realized I did not like the size and location on the canvas and it would look too crowded filled with other images. The next day I painted it out and started over again, larger. But before that happened, Saturday night I went into overdrive and started a really big canvas, 30" x 40" to bring into the studio on the last day.

Workshop day 3

Day three was working on and developing previous images. Things changed, for better or worse. I went back and forth looking for what was calling out for change, piling on paint in thin glazes or thick with white. Fred has many manifestations, he is a dancer, an actor, a trucker, old, young, he wears shirts of many colors. Birds come and go. No expectations.

Workshop day 2

On Day 2 of the workshop more color was added to previous paintings and we had a model, Fred. I worked on watercolor paper with thinned acrylic paint and an ink pen. Some of these studies will be developed further, some are just what they are.

Workshop Day 1

Started a five day painting workshop with William Park at his studio in Portland. His paintings are a blend of abstraction, figures, images, sensuous colors and textures. His demonstrations were amazing. Then I had to start somehow in blacks and white only, no subject, just whatever turned up. Recognizable figures and landscapes show up sooner or later for me, because that's what I'm used to seeing, drawing and painting. A round shape became an eye, angular shapes became trees. I felt restrained at first without color, then suddenly found beauty in textures, lines and shapes. Towards the end of the day color crept in, just a hint of blue. Only one painting remained a pure monotone.

Fall Colors

This is what my neighborhood looked like when I walked on a bright Fall day. 10" x 10" acrylic on canvas.

Full Circle

There was great creative energy last night at 640 SE Stark. Full Circle Gallery and the Artichoke Gallery showed a variety of interesting things including intricate carved philosophical jigsaw puzzles, found object jewelry, hair jewelry, painted plates, paintings of all subjects and media on different surfaces. Next door, a large mural was being created to music and changing colored light, and when I realized that all were invited to join, I grabbed a big brush and made big strokes of color. Full Circle has come full circle and will close at the end of December, so this is the last show. Jim Orman will continue to make his wood furniture, Elaine Treadwell has her own art projects, June Underwood continues with her amazing paintings. I wish them much success and happiness! Come by during this month for holiday shopping, to see my paintings or just to see a wonderful space at 640 SE Stark, Portland.

December First Friday

This is an invitation to come to Full Circle Gallery tonight, December 2, for the Holiday Art Show Reception 6 - 9 pm, 640SE Stark, Portland. I'll have small 6" x 6", 6" x 12" and 10" squares acrylic paintings, all themes, all colors, all inexpensive & giftable! The Show & Sale continues through December 24 and everything is cash & carry so you can take it home and wrap it for a gift!