Plein Air

  Cooper Mountain Vista, 9" x 12"

Vineyard Grapes 9" x 12"

Two more plein air paintings from another visit to Cooper Mountain Vineyard, not as warm and sunny this time.  The grapes were glowing, just about ready to be picked, early this year because of the dry season. Hope it's a good year for the wine!

Ford Truck with Sunflowers, oil 11" x 14" canvas

I've admired and sketched this rusty old Ford truck in passing several times.  Parked in front of Old House Dahlias, it merges with the garden.  Sometimes there is also a shiny green "classic" truck, but I prefer the rusty faded one, at least as a subject for painting!

Bridge Party

 Tilikum Bridge First Light, 11" x 14" oil  $235

Towers of Light, Tilikum Bridge, 11" x 14" oil $235

Had a wonderful time yesterday at a paint out plus party on a terrace overlooking the Willamette River and the new Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People.  Tilikum means people in the Chinook dialect.  The occasion, sponsored by Trimet, was to celebrate the bridge opening, the nation's first bridge which excludes cars and trucks, just people on foot or bicycle and the new MAX Orange Line connecting Portland and Milwaukie.  This was the night of the first bridge lighting, which is programmed to change color linked to changes in the river.  Since we were painting in the afternoon, I made color studies of photos posted on the Internet of the lighting tests and blended those colors with the real view of the bridge on this sunny, clear day.

Tilikum Bridge Color Study, 6" x 12" oil 

Bridge Lighting Color Studies, oil pastel on paper

My neighborhood

Red Door, Mount Tabor 12" x 16" oil on canvas

There is an unpaved road that I sometimes pass by on my walks around Mount Tabor  that looks more like a country road than an urban neighborhood street, which is why I like it.  There is a vacant lot full of yellowing weeds in front of the house with the red door.  So much more interesting to paint than a flat grass lawn!  The telephone pole is leaning and looks more like a tree.  The road curves up the hill and disappears.