December Big 500 2017

Some of the 8" x 8" paintings I submitted this year for the 10th Annual Big 500 which is held at Pioneer Place Mall Atrium through December.  500 artists, about 10 paintings each, over 5,000 paintings with $10 from each going to the Oregon Food Bank!  It's a terrific deal, and a wonderful variety of art.  As of my visit to the galleries yesterday, most of my paintings were sold.  I thank all my collectors and hope my paintings will add enjoyment to their new homes. 

Fall 2017

 Arboretum Maple Trail

Laurelhurst Pond Reflections

Two paintings from this fall, both started plein air and finished in my studio.  We were fortunate in Portland to have a long, mostly dry fall season with lots of color before the leaves fell and turned brown.  I spent several hours at the Arboretum at Forest Park along the Maple Trail.  The colors were so dazzling, it was difficult to choose a location, it was beautiful everywhere I looked!  In November, I strolled around the pond at Laurelhurst Park on a late afternoon.  While I was painting, the sun came out at a low angle, illuminating the gold and orange leaves and the warmth of the tree trunks.  Mallard ducks floated by, rippling the water.

Smith Rock

Smith Rock, Crooked River, 18" x 24"

One of my favorite subjects, the magnificent jumble of Smith Rock (should be rocks) in Terrebonne, with the Crooked River deep below.  I've painted there plein air and from photos.  Two acrylic paintings done from this photo were sold and I miss them, so I wanted to paint it again in oil, larger than usual.  Painting large is different from painting small, it's not just about using a bigger brush!  I took my time on this canvas, adding layers, making changes, moving rocks...Someday a super zealous hiker may tell me that I missed a rock, but it's a painting, not a map!

June Plein Air

Gorge at Crown Point 9" x 12"

Spent a wonderful day in June plein air painting at Crown Point looking out at the Columbia River Gorge.  The clouds looked ominous, but the rain waited until the following day.  It's been that kind of June, some clouds, rain, then 90 degrees, even 100!  I don't paint outside in the rain or hot sun, I do like to enjoy myself!  And that day was lovely, lots of friendly tourists asking questions and taking photos of themselves in front of the fabulous view.  A gentleman from Austria was of the opinion that the Danube might be more beautiful than the Columbia, but to me, the Columbia Gorge is one of the most beautiful places in the world and I never get tired of painting there.

April Plein Air

 Chinook Landing, Columbia River

 Chinook Landing in progress

 Sauvie Island Serenity

Sauvie Island April

A couple of trips to paint plein air on the Columbia River, between rain drops!

March

Two views of the Columbia River Gorge, both 8" x 16", adding to two previous paintings in the same format, from my photos. The views from Rooster Rock State Park never fail to inspire me.

February

 Zig Zag Through Snow, oil 11" x 14"

 Snowy Creek, oil 5" x 7"

Portland Snow, oil 11" x 14"

This winter has given us record snow and rain in the Pacific Northwest and I have not been eager to go out to drive, play or paint plein air!  Even bundled up, it's difficult to paint with frozen finger tips!  But I have been inspired and found some lovely photos by Canadian photographer Bonnie Sitter which were the basis for the two first paintings.  On a sunny day, I ventured out into the neighborhood with my camera and later painted the third painting.  The snow is gone for now, but not the rain and clouds, and memories and inspiration persist.

Monotypes

 Dairy Creek 

Cat in the Window (first print)

Cat in the Window (color added)

In early December, I attended a monotype demonstration by artist Wliiiam Park, followed by a workshop and exhibition at OSA (Oregon Society of Artists).  Materials were provided by Gamblin Paints, there was

paper, a press and everything needed to experiment in this medium, new for me.  Dairy Creek was done in a two stage process.  First the image was put down on plexiglass in black sticky ink, then rubbed and scraped away to reveal the white areas.  A second layer of color was put down on top after running through the press.  I used my favorites thalo blue and green.  The cat in the window shows the first stage in black and white.  Later I added a bit of red and yellow to suggest the lights outside.  It is now the property of the office manager at OSA, hope she enjoys it!