Summer twilight on the Columbia

There is a nudist beach at the Columbia Gorge, but nobody was there, clothed or otherwise, to distract me from the quiet solitude. The afternoon was just turning to sunset wth a warm glow looking east. I painted from photographs of this scene and sold the painting last year. I missed it so painted another, larger and cooler. It will be on view along with others at the South East Portland Art Walk March 5 & 6 at St. David's of Wales Church, S.E. 28th & Division.

More sunflowers

Working from photos of sunflowers taken at Sauvie Island in the summer keeps some brightness alive. I've painted several of the same scene, and traded a painting to a friend for a colorful handmade quilt. The smaller one came first, then I needed a larger one for her bedroom wall. Took a photo in progress while it was still loose and unfinished. Somehow that looks more like the natural scene, the way clouds move across the sky and the feel of wind.

valentine

A virtual valentine for you - peace and love!

Family Show

Yesterday I attended the opening reception for the Family Show at Oregon Society of Artists. This is my first show as a new member! I brought in two landscapes and a little figure by John. She's called "Little Egypt", if you remember the song about a dancer "wearing nothing but a button and a bow"....

The Family Show runs through March 4th. For more information, see www.oregonsocietyofartists.com.

Guy Stuff

At Hipbone Studio on Saturday we had a male model. Lucky for me, it was not too crowded because some people do not prefer male models. I like to draw guys, and women, old and young, all shapes and sizes! Scott, our model, had great energy and acting ability, and some nifty props like sunglasses and headphones.

Getting Loose

No, they're not loose women, I'm working on getting loose in terms of brushstroke techniques, based on "A Proven Strategy for Creating Great Art" by Dan McCaw. The idea is to soften edges, look for shapes of planes, suggest detail. I did a copy of a ballerina by McCaw with similar colors, then redid a painting based on Gustav Klimt and a sketch I made from a live model. It is tempting to render all the details in a portrait, but I like the softer look of getting loose.

A pair of squashes

I've been painting still lives while the cold outside is uninviting and discovered that any subject matter can teach you something when you really see. The first squash that I painted (there is a huge pile of them from last summer's garden) looked funny, so I carefully counted the lobes. I had painted nine and there were ten, five pairs radiating out from a central pentagon. Then I looked at the other squashes and they all had ten sections. Who knew? Sploches of color look random until you begin to see the pattern. I find veggies beautiful as well as good to eat, so expect more!