On The Edge

It's been a long time since I posted on this blog.  I am going to try to be a little more consistent with my posts.  At least once a week or so.  It will be interesting to see if these are actually being read.  If no-one is reading them then I'll spend my time painting (or fishing) and leave the blogging to others to do.

This is my most recent painting.  This tree was at the top of Donner Summit.  I have always loved the huge granite boulders that are up there ever since I was a little boy and would see them out the car window as my family drove over to Reno to visit relatives.  I had the opportunity to stay at Donner Lake for a few days in between shows and spent some time hiking around exploring the summit.  I'm pretty happy with the way this turned out.  It's available at the Gilbert District Gallery in Seaside OR.

More Drawings

I've been doing a lot more drawing lately than painting.  Drawing people has always been my first love. I've been very fortunate to have the opportunity to draw from life with different groups over the years where ever I have lived.  I'm not always happy with the end result but just the process of drawing gives me so much pleasure that I can't imagine ever not drawing.  There is no substitute for working from live models.

 Our life drawing sessions each week continue to be one of the highlights of the week for me.  No pressure to sell or produce something to sell.  Just total concentration on shadows and form.  I'm always striving to get the likeness just right. 

New Work

Due to a part time job I took which turned from one day a week to almost full time I have not kept up with my painting or this blog very well.  Along with the job and a great salmon fishing season I got out of the habit of painting every day and found myself with no new work to post in my blog.  I was also not able to participate in paintouts and shows becouse of the work schedule I had.  So.... I quit my job and am now back to painting!

A few weeks ago I participated in "Paint the Peninsula" paintout in nearby Port Angeles, WA and also to part in a workshop put on by my friend Ned Mueller.  Both were a great kick start to my painting again.  I was surprised how even after years and years of painting I was experiencing "painters block".  I was having a terrible time just getting started.  Sort of a feeling like I might have forgotten how to paint!

Both these paintings are 9"x12" Oil on canvas on board.  

Salt Creek

Along the Elwah River

 



The Tracker

It's been amazingly busy around here but I did actually finish another drawing.  It's 11"x15" Graphite on D'Arches 140 lb hot press watercolor paper.   Unlike the figure studies I do at the life drawing sessions this drawing is very detailed and takes many hours with a fine point pencil.

There is a studio tour coming up next week and I've been trying to get ready for that.  It's amazing how messed up a studio can become when you are busy with a million other things.  It kind of sneaks up on you!  The next couple of days will be spent fixing that situation.

There is also an oil painting on my easel and it is progressing slowly.  Hopefully it will have progressed enough to use it as a demo during the studio tour.  I will post it here when it is finished.

Along with my artwork and work in the yard of our new house, we now have Kayaks which we have only used once so far but hope to use a lot more as the summer progresses.  The one time we have had the chance to use them we went out to the Hood Canal and paddled approx. five miles and saw about twelve bald eagles that were flying around above our heads.  The day was clowdy but the  water was calm and it didn't rain.  A great day kayaking! We also found out where a couple really good scuba site were located.  
Speaking of scuba diving we went on a dive a couple of weeks ago to Ed's Fault in Discovery bay.  The Viz wasn't very good but it was a great dive non-the-less.  All the usual kritters were seen along with Ling Cod, a variety of rock fish and some wonderful tube worms.  No Giant Pacific Octopi though. 

Life Drawing

I was looking through a pile of drawing pads the other day and was noticing how my weekly life drawing sessions had changed over the years.  I have been very fortunate in that I have been around people in Montana, the Spokane area and now here on the Olympic Peninsula that get together to hire models for weekly drawing sessions.  These sessions are the highlight of my week and with the other participants helping out with the model fees, has continued to be affordable.  The drawings I do at these sessions are not what I would call my finished drawings like I do of wildlife.  They are fairly fast renderings that I do not even try to sell.  They are drawn on everything from newsprint, kraft paper to 100% rag paper. 

I have always loved drawing and painting people but for financial reasons painted mostly landscapes and wildlife because there is more of a market for those subjects.  At least that is my perseption.  The weekly drawing sessions I'm sure have added to my skill as a painter and artist in general but I go because each session feels like a gift to myself.  What could be better than good friends, good models and hours to draw!