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!

Beach Dancer III

This is the last Beach Dancer painting I've done.  Sometime in the future I may do some more but for now this is it for this little girl dancing with such abandon on the beach.  Hanging together I hope they show some of the energy and joy she was expressing through her dance.

Bison Drawing

     Here is my finished drawing of the bison.  As usual I thought I was finished a couple of times and then after looking at it for awhile I thought it needed something changed.  That is a pretty normal process for me and I usually avoid posting anything until I have a chance to look at it for awhile.  On this piece I decided that it needed a background, more sage and some distant hills.  I'm still thinking about a name for it and several have come to mind.  "In His Prime" is one I'm thinking about.

On the Drawing Board

This is what I'm currently working on.  I've almost finished with the bison and still have the foreground and background to do.  Usually I do a very minimal background but I haven't decided on this one yet.  This is done on 1/4 sheet of D'Arches hot press watercolor paper.  For this photo I've cropped some off around the bison that is just blank paper at this point so the composition will be a little different.  I will probably take a few more days of work on it for me to finish it.   I will post the finished piece when it is done.