Yellow Birch

Yellow Birch

Another experiment with some color behind color.  My wall at the Parklane Gallery for February will be nature's color and textures.

It's always an adventure...

Rain on Rue Cler

Rain on Rue Cler

This painting has been getting lots of comment lately.  I don't know why, but I never posted it.  It's one of the first paintings I did when I started oil painting last year.  It's also the 2nd painting I sold (to a friend) before I joined the Parklane Gallery.  

It's from a photograph I took in Paris several years ago.  It was a rainy day in March and I took this of the market on Rue Cler  (7th arondissement neighborhood).  I made a photoShop document with a streaked effect and it looked so much like an impressionist painting I thought It might be fun to try it.  It took me several months to get up the courage, but one day I just started it and this was the result.  There's something about it...

It's always an adventure...

Foggy Trees

Foggy Trees

I wasn't sure where this one would go, but I just kept going....it turned out kinda cool.  I just finished this 5 minutes ago.  The photo had a spooky-ness to it.  It was mainly an experiment with fog and tree branches.  I used a 3" house paint brush to feather out the base layers when half dry.

It's always an adventure...

Door Study

I've spent most of this week snowbound in Seattle so I have finally finished my artist gallery book.  I'm behind on my painting.  This is another study I did for doing roof tiles and entries.  I spent maybe an hour on this so it has lots of shortcuts.  

5 new paintings in the hopper though.  I have to get ready for the art rotation at Parklane Gallery for Feb 1!

www.parklanegallery.com

it's always an adventure...

Rod's Lake

Rod's Lake

So named for the photographer.  I did this mainly as a study for a future oil painting and also to see if the composition would work in 14" x 18" format...less rectangular than the original photo.  When I start stretching my own canvas I can be more flexible with format size.

It's always an adventure...

Castle Steps

Castle Steps

I did this back in 2010.  It's from a photograph I took at Castle Chorey in Southern France.  The steps made such an interesting composition.  Built in the 17th century, I don't think they conform to the International Building Code.  No handrails even!  And the glass was single pane (and a little blurry).

It's always an adventure...

Heading to California

Another sketch from Smithsonian Archive 1930's photographs.  It looks like this car is passing another.  But I don't think you could put your head under a hood, hold the flash powder up and snap the picture AND still drive a car.  Probably didn't use an iPhone.  Don't know why they didn't put this junk on the car top.  Probably too much wind resistance.....right.

It's always an adventure...

Dust farm

Dust farm

This is another sketch of a photo from the Smithsonian Archival photographs of the dust bowl in the 1930's.  The stark quality of this prompted me to want to sketch it in charcoal.  I did not change anything from this photo.  I'm not planning to sell it - I hope the archiveists don't mind me sharing the sketch with you.  

It's always something...

Wading in Maydenbauer Bay - 1912

Wading in Maydenbauer Bay - 1912

I just completed this charcoal for an art donation for the Eastside Heritage Center fund raising dinner and auction.  (I'm a former founding board member)  This is an archival photo, taken in 1912...100 years ago.  Well, almost.  I would not think these folks would be wading in January.  Lord knows, July is cold enough in Seattle!  

It's always an adventure...

Chevymash

Chevymash

Junkyards provide interesting objects.  I did this one a couple years ago now.  Found it in the bottom of the flat file.  Don't know what this car hit but it made a cool pattern.  I'm sure there's a story......

It's always an adventure.

Snoqualmie Fog

Snoqualmie Fog

Back in the studio this week finally.  I had started this before I left for Kansas.  A friend of mine snapped a photo with his iPhone through the car window as a group of us were coming back over the pass from eastern Washngton to Seattle.  He emailed it to me - and I decided to paint it.  The view had so much depth - from the trees in front, to the snowy meadow just beyond, to the fog and then mountain....that was the thing to capture.  

It's always an adventure

Table and Chairs

Table and Chairs

This one, along with 8 others, is up on my wall space now for January at the Parklane Gallery in Kirkland.  This month the artist's co-op is hanging art "salon style".  This is floor-to-ceiling, so the walls arte covered! Parklane Gallery has quite a few really, really talented artists.  I'm planning on learning much from them.  Check it out - www.parklanegallery.com.

It's always an adventure...

Distant Rain

Distant Rain

Another charcoal I did in Kansas.  This is on pastel paper...didn't know how the charcoal would look on it. Kinda grainy.  The paper is a pale blue.  I added white highlights on the clouds with white charcoal crayon.  This is an uncropped photograph.  The other one was a scan, with weird lighting.

It's always an adventure...