Section Corner

Section Corner

As usual I got carried away with color intensity.  Didn't mean to be so strong on the red but its growing on me.  This is the first of 9 paintings I'm going to show this summer on "The Prairie" at Parklane Gallery.

Its from a satellite image from space.  Supposed to read both as abstract and as a planet scape of reality, which can be abstract - all in the way you view it.

Yep, that's a tractor...

It's always an adventure...

Seattle Reflections

Seattle Reflections

More study paintings from my photos of the Seattle waterfront this last summer.  This is a mix of acrylic and water-base oil, mostly oil.  I used a palette knife on about 80% of the work.

It's always an adventure...

Reflected

Reflected

I completed this one in the midst of working on a larger 16 x 20 work on water reflections.  This is a 12 x 12 painting from a series of photo studies I took this past summer at the Seattle waterfront.  I'm learning how to paint reflected images on water, kinda teaching myself by observing and trial/error.    Lots more of these to come.  They're fun.

It's always an adventure...

Windmill Hill

Windmill Hill

Did this from my photo excursion around Salina Kansas this last September.  Experimenting with knife and brush painting the prairie grasses.

It's always an adventure...

Reflections

This is from my photograph taken along the Seattle waterfront this last summer.  

I thought it would be interesting to let the eye decide what is not in the picture, using only information seen in the reflected images.  I tried some finger painting with this to smooth out the water.  

It's always an adventure...

Homage to Frank

Homage to Frank

I have this stained glass panel at my studio, on the door.  I bought it at the Frank Lloyd Wright home, studio and book store in Oak Park, Illinois back when we lived in Chicago.  

It's a panel replica of a series of panels in one of his dining room window designs.  I did this in acrylic paint and oil pastel pencil stick.  It's on 12 x 12 x 2 stretched canvas kinda sketchy and the lines aren't straight, but it's what I wanted to do.  It's fun doing what you want to do.  Boy, that red really pops!  

I'm going to submit it to our Parklane Gallery "around the block" show coming up in October when I get back from Kansas.

It's always an adventure...

Kansas Cotton

Kansas Cotton

When I was a kid the sheer size and majesty of the clouds over the prairie made me just stop in my tracks sometimes.  I wanted to capture that feeling of how absolutely enormous the clouds could be.  I painted this from that memory.  Somewhere north of Salina, Kansas.   The green is the rich, spring color of the winter wheat coming up.

This 12 x 12 will be at the 'Around the Block' show this October at Parklane Gallery.

It's always an adventure...

Sarlat Market

Sarlat Market

This is another view and study of life at the market in Sarlat, France.  Trying to capture the sense of being there and walking into the painting.  The sun was extraordinarily bright that day and I wanted to get a sense of it.  I'm not that tall, I was standing on a step.

It's always an adventure...

Roof Jam

Roof Jam

I've had this floating around the studio as a study ever since we lived in Seattle.  Finally decided to paint it, keeping the detail simple as possible.  It wanted to be 18 x 24, so I let it be that.

It's always an adventure...

Charcoal study - Grain depot

Grain Depot

This is another perspective and value study for an oil painting.  It's a fictitious place out of my Kansas boy mind.

It's always an adventure...

“SPLASH” Members Only Exhibition: 8/26- 11/1, 2013

Evergreen Association of Fine Arts,
Seattle Design Center, 501 6th Ave. South

Three of my works accepted for the show:

  "Edge of Town"

 "Main Track Open"

 "Roof Dance"

Two others were not invited, but I am very happy to have these to be shown in the exhibition.

It's always an adventure...

Saturday Market

SAturday Market

I painted a different view of this scene last year.  This is a weekend market in the Village of Sarlat, France, known for their foie Gras.  I did this primarily with a pallet knife, trying to stay loose but capture the essence of the energy that was there.

It's always an adventure...

Kansas River Bank, Study 1

Kansas River Bank

This is an 8 x 10 oil composition study I did in one sitting last evening, just to practice really if for no other reason.  I want to capture depth, color and a study in reflection, all with minimal strokes.

I always do a charcoal study first, or some sort of value sketch.  This one I blurred the image in Photoshop to test the value and depth....

The composition pretty much works, and I like how the reflections turned out.

On to the next

It's always an adventure...

Barn Light

Barn Light

A friend of mine sent me a photo of a barn with the dawn's light striking it through the morning mist over a rise of a small forested hilltop.  I got more shafts of light coming through than the original soft misty light, but it's still effective.  A combination of palette knife and brush strokes, plus some 'finger painting' that I've started to try.  It's an experiment of sorts, but then everything I do seems to be in this vein.

It's always an adventure...

Jerry

'Jerry'

Ok, so this is a real departure for me.  I saw this guy's face on the internet, a generic photo with no specifics to it.  I'm still trying to find out who he is and if there is a photographer, but to no avail.  I had to draw a charcoal of this guy's face.  There's something about Jerry.

It's always an adventure...

Market Place

Market Place

A change of pace from landscapes.  I wanted to capture the dark and light as it danced off the multi colored items at the market in Granville Island, Vancouver, B.C.  I wanted to do this with as little detail as possible, leaving the observer to fill in what they saw, from their own past experiences.

It's always an adventure...

North 40

North 40

Finally finished this one last week.  I liked the way the sunlight came in through the vine stalks.

This will be at Parklane Gallery for the month of June.

It's always an adventure...

Marketplace - study

Marketplace - Study #1

I want to do a palette knife or quick study painting on this.  I cropped this from a larger photograph and Liked the composition and potential it may have for color study.

It's always an adventure...

Now showing at the Kirkland Art Center

Wine Storage Building in Vaison la Romaine

Courtyard Birds

Main Line Open

These are all now on display at the Kirkland Arts Center store in Park Place Center in Kirkland, next to the ball park.  I start my part-time shifts over there next week.  

It's always an adventure...

Girl in the Lobby

Girl in the Lobby

This is a study.  I've done it 3 or 4 times, trying to capture a certain expression.  I've got alot to learn about this yet.  It's most challenging.  But...

It's always an adventure.....

Miles to Go

Miles to Go

This is a charcoal study for a future oil painting.  So far I like it without a car or bicycle on it.  We'll see.

It's always an adventure...

North 40

North 40

Another first two layers on the next landscape work.  These are always so rather ethereal or something. There will be a crop in the forefront, going down a hill to the access road beyond.  Can't tell you much more, as the final outcome will be a surprise to me as well.

By the way, thanks to all who visited my gallery weekend.  I hope to do it again next year.

It's always an adventure...

Kirkland Artist's Studio Tour

I'm 'camped out' here at the studio this weekend, both days from 10 to 6.  Haven't sold much yet but hope springs eternal.  I've always wanted to fence some artwork.

http://kirklandartiststudiotour.com/artists/

here's the web site if you're in town

It's always an adventure...

Peaceful Afternoon

Peaceful Afternoon

I wasn't sure what to title this one.  It's a vineyard somewhere in France, can't remember where.  The land form draws you in and it's just - peaceful looking.  It will be at Parklane Gallery during May.

It's always an adventure...

The Cannon Art Studio at Finn Hill Winery

My art will be on display for the next month or so here in the wine tasting room:

Finn Hill Winery

18800 - 142nd Ave. NE, Suite 5A

Woodinville, Wa.

206.409.4378

rob@finnhillwinery.com

www.finnhillwinerey.com

Come by and taste some great wine and see some of my recent work
(Previously on display as featured artist at Parklane Gallery in Kirkland).

john and Rob

It's always an adventure...

Passing Storm

Passing Storm

I made this one up, from a photograph I saw.  I added the barn and roads and some clouds to be a bit more dramatic with the light.  I wanted to capture a sense of space and the big sky (although this is somewhere in France, not Montana).

It's always an adventure...

Vineyard painting study 2

Vineyard Study 2

A charcoal study for an upcoming painting.  The light will be a big part of this one.

It's always an adventure...

Over Hill 2

Another first layer pass for a vineyard scene.  Looks a little like the Kansas flint hills.  I might just do some of these and quit 'n leave it be.  This took me 15 minutes.  What?


It's always an adventure....

Overhill

Overhill

This is "day one" of paint layers for this painting of a vineyard in France.  I almost want to stop here and leave this as it is.  We'll see if it improves with more detail (or not improves).  A great experiment for me.

It's always an adventure...

Featured Artist for March

I am Parklane Gallery's Featured Artist for the month of March, 2013.  I've been working on 7 new original works, now up on the wall in the front of the Gallery.

Hope you can come by.


It's always an adventure...

Chair in the Window

Chair in the Window

This has been a favorite photo of mine for some time.  It was taken in a bed and breakfast castle and is a view from our room out onto the small vinyard.  It is in Chorey, France, and was an unexpected find.  We slept with these windows open on a warm spring night.  It's far off the beaten path, south of Dijon.

I sat in this chair for awhile before sunset as a gentle misty rain fell and the frogs began to croak.  It was so quiet.  So quiet.  I could almost hear the hooves of a horse drawn carriage coming up the path as if 200 years past were that very evening.

I want to sit there now.  It's why I painted it.


It's always an adventure...

We'll Leave the Light on for You

We'll Leave the Light on for You

Yeah, something a little different.  I admit, I found this on the internet.  I looked and looked but no copyright.  So if there is one, let me know and I'll find them and settle up.  I modified this quite a bit.  It was a photo.  The light was SO intense, I was struck by it.  Really fun to do this one.  I considered doing this on a black canvas, but the paint is cooler.

It's always an adventure...

Still Standing

Still Standing

I did a charcoal study for this last month.  I added a few more things to add to the depth and composition.  This will be up on the wall next month at PLG.  I'm always experimenting with stuff, so it's a bit of hodge-podge and perhaps wrong here and there.  But as an artist....unlike my former profession as an architect....I don't really need liability insurance for this kind of thing.

"...a doctor can bury his mistakes, but an architect can only advise the client to plant large trees..."

-  Frank LLoyd Wright

And an artist can paint over, walk away, or just start another painting.

It's always an adventure...

Sunday in Luxembourg Gardens

Sunday in Luxembourg Gardens

As I get closer to having to be finished with several larger works they start to come together quickly.  I've been working on 7 major paintings since January for the Featured Artist show at Parklane Gallery.  I have 4 more to finish.  This is just finished today, an oil, 16 x 20, from my photo I actually took on a Sunday visiting Luxembourg Gardens in Paris.  Love the guy laying across 3 chairs in the corner.

I had to wait awhile to take this without a stroller or skater or gaggle of folks walking in front of me.  I wanted to get a clear shot of those marvelous little 'sun-spots' on the pristine gravel surface.

It's always an adventure...

Wine Storage Building, Vaison la Romaine

Wine Storage Building in Vaison la Romaine

This is from a photo I took during the week we stayed in Vaison la Romaine, southern France.  It's the back of a huge wine storage facility.  The sun was just setting in late April.  The colors struck me.  Now that I am painting regularly and have studied some, I have come to understand what has been said of the light in this region of France.  It truly is magical.  I tried to capture it, but  -  not quite.

This one is 18 x 24, one of my biggest works to date.  

It's always an adventure....

Featured Artist in March

It's almost here!  I've been painting, painting, painting to get ready for my first 'Featured Artist' showing of my fledgling career.  I'll have about 18 to 20 works on display at the Parklane Gallery from March 5th through March 31st.  Over 80% of the work will be new, completed over the last 3 months.

I have grown as an artist this last year.  Heck, I've grown in the past 3 months putting out all this work. Life is good!  Come share a slice of it with me on Friday, March 8th at the Parklane Gallery from 6 to 8 PM for the Friday art walk in Kirkland and my artist's reception.

It's always an adventure..... 

Rock Wall

Rock Wall

I made this up because I wanted to paint sun on a rock wall.  The buildings and trees just seemed to want to be there too.  This is 11 x 14, oil on gesso board.  

It's always an adventure...

Courtyard Birds

Courtyard Birds

I took this photo in a village along the Dordogne in the south west of France.  The woman in the yellow hat makes another appearance, along with two resident birds, hoping for a handout.

It's always an adventure....

Quiet River

Quiet River

This is the Smokey Hill River just outside Salina Kansas.  I did a pastel of it last summer and a charcoal study.  This is an oil on gesso board, 8 x 10.  I'm still experimenting with things so there is a mix of techniques in this.  

Someone at Daniel Smith Art store put a tube of oil-based Thalo yellow green in the water base oil section that I accidentally bought and tried to use here, mixing with water.  Water and oil don't mix very well.  I put some linseed oil on it and it got happy.  makes for an interesting painting.

It's always something...

Untitled

Too much Pink Floyd today......took a break from painting, saw this in my mind and went there.

It's always an adventure...

Apres Pluie

Apres Pluie

The rain is over and sun just out, clean and bright.  From a photo I took in Paris some time ago.  Not too many folks out and about, it was raining pretty hard.

It's always an adventure...

Just sticks

Just Sticks

An interesting old structure - not sure what's holding it up.  A fraternity brother from Nebraska once told me that some things on a farm just remain standing because they always have.  He said it was an unexplained force - the force of habit.  This is a study for a future painting.

It's always an adventure...

January Work at the Parklane Gallery

For the month of January, 2013, the Parklane Gallery artists in Kirkland are displaying their work in "salon style".  Art is from floor to ceiling and about double the amount normally displayed.  It's a fun way to see lots and lots of art in one trip.  

Art will change again starting With normal displays on February 5th.  All display art is original.

It's always an adventure...

Castle Steps

Castle Steps

These steps were so cool I had to photograph them.  I liked the way the light came in through the diffused window and reflected off the traffic-worn smooth stone steps, so I tried to capture it.  

The perspective three-point, from the camera looking down the staircase.  I rather like the angles.

Painting done with palette knife.  11 x 14 oil.

This is Chorey Castle just south of Dijon, France.

It's always an adventure...