Cottonwoods

Cottonwoods

I tried to catch the essence of big cottonwoods along an unseen river beyond.  Pastel on creme medium tooth paper, from my photos.

It's always an adventure...

Desert Truck

Desert Truck

More experimenting with pastels.  This is 5" x 5", for a 12x12 frame.  Pastel is more difficult for smaller size drawings, especially when you only have the large soft sticks and working on mom's dining room table.  Yes, I'm getting in trouble for the mess.

It's always an adventure...

Prairie

Prairie

Simplicity.  Prairie.  One in the same.  It's hard to describe the Zen of the Great Plains.  Going just a few feet from a country road one is completely alone - and very, very small.  Hard to capture.  Need a bigger sheet.  Pastel on plain tooth 140 lb. paper, 11x14

It's always an adventure.

Out of Gas

Out of Gas

An old abandoned gas station outside of town.  Quick sketch.  

It's always an adventure...

Cafe

Cafe

An old abandoned cafe somewhere in the Southwest.  Fun to try to capture with pastel.

It's always an adventure...

Quiet River

Quiet River

I am in Kansas through mid September and will be experimenting with some pastels.  This is a river outside Salina, from a photograph.  Pastels - we'll see how this goes.

It's always an adventure...

Kids in a Car 1914

Kids in a Car - 1914

I was commissioned to do an art work for the Eastside Heritage Center from one of the archival black and white photos they have of thousands on file.  Fun to do another charcoal again.

It's always an adventure...

detail

study for Red Truck

quick study for 'Red Truck'

I made this one up from my cranial midwest memory banks.  Need to work on proportions a bit.  Kind of an old, monolithic group of colorless farm buildings - with a red truck for an accent.  The truck isn't in the composition yet.  We'll see how it goes.

It's always an adventure

Low Tide

Low Tide

The view path zig zags from sunlit sand, around rocks, out to a rough sea.  I tried to do this one with as few strokes possible.  Combination of knife and brush.  Love the accidental little tide pool rock reflection.

detail

It's always an adventure...

Gallery art for August 2012

At Parklane Gallery

August 2012

Here are my works on display for the month of August.

Parklane Gallery

130 Parklane

Kirkland, Washington

Roof Dance

Roof Dance

I took my photo of some roofs in a French village and painted them without my glasses.  Have to kind of squint to see the original photo.  Just used a palette knife on this so you can't get too fussy - just let the paint do the talking.   A learning experience always.

detail

....and - it's always an adventure

Sleepwalk

Sleepwalk

I love doing these.  They just are what they are.  It's like when you were a kid and seeing images in clouds.  I saw a sleepwalker in this one.  

More art coming on the blog soon (August gallery work is in process of completion this week.)

It's always an adventure...

Venetian Alley

Venetian Alley

I'm back to watercolor for a while.  Trying to improve my versions of water reflections.  Love the shadows in this.  Best way to make bright, bright light is just to use no paint.  I guess those things are old piles - should have left them out maybe.

It's always an adventure...

Market

Market

Another study of light.  the objects making the shadows are off the view.  I did this painting quite fast, ignoring much of the detail.

It's always an adventure....