Cuba!!!

I forgot to post the Cuba paintings. Several not finished, and this isn't either but it's closer than the others. So this post is a place saver. Squeeking it in so it's posted in this year which is almost over.
Happy New Year!

November 9, 2016

Another Tony

Painting Joanne's son Tony again, this on his birthday. In progress. 9"x12", oil on linen.

December 30, 2016

Christmas Angel

An angel to watch over us. 9"x 12", oil on canvas.

December 23, 2016

Stonington, Fall

Started in Stonington, Maine.... finished in PDX.... entered in Big 500.

November 2016

Glass ball, vase, and late-season dahlia

This isn't at all as I envisioned painting it--and I just realized, I forgot to do the cast shadows. Tweaks tomorrow! The setup didn't strike me as being retro, but it sure came out that way. The glass fishnet ball and a small glass vase are aqua, the perfect foils for an orange flower. I gerry-rigged some lighting and put the glassware in a cardboard box to create this still life--first time I've done this here in my studio. I'm not a big fan of still life, but I know it's a very good exercise.

Ballerina

Whoops... missed one when I updated the blog yesterday. Did this last week but forgot to include in it's proper chronological place. This is from a photo taken at one of the Falcon sessions, back when I had space there. Pic must be eight or nine years old now, but I've wanted to do some "mud heads" from the photo series, so here's the first crack at it. A likely Big 500 entrant.

Rome

Work in progress, from photo taken in Rome two years ago. (Three?) These trees have so much personality, I should go back and paint trees all summer. (If wishes were fishes....)

Jennifer.... again.

This is the second painting started last Friday during a live model session. It's as far as I got in the remaining two hours of the session, and I'll probably leave it as is.

Girl's got serious hair!

Jennifer is so fun to paint, I think this is my third one of her. Done during a live model session (less than 40 min.), and then finished later in my studio.

Morning Meditation

Almost finished, and one of my favorites of the month.

Stop and paint the roses

From photo of one of the roses that blooms on the path out back--the sweetest smelling one, omg! This one's headed for the Big 500.

At the Milonga

Work in progress for the Big 500.

Leaf Peepin'

This is for the OSA show, "200 for Under 200," coming up next month. It's another from a photo taken in about 2000 during peak leaf season. That's my sweet dog, Sophie. (Snif. Don't go there.)
12" x 12"

The Radiant Road

I took so many photos out in the Helvetia area during the plein air event, it's just breathtakingly beautiful out there. This is the llama barn again, but no llamas in evidence. (Painted from photo.)

Love those Llamas!

Llamas are so cute, I could hang out with them all day. So attentive! And curious. And just plain friendly. Hi guys!!!

'Til the Cows Come Home

Another from the Helvetia area. I stood looking out at the amazing views from the Century Farm, and loved that the cows kept me company.  A few tweaks are needed to complete (missing a roof or two, and the silo), but this will likely be another Big 500 entrant.

Fall on Helvetia Rd.

The Fall leaves are turning here in Oregon. This was out in the Helvetia area, and I did a few plein air paintings out that way as well. But I didn't like those, so I'm not posting them.

Awesome Fall

First effort for the Big 500. It's got some value problems to resolve, but is far enough along --I'll complete it later -- I've got to keep moving forward. I'm going for 15 this year.  This is from a photo taken in about 2000 during peak leaf season in Vermont or New Hampshire. That region is absolutely astounding when the leaves turn. It literally makes my heart beat faster!

Reading Yevtushenko

This was painted at the "Quickdraw" during the Washington County Plein Air event held at the end of September. The Quickdraw is usually done outdoors, in keeping with the rest of the event--but it was raining that day, so we worked inside of a large theater space in Hillsboro. I thought we had three hours to complete it... but towards the end I discovered that it was only two hours and I really had to slap the paint on thick!

Dockside, Maine

This is a very large painting, for me--it's 4 ft. x 2 ft. I have about four sessions in on it, and have several more to go. I'm doing it with drools and slashing marks to enhance the gritty sense of the working dock where fishing and commerce is evident. Also trying to avoid "local color." This is from a photo taken when I lived in Maine in 2000-2001.

September 2016

Model Marathon

The marathon goes for nine hours, I did my usual seven. It's not that I feel too tired, I just don't feel the need to push through that long. 30+ sketches is plenty 'nuff for me!  These two are longer poses (30 min. ea.)--the double figure is the same model, alternating poses over the 30 min. time.

9/18/16

Villa Catalana

This is an amazing Italianate property near Oregon City, where the Rare Plant Research nurseries are located, and now a winery as well. I did the block-ins on both of these from photos taken four years ago. The grounds are more grown up and more beautiful than ever. I took the top painting out there to place the color, and still am not finished. With the bottom painting, I was trying to think in terms of Slava's "no more than five mass shapes" idea. Two more works in progress!!

September 2016

"Just Sayin'".

I took the photo from which this is painted a couple of years ago, at Red Ridge winery (?) Valerie is such a great model! I liked the gesture, and kept the pic on my phone. So when I arrived at OSA for Joanne's "perk up your paintings" session, unprepared with any subject matter to work on, I randomly picked it to use as ref. Doesn't look like Val, but it does kinda have her personality in it.

"Just sayin'"
August 2016

Cheese Club!

This is Sasha at Cyril's, on a Cheese Club night, cutting the biggest honkin' wheel of cheese ever! And sooooo delicious!!! Painting is an outlier, since I rarely use watercolor, but time was limited and it seemed like the right tool for the job.

August 2016

Zoe

This is painted in sympathy with my high school friend who lost her beloved greyhound this summer. Such a sadness for anyone who loses a fur-faced family member, it was a gift for my friend, and a tribute to the privilege of sharing life with one of the wise four-leggeds.

"She Casts a Long Shadow"
July 2016

Sauvie paintings - MIA

Where did the two Sauvie Island paintings go? Am inserting this to hold their place in the timeline.

July 2016

Helvetia Winery, July 4th

One day during the Lavender Festival, the light wasn't right to resume one of the paintings.... so I went exploring and stumbled across the Helvetia Winery. There was a wine tasting and BBQ in progress--well, it was 4th of July!--so I stayed to enjoy myself and then, what the hey--good place to paint!

July 2016

Lavender Festival - Award of Merit!

What fun, and what a surprise! An award of merit at the festival show. A super nice event this year--good food, wine, friends and art.

July 2016

Langley

In Langley, on Whidbey Island. I had a super lovely time on the island, while friends were in a workshop. Of the three efforts, this one doesn't totally make me cringe, there are bits I quite like. The other two will probably never see the light of day. I used to post everything, but am not in favor of that idea in this case.

July  2016

Astoria view

I went out to the Sandgren paintout this year, albeit too briefly. This is up the hill in Astoria in lovely weather with quickly changing skies. There is another painting done the day before, down at the harbor, but I will wait 'til it's further along to post that.

July 2016

Garden of light

The annual HPSO* Garden Tour was over in Vancouver this year, and included six painters, myself included. I felt more than the usual amount of dispersed & distracted on this one, and modified it some when I got it home. Now the trellis has disappeared, and much more besides needs addressing. I like the colors, I hope I don't lose the light when I go back to finish.

June 2016

Japan.... in San Mateo

Barely begun, I insert this as a chronological space saver. It's from one of many photos taken in San Mateo, when I did the Slava workshop. We couldn't paint in the Japanese Gardens there, but instead were in the adjacent park. (Did I post those?!) A perfectly adequate start, I do intend to cycle back to and complete this.

approx. June 2016

Orange Girl

I think this must have been the last painting done at the Troy. Must remember to ask Joanne for the model names on a few of these.

Note: model is Jennifer. I think I've painted her before?

approx. May 2016

Tony at the Troy

As I am posting this several months after painting it, I sadly note that the art studios at the Troy Laundry Bldg. are no more. Portland--I knew ya when.

approx. May, 2016

Macaroon Man

One on the easel. I did the block-in about two or three years ago, and just resumed it, laying in some color. It's one of many that I will return to--again--and complete with some of the experience I have under my belt now. This may take another hiatus while I go in search of a macaroon shop--apparently Two Tarts has closed, since I started this. Rats! (Tells you how long paintings sit idly by.... but also that I do resume them!!!)

5/16/16

Drawing practice

Couple of random drawings to break in my new mini sketchbook that I got for traveling but forgot to take it. So it's initiated now!

May 14 & 15, 2016

Tony again!

Joanne's son, Tony. Such a great model!
["Zorn palette"]

5/7/16

Another from Troy Laundry sessions

Same beautiful girl as last time -- I must get her name, so this painting can have one too!

4/22/16

Slava workshop

Here are two of the paintings done during a workshop with Slava Korolenkov, both from Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park. There are a few other paintings done during the five days, but they may go on the burn pile. Workshops are for stretching and experimenting, and sometimes turn into a hot mess. It's all good!!

[Note to self:  looks like they have a grey cast; must fix in p'shop.]

4/26/16

Troy Laundry Session

Alla prima with limited palette of O.H. violet grey, burnt sienna, black & white.

4/8/16

Sarah.... again.

This was started in the last session of Eduardo's portrait class at the MAC. I was so frustrated all along the way in that class--I even left in tears once! No reflection on Eduardo, only my own inability to execute my intentions. But I think I pulled out of the mire in the last class of the series. This was started then, from the live model, and then finished at home from the photo.

3/15/16

This is an outlier.... acrylic!

I was still a bit too classical with that last effort, I don't seem to get the brush marks I'm wanting, so I thought I'd resort to acrylics--they dry so fast you don't get anything but brush marks!!  So I did a painting of that last painting ("Repose"), which is a great exercise anyway. I won't post that (it was a painting "only a mother could love"!)--but did one more acrylic painting as a study from a photo taken in Florence two years ago.  Here 'tis.  While I've hated pretty much every painting I've ever done in acrylic, I am surprisingly happy with this one--but still intend to do a "real" painting in oils!

3/11/16

Repose

I like to name my life-study paintings by the model's name, but her name escapes me now.  So I guess the title will be "Repose" for the time being.  This was started in a (very excellent) Za workshop, and I finished it up at home. There are some Eduardo-influenced notes (from his class at the MAC) in this as well--namely, I think I got the "gesture" right. Between both of these fine teachers, perhaps I'm making some headway.

3/1/16

Lively Levi

This is photographer Levi Sims, who gave a very lively talk at a photography meetup monthly meeting. I was farther along with it, but did not like the flesh tones I'd mixed so I wiped a lot of it off. Then I liked the translucency I got.... but will still go back in and finish it with fresh paint mixtures.

February 19, 2016

"After" the man!

So I'm using the "Zorn Palette" (yellow, red, black, white) and who better to practice on than Zorn himself!  This is an "after the masters" version of his painting entitled Margit, 1891-- I cropped in on her head only -- oil on gessoed board, 8" x 8".


2/17/16

Younger days

Throw back Thursday!!
The reference for this is a photo of me taken in the 70s or 80s, (By whom, I'm not sure. Jack I think--looks like Mexico.)
6" x 8" oil on gessoed wood panel.
Another practice piece, using the "Zorn palette" plus a couple of colors smuggled in--a brighter yellow and the O.H. Violet grey, in order to get a cooler effect (in the shade of a cabana?)

Feb. 2016