Ashland Play Time

After my big birthday bash, Jane and I went down to Ashland to see a couple of plays. (The Tenth Muse was superb, by the way! As was Street Car Named Desire.)  One morning I got downtown early enough to have a bit of my own kind of play... painting this urban landscape. I got the better part of it done on the spot, standing in front of the coffee cart at the main intersection, facing this building. So there was quite an audience behind me, enjoying their cuppa and watching my progress.  Back in Portland, I continued with it, and I think it is complete now.

12"x 16" on MDF - Sept. 18, 2013

In the White House Gardens

No, not that White House! The one down the gorge, in Hood River. This was part of the Hood River paintout, but I did not sign up to enter the competition--just rode the coat tails of Za, who set up this session out in the glorious fields on a super warm day. We took numerous breaks in the shade of the Arbor Vitae and tried not to expire. I didn't get very far with mine--the canvas was way too big for plein air (for me, anyway). Live and learn. I plan to resume this during the winter months.  I think... perhaps I should wait 'til next summer and go back to the same spot to complete it?

On canvas 20"x24" - Sept. 2, 2013

Mynicka

I haven't done a basement session in quite a long while, so it was good to get back to Janet's for a "candlelight", I always enjoy them so much. And always seem to produce something worth continuing with, when I work there.  I think this is done now--just need to take a better photograph.

Linen panel, 9"x12", August, 2013

The Spire that Inspired

I was headed home from downtown when I spotted this glorious juxtaposition of old against new. I had my new "Thumbox" in the trunk, and an hour to spare, so I pulled over and fed the meter 1 hr. 15 min., set up a camping chair and dashed this out. Not a bad initiation for the new box!

SW 12th Ave. (6"x8") - Aug. 2013

Plein Air Day in the Park

A perfect day in Laurelhurst with Jen modeling again, thanks to instigator Za. Big ol' shade trees and lovely painter friends (about eight of us or so)... what could be better? As usual, I got maybe half way to where I wanted to go with this, and will resume in the studio, soon as able.

Update:  I've spent more time on it--this is an updated version--but it's still not finished.  August 2013

Back to the Blue Heron Herbary....

Well I did go back... intending to paint the pond again, but the panoramic is just so beautiful that I pointed myself toward the chicken's house and view beyond, instead. Again--and as always--a few tweaks are needed. (Um, like the bottom third of the painting!) I'm liking the basic palette that Scott provided in the workshop--a "split primary". This is on a little 8"x10" Ampersand gessoboard.

View of the pond... from my studio!

I wanted to paint the Blue Heron pond again, and thought I'd have a go at it in the studio instead of plein air. I think that, with a few tweaks, I can work it out. I like my previous abstracted version--that was done in about 30 minutes at the end of the workshop. Right now, I'm not sure which I like better. Maybe the third time's the charm... if I go back and paint it there.