Flashback to Plein Air

 "La Mota"

12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

$300

Click to buy

I only made it to one plein air paintout this year, but it was great, and a new one for me - located in Roseburg, Oregon, a smallish town about 60 miles south of Eugene.

 On the first day, we painted cityscapes, which I have a much easier time with than traditional landscapes, for several reasons.  After some trial and error, I settled on this corner scene - the strong shadows, the truck, the "stop-go" interplay of that red hand and the green cross.... all attracted me. 

Here's my value plan:

La Mota means marijuana in Spanish, and yes, this is a painting of a recreational pot store. We have these - lots and lots of them - in Oregon now. It was an interesting spot to hang out in front of for an afternoon - at times I felt like I was conducting the most un-surreptitious surveillance operation ever. But no paranoia required, folks! I'm just arting over here. 

 

 The three paintings I ended up submitting for judging. I don't participate in these events to win - in fact, I consider myself a rank amateur when it comes to plein air. But I enjoy it, I always learn a lot! 

 

...And here's a bonus for reading this far! I've got a major sale going on in my Etsy shop for the next few weeks. 50% off everything - including "La Mota." Use the code HOLIDAYHALFOFF. And thanks for following my work!

A Plein Air Still Life on Whidbey Island

 "Five Lemons"

12 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

$350

Click to buy

In my last post, I shared pictures from my recent opening at Brackenwood Gallery on Whidbey Island. It was a fantastic opening, and the fun didn't end there! The next day, I did a plein air still life demonstration outside the gallery doors, enjoying the cool island weather, and the gallery-goers who stopped to chat. I even had a canine audience, as you can see!

The light was a little strange, as it was cloudy and hazy with smoke from nearby wildfires - a kind of grainy, golden light. Not bad, but not as dramatic as the stunning summer sunlight I got for my demo afternoon last year!

Here's a look at my process: a simple black and white oil sketch (in a sketchbook) to plan the value pattern and composition, an underpainting on the canvas in sepia tones, and color laid directly over that, alla prima.

In Which I have a Rockstar Moment

 "The Apple Barn"

12 x 24 inches, oil on canvas

Framed, $700

Click to buy

I'm just going to say this at the outset: I'm really proud of this painting. We artists all know the feeling: a piece is working right from the beginning. I say, "It painted itself," "It fell off the brush," or "It was a rockstar moment," but I think the best description of this particular magic is that I felt in control the entire time I was painting it. And that doesn't happen all that often - maybe once every 20 paintings? 

As you can see, it was a heartbreakingly beautiful day - one of those fall afternoons that make you feel grateful to be alive.

I started with a 3-value sketch - oil paint in my sketchbook. This was extremely helpful, especially when it came to painting mid-value areas like the grass and distant hills. Green just doesn't feel all that light to my eye - in general, it's a mid-to-dark value color, and it's very saturated and beautiful in the sunlight. But, referring to my sketch, I told myself to keep it as light as those rooftops. 

 

Understanding that color has value - and how that works in our paintings - is a huge benefit of practicing in black and white. So, if it's been a while since you went back to basics, give it a try....you might have a "rockstar moment" yourself!

Plein Air for the Still Life Painter

 "In the Pear Orchard"

14 x 18 inches, oil on canvas

Sold

After a morning of painting landscape, this still life painter was ready to get back to more familiar territory. So, I found some fruit to paint - plein air! it even had a tree attached.

I continued using my palette from the morning, now with some lovely leftover greys all mixed up.

 I parked my easel in back of a U-pick farmstand, in a shaded spot between three pear trees. No plein air umbrella needed - perfect!           

I began with those patches of bright sunlight hitting the pears - the very first stroke on the canvas (after my underpainting) was the bright spot on the central pear. Everything else got keyed below that, to really make it pop!

Fresh off the easel. This one was really fun!

Plein Air Washington County, Take 1!

 "Plum Hill Barn"

14 x 18 inches, oil on canvas

I just got back from a fabulous paintout! The Plein Air Washington County event happens every fall just outside of Portland, Oregon in an extremely scenic area chock full of rolling hills, gorgeous vineyards, and farms.  

With so much to choose from, it took me a while to settle down and pick a spot, but I finally did: a weathered white barn on the property of Plum Hill Vineyards.

  

I knew I wasn't going to need a lot of greens for this kind of landscape. Two reds, two yellows, two blues and a bonus purple. My kind of split-primary palette!

 And my secret weapon for all plein-air painting: Radiant Blue, by Gamblin. It makes gorgeous skies. The anonymous guy on the far right is Ultramarine blue, by the way.

I started with a notan sketch, in a mixed dark paint, just in my sketchbook. If you think you can't oil paint in your sketchbook, give it a try sometime! I can't say enough about how helpful these preliminary sketches are - so be forewarned: I will be saying more. Because there were two more days of painting after this one, which I'll save for future posts.

So now that I've covered the future, I'll bring up the past.  Here are my posts about the first and second time I did this paintout. And obviously, the third time's the charm: this painting was awarded an honorable mention by judge Eric Jacobsen - and I do indeed feel truly honored!

Whidbey Island Weekend

 "Dappled Light"

12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

$400

Available, click to buy

I had a FANTASTIC weekend, making my second visit to Brackenwood Gallery on Whidbey Island, Washington. (You can read about my first visit here.) 

They call these gallery visits "Artist's Salons," how lovely. And so civilized! I set my easel up outside the gallery doors and chatted with the people who strolled by all afternoon.

 Those gorgeous apples came right out of my hosts' garden on the island, and they were delicious! I know, because I ate them as soon as I was done with this painting. Farm to easel to table? More like ground to hand to mouth. But yes!

 

Whidbey Island is so great, and so are all the people at Brackenwood Gallery. I'm already looking forward to next year, when rumor has it, I'll be offering a workshop through Whidbey Island Fine Art Studios as well! Exciting!

Watching the Sun

 "Watching the Sun"

14 x 18 inches, oil on canvas

Available here

I had a beautiful Fourth of July, painting a model en plein air at Eugene's big summer arts festival. Longtime readers may remember me doing this before - it's become a yearly tradition that I really look forward to! Here is my post from 2013 - and here is last year's.

My painting with the model, basking in the sun:

My friend Heather joined me this year - it's always fun to have company - and someone to help you wrestle around with your umbrella in the wind!

Here's my work-in-progress. I had to get that face in first! You can see me starting to test out my color mixes by smearing them on with a palette knife, over her left shoulder:

Paint Out! Last one of the Year...

 

 "Autumn Afternoon in the Vineyard"

12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

Framed, $400

Over the weekend, I participated in Plein Air Washington County, and it was just a heartbreakingly gorgeous fall paintout.  The event was organized by Sequoia Gallery, where I also teach workshops (Portrait painting coming up, October 24-25!), and they did a fantastic job - making sure we were well supplied with fun places to paint. 

Here's a scene from a local nursery. There were tons of artists there - plus a news crew - on the morning I painted this. The perfect combination of exciting and peaceful!

"Blooming Junction Barn"

12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

Sold

Posing for the paparazzi, with my painting-in-progress: 

 

 And here are both of my landscapes, ready for the opening reception:

 One reason I love this particular paintout - and returned to do it for the second year in a row - is the Quick Draw with costumed models. Two models, two hours, two fabulous period costumes! 

I'm pleased to report that this portrait went home with the lovely model's grandmother! 

Thanks, Sequoia Gallery, for a great weekend of painting. See you October 24-25th for another one!

Cityscape!

"Starlight"

12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

Available Here

Two weeks ago, I participated in Eugene's annual plein air paintout. I registered in the cityscape category, because, well, quite honestly....there are a ton of amazing landscape painters in this town, but not as many artists seem to be interested in cityscape. I'm finding more and more lately that "plein" old landscapes - grass, trees, water - just don't do it for me. I need some man-made stuff in the mix to spark my interest.

 

Here I am, mid-painting. You can even see my sweet silver car in the background!

Here's the scene. That blue against the sky was pretty enticing, but it was the satellite dishes that clinched it for me! 

 

 

 My work-in-progress:

 

 For me, the craziest part of any plein air contest: the car-trunk frame shop!

 And later that day, posing with my framed entry:

This story even has an unexpectedly happy ending - I won the cityscape category! There was so much good work this year....what an honor.

Plein Air Figure on the Fourth

 "Blue Parasol"

12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

Available here

Every Fourth of July weekend, Eugene holds an amazing art festival. My friend Farley and I got to paint there two years ago, and we were honored to be able to do it again this year! 

We got some very inquisitive spectators:

 One of the best parts of the day was working with our gorgeous model Tahni, who's been in Sweden for the past year! You may recognize her from such paintings as this and this.....

 Here's my work-in-progress:

Hope you had an excellent Fourth of July too!

Plein Air in Corvallis

 "Corvallis Farm Stand"

9 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

$100

Click to buy

I had an amazing opportunity last week as part of the Giustina Gallery at Oregon State's new exhibit "Everyday Taste of Plein Air" to join some of my absolute art heroes for a paintout.

We set up around the farmer's market in downtown Corvallis. It was a beautiful day, and there were lots of people out. 

 After lunch, I painted a view of Big River, a favorite Corvallis restaurant.

"Big River"
9 x 12, oil on canvas

That evening was the opening reception for the exhibit. Here's my wall:

 

It was a long, fun day, and a fantastic show. If you're in the Corvallis area, don't miss it!