Holiday Food & Gift Festival

I will be in booth 1058 along the East Wall, new paintings and prints

At Rest - Step by Step development of the Painting.

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Pencil sketch, then washed in purple over sketch to lock in the design.  This gives me a better look at the composition and allows me to make any changes before I start, sometimes I will do more shading then I have here.  But I want the sky to be the focus so letting that happen first.

Stage 2 sky colors block in.  With a large brush I have put in the base colors for the sky.  Slightly blended with a Badger Blender.  Will work up the sky with finer detail as we go.  Added some of the sky color to the water in front of Mt Susitna ( The Sleeping Lady ).

Stage 3 - The Sky is mostly done.  I have painted Mt Susitna and the Alaska Range behind Mt. Susitna.  Painted in the water colors and shadows.  Started blocking in the Fishing Boat and foreground.   Will definately have to cool down the forground.  But it is time to run some errands and spend some time with my lovely wife Donna.  Will get back to it on Sunday.

Stage 4 - Good start this sunday morning, cooled down the foreground.  Worked up the water to a more complete stage.   Will work the midground unpainted area next, then start on the boat.

Stage 5 - Finished. I cooled down the foreground even more.  Painted in the Midground hills.  Shifted the values so that the distance is the main focus, and the boat secondary focal point.  Adjusted the water more and did some clean up and slight tweeking.

 

My Palette - Shows my palette colors and mixing area.  Being Right handed I keep it on a cart on my right side.  Learning to keep my mixes small areas and not use more paint then I need.

 

 

Gurney Journey: Epoch Times Interview

Gurney Journey: Epoch Times Interview: "Two days ago, the international magazine Epoch Times published an in-depth interview. You can read it in German at this link to the online e..."

Denali Blue

Denali Blue - Oil on 6 x 9 Panel - I orginally started this painting in totally different colors (see prior post).   Was not happy with how it was going, so let it dry and redrew the composition and changed the colors to get the mood I was looking for.  Much happier with it now.  This is painted on a Jack Richeson panel which I had never used before so took a little while to work out how to apply the paint on it correctly.  Painted in a Sydney Laurence style of work.

Autumn Knik River

 

Autumn Knik River - 16 x 20 Oil on Panel - As you can see I toned down the "Radioactive Green" Pond as my buddy Don Kolstad called it.  I also added the foreground foliage.   To tone the water down and not loose the luminosity I mixed up a glaze of Ultramarine Blue, Paynes Grey and Burnt Umber.  I did one glaze over and let it dry 24 hours they did a second glaze using the same mix.  I am pleased how this has turned out.  After it dries some more I will get it to the photographer then to the frame shop.

On Saturday I had the pleasure of demonstrating Michael Harding Oil Paints at Blaine's Art Supply I got to paint all day in the store.  It was the grand opening for the new store, huge turnout, great sales.  What could be better.  I worked up a 8 x 10 painting and gave it to the owner Rene.  The Michael Harding Paints, were awesome to paint with, they are really high pigment loaded, and "silky smooth" to paint with.  So yes I bought some new paints and brushes.  I started a 6 x 9 painting, but was not happy with how it was going (see pictures below)  so I decided to sketch over it and change the composition a little and the color choices to get the desired "mood" I was looking for.

 

Larry Seiler's Blog Post: Aiming for Minimal Essentials

I have posted the link below to Larry Seiler's new blog post.  It pretty much sums up my evolution as a artist. Like Larry I started out with Wildlife painting and extreme detail in my works.  As I have grown in confidence as a artist I realize more  and more that you can leave out certain details and let the viewers imagination fill it in.  The skill is knowing what to leave out and how to "imply" detail.  Read his post it is dead on.  Thank you Larry for putting into words what I was unable to do.



http://larryseiler.blogspot.com/2010/10/aiming-for-more-minimal-essentials.html

Celebrating God's Creations Art & Music

The Alaska Plein Air Painters paint indoors during the winter when it is to cold to paint outside.  The Anchorage Lutheran Church allows us to paint downstairs there.  When asked to display our art with a concert they were planning we jumped at the chance.  Was a great evening of music and art.

3 Week Drought is over....ahh thats so much better

Been 3 weeks since I have been able to spend sometime in the studio and get to work on this piece again. 
Got up early and went out to the studio, started to work the water in the green pond up.  Added the darks to the water and worked in the weeds and reflections in the water, wanted the bright color in the reflection but wanted it subdued, so it would not take attention away from the main interest the trees in the middle ground.   Worked the green Alder trees in the right area.   Will let it tack up over night and then bring in the foreground trees and bushes.  Keeping in mind not to take away from the main area of interest.  I am getting real excited to see this painting finished it has come together really well - so far.  

Painting Adventures In The Rain

20 Mile River Adventure -  On Saturday Scott Thompson, Karen Mattson and I went up 20 Mile River in Scott's boat.  Despite the constant rain we figured we would take our chances and see the country and hope for a break in the rain.  After we got the boat launched and packed, I was about half soaked but a cup of hot coffee and a donut and away we go.


We worked our way up the river and took pictures through the rain.  We went up one last tributary to take pictures.  As we stopped on a sandbar, the rain let up and stopped.  So we quickly set up our gear.  As you will notice we were all "packing", bear country!   Once we started to paint the rain said "Suckers" and the real downpour started.   We gave it a valiant try but alas had to call "Uncle" and pack it up.  Karen was painting watercolors, Scott was painting in Acrylics so you can imagine how well that went.  I was using oils but had a senior moment and did not think to bring a oil primed canvas panel, instead the acrylic panel soaked up the water and the oil paint ran off just like a watercolor on wet paper.   After all these years you would think I would know better.  We had a great time, despite the lack of painting.  Great photos for future work to come.  But we promised ourselves when the weather is sunny next summer we will head up river once again.