2 Small Paintings - using the same pallet of colors

Using the same Pallet of Colors from One painting to the Other

I started with the lower painting  6x8 Oil "Homage to the Sunset" first.  This painting is actually a reworking of a painting I did at a plein air outing I did with the Alaska Plein Air Painters last summer.  That painting was a very loose exploration into a tonalist style.  I liked what I had, but knew it needed refining,  So on a whim I decided the other day to redo it and make the refining it needed.  Also decided to add the 2 Swans.  I am very pleased how this turned out.

The upper painting came from a pencil sketch I had done a number of years ago.  I had a lot of paint still on my pallet left over from the other painting, so using the same paints I created this piece a 6x9 oil "One Last Cast".  A note of interest is that originally the pencil sketch was the mirror image of the painting, thought it would read better to the eye going left to right, so with my photo editing software I scanned my sketch and created a mirror image to work off of.  Both painting will be on my website for purchase next week.

www.kurtjacobson.com



2011 the End

The Day Ends and a New Year Begins - 2012 What Will You Have In Store For Us.

This last year has been a roller coaster ride for our family, great events and hard times also.  Makes you reflect as to what is of importance in your life.  Why we strive to become better each year with our New Years resolutions.  The older I get the more I realize what is important to me and what happiness is: Love, Passion, Family and Intregrity.

Here is a recap of the year, more or less:

• Our Grandson Joseph was in Alaska for his 1st Birthday,  what a incredible pleasure that was.
• Our Son Ryan graduated college, and was hired right away by the State Of Alaska.
• Our Daugter Christina and Cameron were married in August.  All the family gathered in the Blaine Washington area for the big event.  So much fun, we are so proud of our kids and grandchildren.
• My mom fell and broke her other hip this time, her dementia is getting worse.  Dad being 91 and slowing down himself can no longer care for her so we spent about a month and a half getting Mom rehabed and finally into the Pioneer Home nursing facility in Anchorage.
• Our Daughter Shaunna and Matt, gave birth to our second Grandson: Wyatt.  He is healthy and doing well.  I feel he looks like Shaunna a lot as a baby.  We are so happy for them.
• Art Shows and Events have kept me out of the studio most of this fall.  But sales have been really good this year, so not complaining.  Opened up a print sales shop in Fine Art America's website.  Always trying to find a venue that provides good products of my work to the public and reasonable costs.
• Work has been busy at Medical Park Family Care, wow I have over 30 years in there now.
• Justin and Felecia spent some extra time with us here in May after the rest of the family left.  Allowed us time to get to know Felecia well, great visit.  So happy for Justin and her.
• Sold 7 paintings in December to end the year. Now that was the way to close out the year in the Art World for me.  The painting shown sold it is a 20"x30" Oil on canvas, went to some very wonderful friends.  I am proud it hangs in their home.
• Donna set up her Etsy shop to sell her products and patterns.  My Daughter Christina also set up a Etsy shop and has been selling well.

Okay so now whats in store for us in 2012?

Not to sure, we have no real plans this year as to events and trips etc.  I will be taking a couple of art workshops this summer.

Donna will be teaching LOCKERHOOKING & CROCHET CLASSES at JoAnn Fabrics in South Anchorage this year.  She has been working hard designing her classes and making samples for the students to observe and follow.  She is a excellent teacher and goes out of her way to make sure the students are able to learn no matter their skill levels.

My goal this year is to help get Dad and Mom settled more.  My brother Chris and I will try and make sure we have taken care of all the finacial stuff.  It is hard realizing they are at the twight of their lives.  But they have been incredibly healthy and happy, so they have had a great lives together.  Can only hope for the same for us.

Take a look around you, see what you have and how special it is.  Family, friends that's what makes you who you are.  Take the time to tell them all how much they mean to you.

Life is short, Enjoy the time you have, never waste in anger or hate.  Those are days you can never recapture.

I wish you all the very best in 2012.  Thank you for taking the time to follow my blog and artwork over the years, it makes it all worth while for me to create pieces that will live beyond me.

Valley Farm

Valley Farm 14x11 Oil on RayMar Panel - 

Earlier in the summer fellow artist Don Kolstad and I took a drive from Anchorage out to the Palmer area.  In the Mat-Su valley we have quite a few farms.  Don and I found a spot between two farms and set up our painting gear we both did between 4 to 5 paintings that day.  We brought our lunches and spent the day enjoying the weather and plein air painting.

This painting comes from that adventure.  I had done a smaller plein air piece with out the horses.  I decided to do a larger painting and add the horses to the painting.  Took lots of photos that day so had the plein air piece and reference photos to create this painting.  It is for sale and available on my website: www.kurtjacobson.com

Lower Summit Lake Stage 5

Stage 5 Lower Summit Lake 18 x 36 oil on canvas - 

Completed the background mid hills with all the fall colors today.  Great fun lots of small strokes of broken color to let the eye blend together and tell the story.  Next will be the midground trees in the back(dark color for the moment) then work my way forward.  Had a great weekend painting really enjoyed myself and the painting process.
 

Weekend of Painting

Weekend Of Painting

Friday I painted with our Plein Air group at Campbell Creek in Anchorage, had a great time.  Then out to lunch with them, good food, great friends.  Went home picked up my wife and we drove out to Palmer Alaska to pick up 3 paintings I had in a show out there.  Also stopped and saw "The Painted Ladies" paint out set up at the Palmer Museum.  They had a large tent selling their artwork and were painting outside also.   Again a wonderful group of artists and friends.

Donna and I went out to dinner on the way home.  All around a wonderful day.

Yesterday I spent the whole day in the studio painting away.  Finished off the painting of one of our cats Maple looking out the window.  Titled: WAITING FOR SPRING.  Sometimes we forget that it is not just us humans that look forward to the snow leaving and spring coming, leaves on the trees etc., but out pets also wait with anticipation.

I also pulled out the 20x30 painting of Lower Summit Lake I had started before all our guests arrived earlier this month and got back to painting on it.  Reworked the sky and then put in the distant mountains, then had fun smearing paint and just laying in some block underpainting colors of the midground area.  Will head out to the studio today again and work on the midground more today.

Spring Has Sprung

SPRING HAS SPRUNG IN ALASKA

In the first week of May there were a few big events for our family.  In the last week of April Justin and Felicia flew up from Washington, Shaunna, Matt and our Grandson Joseph flew in from Colorado.   A family reunion for us all in Anchorage Alaska.  The weather was sunny and warm for this time of the year.  Still in the “brown” stage then, no leaves or grass yet.   Now 2 weeks later everything is popping out green now, and all the snow is gone.   We even had a Black Bear come up on our porch 2 nights ago and look in our door window.  Had to shoo him away, he was looking for food.  This is a yearly problem we have with living on the hillside in Anchorage, is bears and moose in our property.

Also on the May 1^st Ryan our youngest son graduated from UAA with a degree in Computer Science.  So we all went to his Graduation and had a party at Gallos Mexican Restaurant afterwards, family and friends.  Was a great time and the weather was sunny.

The next day was our Grandson’s First Birthday!  Joseph turned 1, how cool we got to have him here in Alaska for his Birthday.   We all went out to the Zoo in the morning then met at our house for a Birthday Party!   Joseph loved his Birthday Cake, once he found out the frosting tasted good, he dug in.  Was a blast.  Lots of pictures and presents.

The day after Joseph’s Birthday was my Mom ( Ruth Jacobson ) 86^th Birthday.   The whole family met at my folks place and went to the dining room for a Lunch to celebrate.

Then came Mother’s Day, a brunch at the folks again, Justin and Felicia were here still, my brother came, and Ryan also, so all the family was there to celebrate Mothers Day with Mom.

Now the family has all left and Donna and I are adjusting our life to back to our normal schedule.  We loved having everyone visit and miss them all very much.  At the same time we are so proud of how they all have created their own lives and careers and now have their own families.  They all more importantly are “Good People” can’t express how happy I am for that.  Now that they are home, Donna and I are back to our passions, Painting for me, Crafts for her.   Sure missed painting while family was in town, but it was worth it to have them all visit.

Next reunion will be in August for our daughter Christina’s wedding in Washington.  A busy family summer this year for us.

This weekend my brother Chris and I will go to the Kenai River and open up Dad’s Cabin for him.  The Salmon are starting their yearly runs, and we will be fishing soon.

Sunday Fun

Two small 5x7 & 7x5 paintings I did on Sunday.  Decided the skies would be the focal point in each painting.  One winter night and the other summer sunset.  In the first painting Winter Light I painted a remote Cabin and the Northern Lights.  Our artic winter can challenge the best of us, but one of the joys of winter is the Aurora light show any dark and clear night.  Always different and incredible to watch.   In the second painting Susitna Sunset 4 in the summer we have 20 hours of daylight, awesome, and the sunsets are slow and amazing.  This is the 4th in a series of them I have done, and many more to go.  Because the sun takes so long to set we have a incredible display on light at sunset.  A artists dream.

Nymph's Prayer at Wonder Lake

NYMPH'S PRAYER AT WONDER LAKE - 20" X 10" Oil on Canvas.  Finished it this morning.   Have to let it dry.  Will take another look to  re-evaluate it in a week to see if I am still happy with it.  I have had this painting in my head for over 2 years now.  My daughter Christina suggested the flower pedals (thanks Christina), that was the perfect addition to the painting.

Nymphs, Nixies are spirits of Nature, they represent fertility.  They also personify the dangerous undercurrents of the depths below.

You will need to visit Denali National Park in Alaska and take the all day bus ride to Wonder Lake, and just maybe you will be lucky enough to spy the Nymph of Wonder Lake.

At Rest - Step by Step development of the Painting.

P
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.

 

 

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.