Another Blue River painting

I have been painting with my sister Adele this week, and have been turning them out, which is good! Here is one of the best of the week so far. Two of my more favorite subjects together; the Blue River and fall colors. I took a lot of photos this fall so have plenty to work on over the winter. As my color laser printer is having some issues, I decided to get some of my digital photos printed. I tried WalMart, Walgreens and the local grocery store, but wasn't really happy with any of them. Most were too dark. Have any of you had any luck with other places?

Painting in Arizona this week

I am spending the week at my sister's house in Arizona, and when I go there, I paint almost all day, every day. She lives in a canyon and my cell phone doesn't have service there, so work doesn't interfere and I can just paint away. I have been turning out 12x16's (one a day so far) and feeling good about them. I haven't photographed them yet, as I need to look at them for a day or two to be sure there are no glaring errors. Sometimes I just don't see the mistakes until I am looking at them with a fresh eye again. Then it pops out and I wonder how I ever missed it!

Here is one I did last time I was here. I bring photos with me rather than try to paint the red rocks! My sister Adele is also an artist, and she routinely paints every day, so I just grab an easel and try not to stand in her light or back up over one of her wet paintings.

Painting after Monet

I am taking a class at our local junior college called "Painting after Monet" and it is about painting in series. I tend to do that anyway, as I get stuck on one subject and like to really explore it. My subject for this series is Buffalo Mountain, a prominent landmark no matter where you are in the county. This one was actually done before the class started and I settled on a subject, but I enjoyed doing this so decided I would like to do more. I have aobuat 5 or 6 more to do!

Finally, a new painting!

I have been off this blog too long, but I just haven't had time to paint much. Therefore, I have had little new to post. The last week I have managed to get some painting time in, and here is the latest.

This is the start of a series of paintings I will do as part of a class I am taking through our local junior college. The title of the course is "Painting after Monet" and the idea is to explore one subject matter thoroughly by painting it repeatedly, but differently. I decided that I would like to paint a very prominent local mountain called Buffalo. I chose it for two reasons; first, I am just beginning to learn that distant mountains are better painted with temperature changes rather than lots of value changes, and I thought I would reinforce that by painting many mountains. Second, Buffalo is a somewhat solitary mountain with a very defined rounded shape. That will create composition challenges. It will be good for me to have to work through and I will post them as I get them done.

Will Paint for Food! Small format show

The co-op gallery in Breckenridge that I have my work in is doing a small format show this holiday season to benefit our local food bank. We are calling the show "Will Paint for Food" and we have asked the artists to use the food theme for their artwork. It doesn't have to be a bowl of food as I have above (onions) but it could be cows in a field, a cafe scene, a sign; anything that relates to the food theme somehow. We will have prizes and also a "people's choice" award. Our visitors always like being a part of the show, and we are asking them for a can a food or $1 for each vote. They can vote as often as they like for their favorite! In fact, we would love it if they stuff the ballot box. Anyone can enter, and if you are interested, you will find the info on our website at www.summitarts.org/events. Just go to the Small Format show section and click on the "application" link for information.

What fun, a New Zealand watercolor workshop!

I was born in New Zealand. It is a fabulous little country with wonderful, friendly people and I go back there as often as possible. I have mentioned here that my sister, Adele, is an artist. She has taught many watercolor painting workshops in Italy, France, and here in the States.

She and I have noticed that no one does workshops in New Zealand. There are lots of offerings in Italy, France, England, Portugal, even Croatia! But none in our favorite spot in all the world. We decided to fix that, and she and her good friend, artist Joe Garcia are going to teach one, or maybe two, watercolor workshops in February/March 2012, about 18 months away. I take workshops, not teach them, and I am an oil painter. However, I get to go and be the van driver, breakfast maker, and chief cook and bottlewasher. I am thrilled! We will be in the North Island of New Zealand where Adele and I grew up, so anyone going will have tour guides who really know the area and all the great painting locations. Joe and his wife, Anne, have vacationed there with us many times, and know it about as well as we do.

We must have hit on a something, because after she mentioned it on facebook and her blog, she had a huge response, and we are now considering adding a second session a few days after the first one. I am really looking forward to it, and hope to spend an extra month there after the workshops are over. If you have any interest, let her know so you can get a spot. Each group can have up to 20 people, with two instructors.

After the Jill Carver workshop

I didn't come out with a completed painting! We painted every day, and I got a couple of good starts, but nothing finished. I did finish one of them today (I think) but haven't photographed it yet. The photo above is of Jill painting a cottonwood as her first demo. I met one of our fellow bloggers there. Pam Holnback also took the workshop. I enjoyed getting to know her and her husband Peter, both former schoolteachers. She did a much better job than I did of posting about the workshop as we took it, and she finished her paintings! I was lucky to get my block ins done.

The workshop was fabulous and I learned a lot! However, it is a bit difficult to see nothing but Cadmium yellow and yet paint using neutrals (greys). The color in Rico was awesome, and whole hillsides were bright yellow and orange! I commented on how orange one little patch of trees in the distance was against the dark pines, and Jill told me that it wasn't really orange, but a "peachy pinky grey". She is the master and I am just the student, so I believed her, but I sure wanted to use my Cad yellow and Indian yellow!

The second photo was taken at Trout Lake, just over Lizard Head pass from Rico, about halfway to Telluride. I loved the orange color in the mountain. In some lights it was really bright orange, and I wondered who would believe me if I actually painted it that color. They would think I was taking a little artistic license.