Before and after

I did a couple of plein air paintings this weekend in Westcliffe. They weren't particularly good, but at least I didn't turp them out. I thought I would post one here as a "before" the Jill Carver workshop, and I will hopefully post a much better one as an "after". This isn't quite finished as I thought I would tweak the fence posts after it dried a bit. I may never get around to it, as it isn't one of my favorites....maybe it should have been turped out! The two triangular shapes are too similar; I should have make one of them larger and the other smaller. Not a particularly good composition. It also needs a lighter streak of light behind the trees. Perhaps I should never have posted it, but now you know why I am taking this workshop!

Off to a Jill Carver workshop

Tonight I am in Westcliffe, Colorado, a little town in the valley between the Wet Mountains and the Sangre de Christo Mountains. I am here with my sister and another artist friend, Joe Garcia, as they have work in a show and sale that benefits the San Isabel Land Trust. Sunday I leave for Rico, Colorado, a small town near Telluride, for a 5 day workshop with Jill Carver. Jill is one of my favorite plein air artists and I am excited to be in her workshop.

I have said that I find plein air painting plain frustrating, and if Jill can't get me to enjoy it more, no one can! Telluride is a beautiful place and the fall leaves should be near their peak. I will try to post some updates while I am there. We have internet in the hotel, so I won't be completely cut off, although cell phone service will be limited during the day as we are out and about. Not a bad thing!

Peak week for fall color

I know it is early for most of you, but winter starts much earlier here! This photo was taken yesterday. We have had daytime temperatures in the low 70's and nights in the mid 30's, so the color has just been exploding! No wind, no rain....just perfect fall weather for almost two weeks now, with more in the forecast.

This is the time of year when my fall aspen paintings sell well, so I am always sure to have plenty in the gallery. One of the little 6x8s sold the other day, so I did another quick one this week. They are simple and don't take long to do, but I like to use new reference each time so I am not just copying them off. I have been running around taking photos most mornings and late afternoons so I have enough to last me until next fall. Above is one I took at Maryland Creek Ranch and below is the latest little aspen study.

Where has the summer gone?

I have managed to hike once a week and I have done two outdoor art shows. I sold some real estate (thank goodness, as that is my "real" job!) had a successful launch of the piece that was chosen for the music festival poster in Breckenridge; but did I paint? Not much! Not near enough. So I am reduced to posting paintings I did early in the year. So much for trying to paint every day. This is a little piece (8x10) called "Arnica on the trail" that I did this spring. Arnica is a yellow daisy-like flower with a heart shaped leaf. It grows in drifts, usually under pines and spruces where there is still plenty of sun getting through. They bloom in June and are one of the first wildflowers growing in large displays. I always enjoy seeing them.

I am now taking an art class every Tuesday night and should be able to get back to painting with friends on Sunday night, so hopefully I will be able to post some new pieces soon.

Another river painting (or two)

This is just a little study I did in preparation for a bigger version of it. It is only 6x8 but it really helped me figure out what needed to be important for the 16x20 version (which sold this month. Yaaay!!) I find that doing a smaller one first helps me with composition, drawing, color and anything else I need to work out. The second time through I gave the river more of a curve and emphasized the fall colors. I may have already posted it here, but here it is again. Although the second one is probably the better of the two, I prefer the looseness and spontenatity of the first one.

Some come easily, and others not so much!

"Overlook" 16x20 cradleboard. I actually haven't painted the edges yet, but I had thought I would go ahead and post it. This took me just a couple of days of 2-3 hour sessions each. I have been looking at this reference photo for some time, wondering if I should dare attempt it. It is a more complicated scene than I normally do, but it just seemed to flow off the brush. Others are a struggle, and I don't really know what the difference is. I have spent less time than this than I do sometimes on a 9x12!

I took this photo on an August hike a year or two ago. The Chamisa was in full bloom and the clouds were threatening looking, but it never did rain. The aspen hadn't started turning yet but there was plenty of color in the Chamisa. The lake is Lake Dillon and the mountain in the distance is Peak One. The town of Frisco, where I spend a good bit of time, sits at the foot of the mountain, at the edge of the lake. A nice place to live!

More autumn scenery coming up with a new show

Jenn Cram, an excellent clay artist, and I have a show opening this weekend at the Breckenridge Theater Gallery. Titled "Transitions", the show will hang for a month or so. The show title works well with my pieces as so many of them are obviously in different seasons. I have a lot of landscapes with wildflowers in summer, snow in winter, melting snow in spring, and of course, my favorite season to paint with lots of color, autumn.

This scene is a beaver pond that I saw as I was driving home one day at the peak time for fall color. I called it "Reflecting". One day I will figure out a way to think of interesting titles! My nephew, Shane Rebenscheid, calls his paintings names like "The day that Sam lost his watch" and "Covert Diplomacy". Once you see the painting, it makes sense, (mostly) but how he comes up with the titles, I will never know!

The link above takes you to his blog. Shane is a commercial illustrator, doing book covers for the most part, and now he has taken up "fine art" and is doing well. He has a great art education and it is good to see him using all of it! If you want to see his illustration work, go to blot.com (another great title!)