I've been painting out at Deep Creek these past few days. It's like working in a Cathedral. I watched a salmon struggle past. It took him a couple of hours to work his way past me. He was a thing of wonder, a bit of God. A blue heron rounded the curve of the creek, and turned away in mid-air at the sight of me. I didn't blame him. A little garter snake wound his way through the water, worthy of an Andrew Goldsworthy portrait.
Every day I feel the rain getting closer, and I'm howling!
not yet!
not yet!
just one more day, I'm begging here.

three moon crab
24" x 38" oil on aluminum

We've been crabbing a couple of times this month, and I decided to paint a Dungeness before he was cooked. They are the most beautiful violet red, with yellow green and yellow orange here and there. I surrounded him with greens, both cool and warm... stars, moons ocean, sky.

 

steelhead wave moon
40" x 40" oil on aluminum

The colors were fun to figure out on this painting. I went all the way around the color wheel on the fish himself, then for the backround I decided to use both primary and secondary colors.

 

100 stars marlin
24" x 48" oil on aluminum

I had a wonderful time painting this blue marlin! The backround travels around the color wheel from yellow green in the front wave to the violet sky. The stars are each colors compliment. I kept everything the same light value to keep it secondary to the fish himself. This fellow is going to Florida, so I wanted extra bright colors.

 

three star seaside
12" x 16" oil on panel

I ran away to the beach earlier this month with my friend Shane Miller. We got to our room just as the sun was setting and I challenged myself to try to paint the color I could see after the sun had set; to paint the colors of night, before the darkness blotted them all out. This kind of painting has to be done quickly, which leaves little time to worry about mixing this or that color... I had to work quickly, and am very fond of the result. Sometimes less is more.

 

mean 55
40" x 60" oil on aluminum

This finishes up my car series, and it has been quite a challenge. I loved working on this one, I meant to work in the driveway of the fellow who owns the car, but came down with a miserable cold, the Captain's father moved in with us, and I decided I'd better work from the photos. I moved the easel out into the garden in the evenings and painted the car into a corner of my garden at sunset. I could work on this one as a lifetime project, it has been so interesting and satisfying...but I think it's time to let go. I'm delivering them all tomorrow, and I think the studio is going to feel a little empty for a few days.
We are going down south for a couple of days to visit Uncle Ted and Aunt Marianne, and to visit my friends Lane and Mike. We got the word that Mike is at the very end of his long battle with cancer. I want to go and paint there with them in Lane's beautiful garden as we always planned. I look forward to seeing everyone.

 

Suzanne's garden
10" x 10" oil on aluminum

I spent a couple of afternoons out of the house with my friend, Suzanne Kirkpatrick. She shared her peaceful garden with me.

 

seeking peace
12" x 24" oil on aluminum
plein air, Burns, Oregon

We were gathered at the Captain's brother's house in Burns. The day before was 105 degrees. The three brothers are grieving for their mother, making hard decisions about Dad's care.
They are angry, sad, beautiful, brave.

 

Corvette moon
40" x 60" oil on aluminum

 

Starlight woody

40" x 60" oil on aluminum

It was overcast most of the morning, so I took the time to draw in the backround, the beautiful forest of Spencer and Janice's front yard. When the sun burned through late in the morning I worked again on the yellow of the hood and body.

Spencer and Janice get the car out of the garage at 6:30 each morning, and I try to get there shortly after. I paint the chrome and shadow side and continue to correct the drawing until 10:45 when the sun is finally up over the treetops and lights up the back for me. I love the lemony yellow. By noon it is too hot for me, we've been having a heat wave.

ah, the fun part...I start to lay in color. Poor Spence is worried I'm painting his car green, because only the shadow side is blocked in.

finished rough drawing

I've been working on a large painting of my friends Spencer and Janice's 1958 corvette.

It has been a difficult month, with losing Joan, and everyone needing to come together to begin to let her go. It has been so good for me to have an assignment. I've really enjoyed getting up early each morning to go work.

Bob and our new baby, Lucy.

He's not thrilled, but he seems to think she's o.k.

Shane's truck, with blackbirds

40" x 60" oil on aluminum

We've had an eventful week. A wonderful visit with Shane started the week, begining my long recovery from the Rose Festival show. I also began this big painting for Heather. Shane's truck is a 52 Dodge, Job Rated, a wonderful beauty, champagne colored. She got a lot of attention in front of my house.

The end of the week has been difficult. We lost Dave's mother Joan after a terrible long illness. We are both so sad, and she will be missed, but still I couldn't help but feel glad that she has been released.

Shane calls this truck Zephyr. A zephyr is a (gentle) breeze from the west.

As I worked I thought of Joanie's fierce spirit, joining the spirit of her beloved sisters,

free,

flying like the zephyr.

I have a commission to paint some large paintings of cars from the 50's...Shane brought over her 52 Dodge pickup, and we have been having a wonderful time painting her. It's given me confidence that I can finish the other two! I'll post them as I finish.

It was chilly, so I was wearing many layers and look as big as the truck.

AN ILLUSION!

the moon is filled with unshed tears, still beautiful.

32" x 48" oil on aluminum

clear day ending

8" x 10" oil on recycled aluminum

en plein air...the vista house from chanticleer point, Corbett, OR.

I had run away from home and sat on the grass below the stone wall of the viewpoint. It was so quiet, a warm evening. Lot's of mosquitos but not biting. The people visiting the viewpoint couldn't see me unless they walked to the edge of the concrete retaining wall and looked down. Children always do this. One little girl said "What are you doing?" in a whisper, as though I were doing something magical. I felt like I was. One little girl said the same thing, louder, as if she thought I were doing something wrong. Some japanese people watched for quite a while, but I don't know what they were saying. ( There was some laughter.)

Once, after I heard a guy say "Are you coming?", I looked up into the eyes of a woman . "Beautiful", she whispered.

and it was.

I have been getting ready to be the featured artist at the Columbia Gorge Art Festival next weekend. There is a very nice article about me by Sharon Nesbitt in the Gresham Outlook this week. Check it out. article
I'm honored, and hope to do a good job for them.
I've been trying to get ready, but am having a bit of trouble settling down and deciding what to do next. I hope to spend some time in the gorge painting this next few days. Until then this painting pretty much says it all for me.


all at sea
16" x 20" oil on aluminum

Our trip to Washington D.C. was everything I'd always imagined it would be, and much more.

National museum of Native American Arts



Alexander Calder!
A very happy event was making a connection with Kristy's Uncle Don, who is living in D.C. right now. He showed us how to ride the metro, and took us to see some things we wouldn't have seen otherwise. It made us feel so connected. We had long visits, lingering over many delicious meals. We had such a good time catching up and making new memories.
He took us to the National Botanical Garden Wow!
Of course we had to see the Lincoln Memorial and from there we walked back to town, past the Vienam wall, the nurses memorial, the World War two memorial, (beautiful) and the Washington monument.

We were absolutely filled up with art, food, fellowship & fabulousness,

but as you all know

there's no place like home.

I've been away from the blogosphere for a bit, recovering from my last big painting binge...Here's some of the things I've been doing.

reading

helping build the largest tower in the world

playing hide and seek (Check out the galoshes)

painting woodwork

and my front door!

I even did this little painting. Chickadee moon, 18" x 24" oil on aluminum.

I'm leaving in the morning to go see my Wyoming grandbabies, then my daughter and I are going on our grand adventure to WashingtonD.C. to see the Smithsonion and national galleries. I'm so excited I can't stand it. I'll be home May 6th.