Rosemary Antel Daily Painting Journal

Eccentric Blood Orange

2010-05-16T16:45:00.000-07:00

Click Here to Go to Ebay Auction.

I once took a bunch of cut up blood oranges to a local potluck. I thought folks would be overjoyed to have or try a rare treat in our part of the country.

What an error! Not a single person other than myself tried any. I know that these oranges really look different and even more so when cut open. But they are tasty.

Judging books by their cover, I guess.

Heart Made of Glass

2010-05-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

Click Here to Bid on this Painting.

I was struck by the idea of a glass heart next to a piece of stone. If my heart is glass it could not just break, but shatter. The strawberry is also heart shaped, but not going to shatter. It will only dry up and shrivel if left here. So, since there are risks in both directions, why not go for it? As an artist, I know that I must take risks every time I start a painting or show a finished work to someone. Better the risk of shattering than the risk of shriveling I say!

Tiny Daffodil a Harbinger of Spring

2010-05-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

6.5"x4.5" oil
Click Here to Inquire about Purchase.

I was charmed when I was handed this tiny pot with a blooming daffodil in it as a gift. Everything about it was just right. The bulb fit the pot just so and one flower was open with a few more buds showing. So of course, I needed to paint it.

It has taken a while to finish this painting as I have been very distracted lately by the weeds in the garden and the distress of the Mason bees who used up all the holes in their new nest boxes and were going strong. Thank goodness, a friend brought her bee nest over to have some tenants. They have been loving the newly paper-lined holes and have plastered shut 4 holes when I last looked.

They pollinate our fruit as we have fruit trees, berries and a grape vine which all produce when they are adequately pollinated. Since we have lost so many of the native pollinators, these hard workers are very welcome in our garden. Too bad they don't make honey.

Bartlett Pear in the style of Meléndez

2010-04-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

6.5"x4.5" Oil on Gessobord
Click Here to Inquire about Purchase.

I keep studying the way Meléndez painted fruit. I have used some ancient stipple techniques which I learned from a teacher in Paris. I stroke paint on, then stipple it with a short sort of brush, very similar to a stencil brush. It works particularly well on on the slightly textured Gessobord. I like the look, but it takes patience and several drying sessions to finish a painting in this manner. I would not recommend it for doing a painting a day. It is just too slow.

View from Glacier Peak Trail

2010-04-11T12:24:00.001-07:00

Oil on Mounted Canvas 12"x12"

There are so many places that I have been that I want to paint. Every time I look around I see even more. I used to always carry sketchbook and watercolors everywhere along with a camera. So when I don't know what to do next, I just pull out some slides or a sketchbook and take another trip down memory lane. The small paintings I posted last were a warm up for big. I just finished a large larch painting from the references I gathered during a week I spent in Little Yoho, Canada a while ago. At least I think it is finished. I have to spend a little more time studying it for itchy places. That is how I know when a painting is finished. No more itching. Trouble is, as I relieve one itch after another, new ones suddenly pop up.

I get obsessed with mountains and seeing the Brothers and Constance with fresh snow makes me want to paint more mountains. Seeing the tulips in full blossom makes me want to paint tulips. Seeing the interesting people around town makes me want to paint people. Too many options! So I started another pear painting in the style of Meléndez. But as it is still in process, I am posting this painting for your pleasure this week.

Hi tech, Hi touch, Virtual Reality Studio Visit

2010-04-04T16:53:00.000-07:00

A recent adventure led to a way for you to experience a 360 degree 3 dimensional view of me and my studio. You can mouse side-to-side, up and down and see it all. It takes a little while to load, depending on your connection.

Click Here to Visit my Studio.

No preview, I am sad to say, but I think you will enjoy it. The paintings sitting around on easels are drying. You know, it takes a year for an oil painting to dry thoroughly and they must be exposed to the air to dry. The oil reacts with the oxygen in the air, creating a tough polymer, that expands as the reaction progresses. Most of these were finished in the last few months and a few were recently repaired after some rough handling took off a tiny patch of paint on several works.

Repairs are so much easier if you use a set palette for all the work. It is much easier to match the patch when you know what pigments went into it.

I just wish that the new lights that had been installed the following week had been in place when the Virtual Reality Photos had been taken. I have so much more light now.

I have 2 other paintings in progress, so I have a lot of paint to watch drying. I use this time to scrutinize my compositions for little itchy places. If it feels like it needs scratched, I know that there is something bothering me about one or more of the painters' tools used in creating composition. Color, value, edges and design are the most frequent culprits. So I sit with the newbie and wait for it to tell me what it needs or ask someone to look at it and tell me what bothers them. Fresh eyes see so clearly.

Little Yoho Golden Larches #1 and #2

2010-03-28T14:49:00.001-07:00

One of the most wonderful places on earth at the best time of the year. I spent a week there in September in the Canadian Alpine Club Hut, painting watercolors and taking photos. One of my fondest memories. I had also spent two weeks in this park in another summer and remember the mosquitoes. Otherwise, a very beautiful and spiritual location for any artist.

Gros Ventre Camp View

2010-03-21T20:27:00.001-07:00

Click Here to Inquire about Purchase.

I sat in the campground and painted some plein air landscapes. This winter, while looking through my old photos, I thought the big cottonwoods would make a good subject for a little painting on copper. I have a very warm spot in my heart for cottonwoods. They were prominent several places I have lived and they perfume the air when in bud or shedding leaves.

Mushrooms for the Meal

2010-03-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

Available

I love little bowls to leave a tea bag in or to organize the ingredients for a dish that I am cooking. The way the dish hangs over the column says mushroom to me, so I put mushrooms in it. They turned out to be a bit harder to paint than expected. That just made them more fun. Had to hurry though, as they wanted to dry and shrivel on me. These became part of a beef cannelloni mushroom stew that was even better than I expected. Twice the fun!

Alla Prima Plein Air at Walter's Part 1

2010-03-10T17:16:00.001-08:00

Yes, I have been busy getting this little show ready for our neighborhood hangout. It will be up March 1-30, 2010 and exhibits landscapes painted rapidly on location.

The Scoop at Walter's
6408 32nd Avenue NW
Seattle, WA 98107
206-782-3920
Open 6:00am-7:00pm daily except Fri and Sat open until 8:00pm

Alla Prima Plein Air at Walter's Part 2

2010-03-10T16:29:00.000-08:00

Pepper Pair

2010-03-07T19:21:00.000-08:00

Available
These peppers are really just too perfect, but they sure tasted good. It is hard to find organic peppers and they usually don't look very different from the regular peppers. The apples and pears almost always look different.

The advantage of painting food is that you get to eat it later. Sweet, crunchy and fresh, hard to beat these peppers for taste appeal as well as eye appeal.

Apple Realist Original Antel Daily Oil Painting Day

2010-02-28T18:45:00.000-08:00

Available

Okay, okay, I confess. I went out and bought a 6 hair brush after I painted this apple and could not make any brushes that I owned make the little tiny dots I wanted on the apple. I have always thought such tiny brushes ridiculous, but I now I know they are essential for tiny paintings with tiny details.

Have I succumbed to the disease of "The only thing keeping me from painting like ________ is that my brush is not as good as his?" Perry Acker disabused me of this idea years ago when he said that a really good watercolorist could make a good painting using a piece of rope for the brush, and then proceeded to show us the worst brush we had ever seen and proceeded to paint superbly with it. But I am a firm believer in good equipment and materials making life easier.

What is really bad is the price of a 6 hair brush is about the same as a 50 hair brush. You really don't get much for your money! But then maybe it takes special skill to make such a tiny brush.

Really Seeing an Organic Pear

2010-02-21T20:01:00.000-08:00

Sold

Another lesson from the Spanish Master is that organic fruit is more interesting. Fruit in his paintings show blemishes from surviving insect attacks. Why is this more interesting?

Imagine this same pear cast from plastic of a uniform color. The only variances in color and texture would be those created by the lighting. Then imagine that the pear was sitting on a highly polished block of metal, which in turn is posed in a setting of mechanical uniformity, such as machine made paper.

A painting of such uniformly featureless objects would need interesting reflections of the surrounding room to enliven their surfaces. The painting would become a very different statement, eliciting very different emotions from the viewer. It is all a matter of the artist's intent.

However, I regret that I did not include something highly polished in this painting, just for contrast. The wood is somewhat shiny, yet distressed, so I guess it will have to serve as the shiny element.

What do you think? I believe that a painting is completed in the viewer's mind, so I can never know exactly what this painting communicated to you. I welcome your comments.

Lemons, Still Learning After All These Years

2010-02-17T11:44:00.000-08:00

SOLD

I just finished reading Luis Meléndez, Master of the Spanish Still Life, and it really excited me to see ordinary items painted in such a manner that were more real than a photo image appears. This is the catalog for a traveling exhibition that will be at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston January 31-May 9, 2010, if you should happen to be in the vicinity. I wish I could see it.

Making realist art is all about seeing, and this catalog has a wealth of high quality reproductions as well as photo macrographs and micrographs along with x-ray and IR images. It is very scholarly and informative covering the artist's life and methods of working. I learned that this artist specifically chose items for his still life subjects that were of varied and contrasting textures. So I chose a lemon, a tiny dish and a block of rock for a range of textures. I set them up on an old piece of wood with a fabric background.

This 6.5" x 4.5" work was an even more challenging subject as I had just finished a 30" x 40" painting of a fisherman in a river. Enjoy.

Sheep and Olive Trees in Portugal - Oil on Copper

2010-01-31T21:51:00.000-08:00

Click Here to Bid.

I remember the sheep on the farm in the summer baaing to each other on the hillsides as the sun went down. I loved the sound. Those sheep had cropped tails, though. The sheep in Portugal had long tails.

I think my fondness for sheep came from being chief bottle feeder of orphan lambs that didn't get adopted. That was fun too. I must confess that I am very fond of sheep cheese, especially with membrillo. Although I have never milked a sheep and think it hard enough to milk a cow,I have made membrillo paste as a young girl on the East coast where we had quince trees. There is nothing that smells as wonderful as ripe quince. Memories...

Azure Streak and Bainbridge Island Gets the Sun

2010-01-24T17:30:00.000-08:00

Click Here to Bid

How strange to see this intense azure streak on the Bainbridge Island side of the sound. It seems to be a reflection of blue sky that we can only just glimpse a bit of, at least that is my guess. I was intrigued enough to want to paint it. The water was pretty flat, no sailboats out, but a dark cloud had just sailed over us here in Seattle. When you live near water, all sorts of weather happens, often fleetingly.

I feel this work is more abstract than representational, hence, a more abstract stand. In fact, this is my favorite meditation piece as it seems so calm. What do you think? Have you seen this kind of light on the water before?

Puddle Original Oil Painting on Copper Sheet

2010-01-17T19:25:00.001-08:00

Click Here to Bid.

I love dirt roads, but not when they are dusty. They are at their best when damp but not muddy. I have spent a lot of time walking and driving these roads in many places. They intrigue my interest and make me wonder what would I find at the end of the road?

I have found many treasures to paint along or at the ends of dirt roads. Growing up in the mountains, I was more at home with these roads than the interstates. Now I live in the midst of pavement and must drive a while to find an interesting road. So perhaps they are better in memory than in actuality.

Hilltop House Original Oil Painting on Copper

2010-01-10T19:25:00.000-08:00

Click Here to Bid.

It is the quality of light and the shapes that move me to paint something. I love the light on houses that have a simple shape.There is just something so solid about the shapes revealed in this way. The trees of winter are a different proposition. Without their leaves, they are less solid and more of a challenge to paint without getting into painting every single branch. There are some artists that will paint every detail, but I am not one of them. I only wish to paint enough to let the viewer complete the idea for themselves.

Once again, I have shown the painting in two very different lighting situations so that you can get more of an idea how the copper gleaming through the semi-transparent oil paint changes with the light.

This particular stand is my very favorite as it looks like a rocky outcropping on the hillside.

Dawn in the Spring Fields Original Oil on Copper

2010-01-03T20:30:00.000-08:00

Click Here to Bid.

Can a painting look this different under different light? Yes! If you view this painting on copper by morning sun, the copper gleams pink from under the pale blue gray oil paint. When viewed by lamplight, the colors are more muted. I love this effect of mutability in a painting. It captures more of the reality of the light on the land. In the early spring, the air is cold, but the light is so warm as the sun rises. When the sun is higher in the sky, the light grows colder as the earth warms. I think that is magical.

These Skagit fields often have tulips or daffodils in them. Sometimes they are left fallow, other times they have a vegetable crop in rotation. Every year is different.

North Douglas Island Waterfall 6" x 6"

2009-12-27T18:04:00.000-08:00

Click Here to Bid.
Southeast Alaska is the land of waterfalls. This one on the North end of Douglas Island is a beauty in any season. The biggest problem is where to stand to take a photo.

The copper under the painting reflects the light and changes the colors depending on the light source. The variance between these two photos shows the painting in pink evening sunlight and under an incandescent desk lamp.

Lombardy Poplars Tonalist Oil Painting in Desktop Stand

2009-12-20T20:09:00.001-08:00

Click Here to Bid.

I have always been attracted to the windbreaks made of rows of Lombardy Poplars. They delineate the farmers fields all across the US. The fragrance of leaves in the fall is one I will always remember from the bus stop where I waited as a child. What fun to kick our way through the drifts of leaves!

Calvert Island West Beach

2009-12-13T20:58:00.001-08:00

6" x 8" Oil on Copper sheet on Birch plywood in a Birch Stand
Click Here to Bid.

This wild Pacific Beach on Calvert Island is one of the prettiest I have seen. But everywhere there is evidence of storm waves running over the island. Well worth a visit if you get a chance. There is a great fishing lodge on the island that is accessed by float plane. Otherwise, visit by boat.

Hereford Cattle on Lopez Island Desktop Painting

2009-12-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

Click Here to Bid.

I have had an interesting time painting these petite paintings. In the tradition of Dutch Cabinet Painting or Religious Icons, these are intended to be viewed at an intimate distance. They serve as a sanctuary of the natural world, a meditation focus far from the madding crowd of holiday shoppers. A place of retreat, regrouping and decompressing.

Log Crossing Painting a Day on Copper

2009-11-29T20:02:00.000-08:00

Click Here to Bid

I have the fondest memories of wandering through the woods as a child, playing in creeks and crossing the water on logs. Trails made by hunters and trails made by game were all fun to follow. Some trails were deliberately laid out and were shortcuts from point to point on roads like one from our house to near our school. Others were made by dogs that ran from house to friend's house or walked to school with us or came to school to meet us when school was out. (They didn't follow our trails when they roamed by themselves.) There was so much to look at during all seasons and hours of the day. We were never bored. May you all have interesting trails to follow!

Alaska Inside Passage Painting a Day on Copper

2009-11-22T20:46:00.001-08:00

Click Here to Bid

Busy days this time of year. There are fun things to do and chores to do. Painting is fun, framing is a chore. These little stands for the small works are Arne's contribution to relieving me of the bulk of the framing effort for them. I do apply the copper strips around the edges, however, and put a coat of varnish on the back and the copper as well as the painting.

I think the next big painting will be another mountain. I do love the mountains and glaciers and the alpine trees and other flora that goes along with them. Everything has a rhythm to it. Daylight, seasons and creative effort ebb and flow like tides.

Big Leaf Maple in Autumn

2009-11-15T19:16:00.001-08:00

Click Here to Bid
I love to walk the woodlands in the autumn. The smell of falling leaves brings poignant memories of my childhood. After the rains start mushrooms litter the ground, some barely visible and others gemlike, a few rather ghostly in their pallor.

Hardy cyclamen pop up along with the hardy amaryllis and autumn crocus. The camellia sasanqua Hana Jiman is begging to have her portrait painted. But the rain is falling hard and beating the blossoms to pieces.

I have just finished a medium size painting of the peony Festiva Maxima on a 22k gold leaf background that you will see in my December Newsletter this year. It received a lot of attention at last night's art walk. Now I need to figure out how and in what style to frame it. I have spent several months working on it, as it is a rather complicated composition.

The large painting of Hibox and Alta Mountains is nearing completion. Now for the delicious opportunity to decide what I will paint next.

No Trees were Killed!

2009-11-10T12:27:00.000-08:00

I was talking to Arne, complaining that I just didn't think the mini copper paintings I did were best viewed on a wall. I liked them on a table near a window or under a table lamp, somewhere where the light changed. This maximizes the effect of the painting on copper. As the light changes, the reflective effect of the copper changes the painting. I love that.

To display them that way, I needed some small stands of some kind, to hold them up. I asked "Could you make me something like a little easel?" He replied, "Let me think about it." He asked me for an example of what I was trying to display and I showed him this tiny 6" x 4" original oil painting on copper. After a bit, he went out to his shop and came back later with a prototype of a stand for this work. Thus started our collaboration to make unique works of art.

He knows I love the natural world and the beauty of the trees and all the other natural features of our surroundings. He loves solving problems and making things. He scrounges wood from neighbors who are pruning their trees and seasons it, so that he can make things out of it. So this is how he solved the problem.
Click Here to Bid

Would like to see more of these natural treasures displaying tiny paintings of nature? I will have some at my next open studio, 6-9 pm, November 14, 2009. My studio is number 2A in BallardWorks, 2856 NW Market Street, here in Seattle, WA.

The entrance is on the uphill side of the building, directly into the second floor. There are 2 floors of artists' studios above the the businesses, Art and Soul and Sev Shoon.

I am posting this work on ebay, so it will not be for sale at this event.

Painting Progress Report

2009-06-05T09:30:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a series of 6 larger paintings in my studio, so the daily paintings have been sadly neglected. I still do my little studies in watercolor and pencil for the larger work, but they are for my own use so I rarely show them to others.I have finished the 24" x 24" works for the moment and am about to start another 30" x 40" work on canvas. I wish I could work on copper on these larger sizes, but copper plates that large are just too heavy. There is nothing like painting on copper for sheer joy of watching the brush leave gorgeous marks.

I complained all winter about the cold damp weather inhibiting the paint drying. Now I am complaining about how fast the paint dries. It was 91 degrees here yesterday and just too hot to think straight.

It is also time to publish my June Newsletter. I am hoping for a cool spell so my computer will behave. Without air conditioning, my computer (and I) get ditzy at 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Scoop at Walter's

2009-05-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

This is a view of part of my paintings that are currently hanging at The Scoop. 20 out of 26 have not been shown before. I have had a number of folks stop in for coffee or ice cream or just to see what I have on the wall. You have through the 30th of May to see my work there if you have not made it yet. I am interested to hear what you think about the show.

I encourage you to take a break and enjoy my views of the Ballard neighborhood, if you have not all ready. I have been hearing the music of the ice cream truck, so it is time!

American Classic House

2009-05-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

I have been sorting through a number of plein air oil paintings that I have done on location to put together an exhibit titled "At Home in Ballard". It is on display May 1-May 30, 2009 at The Scoop at Walter's, my local ice cream and coffee shop. They serve Snoqualmie Gourmet ice cream, by the way, along with with coffee, tea and fresh squeezed lemonade, etc. Their hours are 6:00am-7:00pm M-Th, 6:00am-8:00pm F&Sa, 7:00am-7:00pm Su.

This exhibit of scenery in and around Ballard includes oil paintings of classic houses, flowers, waterfront, boats, the Locks, 24th street dock, views found in an alley, under a bridge or in a backyard. These locally inspired color-rich paintings express my love for this great neighborhood. Can you recognize the views?

Finches on Snowy Smoke Tree Daily Painting a Day

2009-04-06T20:31:00.001-07:00

Oil on mounted canvas 10" x 8" or 25cm x 20cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay.

We thought the snow was gone, then a sudden fall of large, fluffy flakes started and didn't stop until there was a fluffy coating on everything. It did not last long.

If you don't like our weather, just wait 5 minutes and it will be different. Today was gloriously warm and sunny. Now the weeds are taking off in the gardens and we are all trying to catch up on weed patrol. A few cherry trees in protected locations are in full bloom and the rest will pop as soon as we have several more warm days. I must check to see if there will be Japanese music concerts in the Tea Garden of the Arboretum again this year. I really enjoyed them last year when the cherries bloomed.

Red Velvet Cake Daily Painting a Day

2009-03-25T18:58:00.001-07:00

Acrylic on Gessobord 4.5" x 6.5" or 11.4cm x 16.4cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay.

Life is strange. I had not heard the words Red Velvet Cake since I lived in Millbrook, NC. I was in Larson's Bakery, deciding what looked good enough to paint when I saw this slab of Red Velvet Cake. Who would have thought to find this way out here. I thought this was a delicacy found only on the tables of innovative home baker's in the Southeast or maybe at a potluck or cakewalk in a church basement.

A recipe I once saw for this cake called for powdered cocoa and a whole bottle of red food coloring. I don't know if the recipe has been updated. If I had not read this, I would have suspected the colors were from beets. I wonder if that would work? I will have to give it a try. Kind of like carrot cake but red? Maybe with walnuts and Cream Cheese frosting?

Strawberry Tart Sweet Daily Painting a Day

2009-03-18T19:27:00.001-07:00

Acrylic on Gessobord 4.5" x 6.5" or 11.4cm x 16.4cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay.

I remember the first fresh strawberry pie I had. It was the most wonderful combination of sweet pie crust, fresh strawberries covered in a red glaze topped with whipped cream. This little tart has a cookie dough crust brushed with chocolate and a dollop of Bavarian cream under the fresh berries which have a clear glaze. I added the whipped cream as gilding on the lily. Yum!

Almond Tart Sweet Daily Painting a Day

2009-03-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

acrylic on Gessobord 4.5 " x 6.5" or 11.4cm x 16.4cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay.

Another delicious dessert from Pauline's in Ballard. Every cook turns out works of art in food, but some are a lot more interesting to look at than others. Food should please the eye as well as the palate while providing nutrition.

Meringue with Chocolate Sweet Daily Painting a Day

2009-03-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

Acrylic on Gessobord 4.5" x 6.5" or 11.4cm x 16.4cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay.

I have succumbed to sugar. There are a wealth of new cookie shops, bakeries and restaurants about and they are producing lovely to look at and super to taste delights. This was from a new place in Ballard, Pauline's. Silky white meringue dipped into dark chocolate is beautiful as well as tasty.

Eyeing You Daily Painting a Day on Copper

2009-03-07T09:54:00.001-08:00

Acrylic on Copper 2.5" x 6" or 6.4cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on This Painting on eBay.

The frankly staring male gaze has an impact all its own. I am finding that eyes are really a lot of fun to paint. Every geometry is different and along with the differences in coloring, there is a lot to challenge an artist. Of course, sometimes colored contacts confuse me, but I am enjoying these challenges, exercises in seeing.

Barn Cats Washing up After Breakfast

2009-03-05T09:42:00.000-08:00

Acrylic on Gessobord 8" x 10" or 20cm x 25cm
Click Here to Visit Masterworks 2009 site at Gallery One, Mentor, Ohio.

Every Year I have been painting something special for the Masterworks show at Gallery One. It has been a real privilege to be included in this prestigious exhibition.

I painted these cats from reference material collected at my Grandfather's Farm. I spent many happy days there as a child and always loved to watch the barn cats when they got their breakfast. Of course, a vigorous bath was necessary after the milk poured over those who got their head in the pot at the first sign of the warm milk breakfast. The colors and types of cats varied depending on what had been abandoned at the farm by folks who no longer wanted their cats or kittens.

Eyes Right Daily Painting a Day on Copper

2009-03-04T15:36:00.001-08:00

Acrylic on Copper Sheet 2.5" x 6" or 6.4cm x 15 cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay

As I look at eyes around me, I am struck by how seldom women look directly at someone. Just too confrontational, I guess. Eyes either to side or downcast. Am I wrong? Is there some other message in the indirect gaze?

Dark and Handsome Eyes Daily Painting a Day on Copper

2009-02-24T20:02:00.001-08:00

Acrylic on Copper Sheet 2.5" x 6" or 6.4cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBAy.

More eyes to watch for. Or is that watch out for? Why paint eyes? They are so varied yet made up of the same basic ingredients.

Copper Queen Eyes Daily Painting a Day on Copper

2009-02-23T14:26:00.000-08:00

Acrylic on Copper Sheet 2.5" x 6" or 6.4cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay.

I have had a lifelong fascination with eyes. There is something about the look of them, or the way they are gazing that continues to amaze me. I find myself staring at eyes to the point of rudeness sometimes. So I thought I would have some fun and paint a few for a change.

Inside Passage Daily Painting a Day on Copper

2009-02-16T09:50:00.001-08:00

Acrylic on Copper Sheet 6" x 8" or 15cm x 20cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay.

One of life's most fantastic experiences has to be cruising the Inside Passage on a small ship. Take your time and really explore this beautiful region. The scenery is ever changing and very wild for the most part. This painting was done from a sketch I made while on the M/V Snow Goose from Bellingham to Prince Rupert.

West Beach

2009-02-03T09:25:00.001-08:00

Acrylic on Copper Sheet 6" x 8" or 15cm x 20cm

This was an experiment trying a new media combination. So I used a slightly warped board for this and now am sorry as I really like the way it turned out. Why is it that the experiments are sometimes the best work? Perhaps it is because I relax and just paint rather than over analyzing what I am doing and have more fun? Just another mystery of life. After this is thoroughly dry, I will put it in the freezer for the temperature shock test to see if it will survive shipping okay.

Headland Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2009-01-28T09:48:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay.

The beautiful wild beaches of Canada are exquisite for beach walking. So much beauty yet so much evidence of Nature at her wildest and most changeable. The storms that come in across the water can be so violent, but when the sun shines, the sand welcomes bare feet.

Pruth Bay Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2009-01-24T22:25:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay.

Waiting for paint to dry seems to be my fate. I think I just might go back to painting in water media. At this time of year, they dry faster than the oil does. But then, all media have their strong points and their drawbacks and so much depends on the artist's intent as to deciding which media will work the best.

After being blessed with sunshine for a number of days, we are back to the rain pattern. But the spring bulbs are beginning to show their leaves and the buds are fattening on the trees so I know spring will be here soon enough. I plan to enjoy the coziness of winter just a bit more before then.

Nordic Blue

2009-01-23T21:48:00.000-08:00

4" x 6" Acrylic on Arches CP watercolor board

I have been working on my taxes and that always wrecks my painting schedules. So I have painted something a little different to amuse myself. I love eyes, the windows to the soul and I want to paint a series of eyes. This is the first of the series and these are the eyes of the resident troll of the house. I will post more copper paintings later when they are dry.

Twilight Ocean Beach Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2009-01-17T11:06:00.000-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15 cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay.

This is another painting from reference material I collected in Cape Cod a few years ago. What a beautiful place! I really enjoyed my time there, walking the beach and absorbing the essence of the sea.

Salt Marsh Daily Oil Painting on Copper

2009-01-13T10:48:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay.

I love to hold these copper paintings under a light on a dimmer switch and watch how the image changes as the illumination changes. It is just like watching dawn or twilight. Of course, that means that I need bright illumination to take a photograph as well. This is a challenge in Seattle, so I have moved to putting these on a scanner. Much easier!

This particular marsh is on Cape Cod, from references I collected when I visited there in 2004. It is an especially beautiful place and so accessible. We have a lot of salt marsh here, but you need a boat to see much of it.

Blue Water Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2009-01-09T10:29:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay.

Just before the snow fell, I was walking up to the bluff for the view out over the water and saw this striking color. There was an unreal intensity to the blue of the horizon on the water. I studied it for quite a while as I wanted to paint this unusual effect. The color persisted as long as blue sky was over Bainbridge Island, so I assume this was a reflection of that blue sky. Whatever it was, the sight nourished my soul and raised my spirits by the beauty of it.

Island Shore ------ Sold

2009-01-05T22:40:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

Finally I can come back to the blog. I have been working frantically on a painting that had to be sent off today. Of course, we have had wretched weather with cold, dark, snow and no light to photograph my paintings let alone paint them.

I really much prefer daylight to paint by and the days are getting longer and longer now very rapidly. Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!

Nocturne Beach Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-12-31T10:37:00.000-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBAy.

The mysterious moon is a powerful influence on the shore. The tides are driven by the moon, making the sea so much more alive and ever changing. Flotsam and jetsam, kelp, sea creatures, shells and driftwood are all gifts left by the tides, sometimes reclaimed by the tides. Walking the ocean beaches in winter really is the biggest treasure hunt of all. I am looking forward to doing that sooner rather than later.

San Juan Beach Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-12-27T16:27:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay.

Another day of dreaming of the summer beach. After all this snow, I really should be painting snow scenes.

Enough, I say. No more snow for now. There are still 8-10 inch piles of slush around. Not nice at all outside. Give me some nice clean rain to wash all the dirty slush away. Then, if we could have some more of the lovely clean white stuff, that would be okay as it lights up so beautifully under the city lights.

Rocky Beach Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-12-22T10:32:00.000-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay.

Winter Solstice has come and gone and now the days will get longer rapidly. I am looking forward to more sunshine. These winter storms that dropped the 10 inches of snow kept what little sun we get from reaching us through the clouds. There is a little bit of blue sky today, so I am hopeful for a blast of sunlight on the snow. That will be a treasure to see with the snow laying thick on all the tree branches. The contorted filbert has turned to a mass of strangely interwoven sculptural shapes.

Silent Watcher Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-12-19T17:55:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting.

The perfect perch for an eagle watching the shore. Such a fine, tall snag, this one had multiple perches to choose from. Rather unusual, I thought as I watched the sun slide behind the islands.

Snow Melt Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-12-17T15:57:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay.

Out at Eagle Beach in Juneau, Alaska, there is a little picnic area with some very pretty rocks and trees by a pond. When I just had to go somewhere in the spring, this was a good destination. With only 40 miles or so of road, there weren't too many choices. I often took photos here or sketched the late winter beauty of the place.

Brrrrrrr!

2008-12-16T18:19:00.000-08:00

I guess I am getting soft. It really isn't all that cold outside. Just in the 20's at night and 30's during the day, but I am really feeling it. I suspect the fact that I really haven't gotten my winter clothes out may have something to do with it. We have had such a balmy (though rainy) fall that I have forgotten to get out the wool, hats, scarves and mittens along with the winter footwear. I better do it soon.

Last week I was looking at blooming primroses in the yard and bulbs coming up, now they look like they have been frozen and thawed several times because they have. I moved the little fig in a pot into the garage, but was I soon enough?

I will have a painting ready for tomorrow, I promise, even if I paint wearing gloves.

Young Tree Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-12-15T17:32:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay.

What a glorious world we live in. The morning began with clumps and masses of snow on every branch and twig. There is no sculpture that can compare with the shapes of snow on tree branches for complexity and interest. The ancient cherry tree across the road has massive dark limbs that have been pruned to unusual shapes. The snow laid on them like frosting accented them in a very graphic way. Then a glossy black crow posed on one to provide just the accent the scene needed. Last night the waning moon shone so brightly on the new-fallen snow that the night was more like day. I would love to capture it in paint, but I needed sleep.

Waterfall Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-12-12T10:31:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay

Waterfalls have always attracted me. The sight, the sounds, the freshness in the air create an engaging environment. Southeast Alaska has a multitude of waterfalls with its steep terrain and high rainfall. They are all beautiful in their own ways, falling like silver threads hung from the ridges of the mountains or tinsel on a Christmas tree. Norway has similar waterfalls adorning the mountains. I long to spend more time chasing waterfalls and less time on the minutiae of daily life.

Sitka Logs Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-12-10T15:27:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay

Where they are logging the old-growth timber in Southeast Alaska, it is not uncommon to find logs 3-6 feet in diameter. Some of these end up on the beaches from time to time. There used to be a pulp mill in Sitka, and big saltwater yards of logs, so the beaches always had logs on every little island around there. They are some of my favorite things to paint.

Dreaming Tree

2008-12-08T21:05:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

The trees along our shores often have the most interesting shapes. I believe it is a result of the storms they are exposed to or the high winds. Also, it is only some species of trees that can tolerate or even require the special conditions of the salt shore. Sometimes they are inundated with salt water, other times it is only salt spray that lashes them. Sometimes they are drenched with rain for day after day and other days they are desiccated by intense sun reflected from stone or sand and drying winds.

In response to such shaping forces they develop idiosyncratic postures and attitudes. Sometimes the shapes are achingly beautiful. The shapes can also be contorted and bunchy to the point that the tree looks more like a bush and as such loses its tree-ness. Trees are fine beings to contemplate.

Water Drainage

2008-12-05T18:38:00.000-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

The magical valley of the Skagit River is incredibly fertile land and as you can see from all the drainage canals between fields, it is well watered as well. When you see the water in a ditch it generally means that is the level of the water table in the area. For growing crops that is wonderful because it acts like subsurface irrigation. However when we have a lot of rain or warming in the mountains that suddenly melts a lot of snow pack, the Skagit floods all these fields, leaving behind sediment. If it is only a little sediment, no problem, but one year, there was as much as 6 feet of sand deposited on some areas of fields and all the fertile soil was buried too deep for the crop roots. I watched as some farmers brought in huge bottom plows that could turn the buried soil up to the surface again and other farmers loaded and trucked sand to dump elsewhere on their property other than their best land. This was a genuine disaster as this farmland is some of the finest in the country and a huge proportion of the frozen peas in the US are grown here and many other crops are grown here for their seeds for the seed companies. There are also orchards, berries, grains and bulbs grown here. Snow geese and swans overwinter here, eating the winter barley or wheat.

Quiet Contentment

2008-12-04T22:23:00.000-08:00

If only I could be as easily happy as a well fed cat with a sunny window to sit in. The human condition seems to demand more effort from us to find happiness than just sitting in the sun, watching birds fly by out of reach.

I find my happiness in working towards goals. I have not been setting as many goals lately. I have been trying the cat method of happiness, eating well and sitting in the artificial sun of my computer screen. But you know what? It gets a bit boring pretty quickly. But I will just have to put up with a bit of boredom as I must get my December newsletter published and sent. It is a big job and takes a lot of computer hours to get there.

As usual, when I can't paint is when I have all the great ideas for paintings, so I am writing them down in a sketch book for later inspiration when I can get back to the paintings.

Hill Top Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-12-03T20:48:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay.

This farmhouse was at the top of a little hill in Wisconsin. The leaves had already fallen from the trees and blown to where fall leaves go in windy places. The October sun was low in the sky and rather thin where it shone. Cool, growing cooler, I would say. The days were still pleasant enough to enjoy a little exploring of the lovely farm country of rolling hills and hidden ravines.

Rainy Day Thoughts

2008-12-02T16:33:00.000-08:00

The best place to be on a rainy day is in the Inglenook. If you have one, that is. The next best place is next to the kitchen stove, especially if food making is in progress. Since I have no Inglenook, I will settle in the kitchen and watch a pot bubble or keep an eye on whatever is in the oven. I sit and read my art books while sipping tea at the kitchen table waiting for the next step of cooking projects.

It is warm and cozy in the kitchen, and the light is brighter here, or at least seems so. My memories of my mother or my grandmother in the kitchen are treasures to me. I can summon their presence back with an odor of baking pie or bread. Best of all, were my mother's sticky buns. No one could ever match those.

I would sit at a table and shell pecans so that she could make a batch of buns for our next day's breakfast. She would have them all set up in the pan and raised in the refrigerator, ready to pop into the oven first thing in the morning just so we could have them warm from the oven for breakfast. How she spoiled us all.

Night Stalker Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-12-01T16:27:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on eBay for this Painting.

Night is a very different experience away from the city. The night sounds are different. Frogs instead of sirens, although that does not mean the absence of danger. There are night stalkers about.

The sky is so much larger in the countryside. The moonlight is often bright enough to see to walk down a path or road. And when the moon is dark, the Milky Way is almost as bright where the air is dry and crystal clear.

I especially remember once walking by starlight in Portugal in October. The sky was like a basketful of diamonds thrown across a velvet cloak. The air so cold and clear that night, the stars shone steady without a twinkle and the Milky Way lighted my feet.

Head in the Clouds

2008-11-30T12:56:00.000-08:00

I awoke this morning to sumptuously thick fog. It has persisted way past noon, unlike a typical autumnal fog. This must be a low-lying cloud. So all morning, I have been walking around with my head in the clouds. I feel like I am on a mountain top and all the surfaces are spangled with dewdrops. The smoke tree is particularly resplendent.

I sit at my window and marvel how clear, rich and saturated the colors are for the first 10 feet or so, then rapidly become less and less saturated until about 200 feet away there is only gray. I love fog and foggy days, though I am glad I do not have to be out driving in this. But as an artist, there is so much to learn about color and perception on days like this.

Now, I can just see the disk of the sun enough to locate where it is. This is the kind of day I love to paint. So as I work at my chores for the day, I keep taking time to sit or stand in front of a window and memorize the moment. My head is in the clouds, but my feet are still firmly planted on the earth.

Moon Glow Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-11-29T16:59:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay.

Memories of evenings on the beach. The grill is going and the kids are asleep on a blanket. All is quiet and there is just enough breeze off the water to chase away the mosquitoes. It just doesn't get any better than this.

Coasting?

2008-11-28T18:45:00.000-08:00

What does coasting mean to you? How about traveling by a small boat along a shore to get somewhere? I have done a lot of that in Alaska and enjoyed seeing all the sights. But today I am writing about the other meaning of coasting, moving along on stored up kinetic energy. That is what I am doing with the daily painting as the holidaze is interfering with my painting discipline. There are only so many hours in the day and I am working on some larger works in my studio now. So there is less time to paint the little ones. (Besides, someone had to bake the pumpkin pie!)

Someday I am going find one of those materializer machines that I can smack my forehead against and whatever is visualized in my mind will be created instantly and come out a big chute. Until that happens, I am limited by what my hands can produce. And that means that not all my visualizations are created. Some fall by the wayside and others are postponed. Those that are the tastiest to me usually go to the head of the line and are created next.

Paintings can be luscious as pie. Thick, rich, vibrant colors and varied textures are good enough to eat. Meditative landscapes are as refreshing to me as a cup of Spring Dragon green tea, which I consider the perfect accompaniment to a sweet dessert. So I invite you to get your cup of tea and coast through some of my earlier posts and enjoy them.

Sunset Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-11-27T10:29:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay

As you may have noticed, I am painting a lot of dawn, twilight and nocturne paintings lately. I have always wanted to explore the subtle colors of these times and the copper lends itself so well to the colors. The warm skies are the result of a thin layer of a pale, neutral blue-violet stroked very thinly over the reflective copper, so that depending on the viewing angle, the color varies.

I love blue violet, the color of the wild violets I found in the woods as a child. It is almost gray, almost blue or almost violet, depending on the lighting. This color is even more beautiful when seen against the orange pink of pure copper. Combined with the greens of vegetation, I am using a triad of the secondary colors, orange, purple and green.

If you have visited my website, you know that I love orange, my favorite color. It is strange, but my favorite color used to be green, but after living in areas of gray skies for years, I found myself drawn more to orange, especially the rich red-orange or burnt orange as it is sometimes called. This is a color that throbs with vitality. It is the color the sun takes on as I watch it sink behind the screen of the winter twigs of the nearby birch trees in winter. It is the color of free range egg yolks or pyracantha berries in the winter yards.

Day's End Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-11-25T15:57:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay

In the northern latitudes, night comes very slowly and late and doesn't last long. Wonderful days for camping and exploring. I expect this, and am dismayed when I visit areas closer to the equator and the sun sets suddenly, with little time for twilight. It gets dark way too fast and conversely there is little warning for sunrise either. Dark one moment and sunrise the next. I prefer the hour long transition from first gray light to the full sunlight.

Beach Logs Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-11-23T18:32:00.000-08:00

Oil on Copper sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Bid on this Painting on eBay

Logs never stay on local beaches too long. They get cut up for firewood either for fires on the beach or at home. Most of the logs show signs of a saw now. Many have escaped from rafts or barges in storms. They have two sawn ends. The battered remains of whole trees are those who have fallen into the water from shore either on the salt water or in a river that drains to the sea. They have roots and/or broken ends.

I love the wood and the textures that result from the grinding on rocks and sand in the surf. It is fun to look for interesting small sized pieces of driftwood for the garden or crafts.

Rain Shower

2008-11-20T18:41:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

It was a blustery day as I stood in the fields painting the tulips. My easel was blown over several times. I watched huge clouds sail into the mountains and dump their loads of rain. I was so glad that the rain was over there instead of right here.

Cormorant Cove

2008-11-18T17:55:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6"

These diving birds are very common all over Puget Sound. They are a lot of fun to watch as they fish for their meal. When not fishing, they sit around and wait for inspiration to do something else. I would rather paint them than the seagulls who are always around the shore.

Excuses, Excuses!

2008-11-17T18:50:00.000-08:00

There is no photo today because I couldn't photograph my latest work while the sun was shining. I just am not happy with the photos made under artificial light of the copper. I don't get as much glow.

The sun was shining brightly on Saturday. However, I was at the Toastmasters International Conference, learning to be a better public speaker. It was a wonderful event and the educational sessions were especially informative.

Sadly, it was the first day in some time that was actually sunny here. Maybe the sun will shine tomorrow?

Beach Stump

2008-11-16T18:26:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

There are so many beautiful islands in Puget Sound. It seems that there is a painting waiting in every direction. How to choose when surrounded by such beauty is the real challenge. Whether you travel by boat or by car, this land is full of the peaceful beauty that makes me want to sit a while and contemplate.

Ancient Tree

2008-11-13T10:11:00.000-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

I am drawn to trees with character. Those who seem to have weathered the storms of life and have stories to tell. I found this one when I was out plein air painting in the Arboretum. I think children have swung from the branches and adults have wished they could. It seems so welcoming with its wide open arms.

Moonrise

2008-11-11T18:05:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

That period of the day when the sun has set but the sky still has a pink glow is my favorite. The colors are muted and shifted to the red. Often the breezes have died down and the birds either set up a chorus of chatter or grow silent. Dark slides across the land and gradually the lights appear as signposts of humanity. The moon rises and may even be bright enough to see by in a rural area with few other sources of light to affect our eyes. At such times, the moon holds my gaze.

Mt. Baker

2008-11-10T10:21:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

The San Juan Islands offer many views of our mountains. I especially love the contrast of flat water with vertical peaks. It seems the epitome of our terrain in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.

Dawn

2008-11-09T10:37:00.000-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

Watching a sunrise through a fence line of trees, I was struck by how the tree branches formed spaces like the windows of a Gothic cathedral. Beauty is everywhere and inspires us all. Celebrate every sunrise.

Poplar Windbreak

2008-11-07T16:57:00.001-08:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

After much more experimentation, I have settled on a system to produce panels to paint on. It has been another large learning experience, but I now have a system.

Now I must get back into the groove of producing the paintings. The weather is gloomy now with heavy black clouds prevailing. I miss the sun, especially when photographing the paintings. I prefer daylight to photograph by and it has been so dim lately that I must do my photos at noon for enough light. It is the famous Seattle weather pattern.

Watching Paint Dry

2008-10-24T20:30:00.001-07:00

Thanks to a miscalculation on my part, I am reduced to watching paint dry for who knows how long. I won't go into the details here but the cold and damp weather are influencing my ability to convince the paint to dry. We have lost our sunshine and with it the easiest way to encourage drying. Ah well, it is the season.

So I am going on a two week vacation to allow the paint to dry before I start posting and eBaying again. That way, surely the paint will be dry before I need to start handling the paintings. (I hope)

So please come back in two weeks or so to see the latest work.

Driftwood -SOLD

2008-10-23T14:54:00.001-07:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

Logs in the water are a real navigation hazard in the Pacific Northwest. There are so many trees washing down rivers with every flood or falling over a wave-cut bank. Even with the beaches being scrounged for firewood, you can usually find a log to sit on and watch the sunset.

Leaning Tree - SOLD

2008-10-21T19:13:00.001-07:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

Evening on the water is a symphony of light and color. The evening sun reflecting on the rocky headland glows and the sky is a shimmery sort of pink. The water is nearly calm and reflects the sky where it is flat.

The Shed

2008-10-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

Farms always have a collection of outbuildings. The form follows function, so is usually a clue as to the purpose. Sheds allow items to be stored closer to where they are used or to keep poisons and flammables away from the curious, whether man or beast.

I had a horse once who could open any latch that he could get his teeth on. Most gates and even barrel latches were easy for him to open. Of course, the large amounts of time available to worry the latch made it possible for him to figure out the new ones. He never went anywhere when he got out. He just came up to the house to talk although there were times he let other stock out that had more wanderlust than he had.

West Point - Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-10-19T17:57:00.001-07:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

One of my favorite painting spots is behind a supper club. There is often band music in the background. This evening, a saxophone was playing as the sun went down.

Pathway - Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-10-18T17:40:00.001-07:00

Oil on Copper Leaf 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

This quiet scene is the essence of fall. Golden leaves in heaps waiting to be picked up. I love the smell of the poplar leaves and was delighted to find this path fragrant with their perfume.

Waiting - Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-10-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

Oil on Copper Sheet 6" x 8" or 15cm x 20cm

There is something about water that is very soothing to a troubled soul. I have often gone to sit near some body of water, watching the waves, or the ripples caused by fish or insects or frogs. Almost hypnotic, the patterns of movement wash away my cares. Some things are best in solitude. Perhaps that is the allure of fishing, just another way to watch the water.

Farmhouse - Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-10-16T18:19:00.001-07:00

Oil on Copper Leaf 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

I love the houses that dot the farm country. They have a simple elegance and functionality that you don't find in suburbia. I usually find a windbreak of evergreen trees planted nearby, as farmers are attentive to the micro-climates of the land.

Valley View - Daily Oil Painting a Day on Copper

2008-10-15T17:34:00.001-07:00

Oil on Copper Leaf 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

I have spent many hours wandering around painting and photographing the Skagit Valley farmlands. They hold my interest with all the changing seasons and crops making views like pieced quilts in earth shades and greens with other accent colors.

Riverside Daily Oil Painting a Day-SOLD

2008-10-14T13:45:00.001-07:00

Oil on Copper Leaf 4" x 6" or 10cm x 15cm

Our rivers can be real rip-roaring torrents in the spring or when we have a sudden warm spell in the winter that melts the snow. Even large boulders go rolling downstream and logs batter the bridge supports as they careen towards the Puget Sound. The shallow quiet low water of the fall seems to be a place of peace, disturbed only by the fish.

Low Water

2008-10-13T20:31:00.001-07:00

Oil on Copper Leaf 6" x 4" or 15cm x 10cm

In the fall, the rivers drop to their lowest levels, exposing all sorts of debris we don't see at higher water levels. This is the time to look for artifacts on the river bank or interesting rocks, or even a little gold panning in some streams. Who knows what treasures are to be found? Just watch out for rusty fish hooks!

Planting Time

2008-10-12T18:33:00.001-07:00

Oil on Copper Leaf 4" x 6" or 10cm x 15cm

The summer crops have been harvested and the fields have been planted with the winter grain. It will soon be up, providing vivid green in the autumn landscape. When the snow geese arrive, it will be just what they are looking for.

Sunflowers Daily Oil Painting on Copper -SOLD

2008-10-11T10:27:00.001-07:00

Oil on Copper Leaf 4" x 6" or 10 cm x 15cm

Up in the Skagit Valley, behind a farm produce stand heaped with pumpkins was this field of sunflowers. It was way too much to put in one painting, so I edited out the foreground. Maybe it is still a lot for one painting. I am not sure. Perhaps I will try this one again without the barns and vehicle.

Sunflowers are wonderful to paint in closeup. They are such sturdy flowers with stems like tree trunks and large, shapely leaves. The seeds are tasty as well.

Fall Mist Daily Oil Painting on Copper -SOLD

2008-10-10T14:29:00.001-07:00

Oil on Copper Leaf 4" x 6" or 10 cm x 15"

So often in the autumn conditions are just right for the morning air to be heavy with water, misty, even a very fine light rain, yet with the sun trying to burn through. These are the days I cherish for the unique lighting effects. Fortunately we get a lot of this in Seattle.

Red Barn Daily Oil Painting on Copper -SOLD

2008-10-09T15:11:00.001-07:00

Oil on Copper Leaf 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

Red barns are a wonderful counterpoint to the green of pastures and woodlots. I love to have the ready made complementary color scheme in place before I start. Now I have a confession to make. That barn was a weathered gray when I saw it. When I painted this little painting, I felt the colors were a bit blah, therefore I painted the barn red.

Apple Blossoms Daily Oil Painting on Copper -SOLD

2008-10-08T21:00:00.001-07:00

Oil on Copper 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

I went up to the Skagit Valley to paint tulip fields but was distracted by the tree in full bloom. A true embarrassment of riches. Beauty surrounded me in some of the most fertile soil of our area.

Granma's Flowers Daily Oil Painting on Copper -SOLD

2008-10-07T19:00:00.001-07:00

Oil on Coppper Leaf 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

Picket fences always remind me of my Grandmother. She raised a huge variety of flowers all around the house but she insisted on having a fence around the whole yard with the gate always kept closed lest a wandering cow or other 4-legged critter ruin her work. Sheep are especially bad for loving the taste of roses. Goats will eat all of the garden and even climb the trees to get to the tree leaves or fruit. I can remember getting a real scolding for tearing through the gate and not latching it securely on my way from the barn up to the house. She could survey the whole of the kitchen garden and back yard from the kitchen porch and caught me in the act.

Rocky Shore Daily Oil Painting on Copper -SOLD

2008-10-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

Oil on Copper Leaf 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

To me, rocks, trees and water are the magic three for a landscape. I relish the vertical trees contrasting the flat water and the rough, solid rocks contrasting the transparent airy sky. Life and art are all about contrast. Without contrast, it would be pretty boring. I can't see light unless I see dark, or color without knowing greyness. I can't live in peace unless I have known turmoil.

Mown Field Daily Oil Painting on Copper -SOLD

2008-10-05T18:48:00.001-07:00

Oil on Copper Leaf 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm

When young, I spent hours on a Farmall Cub mowing. I kind of liked to see the end result of neatly laid down grass. I love the smell of drying hay but never liked the itchy neck from working in the hayfield.

Rainy Spring Daily Oil Painting on Copper

2008-10-04T20:33:00.000-07:00

Oil on Copper Leaf 6" x 6" or 15cm x 15cm
Click Here to Purchase this Painting

Nothing better than the rich but subtle colors of trees budding out in the spring. I grew up in the mountains and thought dirt roads were the normal roads. Only super highways were paved in my mind. The best part of the dirt was the puddles. I loved to watch the water splash up as we drove through them. The roads were single track except for passing places every so often, so we honked before driving around blind corners. More fun for a kid. Honk, splash, honk, Look out for that deer!