From a drawing to pastel

Earlier this summer, I did a large drawing from a photo I took of my Nephew and his dog, Sage.    He had just brought a few head of cattle from one of the ranches to the other.   It was late fall, and sun was  getting low.     I wanted to do it again in Pastel----and I thought I would think it over for awhile. Also, learning  to paint in Plein -air was pretty much on my mind this summer!   I finally chose a piece of Moonstone  Canson  to try and paint the scene I wanted.  I may again try it on Uart----I am not sure.   I thought I had turned to the smooth side for my work,  it actually seemed that both side had a texture, so I decide not to worry about it and began.  I worked on it for about 4 days, and today I deemed it done.    In evaluation,  I am not sure of it.   Good to have this experience, tho and I may do it again------maybe even in watercolor.    I have a lot of other reference shot to work on as well, of scenes like this on the ranch.    Here is today's effort.

I call it "   Paying the help"   and its a small moment between the cowboy and his best help, his dog.   It is a full sheet of Canson,  which is a good size.   

Studying about creating from Photo's

Value plan

I  have been thinking a lot about how to keep painting when it gets cold, and to stormy using photo's.  And have been reading articles from pro artists on how to keep that "special" idea that you want to show your viewers in your artwork. The reason why you took that particular photo--or made that particular plein-air painting.  In other words, what it was that drew you to
"That"  in the beginning.  Sometimes it is something you see, like when out walking- - - but sometimes its an idea, and you need landscape ideas,or lighting, or some other information to support your ideas or themes.  When painting from photo references the temptation is great to copy every detail, no matter how much is needed or not, to convey your first feeling of the scene.   Its hard to get past this!  Editing the scene, using what you need to impart your concept is truly an artistic past time- - - and we need to think in order to get it down as we want and feel.   So, toward this goal, I thought using a value sketch would help me to eliminate, understand values, and pin point what is needed to convey my idea.  Also, I was playing with making my own grounds again,  So using an already used 140 lb. watercolor paper, 9 x 12, I gessoed both sides.  When dry, I placed acrylic  Matt medium mixed with pumic on one side, and let that dry.   Then using a photo for references, and water soluble graphite pencils in 2b, 4b, 8b,  I drew in a scene, reconstructing the photo a bit.  It was a back-lit rock, and aspens on a hillside looking toward the sun.  I wanted to show what a sunny spot it was in the forest of pines, then you walk thru an aspen glen.  So, I tried to meander a pathway thru it.   Here's the value plan, using the pencils, then using a watercolor brush with water to paint it down and hopefully get values that makes sense!  It does look OK, I thought.  Now for the color part!!  Knowing your values are supposed to help you with color-  So the next step was to use my pastels, and just go over the value sketch with color that best tells the story-----time of day, light placement and so on.  This is what I ended up with.   Its not great, but an interesting little project i gave myself.I hope it reads well, and it may jump start some other works.  Anything you do is good for learning, and often opens many doors.  Just drawing a landscape with pencil is  difficult!  Really.  I have been working at it for a few years now, and often feel I don't see much growth.  Still, a very worth while passtime, and I do feel it helps my outdoor paintings.   And seeing in an artistic way.

Woodfords Canyon , effort for this year!

Ok,  this is my painting from this morning.  I have done this before, not exactly from the same location but similar I guess.  This is a huge canyon that hwy 88 runs up on its way over the Sierra Nevadas to the California Gold Rush country.  You could also get to Lake Tahoe this way, then go over hwy 50 to the gold rush communities.  This is the southern pass thru the Sierra Nevadas'  the pioneers took  as they tried to get to California and a better life.  This is where the small community of 'Woodfords is, and the west fork of the Carson River runs to the left of this field.  We have cattle here in the summer, but they had shaded up for the day under the trees.

I have had trouble getting this painted in the past and am not sure what about it I really wanted.  I love the meadow, and the trees in it are very big---but that looming huge canyon you see in the background draws my attention most of the time.  I like the contrast of the dark blued Mt. on the right compared to the huge rocky pinkish-orange one on the left.  Both are plenty high---and rocky.  The old timmers sure had a big job ahead of them when they started out across these mountains and must of been so amazed and happy when they made it to California!  This is plein-air---2 hours today, between 8 am and 10 am---on 8 ply matt board coated with PVA ,  and pumice, and the drawing was done with a dark nupastel, washed with alcolhol and let to dry.  Then the colors of the morning were put on as best I saw them.  It sorta catches the place as I wanted to I guess.   I will try this when it snows this winter!!

Hike with my sister, and her grandaughter (and 6 dogs!)

This Saturday was sorta fun!  My sister and I planned a hike, a short one, on the same trail that My artist Friend from Reno and I had gone horseback on earlier this summer!  I wanted to share with my sister, who wanted to bring her grandaughter and we had a great time!  We carried backpacks, and took our dogs, plus my son's dog, and all together we had too many dogs!  They are well behaved, and we went early so didn't really run into to many other people.  We were home by 1 pm, so , even tho it was quite a walk, it was a Saturday when many others tend to sleep in, and do things late in the day.  It was windy, and just got windier!  In the A. M. tho, not as bad--the closer we got to the afternoon it got so windy, up to 45 mile an hour wind gusts.  Here are a few shots!

This is my sister, her dog in front, Kate, and her grandaughter with her dog at her side.  My sister carried a very full back-pack!  Too full.  And this is her crossing a log over a deep stream.   There was a lot of water in this area, and the lakes here are great.  I lost batterey in my camera after about 8 shots, so I can't show you the lakes!  Sorry!  I will go back and try again!   We got to a nice lake, where my artist friend from Reno and I went, and had our lunch.  The wind was getting wild and blowing across the little lake making ripples.  But there are lily's on the water with yellow flowers, and huge granite rocks around the lake. My friend, Carolyn, took this picture of me when we were there:It was a much quieter day as far as wind went!  And so beautiful.    After lunch, my sister and her grandaughter went for a short hike on the rocks, and I settled in to do a pastel.  I wasn't to sure of the outcome, so I did a sketch in my skecthbook, then choose a mid-grey canson, taped to my board and used my lap.  I sure did miss my easal, but we had a hard time carrying what we did manage to carry!  We are used to going horseback, truly, hiking is different for me.  But fun, I will do it again!  Anyhow, I drew in my comp. with that purple #244 nupastel and located the darks and shadows, then washed with alcolhol.  When dry, I used the local colors I was seeing over that.  I did n't get much for the water of the lake as the wind was blowing and making ripples and no reflections.  Every day is different, and I will be back to try another one.  Here is my effort of this day:

Plein-air again- with a friend!

A friend from Dayton , Nevada came out this past Wednesday to plein-air in Pastel with me. That is always so much fun.  She worked at painting the whole day, I could only go for the morning.  We drove out to Hope Valley to try and do the river.  A full on river scene is something I haven't felt confident enough to try.  There are plenty of opportunities around here so I knew that one day I would.  This was so difficult , and I hope to do many more after having worked thru this one.  Of course, the sun kept climbing and as it did, there would be more of the sky color reflected on the water. And the breezes would blow, making little ripples and changing things! Boy, what an experience tho and I can't wait for another try at it!

I have been painting upstairs in the old ranch house that is the main part of this ranch and where my fella grew up, and his father before him, and grandfather before that, both being born right here in it.  It is taking me a lot of time, prepping and painting and all, but so worth it.   Tomorrow is a day off for me tho, and I will hike and plein-air.  See you after that with what ever I am able to paint!

I also want to say, my friend from Dayton brought with her some wonderful pastel paper--Clairfontaine Pastelmat, and gave me a peice to use.  I had white, and I did a Nupastel value sketch of the scene I wanted to try, and washed it with alcohol--then did the colors I was seeing over that.  I cropped the sky out as the river was enough for me! and a fisherman walked down , which I make to look like a lady I think! Oh well. 

New plein-air on a cloudy morning.

I went out yesterday morning early with an oil painter friend .  He loves to paint en plein-air and does a wonderful job---I am lucky to be able to go along.  He wanted to go to a high mt. lake off the Monitor pass hee in our area, so off we went.  Both of us were disappointed today,, tho, as it was a cloudy morning and no bright sun light to cast any wonderful shadows.   Big clouds all thru the sky and us right under them.  We walked around the area, its a nice place---lots of possible paintings.   Have to admit tho, the flat light causes close values, and a lack of interest ---we choose to give it a try anyhow.   I feel it was worth the experience, although I had planned for a sunny day as they mostly are this time of year!!  I had a 9 x 12 sheet of canson on my board in a med. Pink color.  I like that sometimes.   I drew my planned comp-onto the paper with Nupastel #244 which is a purple, and washed it with alcohol.   When dry, I finnshied the painting with the colors of the day I was seeing.   Not to excited about the comp----but the method worked well.  I am glad I went  and can't wait for the next adventure!

Summer Aspens in Hope Valley

It has been a while since I have put a plein-air on my blog, but I have been going out non the less.   Just have not been to successful lately!   So, I did force myself to use my sketchbook and do the nolans in it, and thumbnails instead.  I have always believed if i do this, and get better at this, my paintings will also get better.  It helps distill the scene for you, and you get what you want onto your painting. soon, it only takes a few minutes to do this step, but for now, it does take me awhile.  Yet, it does force me to look, and to see, and to think of my composition more.  Many almost pieces were done, but paper not wasted as I washed them off , and will use the paper again!  That is one pleasure of using good artists quality tools.         Yesterday was a beautiful    Sunday, wonderful in the early morning, and with 5 dogs , and my sister to help with the dogs, and haul my stuff we once again went up to Hope Valley.  Its about 20 minutes from where we live, and the early mornings are so wonderful----no people, and we have it all to ourselves!     There is the remains of the old hi-way, 89, running thru the valley, going up to Luther Pass and on to Lake Tahoe, so we walk down it.  Its great, so quiet, and its right on the valley floor, a very small hwy.  You can imagine the old cars on it from the 20's, 30's and 4Os's.     Found a great spot with a small bunch of summer Aspens in the sunlight,  grasses and bushes everywhere----This is just one possible scene that beckons you to paint it!!  Evenings are just as wonderful here, with very rich color.   Wild flowers abound, wish I could paint them!     The far mountain was in direct sunlight,  I hope it reads well.   I can not wait to go back and do more!!  My car isn't running well now, so I have to figure something else out!!!  

"COW DAYS OF SUMMER'--where I will stop. . . . .

This is where I will stop.   I will leave this on the board in plain site in the kitchen, and as I do my chores and cook, I will catch a view of it once in a while.   That way, things that are not right will jump out at me-----and more subtle things that may need to be change will all of  a sudden be noticed.   You can see the texture of the board, made with the PVA glue, acrylic Matt medium, and pumice.---I like this texture for some things and thought it may work for a field of summer grass.   I can not believe its almost August!!!!  It was so hot today, and we were sorting cows and taking them to other pastures, with another small batch  of calves to brand in the morning --EARLY!   I am so hot right now, just dripping wet and its almost 8 pm!   I get up at 5:30 each day and just love that.   Soon, I will be plein-airing again!!!  Maybe Sunday morning, I hope so.         And I also saw a wonderful place to try a afternoon plein-air----it was amazing.   Maybe I will go and sketch there first, and plan a point of view, or something.  At least get familiar and watch how fast the light leaves.   I am already excited!!    Often for me, the subject is the light,   as it touches something---or how it feels to be there in that particular light.   I can't really explain it, but its something I have always felt--.  And I wonder......Should I frame my cow?   I think I will just let her sit awhile as I think about that.  There is always a period of time after having done a painting, that we, the artist, just fall in love with it and can't see where it may need something.  That's another reason to let it be for a while---maybe you will see it differently in a few weeks.   Just my thoughts here.

Where I got too today!

I  began early this morning as its so much cooler in my old garage working place.  I tried to think my way thru this, to get the right color and value with out covering all of my underpainting.   The old Grumbacker's are sure nice to use on this hard surface, and I plan to finnish the ground with the soft Terry's.   I still have her face, and eye to do---and face-shadows.   The calf in the distance is fairly finnished----I need to think a lot on the ground work----I mean the foreground shadow----and the whole ground cover, including strokes!!!!  So until tommarrow  A M  I am at this point.

The first block-in

This is the first block-in Layer.   I don't want to loose the sun-lit effect that the underpainting helped to set up.  I need to go slow and think, and not loose site of the light I see in my mind's eye.  I want the distance hillside to appear hazy  with sunlight, like when you squint yours eyes and look toward the sun.   The edge of the cows hips should be hazy also, going into the sun, and that edge should be a " Lost" edge.   The calf in the background gives a dark shape in which to show off the cows white head, even tho the side of it is in shade.   Also, that calf is black---but I want some hints of other colors, like blue--purple--showing up   , in the correct value.   The foreground and field  are the flat planes of the painting, and are being hit by sun, so should be light in value.   Foregrounds are hard,  grasses should be acknowledged   - - - - but how much?

So, I will stop here for the day, and think carefully about color.   It will be hot in my OLD  garage studio working space,  I can only use it early in the day or in the evenings.  As I get up early, evenings are hard  . . . .  I am tired by then!!!   Oh well.   It will actually go fast.

Working on this surface so far is fun.  I don't want to comelelty cover my underpainting- - - this is some of what I am trying to learn!    I have been reading a book by Caroline Jasper, who studied with Henery Henche, who studied with Hawthorne.  So interesting!!!!  All of us should give this a careful read,  And push the way we think.

Also, the little gallery reception was fun. Lots of travlers going thru, and gave me a chance to meet other artists.  Very nice work is being shown, and mine will be there until July 31.   Then its home again, with me trying to LEARN  MORE!

Cow (not dog!) days of Summer

I  have finally made a choice about how I was going to plan this painting.  With the cow already drawn as a value drawing, plus the size I wanted the next things to consider were : Background- color- light- support-and method.   Actually , maybe this isn't even the right order of things.  Support is important, because then the way you do it is easier to figure, or picture in your mind.  But, then, as you picture the outcome--and how you can make that happen, the light-source needs to be considered.  I was lucky with this one, tho, as we know.  It was, is summer, and the light is bright and warm----so its important to use the right colors to show just how good that sun feels in the A. M.------Maybe I think to much. 

So, using a large piece of 8 ply-matt board coated with Gesso on both sides-   then when really dry, coated on one side with PVA glue and pumice  seemed like an interesting way to go.   I then got my drawing onto the support, and used watercolor for the underpainting.  This is like a map, if I stay within the right values, I should be able to get the 3-D effect of the cow--plus show the sunlight hitting her red coat,  and her hapiness at being there!   Just an idea. I do plan now, to finnish her in pastle, with a very sunny obscure background.

I haven't been out plein-air latley, we have been moving cows around from one pasture to another, as the summer grasses begin to go.  Everything is irrigated real well, but some pastures are farther from home and now ready for cattle.  In the fall, we will have little "drives" to get each bunch closer to home for the winter.  Tonight is a small rececption at the little gallery I have some artwork in.  The town is very small, but qutie a tourist destination, and the lady who open the gallery just this year asked me to try it out.  It will be an experiance for me,  I guess.  Sharing is always fun, and visiting with other artists really enjoyable.  I love seeing all their work, and seeing what each is up to.   Selling my own hasn't been a concerne as I feel I come late to the party and have a lot to learn and experiance.  I am not sure Of even my own style yet, or what I love to paint most.   I know I do love Plein-air, and learning about that.  I also love all animals,  and learning about compostion which best expresses what I want to show.  This part is the kicker!!   Oh well,  I will carry on.

This A. M.---back at Plein-air

Out in the front Yard.. 7-8  a.m.

I thought I had an appointment today to help an artist friend who lives nearby.  I wanted to paint, and thought I would try a small plein-air to see if I could!!  The Morning light across the Carson Valley is amazing at times.  The sun just coming over the distant mountains seems to have a hazy yellow cast as it goes up to a soft blue sky.  The far mountains are so blue!! Especially toward Carson City, to the north.   I sat my easal up in the front yard, under a huge spruce tree that was planted about 100 years ago, and yes I know who by and approximately when!  I didn't finished the fence in front of the metal grainery----ran out of time----and was mainly trying to match each color out there as I saw it.   This is on Canson paper, pink, and mounted to an archival board.  This is a favorite scene, and so I will be doing it again, in different ways.    I hope I am back again with the every morning plein-air!!

Learning art and Life!: New Plans----

Learning art and Life!: New Plans----

www.wetcanvas.com

New Plans----

 These last 2 weeks I have been going out to plein-air regularly,  in fact everyday!  I have many sketches in my sketchbook, and many on-site notes drawn.  Trying to solve the many problems before I spend 2 hours stumbling thru with all the wonderful colors!   My friend from Dayton was here on the 9th, and we drove to Charity Valley , which is above our well known Hope Valley on Hwy 88.  We spent a wonderful around 3 hours, after walking around and looking at the scenery, on our paintings.  It was great, no one around except mosquitoes,  a great place to work with log tables for our stuff, and we drove right to it!!  Still----maybe too wonderful, if you know what I mean!!!  All that amazing spring green!!  I have to re-work my effort, Or toss it!!

So, the next day, I was out again very thoughtfully looking at the landscapes before me and making sketches in my sketchbook.  AND  re-reading John Carlson's book, which, by the way along with Edgar Payne's', are the best books for explaining all the things you go thru learning to Plein-air paint!!!!!   The above cow is from a photo I took of our cattle in the meadows at the Diamond Valley ranch.  She is a Hereford.  Well, some of her,  She really is a cross-bred with a lot of Gelvhich, too.

So----back out there doing skethes and planning places to set up my easal for actual work.   Oh----one of my plein-airs sold this weekend.  I have  a few in a local gallery.
They are small---about 7 x 12---and matted nicely, but not framed.  It didn't sell for a lot, of course, but its incouraging!  I bring the remaining works that don't sell home on July 31st.   Its a good experiance, and the first time I have done this!!  Well---back to the drawing board!

Happy 4th---and recent art ideas

The recent holiday, the 4th, was a long and busy one.  No art was done, all though each morning, after feeding the calf, (Lucy)  I did look for good plein-air spots.  I drew in my sketch book, did not paint, and in general hunted for nice places to take my friend from Dayton when she can run away to paint with me.  Its good practise, tho, to use your sketch book.    Family came to enjoy a B.B.Q---and  a lot of fun was had by all. I did work on a watercolor that I have been thinking about doing.  These flowers bloom each year along the road ways here, and I have been taking pictures of them I was told the name for these poppy-type flowers is "Cowboys eggs"  now, this may just be their nick-names.   They are very happy looking flowers, and do look like sunny-side up eggs.  The sun filters thru the petals with a lot of color when they are back-lit.  Here is a picture for you to see.

And this is the water-color I managed to get done.  I am doing this again, and hopefully planning the darks, and negative spaces better.  It was fun to do---I use a lot of water, and sometimes use a plexiglass board to paint on with my paper completely soaked.  This one was done on dry paper, stretched, then re-wet with a lot of water.   I need to get back into watercolor----but the pastels are just soooo much fun.   You can use them in so many ways, on so many different surfaces for so many different looks.  I guess you can watercolor, too.  I am also interested in Gouache painting.  Did I mention my horse is getting fat?? (Maybe I am , too!)

June at Hope Valley-

 Today  I was up early.  Its supposed to be about 98 today, with afternoon Thunder showers coming over Lake Tahoe.  We live just below the lake, and I wanted to go up to Hope Valley today so I thought I better go early as I could.  Fed my Calf, who seemed to enjoy the early milk , loaded the dogs and took off.   Its so beautiful here, and the greens are really  apparent now!!  Hard to figure how to control them.  I have been reading , of course, and found some older pastel journals that have some great articles in them.  I could see how much painting with Albert Handell had influenced Richard McKinley's work in the early 2000's----amazing---and read his thoughts as he took this journey to where he is now.   I will really miss a great clinic this September!!!  But I will paint any way.  Today , While I enjoyed where I was and will go back---I don't feel I got my self around the scene the way I wanted.  First off, I choose to paint a far mountain that was being hit by the morning sun coming up in the East.   Not many shadows, but still, I tried.

                                                        

This is where I was looking----Next time I will chose a more up close scene.  I did use a viewfinder, but held it too close to my eye to get the large scene.  Better selection next time!!  There is just so much you are overwhelmed!!This is my painting.  I really tried to simplify the foreground, and also to show the farther mountain to be cooler, but still hit by light.  And the foreground mt.  is warmer   and is not showing the true colors in the digital photo!!  That's so frustrating!   I don't understand how to adjust and get the correct color when this happens.   At least I was out there , and home by 10  am!!!  Hauled some hay, feed some horses, and now for my lunch!   It was fun, but I need to do more, much more, and much better planning!!! The dogs had a great time , chasing squirrels,   and trying to swim in the river---Which is very HIGH  by the way!!  NOT SO HIGH last june when I painted the dog playing in the water, trying to fish!!    He was having so much fun.

Woodfords canyon from the meadow--plein~air

Woodfords canyon

Today I was up early again, and headed for the meadow we lease .  I walked down thru it, with the dogs, just looking around.   I thought I saw a composition I could maybe do......so I went and got  my things and set up with the river running behind me, under a nice tree.  Very cool, and very beautiful.  I did a small thumbnail.....but I must not have given it a great deal of thought still.   I did only one, and we are told by the pros to do always at least 3!!!  Take heed, folks, they know what they are talking about! I worked for about 3 hours, and today used Canson paper in a grey tone, sorta med-dark.  I was just thinking, ( well , not hard enough)..... When I was three, I went back to the house , and found an old Pastel Journal from 2003.   There are two articles in there that really are worth the ink and paper they were printed on!!!  One is by Margot Schulzke, and the other , of course, by Richard McKinley. I propped up my effort  across the room, and began reading.

Margot 's article was titled  "Simplify, Simplify, Simplify"    and brother that's a mouthful.   I thought I did.  Of course I did not.   I did get my large shapes, 5 of them.  But when I worked on this,  I added more and more.  Also, I sure could of thought of "Composition" a lot more.

I should of figured out what was essential for me, about this scene-----and began editing.  I should of thought about a lead-in,  an area of interest, and the value plan.......As Richard McKinley says  "  Putting Everything you see into your painting is like trying to write using every word in your vocabulary"   I do this  all the time and it never works!     These two articles are so well written, and they were right in front of me at a time I really needed to re-read them!!!   The out doors is so BIG.  So much out there, and I need to slow down!       But I do have  a plan now----and I will be out there, in this location until I get what it is I want!   Plus a lot of what I don't want I have a feeling,  But oh well.......that's what learning is about.  

Last of this winters Snow!

Raymond Peak from Airport

This morning , after feeding my 2 calves their bottles I again loaded up the 4 dogs and drove out to look for a great spot to Plein-air.  I had noticed a lot of good spots to explore while driving yesterday.  After stopping a huge dog fight on the front seat of my car, we headed for the Markleeville airport.  Its a quiet place, no buidings, no planes, no body!!  But great trees, and color and a good view of two of our best mountains.  This is one of them, but I do admit my drawing is off a bit.  I was happy just to be doing a snowy topped mountain, but agast at all the other stuff!  I tried to make a compostion that would lead your eye up to the peaks, and snow, yet help you to also linger and explore the other area's.   This was about 2 hours, on Wallis Beligum Mist mounted to foamcor,   9 x 12.   I like the grey color of this paper, sanded at 400grit.  There was no wind this am, very quiet except for one car who came by to talk.   The elderly couple were camping in their airstream and noticed me.  When I answered his question about the choosen medium, he then told me of a Master Pastelist he once knew.  And judging by all he knew about him, they must of been friends.  I will now look up a pastelist by the name of Herman Margulies and see what I can learn. 

Plein-air again!

Indain Creek  Resivoir lake

Today I was determined to get back into a groove and go out in the AM to plein-air.  I love my Heilman Box, and my 1/2 french easal and want to use them!     I feed now 2 baby bummer calves at about 7 am, then loaded my little car with the dogs,  (4)-- and headed to the camp ground at Indain Creek  Resevoir.   It was a sparkly sunny morning, just wonderful.   I found an area where no one was, and tho I could hear and see people this fine Father's Day morning,   we were alone.   People in small boats on the lake, and did look interesting---but maybe next time.    I decided on the far end of the beach and lake and hope I did it justice!!   The violets and greens and sages and oranges were so pretty-----along with that blue sky color the lake was reflecting, with the sun sparkel!!       This picture, tho, is not the correct porportions and I am not sure why!

New project

I haven't been on my blog for awhile, but I have had art projects coming along.  I have been drawing, and planning.  Its easier for me , on some projects in studio work, to do a full drawing working out the values and getting the drawing as good as I can.  Also , the composition and the size I think it needs to be.  Then, when the problems are worked out, I can use my own drawing, traced onto whatever support  I want and it is my  own artwork.  I mostly always use my own photos, if its not plein-air work, although I did use an artists' from Denmark Photo when doing Lucas---She knows about this, and its not for show or sale, I just wanted to try it.  Getting a good photo of such a close up face isn't easy and you must also learn good photography.   So, when trying artwork there is a lot to learn!

  Also, the Carson Valley Days is this weekend, along with an Art show.  I took 2 things down to it, but this is not a juried show , just for sales.  I did this just to see how my things looked next to the other mostly local artists in the area, and to visit with them,  I actually went to the reception. This is something I rarely do, as I  hardly go to town!  It was nice and I saw a lot of good work!  Some from Ladies I know, and they are improving and enjoying the journey as am I.

     This is today's project.  I need to learn how to use my Digital to take good pictures of graphite drawings as this isn't accurate.  The paper is pure white, soft, Veleta by Legions paper.   It large, also, and completely my own drawing.  No use  of  any sort of projector, or anything like that.   I did use a simple grid of triangles to locate things in the interior of the drawing, and to get the large shape.
                 I plan to do this in pastel soon, and trying to decide what support to use, and if I want an underpainting.  I like the UArt, and also Canson papers----So I will just think on this.

This is also a recent pastel, from the Dutch Valley ranch we have.  I was taken by the clouds and shadows here this day.   So this is some of what I have been doing in between the cattle and company  and all.  I also have more ideas for artwork!!  So little time for it all, and its cold here again!! With wind.  But things are looking up.

window gazing and dreaming......

You guessed it!   Cold and windy days here again.   It is getting green outdoors, but that wind won't settle down.   We have been re-building corrals in order to brand some calves, and ship.   Yet its to windy even for that!  At least for me.   So I spent several day on this cat.  He is a Maine Coon Cat,  I believe, and he lives in Norway.   A member of WetCanvas put his picture on about a year or so ago, and I thought it was a wonderful picture.  I am not so good with a camera!   And I finally gave it a try.   I used Sennelier pastel card , in sand color from the support.   I really must stop painting cats!  Well, when the wind settles down, it will be back to the plein-air!

May 16th struggles, Plein-air outing

Today I was back out in the meadow that we lease to try and capture the trees and the light of the morning.  I walked around a bit, looking at all the wonderful elements of nature out there, and the colors.   Trees are inspiring to me, and so difficult to get across the feeling I would like to get in them  With my dogs, and all my stuff, I set out to try once again!This area seemed to show the largeness of the trees shooting up into the sky without to much other clutter to arrange.  These also had sun hitting from the right sides, and shadows on the ground, so maybe , just maybe I could do something with this.  Been told on W.C. website that they aren't as dark where they reach the sky as I have been making them, even when in silhouette.  I have also been reading my John Carlson's landscape painting and admit I don't always understand what I think I understand.  Best way to handle this to get out there and paint!This were I set myself, still thinking to keep it simple, ( KISS)---Means.....keep it simple, stupid!---I began, after doing a notan in my sketchbook, then a simple pastel underpainting washed with alcohol.  Both dogs kept watch, feeling very bored I am sure.  When dry, taking only moments, I began with the local color---9 x 12 white wallis---next time canson!

Hope you can see this!   Anyhow, not the best---but still trying!

A watercolor sky---for practise

Skies have been on my mind a lot lately----In Nevada, we do get some great May skies!  Some may be thunder clouds, and some may be just gentle moisture filled skies that have a lot of light coming thru.  Cloud shadows across the valleys can be amazing, and really show a great sence of depth and distance.  It really is a large world out there!   Also, we had another cool couple of days giving us rain and snow, we had more than 2 inches late in the evening on May 10th, that was still there the next day.  It was really wet, and very good for all the feilds that are trying to grow now.   So, caught indoors  I painted this sky.   A watercolor, just a bit smaller than a 1/2 sheet of 200 Sauders Waterford paper, a really nice paper.

Oil finish, and May 2nd. Plein-air

I worked this afternoon, on finishing my Oil painting.  I was not too sure how to do it, and I was alone. That's not so good sometimes!  But I tried.  I have been reading all I can find about this stuff, so I thought I could at least finish it!  But as I worked, I found many more questions than I had answers.   Using the same palette of colors, this is where I stopped.  Not exactly what I had in mind----but I am sure it will come with more work, thinking, and trying.

Earlier this morning, I was at the Dutch Valley ranch, where we live.  We spend so much time at the Home ranch, on Foothill Road in the Carson Valley, that I do miss being here.   The summer greens will be so hard to handle that I am trying to get a jump on that by starting with the spring green shades----it has been so cold here it really seems like spring is behind!  It was sunny today,  so out I went.   This spot is only maybe 100ft. from my kitchen door.     So this is where I started from.   I was here about 2 hours, and I used a moonstone colored Canson Paper that was mounted on matboard.  I drew in my composition with the # 244 Nupastel and washed it with alcohol.  It dries very quickly, and the paper stays flat as it is mounted to the mat board.    Then I went in with the local colors, and tried to get a fresh look.

How do you think it worked out?    There, as usual,  is so much more to consider than meets the eye when you begin!!    I was surprised that the willows still haven't gotten their greens yet, but as I said, its been cold here, and very windy.  Today was nice and sunny, yet I froze toward the ends of my efforts!!!!    Still--Plein Air is the most fun of all.

This one is big, much more than normal.   Its 10  x 14-----I will be going back to the smaller sizes, but I like to go big once in a while.  I will do this again in this location----I am not sure the compostion is as good as it could be.  Remember, Its all Work!!!  but fun.

Rocky bluff update

Today I am posting my recent trials on learning to Paint!    I have done a pastel of the rocky point I am going to paint in the studio in Oils.    The Pastel is  on a piece of foramcor that I put a surface of fine pumice ground,  I did the painting in plein-air one morning and wasn't really happy with the surface really.  But it is lightweight,  and easy to put in your backpack.     2 hours in to this, this is where I was.
 

  And then this is how far I am on my block-in on the Oil -

                        Now I am  letting it dry so , I can  then go into it and learn how how to do all that---I will use retouch varnish, by Damar, as my medium is by Daniel Smith and is with Damar Oil-        Now I can  think about the changes I would make or how I would finish this.   Interesting for sure.

Planing a studio painting, using all materials for reference

  Lately I have been trying to plan a painting of  a rocky out crop  near our ranch In Dutch Valley.  It has caught my attention for  years, as I I have seen it in all times of day and light.  It can appear very interesting.  I have recently done a plein -air if it in pastel.  It was a struggle, I washed the surface off and tried again in my studio using photos I had taken that day.  I was not to successful.  I have gone back since for more photo's, and will continue to do so.  I just am not sure of the right way to view it.  From down low,  or from equal elevation looking at it from across the draw,   morning, evening or what?   I would like to come up with a composition, then use all my materials for an indoor work with oils-----So to that end I proceed.

       Today, using photo's and the first plein-air, I painted with Gouache on stretched Grey toned Canson Mi-teintes, which is a wonderful paper.  Since it had been stretched, then dried over night,  I could use plenty of water while painting and not get any warps or wrinkles----This is how it came out----         I didn't like the lower tree, so I wiped out the paint.   I paused to think what to do----I like that gouache paint dries so quickly. 

                                             I decided, since this is a fact finding effort, also a learning effort for both compostions and mixing color using white, that I didn't do to badly.  I feel I learned a lot, and decided to go ahead with corrections and plans for a future painting, using my pastels.  They really did help me go head and continue planning.  This is where I stopped. 
                           Thursday, I get a lesson in oils  with Ray Freeman, and hope to use this as a subject.  I have many pictures, and am still doing thumbnails with pencil for a better composition.   Using gouache today as it snowed outside my  window was fun and I plan to use this paint again.   I do really like the canson papers for pastels , too.   I experiment with many surfaces.

Out doors in! April under the willows.......

Finally I got out there again.  This time in one of the fields on the ranch in Diamond Valley,  this spot shows the water coming along Indian Creek, then an irrigation ditch takes from the creek.   Yes its Spring--even tho we had snow a few mornings ago!  The grass is trying to grow, and soon the nights will be up to 40's and 50's for the over night low and all things will be growing everywhere!   This one was a bit hard for me, with all the water reflections and the many willow trunks and the dappled light effects going on----I do hope you can get the idea here.    Took about 2 hours of pure confusing fun!   Dogs were swimming, and hunting, and ducks were going over head, quaking.  Its a great place in the mornings, a huge field and all the piece and quiet you would need.

Here are a couple shots I want to share with you all,   This was the last time I did an indoor pastle at the house in Dutch Valley,  and I try to use the kitchen for painting with Pastel as its easier to clean up in there.  I have a hard time with lighting there and I think thats why I love going outdoors to paint.  Here, My mouser is looking over the color choices!!!!  He chose a  blue, pushed it out of the box and wanted to roll it around on the floor.  He has got all the mice and is bored!!!    So, You guessed it, I had "blue" to sweep up  and cry over.   Stupid cat!!!!

Wind and cold-- indoor work-

  The end of March has gotten rough, so I thought some indoor work was in order.   I drew this from a photo of my big gelding, Pine's Poco Amor.   He is a quarter horse, but is 16.3 hands high!!  His saving grace is that he is short-coupled, making him easy to ride as he collects well.  Not the smartest of horse, yet very kind.So, I drew him in Pencil, to understand all the values I was seeing.   I thought, maybe I will try to be very realist with this one.  I am usually trying to be "Loose"  but this time I thought I would satisfy my "detail" mode.  So, I chose a 300 lb. watercolor paper and put the drawing onto that.  Then loosely painted with watercolor the background wash.   After that I used a " Giselle" method, and painted the horse head's values with watercolor in violet tones-----Then used the pastles to finish.

I did use pastel pencils when I began, thinking I would really try for detail.  Alas, I don't think I pulled that off.  I don't think I am the fussy kind!  Values seem to be what I see the most, and the details are mind-boggling!  Anyhow, It was a great way to experiment, and really see where I am with this art " Thing"   I really think I love Plein-air most. followed by, I guess, animals--and then, whatever catches my fancy!   I am still experimenting and trying to learn.     We call him " Switch" for his nickname.

March plein-air---early spring on Indain Creek

Todays Plein air painting was just a blast.  My Friend, Carole drove over form Dayton , Nevada and we spent the day in Art!  First, we went out in the field at our Ranch in Dutch Valley and painted Indain Creek  on this early spring morning.  I used Uart , with a underpainting using achohol and Nupastel # 244---which gave me a great start,  Carole used her pastelmat which is a great surface, and did an underpainting also.  We both had a very enjoyabole time.   Can't wait to go again!  This one is 7  x 12 inches and we painted for about 3 hours.

March Morning - Plein-air

Daylight Savings time again, and this morning was beautifully sunny and warm.  Thank Goodness, because I have been so cold these days.  I don't understand that at all, but at least I had enough energy to load my car with my plein-air stuff, just 3 things,  and drive about 1/2 mile from the house to find a good quiet spot along Indian Creek.  I was looking for the beaver damns I knew to be here, but saw that they had been taken out to allow the water to flow more easily thru the canyon.   This is a good thing, but it probably won't be too long before the beaver have their damns back up!    I felt a bit dauted by the scene, however, as there are a lot of willows, and grasses, rocks, and mud-----but I was lucky enough to be able to simplify the scene by squinting, and doing the thumbnails that are so important  and help you to get what you want of the scene.  I used Uart sanded paper,  7 x 12---mounted to an 8 ply. mat board, and it was really nice to work on.   I drew my scene in, using a viewfinder, with a # 244 nupastel, getting the darks where they needed to be.  Going thru my mind was " darkest darks, lightest lights , most easy color" Well, a lot of things were going thru my head!  When I have my value drawing on the paper, I used alcohol to melt it down and make a very loose, painterly under painting.   It dries very fast, and I was ready to go into it with color.   I used a wide array of pastels, hard, mediums , and then finished with my amazing Terry Ludwigs Plein-air set.     The colors in the area are plenty muted as its not even spring yet, and these colors did a great job.    I had a wonderful time, and it was about 2 hours in all.

Winter light--Our Willows

  I spent yesterday morning, in doors doing this one in Pastel.  Its on colorfix board, with a simple watercolor underpainting.  I recently read in Stapleton Kearn's Blog a nice way of thinking of the underpainting.  He wrote---"An underpainting is a way of separating the problems of drawing and design from the problems of color"---And that works for me.  You need to think of the underlying abstract patterns that hold your paintings together.  Doing your Notans.......Dark/light explorations are well worth the time and thought it takes, and makes all that follows easier.  Anyhow, I am really trying to learn these things. This is a snow scene on the ranch on Foothill---Winter willows are just so pretty, with the reds and pinks in them, add the light and maybe a painting is born!

Last day of February, 2010---spring on the way!

Yesterday was such a sunny, cloudy, beautiful day, beginning with a morning that had skies so full of movement and color you could of watched it all day.  I should of, as thats the best way to understand skies.  I decided to get out there and paint!  Then comes the age old thing..........Where?   Are you kidding? I says to meself,  as I stood in my driveway and just looked around.   So I set up right in my driveway, and this is the scene north of the house. The fields are just trying to show some green. and that sagebrush hill always looks the same, and beyond it you can see clear down the valley and far mountains.   My problem here is I think I made the dark Mountain, while it is close to us, a bit to large.  Its hard right out there in the open, as it all looks so big!  I did use a veiw-finder, did a thumbnail, and used the small pond and creek as a lead-in to take you thru the field, and back to the mountains.    9 x 12 on rose -grey canson paper.      I am going to try a compostion a day, thing, sometimes in pastle and sometimes in pencil, and hope it improves my compotion skills for the entire year.