Warm winter day

Oil on canvas …size 16" x 20"

The temperatures have been so mild lately, the snow has melted and old dry grass is everywhere.

This time of year, that yellow, dry grass looks like gold to me.  Its so dark and grey at times in the winter, that my sensitivity to colors gets intensified…what I need to see comes to life.

I'm not sure if the day was quite this brilliant when I went out to paint, but to me it was…

that's what painting is all about…painting what we see, filtered through our eyes, heart and mind.

I used a new plein air painting box, well, its an old one, but new to me.  It's quick to set up and I can paint bigger now, outside.  Its called a yarka, and so far…I'm loving it!

Too fun!!  Thank you for looking!!

Night painting...

Night painting

 12"x16", oil on panel

Night painting is fun.  There's something really great about being out painting, at night in the dark.

It reminds me of childhood….playing outside in the winter, after dinner…it was always dark.

I used a book light this time.  I pointed it at my canvas and palette…worked great!

Thank  you for looking!! 

Little Sheds

I have been having fun plein air painting this summer.  

Sometimes, picking the perfect spot takes more time than the painting part….kinda silly really, there's great stuff to paint everywhere…but when I have the choice of it all, I get kinda choosey.

This is a great spot not far from home…a lake with small sheds along the shoreline, looks like a small village to me, and the sheds are colorful…and for me, that's all the more fun!

My plein air system is made by an artist in Arizona, James M. Coulter.

I love it.  I bought the medium sized box. It's quick to set up and take down, it all fits in a duffle bag….I have a nice amount of mixing space for my paints….it works well for me!  Here's the sight where you can find more specific information and even order one for yourself, if you like!

http://artboxandpanel.com

"Sheds"  12" x 16", oil on board.

Thank you for looking!

Campbell Creek

"Campbell Creek"

11"x14" oil

I'm trying to get the hang of painting outside.  Something as simple as getting my gear together and heading out the door can be a deal breaker.  If it takes too long.....I might not go.

So ...now I have a bag that's packed and ready to go...that makes it easier.  Actually...right now the trunk of my car is ready to go!  I just need to grab my keys and head out.  

I like it. 

I love being outside.  I can spend a little too much time on a walk these days.

So painting outside is such a nice way to get two things I need....

nature and creating...in one fell swoop.

Well, here's my newest attempt at this.  Thank you for looking and I'l share more as it comes!

Choices....

6" x 8" oil

I was out in my studio cleaning up yesterday, and I found this painting. The painting below.....in the post before today's, I was painting a sunset on my porch.  Well, after I was done and having a cup of coffee inside my warm kitchen......the last burst of the sunset was lighting the sky on fire.  I looked out the window and it had gotten crazy beautiful!

How could I stand there and drink coffee while a gift was being presented to me?  My set up was all still sitting there......I thought I might have about 5 minutes of that color,  so I got back out there and quickly captured my impression of what I saw.

It's always a choice.  Should I enjoy the beauty in a quiet way, just look, breath...soak it into my mind.

Or.....should I climb inside the beauty...feel it....express it the best I can?  

That's a tough choice.....but I love these little moments.  I had no idea I would be asked to make the choice when my guard was down and sipping my coffee!  and that's how life is....I love it.

That day I asked the universe......"show me how to paint it!"

I'll sit and soak it in peacefully another day :)

First post of the new year......

I set up my painting box on my deck railing....I'm still trying to get comfortable with moving my painting supplies around.  So here I am painting out side but only a few feet away from my studio.  I'll get there....I just can't seem to find a box that is lightweight, fits on a tripod and I can paint small or up to 16" x 20".  This is a great set up for larger paintings, but this Guerrilla painting box is big and heavy.

I want a set up I can travel with....like airports and fits in my luggage kind of traveling.

So, we'll see.  Anyways this was at about 3:00 to 4:00pm in Anchorage, Alaska.  You can see the sun is getting low and by the end of the painting...I'm catching the sun setting.  This time of year it happens fast.  I took pictures and called it quits...but at 4:15 to 4:30 the sky was on fire and the colors were out of this world.... next time.  Today I just stared, awestruck.  As my sister told me the other day....sunsets are God's paintings.  And today that thought came to mind.

Here's my finished painting.  I'm happy.  

I think I'm making some headway on these 

outdoor paintings!

Thank you for looking and reading. 

Line up.....

"Line up"

16" x 40"  oil 

I need to do another semi-truck painting.  I really love the huge grill and all the chrome.  There are a bunch of trucks in town with that old fifties, turquoise color for the cab.  I'd love to paint one of those.

I see them driving by a lot, but I need to find out where they park and rest at the end of the work day.

I work at an antique shop, during the day, we're gearing up for the holidays.....I've been working 

a lot of hours at "Ozarks" and when things settle down, I'm going to get back into my studio!

I spend a lot of time daydreaming about paintings I'd like to paint lately, I need some time to try a few of these ideas out.  

Soon.......

Thank you for looking!

Today's plein air painting.....

11" x 14"  oil 

I did some painting along Turnagain Arm, outside of Anchorage, Alaska today. 

 I'm getting happier with my outdoor painting efforts.  It's so much

different than indoor studio painting!!  I'll get it.....just keep practicing!!!

Thank you for looking!

More clouds.....

Clouds #3

5.5" x 14"  oil

More clouds from my windy plein air evening.

Clouds on my mind again!

Clouds #2

5.5" x 14"  oil

I was very distracted by clouds all last summer.  Size, shapes, mood, color ~ I wanted to paint them,  take photos of them, describe them to people.  I found myself pointing them out to everyone...talking about it to you on my blog.  Then one day, as mysteriously as it came , the distraction quietly crept out of my mind, I don't know when.

Yesterday, it came back.

Last night I had a great view.  The wind was blowing and the clouds were moving and shifting, 

I gave it my best shot and painted a quick as I could.  I finished a couple small studies last night out in an open field.... then I went home, warmed up and went back to take a bunch of photos.

Clouds are so cool.

My outdoor palette

Okay, look at this sweet idea!  A portable palette for my oil paints :)

It's an aluminum hard case for laptops, but I fitted it with a glass 

palette in the bottom.  Love it!!

This is an idea from Elio Camacho.

And the best part....I feel like a secret agent carrying it.

love that...

Inlet view

Alaskan Inlet

In the summer this view is creek, grasslands and ocean with the mountains in the background.

Throughout the winter it turns to creek and silt-covered ice chunks....and mountains.

I was so fortunate to have this beautiful scenery in my backyard growing up.....my 

parents house.  I love being near the ocean.  

The sounds, the smells....the wonderful wind and the sight of it feels like home.

  My ongoing plein air experiment..... my parent's deck made for a great spot to try 

it out!  I can't wait till it's alive with color.  I'll try again when the ground comes to life.

Thank you for looking!

Float plane shacks...

 

 

 

"Float Plane Shacks"  oil

8" x 10" canvas

 

There is a lake not too far from my neighborhood.  It's a take off and landing strip for float planes.  I used to take my boys there when they were young....we would eat our little sack lunches and watch the planes take off and land.  We were right there on the edge of the lake....and you could feel the engines rumble in your chest as they blew by.   Wow, nothing better than that with little boys.  I'd watch their faces while a plane would be taking off....my oldest son would talk and point the whole time, I couldn't hear a word over the engine noise, but I shared his excitedment.  My younger son would just shake with excitement and point. 

 

This painting is at Lake Hood, these adorable little shacks are at each float plane "slip" as they call it, Like a water driveway for a plane.  It's parked next to it's little shack.  People plant flowers and paint these little shacks fun colors....the lake is like a small community of tiny houses, very Hansel and Gretel.

 

I had fun painting here that day!

Thank you for looking!



Look to the sky.....

Just before sunset...

Pullman, WA at sunset

I've had clouds and sky on my mind these past few months.  I seem to be engaged in a totally different task when I look up and see some incredible sky hovering above me........just flaunting itself in front of my eyes, while I carry in the groceries or check the mailbox.  As if to let me know a beautiful painting is always waiting for me to paint....every day....any minute, I'm just not making time for it. 

The two paintings above were done on a hilltop in Pullman, WA.  The sun was setting and we grabbed all our gear and raced to catch the last of the light and color of that evening sky.  Fun!  I loved the speed and immediacy of these paintings.....color only!  My last lesson of the trip and I had no idea it was going to be taught. Thank you Henry for teaching me these past few years, I have appreciated all you have taught me.