Spring Plein Air

It's obvious I've gotten way behind on posting so I'm going to combine the three plein air events in Augusta, Neosho and Cotter. These were done back-to-back-to-back from April 19th to May 4th with no days off and over a thousand miles driven.

We'll start with the Augusta Plein Air Event. It seemed like each day was alternating between sunny and raining but it was mostly cool with Spring about a month behind schedule.

Sunset at Balducci's, 10 x 12, oils

Awaken, 9 x 12, oils. This piece received a 3rd Place in Oils at the awards ceremony.

Methuselah, 11 x 14, oils. This received an Honorable Mention.

Just the Two of Us, 8 x 10, oils. This received an Honorable Mention and also sold.

Next was the Jaeger Festival and Paint Out in Neosho, Missouri. For this two day event the weather was full on summer with brilliant sun and highs in the upper 80's.

Lazy Stream, 8 x 10, oils. SOLD.

Leaving Big Spring, 8 x 10, oils.

 

Hickory Creek Bridge, 9 x 12, oils. Took 3rd Place on awards night.

Finally we have the White River Paint Out in Cotter, Arkansas. The weather took a mean turn with heavy rain and a record low temperature of 32F with even some snowflakes.

Captain of the White River, 9 x 12, oils.

Midnight Fog, 8 x 10, oils. This nocturne from the first night captures the cold front pouring in.

View From Under the Bridge, 8 x 10. This won 1st Place in the Richeson Small Works Competition.

Big Cedar Paint Out 2012

DOGWOOD CANYON • BRIDGE • OZARK STREAM • AUTUMN • FALL • PLEIN AIR

Sunlight Portal, 10 x 12, oils.

   It was late October and I was in shorts and a t-shirt with the AC on. An unseasonable 82˚F as I drove through the Missouri Ozarks on my way to Big Cedar Paint Out, the perfect exclamation mark for the end of the plein air season. (Eight events in five states over a period of seven months, I probably overdid it this year.) During the three days at Big Cedar Lodge, we were hit with a wet cold front that brought temps down to 26˚F before all was said and done. It sent some artists indoors to warm fireplaces but many of us stuck with it.
   I ended up with five paintings, entering two in the nocturne and quickpaint competitions and two more for final judging. The painting pictured above was executed during two mornings in Dogwood Canyon. When I came upon the scene, the glow under the bridge was intense but only lasted a few minutes. As I continued it became overcast and I had to abandon the sunlit areas but could still work on the shadows. The second morning was cloudy and 40 degrees colder. Eventually the sun came out and I could proceed with the sparkling creek and glow under the bridge, painting for a few minutes at a time before having to warm my hands in my pockets.
   The painting took Third Place Best of Show in competition and was purchased by Big Cedar owner Jeanie Morris. I also sold another painting from Dogwood Canyon but was unable to photograph it before the sale.

Accepting Third Place Best of Show with judge John Budicin.

Plein Air Rockies 2012

The Big Thompson River runs right through downtown Estes Park.

I was again honored to be juried into Plein Air Rockies. In previous events I've spent most of my time painting pristine nature in Rocky Mountain National Park. This year I decided to change it up and feature more architecture and man made elements.

Big Tom's Lazy Side, 9 x 12, oils.

  I started by painting the Big Thompson River as it meanders it's way through downtown Estes Park. The light kept changing from sunny to cloudy but I feel like I captured the it pretty well.

Upon this Rock, 12 x 16, oils.

I also challenged myself by attempting a 12" x 16" painting which is big for me. I chose the complex architecture of St Malos Church. It took three mornings to finish this piece.

The Spirit of '55, 9 x 12, oils.

I'm really not into old trucks. I have to ask the owners what the year make and model are. I do like painting them though.

In the Shadow of Stone's Peak, 4 x 6, oils.

Once again we were given a 4 x 6 Sourcetek panel to submit for a miniature competition.

A Show for the Old Man, 9 x 12, oils.

This year they added a competition to paint Mrs. Walsh's garden across from the Cultural Arts Council gallery. I chose to setup inside the garden but paint a vista featuring Old Man Mountain with Deer Ridge in the distance. The piece won an award of merit. This combined with some sales helped make the trip worth all the effort.

Extreme Painting: Arkansas in July

I paint on a lot of cliffs. At least this one has a rail.

With temperatures going above 100˚F everyday, painting outdoors is not a good idea. Artist Jason Sacran and I tried to create a plan that would be safe and bearable. We would get up early and try to do a painting before the heat really kicked in. We'd spend the afternoons in the studio and end each day with a sunset or nocturne. The first morning worked like a charm. We drove to the top of Mount Magazine, the highest summit between the Appalachians and the Rockies. It was at least twenty degrees cooler on top than down on the plains. With a slight breeze, I was actually comfortable.

Cameron Bluffs, 6 x 12, oils.

That afternoon we headed for the studio where Jason finished up some in-progress paintings and I started my first self-portrait. The plan of attack was to paint just like doing a landscape, blocking in the major shapes and then breaking them into smaller ones and saving a few details for last. It was great having a portrait specialist around for feedback.

Fifty-Two, 11 x 14, oils.

For the evening we went back up Mount Magazine to paint the sunset. I ended up chasing the light and creating a piece that I will not post here. Hey, they aren't all winners. The most exciting moment was coming upon what we believe was a young mountain lion. We were within 50 ft. and got a good look at it. It was larger than a German Shepherd, had short hair, no stripes and roundish ears. The last three details don't match the description of the more common bobcat.

A Bit Drafty, 6 x 12, oils.

We had a stream in mind to paint the next morning but found it completely dried up and ended up painting at an old farmhouse near the studio. Jason painted Mount Magazine with an old fence line in the foreground. The composition required standing in full sun and Jason had to quit after only 45 minutes. He still pulled off a nice piece. I chose to set up in a shady spot and paint an old barn. I loved the yellow green light pouring through all the cracks. Still, it felt dangerously hot and when we got back to the studio, his outdoor thermometer read 105˚F in the shade. It would eventually reach 113˚F. We opted for a nocturne that evening but got caught in a thunderstorm after about 20 minutes of painting. The rain felt great and was desperately needed.

I'd love to paint in the Arkansas River Valley again but next time let's make it Fall or Spring.

Surrounded by Fire

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK • PLEIN AIR • LANDSCAPES

Fall River at Aspenglen, 9 x 12, oils

   My second week in Colorado was unofficial business and more of an opportunity to paint and shoot photographs on my own in the national park. The High Park Fire was in full blaze and more fires were popping up in Boulder, Colorado Springs and even one right in Estes Park that destroyed 21 homes. It felt a bit inappropriate to be painting at such a time but I have no expertise in fire-fighting and if people were afraid this would hurt tourism, then the best thing I could do was to continue my trip and support local businesses financially.

St Vrain Creek, 9 x 12, oils

After last weeks alpine vistas, I started out with an emphasis on painting water and it's effects. I'm sure I will paint it the rest of my life and never tire of it.

Horseshoe Park Haze, 9 x 12, oils

   OK, that was fun, now let's get back to some mountains. I was in Colorado and the snow in the high country was melting fast. It would not be there when I came back in August. The Highpark fire was creating a haze that made the mountains look even more distant than normal as you can see in the painting of Horseshoe Park. Thankfully it also created clouds which eventually brought us some afternoon thunderstorms.
  My last painting was from near the Cub Lake Trailhead. I've been coming to Rocky Mountain National Park regularly for most of my life and I just discovered this view! May the discoveries never end.

Spruce Canyon, 10 x 12, oils

OPA Plein Air Tent Sale

OIL PAINTERS OF AMERICA NATIONAL SHOW • EVERGREEN COLORADO

Misty Morning, 9 x 12, oils

 The first day was called "The Pampered Paint Out" and was hosted by Southwest Art Magazine Sales Manager Kimberly Moore at her mountain hideaway. It was surprisingly foggy and cold after weeks of heat and drought. I got in my first piece in the morning and then headed down the hill to join the other artists for a cookout featuring live folk music. Did I mention wine? Pampered it was.

Kimberly's View 10 x 12, oils

 The clouds broke up a bit in the afternoon and I was able to get in a second piece. I really needed the practice on granite boulders and pine trees which are not so common in Missouri. I also discovered that oils dry much faster at high/dry elevation than I'm used to.

Perched on the cliff at Juniper Pass. I'm on the left in the dark shirt.

 The second day I joined Dave Santillanes, Susiehyer and other artists at Juniper Pass, one of the many beautiful pullouts on the road to Mt Evans. I chose an extreme vertical format to paint the incredible cliff wall I was looking down at.

Vertical Vista, 8 x 14, oils SOLD

For the afternoon I headed down to Idaho Springs to get my lovely wife and bring her back up to Mt Evans. It's a drive that is best shared. I chose to setup at Summit Lake while Gina took off to explore the summit and meet some regular mountain goats and bighorn sheep. At 12,900 ft., Summit Lake is the highest I have ever painted (500 ft. higher than Trail Ridge Tundra Walk for those keeping score.)

My right hand is holding the easel down due to the wind.

 One minute it would be perfectly calm and the next the wind off the lake was coming at me at 45 mph. The light was changing quickly so I had to move likewise and by the time Gina returned, I was ready to pack up.

Afternoon at Summit Lake, 9 x 12, oils  SOLD

 I could only turn in two paintings for the OPA Tent Sale so I chose the last one because of the sunshine and dramatic scenery. The best part? Both paintings sold, paying for my whole trip.

STEMS Plein Air 2012

Without cluttering it up with a bunch of copy, here are my best efforts:

Striking Similar Poses, 10 x 12, oils.

A Midnight Snack, 6 x 12, oils.

Grandpa Dible's Tractor, 9 x 12, oils.

American Counter Culture, 8 x 10, oils.

Portrait of a Sycamore, 8 x 10, oils.

Painting Close to Home

With a couple of weeks off between the White River and STEMS plein air events, you would think I would want to take a break from painting outdoors but the perfect weather beckoned otherwise. I decided to treat the time like it was another paint out, this time making home my base of operations. It's easy to think that there is nothing interesting to paint close to home but that's seldom the case. It's one of the most important challenges an artist has. So I revisited local places and themes, always trying to find ways to keep them fresh.

Sailboat Cove, 8 x 10, oils.

 First stop, Sailboat Cove at Lake Jacomo. As always the biggest challenge was the boats spinning in circles. It's a great way to learn to paint from memory. Hold that image!

Cedar Creek, 8 x 10, oils.

Next, in real competition mode, I went for two in one day. I hit Cedar Creek in the morning and also got close and personal with a water moccasin. I took an afternoon break from the heat and then caught Bone Hill right before sunset. I wish there were more local places that offered this kind of atmospheric distance.

Bone Hill, 9 x 12, oils.

By this time I was really craving something old and rusty. Fortunately I found a man who has this thing about old Chevy's within a mile of home.

'61 Chevy Bel-Air, 8 x 10, oils.

I love painting subtle things. Others don't always notice them, but they are my favorite parts of a painting. In this one, I noticed that the blue sky was bouncing ambient light back into the shadow side of the barn red workshop. It shifts the color slightly to violet. Others may be wowed by chrome or glass but to me that magenta wall is what makes the scene believable.

The moral of this story is that you don't have to take a trip to some exotic place to find things to paint.

White River Paint Out 2012

"Fletcher Mountain Vista" 9 x 12, oils. Best of Show

    I spent a lot of time in the '90s hiking and canoeing the Arkansas Ozarks. It's like the Missouri Ozarks on steroids, everything is just bigger and wilder. I've wanted to paint there but lacked the opportunity since I got into plein air about a decade ago. Thankfully some folks have finally created a paint out right in the heart of the region.

"Solitude" 9 x 12, oils.

    The event was in early May and I went down a day early to scope the place out in search of scenic spots. I headed first to Buffalo Point on the mighty Buffalo River. It's towering bluffs and crystal clear water never disappoint. I drove through the national forest, Norfolk and then on to Cotter looking for other access points to the Buffalo and White Rivers. This was going to be an awesome place to paint.

"High-Water Mark" 5 x 7, oils.

  I ended up doing five paintings in two days including taking an Honorable Mention in the Quick Paint competition. On the awards day I won my first ever Best of Show. I also won Best First-Timer and the Anna and John Riggs Purchase Award. There were so many areas I still want to paint that I'll have to go back next year.

"Enjoying the Ride" 8 x 10, oils.

Augusta Plein Air 2012

Me in my $5 WalMart hoodie for a riverfront sunset.

  Ken, Jason and I left New Harmony, Indiana and drove straight to Augusta, Missouri for their annual competition. Third time for Ken and I, but Jason's first. We were originally going to call it a day off from painting but ended up "going for it" at the riverfront park in nearby Washington.

"The Light Show" 8 x 10, oils.

   Augusta has daily competitions and Monday's was to paint the historic town. I chose an old stone shed/garage mainly because it was midday and I was facing it's north side so the light wouldn't change dramatically. I originally chose to make the roses the center of interest but after about an hour the sun began to rake over the west side creating dappled light on the stonework and I had a whole new painting. It ended up garnering an Honorable Mention.

"Beautiful Shed" 9 x 12, oils. Honorable Mention.

   Tuesdays competition was in Klondike Park, a geologic oddity of craggy bluffs and a lake with a white sand beach. We had heard about a scenic rock outcropping so Jason, Laura Kratz and I set out to find it and got a great workout in the process as it was close to the highest point in the park.

Jason painting the rock up on Hogback Ridge in Klondike Park.

   As a fun turn of events, Jason won the Klondike Purchase Award with Ken and I getting Honorable Mentions.

"Top of Klondike" 9 x 12, oils. Honorable Mention. SOLD

   The next day I took Ken and Jason to Femme Osage Creek, my favorite place to paint in the region. There are so many paintings waiting to be found there. We also had a themed competition this year called "Springtime in the Vineyard." I had painted two vineyard scenes but the first was purchased off my easel so I entered the second one and won the Purchase Award from Mt Pleasant Winery. I think the owner and vineyard manager were relieved that I wanted to chat about wine instead of art!

"Dappled Light on Femme Osage Creek" 9 x 12, oils.

"Welcome to Augusta" 8 x 10, oils. SOLD

"Missouri Terroir" 8 x 10, oils. Vineyard Purchase Award.

A not so spontaneous moment with Mt Pleasant owner Chuck Dressel

    We usually went out and painted again after dinner so I was able to get in another sunset painting from the Hancock Bottoms and a nocturne of Johann's little store/gas station.

"The Golden Hour" 8 x 10, oils.

"Sorry, We're Closed" 8 x 10, oils.

Jason ended up winning the Artist's Choice award plus Second Place overall. We all had sales that day to conclude a very successful trip.