New small works

Here are three new smaller works. The first two are done in a thick palette knife style, and the last in a looser plein air style. I'm trying some scenes in both styles to see the contrast. The topmost is a sketch of Green Lake with a strong sun. The next is the mountain that backdrops the town of Snoqualmie.

The last is a dry creek bed in California.

Craft fair successful

Been away from the blog for a little while as made items and participated in a craft fair plus created stock for the Shoreline Gallery in Lake Forrest Park. Had good sales at the fair plus a couple of follow up orders. Here are a few of the mirrors created.

New craft mirrors

I'm getting ready for a fall crafts fair by painting mirrors in an impressionist style, mainly Monet and Van Gogh. Here are a few samples.

Seattle Summer

Here is a 6x8 from Seattle's Arboretum, a land of trees, lilies, and ducks.

Green Lake Dock

This is an 8x10 redo of a larger painting. It's a man sitting on a dock at Green Lake, in silent contemplation. I've always liked this image and keep working on it to get it right.

Green Lake Shadows

A 9x12 painting of one of my favorite places - Seattle's Green Lake. It's finally summer and we've had a few decent weather days. Can't wait to get outside and paint now.

New Green Lake paintings

Just completed two works from my favorite place, Green Lake in Seattle, two blocks from my home. I had a done a large version of this scene, since sold, and wanted to revisit it in smaller versions, loosening up the style. These are 9x12, and 6x8 and are titled Green Lake Summer. Of course we haven't had much of that weather yet but still hoping as we finally get to summer on the calendar. The smaller work, below, is the looser style I've been working toward lately.

Oregon Landscape

This is an 8x10 landscape from a trip to Oregon. It's on the road to Lincoln City from Salem. Still looking at a way to vary the colors more but maybe this scene isn't a good candidate as it's mainly green trees in summer shade.

More Maui

Here are two more Maui scenes. Top, smaller one, is Iao Valley, 6x8. Larger, 8x10, is another view of Kamaole Beach looking south. Getting a little more color variety which has been my goal in latest work.

Maui Painting

Spent a week in Maui and brought back many photos to work from. Painted from my deck a couple of times too. Amazes me that there no painters out at the beaches there. Maybe it's too hot? Next trip will definitely set up my paint box and umbrella and work on the beach. This is an 8x10 of Kamaole Beach III in Kihei, looking north. Also working on another one working in the opposite direction. Still trying to learn how to get enough variety when painting a patch of sand.

Tree Study

Continuing my stylistic adjustments so did a small study of trees in my neighborhood. Many to choose from in green Seattle. This one is an odd size, 4.5x7.5 and somewhere I must have an odd sized frame to fit it.

Two more mountain views

Working on smaller, looser paintings so redid the previous mountain view work in 6x9 inch versions. Found that a 6x9 frame is hard to come by so had to cut one myself so I could view the works framed off from the world better. Moving in the direction I want and will keep at it. Just a slight difference in the lighting on these two.

Received a great book today, Kevin MacPherson's "Reflections on a Pond". There are over 300 images of the same location, painted small over the course of several years. They record the light and color in the changing seasons. Very inspirational and in tune with what I am trying to do.

Mountain View Landscape

This is a view in the Cascade mountains taken by a friend of mine. I'm getting the brushstrokes I want but the mountains have a lot of green and no matter how many colors I mix, I can't get quite the variety into the scene I want. Progress was made however and I will choose a more colorful scene next. This work is 9x12 made with water soluble oils, which I use almost exclusively now. A little varnish once it's dry will bring out the colors.

Redo on Hawaii scene

Have been taking a break from original work to sharpen up my style, that is, texture, brush strokes, and color, in my landscapes, by copying some work of others I liked. Now back to my own work and redid a Hawaii scene from earlier. Still not completely satisfied but moving in the right directon. Also redid a flower scene in the newer style. Still only halfway there on both and plan on continuing this direction until I have it down. Looking for a more impressionistic look, with more color and better control of thicker brush strokes. It's the biggest room in the world - the room for improvement. This Hawaii scene from Kauai is 12x16.

Yellow Field

Here is the last of my small abstracts for now. Got to show two of them at a recent Eastside Assoc. of Fine Arts show at the Seattle Design Center. This one is titled Yellow Field and also 8x10.

Been doing some spring cleaning in my studio and house so new work has been on the back burner for a few weeks but now am ready to plunge in again. I find art ebbs and flows and at times I just read and think versus jumping in with the brushes or wax. Have way more ideas than I can ever get to so inspiration is never a problem, just conflicting priorities at times.

Small abstract

This is the 6th in a series of small, 8x10, abstract paintings I've been working on. Most of my time lately has been spent preparing for the next two shows where my work will be shown. Also attended a meeting of the Eastside Association of Fine Arts which is a large, well run organization it looks like. There was a painting demonstration by Darrell Anderson who calls himself a Russian Impressionist in style. Very colorful with loose brush strokes.

This small painting is titled Fire Streaks.

New abstract

Continuing my new small abstracts. This one is 'Purple Magic" and also 8x10. Getting more color variety than my previous lower key abstract paintings. New directions always are fun.

More new abstracts

Here are two more 8x10's done recently. Will have another opportunity to show my abstract work at an Eastside Assoc. of Fine Arts show in March at the Seattle Design Center. Good to have various sizes of work as then have several price points.

Two new small abstracts

Been busy so far this year entering shows and preparing for them. Finally a few new works to preview here. These are both 8x10 oils where I'm trying to get a nice mix of colors and textures. These works help me loosen up my landscape paintings as I bring new ideas back and forth between my various styles. Keeps life and art interesting. Top one is titled Red Fire and other one is Orange Kingdom.

Entries accepted in Unclad Show

Had my two entries for the figure show, Unclad, at the Gallery by the Bay in Stanwood, WA accepted by the juror. One is the Reflections shown on the Dec. 26th blog entry and the other is the included 16x20 oil called Solitude. Show runs March 12-27. Also participated in this show last year even though figures are not my specialty.

EAFA Abstract Show

I had two works selected to be shown in the 1st Annual Eastside Assoc. of Fine Arts abstract art show at the Seattle Design Center. 68 were selected from 250 entries and both my entries made it in. The show goes on until Feb. 25. Here is one of the works. It's a 24 x 24 oil titled Red Bird.