The One That Got Away

Painted in the early morning down alongside the Arkansas River, this was the first painting I did in the Colorado Mountain Plein Air Festival. There were a few in between but the 2 that I entered into the competition were the very last ones painted. You can see them if you scroll down. This one got me off to a good start but I held it out of the competition and sold it later out of my studio.

Colorado Mountain Plein Air Festival, Salida

It has been such a busy week I haven't had a minute to post but there really was more to the Colorado Mountain Plein Air Festival in Salida, than my prize (hard to believe. . .) Sunday morning by the Arkansas River in Salida, models posed and over 50 painters gathered in Riverside Park for the "Quick Draw". Our Quick Draw began with the "call to the post" and the shout that went up from painters could be heard all over the park; an indicator of the enthusiasm for this new event. Patrice Walker took this snap of me and Brooks Powell enjoying a painting moment.
The 2nd photo above shows our trumpeter/painter and includes Tom Lockhart, who judged the over all show and the quick draw. Thanks Tom.
Unfortunately, I did not get a photo of my painting before it sold. BOo!
Now I can just remember it in my head as the masterpiece it was. HA!

Winner 3rd Place! Colorado Mountain Plein Air Festival in Salida, CO

Salida, Colorado hosted the Colorado Mountain Plein Air Festival this weekend and I just got back. Four days of painting in the Arkansas River Valley and it all wrapped up on Sunday with a Quick Draw in downtown Salida and Show opening. I was very happy with a third place prize and also with the sale of my 'Quick Draw' piece that was a view down river. Thanks to Sally Mather my host and painting bud for the weekend. In fact that is Sally in the small painting, aptly titled "Sally's Sweet Spot". She is a wonderful pastel and oil painting artist. check out her website at www.sallymather.com.
Thanks Patrice Walker for the photos.

Class Notes: Clearly Glass

For next few weeks in class we will be taking time to focus on glass. First, clear glass, that being the simplest. I love to paint glass and take a less-is-more approach that allows the eye of the viewer to fill in the blanks. The clear bottle at the top is only visible because of its highlights and that's the key to clear glass - it has to be clear. Shading on the inside, darker or lighter, makes the glass look dirty or even take on the appearance of something that is ceramic. Add a strong highlight and it will look shiney but it won't be clear glass. The painting below deals with colored glass; more about that later.

Notes from Eldon Warren

Check out a great "how to" on Eldon's blog. Scroll down on the right to LINKS and click on Eldon Warren, Impressionist Painter.
WOW!
His post "How DO You DO That?" - is step by step, walk through a plein air painting. Eldon is the master of the impressionist style with strong design and flawless brushwork.

Crestone Morning

This is my painting of a line of trees that bordered Spanish Creek. The Sangres are on my right as I look north.

SLV Painters Go to Crestone

Saturday, Sept 13th we headed to Crestone to paint in the Spanish Creek area with a group of local painters from Crestone. The event was sponsored by the local Land Trust which has preserved a 20 acre meadow along the Spanish Creek used for elk calving. Dee Bartee, Carol Watson, Rosie Perea and myself spent our morning at the foot of the Sangres on the cool, cloudless fall day. Our friends from the Land Trust arrived about 11 am, served up drinks, cookies, brownies and turned out to be very interested and enthusiastic about plein air painting as well as about the local area.

Class Notes: Apple - the new Pear

This composition, similar to the one below is basically a pyramid, one of the most simple and time honored compositional ideas - ever. Except this one is allowed to escape the picture plane creating a less formal feel to the entire still life. For the sake of variety a couple of the elements have changed. I got a little burned out on pears last spring and tho' I have never been as fond of painting apples I think there is much to be squeezed out - and that's not just juice.
I have noticed how, when confronted with familiar objects the tendency is to paint what we think we know, as opposed to really looking to see that thing as it really is. In this sketch the apple "breathes", while the one below looks like a shape that was cut out and pasted on.

Class Notes

Oil Painting class(es) started this week with a good group of, mostly experience painters and we will be focusing on Basics. Gee!- would that be important for those of us who have been painting for awhile?
In the spring we addressed technique and brushwork, and this summer we spent a lot of time looking at the landscape and learning how to design a painting around good compositional ideas.
This fall we are going back a step or two to work on things even more foundational like how to start a painting, drawing and placement.
Mustard, anyone?

ATTENTION SLV PAINTERS- Crestone Paint Out

Saturday, Sept 13th Plein Air Painters are gathering in Crestone to paint the area. The SLV Painters have been invited to join local painters on Saturday to paint in the Spanish Creek area. This event is sponsored by the local Land Trust which has preserved a 20 acre meadow along the Spanish Creek used for elk calving.
San Luis Valley Painters: we plan to meet at the PLEINVIEW Studio at 8:30 to carpool. Bring a lunch. We will be back in Alamosa by 4pm.