Colorado Spring

 

10x8, oil on canvas board, © 2017

Collection of the Artist

When painting, sometimes everything works in your favor—and that is what happened with this painting. It was an adult education class at Utah Valley University, and I was using oil. I put a wash on the canvas. I mixed a dark with UM blue and Alizarin Crimson and put on the dark brush at the top and used a color shaper to manipulate the paint to look like canes. Then I used a brush and odorless mineral spirits to remove and draw into the wash of paint. I was surprised at how easily the paint began to reveal rock, and I added some thinned blue and opaque tans to solidify the rock formations. I finally added the wild flowers that were growing up through the painting.

    What I'm really saying is that in a matter of an hour and a half it had painted itself. Telling me what it wanted, which I did to reveal the composition. 

Recognition: It was awarded an Honorable Mention at the Spring Salon of the Utah Valley Artist Guild. The judge told me that was how oil painting was made to be. 

Blue-water Waterfall

14x11 Acrylic on panel, © 2012

Private Collection

The Internet is a marvelous tool for obtaining instructional content. I have been enthralled by the resources offered for free. I signed up with WetCanvas.com, and as a result, I was offered an opportunity to be a student in live web classes that were recorded for subsequent paid distribution. The process put me "in touch" with Johannes Vloothuis from Canada. Johannes, a professional artist, offered insights that were significant to my development. I can no longer look at paintings without his "commandments" of painting coming to the front of observation. Although I went to art school, I never could make all the connections between what was taught and the application in a painting. Johannes has a way of integrating the two. I don't necessarily agree with everything, but that's because of too many years in art history. I do, however, appreciate him focusing my attention on 15 or so commandments—they tend to grow and morph over time.

    This painting was the result of a class assignment to paint a waterfall.  I had never painted waterfalls, so it was a challenge. I never submitted this one for critique, but I learned from the critique of others' works—we all make the same mistakes. Someone once told me, "If we were all to confess our sins to one another, we would be stricken by the lack of creativity." So it is with mistakes in paintings; we all make similar, if not the same ones—novice and professional. Professionals look for and correct them, while the novice goes on unaware of their existence. Johannes taught us to look critically at our own work and correct the mistakes—if not during the painting process, after our own evaluation. 

    I like this painting that was painted with my artistic license to make it "real" rather than realistic.

Little Sioux Sunset

11x14, acrylic on panel, © 2007
Private Collection

Marge and I went to Little Sioux for Young Women's Camp parents night. We don't have a girl that age, but we did have Young Women from the congregation there. On the way back through Little Sioux, the light struck me, and I backed up a country road to the place I saw the light. It wasn't quite the same as it was seconds earlier—light disappears quickly at that time of day. I snapped a photo. Then at the Judy Greff workshop I painted this piece. I didn't quite get it finished in the two-day workshop. At the daily critique Judy said that she did not know what advice to give me to complete the work other than "spatter the 'Heck' out of it." I did that and several other things until I arrived at a solution that pleased me. The tree on the right was painted first and worked wonderfully well. The left part of the composition became my battleground.

Heritage Still Life

8x10, acrylic on panel, © 2007
Private Collection

Once on a business trip to Nashville, Tennessee, I saw an artist's shop next to the hotel where I stayed, and what struck me was the luscious paint—brilliant and shining. I have come to better be able to achieve this feeling of opulent paint. Painting on panels is one element, but also using a heavy coat of gloss varnish is another.

This painting was finished during the Judy Greff workshop. She uses a spatter technique very effectively, and that is what I wanted to learn. She also wanted us to paint from a still life. So in the morning hours, I took a picture of some objects and took the photo to class. Judy suggested pouncing over actual lace to get the doily effect. I tried it, and it worked great with some lace that she had. I also used the spatter technique which accentuated the antique look. I haven't done still lifes since college days, but it was a fun piece to do.

Little Sioux Scout Ranch

11x14, acrylic on panel, © 2007
Private Collection

I went as a security person to the Young Women's Camp—this time during the day. Walking up to the lake I saw this light and took a photo.

I later attended a 2-day workshop with Judy Greff. I have admired her work for some time, and the opportunity presented itself to attend. I have been experimenting with painting on black-gessoed panels, and so this is one example. Judy asked that I paint it this way as a demonstration of another technique for those attending the workshop.

Old Stagecoach Road Stream

24x36, acrylic on canvas, © 1989
Collection of the Artist

This subject was taken on a trip to Colorado Springs to see my brother. Our family went up to Pikes Peak and on one road—Old Stagecoach Road—we saw this scene. It was just right—the light I mean. This was the last one that I painted at Halsey with Tim Saska. He demonstrated some of the foliage in the middle ground. A principle that he taught here was that you have to have areas of darkness so that the viewer has somewhere to go in the painting. He also added some of the colors from the foreground into the trees to harmonize the painting. I also remember finishing it at home after the workshop.

A fellow who came to our house for dinner was talking to me about what I did. I told him, and I said that I painted also. He said, "Oh, what do you paint?" I said, "Well, I painted this one." He got up and took a closer look at the brush work. He said that he had wondered why I had a "cardboard" painting in the home. I took that as a compliment.

Montana Stream

18x24, acrylic on canvas, © 1989
Collection of the Artist

This subject was taken from a railroad calendar and painted at the Halsey Art Workshop with Tim Saska. Tim demonstrated some of the shadows and trees in the background. It was great working with Tim and watching the demonstrations with other students.

Desoto Bend

18x24, acrylic on canvas, © 1989
Collection of the Artist

I took a picture on a beautiful autumn day at the Desoto Bend Wildlife Refuge. I went to Halsey to study with Tim Saska, a painter from Lubbock, Texas. I had seen his work in the Artist's Magazine and wanted to see him work. Tim helped by demonstrating some leaves in the foreground trees. I learned that acrylic paint, to work well, must not be too liquid. That is so that you can drag the paint and let the support do most of the work for you. A great lesson. Tim has since passed—it was great to paint with him.