"McCloud Power Source"

"McCloud Power Source" - Oil - 11" x 14" - $400

"On this corner in McCloud, California, sit two churches dating back in this old lumber town. The Catholic church, built of logs, faces the viewer and the Presbyterian church is the white building to the right of it. I couldn't help noting the prominent power lines, the other power source for this charming town." --- SFG

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"Conversation in the Alley"

"Conversation in the Alley" - Oil - 11" x 14" - $400

"McCloud is a small lumber town near Mt. Shasta in beautiful northern California. People often forget this part of California, but that's the way people in McCloud like it. Since the mill has closed, McCloud has become a hideaway for city dwellers who enjoy small town history and friendliness. Since the garages are often located on the alleys, friends meet and catch up there." --- SFG

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"Beside the Sacramento"

"Beside the Sacramento" - Oil - 11" x 14" - $400

"On this overcast day, the color across the Sacramento River was blended into a harmony of lavenders and autumn oranges. The near side had it's usual mix of grasses, shrubs, and trees and a lively dance of intertwining branches, all whipped by the wind that unsteadied my easel." --- SFG

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"Autumn at the Creek"

"Autumn at the Creek" - Oil - 9" x 12" - $350

"I love to paint water. The chance to paint reflections, transparent water and what's below the surface, and whites in waterfalls and turbulence is always a challenge and such fun. This stream had a small waterfall in the foreground and I painted it quickly with broad strokes. The trees and shrubs surrounding it gave definition to the scene"." --- SFG

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"Appy in Waiting"

"Appy in Waiting" - Oil - 6" x 8" - $150

"This Appaloosa was in the upcoming halter class and the handler had her ready and waiting near the horse show photographer's background drape. While sunlight warmed her back, the shadow side of her became a lovely aqua." --- SFG

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NOTE FOR ARTISTS:
I used the strong contrast of color and value to compose this small piece and it became a bigger statement. It would have been static and boring if I had not given the human figure an unexpected pose. The darks of her pants and the head of the darker horse on the left balanced the scene. Watch for such opportunities while you are painting and put them in quickly with assurance. If you don't get it right the first time, wipe it out and lay it in again. Temerity always shows.

"What a Life"

"What a Life" - Oil - 14" x 18" - $700

"'What a life,' is a phrase I utter frequently. From the joy my kids bring me, to the experience of flying with my (fantastic) husband, to the enthusiasm sparked by a bunch of flowers set before me to paint, I have much to be exuberant about. Here you can see it fully expressed in the heady application of paint." --- SFG

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NOTE TO ARTISTS:

Though I loved this flower arrangement when I started this painting, I found myself approaching it timidly. By going for more contrast and concentrating on an abstract design, I was able to break through and express the vigor of the subject and my reaction to it. Rely on your subconscious when you find yourself working too hard and thinking too much!

"Traverse"

"Traverse" - Oil - 6" x 8" - $150

"A warm summer day softened the colors of a pasture that lay above my viewpoint. Whose bay horse this was, I don't know, but like most artists, I knew immediately that I had found my my subject." --- SFG

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NOTE TO ARTISTS:

Notice how the warm tones of the sky tie it to the ground plane and how I repeated some colors in both to unify the light on the scene. I also described the color of the unseen sky above me (and the horse) by painting the cool tone on the horse's back. Be aware of what is happening within the picture plane and the unseen surroundings in order to tell the full story.

"Sunday Sail"

"Sunday Sail" - Oil - 6" x 8" - $150

"When I saw this scene, I was struck by the contrast of the moderately rough waves near the rocks and the relative serenity of the water beyond where the sailboat glided along. I'm sure the sailors felt more movement than I did from a distance." --- SFG

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NOTE TO ARTISTS:

The diminishing spaces between the waves give depth to the scene and the small size of the sailboat furthers that perception. Always pay attention to the size of objects in the background. They are usually much smaller than the artist tends to want to paint them.

"Tied Up"

"Tied Up" - Oil - 6" x 8" - $150

"I went for an unusual viewpoint for this scene north of Boston. By walking out on the dock, I could see the ship set against a beautiful sky and the historic buildings in the distance. What a lovely place to stroll. The pinks in the sky made a useful foil for the sails' masts." --- SFG

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NOTE TO ARTISTS:

I used the masts of the ship to divide horizontal length of the painting by thirds. The vertical was cut into thirds by the horizon line. Such simple considerations will strengthen any composition.

Signing your work...

Today I had a question from an artist about how I sign my work. Here's my reply for all to see:

"Signing work is a frustration, isn't it. Yes, I do use paint diluted with thinner and a liner brush. Often, it takes two or three attempts to get an acceptable signature. If the paint is wet, I usually try to keep the background in that area pretty simple in case I have to blend out a aborted signature. I'd rather not be forced to conserve color interest or brushwork beneath it.

Sometimes, it's easier to do after the paint is dry. However, if it is applied after the painting is varnished, it becomes a 'floating' signature, about which conservators should be forewarned.

I have considered taking a scanned copy of one of my better signatures to Office Depot to have a rubber stamp made, perhaps in three sizes, but haven't yet. Other artists do this from time to time, including Nicholi Fechin, so I don't think it is a questionable practice. A problem arises, though, when someone uses the stamp after the artist's death, as I believe they did in Fechin's case, to sign incomplete or substandard work that the artist felt was not good enough or complete enough to sign.

In the end, I think the best thing to do is to practice your signature often, training your muscle memory so that you can do it with both ease and confidence. Doing so helps me, though I don't practice as often as I should."

"Early November"

"Early November" - Oil - 11" x 14" - $400

"The day was crisp and the clouds grazed the mountaintops in Weaverville, California. This old mining community is a popular choice of those who want to live away from the city. Though the houses and roads wouldn't meet zoning regulations elsewhere, the residents are warmhearted and welcome artists to this town's special charm. This view set the brilliant autumn colors against the blue-purple mountain to the south." --- SFG

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NOTE TO ARTISTS:
This is a composite painting. By that, I mean that I recomposed the scene by selecting some components and rearranging them. Mostly, I compressed the scene and created depth with the pathway that leads to a distant house almost hidden in the trees. When you do this, you must be sure to keep the direction of the light consistent.

"How Many Horses?"

"How Many Horses?" - Oil - 20" x 24" - $1200

"This farm is in an area known as the 'Lost Coast', south of Ferndale, California. It was a great subject with its view from above and colorful roofs and trees. The horses milled around and by the time I finished, I wasn't sure whether I had painted the same horse twice or not." --- SFG

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WORK IN PROGRESS...

Because of the unusual perspective, I made a special effort to get the drawing right, paying special attention to the size of the buildings, truck and horse trailer in the background. If I had made them too large, the distance between them and the nearer barn would have been reduced considerably.

In the excitement of a new subject and the rush to get into color, you must not minimize the importance of good drawing from the start. Even then, I forgot to take the photo of the drawing until I had laid in my dark background trees.

Here, I've laid in all my darkest areas and cast shadows. I will refine these colors, but the shapes will remain throughout.

Now I've begun to lay in the areas in light, remembering that the more distant areas will be cooler. The further colors have to travel from the source to your eye, the more the cool color of the atmosphere influences that color. If you look closely, you'll see that I have overlapped areas of color rather than painting just up to the outline. By overlapping, I'm able to control the softness or crispness of the edge I want as I lay it in or I can alter it later. I decided that I needed a second vent roof to break the line of the roof on the right.

I've made the ground around the horses a little darker than I expect it to be in the end. In fact, I will make all of my lights darker than I will have them in the end to reserve a greater value range for the last lights.

The greens of the roofs vary so the highest one reflects more of the sky color and the lower one is richer.

You can see by my palette at this point that I have compared darks to darks, greens to greens, yellows to yellows, and yellow-orange to yellow-orange.

When I mixed the color for the sunlit part of the barn, it was much darker than it appears to have been. When compared to white, it was several values down. Doing this paid off later when I was ready to put in the accents on the rough wood and the white horse's coat.

By this stage, I've put in the sky holes in the background trees that allow the viewer's eye to escape and not be trapped. Look closely again and you'll see that I've laid a slightly different color over many areas to fine tune it. I added the posts on the lower left because I felt I needed balance on that side. Later, I decided that was too mannered and uninteresting. Notice how much improved the painting becomes by what is left out. This is where I left the painting for a few days.

Because I had laid a good foundation, I could develop the painting further during the follow-up session in my studio. I worked on each area with color that was the same value, but different temperatures to enjoy the vibration that doing so creates. I finalized the foreground using the darker grasses that were present.