"Springtime in the Vineyard"

"Springtime in the Vineyard" - Oil - 11" x 14"

"This vineyard, perched on the hills above Cambria, California, defied the image of a slick winery and had rustic appeal of its own. The old barn harkened back to the days when it was a cattle ranch." --- SFG

More info

NOTE TO ARTISTS:

Yesterday, I started to write this blog, first showing the work as it was when I stopped work on it in the field. Then I had another shot of the "finished" work. When I had both images on the screen, I realized that the painting was better in the "before" view than in the "after".

Before:

After:

I had lost the simple shadows on the barn and overdone the lines around the barn doors. Today, I reworked it and am happier with the result. Sometimes we loose sight of the big things when we begin to "noodle"!

"Nursery Near Hubbard"

"Nursery Near Hubbard" - Oil - 8" x 10"

"The area south of Portland, Oregon, is where much of the landscaping plants for the west coast are raised. The beautiful patterns such nurseries make as they drape the hillsides and fine landscape painting material. This one is in view of Lenhart Air Park." -- SFG

More info

"Near the Shed"

"Near the Shed" - Oil - 8" x 10"

"While visiting our son and daughter-in-law, I painted the farms within walking distance. This one, across the road, had sheds, a small vineyard, and roses at the end of the driveway. The light was just right to enjoy the blooms." --- SFG

More info

NOTE TO ARTISTS:

These small paintings that I've been posting lately are not masterpieces, but are part of the ongoing discipline of painting. Many are done while traveling with family or friends.

An artist must maintain his skills. Bill Reese, a wonderful teacher, said (often), "If you paint every day, you get better. If you paint every-other-day, you stay the same. And if you paint every third day, you get worse."

"Ann's Table"

"Ann's Table" - Oil - 16" x 20"

"Fellow artist Anne Laddon sets a lively table when she entertains. With the other Alla Prima International artists, we shared a fun and inspiring time at her beautiful home near Paso Robles, California. Here's a corner of that table, complete with wine, dip, and vegies." -- SFG

More Info

"Tree in Kanapaha Park"

"Tree in Kanapaha Park" - Oil - 8" x 10"

"This was just a quick morning sketch on location, but it describes the tree and park setting nicely." --- SFG

More info

"Near Stanford's Museum"

"Near Stanford's Museum" - Oil - 11" x 14"

"I set up my easel beside the Cantor Arts Center on the busy Stanford University campus. Despite the foot traffic, it was a pleasant and inspiring setting. The shapes of the trees were a good foil for the cars and pedestrians." -- SFG

More info

"Til the Cows Come Home"

"Til the Cows Come Home" - Oil - 11" x 14"

"This farm and field in Archer, Florida, was brilliantly lit in the spring light. Cattle ambled through the scene and I added them when they arrived at the best spots for the composition." -- SFG

More info

"The Yellow Barn"

"The Yellow Barn" - Oil - 8" x 10"

"I love to paint the farms of Oregon. This one, outside Molalla, was a historic treasure, I'm sure." -- SFG

More info

"Burney Falls 2"

"Burney Falls 2" - Oil - 14" x 11"

"Here is another view of Burney Falls in northern California. Situated in a California State Park, the cascade strikes outcrops near the top that redirect the flow. Then the froth free-falls to the misty pool far below.." --- SFG

More info

"Flowers and Russian Doll"

"Flowers and Russian Doll" - Oil - 24" x 30" - Private collection

"I painted this about ten years ago and it has been in a private collection since, but I've finally arranged for reproductions of this work to be available. As you can see from the enthusiastic use of color and loaded brush work, an alternative title could have been 'Fit of Joy'! Click on the title to get information about prints and note cards." --- SFG

"Lilacs and Twilight" -- revisited

"Lilacs and Twilight" - Oil - 11" x 14"

"I'm always attracted to a tranquil scene and this fit the bill perfectly. All was in cool shadow and backlit by the evening sky. The rough condition of the barn synced with the profusion of lilac shrubs left untended. Their chaotic condition added just enough action and texture to draw the eye." --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS: I remember a comment by Bill Reese years ago to a suggestion that a just-completed painting was ready to go on a gallery wall. He said, "I like them to hang around the studio for a while." I took that to mean that it takes a while for the artist to see the work with a fresh, unprejudiced eye in order to see the painting's strong and weak points.

If you look back to my blog on October 9, 2009, you'll see this work in progress. Still, over time, something just didn't look right to me, like the color of the roof and the way the driveway was such a strong diagonal that it led the eye up too fast. Today, I put the painting back on the easel and made some changes.

The before and after:





Adding the reflections from the part of the sky that would be behind me adjusted the color of the roof and related it better to the areas no longer lit by the sun. By adding the bush in the lower right, the shape of the driveway was changed considerably and negated the harsh diagonal movement.

"A Walk in January"

"A Walk in January" - Oil - 11" x 14"

"This unusually warm day took me to a nearby neighborhood. Though it was sunny, the light was still cooler than that on a summer day. The light and the almost-bare trees testify to the season." --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS: Here is another work that was painted primarily on location, but finalized in the studio. Here are the before and after for you to compare.





The contrast in the unfinished work was a bit too wimpy, though, to stay true to the scene I kept it within bounds. By punching up the white trim on the center house, the architecture is more solid. I added shapes to the plantings to break up the blank walls and reduced the background house on the right to closer values, so focus would remain on the center of interest. I added the mail box on the right to stop the eye and return it to the painting. Otherwise, the sweep of the sidewalk accelerated the movement and swept the viewer off the canvas.

"Doghouse in Harmony"

"Doghouse in Harmony" - Oil - 12" x 16"

"Here's another version of this oft-painted scene. (I've lost count of the paintings I've done there.) Harmony is a charming, very small town near the California coast. It's buildings and occupants are as unique as the town's name. " --- SFG

NOTE TO ARTISTS: I'm often asked whether a work may be called "plein air" if the artist works on it after returning to the studio. In my opinion, if the concept and majority of the work is done on site, it is a plein air work. Still, I'm careful to conform to the rules of any event or website.

Here are the before and after versions of this painting:





Back in the studio, I evaluated the plein air effort. I felt that the trees were spotty and disorganized. Also, the direction of light on the roof of the building on the right was unclear. After unifying the trees on the left, I lightened the roof. To increase the effect, I darkened the hill in the background slightly and reshaped it to support the composition.

I removed the dark spot in the foreground on the left at the edge of the shadow (I had to use my palette knife to scrape the blob of paint there and restore the surface so it could accept the kind of brush stroke I wanted there. (Sometimes, I use sandpaper to do this.)

I lightened the front of the doghouse to make it stand out a bit more and added more sunlit vegetation on the right to overlap the roof of the building and make the shape more interesting. I changed the dark shape of the shadow side of that shrub, too.

Adding blue hues and sunny clouds to the sky was truer to the day's atmosphere. Lastly, I added Fido, electing to place him in the shadow. This prevents him from taking over the scene.

"View Above the Lake"

"View above the Lake" - Oil - 16" x 20"

"This vibrant painting expresses California light on a warm... sometimes very warm... summer day. The dried grass of the foreground is broken by a pattern of trees and shrubs. The cooling colors of the atmosphere recede to the background that's made up of hills folding on hills." --- SFG

WORK IN PROGRESS:



As I placed the trees, shrubs, buildings, and lake in my drawing, I paid careful attention to the diagonals I was creating. (I must be in my "diagonal period" since this seems to be a dominant part of my landscapes lately.) I broke with my usual practice of laying in the darks first in order to get the recession of the golden grass as the hills receded, which I felt was more important, and difficult.



Next, I worked on the darks, the trees and shrubs and their shadows, experimenting with the shapes and making them varied and interesting. The distant ones are lighter and cooler.



I eventually decided to eliminate the road in the foreground since it led too obviously to the center of interest, the buildings and the lake. I added color to the buildings and roofs and defined the light reflecting from the lake's surface.



To finish up, I added a bit more detail to the buildings and detail in the distance. I also fine-tuned the cast shadows of the foreground trees.

"Circling the Train"

"Circling the Train" - Oil - 18" x 24"

"Where I live, the annual rodeo is a big community event and fun, even for the city slickers in town. Before the parade that celebrates the weekend show, drill teams, bands, baton twirlers, city celebrities, and equine groups of all stripes assemble on side streets. Sometimes the wait is longer than expected. This rider with his mule team made occasional circles to distract the impatient animals. The canvas-draped packs flashed in the sun and made a dramatic visage." --- SFG

More info

WORK IN PROGRESS:



I'm sure that it has been 20 years since I snapped these photos. It was one of those scenes that an artist tucks away in his head until his idea has gelled and his skills are polished enough to handle it. I don't think any earlier attempt would have produced as successful a result.



After toning the canvas, I placed both the animals and the horizontal lines that divided light and shadow. I made sure that the bottom of the top shadow area was not in the center of the canvas and that the shadow in the foreground was more narrow than the lit pavement.

The figures themselves are roughly drawn. I will refine it throughout the painting process since these shapes are very intricate. If ever there was a painting that depended on "putting the right color in the right place," this is one. The interlocking shapes will be carefully drawn and placed.



I start with the darker animals and the shadow area on the rider's mule.



Next, I use a dark wash to create the background shadows. They will be slightly lighter than the darkest mules.



I also wash in the foreground cast shadow.



I've placed a light area behind the rider since he is the focal point. I developed him enough to keep more detail there as I work on the mules and packs.



Now came the fun. I worked shape against shape... positive and negative shapes... to draw the mules, packs, cast shadows under the team and the sunlit pavement. Almost miraculously, the individuals appeared.



What fun it was to do those characters in the back, peaking over the others and their forest of legs that broke up the space.



Halters, ropes, harness, and hat moved value and temperature changes across the line. Breaking up the foreground with a few accent spots and I was finished.

When a painting goes badly...

"Hydrangeas Near the Window" - Oil - 20" x 24"

"For a few weeks each summer, my three hydrangea bushes offer their color-drenched pom poms. The fully round ones bloom first, so if I miss painting them, I get a second chance with a new strain that has fewer petals and more interesting shapes." --- SFG

WORK IN PROGRESS:

The night before I started this painting, I had given a talk on color that was delightfully well received, so I went into the studio full of vinegar and sure that I'd produce a masterpiece. The expectation and the reality proved to be far removed.

The setup was lovely and inspiring.


However, the composition that fell onto my canvas didn't work well.

That light behind the bouquet was distracting from the bouquet itself and when I put down the color, it was off. (Sorry, no picture survived at that stage.) The folds on the right were awkward, and the composition didn't balance.



When I returned to the studio the next day, the drape had fallen and the painting had not improved overnight. (Believe me, sometimes little gremlins come in and change things.) I felt that the darker color behind the left side of the flowers would work better, so I left the drape as it was.



Whether better or not, I wasn't sure, but I decided to run with this version. I've found that, when unsure, it's better to become more aggressive, making firm decisions and confident strokes, than to wallow in the mess.

I de-emphasized the folds on the right and changed the pink vase to another blossom. For better balance, I added the pear in the lower left.



I developed the blooms in the main bouquet and added the reflections in the glass vase. I was still struggling, but it was getting better.



In the final version, I had changed the pink book - it looked awkward before and did not sit well in that dark corner - and scattered a few more blooms and petals around. Accents and details keep the focus on the main bouquet as the center of interest, but there is a satisfying rhythm through the work now. In the end I got what I wanted, the cool light from the window and how it gives unexpected and appealing color throughout the scene.

The Awakening

"The Awakening" - Oil - 20" x 24" - $2400

"Spring has a special brilliance and these yellow wildflowers rose to the occasion. I painted this with extra passion and energy." --- SFG

WORK IN PROGRESS:

Apologies. I forgot to take a shot in the drawing stage. As I drew, I paid attention to the shapes I was creating and to the perspective of the upslope. Here I've laid in some of the dark shapes of the foreground and the cooler, lighter, more distant hills and mountains. The big shrub in the upper left serves to stop the eye and provides value contrast and structure.



In preparation for the blooms to be laid on top, I painted the green leaves in a value close to that of the ground.



It was important to reserve the lightest, coolest yellow for the top surface of the blanket of flowers, so I under-painted the area with a warmer, darker yellow. I even picked up the red-orange areas that I saw in spots.



In the finished work, you can see the loaded strokes and the texture that I reserved for the finale. The pattern of the large and small strokes moves the eye around and creates a lively display. A little calligraphy for the shrubs finished the work.

A Day of Tears and Hugs

I was privileged to join others who so loved and admired Bill Reese (William F. Reese) in celebrating his life today at services in Cashmere, Washington. For all the fine tributes, nothing matched the poem he requested be read at his graveside in portraying his indomitable spirit and love of art...

WHEN EARTH'S LAST PICTURE IS PAINTED

When Earth's last picture is painted
And the tubes are twisted and dried,
When the oldest colors have faded
And the youngest critic has died,
We shall rest, and faith, we shall need it
Lie down for an eon or two
'Til the Master of all good workmen
Shall put us to work anew.
And those that were good shall be happy.
They'll sit in a golden chair.
They'll splash at a ten league canvas
With brushes of comet's hair.
They'll find real saints to draw from,
Magdalene, Peter, and Paul.
They'll work for an age at a sitting
And never be tired at all.
And only the Master shall praise us.
And only the master shall blame.
And no one will work for money.
And no one will work for fame.
But each for the joy of working,
And each, in his separate star,
Will draw the thing as he sees it
For the God of things as they are.

---Rudyard Kipling

The Importance of Photo-Sketching

Sometimes painting en plein air is more than I can handle, as I experienced on a recent trip. In spite of full-spectrum sunshine accompanied by a banquet of cloud shapes - just pick one that builds the composition - , the wind was howling and the temperature plummeted. Though I was completely absorbed in what I was doing, I finally realized that I couldn't feel my hands and my easel was listing. I had wondered why the painting had taken a turn for the worse in the last few minutes. It was time to fold up and run for the car.

I was in one of the most picturesque spots in the country and couldn't bear wasting any of my limited time there, so I made sure I had a fresh battery, a backup, and a large memory card and hit the road with my camera. In this instance, I was with a fellow artist, so sudden stops and back-ups were not objectionable. We chose a little-traveled back road with eye-popping subjects at every turn and frequently abandoned the car to explore a setting on foot. After all, the masters suggest walking entirely around a possible subject before deciding on a viewpoint.

Similar to thumbnail sketches, these photo series are a great tool for trying out compositions before committing a canvas to the effort. "What if I cropped it here?" "Maybe a vertical composition would be better." "Make the sky more important." "What if I did a closeup?" "High horizon?" "Low horizon?" A two-thirds, one-third split?" "What mass should dominate?" "Where are the subordinate masses?"

As we drove, we found several herds of livestock - cattle, goats, and sheep - and spent a portion of our time shooting (not literally) them. With this resource material, I can rearrange the groups for compositional purposes. I can do this as I paint live subjects, but a dozen shots of the critters as they move about gives me more options. I just have to remember that they were in motion, whether slight or swift, and to paint them that way. No frozen statues, please.

Oftentimes, such photo excursions lead to the elimination of subjects that seemed so exciting at the moment I stumbled on them. Time and a more critical evaluation can prove them to be mundane and uninteresting. Just think how much painting time I've saved by the perspective I gained by experimenting with several views.

After all, I found even better gifts further down the road. Better compositions, better shapes, better vantage points.