"Fall Unfolding Study" Little Gem Auction for Crop Hunger Walk - Final Auction

"Fall Unfolding Study"  oil  12z10

"Fall Unfolding Study" is the third and final (yes final!) piece up for auction, with 100% of the winning bid going toward the Crop Hunger Walk.  This is the study for a recently completed 50x40 studio piece.  I spent the weekend giving a workshop in the flint hills.  The grasses are beautiful and the trees are starting to turn shades of gold.  In a few weeks we will see it unfold!

All proceeds will go toward the Crop Hunger Walk in Manhattan, KS, which I am walking October 5th.   The Crop Hunger Walk's goal is to end hunger, and has raised more than $294 million in the last 20 years.  I have fond memories of participating in this walk when I was in high school and am excited about doing it again.

It's easy to add this little gem to your collection while donating to the Crop Hunger Walk.

How to Bid:
- Minimum bid begins at $75- yep, that's it!
- Bidding increments of $25.
- No reserve price. Winning bid gets the painting, which is unframed.
- Just bid in the comment section below.
- The auction ends on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 11pm - Central Standard Time.
- I will contact the winning bidder who can pay by check or Paypal with 100% of proceeds going to the Crop Hunger Walk.  I can post the donation to my Crop Hunger Walk page or it can remain anonymous.

This is your chance to support a great cause and get a little gem of a painting so bid high and bid often!  Good luck!  I hope you get the painting.

"Moving Models" Little Gem Auction for Crop Hunger Walk

"Moving Models"  oil  6x8

"Moving Models" is the second piece up for auction, with 100% of the winning bid going toward the Crop Hunger Walk.  I painted these cuties while visiting my good friend, Kami Mendlik, at her new place in the beautiful countryside in Minnesota.  Moving ducks are hard to paint!  It makes me smile every time I look at it.

All proceeds will go toward the Crop Hunger Walk in Manhattan, KS, which I am walking October 5th.   The Crop Hunger Walk's goal is to end hunger, and has raised more than $294 million in the last 20 years.  I have fond memories of participating in this walk when I was in high school and am excited about doing it again.

It's easy to add this little gem to your collection while donating to the Crop Hunger Walk.

How to Bid:
- Minimum bid begins at $75- yep, that's it!
- Bidding increments of $25.
- No reserve price. Winning bid gets the painting, which is unframed.
- Just bid in the comment section below.
- The auction ends on Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 9 pm - Central Standard Time.
- I will contact the winning bidder who can pay by check or Paypal with 100% of proceeds going to the Crop Hunger Walk.  I can post the donation to my Crop Hunger Walk page or it can remain anonymous.

This is your chance to support a great cause and get a little gem of a painting so bid high and bid often!  Good luck!  I hope you get the painting.

"Autumn Begins" Little Gem Auction for Crop Hunger Walk

"Autumn Begins", oil on canvas, 8x10, unframed

In a few weeks I am walking (or maybe running) the Crop Hunger Walk in Manhattan, KS.   The Crop Hunger Walk's goal is to end hunger, and has raised more than $294 million in the last 20 years.  I have fond memories of participating in this walk when I was in high school and am excited about doing it again.

So what does this have to do with the painting above?  I have decided to hold an auction in order to raise money and "Autumn Begins" will be the first piece, with 100% of the winning bid going toward the Crop Hunger Walk.  This oil painting was painted on location one morning in Marlatt Park just a few minutes north of where I live in Manhattan, KS.  It shows the grasses changing colors and the sun was starting to peek through the clouds.

It's easy to add this little gem to your collection while donating to the Crop Hunger Walk.

How to Bid:
- Minimum bid begins at $75- yep, that's it!
- Bidding increments of $25.
- No reserve price. Winning bid gets the painting, which is unframed.
- Just bid in the comment section below.
- The auction ends on Sunday, September 21 at 8 pm - Central Standard Time.
- I will contact the winning bidder who can pay by check or Paypal with 100% of proceeds going to the Crop Hunger Walk.  I can post the donation to my Crop Hunger Walk page or it can remain anonymous.

This is your chance to support a great cause and get a little gem of a painting so bid high and bid often!  Good luck!  I hope you get the painting.

Grapevine Gallery Show at a Glance

If you haven't had the opportunity to visit the Grapevine Gallery in Oklahoma City and see work by the talented artists they represent,  I'm giving you a taste of some of my favorites on the walls right now.   Just look at what's waiting for you at the Grapevine....

Bruce Peil,  Hampton Creek

Phil Starke, Last Warmth of the Day

Dan Gerhartz, Tendrils and Lace

Jewelry by Dan Telleen

Kim Casebeer, Ranch House September

Tony Hochstetler,  Left, Emerald Lake Photograph and Right, Seahorse

Roger Williams, Sanctuary

Jimmy Dyer, Maine Coast

Laura Robb, Asian Doll and Orchids

Steve Kestrel, Circle of Cranes

Grant Redden, Sheep's in the Meadow

Lorenzo Chavez, Near Gateway

Kent Ullberg, Equipose

Matt Smith, Peaks Above Fish Creek

 

 

Dianne Massey Dunbar, Broadway Lights

 

Paying Attention to the Universe

I recently returned from a painting trip to a lovely area of central California, Paso Robles.  This community is about 45 min. inland, and full of rolling hills and vineyards.  This was an invitational exhibition with a wet painting sale and auction over Memorial weekend.  I don't participate in a lot of plein air events, but when I do, I ask myself a few questions.  Have I had the opportunity to paint this area before and do I feel inspired to paint there again?  Or if I haven't painted there am I interested in painting that area?  In this case, I painted the central coast near Carmel last year and loved it.  The painting event in Paso Robles gave me an opportunity to paint central California again, this time farther south and inland, although we could paint anywhere in San Luis Obispo County which includes some quaint coastal areas around Cambria and the Hearst Castle.  I personally found the combination of ranchland and coastline intriguing.  There was opportunity to paint the vineyards, old barns and farmsteads, back roads, the coast – all of which I took full advantage.  Almost every road off Hwy 46 between Paso and Cambria was good.   Most of these roads are dotted with farmsteads and old barns, wineries and beautiful golden grassy fields.  And it was quiet!  Another quality I personally look for in having a positive plein air experience.  There are many, many beautiful places to paint in the United States, but a lot of them are so busy and overcrowded with tourists that it's hard to have a good plein air experience.  For me, part of being inspired to paint outside comes from being able to hear the wind, water, birds chirping, etc.

A Drive Along Live Oak, oil, 8x10.  Painted in the Paso Robles area.

On Wednesday afternoon while finishing up a midday painting, I noticed the clouds were building.  This particular evening the artists were invited to a welcome party, hosted by a local owner of a winery.  I really didn't have time to properly finish another painting before getting back to the hotel to get ready and head back out.  However, my instincts for a good opportunity kicked in and I had to try.  In about 15 minutes I found a good spot to view the cloud show that was developing and set up.  I worked feverishly to get to a proper stopping point on a 12x12 sky piece overlooking some fields.  Luckily, painting fast often works when painting clouds as they move and you have to capture quickly.  I couldn't finish, but got it to a point that the sky was complete and the ground had enough information it could be finished later.  The next afternoon I went back to the same spot to finish the painting.

Evening Show, oil, 12x12.  Painted in the Paso Robles area.

The wet painting sale was on Saturday.  This 12x12 cloud piece was the first I sold that day.  The lady who purchased it said she was a Bierstadt fan and this piece reminded her of some of his work.  I think she was being kind, but thanked her.  We talked at some length about being inspired when painting outside and it became clear that we both were inspired by the sky and changing weather. 

I couldn't help but think that if I had squelched my desire to quickly get a painting in and instead listened to the voice of reason which was telling me I didn't have time, I wouldn't be connecting to this collector.  The universe, a higher power, whatever you want to call it – there was definitely some intervention going on.  I do know that whenever I disregard my instincts I usually regret it.  As artists, listening to our inner voice and paying attention to what the universe is telling us is as important as any art lessons.

Starting the Plein Air Season in the Flint Hills

Ok, so I've been BAD about posting on my blog.  Really, really bad.  My last real post was 9 months ago.  Yikes!  But spring is here and with it, the start of a busy plein air season.  This seems like as good as time as any to start sharing again.  I don't mean just posting pretty paintings.  Ok, that will happen, but along with those, I hope to post a lot about experiences - travel, meeting people, painting, techniques.  We all can become better from hearing about other people's experiences.

Spring has been slow to start in NE Kansas.  I've been out a few times trying to brush off the cobwebs and prepare for the rest of the season.  I leave in just a few days for a week long painting trip in Central California and needed some practice!  Last Saturday, I got a few artists together through Missouri Valley Impressionist Society.  We met in the morning at the Konza Nature Trail which is part of the Konza Prairie Biological Station.  Most of Kansas land is privately owned, so painting outside is typically done off a road and out of your car.  The Konza Nature Trail gives us an opportunity to hike in.  While I enjoy this, it's not the easiest thing to do.  One has to make sure to keep gear to a minimum so it can be on your back.  I typically paint 8x10 when hiking in because I can put my 8x10 Raymar wet panel carrier in my pack, along with the pochade, tripod, paint, thinner, brushes, rags, sunscreen, bug spray, snacks and water.  Yes, it's easy to see how you can quickly fill up a backpack!

At first it looked like the weather wasn't going to be friendly, but the rain drops and clouds disappeared.

This is looking back toward the start of the 2.5 mile Nature Trail.  The steepest climb is the 1.3 miles straight up this hill to the radio tower. 

I decided my first painting of the morning would be at the top of the hill, so I climbed the 1+ miles and picked a spot just south of the radio tower.  WARNING: if you are a painter who wants to paint on this hill, pick a day when it's not windy!  The main reason I decided to start here is because typically the wind isn't too bad in the morning.  It seems to be the highest point for miles which is wonderful for views, but with no wind breaks, not so good for plein air painters.

Doug Frye, Susan Rose, Linda Shoults and Mike Flora may have had the right idea painting down the trail.  Can you see my set up on the far right at the top of the hill?

Mike Flora creating a great pastel piece.

This was the flint hills view I painted.

The reason I love this hill is the 360 degree views.  From one side you get the more pristine flint hills and on the other you see the valley dotted with farms and some fields.  It's really beautiful!

Here's a great view of the valley.  You can see fields and farms in the distance.

The clouds went away quickly, which translates to flat light sooner in the day.  I learned a long time ago if you want a big view, you need to get up really early, or stay out late.  Middle of the day is best for more protected areas where you may get dappled light.

Yes, we do stop to eat lunch once in a while!

Joe Loganbill painted the restored limestone barn.

And that is just what we did!  Most of the artists who stayed and painted in the afternoon, met at the Hokanson Homestead.  It has a beautifully restored limestone barn, spring house and best of all, Kings Creek runs through the property.  We were able to enjoy the shade since it was getting hot.  I painted Kings Creek, which is a pristine creek and used for research.  It's considered pristine because it starts on the Konza and doesn't run through crop land.  It's limestone bottom makes it one of the clearer creeks and made a stunning subject.  Plus, it's so peaceful painting to the sound of bubbling water and chirping birds.   It was a great start to spring!

Kings Creek in the afternoon.

There are many great shade trees around the homestead area.

My Color Palette for Studio and Plein Air

This is a revision of an older post from 2012 where I discuss my palette.  I've added WHY I use particular colors.  I recently announced my 2014 workshops, and since there are a lot of questions about color palette before and during workshops, I decided to update this and repost.

Here is my color palette in the studio.

"What colors are on your palette?" is a common question asked during workshops or demos.  This is my studio palette, laid out on a 20x30 piece of glass with a mid-tone gray board placed under the glass to aid in value comparisons.  My current palette consists of the following Gamblin colors, laid out in this order at the top from left to right:  Cadmium Yellow Lemon, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Yellow Ochre, Transparent Orange Mixture, Cadmium Orange (sometimes), Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin Permanent, Burnt Sienna, and Asphaltum.  Then on the left side of the palette, from bottom to top: Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Viridian, Permanent Green Light, Cadmium Green, and occasionally Sap Green (not shown).  Titanium White is in the top left corner between these two.

I would consider this a modified prismatic palette.  It goes through the warm colors from lightest to darkest along the top, then through the cool colors on the left - from the coolest to the warmest.  Aside from having a range of warms and cools, I am also trying to give myself a range of values. 

I will quickly go through this palette to explain why I chose each:
Cad Yellow Lemon - This is the lightest, coolest yellow.
Cad Yellow Deep - This is a darker, warmer yellow that gives good value range between yellows.
Yellow Ochre - This is a good earth yellow and important in depicting drier climates.
Transparent Orange Mixture - A rich, transparent, warm orange.  Warms up greens beautifully and makes nice green blues for the sky without making it appear too green.
Cad Orange - This is a cooler intense orange.  If I have to choose, I prefer Transparent Orange.
Cad Red Light - This is a warm red and the lighter value.
Alizarin Permanent - This is the cooler, darker red that gives good value range between reds.
Burnt Sienna - An indispensable earth red with decent tinting strength.
Asphaltum - A transparent, dark, yellow earth that grays cool colors nicely.
Ultramarine Blue - This is the cooler, darker value blue that gives good value range between blues.
Cobalt - This is the warmer, lighter value blue with more intensity.
Viridian - A dark, cool green that will tint warm but still look clean with orange, or go grayer with reds.
Permanent Green Light - This is also a cool green with a lot of intensity.  It needs to be toned but once mixing is mastered it has a lot of possibility.
Cad Green - An intense, warm, light green good for new foilage mixtures.
Sap Green - This is an earthy green sometimes good for dark mixes but it can also dull colors and get you in trouble.
Titanium White - A high tinting strength white that's good for landscape painting because it takes less to tint than other whites.  It is a cool white so as you mix it into your color, your mixture will also need to be warmed.

No matter how you lay out your palette, the most important thing to remember is to be consistent! Reaching for colors in the same place each time helps streamline the mixing process.

Here is my slightly simplified plein air palette.

If I am painting outdoors, my typical studio palette is simplified because of space constraints and to make painting more direct in the field.  I lay it out the same, that is all the warm colors across the top and cool colors on the left side with Titanium White in the upper left corner between them.  Top: Cadmium Yellow Lemon, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Yellow Ochre, Transparent Orange Mixture, Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin Permanent, and Burnt Sienna.  Then on the left side of the palette, from bottom to top: Ultramarine, Cobalt Blue, Viridian, Permanent Green Light.

I have experimented with a limited palette and believe this to be a useful tool for beginning students who may not have a good handle on color mixing.  If you are interested in using a limited palette, I would encourage you to experiment with several versions of a red, yellow, blue palette to see what works best for you.  You will want to give yourself a large value range, so I would suggest Cad. Yellow Lemon or Cad. Yellow Light for your yellow, Alizarin Permanent or Cad. Red for your red (Cad Red Lt is too warm and light for a limited palette), and Ultramarine Blue plus Titanium White.  Another good addition to this would be an earth tone such as burnt sienna. Be sure to have dark values on your limited palette because you can always tint lighter with Titanium.

My palette has been adjusted throughout my painting career.  Most of my palette is Gamblin because they make great paint and they have a wealth of useful information on their website about color properties.  I've been wanting to conduct a brand comparison for a while but life got very busy with a move the last six or more months.  I've been planning how to do this and hope to get it started soon.