Long Wait, Drive On

Long Wait, Drive On, watercolor on Yupo, 16x20

This is the finished painting that I started last month as a demo (see previous post). It resumes my experiments with Yupo and with urban scenes--I like the variety of perspectives and textures that this subject provides, and enjoy the challenge of portraying details on the slick surface of the synthetic paper.

The problem (or solution) is that Yupo makes it so easy to subtract pigment and repaint an area that it invites endless revision... I had started with a much simpler and more muted sky that I liked better, but the intensity of shadows and the brightness of the street color called for an intense blue sky, so I added more cobalt turquoise. It does look better in real life than on the photo.

I have several paintings and ideas in progress, I hope to start posting more often, as it is quite fun to share ideas and images.

Demo at Front Range Community College

Last week I had the pleasure to do a demo at the Front Range Community College in Longmont. My subject was an urban scene on yupo. Due to the longer drying time on yupo, I was not able to complete the painting during the class, but that was not the objective anyway. The goal was to share some of my experience and techniques for working on this new surface. During the one and a half hour session, I described both the thinking process and the many forms of paint application and removal--from the use of stamps and templates to watercolor sticks and sponges. The students participated with their comments and questions, and it was a very enjoyable time overall. The image shows the painting in progress.

Using a Pochade Box

I have been using a French Resistance pochade box for my sketching outdoors and at home. With the need to carry my paints with me around the house to keep an eye on the children or simply sketch around my family, and to be able to quickly close the sketch box and put it all away (as when the baby monitor goes "wahhh"...), this has become a convenient setup to buy me more time to paint.

The box mounts on any of my tripods, but it takes the Velbon to make it really stable. My En Plein Air Pro easel is more convenient outdoors, but to paint from the car, or a home on a table or on my lap, the pochade box works better. I carry it with me in the trunk of the car. It is pretty convenient and it takes only a minute to open it and get ready to paint, and even less to close it up and put it away.

I've been carrying a 7x10 sketch book in the storage compartment of the box, and have water, brushes and pocket brushes, and a folding plastic palette with my colors. The photos show both the use with a sketchbook, and with a loose sheet of paper, using the cover of the storage compartment as a support for a gentler angle.

The photo also shows a recent sketch of a house down the street, as seen from my back yard gate.

The Great Frame Up National Exhibit Opening

Last night was the opening reception of The Great Frame Up National Exhibit in Longmont, Colorado. Here I am posing by my paintings selected for the show. I met a number of the exhibiting artists, including several many out-of-state participants. I also had great conversations with the public and got some nice feedback on my work. It was a very pleasant end to a week that had the workshop with Ted Nuttall (my next post).

There are 150 pieces by 53 artists, and the show is open until the end of August. Here's a link to the preview of the exhibit: http://www.longmont.thegreatframeup.com/photoalbum.asp?id=462996&page=1

My Corner Office

I am back in North Dakota this week, visiting in-laws and once again making Dutton's Coffee Parlour in Valley City my corner office away from home. Last year, I made this sketch from this same window, showing the buildings across the street. The main building actually houses the Valley Artists Guild.

Speaking of art societies, the Red River Valley Watercolor Society in Fargo is hosting their annual national exhibit, and the small town of Pekin, ND had a state art show last weekend, so I have had the chance to see some great artwork as well.

The weather is nice and warm and the days are long, so I hope I can take a break from work and family events and do some sketching in the coming days.

Summer Events

Summer months are filled with art events: Exhibits, street fairs, workshops, etc. I will have some of my plein air paintings displayed at the Creative Framing gallery on Main Street in Longmont, including the piece shown here, "The Red Gate, Agricultural Heritage Center." I will also have several paintings featured in the Great Frame Up National Juried Exhibition, from July 13 to August 31.

I am pleased to have joined the Longmont Artists' Guild, especially now that they have started a  plein air painting group. The LAG has a current Member Show, jointly with the Boulder Art Association, at the Boulder County Fairgrounds, June 6 to June 10. I am not taking part this year.

Other upcoming local art events include:

• Longmont ArtWalk, July 20, and September 21
• Longmont Rhythm on the River, July 14
• Boulder Chautauqua Colorado Juried Exhibition, August 31 to September 3

Watercolor and Airport Security

Other artists have commented on difficulties of traveling with tube paints through airport security, and I had considered myself safe from that inconvenience, as I use pan paints, and watercolor sticks, when traveling. Actually, I have offered these alternatives as advice to others many times in the last few years. So it was very ironic and surprising to me that I got selected for further screening at Denver International Airport two weeks ago, and while my carry on was searched they explained they were after a stick that gave out a strange glow on their screen. The culprit? Daniel Smith Gamboge watercolor stick! After examining the stick they let me carry on with my trip. I had carried my watercolor sticks with me on board before, and even that very same color, without any problems. Indeed, I was on another business trip this week and again took my paints with me, same airport and same equipment, but this time there was no stop or comment about the gamboge stick... The life of the artist is never predictable, or boring...

Colorado Watercolor Society 21st Annual State Exhibition

Friday was the opening reception of the Colorado Watercolor Society 21st Annual Watermedia State Exhibition. It was a great opportunity to introduce our new son to the artist community, so Christina and I brought André Oliver along to the show. This is a great exhibit, with lots of varied content and styles, and great technical and artistic quality. The juror Kathleen Conover was present at the opening and gave tours of the exhibit, talking in detail about the award winners. The Foothills Art Center has a beautiful gallery and the organization is excellent.

The exhibit is open until March 24th, at the Foothills Art Center in Golden, Colorado (www.foothillsartcenter.org), and is well worth visiting!

Welcome André Oliver!

I hadn't posted for a while, but for good reason: Christina and I are very happy and proud to announce the birth of our second son. Baby André Oliver was born on January 17th, healthy and handsome, 6 lb 10 oz and 20 inches, or 3 kg and 51 cm. Mommy is recovering very well, and Miguel Lucas is very proud to be a big brother! The two little brothers combine well to swell our days with tasks and our hearts with joy!

Happy 2012!

Happy New Year! We have had good Holidays, and these have been exciting times! We have been in the midst of preparations for the arrival of our baby boy, it should be any day now...

Meanwhile, this is the most recent page from my sketchbook, with a small study I did this morning. I used cobalt teal for the flaked painting of the trucks, and burnt sienna for the rust, and mineral violet for the roof, with touches of other colors here and there, to capture the light while trying to keep the shapes simple. That is, keeping things simple before life gets a little more complicated!