Painting at the Lake on June 28

Done en plein air at Lake Sacajawea

around 1:00 pm, June 28, 2009

oil on linen panel - 11" x 14"

It was a beautiful Sunday so we headed for Lake Sacajawea to practice what we learned at the Mitch Baird painting workshop. Plus, the water lilies are in full bloom. I love water lilies.

Painting water lilies is easier said than done. I don't know if the principles of value, shape and distance apply when painting water and water reflections? Allan and I were both about as frustrated as we've ever been on a painting trip. I think my painting is a dud. Worth scraping off, in my opinion, but I saved it as a learning experience. Here's Allan's painting. It has an impressionist feel.

Part of the reason may be that we were both painting in full sun, at noon. It must have muted the colors, becuase neither one of us could figure out what color we were using. All my darks were too dark and my lights were too light. Next time I'll sit in the shade.

So here it is. I'll let you be the judge.

~ The brush wasn't happy in my hand today ~

Rhody #10: Ann's Rhody

Rhody #10: Ann's Rhody - 16 x 20 - oil on canvas

Finished at last. The background morphed from what I'd originally envisioned. Thank you to Ann Chaikin of Bellingham, Wa., who granted permission to work from her beautiful photo. You can also see it on her blog.

I started this painting as a demonstration at the Salal Spring Arts Festival. I thought it would be quick work to finish it at home. Boy was I wrong. Maybe if I'd worked more consistently instead of taking a Mitch Baird painting workshop, started another painting, and compulsively watching all the Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett specials on TV, I might have finished it sooner.

But oh well. I like the finished product. I added it to my collection of Rhododendron paintings.

Here's the painting Allan just finished. I love the composition. He practiced his Mitch Baird painting skills.

Now I need to get busy and finish the painting I started while I was still in the middle of this one!

~ I will keep the brush happy in my hand! ~
See all my Rhododendron Paintings!

Therese Tice's painting ~ longing for the tropics!

A friend finished her teaching schedule for the year and jetted off to Hawaii. While there she visited artists and did all the fun-in-the-sun activities I wish I could do. She sent me this painting by an artist she'd met; Therese Tice. It seems so familiar. There used to be a Hawaiian store in Kalama, and I recall seeing a print resembling this painting. Of course, the store went out of business long ago, so I can't check, and I haven't been to Hawaii in ages. I Googled Therese Tice and didn't find anything, so I decided to give Therese's painting it's first Web exposure!

I like this painting, it feels comfortable, like someone I know painted it. If anyone knows about Therese Tice's artwork, let me know and I'll link to it.

Aside from that, I've had little time for painting. My father has been ill, I'm getting ready for a family reunion, and the flowers need watering every evening. Hopefully I can get back to painting soon.

World's Oldest Blogger
I haven't been so busy though, that I missed a Time magazine article about Maria Amelia Lopez, the world's oldest blogger at 97. They called her Spain's granny blogger (she was from Spain). Sadly, she died recently, but it just goes to show, connecting via the Web is for any age. Good for you, Maria!

Here's her blog ~ in Spanish: http://amis95.blogspot.com/
Here's the CNN article: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/05/22/spain.world.oldest.blogger/
Here's the Times article: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6344077.ece

~ I will keep this blog happy in my hands! ~

Mary's Poppies, At Last

Mary's Poppies - 30 x 40 - oil on canvas

I'm not sure why it is that life rarely turns out the way you want it to, expect it to, or hope it will. It must be God's way of showing us who's in charge. It's also probably why I never won the Powerball.

So Mary's Poppies was, and is, an unexpected blossoming of painted shapes. It was unplanned, for the most part, without a map or photo to guide me.

For Mary. The one who always (well almost always) makes me smile. I love you!

~ I will keep the brush happy in my hand ~

Here's the painting progress:

• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3
• Day 4
• Day 5
• Day 6
• Day 7

I had no idea I'd painted so many poppies, but here they all are!

• Poppy Quilt
• Poppy Quilt 2
• Five Poppies
• Shirley Poppies
• White Matilija Poppies
• Quick Poppy Study

Plein Air Painting Workshop by Mitch Baird

Mitch Baird painting (photo 1)

Mitch Baird's painting (photo 2)

My painting set up (photo 3)

Allan painting (photo 4)

My painting (last photo)

I did this painting today at a Plein Air Painting Workshop by Mitch Baird. Allan and I have never done a workshop, but after seeing Mitch's paintings at Art on the Boulevard and discovering he was teaching a workshop this weekend, we decided to give it a try.

We've loved Mitch's work since we first saw it. The paintings are so simple and fresh--like I've always wished I could paint. The workshop solidified two important concepts for me: simplifying shapes, and identifying values.

The workshop was on Sauvie Island. Mitch did a demonstration first, then we each did our own painting while Mitch gave advice. He helped me with perspective, which I always struggle with, and how to break up planes so a person's eyes move around the painting. He's also a master at smudging edges! Mine tend to get to sharp.

I've been painting all my life and I feel like I had the most to learn of everyone in the group! One thing is for sure, the simplicity of a beautiful painting is incredibly complex. Complex in that it's hard to capture, and has nothing to do with details.

The last picture above is my painting. Not even worth a frame, if you ask me, but a valuable learning experience. Also, I can't even claim it as my own, since Mitch helped so much. So I'll use it as my first example of a workshop painting! Hopefully there'll be more!

I met some other inspirational artists, Celeste Bergin and Sandra Longmore. And I discovered I need a better easel set up. More art supplies!

~I will keep the brush happy in my hand~

Painting another Rhody at the Salal Spring Arts Festival

Ann's Rhody (Rhody #11) - 16 x 20 - oil on canvas

The 2009 Salal Spring Arts Festival at Lower Columbia College kicked off the official launch of this year's edition of The Salal Review, the college's literary and arts magazine. I was honored this year when the team of students and faculty advisors that produce the magazine selected my painting of a Rhododendron for the cover artwork!

It was fitting that I demonstrate painting a Rhody at the festival, even though I didn't finish the painting that day (nor have I finished it since). Here's what it looked like on Saturday, May 30 during the festival. I've worked on it every night since, but it's still not done.

Back in 2003-04 I completed ten paintings of Rhododendrons. I was inspired to do another by Ann Chaiken's photo of a rhody on flickr.com. Ann agree to share her photo with me and it became the inspiration for this painting.

To top it off, Allan bought me a humongous set of stretcher bars on sale at Utrecht: 4 feet tall by 8 feet long!! My plan is to paint an oversize Rhody floral to grace my livingroom. I want to call it Rhododendron Explosion. We'll see if I can realize this goal, because it will be the biggest painting I've ever done. The next largest is Riverwatch, at 2-1/2 feet tall by 8 feet long. I completed this painting in 2004 after we moved into our new home, but it was done on three separate panels.

So I better stop yackin' and get to work!

~I will keep the brush happy in my hand!~

Doreen and her Paintings

Doreen is 86, subscribes to my blog, and e-mails me often. We've never met, but I love hearing about her painting and gardening. I decided to post the three pictures she sent me recently. The top two are paintings she's done, followed by her own smiling picture.

Doreen, I hope I can do as well as you when I'm 86! I know a lot of seniors younger than you who think a mouse is that fuzzy gray creature the cat chases after, have no idea what a blog is, nor would they even consider joining an online social network.

So here's to all the members of the Silent Generation who (by leaps and bounds) are using the Internet, sending e-mail, reading blogs, watching online videos and participating in social networking. Good for you!

Doreen my friend, you are breaking the glass ceiling!

~I will keep the brush happy in my hand~

Doreen said that!

The Green Paper and my Klondike Wind Painting

Klondike Wind Turbines - oil on panel - 11 x 14

Tracy Laine stopped by my office last week and saw the postcard advertising my Power of the Wind show last January that featured this painting on the cover. She asked if I'd give permission to include it in the next issue of The Green Paper, a free monthly publication in Oregon and SW Washington. So I said, sure!

The Green Paper is all about renewable, recyclable and green information. It's published by Mollie Riley in Clatskanie, Oregon. The Green Paper blog is out-of-date, but the articles I read in the May issue seemed relevant to increased awareness of green issues such organic coffee, raw foods lifestyle, edible flowers and American's energy future.

My artwork appeared on the back cover of the paper, with this caption:

Local artist Marie Wise of Kalama, captures the power and beauty of wind energy in her oil painting entitled "Klondike Wind Turbines". For more information on this painting or other works of art by Marie Wise, visit www.mariewise.com.

So thank you to Tracy Laine and The Green Paper for featuring my artwork in the May issue!

Here's the painting on my online wind gallery

Here's the painting on ReImaginations (online wind energy gallery)

Here's another painting of a Klondike Wind Turbine

Here's the blog post on my Power of the Wind show

~I will keep the brush happy in my hand~