59 Chevy Artwork Donated to Haitian Relief Art Auction

'59 Chevy - 16 x 20 - original oil on canvas
Opening bid price $150

Through Twitter I have the privilege of participating in the first ever online art auction to benefit victims of the Haiti earthquake! My painting '59 Chevy, has been donated to the 140 Hours of Fame Gallery, for auction in the Haitian Relief Auction. Funds raised will go to International Medical Corps Worldwide (IMC).

An innovated New York based art gallery, 140hours, is pioneering the auction, in which people will bid on the paintings using Tweetbid (Twitter) technology. A host of artists from all over the world are participating.

The auction begins on January 29 and will last for 140 hours. Here are all the artworks in the Haitian Relief Auction. My painting is on the left, second row from the bottom. My opening bid price is $150.

'59 Chevy is a stylized interpretation of the reflective surface on a cherry red 1959 Chevrolet, and is the last unsold painting from my series of automobile themed paintings done in 2006 for the Bow Tie Bash Car Show held in Longview, Washington. All of the other paintings in the series have been acquired by vintage auto enthusiasts.

I'm proud and happy to be participating in such a worthwhile event! You can also see the painting on my Web site and follow the auction on 140hours on Twitter. If you want to be a bidder just follow the instructions at 140 Hours of Fame.

Special thanks to Gary Brant of 140 Hours of Fame for making this auction possible! I hope it is as successful as many of the other fund-raising efforts designed to help victims of the Haiti earthquake. I am very grateful to be participating!

Delicate Watercolor of St. Louis Cathedral

Plein air Watercolor painting on paper
St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans
9 x 12
Allan Wise

In October 2007 Allan and I took a trip to New Orleans. Some parts of the trip were fabulous, others not so much. While I was hard at work Allan had time to explore the French Quarter, Mississippi River, Andrew Jackson park and other landmarks. He did several quick plein air watercolors of the picturesque area around St. Louis Cathedral, including the cathedral itself. I only got 15 short minutes to duck into the cathedral at closing time, but did manage to soak in some of the magnificence. Then we came home and went about our life.

Just recently a nice lady from the South e-mailed me asking permission to use Allan's painting on her daughter's wedding invitation! She'd found it via Google, because although we'd filed our trip away in a memory box, Allan posted some of his paintings on his blog, which was how she found it.

I find this fascinating, that people clear across the nation, who we've never met and likely never will, can find a piece of our lives online, and include it into their own. That would never have been possible pre-Internet. It makes me feel connected somehow, to people I don't even know.

So we gladly granted permission, and are quite pleased that Allan's painting is going to grace a new bride's announcement of her wedding. We hope it turns out as nice as it makes Allan feel about having his painting included in such a momentous occasion!

Kudo's Allan, my love, for capturing St. Louis Cathedral with your paintbrush one afternoon in October 2007! You did good!

October Wind #4

October Wind #4 ~ 18 x 24 ~ oil on panel

It's been three months since I took that scenic drive through Klickitat County on the Columbia River Gorge and was so inspired by the colors that I started another series of wind paintings. This is the fourth painting, which began last November, but with the holidays and a commissioned portrait, got inevitably delayed.

If you can imagine, the Gorge hills in October really are this color, and the tops are peppered with hundreds of wind turbines, churning and turning in the robust wind.

Recently I learned that the largest wind project in the world will be built in Oregon. At 845 megawatts, it outstrips all the other wind farms in the world. Unfortunately for Oregon (and Washington), the electricity will be shipped to California. Hmmm. Also, I wonder which Columbia River port will handle the turbine imports. That will be a big job!

I hope to complete a couple more paintings in this series, then hopefully my gallery in Hood River will agree to a show next October. At least I'm working on it!

Here's the other paintings:

October Wind #1 (formerly Klickitat Wind)

October Wind #2

October Wind #3

Check out my new book: 'Power of the Wind', and join my Facebook Fan Page to see paintings in progress!

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

Blue Angel

Blue Angel - 24 x 36 - oil on canvas

A second Angel painting and my first painting of the New Year! She's been in the works for several months, but I finally finished her today. Hopefully she'll hang with my other angel painting.

I think the bluebird has something to say!

The flesh tones were developed with a new flesh-tone palette I'm using based on Michael De Brito's paintings (and technique) featured in the January issue of The Artist's magazine.

I also had a love affair with blacks and browns while doing this painting. They really are amazing colors.

Happy New Year. I hope to paint more figures in 2o10.

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