When Failing Make A Radical Change

This-is-another of my try something radical with a failing painting. You can still see the remains of 6 or 7 vertical fir trunks going up through the sky. The green areas were many individual trees. Most of the meadow was trees or shrubery. I just drew a lot of straight lines outlining the foliage, slathered pink over the blue sky, removed the trees and went over the current meadow area with yellow. 26x30 oil on linen. (Aug 2006) Collection of artist.

Home with Blue Roof

Paint-sticks-lend themselves to a nice loose painting. This is my next door neighgor's home. 24x28-oil sticks on panel-(2004) (artist's collection)

Aspen Lake at Black Butte Ranch

This-sort-of-scene is what makes painting out of doors such a pleasure. 30x26 oil on linen (Aug 2006) Artist's collection.

Abstract Landscape

Joan-Mitchell-is-one of my favorite artists. This was inspired by her work. 24x20 oil on canvas. Collection of the artist. (2002)

Inventing an Interesting Foreground

The-foreground-at-this site was a large lawn. I liked the buildings which reminded me of those in some Cezanne paintings but I needed a more interesting foreground so I invented the trees and path. 24x20 oil on canvas (2001). Collection of artist.

A Woman with Attitude

This-is-a-large-painting - 48x36. I have no inclination to hang paintings of nudes in my living room but this one I could (if my wife happened to agree) because there is lots of attitude expressed by this Native American woman without any eroticism. 48x36 oil on canvas (2000).

My Grandmother's Ironing Board

I-arrived-for an encaustic painting class and Sandy Roumagoux, our instructor, told us to paint whatever we wanted. Until then in my training the instructor had always set up a still life. She had an iron to use on the encaustic and I found the ironing board and cloth in a closet of the studio. I made up the box and clothes when Sandy suggested that something was needed in the lower right. 24x32 encaustic on panel (about 1998)

An Early Water Color

An-early-watercolor 10x14 (1996)

One of my first paintings

This-is-from-when I first started painting 10 years ago. To do it I set up this still life, photographed it and meticulously rendered it. I like the result but I did not enjoy the process much. 14x20 water color (1996)

Copying an Abstract Painting

My-son-asked if he could have this painting that hung on my wall. I wanted him to have it and I also wanted it on my wall so I painted this copy and gave him the choice. (He took the original) I found out how hard it is to paint a copy of a painting which was done wet on wet - that is mixing the wet paint on the canvas - and when much of the painting was repeated revisions where some pentimenti remained.

Painting Large Out of Doors

Monet-once-painted a huge painting out of doors requiring a trench to lower it into so that he could paint the top. It was something like 8x10 feet! This painting is large but nothing like that. Wind becomes a major problem with a huge canvas out of doors. I painted this from my back deck looking toward my neighbors home. 64x46 oil on canvas (2001). Collection of artist.

What are we seeing?

This-painting-hangs in my living room and I frequently ask what people think it portrays. Often it is something like a 19th century French dress shop. I painted it about 6 years ago in art class. It is the other students painting a still life. 12x12 oil on canvas (about 2000)

Listening to Cezanne

Cezanne-was-very concerned with structure in painting. The strong verticals supplied by the firs, the shape of the road and of the mountain give solidity. What attracted me to this scene was the bright yellow green Japanese maples in the forrest on a grey overcast day. The road was forked with one branch off to the right. The background was a uniform green hill. When I got back to the studio is simplified the road which now leads you nicely into the painting and does not detract from the simple maples and I made the background more complex to add some interest there. The added mountain has somewhat the shape of Mont Sainte-Victoire in the background of many of Cezanne's paintings. Oil on linen (26x30) (July 2006) Collection of the artist.

Ninth Version

I-have-gone-back to this site nine times over a year, each painting being quite different. Much modern painting depends on color and shape more than representation to make its point. Keeping the number of shapes and colors small usually helps to make an interesting painting. This painting tends to be about the colors green and violet against each other with accents of bright white or dark shapes. 24x28 oil on linen (July 2006) Collection of the artist.

Oregon Beach Scene 20x24 o/p (2004)

The-use-of oil bars kept this beach scene loose. (20x24) o/p (2004) (artist's collection)
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