Spirit Cave

Spirit Cave

Painting No. 1-F-13

8"x 8" oil on canvas

A few weeks ago a local painter, Tony Lema, took me south of Moab about 40 miles to the Needles overlook road where we painted in the back country for a few hours. Since then I've gone back 3 times including today.
As the late afternoon sun pushed across the western sky I noticed this cave as I drove through a meadow and up a canyon towards an old cow camp. There's something particular about this place; I had the feeling of being watched as I painted. Afterwards I hiked a few side canyons looking for petroglyphs but didn't spot any.

Do you Wish People Would Buy More of Your Art?

Sun Glow

Painting No. 3-E-13

8"x 8" oil on canvas panel

 

As some of you know I'm painting full time in Moab, Utah. The good news is that the paintings are selling and requests are coming for subject matter. So I headed up the Colorado River and painted in the shade of the Navajo stone walls during the mid-day sun. This little painting took about an hour and felt really good. This is the light quality that can be captured when a painter takes the time to go outside to paint in the field. The plein air technique of painting from direct observation is the only real way to become a better landscape painter. I've completed approximately 400 outdoor paintings and I'm looking forward to the next 1,000.

Painting a Large Sky Scene Part 2

From Part 1 of Painting a Large Sky Scene; I transferred the line work from my preliminary sketch to the canvas surface. Now I concentrate on blocking in large areas within the painting with singular colors. For example, the entire cloud mass is painted this blue gray as a mid-tone starting point. Later I will come back and add darker shadows and lighter shadows. Later still I will add high-key sunlight spots.

At this stage I have added the darker areas to the underside of the clouds, I have added lighter areas of shadow to the clouds, (everything in this style of landscape painting is about modeling how light falls on a surface. I always try to model the shadow (low-key) areas for dark-medium-light tones and the sunlight (high-key) areas for dark-medium-light. At the bottom of the painting I have painted a medium-base tone for the distant foothills and a odd shaped foreground mass. Notice the blue sky values; the upper painting is an intense blues that fades as it falls.

The final painting has highlights in the clouds, and a corresponding foreground brightness. The lower left corner has the airport buildings and highway shown as a scale reference. The distant rain showers are hitting at various intervals for a more elaborate depth perspective.

Painting a Large Sky Scene Part 1

It all starts with an idea, a spark, something that catches your eye and stays in your thoughts while your working on other projects. That's how this studio painting came about. It started with me driving to Grand Junction, Colorado from Moab, Utah. I drive this route every couple of weeks and I always love the color and shape of the clouds that occur around 13 miles north of Moab. So a couple weeks ago I went out on a cloudy afternoon and painted this 8"x 8" plein air study. My original thought was to turn this into a 36" x 36" large work, but I started noticing the great clouds floating by to the right of this thunder head. So I photographed it as well.

Back in the studio a few days later I did this preliminary 8"x 8" painting of the different cloud layout, using the original plein air piece for a color reference.

Next I built a stretched canvas, using stretcher bars from French Canvas of New Jersey and primed canvas. This photo is from a canvas I built last year but the construction is the same.

Now that the canvas is on the easel the first thing I do is texture the surface. I use acrylic paint to add brush strokes as an under painting. Once that dries, I paint a wash over the entire canvas. I don't like painting on a white surface; this time a chose a light blue/purple wash because I'm painting mostly sky and I didn't want to struggle against an opposing color, like orange. Once the wash was dry I drew a grid out on the canvas surface . I also drew a grid over a scaled drawing and photo. Then I transfer the outlines of the clouds and ground to the canvas, using the grid as a guide.

See Part 2 for the remaining steps

 

 



Moab Weather: April Showers

April Showers

Painting No. 5-D-13

8"x 8" oil on canvas

 

Lately we have had a real mixed bag of weather, from snow to rain to shorts weather. Lately I just don't know what I'm gonna see when I head out the door to the gallery. Today for example, it was raining really hard until 11:30-ish. By 1 PM it cleared up enough that I drove out near the Moab airport and painted this little cloud study. I'm thinking of doing a large painting, possibly 36" x 36" of something along this line, and I need to decide quickly.

Don't let the weather get you down, head out just after the rain and capture it's beauty.

Arches National Park: Balanced Rock

Balanced Rock

Painting No. 2-D-13

12"x 12" oil on canvas panel

 

Last Saturday morning I was in Arches National Park visiting Sarah Hamingson, the current Community Artist in the Parks pastel artist. I had intended to paint en plein air at the Balanced Rock parking lot but I forgot my mineral spirits and resorted to sketching several versions of Balanced Rock before deciding that I liked this angle the best. It's a tough subject to paint, the subject is awkward and impossibly balanced.

 

This is the usual view of the rock, which is kinda ugly to work with from an artistic perspective. The angle of my painting is at the far right side of the photo, and from the base looking up. Essentially my painting is a study of warm shadow contrasts in a typically cool environment.

 

Arches National Park; North Window

North Window

Painting No. 1-D-13

16" x 20" oil on canvas

 

About a week ago I drove into Arches National Park after a full day of rain storms and painted a small plein air sketch on location at the arch known as the North Window. Once back in the studio I reworked the composition of the Juniper trees, the small wash, and Sagebrush. At the suggestion of Tim Morse I added a couple distant clouds to draw the eye through the opening. The composition is the classic Edgar Payne "O" pattern, with the help of the Junipers for scale. 

Evening Light over Utah

Desert Sunset Study 1

8" x 10" oil on canvas

 

Last night, after I closed the gallery, I drove to the high desert north of Moab and painted a couple sky studies. The quality of light in the evening sky is just as varied and stunning as the atmosphere that falls against the Navajo sandstone. At this location looking west across the Utah desert, on a clear day I can see 80-100 miles. This long-distance view only accentuates the cloud-sky colors and patterns. After painting I drove to the Monitor and Merrimac Buttes to watch the last purples fade from the spring sky.  

Desert Sunset Study 2

8"x 8" oil on canvas

Best Plein Air Day Ever......so far

Today was some of the best plein air painting that I've experienced since arriving in Moab. The day started at the Red Rock Bakery of course with the owner, Howard, pouring coffee and talking Utah politics with the tourists.....always worth listening in.
Next, I'm making arrangements with my friend Phil Wagner; oil painter, poet and renaissance man, to paint in Arches National Park at 10 A.M. When I finally arrive this is what I see on the side of the road (photo to the left). Phil has framed and attached make-shift wooden legs to a 32" x 40" piece of plywood, constructing a tabletop-like paint surface for his newest (and largest) plein air painting. Looking very-much like a giant robot spider, I'm waiting for it to start walking around at anytime now.
Phil paints a bright base coat of yellow paint which immediately gets the visitors attention and the cars start pulling over.

This is exactly why I love working with Phil; he is always experimenting with something new. He is either studying dead painters, fiddling with art chemicals or stretching the limits of whats possibly in the field.

I setup my small plein air kit close to him, it looks like a pack of cigarettes next to his rig. During the day we stop and talk to the park visitors, honestly, we posed for probably 10 photos and were captured many more times by the folks in cars who were too busy to talk.
We paint until 3 P.M. at which time Robin Straub, Phil's wife and another great plein air painter arrives to load the contraption into her 4-Runner.
Afterwards I drove out to Wolfe Ranch and hiked to the Delicate Arch Overlook. It's a short hike with the addition of a slickrock rim that rises to the east and adds an additional 1/4 mile to a point that most visitors wont ever see. I stayed on the rocks for probably another 2 hours.
It was warm and peaceful, nearly poetic in-nature.
I saw the first lizard of the year.
I saw Indian Paintbrush blooming.
I took the time to talk to some friendly looking cactus,
and I watched as silent forms of tiny people raced back and forth under the Delicate Arch, so far away that I couldn't hear their chattering.........something of Ed Abbey in all of this.

Castle Valley

Castle Valley Study

Painting No. 3-C-13

8" x 8" oil on canvas panel

 

Sunday afternoon I painted out on Hwy 128, along the Colorado River. This is Parriott Mesa, another wonderful example of the plein air painting opportunities that abound in this part of the world. This is a typical morning study.

Balancing Act

Balancing Act
Painting No. 1-C-13
8" x 8" oil on canvas panel

My days are busy lately, which is a good thing.
Now that spring is upon us here in Moab, every artist in town is wanting to go outside and paint.
Yesterday it was Phil Wagner and Robin Straut, (Robins' work is currently on display at the Red Rock Bakery). The painting, "Balancing Act" was yesterdays' effort as we painted under the shadow of Ham Rock at Arches National Park. Today I painted with Tony Lema, business owner and oil painter, at the formation known as "Parade of Elephants", also inside Arches N.P. The conditions were pleasant with beautiful sunny skies, no wind and only a few tourists. One young man photographed me while I painted, others pull up in their car and watch for a few seconds before going on. I actually like painting near the tourists, it makes me work harder to produce a quality product. Perhaps I go a little beyond what I would settle for if no one was watching.

Tony Lema working on his plein air oil painting at Parade of Elephants.

The Perfect Day in Moab Utah

How do you describe a near perfect day in Moab, Utah?
Here's how....

• 7:30 am - Go to the gym and run for 30 minutes on the treadmill. I usually run for 40 minutes but I was afraid of being late for breakfast. On the IPod? Everclear. 
• 9:00 am - Meet a friend at the Rock Rock Bakery and Internet Cafe for coffee and bagels. As you know this is my favorite morning hangout location; it's always a cozy and relaxing atmosphere.
• 11:00am - Drive to Arches National Park with my breakfast friend and slowly drive through the park, stopping at the Garden of Eden. Hike up to North Arch, South Arch and Turret Arch. It was windy today but still a pleasant time with only a few tourists.
• 1:00pm - Lunch at Fiesta Mexicana with my breakfast friend. This is a great restaurant; the service is quick, the food great and the prices are very reasonable.
• 2:30pm - Back to Arches NP to paint en plein air (painting outdoors) with 2 of my new local friends Phil Wagner and Robin Struab. We painted for nearly 3 hours at Ham Rock, which is just southeast of balanced Rock. It was windy and cool, but we had a great time of being in close proximity to one another.
• 5:30pm - At Phil and Robin's place for wine and a serious discussion of art topics.
• 8:00pm - Home for dinner and blogging.

Moab plein air painters Phil Wagner and Robin Struab working

through the afternoon at Ham Rock in Arches National Park.

 

Three Gossips in Winter

The Afternoon Gossips

Painting No. 8-B-13

8"x 8" oil on canvas panel

 

On Monday, the afternoon skies over the Canyonlands cleared and Phil Wagner, a local painter-poet, and I decided to paint in Arches National Park. With it's majestic rock formations and the La Sal Mountains as a backdrop this is one of the most scenic places in America.
The air was cool but clear as we pulled into the parking area across from what's known as The Three Gossips. The statuesque sandstone formation is iconic to this National Park and is featured in the movie: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
The name suggests 3 prominent gossips but my eye always sees the forth as she leans into the ear of the central figure, (which makes the news just a little juicier).

We had almost no company today; a few people from Boise and a couple from Texas. The great thing about painting in the National Parks is that people are friendly. They are excited to be on vacation, awed by the size and beauty of the place and always curious to see an artist at work. Last October I posed for 100 or more photos while I was painting in the Parks.

Phil Wagner painting plein air near the Three Gossips.

February Sun

This afternoon I had the pleasure of painting with a new friend of mine; Phil Wagner. He's an oil painter and a poet. I like Phil, he reminds me to live in the moment. We painted at Big Bend Campground in the warm February light. Our styles are completely different which is really interesting to see how we interpret the landscape in opposite ways. We were also joined by the publisher of Utah Stories; Richard Markosian who photographed us as we painted the rock formations. Check out Utah Stories at: www.utahstories.com

Shadow Land

Shadow Land
Painting No. 4-B-13
8" x 10"
oil on canvas board

Early evening light plays across the talus slopes and cliff face of Mat Martin Point just north of Big Bend Campground on the Colorado River. This shadow land holds the heart and imagination of all travelers who come here seeking an escape from the city and a visual feast for the soul.

Where do you go to escape from the normal?
Where do you find yourself leaving the road and entering the wild?
What inspires you as a traveler or painter?
I'd like to hear from you.

Juniper Morning

Juniper Morning
Painting No. 5-B-13
8"x 8" oil on canvas

The sky opened up for a couple hours this morning. So with the temperatures around 30 degrees I hiked along the trail near my house where I spotted this composition a couple days ago. Beautiful warm morning light touching the juniper tree, bushes and scattered rocks below a towering Navaho sandstone wall.


Tarte Roja (Afternoon Red)

Tarde Roja
Painting No. 2-B-13
8"x 8", oil on canvas

Late afternoon light slips along the canyon walls and brings the red rock of the Canyonlands to a blazing finale as I quickly set up my plein air equipment and capture the moment. 
How beautiful the fading light is here along the Colorado River, finer that most places I believe. Perhaps it's because of the clean air, I'm not sure, but the unique quality of light is hard to describe in adequate terms.  
 

Cloudy Day

Cloudy Day
Painting No.  1-B-13
8" x 10" oil on canvas panel

What do you do on your day off?
I go outside and work on plein air paintings. Today's effort was near Big Bend Campground just north of Moab, Utah. I like this area, lots of variety in a one mile stretch of river. It was cloudy today which puts a huge dampener on telling the story of how spectacular the rock formations are.

This drainage channel near the overflow campground was the nicest composition I could find this morning. I did manage to keep the coolest colors to the background and the warmest and brightest colors to the foreground; together with the variety of round, angular and vertical lines adds a certain amount of movement to a dreary day.

Frozen Colorado: Big Bend Campground

Frozen Colorado
Painting No.  6-A-13
8" x 8" oil on canvas

The weather finally broke today and I was able to sneak out of the gallery for a couple of hours and paint this scene.
Along the Colorado River, just northeast of Moab is Big Bend Campground and on the east side of the highway are these wonderful rock formations that reflect the warm glow of the sun, even if the temperature is close to freezing. I enjoy this stretch of river, the afternoon light is special and I'm thankful to be the only painter on the river.

Developing Large Paintings from Plein Air Sketches #2

Picking up from the last blog; this image shows the early block-in of color on a 16" x 20" canvas. Notice first that I chose a warm color for the initial wash. I don't like painting on a white canvas. It seems that when I have painted on white, I'm continuously fighting the surface to make sure that the white doesn't show through. When you lay down an initial wash, it eliminates that problem and creates a background color that can easily show through in several spots to tie the rest of the colors together; creating a color harmony. This image shows the block-in of colors in the shadow areas of the painting which includes the back rock wall with rocky tiers and snow piled on each tier. Also the willow bushes get their block-in of color. You can see that the base color for the willows is purple; not black, brown, green or yellow ochre. As I mentioned in the last blog, the color mixing for all studio paintings is subject to the color as seen in person and captured in plein air paintings...DO NOT TRUST PHOTOGRAPHS. One more thing; I took the willow block-in color and used it in the shadows of the rocks and bushes on the right side of the painting. This helps to create a color unity throughout the entire work.

This image is the finished painting with possibly a few minor tweaks to the stones in the shadows along the frozen river bank, (the 4 stones are too evenly spaced), I'll probably add some variation in the studio on Tuesday.  Notice the open water in the river; it's darker than the rear wall. Also notice the bush reflections are darker. The base color for the snow is a warmed-up reddish white (never use pure white....never). The sun lit bush closest to the river and the ice next to it are the brightest parts of the painting. This is intentional, it becomes the focal point. I designed this painting so that your eye leads in by following the open water, (left to right whenever possible). Then the eye travels up the background snow to the left, then right to the upper right corner, then follows the sunny rock wall down to the bushes in a clockwise fashion, then loops again.

Do you have comments, suggestions, questions? Let me know and I'll do my best to answer them.