Canyon Light in Moab, Utah

Canyon Light
Painting No. 1-L-12
36" x 36"
oil on canvas

This is my latest painting of the rock formations around Moab, Utah. It's based on plein air field studies and a few photos of the area. This is also my first studio painting from the new adventure of leaving my old life and starting a new one here in Utah.

Here's a view of a portion of the studio-gallery space I will be in beginning in 2 weeks. It was a hassle moving everything I own across 2 states in the middle of winter but I made it and nothing was damaged in the move.


Under Construction

Under Construction

I was comparing art with a fellow painter when it struck me that perhaps others would be interested in seeing the underside of my paintings. This is my current work of the rock formations north of Moab, Utah. As some of you know, I'll be relocating there within the next 6 weeks. So I'm working on larger paintings for the gallery.

Ok, to start off I used a very light purple for the base wash, I usually lay down a warm wash but this felt different. Also, I spent a considerable amount of time with the composition. The exact placement of the main rock, the background cliffs, the foreground trees (not yet painted) and sagebrush arrangements (only rough shadow areas visible). Every detail gets scrutinized on a large format drawing pad with Prismcolor markers usually weeks ahead of production.

The palette is based on a plein air sketch from October's "Plein Air Moab 2012" event. The canvas size is 36" x 36". I went with the square size because it carries a neutral feel, meaning that it isn't bias to horizontal or vertical lines. Also, square equals strength and stability.

Have you every heard of gathering all the remaining leftover paint from your palette, mixing them up and saving it in empty paint tubes? I used this warm grey mix as a base color for all the shadow areas (only shadow areas exist at this stage). The grey has a unifying effect on the overall painting.

I've also decided to change my technique up, by painting the entire scene as in total shadows, then I'll come back in at the end and begin to detail the rim light as being in the sun.

Winter Light

Winter Light
Painting No. 2-K-12
12"x12" oil on canvas

I spent Thanksgiving in Moab, Utah.
It's an interesting town with a population of about 5,000 people. Small and remote but full of life; it's surrounded by 2 National Parks, 1 State Park and a massive County Park. Combine that with nearly one million visitors per year and you have a very interesting mix of culture and activity.

For those of you who haven't heard, I'm moving to Moab in mid-January. I've made arrangements to work and paint with the artist Tim Morse at the Overlook Gallery on Center Street in the downtown district. This will be a great opportunity to paint full-time, share the responsibilities for the galleries success and be in a new and fresh environment. I would also like to thank the award winning pastel artist Sarah Hamingson for pointing out some really great places to paint that the tourists aren't aware of.
2013 is going to be a great year of growing, learning and experiencing new and fresh ideas.

A look at 2012

On Wednesday night, November 14, 2012 I had the privilege of providing the demonstration painting to the Tahoe Art League, in South Lake Tahoe, California. This was a first for me, I had never painted in front of 30 people for 1-1/2 hours before. Lots of pressure on myself to not completely screw up! This has been a year of first:

• Started a website, over 11,000 visits since April 2012
• Markleeville Plein Air Festival, Markleeville, California
• Driggs Dig Plein Air, Driggs, Idaho
• 2-Man Gallery Show at Capital ArtWorks Gallery, Sacramento, California
• Plein Air Moab, Moab, Utah
• Instructor for "Introduction to Plein Air Painting" 2-day workshop
• Demonstrator for the Tahoe Art League
• California Art Club Paint-out, Calistoga, California

And there's still a month left in the year. Thank you to all who have stopped by to look at this blog site and visit my website. I really appreciate your support.

Breaking Dawn

Breaking Dawn
Painting No. 2-K-12
30" x 40" oil on canvas

This is a view of Dead Horse Point in Southeast Utah. I was there at dawn painting small sketches for larger works and I fell in love with the lighting of this particular monolith.
So let me ask for your comments; Did I capture the scene correctly? Do you like the composition?

A Hunter's Dream

 

 

 

A Hunter's Dream

Painting No. 17-J-12

8"x 10"

oil on canvas board

 

I was introduced to these petroglyphs by some locals while I was painting on location outside of Moab, Utah. This group is called the "TV Sheep" because of their obvious shape. The biggest sheep is approximately 16" tall. It's assumed that the images date between A.D. 500 and A.D. 1500. The countryside is full of similar examples of rock art, and I really enjoyed every one that I came across during my stay.



City on a Hill

City on a Hill
Painting No. 3-J-12
8"x 10"
Oil on Canvas Board

This was the second nocturne painting that I did during the Plein Air Moab 2012 event in October. This assemblage of rock formations is known at Park Avenue. I got to this location about 5am and painted by head lamp. This took me about 30 minutes to complete.

The Value in Value Studies

The Value in Value Studies

"Summer Shade"

 30" x 40" oil on canvas 

I mentioned to a friend of mine the idea of looking at finished art from a value stand point.

Each new painting I produce is subject to a whole series of checkpoints that I go through before the painting even starts in order to determine composition, color scheme, canvas shape and size, etc. Then several times throughout the process I may stop and photograph the work, download it into Photoshop, and convert the image to black &  white for the specific purpose of checking values. This is a practical idea because it takes away the distraction of color and lets you focus purely on form and values. Typically I squint my eyes and spend time observing the black & white image for darker shadows in the foreground and lighter shadows as the your eye moves farther into the background. It's also a good time to check how darkobjects and light objects relate to each other in a harmonious arrangement.



Morning at Deadhorse Point

Morning at Deadhorse Point
Painting No. 10-J-12
6"x 8", oil on canvas panel

This was the second to last painting I did while in Moab, Utah for the Plein Air Moab 2012 event. Deadhorse Point is wildy beautiful, I heard some tourists commenting that they thought it was better than the Grand Canyon. I might agree, with panoramic views and shear vertical cliffs it's an eyeful for sure.
The interesting thing about painting here is that you cant go wrong with whatever you decide to paint. In fact, the only draw back is when an artist might try to capture the entire panoramic scene in one painting, it's just not practical. I painted this scene while thin clouds played games with the background shadows. It happened to be a "happy accident" that the monolith and canyon rim were in the sunlight and the background was in the shadows. It made for a highlighted main subject....almost always a good idea.  

Making Large Stretched Canvas

 

 

 

Making Large Stretched Canvas

Ok, Ok, it's easy to go to the craft store and buy stretched canvas. I do it every now and then myself. But it's much cooler and artistic to build your own stretched canvas panels. I started building my own last year. It doesn't take much for tools: a rubber mallet, canvas pliers, carpenter glue, tape measure, heavy-duty stapler.
I bought the stretcher bars in the photos from French Canvas, www.frenchcanvas.com real nice, well built bars as seen along the back wall. Buy a large quantity and you get a reduced price an it saves on shipping cost. The gesso primed canvas I buy locally.

Assemble the size stretcher bars you are desiring, the photos show 30" x 40". Apply a little glue at the corner joints.

Use the rubber mallet to tap the corners into place.
Use the tape measure to measure the diagonal distances, get them even.
Let sit overnight.
Next day cut an over sized piece of canvas and staple it to the middle outside of the longest stretcher bar. (now here's the tricky part). Next, using the canvas pliers; pull the canvas tight across from the first staple and insert a staple at the center of the canvas(one staple) then flip the canvas and staple the opposite side with 2 staples. The idea is to apply pressure side to side as you staple the canvas tight. Keep pulling the canvas tight as you work all four sides until the last 8 staples are at the 4 corners.  Fold the extra canvas at the corner and staple for a clean finish, trim extra canvas away.
After assembling 5-6 canvases; you'll be a pro.

jmckew2011's photostream

jmckew2011's photostream on Flickr.

Night Battle

Night Battle
(Monitor & Merrimack)
Painting No. 4-J-12
8"x10" oil on canvas panel

Between Arches N.P. and Canyonlands N.P. is a stretch of highway that contains some remarkable formations. After exploring the backcountry canyons and drainages during the daytime, I decided to paint a "nocturne" a night painting of these 2 formations know as the Monitor and Merrimack. Named for the famed Civil War ships that fought against each other; these rocky crags stand in eternal battle readiness. The night was really dark, no moon. I stood for long periods of time in the cool evening breeze listening to the coyotes as my eyes adjusted to seeing by star light. Then I would turn on my head lamp, paint for a few minutes and go back to the still darkness. Kind of spooky being in this vast lonely country, full of mysterious canyons, caves, grottos and petroglyphs. I find myself constantly picturing the landscape (some 500-700 years ago) with no roads, little water and Native Americans drawing images of animals, mountains and people on the canyon walls. It really plays on your mind after awhile.
Notice the Dig Dipper in the upper left corner which is the location as I observed it that night.


Time Travelers

Time Travelers
Painting No. 2-J-12
12" x 12"
oil on canvas board

This is an afternoon plein air painting of the Double Arches in Arches National Park outside of Moab, Utah.
I love this location, so extreme in rock formation and sculpture. The whole region is full of ancient history, from the rock formations to the petroglyphs; it's like stepping through time, so I decided on the title "Time Travelers" and I included some small figures to give an idea of scale to the painting.

Fall Paint-out 2012

Fall Paint-Out 2012

Hope Valley, California
October 20, 2012

Yesterday I had the privilege of painting with a group of plein air painters in the wonderful aspen groves of Hope Valley, California.

We started out at 9:00 am with coffee and muffins then drove to Red Lake where we painted along a dirt  road (upper photo).

During lunch, David Russo generously agreed to critique our paintings. We had a total of 11 painters working in oils, watercolors and pastels.
In the afternoon we changed location to Sorenson's Resort on Hwy 88. Lots to photographers stopping to photograph the changing colors and capture the painters in action. The lower image is my contribution to the afternoons efforts.

Many thanks to the Tahoe Art League for spreading the word about this event. Looking forward to new opportunities in the future.

Morning Glory

Morning Glory
Painting No. 1-J-12
8"x10"
oil on canvas

I just returned from 8 days of painting in Moab, Utah. The scenery was fantastic. I think I strained my neck from looking at the extreme vertical cliffs that were always present.

I was in a group of 100+ painters attending the Plein Air Moab 2012 event. It was a great week of being in a magical land and being alongside some of the best painters in the country.
 

Beyond the Canvas

I've been out walking in the woods again.
This time however I left the paint box home and brought the chain saw. That's right, it's wood cutting season and I'm straining muscles that I forgot that I had. It all started about 15 years ago when Kim and I bought a house and installed a wood stove. Since then firewood accounts for about 80% of our winter heating. We both enjoy having a roaring fire on those long cold winter nights. But there is the added benefit of getting a great workout from falling trees, cutting and loading logs, cutting into smaller logs, splitting and eventually stacking the wood.

The Sierra Nevada Mountains are wonderful as a subject matter for landscape painters, but these woods are more than that to me. I grew up here, hiked and sleep out under the stars, saved a guy from hypothermia during a winter camping trip, got chased by a Black Bear looking for an easy lunch.
And yet these mountains still hold lots of mystery and adventure, more country than I will ever see. 

Back Forty

Back Forty
Painting No. 3-H-12
8"x10" oil on canvas board

Beautiful hot summer weather prevailed in Teton County during the Driggs Digs Plein Air Festival in Driggs, Idaho last week. This painting is from just outside of Tetonia, a small ranching community near Driggs. Within 50 miles of Driggs you could paint an entire career and never repeat the same scene.

Aspen Afternoon

Aspen Afternoon
Painting No. 7-G-12
6"x8"
oil on canvas

Afternoon light filters down through the trees in Hope Valley as another hot summer day draws to a close. As I paint in the meadow, I hear a small herd of cows with bells around their necks graze up in the shadows. Nice day, no mosquito's.

Outdoor Painting Workshop Aug 10-11, 2012

OUTDOOR PAINTING WORKSHOP

August 10-11, 2012

The Nature Conservancy, Genoa, Nevada

Cost: Free to the public

Class size: 14 students

Email to reserve your spot: james@jamesmckew.com  

This is a workshop for persons interested in learning basic techniques for oil painting outdoors. We will meet indoors on Friday night, Aug 10 from 6-8:30pm for a presentation, hands on exercises and a demonstration painting. Saturday morning Aug 11, 8-12 noon, we will be outdoors on the Nature Conservancy property for a quick demonstration painting then the students will try their hand at 2-3 paintings as time will allow.  Students are required to bring their own supplies. Email me for the PDF flyer with detailed information.

A Walk in the Woods

A Walk in the Woods                                 Painting No. 5-G-12

12"x12" oil on canvas board                              

Long afternoon shadows are cast along the forest floor last night along the Tahoe Rim Trail in the mountains above Lake Tahoe. This is a great place to unwind after a hot day in the valley.

Buckeye Creek

Buckeye Creek                                                  No. 13-F-12                                                   8"x10"                                                                  oil on canvas board                                                 Mid-afternoon shadows and reflections along Buckeye Creek in the Eastern Sierra Mountains. This was painted during our recent camp out.

Trail to the River

Trail to the River                                           Painting No. 12-F-12                                            oil on canvas                                                           Last weekend my wife and I camped at Buckeye Creek, along the east slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This was a grouping of trees close to our campsite.



High Meadow

High Meadow
Painting No. 10-F-12
12"x12"
oil on canvas board

From the same location as "Elders of the Forest", I painted this evening scene of Faith Valley and the surrounding mountains. As the sun was setting; I noticed the addition of a warm glow on the distant mountain. I added just enough color to suggest the warmth without ruining the atmospheric effects of the distances.

Elders of the Forest

Elders of the Forest
Painting No. 7-F-12

During the Markleeville Plein Air Festival I came across these stout trees that overlooked Faith Valley California and decided to try and capture their steadfast strength and beautiful patterns in the exterior trunk.

Mosquito Pond



Mosquito Pond
Painting No. 6-F-12
oil on canvas
9"x12"

Late afternoon light was reflecting across this small pond along the ridge of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I had to paint fast because the light was fading and the mosquitos were hungry!

Sierra Majesty

Sierra Majesty
Painting No. 4-F-12

Last week I participated in the Markleeville Plein Air Festival in Markleeville, California. This is one of my final paintings for the show.

Pinenut Mountain's Afternoon

Pinenut Mountain's Afternoon
Painting No. 1-F-12

The sun was just about to set when I painted this on Tuesday afternoon. The day was unusually cold, about 20 degrees below normal.
I set-up and painted quickly. An hour later, chilled to the bone, I packed it up and headed home.

Sierra Foothills

Sierra Foothills
Painting No. 15-E-12
8"x 8" oil on linen panel

A painting of the pinion pines and sagebrush that surround Indian Creek Reservoir in Alpine County, California.

Dusk After the Rain

Dusk After the Rain
Painting No. 9-E-12
9"x12" oil on linen panel

It had rained for nearly 18 hours straight. The rivers were swollen to their banks and the tops of the highest peaks had a fresh dusting on snow. I decided to paint this view of the Madison Valley because of the available trees vs. the mountains, to add depth and perspective. Directly behind me is the confluence of the Gibbon River and the Firehole River which becomes the Madison River, some of the most legendary fly fishing in the Western United States. But more importantly, this is the spot where the 1870 Yellowstone Expedition camped overnight and discussed the unique qualities of this place and how they should be protected for all Americans. This conversation became the birthplace of the idea of the National Park System. In some ways, this is sacred ground of the central idea that we as Americans can protect areas of our vast western landscape to always remember the explorer and discoverer in all of us that is part of the American culture. 

Along the Madison River

Along the Madison River
Painting No. 8-E-12
8"x 10", oil on canvas panel

This is an afternoon painting of the Madison River in Yellowstone National Park. My wife and I were there last week and I had the chance to paint nearly everyday.

Sierra Patterns

Sierra Patterns
Painting No. 6-E-12
10"x 8"
oil on canvas

During my Saturday drive along the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, I painted this scene in mid-afternoon, just west of Grant Lake. The snow is melting fast on all the surrounding areas.

River Bank

River Bank
Painting No. 7-E-12

On Saturday I painted along the Walker River, near the Marine base in Pickle Meadows, California.
This is one of my favorite fly fishing areas....lots of nice trout.

Still Life with Pears
Painting No. 3-E-12

Always practicing, working the eye and hand.
I don't paint many still life's, but I wanted to keep exercising. I think I need to focus on creating another 100 paintings, this helps to keep it rolling forward.

Trail to the Lake

Trail to the Lake
Painting No. 1-E-12
oil on canvas
(plein air)

Went to the lake last night. Cold, windy, cloudy, aspen trees swaying back and forth making lots of racket. This area is well known for having lots of bears, every 2 seconds I stop and look behind me. Didn't see a single soul, which doesn't bother me, I enjoy the wildness of painting alone in the mountains.

How to Paint Large Landscapes

Sketch, Sketch, Sketch
The Painting, "Range of Light" is based on a plein air painting and photographs of the Sierra Nevada Mountains just north of Mammoth Ski Resort in California, USA. In the pencil sketch seen here, which was the final version of approximately 6 that I did one night which watching "The Voice", I have arranged trees and bushes, mid-ground and background mountains to display a depth of field and accent to the main subject, which is the mountains. I cant express enough how important it is to keep sketching ideas before you commit to a large canvas. Keep working the idea until it feels right.

Get Your Line Work Established
This is the rough sketch on the 20"x24" canvas for the final design layout. I first laid down a blue-gray wash so that I didn't find myself fighting against the white background later on. Notice that I changed the foreground lead in from a path through the brush, to a road. It just felt right. My family camped in this valley when I was a kid and it felt like reliving my childhood.

Layout The Color
This is where the plein air painting  is worth the time spent fighting with the wind and bugs. I personally don't have the ability to remember color and value accurately. I can't lay down correct color without a solid reference painting, (this is also where weekend painters and serious professionals begin to part ways. Go to a local art show and see the work verses what the professionals are selling in a gallery. The difference is spending lots of time outside capturing correct color, combined with lots of time studying the books by Edgar Payne and John Carlson.)

Finished Painting
As a finishing touch, I added the morning sun as it begins to touch the top of the mountains. This is a magic time in the Sierra's and I wanted to bring a focal point to the tops of the peaks.
Note the design elements used here: the road leads you into the mountains, the trees provide depth of field. The mid ground hills set the stage for forest and open snow covered areas. The mountain is distant, cold, snow and granite covered. The sunlight takes your eyes all the way to the top. I also left some open spots of raw canvas showing through in the sky; it acts as a cross-over from the morning sky to the sun-lite snow.