Abstract Trees

 My experimentations of late have led me to yet another series.  I used several different new materials and techniques to create these three paintings.  I experimented with using tissue paper to create texture, drip painting using hi-flow acrylics and even oil pastels to finish the painting off.  I decided to use trees as the subject even though these techniques are not conducive to realism so even though the idea is trees the result is very abstract.

Abstract Trees - Blue Tree Group
Acrylic and paper, 11" X 14"

Since this one was the first in the experimenting I had put down a layer of abstract drips before I applied the tissue paper and I added some marks with paint marker to finish it off.

Abstract Trees - Towering Pines
Acrylic, paper and oil pastel, 16" X 12"

This one maybe got a little more representational.  From my experience on the first one I decided to apply the pieces of tissue paper right after toning the panel, and applied them with the composition in mind.  This one is where I got the idea to use oil pastels instead of the paint markers to add some linear elements at the end, I think it looks better, more natural.

Abstract Trees - Red Autumn
Acrylic, paper, oil pastel, 11" X 14"

I made this one using the same process as the "Towering Pines", again with a general composition in mind but staying open to whatever the paint wanted to do.

Here are some detail close ups.

Daily Painting Challenge - Pastel Landscapes No. 4

It's day 4 of the daily painting challenge and I'm still hanging in there but I will admit I'm struggling to keep the steam up.  Maybe that's why I painted one even smaller than the last.

"Lone Cottonwood"

7" X 5", Pastel on paper

I did something a little different for this one.  Rather than start with a photo reference I painted from a mini painting I did in acrylic some time ago, it's only 2" X 3 1/2", and it was painted using a 12" X 16" painting I did a year and a half ago as reference.  So this painting is three generations removed from the original reference photo and it still works.   This tree is a cottonwood that stands all by itself in a conservation area in the Heber Valley which is on the east side of the Wasatch mountains directly across from the Salt Lake Valley.  This reminds me of how thankful I am for the movement to restore and/or conserve areas of public land in a natural state.

Just Couldn't Wait

We are having an unusual autumn this year.  The temperatures have been quite a bit higher than normal most days, even summer-like at times. This appears to have caused many trees to hold onto their leaves longer than normal, however some trees seem to operate on the clock regardless of the temperatures, maybe they are more effected by the days getting shorter and shorter regardless of temperature.  I took a trip up Big Cottonwood Canyon last week expecting to be treated to a magnificent show of color, I was very disappointed. Most of the aspen trees had already dropped their leaves, this time last year they were so bright as to seem to be on fire. I guess you just never know how the weather of the spring and summer will affect the trees during fall. I drove over the pass and into the Heber Valley which on first glance appeared to be mostly green still.  I was getting excited about the prospect of returning in a week or two to paint on the Middle Provo River, however when I got to the river I noticed something odd and disappointing, about half the trees were bare and the other half were still green.  The cottonwoods might still produce beautiful color but it will be spotty.  I've come to the conclusion that it might be best to just stay near home this fall, the best color might end up being right here in the Salt Lake Valley, hopefully plenty of it near the Jordan River, we'll see.  We don't have much color here in the valley yet.  I got impatient and pulled out a photo I took a couple years ago near the Jordan River Parkway and made a painting in the studio.

"Autumn Tree"

Acrylic, 16" X 12"

Original - $200

I'm very familiar with this little stand of trees as it is across the road from one of my favorite areas on the Jordan River Parkway in Murray, Utah.  The fall foliage on these trees was an especially bright yellow-orange.  I've even sketched this stand of trees in pen and watercolor.  Open fields like this in the middle of a neighborhood are a rare blessing nowadays, best to document them before they get developed. 

Making Peace With Winter

I have to admit, this is not my favorite time of year.  I'm not talking about the holidays, (though the commercial hype does get tiring) no, I'm talking about winter.  So, what does a landscape painter do that doesn't like winter, hibernate in the studio?  I confess that's largely been my strategy in the past but what does that say about a landscape painter that does his best to ignore a whole season?  I decided I need to work on my attitude and get outside more during the winter months. I choose today to get started, a day where the high temperature stayed below freezing. At least it was somewhat sunny and only a little breezy.  It was too cold to take out the acrylics so I just went for a walk with a pencil and a sketchbook in Murray Park.  The forecast shows nothing but freezing weather for the next week so maybe I'll take out the pastels one of those days.   Today was more about going for a walk to acclimate myself to the weather but I did manage to get a couple quick sketches in.

We had a couple inches of snow yesterday, the first storm that actually has been sticking this season, some of that was still clinging to the tree branches.  I took a little detour to the upper soccer fields and sketched this tree;

Some of you who follow this blog may recognize this tree.  I've done both a field pastel sketch and an oil painting of this tree neither of which really satisfied me, I think maybe this quick little pencil sketch captures it's character a little better.  Visiting this tree was a bit like visiting an old friend.

I took my camera as well of course, here is one of the photos I snapped.  Maybe I'll eventually develop a Murray Park series of paintings.





Another Sketch Day

I meant to get out with the paints this weekend but my schedule and the weather wouldn't cooperate with each other.  I traveled to another town on Saturday meaning to do some sketching but even by 10:00 am it was incredibly hot.  So after making a round at the car show I just went exploring by car and with camera in a rural area.  Today, Sunday I intended to take the paints out first thing in the morning to avoid the heat, but the sky was gray and cloudy, not very motivating.  The weather seemed to have improved in the afternoon and having only a couple hours I decided to take the sketching materials instead of the paints, besides I didn't know how hot it was, acrylics don't handle well above 80*F let alone above 90*. I decided to head out to a pond that's near where I often sketch and paint at the Jordan River Parkway but I never knew was there until I discovered it while exploring the area on Google Maps.  I started by doing this sketch of a willow tree in the middle of a little peninsula;

I altered the scene a bit.  The peninsula was actually bigger and had no reeds, also the background was houses.  I was interrupted by a bit of a rain storm, I swear I don't remember seeing rain in the forecast. There were a lot of geese by the pond so I decided to take advantage and fill a page with quick pen goose gesture studies;

Then I headed over to the Parkway which is essentially just across the street from the park this pond is in to seek out another tree to sketch and found this one;

I took some liberties with this scene as well.  The fence that was actually there was made from lumber and was much more straight.  The background field is actually a road and a house beyond that.  One thing I learned while doing this sketch is that this tree, being dome shaped got lighter as you got closer to the top, that's not true of all trees since most of them still have portions that are largely vertical even near the top.  Just as I finished this sketch the rain clouds made another appearance, I just escaped getting soaked again.  I think both of these tree sketches have potential as paintings.

I used to often share photos in this blog and realized that I haven't done that in a while so here are some photos I took today of some of our fair feathered friends..

A goose strutting proudly next to the pond;

A mother duck and her ducklings;

A quail trying to stay out of sight;

Spring Tree

Here I am playing with the oils again.  Actually I painted this three or four weeks ago but didn't decide to share it on the blog until now.  I've already got another itch to play with oils again so you may see more soon.

"Spring is Coming"

Oil on panel, 8" X 10"

Original - $100

This unusual tree resides in a nearby park and I just had to paint it though it took me a while to get to it.  I took the reference photo a year ago!  I chose to portray it in early spring so I could paint that interesting structure yet have some of the leaves coming in to add some color.  That's the famous Wasatch Mountains in the background.



A Perfect Sunday Afternoon for Painting

It's been two weeks since my last post, shame on me.  That has partly been because I've been contemplating and experimenting about a change in medium and slight change in direction, so things might get a bit weird in her for a while, well not really weird just a bit different.

Today the weather was near perfect, a little windy at times but nothing I couldn't handle.  I decided to head out to my favorite convenient painting area, the Jordan River Parkway, there's a twist this time though, I took oil paints.  It's been nearly two years since I last painted outdoors with oils.  I decided it's time to give oils another go.  I want to paint outdoors more often and oils have many advantages to acrylics for painting outdoors so it was time to finally return to them.

Bare trees are a challenging subject even with a medium you are familiar with, this isn't my greatest work but it's not a disaster either.  Right now this is the kind of subject that the parkway is full of and since spring will be here soon covering everything up with leaves and bushes now is the time to take advantage to do these little studies of tree "anatomy".

I used the same homemade paint box that I used for painting with acrylics, the only difference being the plastic shopping bag used for disposing used up paper towels, oils are messy!  I forgot my medium cup which is usually clipped to that little piece of metal on the right side, so I had to just drip some onto the right side of the palette.  I used a lot of medium on this one!  I tried to use the palette knife more than I'm used to but with mixed results.  The palette of colors is the same I use in acrylic, titanium white, yellow ochre pale, cadmium yellow pale, burnt sienna, cadmium red and ultramarine blue, all Winsor Newton colors.  The medium I use is M. Graham walnut alkyd and the solvent is Gamsol.

While Gamsol is less noxious than other solvents it's still strong enough I don't like using it indoors, especially during the winter since I can't open a window.  One of the things I've been experimenting with is water soluble oils.

"Autumn Road"

Oil, 5" x 7"

I painted this little landscape painting in the studio using Weber /F.Martin Woils.  They were a bit stiff but other than that and being able to clean up using water they worked just like regular oils. The smell of the oil paint itself is distinctive and something I'll have to get accustomed to.

Winter Trunks

Just off the easel a small painting based on sketches and photos I made/took in December on the Jordan River Parkway.

"Winter Trunks"

Acrylic, 5" X 7"

Original - SOLD