A Great Day on Lopez Island

It doesn't get any better than a day painting on Lopez Island. We wandered around sketching and ended up at the south end, at the old Richardson dock. This old building looks out to the Straights of Juan de Fuca, with a perfect little beach below. 18" x 18" plein air with thick impasto paint.
Sold, Thank you Scott!

Coming Soon ......September Plein Air Workshop

This afternoon out at Cattle Point, the very tip of San Juan Island, looking back to the Cattle Point Lighthouse. Not an easy place to paint, as it seems always to be windy. A plein air oil on canvas, 14 x 18.
Thinking about why the lighthouse feels like it is tipping forward. It is not very often here on San Juan Island that we get a chance to use the third upward point of vanishing point perspective. As I was sketching for a large version of this view, I realized looking up at the building, to include the diminishing third point up of vanishing point perspective.(smaller at the top...)

Hope you can join us for 2 great days of painting. Call 378 2638 to sign up. We have a wonderful group gathered, from Olympia to Roche Harbor. So far it couldn't be prettier than this time of year.

2 More Recent Figures

The first one is oil on canvas, 20" x 24". Painted from a drawing.
Second tall figure is collaged and stabilio pencil, with prismacolor, 8" X 20", soon to be framed. Drawn from life.

Lifting Fog at Cattle Pass, Studio Version with Plein Air below

The south end of San Juan Island, we set up over looking Cattle Pass as the fog was lifting. Across the pass is Lopez's Shark Reef through the fog. Such a beautiful location, at the McHugh's, thank you Lisa!!
These 2 paintings represent the interesting process of painting on location and later using that information to create a studio painting. Incase you happened by the demonstration at the San Juan County Fair Art both, this is the completed version of the painting started during my demonstration. Studio version 18 x 20", next one down, on location..... plein air, 12" x 12.
The low island in the middle of Cattle Pass is known as Goose Island, currently home to thousands of seabirds. Years ago when there was talk of building a bridge from Lopez to San Juan Island (Horrors!) the Nature Conservancy purchased the island, as a way to stop any bridge building that might have happened, no thought now using that island as a bridge footing.
Plein air version sold, thank you Robin!!

October Figurative Show at Island Arts Museum

I just heard that our small figure painting group will be having a show at Island Art Museum on Spring Street in Friday Harbor. This will be a group show with a variety of aproaches to the figure. I have been exploring mixed media, collage and line. These images are pieces completed this year at the Arts Student League: Prismacolor, sumi ink, collage.
Drawn from life. Available at Funk & Junk.

Path to the Beach, Summer Morning ....Impasto

Impasto, thick paint, capturing the scene, path to the beach. 11 x 14 oil on canvas.

Coming up, September Plein Air Workshop
Sept 6 and 7th. I have changed the workshop to a 2 day event, instead of 4 days. I think that will work better for everyone.
Call to sign up, and we welcome the artists coming from Olympia! Telephone: (360)378 2638

Return of the Bonaparte Gulls

Set up out on the shore today, with boat traffic, sailing club, and the annual return of the Boneparte Gulls. A perfect summer day. Here's 16 x 20 plein air oil on canvas, and a second photo of the location. I have been inspired by German Expressionist Gabriele Munter lately.I worked on this over 2 different days.
Sold, thanks Peggy!

Plein Air Paint Out, San Juan Island

Today's paint out event was held at Dodie Gann's beautiful farm. From 1pm to 3pm artists set up with easels, canvases, and paints to create a painting in 2 hours time. Immediately after, the paintings were brought to the podium and auctioned off, as a benefit to San Juan Preservation Trust. I managed to take a few shots of my painting in progress, the initial sketch, my ORANGE underpainting, the final version, and a close up of the paint strokes, my impasto paint. Finally, a photograph of several neighboring artists in the thick of it. Claudia Mills is the new owner of this plein air oil,"the Farm over the Hill"