Mouth of Mary's Creek, 12x16 oil
As a part of my continuing self-education in painting, I have been reading from several sources, one of which is the blog by Stapleton Kearns. While he is no longer posting very frequently, he did spend about three years posting every day - long and informative pieces on all aspects of painting, totalling more than one thousand posts in all. Over the past few years I have delved into his blog and tried to work my way back from the beginning, but each time something would eventually happen to my browser that caused me to lose my place and I drifted away from it for months at a time. Now I am determined to read it all, and I am about 2/3 of the way through this time, working from the beginning toward the present, careful to save my place so I don't get lost. I have to say, he should put this out in book form, because he has done such a good job in providing so much information, including tips on handling materials, discussion of various artists from the past, critiques of paintings sent to him, and all the while his wicked wit adds to the delight in reading him. If you love to paint and you haven't read much of his blog, I heartily suggest you invest the time.
River Bend, 16x20 oil
The above piece started out with such high hopes; I had in mind something like the river paintings of Fritz Thaulow, who captured the sinuous nature of flowing water so well. I think the key to it may be in color temperature, juxtaposing the cool and warm while keeping the values close, but I'll know it when I see it. This isn't quite there.
Morning on the Left Bank, 36x36 oil
This is a larger version of an earlier piece, and I find I am having trouble working larger than my normal; I began it well enough, but then it was difficult to go back to it again and again, and I let it sit for several weeks to "think about it", but when I finally returned to finalize it, I found myself a little too distant from it and I struggled. I don't think it is quite done, needing a little more work in the foreground, but it is close.
Cook's Butte Trail, 12x16 oil
Sometimes I just decide to go a little wild with the color to see what might happen, and though this one is awfully sketchy, there is something to using reds and blues in a winter forest scene.
Doodling, 12x16 oil
The title says it all. Some days I have to just force myself to do something, and this is one of those. The values are off, the brushwork is sketchy, but there is something in the color of the water that might be worked with.
