Shaker

"Alone," oil on panel, 6x8. Private collection

Long ago, one of my goals was simplicity in painting. At least in small works, simplicity and confident brush work can carry the day. This painting was done alla prima during a period of daily small paintings. I did a still life almost every day for a long while. The majority were 6x8 on a gesso panel. 

This work was one of the most successful of that big body of still life. First I laid on and wiped off a thin raw umber wash. Mindful of the value provided by the wash, I laid in a minimal outline plus the very darkest darks on the cap and rim. On the glass of the shaker I laid on flake white from the tube in three places, then in darker tints to show surfaces. The painting was finished off with the white reflections below the glass of the shaker.

Golden Autumn

Here in the upper midwest, autumn color seems to arrive in a rush. We've looked fruitlessly for color for about two weeks but foliage seemed to change colors in small pockets. Here and there a tree has suddenly glowed crimson or rust but the majority of the trees around the city remained green in all of its endless variety. But then suddenly, masses of leave and entire trees burst into color, all green bled away in favor of scarlets and rusts, dark cool reds and bright oranges. 

"10-26-24," wc/ink on paper, about 10x3.5

This is a quick, very small watercolor of the morning along Druid Hill Creek. The view is from my home studio north window. The tree had been a lush emerald green until only a few days ago, completely hiding the creek. Then over a day or two it shed leaves and took on this bright yellow cascade surrounding the narrow trunk. Creekside grasses and low plants still obscure the water. 

Saturday

Our weather has been temperate--warm actually--but dry. The fall colors are near or just beyond their peak. Here and there an oak or maple flames red-orange, or bright orange while other trees show us cool and dark reds. But much of our Iowa landscape glows in shades of yellow. 

"Greenwood Park," wc/ink on paper, ~8x10

This sketch is from last weekend. The group met as usual and discussed where to work; the consensus was to stay in Greenwood Park, which provided the brightest and most varied color. I sat near the Rose Garden and worked on this red giant.

Multimedia

"Coneflowers," digital

"Coneflowers," casein on panel, 6x8

A few years ago, as an experiment in art media, I did a series of paintings of purple coneflowers outside my studio. The idea was to compare using oil, casein, watercolor and digital methods to make a painting. Here are the four paintings, each done with differing materials.

I used Sketchbook and a Wacom tablet to paint the digital coneflowers. Otherwise I used traditional media and traditional supports. Casein and watercolor are thinned with water, of course, while oils require a solvent (turpentine or oms).

The results were interesting for several reasons. First, the digital image (top) seems comparable to the other images made using traditional media. Casein and oil paint each gave results that to my eye look rich with implied depth. The watercolor, while more transparent, also gave a visually interesting background. 

Seems to me that depending on subject and the eventual use of the painting, any of these mediums is a reasonable choice.

 

"Coneflowers," oil on panel, 6x8

"Coneflowers," watercolor on paper, ~6x8

 

Dog Cart

"Pushcart," oil on panel, 12x16, private collection

Manhattan is brimming with pushcarts of all sorts. You see hot dogs, chestnuts, falafel, and much more being sold on street corners from the southern tip to way beyond Central Park. This particular hot dog vendor was set up in the Financial District, near Wall Street. This particular work was done from a photo reference, considerably modified. 
 

Sherman Hill

"Houses on Sherman Hill," wc/ink, ~8x10

This watercolor and ink sketch shows a couple of very similar houses in the district of the city known as Sherman Hill. The name derives from Hoyt Sherman, a younger brother of the famous Civil War general, William Sherman, who built himself a large house there in the 1870s. Subsequently the house was expanded and became Hoyt Sherman Place, with a large auditorium, an art gallery, and other amenities. 

Fall Foliage

"Blue Heron Lake," wc/ink on paper, ~8.5X3.5

Saturday the sketch group went to the Raccoon River Park in West Des Moines, an enormous multi-use facility that features Blue Heron Lake, fishing, boating, swimming, softball, a dog park, and a lot more. I sat on the west side of the lake and sketched the opposite bank, where grasses and trees have just begun to show fall color. The day was perfect.