Feeliing Hot?

"February, 2020," gouache

This gouache painting from several years back looks frigid and is a sort of relief from what has been said to be the hottest, most humid month in history. It certainly felt like these past few days.

Summer on the Sound

"Dropping the Spinnaker," casein on illustration board, ~8x16

This painting is a view of the coast of  Puget Sound from a sailboat. Another sailboat has stopped to drop their huge spinnaker, the sail you sometimes see ballooning from the front of this type of boat.

This painting was done using casein, a kind of paint made using milk protein emulsified with linseed oil. It's water soluble, but once it dries casein is almost bulletproof. Like other water media--acrylics, gouache, even watercolor--casein dries very quickly, which is both an advantage and a hindrance. Quick drying means the ability to work over previous painted passages within a few minutes. But it also requires quick decision-making and good eye-hand skills too. 

 

West of Miami

This digital painting was actually finished about five years ago, but the message encapsulated in the image is still scary and seems even more possible, given the climate changes we've seen--the hottest year in history, more damaging storms, warming oceans (and coral bleaching), melting glaciers and melting of the Greenland ice. 

"West of Miami, 2050," digital painting, 2019

The implication, of course, is that as the sea levels rise, perhaps southern Florida will become a shallow sea. As the changes have accelerated, one wonders if it will be even earlier in this century.

At the Art Center

"The Pei Building," wc/ink on paper, about 3.5x9

Our Saturday sketch group stays in Greenwood Park, the setting of the Des Moines Art Center, once in a while. Back in May I sat in the park and sketched the Pei Building of the Art Center. Designed by I.M. Pei, the famous Chinese-American architect, the building opened in 1968. Its bare concrete and geometric forms are consistent with Brutalist architecture, a 20th century movement. The building was commissioned to provide ample room for monumental sculpture and large paintings. Its rear windows seem to suggest the architect's last name, but he claims it is a coincidence.

The Patriot

Long ago a fellow named Les sat for a workshop group in Arizona, run by one of my mentors, Bill Whitaker. Les was retired and lived on various incomes including modelling fees. By the time we met he had been modelling for a number of years. As often happens, the model and painters talk about a range of subjects and get to know one another. Turned out that Les was a veteran of World War II despite being considerably younger than many of his fellow vets. He had been draft age when he entered the service then rose quickly (as many did) to sergeant in the Army Air Force. At some point he became a "Flying Sergeant," a program of enlisted men trained to fly all kinds of missions during the war. As it happened, Les became the pilot in command of a B-24 bomber before he was 21.

"The Patriot," oil on panel, 20x16

This portrait is a studio work, done from several oil studies completed in person. Although Les was the sitter, I changed his shirt and emphasized certain features over others because this is intended as a "tronie" or a painting that depicts an expression (like horror, etc) or a type of person. Here, the etched lines, determined jaw, distant gaze and flag-colored shirt were all intended to evoke the kind of fellow who has fought in all of our wars.

State Fair Time

The Iowa State Fair is back. It began August 8 and runs through August 18 and includes all of the favorite sights and events people are accustomed to. This year's butter cow is accompanied by a life size butter sculpture of the famous Iowa basketball player, Caitlin Clark. Big crowds are likely. The pandemic was a setback a few years ago but now (despite the continuance of covid) it's a lot like old times. 

This year I painted outdoors at the fair, participating in the plein air painting event, and chose Pioneer Hall and it's cupola as my subject. This is the oldest building on the fairgrounds, dating to the 1880s. It houses "old time" events like the fiddler's contest, a functioning blacksmith, a letterpress, and antique shows. Below is my outdoor oil from that event, made from a slightly different angle. I omitted the skyride cupolas.. 

"Pioneer Hall, Morning," oil on panel, 12x9

 

Fountain

"Private Garden," wc/ink

This ornate fountain, gurgling happily, sets in a beautiful private garden on Sherman Hill, a 19th century enclave of great houses and mansions. The Saturday group has sketched there several times over the past several years, thanks to the welcoming owner.

 

Downtown Sketch

"View of the City," wc/ink on paper

 A partial view of downtown Des Moines, done in the Better Homes Demonstration Garden, a few weeks ago.

Down on the River

This is a watercolor and ink sketch of the opposite bank of the Virginia river where we spent a week not long ago. It's a peaceful, beautiful part of the world where we visit friends once a year. The enormous old trees line the banks.