Independence Day

"George Washington (after JCL)," oil on panel

Nearly 250 years ago, our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence, forever breaking away from the British Empire. The foremost among our founders was doubtless George Washington, whose wisdom, judgement, stature, and contribution to the new nation can't be exaggerated. Without Washington, probably no United States. 

In these troubled times it is good to remember men of valor, conviction, political and social wisdom. 
 

Uncle Sam

Unlike many, my favorite concept of Uncle Sam isn't the famous one from a World War I recruiting poster ("I Want You," by James Montgomery Flagg, a renowned illustrator at the time. 

Instead, I prefer the squinty-eyed, determined Sam painted later on by J.C. Leyendecker,. That Sam, whose facial features owe a great deal to Flagg is more reassuring to me. Instead of looking us in the eye he's watching something in the distance--perhaps gathering war clouds?  

I made this 20x16 portrait of Uncle Sam from a Leyendecker July 4 magazine cover.dating to 1936 "Uncle Sam at the Helm," which shows him steering the ship of state. I was mostly interested in the face.

A Decade Back

"Omaha Summer Arts Festival," wc/ink in 5x8 sketchbook

It's useful to look back at older sketchbooks and studies. Here and there I find works from as long as a couple of decades ago, documenting where practice and work improved. It can be useful to see where one's efforts have led. 

This small watercolor dates from ten years ago, made during an art festival in Omaha, Nebraska. The site has been completely changed over that time, according to news reports, so this scene can't be repeated. 

 

Saturday's Sketch

"Big Walnut," wc/ink, 12x5

Despite the unusual heat here in the upper midwest, our group of sketchers went out as usual. A group came to my home studio where we fanned out along the creek under deep shade, where it was marginally cooler. 

This little watercolor was the result for me. One of our group took a folding chair and sketched under a giant black walnut tree. I was interested in the tree and its bark, so I sat in even deeper shade and did this one. As I usually do, I made a preliminary sketch in pencil and then painted the image with watercolor. One of the things about many watercolors one sees is how washed-out the darker values can be, so I worked hard to make my dark greens rich and believable and the tree bark varied from very dark to quite light. My initial plan was to use only paint, but after the watercolor was dry it seemed to need something, so I added grooves and ridges to the bark with ink.  

 

After Goya

"Senorita Sabasa Garcia (after Goya)," oil on gesso panel, 24x18

 

Like many artists, I have learned my craft in many ways, not the least copying paintings by masters of the past. In my formative years I made copies of  works by Picasso, Velazquez, Monet, Hopper, and certainly not least Francisco Goya. Manet was an enormous fan of Goya's work, as many of his successors have been. The above is my copy of a Goya portrait of about 1806, which I painted maybe twenty years ago or more. . 

Francisco Goya (1746-1828) was one of the painters I enjoyed learning about in college, but I had never seen one until my first encounter during a first visit to Museo del Prado in Madrid. The Prado (as it's commonly called) is the repository of the Spanish Royal Collection from centuries past as well as other masters and more recent additions. When I visited in the 1970s, unlike today, it was quiet and less crowded but there were still plenty of college kids on their backpack tours of Europe. Hippies or their look-alikes were omnipresent on the grounds, under the plane trees. I was in Madrid owing to military assignment and had taken an hour or two to investigate the Prado. Then as now, the Prado ranks in the top 5 or 10 art museums in the world, along with the Met, the Louvre, the Orsay, and others depending on your taste.  

I knew that the Prado has an enormous collection of works by the two particular Spanish masters everyone knows--Francisco Goya and Diego Velazquez. If you're interested in either of those two, the Prado should pull you in. But the museum also has important works by Durer, van Eyck, Titian, Bosch, and Rubens to name a few. Anyway, during that visit I found myself stopped, awestruck, several times, notably by "Descent from the Cross," by van Eyck (ca 1435), an astonishing former altarpiece (but that story is for another time). Goya was my interest that day, primarily because I had yet to meet Velazquez face to face, but I had known of Goya since adolescence. 

In one gallery, facing each other I found what are arguably Goya's most famous works, "La Maja Desnuda," (below) and "La Maja Vestida" (that is "The Nude Maja" and the "Clothed Maja,") each a portrait of the same sitter and supposedly commissioned by a wealthy patron. Scandalous in its day, the nude was at first hidden from view but later discovered by the Inquisition, which prompted Goya being interviewed by them.. He somehow escaped prosecution by the Church, but the painting was hidden away for at least twenty years. It was astonishing work, the sitter challenging us directly, her exquisite skin tones and anatomy equally masterful. I was enraptured by both works.

Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, "La Maja Desnuda," oil on canvas, ca 1795-1800

Years later, when learning portraiture, I copied "La Senorita Sabasa Garcia," a lesser-known work, because I wanted to see a Goya portrait with fresh eyes. During that part of his career when he painted this beautiful young woman, Goya was court painter to the Spanish king, and much in demand. He seems to have seen her one day, put down his work in progress, and demanded to paint her immediately.. 

My copy is slightly smaller than the original, but the colors, especially skin tones, are comparable to the original. To make this copy I gridded a blown-up image and transferred it to my panel, then made a charcoal drawing. After fixing the drawing I painted the portrait directly, in several sessions, working carefully to match value, color and other details.

As a copy, this has never been shown or offered for sale. I happened onto it in storage a few days ago.  

Last Saturday

Unlike my usual Saturday sketching jaunt, last weekend the group was invited to a country place around 20 miles from the city. Although Iowa is renowned for being flat, it really isn't. Instead the land rolls and tilts, leaving small glens and ancient watercourses, especially in the southern counties. The acreage where I painted is one such piece of land. It slopes north from a gravel road, down to a small pond flanked by woods and a bright meadow. The house is a wooden geodesic dome under vast mature trees. The quiet is almost palpable, with the exception of bird song. 

"Emily's Place," oil on panel, 11x14

This time instead of watercolor, I did a plein air oil sketch, standing opposite the house on the bank of the pond. There was ample time to spend simply seeing and not necessarily slathering paint. A teacher of mine once said that you should spend considerably more time looking than actually painting. Excellent advice that I followed, since I had about 3 hours of reasonably consistent light. After the plein air session I finished details and corrected various places before adding a signature. 
 

Garden Lantern

"Garden Lantern," oil on hardboard, 14x11

Sometimes a routine studio tidy-up can yield forgotten works. Today while clearing up a stack of paintings in the studio I came across an oil painting dating from probably a decade or so ago. So far as I know I haven't posted this one before. It's an Asian lantern hanging in the shady garden just outside the studio. The lantern is purely decorative. 

City Wildflowers

"City Wildflowers," oil on panel, 12x9

This small oil is a view of a cluster of wildflowers--some would say weeds--beside a fire hydrant, not far from my studio. Sometimes interesting ideas come in mundane packaging.

Sherman Hill

"On Sherman Hill," oil on linen panel, 16x12

One of the places my sketch group goes is Sherman Hill, a turn-of-the-20th century area not far from the center of Des Moines. The neighborhood is dominated by big Victorian houses, some still serving one family, some broken into apartments. The paint jobs of many echo the styles and colors of the time they were built, so you see bright colors and sometimes unusual ones. 

Here, the autumn colors and slanting light were my primary interest. The area is well-named, hilly and filled with mature trees. This particular studio painting is a result of many watercolor studies and reference photos.  

The Red Umbrella

"The Red Umbrella," oil on panel, 8x10, private collection

This painting is a nocturne of a small side street in Rome. A shop's yellow light bathes the street and figure. Done in the studio from personal references and imagination. Sold long ago. 
 

The Patriot

"The Patriot," oil on panel, 16x20

This portrait was done in my studio from studies at a workshop with William Whitaker, The model, Les, was a WWII veteran and a B-24 "flying sergeant" pilot. 

Courtyard

A sketch of the courtyard of the Des Moines Art Center. The sculpture is "Man and Pegasus." To the left is the Pei Building (designed by I.M. Pei, who designed additions to the Louvre), and to the far right the Meier Building, designed by Richard Meyer (who did The Getty). It was still too early for trees to leaf out, and the weather was chilly. 
 

At the Fairgrounds

"At the Fairgrounds," wc/ink on paper, 8x10

This sketch is a view of the Agriculture Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, home of the famous butter cow (a life-size cow sculpted in butter). I sat on a bench across the street and did this in a little more than an hour. 

Along Druid Hill Creek

"The Creek," wc on paper, 3.5x11

This is the final page of a sketchbook I've kept for a couple of years, documenting my view of the creek from the north window of my studio at home. 

A small book of sketches of the same subject becomes a different sort of art--a visual journal. Here, at the end of April, I did a watercolor on both pages, making it very tall and narrow. The greening trees in the distance are set off by the tree and its spread of branches. And the creek is a dark smudge below the leafing honeysuckle. Spring at the highest levels.

I've posted this one almost life size, to give the viewer an idea of the actual sketch.

Three Retirees

There is a classic auto dealership in downtown Des Moines that sometimes parks its cars and trucks outdoors. I spotted these three pickups, painted in classic primary colors, one afternoon. As always I started with a pencil sketch, painted the scene, and inked certain parts for emphasis.
 

Study to Partial Finish

A decade or so ago I did a series of studies of railroad subjects, intended to celebrate the history of railroading in southwestern Virginia. The small graphite and ink sketch to the right is an initial idea for a poster, incorporating the mountainous terrain, an old switch tower and an approaching train. The poster was intended for a historical society in Clifton Forge, Virginia.  

After several iterations and sketches using traditional materials,  I decided on the layout below, then colored it digitally to explore the final effect before completing the painting for printing. Not long after that the agreement fell through and the painting was never made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Racing

"Racing," casein on panel,

This small painting (6"x8") is one of a relatively small number of paintings I've done using casein paint. This one was in done in part to test the opacity of casein as well as mixing properties. The picture itself is from a few reference photos, modified significantly. The far coast could be anywhere, The color palette is intentionally limited and with the exception of the sails the craft is quite vaguely abstracted.
 

Cubist Self

"Cubist Self,"charcoal on paper

This self portrait is an experiment in Cubism. What cubist portraits did, at least by Picasso and his colleagues of a century and a quarter ago, was cut the face up into views from different angles, then rejoin them.

In this image you can see two noses, two mouths and mustaches, and only two eyes.

 

 

Saturday

As the season advances and so many flowers burst into bloom, the sketch group has spent much of our time doing landscape sketching. But last Saturday we spent the afternoon in a local neighborhood with a number of houses dating to more than a century ago. Many have been restored or rehabbed and painted in Victorian color schemes. Many have a tower or turret or other sorts of architectural gingerbread, making them interesting for their own sake. 

"19th & Pleasant (Sherman Hill)," wc/ink on paper, 8x10

I chose a multistory house on a corner for my efforts. It was painted in bright colors non-typical for today's housing and was overlapped by signs, streetlights, and several trees.

Cascade

This small landscape was done in the studio, from reference materials. It's an oil on panel of a spring bubbling and tumbling over worn rocks, somewhere mountainous. The challenge with this was finding ways to show the immense variety of water--transparent, reflective, many-colored and a lot more. To give it motion and substance was on my mind, too. 

"Cascade," oil on panel, 9x12

Happily this painting has been juried into the Salmagundi Club Summer Invitations, a member exhibtion. The show will run from May 20 through June 6 at the Club's gallery, 47th 5th Ave, in New York. You can also see the work on my website, in the Rural Landscapes gallery.

Last Saturday

This time of year, with the riot of flowering trees lighting up a significant part of the Waterworks arboretum,. the sketch group goes there every weekend. Last Saturday was delightful, warm and sunny, and I chose to sketch an old gazebo at the southern end of the flowering grove. The gazebo is tucked into a less-trafficked corner, shaded by old trees. 

"The Gazebo," wc/ink on paper, 8x10

I sat on a bench nearby and sketched the scene before me.

Bottle

"Bottle," oil on panel, 6x8

This small still life was part of a much larger group of works done about fifteen years ago. My intent was to simplify by limiting the palette while observing the subject minutely. That is, there are tiny reflections, color shifts, value changes that describe contours and edges, and a lot more to observe in this simple setup. 

For me, this kind of deliberate simplification is a useful way to advance the skill of seeing. 

 

Exploding Flowers

This time of year, rain and a bit of warmth come along and bam! all of the flowering trees in town burst into bloom. In Waterworks Park there is an arboretum that's been planted with flowering trees--crabapple, plum, etc--mostly in shades of red and pink but also some beautiful whites and others. It's in full flower now, and the park is crowded with folks strolling, snapping pictures, and (in our case) sketching. 

"Arboretum View," wc/ink on paper, 8x10

This is just one of the dozens of trees in full flower. The right side, if finished, would show you a backdrop of trees that either haven't flowered yet or don't have showy flowers the way many of these do.

On the Raccoon

"Early Spring on the Raccoon," wc/ink on paper, 8x10

Last weekend was warm enough to work outdoors. The sketch group found locations in Waterworks Park. Mine was a spot I'd never essayed before, on a bend of the Raccoon. Unlike only a few days earlier, there was a fine hazy green in some of the trees lining the banks, and the honeysuckle undergrowth was bursting into full leaf. The river was running free and showing its usual silty color.

Life Portrait

"Portrait of Hugh," oil on panel

Although many portraits are done from life, these days a lot are done differently, using perhaps a color sketch from life plus a number of reference photos so that the subject isn't required to return to the studio time after time for life sessions. Busy people often don't want to take time from their daily routines to sit. But I think you lose something--a kind of essence that you can't see in photos--when not working from the person in front of you. 

This portrait is from a workshop maybe two decades ago. I was give a head-on position and good if diffuse lighting. The image is a result of about twelve hours of work over four or five life sessions. 

This one hasn't been shown before. 

The Courtyard

Last week some of the sketch group ventured into the Des Moines Art Center galleries to sketch. In the museum (as it is in many) you can only use graphite and paper--no paint, markers, etc. However, the courtyard in the middle of the galleries, accessed from the front lobby, is not restricted. So I sat outside in the sun and sketched the confluence of the three buildings that comprise the Art Center. 

"In the Courtyard," wc/ink on paper

The buildings were designed by three internationally famous architects, though obviously in different eras. The first permanent building was designed in the late 1940s by the Finnish master Eero Saarinen, assisted by his son Elio, who later designed the Gateway Arch. That original building was purposely made horizontal and low to conform with the Iowa geography and clad in limestone. Unlike many, this building's entrance is human sized rather than grand (think: Metropolitan Museum in New York). The second building was added about twenty years later during the era of brutalist architecture, designed by the now-famous I.M. Pei at the outset of his career. Made of concrete, it was added to provide large exhibition space for sculpture and large-format paintings. The last building, opened in the early 1980s, was designed by Richard Meier, who designed the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. These three buildings are, each in its own way, architectural gems.

Spring Sale

This painting sold last Thursday in the Salmagundi Members Spring Auction, an annual event limited to fellow members of the Salmagundi Club, in Manhattan. Numbering about 1200 members worldwide, the Club is one of the oldest art clubs in the United States, founded in the 1870s. 

"Wading," oil on panel, 9x12

This particular painting is a culmination of several months of landscape painting. It does have a basis in reality, a stretch of river in southwest Virginia, but is very much altered and idealized. Thank you to my new collector.

Here Comes the Sun

"Early Spring, Druid Hill Creek, wc/ink on paper

This time of year in the midwest, as the season advances, we begin to long for the return of the sun. After the equinox, days lengthen and the sun is truly on its way to warmer, brighter days. Those of us who watch trees and the rest of the countryside, the coming season is easy to spot. 

Along Druid Hill Creek, there is a haze of spring green that seems to hove about two feet above the ground. If you look close, before long that spring haze becomes honeysuckle undergrowth, a harbinger of even more leaves. Before long, redbuds will light up the woods. 

I did this sketch of "my" creek from my studio window. Druid Hill Creek flows north from here into Grays Lake. I use this little sketchbook as a visual journal to record the days and seasons as they change. This little book dates back into 2024 and is a useful record.

Saturday

"The Underpass," wc/ink on paper

Weather here is moderating, though we still get a spot of snow now and again. The outdoor temperatures have risen a lot, though trees have yet to show leaves and the grass in most spots is barely green,

Last Saturday the sketch group actually worked outdoors without caps, gloves and mufflers. I sat outside on the eastern edge of Waterworks Park and did an 8x10 watercolor of the bike/pedestrian underpass that connects the park with Grays Lake, passing under a major thoroughfare.
 

Evergreen Study

This little study, done on the spot in Redmond, Washington, shows the structure of several kinds of threes that we don't have here in the midwest. If you're an aspiring landscape artist, consider doing many similar studies. After a while you'll have a visual vocabulary you can draw on for newer work.
 

Ray Drive

A highly esteemed former Governor of our state passed on a while back. Unlike politicians today, Robert Ray, a Republican, was a consummate gentleman and a compassionate governor. During the days after the conflict in Southeast Asia, he championed welcoming refugees to our state. A street along the Des Moines River is named for Governor Ray. 

A part of our sketch group went to Robert Ray Drive last Saturday, scattering along the street. My effort shows downtown Des Moines from the east side. Watercolor and ink in a small sketchbook,

Shadowed Figure

"Hey Mister," oil on panel, private collection

Some years ago I did art festivals around the midwest, particularly in Iowa. A number ot times, as the show was closing, someone stopped into my booth to make a last-minute purchase. This painting was one of those. The collector told me he'd had his eye on this particular work during the whole show and had decided he really wanted it. I was delighted, and so was he.

A few years ago, he and his wife stopped into my booth during a local festival. She said this is her favorite painting, so much so she actually carries a photo of it in her purse.

Mt. Rainier

"Sunset, Gig Harbor," oil on panel. Private collection

This small oil of Mt. Rainier at sunset was an exercise in developing twilight painting. It went to a collector long ago.
 

On the Ferry

"On the Ferry," oil on panel, 8x5, private collection

This small painting began as an experiment in quick painting. Using a reference I did this in about thirty minutes, start to finish. The idea was to place a stroke of paint and then leave it alone. Sometimes I succeeded and sometimes I didn't, but the result was attractive enough that it sold.
 

Two Years Ago

"On the Bank," wc/ink on paper, about 8x10

Overall, seems to me, the days are warmer than they were a few years back. But only a bit, not enough to alter the look of the March landscape. Two years ago the land was still a study in dull color. The overall look was warmer--brighter trees, grasses and so on--and so the look is today. No obvious greens yet, but some beautiful ochres.

Early Spring

"The Other Bank," oil on panel

If you're like me, this time of year can be difficult, waiting for the sudden break in weather that signals true spring has come. Sometimes one my plein air paintings helps me remember what it looks like. This plein air painting was done in early April a few years ago, highlighting the brief bright yellows of very early springtime.

Faint Hints of Spring

This time of year, as the light shifts and temperatures warm, little hints of the coming season of renewal and growth become noticeable. You see faint reds on bare branches that suggest swelling flower buds, or here and there a sprig of green peeps over old, yellowed grasses. The air even looks a bit different, even if snow still clings in the darkest shadows. 

Our sketch group was out again last Saturday. I went to the bank of the Raccoon River in Waterworks Park. The river is flowing low and slow, sand bars and banks mostly shades of grey. The water is dark in the shade, where banks are dotted with ravelings of snow. It was a bit chilly to sketch outdoors, so I sat in my car and sketched a bend of the river. 

"Last Snow, Raccoon River," wc/ink on paper

 

Salmagundi Spring Auction

Juat got word that this new oil will be part of the Salmagundi Club Members Auctions this spring. The club. The works for sale will be on view at the club (47 5th Ave, NYC) March 18-April 4, with auctions in person and online March 27 and April 3. 

"Wading," oil on panel, 9x12

Before bidding you'll be able to review the whole show and place bids online at salmagundi.org. 

https://salmagundi.org/2025-scny-spring-auctions/

Changing Light

"Whiterock Morning," oil on panel, 9x12

One of the things we commonly read is that the Impressionists--mostly Monet--only worked on each painting for a few hours a day because the light changed too much. That's certainly true for me as well. Most times when I've worked outdoors I find that completion of a standard-sized 9x12 painting takes up to 4-5 hours but the light changes so much that I usually come back for a second look. 

"Whiterock Afternoon," oil on panel, 9x12

That's precisely what happened with these paintings from my time at Whiterock Conservancy, a couple of years ago. In each case I spent two sessions trying to capture the light on a favored vista. The first, a morning work, is based on having the low morning light cast on the hill beyond a small river. The light is warm and full, making the green hill look yellow-green and highlighting the wildflowers on the river bank in the foreground. 

In contrast, the afternoon painting was made with sunlight streaming left background to right foreground, giving the hill and wildflowers a completely different appearance. The foliage in the foreground is slightly darker because of the shifted light, and only certain clumps of flowers catch the changed angle and intensity. 

Retrospectively I wish I had taken time to do several more views of this or another motif to specifically see how the light intensity and angle alter physical appearance.

Snowy

"Up North," watercolor on paper.

These past days have been frigid here in Iowa, with below zero lows and deep snow. It made me think of this watercolor from a winter past. 

Done during my early years of watercolor painting, this work remains a favorite of mine.
 

Sledding, Snow and Sketching

"Sledding at Waveland," wc/ink on paper

Last week, just before the polar vortex brought a bitter cold blast, we had perhaps 7 to 9 inches of snow, our largest accumulation this year. It was enough to shut down schools and businesses for a day or so. 

The sketch group, undeterred, met and went looking for someplace outdoors. One of the oldest city golf courses opens on snow days for cross country skiers and sledding down it's prodigious slopes. We went out to see if anyone was there and discovered dozens of sledders in small groups and family units, but the cold was too much to sit outside. Instead I hiked a short distance to a better vantage point, then quickly did a rough graphite drawing, opting to retreat to my car to add watercolor. After I splashed in colors I accented certain spots with waterproof ink, then went back with a bit more color.
 

Raccoon Rocks

"Raccoon Rocks," casein on bristol, 11x14

A few years ago I experimented with casein paint both for sketching and for studio works. This casein painting is a view of the Raccoon River in Waterworks Park, about a mile from my home studio. I did this from sketches and reference photos, trying hard to understand the properties of casein. The paint is opaque, goes down smoothly, and is easily thinned with water. But once casein dries it's nearly bullet-proof. If you don't believe that, remember how hard it is to clean dried milk from a glass that's been standing for a day or two. The colors available comprise a full range of cool and warm hues, too.

 

Casein Woods

"Studio View," casein, ~12x5

This small sketch was made using mixed media in the sense that the underpainting was done using a violet acrylic wash and the scene itself rendered using casein paint. As mentioned in past postings, casein is made using milk solids The resulting paint is water-soluble, dries rapidly and makes a permanent dry layer. 

This particular small sketch was made in a mixed medium way--that is, a violet acrylic wash followed by a casein overpainting. Monet did something similar in his oil by using a violet underpainting (the complement of yellow) in his plein air works. The limited palette was an interest as well. The view is the woods outside my home studio in late spring a few years ago.
 

Regret

"Regret," oil on unprepped panel, 20x16 (approx), private collection.

This painting, "Regret," is something of a mystery. That is, I recall it well and remember making it, but details and images (with the exception of this one) are scanty in my records. It was sold the first time I displayed it, during an arts festival in Iowa. 

The painting is loosely based on an image I saw online but simplified and painted quickly with some areas of the underlying unprepped support remaining completely untouched. 

 

Windows

"Windows," wc/ink ~8x10

This watercolor sketch of a large display window enclosing several stained glass windows was an interesting subject at West End Salvage last weekend. Stained glass with light behind it is challenging but unless one's intent is a detailed realist work, approximation serves well enough.

Sentinel

"The Sentinel, Washington Square North," oil on panel

Many who visit New York remember the long row of red brick townhouses that line the north border of Washington Square Park, sometimes called The Row. Edward Hopper lived along this street as have other famous folks. Today much is owned by New York University. 

One of the buildings sports two stone lions on either side of its entry. I thought at least one of them was worthy of study.