Big Snow

Today's post is a sketch of Druid Hill Creek from my home studio window. We had nearly a foot of snow over last Friday and Saturday, followed by a deep freeze for the last several days. The snow stuck to everything and hasn't melted much at all. 

"After the Big Storm," wc/ink on paper

This began in my standard way with a rough graphite sketch. I laid in color with a fairly large but pointed brush that let me draw very fine dark lines. There isn't much color in a winter landscape, so I pushed it a bit here and there then added ink lines in some places for emphasis.

The sun had returned by the time the painting was done but the colors remain considerably muted. The contrast with my post from last Tuesday (less than ten days ago), is pretty stark. The grass was still green, trees were too, and autumn color clung to trees here and there. It is like a sweeping cinematic scene change.  
 

A Last Hurrah

"Along the Street," wc/ink on paper, 

This watercolor is based on references and personal observation, but wasn't done on-site. The spot is less than a block away from my studio, along the street that fronts our creek. This was done just before a massive snowstorm, so it's the last hurrah for warmer weather. 

As I usually do, I sketched this in graphite then painted watercolors in several different layers, adding deeper darks in the evergreens and making certain to faithfully record the greens that were still showing despite the advanced autumn. 
 

Rose Garden

"Pavilion," oil on panel, 9x12

My sketch group meets in the parking lot of the Mills Rose Garden, which occupies a portion of Greenwood Park, where the Art Center is located. Many Saturdays we use the gardens as sketch material because it has color, attractive pavilions, and a great deal of original art. 

This painting shows one of the pavilions of the garden, fronted by a plinth topped by a bronze turtle. The limestone pillars and pavilion make an interesting counterpoint to the trees and foliage of the park, in the distance. Just finished, this one will be listed on my website in the near future. 
 

River Rocks

Over the years I've made a number of paintings with casein. Casein is actually an emulsion of milk protein and linseed oil as the vehicle wiith pigment added for the color. It dries like lightning and is relatively impervious to water or solvents afterward. (Remember how hard it is to get dried milk out of a cup.)

"River Rocks," casein on panel, 11x14

This casein is on a medium-size panel, done from various watercolor studies and a photo reference or two. The setting is the Raccoon River as it meanders through Waterworks Park here in the city. I laid it out as a rough drawing, then built up color and texture in layers. 

Except its rapid drying, casein handles remarkably well and often feels like oil paint as you apply it. Fast drying mean quicker application of layers, but you have to remember that it's more opaque than oils.  

 

Sunup

"Sunup," oil sketch on panel, 8x6

This oil is on a snall gesso panel. A few years back I did daily small studies to work on draftsmanship and color. This cup of coffee was one of my early morning subjects with the pink morning light streaming in. 

Never intended for sale, it's simply a little bit of mental exercise that started my day. I toned the panel with a wash of burnt sienna, which also served as a mid-tone, then painted lights and darks over it. 

Last Saturday

The sketch group went out in force last Saturday--the weather was lusciously warm and sunny. Alas a lot of autumn color had either faded or dulled and quite a few trees had shed most of the foliage. Regardless, there were still spots of color among the rusts and beiges. We went to Sherman Hill, the neighborhood of Victorian houses just west of downtown, each of us staking out a spot. 

"Sunny Day, Sherman Hill," wc/ink on paper, ~5x9

I found a place where the sun was full and surrounding trees were either bare or nearly. The multiple gables, varying windows and surrounding bareness were a challenge besides. I started with a fairly detailed graphic sketch, then laid on watercolors top to bottom. Since my intent was to study the house, I spent more time there and added significant inking for emphasis. The houses to the left were interesting too, but I didn't want to distract myself from the main subject. The dark red wall held an interesting shadow from the subject house, too. A bit more time would have improved the shadows below the porch roof and to the right of the house, which likely would make a more satisfying painting. Next time. 

Shoal

"Shoal," oil on panel, 16x20

This new oil painting is essentially finished but not yet signed. A river runs clear over smooth stones of various sizes--many very big--with a slow and sinuous current. Light streams across the water from the right side, giving the bottom a dappled look in the shallow foreground water and making the ripples bright.

Coffee Bar

Our sketch group was chased indoors last weekend by rain and snow. Luckily the temperatures melted the snow as fast as it fell. But it was cold, wet and grey outdoors so we went to a local architectural salvage concern that has a pleasant and uncrowded coffee bar. I sat at an antique table and drew some other customers as they queued for java. 

"West End Salvage," wc/ink on papeer

This particular sketch, like many I do, is in a 3.5x7 inch watercolor sketchbook. As always I drew a fairly comprehensive graphite rendering before laying in colors. After I was reasonably satisfied with color I went back and inked some spots for emphasis.  

More Autumn Color

"Fall Maple," wc on paper, about 5x11

This giant maple has suddenly caught fire. I pass this tree nearly every day while walking with my dogs. Until only a few days ago it was dark green, thriving in its wide open spot on a corner. But then, beginning at the edges and progressing almost like slow fire, the leaves went orange-to-red in a couple of days. It's not really possible to capture the actual colors we see (the science is complicated) but I did the best I could in a small watercolor sketchbook a day or two back. 

I began as always with a graphite sketch. Although I sometimes make an ink sketch before beginning a watercolor, most times graphite works well if you're sparing with it. After that it's a matter of seeing the variety of shapes and colors in the tree. I started with sky and then worked top left to bottom right with a wide variety of yellow/red mixtures and a fine pointed synthetic watercolor brush. The fine point enables very thin lines and tiny dots of color.  

Saturday's Sketch

Real autumn is here at last in Iowa. Everywhere are incredible, bright, unusual colors. Last weekend our sketch group were so taken by the colors around our usual meeting place (a parking lot) that many of us elected to stay put despite raw conditions. Fortunately, there wasn't much wind. 

"Greenwood Park, Fall," wc/ink, about 3.5x9

I stood at the edge of the grass and sketched the sloping land in Greenwood Park and the woods beyond that reach down to the Raccoon River. Here and there in the woods bright orange foliage seemed like fires set in the trees. And on the grounds of the Art Center, certain specimen trees glowed with nerly incandescent color. Once I had a rough graphite sketch I took shelter in my car and rain sprinkled down, trying to hint at the incredible colors. 

Autumn in Virginia

We spent a week in southern Virginia earlier this month. The fall colors were peaking while we were there, lighting up the hills and mountains with bright yellows, gold, reds, and rust colors. There were enough trees clinging to green to brighten everything. 

"Across the Pasture, Fall," wc/ink on paper

Although the nights were near the freezing point, days were pleasant enough for outdoor sketching. Traveling light, I took only a few watercolor supplies and a couple of sketchbooks. The work above is about 5x8 in a pocket sketchbook. 

Visitor

"Visitor," casein on panel

A few years ago I was experimenting with casein paint, an older medium that was once pretty popular. While I was working I noticed a doe bedded down in the woods opposite my studio. The time was early winter, still barren of snow, so the doe's coat blended into the surrounding dry foliage. She had been there for a while, resting from her usual route along our creek.

As I've commented in the past, casein is a wonderful medium. It is buttery from the tube, handles much like oil paint, and dries rapidly. Because it is opaque, the quick drying means you can layer paint quickly and accurately. Aside from the odor, I enjoy it.

Biergarten Redux

"The Biergarten, Waterworks," we/ink

The weather here in central Iowa has remained moderately warm. We haven't even had a frost. The sketch group spent an hour or two in Waterworks Park last weekend. The biergarten--a seasonal offering--is still in business until the end of the month. 

I spent a pleasant hour in the shade, watching the passing parade of cyclists, visitors, beer lovers and others. A lovely afternoon. 

Life Portrait Sketch

"Hon, Terry Branstand, former Iowa governor," oil on panel, private collection

This is a never-before-shown life study of a former governor of Iowa, Terry Branstad. About a decade ago I was commissioned by Des Moines University to add a portrait of this former governor (who was then President of the university) to their  collection. 

We had several life sessions before I completed the work. This one was gifted to Mr. Branstand and his wife.
 

Iowa Capitol

"Capitol Dome," wc/ink 

This is a Saturday sketch, done with the sketch group. The day was unseasonably warm and sunny. A great day.
 

Snowy Iowa Day

"Stormy Day," oil on panel, 16x20, private collection.

It will not be long until we face scenes like this in Iowa. This painting is a street in Iowa City, done from a photo reference. The snowfall was perhaps six inches deep that day, and very cold. 

This work sold to a private collection years ago. 

 

Casein Studio Study

Almost a decade ago, I began using casein paint. It's a kind of paint that's been around for almost a century, and once was more commonly used until replaced in part by acrylics. Both mediums dry rapidly, often to a matte finish, and are therefore useful in commercial work where images have to be produced and ready fairly quickly. Casein is a milk protein that is emulsified with oil and pigment to produce a soft, buttery paint that handles nicely and can be immediately painted over. Because it dries so fast it's a little more difficult to blend than oils but feels a lot like oil paint. 

Studio Shelf," casein on panel

This painting was done spontaneously in my studio while I was trying out the paint. It's my work table shelf below big, west-facing windows that overlook my backyard creek. It was summer, and the woods of the opposite bank were thick and lush. On the shelf is a wine bottle with a plant, a potted jade, various bottle and a vase. In front of the right hand window are bottles and various containers of oils and mediums. This rough sketch could have been a larger painting, but somehow remained forgotten in an old computer file.

Saturday

While it is fun to sketch or paint the same subject in a group--similar to being in a workshop or class--our Saturday group doesn't always agree on subject matter or location. So we often split into smaller groups for the session. Last Saturday some of us went to the Iowa capitol grounds east of downtown, but some went to the local park along the Raccoon River, and a few scattered into older residential areas. 

"Monuments on Capitol Hill," watercolor in a sketchbook

I sketched the capitol grounds but turned my back on the enormous Capitol and instead spent some time on the monuments to its south. I sat on the steps of one monument and set up a composition including the dome of the Supreme Court building. The result shows two memorials, the lush trees and a bit of the grounds. 

Travel Sketching

"La Rambla, Barcelona," wc/ink 2017

Sketching has been one of my favorite activities when we've gone visiting nearly anywhere. Often I sketch on watercolor postcards and mail the paintings home. But I also use pocket sketchbooks of various sizes to keep a kind of visual journal of wherever we are. 

The watercolor above is a distillation of many visits to Barcelona's justifiably famous Rambla pedestrian park. Part street cafes and bars, part shopping, part tourist shops, it's one of the places we loved when we were in the city a few years ago.

Below are a few sketches from days gone by. The first two are a villa in France and medieval village not far away. The final is a street light at dusk in Vienna. All were done with a small travel kit of watercolor pans and a couple of waterbrushes. Everything else you can get as you go. 

"The Villa, France," wc/ink 2019

"Eze, France," wc/ink, 2019

"Nightfall, Vienna,". wc/ink, 2013

 

Nifty

Long ago, the denizens of an online art forum decided to exchange watercolors of postcard size. The idea was that groups of ten would each send an original watercolor to every other member. That is, you would do nine originals and receive nine in return. As is often the case with such ideas, it was only partially successful. The exchange was at least twenty years ago, and I retained only a few images of the works I sent others. The ones I received in return have disappeared. 

This particular little work was drawn in ink and then painted. 

 

the Painter

"The Painter (after Leyendecker)" oil on panel, private collection

This painting began as a copy of a work by JC Leyendecker but rapidly changed into its current form. In the Leyencecker a young painter is roasting a hot dog over his pot-bellied stove. But I wanted something more immediate so I made the old man who stares at us, holding his palette. In effect, making a painting in whoch the viewer is the subject's subject. 
 

Oktoberfest

Yes, of course it is not yet October, but the fall events here have already begun. The biergarten in  Waterworks Park (see my September 2 post), not far from my home studio, had a weekend Oktoberfest event with music, food trucks, exhibits, a pen full of baby goats for kids to pet, and a lot of beer (mugs too). My Saturday sketch group--well, some of us--decided to take a look. 

"Oktoberfest in the Biergarten," wc/ink on paper

There had been rain in the morning but the clouds were scudding away to the east and skies were beginning to clear. We got a mug and sat in the shade, watching the crowds build, now that the rain had stopped. It was cool and pleasant and not so crowded as it would doubtless be in a short time. 

I sketched and painted this small watercolor in a small sketchbook. 

The Blue Dome

"The Blue Dome (Arnie's), Tulsa," oil on panel 

A decade or so ago, after a visit to Tulsa, Oklahoma, my old home town, I painted a cityscape of the emerging arts district that was at the time reclaiming an old and decrepit area northeast of downtown. Anchored by a circular building with a blue done (and named The Blue Dome District) the area now has fine dining, clubs, art galleries, and shopping of course. 

The blue domed building was once a service station in the Art Moderne style, with numerous gas pumps, service bays, and a big office. Over the years it faded, closed, and went to ruin. Now it's been repurposed as a bar and grill named Arnie's Bar, that traces its own lineage to another part of town. Arnie's was once owned and hosted by it's namesake, a former big-band musician. The original Arnie's was a long, narrow room with a door to the sidewalk and one to the back alley. Any day, if you walked in, big band or jazz music would be playing on his reel to reel recorder. 

Age

"Age," graphite and chalk on paper, 8x10

This study of an elderly woman's face was a personal drawing exercise. It is graphite and chalk on toned paper, lighted and shaded using a method known as chiaroscuro (literally clear and dark). Many of my earlier charcoal and graphite works have not been digitized. This one is relatively recent. 

Nocturne

"Washington Square Nocturne," oil on panel, ca. 2003

One of the more interesting and difficult subjects for art is the night. When done effectively, nocturnes evoke the dark hours whether colors are true to life or not. 

Certain painters like Frederic Remington are known for their paintings of darkness and shadow. Although his work was as an illustrator of Western life, Remington's nocturnes transcend. Using his personal experiences in the West he evoked the dim lights of night, from pale green moonlight to the cold flicker of steel in darkness. 

Long ago Remington's example gave me reason to attempt similar ideas. In the end, only a few of those studies has survived, the others having gone into hiding somewhere. 

 

The Glass Palette

Sometimes, when no important project is pending but I want to paint, I simply look at what is in front of me and start. This painting was done years ago in response to just such a situation. I was standing in my studio, looking for subject and spotted these three bottles, each with a different color of water. They made an interesting subject, but I needed to see how they transmitted light, so I sat them close to the window, on the edge of my steel table, next to my round glass palette. Using an old failed painting as my surface I quickly did this work (about 11x14 I think). If you look at the lower right corner you can see vestiges of the older painting, which I think look like reflected light. 

The bottles have three simple shapes and three colors and make for great drawing practice. 

Emulating Paint

Although it isn't my maintstream medium, digital drawing and painting has undeniable allure for me. First, there is little prep and zero cleanup Second, today's computers and other digital equipment like display tablets and portable sketchbooks (think iPads) make images that are superior to those of a few years ago. 

"Portuguese Coast," digital painting

This digital painting was done using a photographic reference, with considerable modifications. The program was Sketchbook and I used a Wacom display tablet. If you thought it was actual paint from a tube, I wouldn't be surprised. This project shows how well a computer can emulate a real-world oil painting. The result could be transferred to canvas--printed--and sold, I suppose.  

In the Biergarten

The big park near my home studio hosts an outdoor beer garden during the warm months of the year. There are chairs and picnic tables scattered in deep shade under ancient trees. The selection of brews is adequate and tasty and the setting pleasant and cool. A bike trail nearby brings cyclists needing a rest as well as plenty of folks who come to the park for the garden itself. 

I spent an hour or two under the trees, savoring a cool breeze and a cooler beer. 

Test Garden

"Shady Corner," wc/ink on paper, 3.5x9

In downtown Des Moines we have a hidden gem in the Better Homes and Gardens Test Garden, a private area of garden beauty owned by Meredith Corporation, the long-time publisher of Better Homes. Now absorbed by a digital media company named People, Inc, it opens on Friday afternoons, noon to 2 pm, May through September. Over the years I've spent some wonderful lunch times there with friends or alone, sketching. 

Last week I visited the Test Garden for the first time in a few weeks. As always it is a spectacular place, full of beauty and grace. I sat in a shady corner and sketched the southwestern and shady corner of the garden, which is dominated by big, mature trees.

The sketchbook I've been using is 3.5x5.5, just right to fit in a pocket. I carry a metal watercolor box that holds a pencil, kneaded eraser, and waterbrush, and I put a couple of folded paper towel in my other pocket. Makes for light travel. 

 

After the Fair

"Discovery Garden," wc/ink on paper

In years past I went to the Iowa State Fair every year (sometimes every day) to sketch, and then posted them here, until the pandemic in 2020. After that I have occasionally gone to the Fair but more often my visits have been after the exhibition. 

This year the Saturday sketchers went to the fairgrounds after the livestock, food vendors, kitchen appliance hucksters and all the other exhibitors left. The quiet was lovely, the weather hospitable, and the Master Gardeners' Discovery Garden was still in full flower. 

I sat on a shady bench and sketched a corner of the garden, its foliage masking a service barn in the background.  

Shadows

Sometimes a painting needs rest. That is, I complete a piece but find it unsatisfying. Something needs to be added or subtracted, but what? So I put the work away, behind something else or in a stack of dry works. Eventually it comes back to light, having rested wherever, and I discover somethng to try out.  

"Bike Trail, Gray's Lake," oil on panel, 9x12

This small painting was initially made outdoors along a bicycle trail not far from my home studio. There is a city thoroughfare beside the park--that level green edge just below mid-painting. The walking/biking trail winds around the lake, to the rear of the viewer. The near-abstract patterns and how to evoke multiple layers of depth were a couple of my considerations. So I finished a literal rendering, took it home and then sent it away to rest. Not long ago I came across it and added brighter and more saturated lights and even a few scattered bright dots. I like this result.

Off the Easel

"Behind the Art Center," wc/ink on paper (cropped)

This freshly-finished oil painting is based on previous watercolor sketchwork, including this one, from a Saturday excursion in July. 

Watercolor has so many advantages--portability, ease of use and cleanup, vivid colors--that I've begun to use it as my outdoor medium of choice. This view is a corner of the IM. Pei  Building, a 1968 addition to the Des Moines Art Center. Its Brutalist boxiness was an interesting counter to the many surrounding natural forms. 

"Behind the Art Center," oil on panel, 12x16

After some thought I cropped the watercolor to the size posted here and based this new oil painting on the resulting composition. This is the first public release; the painting will be on my website very soon. 

 

A Trip to Provence

Some years ago we traveled through southern France for a few days, through vineyards and villages along the Rhone River. Then, as now, I did small watercolors on postcards during the trip and mailed a number home to friends and family. It's fun to get something with a foreign stamp. 

These three postcards went home, one a view of the city of Avignon, one a look at a place made famous by van Gogh, and one the namesake of a favorite wine. 

Avignon was the seat of the papacy for most of the 14th century, and what remains of the period, including its famous bridge, much of which was destroyed a century or so earlier. This view of Avignon is from the Rhone River, where we were passing. The four arches are all that remain of the bridge. Beyond you can see a crenelated wall and a couple of medieval towers. Avignon is a beautiful place now, though once decried (14th century) as defiled and foul.

The cafe in Arles which was immortalized by Viucent van Gogh is still in operation, though mostly one supposes as a tourist attraction. Still, I sat nearby with virtually the same viewpoint as Vincent, with the small remains of the Roman town--a column you see on the right, part of a building wall, shows where the forum of that town once was. 

The last  postcard in this small collection is a view of the ruins of a famous castle, built a few miles out in the more healthful countryside north of Avignon. Chateau neuf du Pape was literally the Pope's new chateau, up in the clear sweet mountain air. Today the chateau remains only as a ruined tower, but with the village of the same name at its foot, below the brow of the slope at the left. The vineyard contributes grapes to wines that are justifiably famous, delicious and memorable. Far in the distance a stripe of light shows the location of the Rhone River. 

"A View of Avignon"

 

"The Yellow Cafe, Arles"

"Chateau neuf du Pape"

Saturday

Last Saturday our sketch group met at a member's home to draw and paint. Her gardens and deck are beautifully covered in flowers and plants. Despite a stormy morning downpour we were able to sandwich some work in between. 
 

Monochrome

 

Upstream

"Upstream," oil on panel, 9x12

Today's image is a plein air painting of the creek that runs behind my studio. The western bank is much higher than the near bank where I stood to do this particular work, a result of the way water courses meander, The heavy foliage blocks a lot of sunlight, but golden flecks penetrate to the surface of the water. This is 9x12 on panel. 

Forever

"Forever," oil on panel, 9x12, private collection

"Forever" is a long-ago commissioned portrait of a young girl and her cherished friend. The dog was the girl's constant companion until the end. A friend of the family asked me to paint the two as a tribute and a gift. 
 

Saturday Sketch

Last Saturday the sketch group decided to stay in Greenwood Park. There are sculptures and a big rose garden for subject matter, plus a lot of shade and a nice breeze coming up from the river. 

I sat on a bench and sketched the view to the northwest of the rose garden pavilions. One of three stone cairns built by the British artist Andy Goldsworthy complemented the Pei Building (background).  

Beautiful day in the park.

"Goldsworthy Behind the Art Center," wc/ink on paper

Taco Loco

Tacos have been in the news lately, which reminded me of this watercolor from a while back. Food trucks used to come to the Sculpture Park downtown on Fridays, and this one was a favorite. 

"Taco Loco," wc/ink on paper

 

Coastal Study

"On the Shore, (study)" oil on panel, 6x8

Sometimes a small image or even a tiny one can inspire an idea. Some years back I saw a very small snapshot of a figure standing on a tiny spit of land. Whoever made the photo did a great composition, though it was not in color, only greyscale. I did this study of the figure and shoreline, and invented some of the shore, using only a few colors (y.ochre, b.sienna and probably cerulean blue), trying very hard to use limited strokes, each placed and then left alone without blending overmuch. Although this never made it to a finished work, perhaps I should give it some repeat consideration.  
 

Last Weekend

Last Saturday the sketch group (mostly) agreed to visit a marina that's very near downtown Des Moines. Situated along the Des Moines River and probably around a mile or two from the center of the city, Birdland Marina is home to river boating and also features a bicycle trail that extends much farther north, to Saylorvill Reservoir, more than ten miles away. 

We each picked a spot near the river, in my case at a bar and grill next to the marina. Cyclists and boaters congregate at Captain Roy's, which lies on the river bank and next the the bike trail. I sat in the shade of giant cottonwoods and sketched the scene. 

"Captain Roy's," wc on paper, 8x10

 

Harbor Steps

"Harbor Steps," wc/ink on paper

One of the features of the waterfront in Seattle is the Harbor Steps, which connect the old Central Waterfront to downtown, high above. The area was once the hub of shipping activity in the city but decades ago a container ship area opened farther south and business here slowed. 

Now, the area at the bottom has been developed into an attractive tourist spot, with older piers becoming stores and restaurants. The steps connect to the downtown above (there are elevators too) and are actually part of a mixed-use development of shops, condos and public space. I sketched the steps rising into a man-made canyon, flanked by contemporary architecture, and footed by older buildings. 

 

Seattle Sketches

We've just returned a day or two ago from a week in Seattle, visiting with family. It's been a few years since our last visit, and this one included Puget Sound local relatives as well as a contingent from Florida. An outing sailing on the Sound led us to Edmonds, Washington, a few miles north, an attractive town centered on art of all kinds, and sailing. They even have a plein air sketch group like mine. Along the Edmonds marina is a boat launching facility I ran across. I drew it quickly in my pocket sketchbook, then painted and inked it the next morning. 

"Prepping for launch, Edmonds," wc/ink on paper

The next day we visited the famous Pike Place Market, once a bustling market for fish and produce, now more an incredibly crowded tourist spot. While other family members shopped and walked, I chose a public lookout spot with a view of Puget Sound and the opposite shore, including a new, enormous Ferris wheel. As with my sketch from the day before, I finished this one after arriving at our home base there, aided by a snapshot. 

"From Pike Place Market," wc/ink on paper