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.
 

Primaries

"Primaries," oil on panel, 6x8

This small oil painting is from a larger series of still life studies I did perhaps twenty years ago. The purposes of those studies were multiple. First, since these works were small they could be finished in a single sitting. Second, they offered an opportunity to compare paint brands, types of brushes, various supports (gesso panels vs bristol for example), and more. They offered an opportunity to paint alla prima and loosely, trying hard to capture the essence of the subject. They also provided daily practice and an impetus to keep going. All in all the series was great fun, useful, and productive. 

"Primaries" refers to the three traditional primary colors--red, blue and yellow. These paints were in aluminum tubes. The brand and lettering were omitted as irrelevant, though many oil painters may recognize the format.

Last Saturday

The recent Arctic blast that hit the upper Midwest has been brutal. Most morning this week and a half have been in single digits. Last Saturday the sketch group went indoors for the second time this winter. It was simply too cold and no one wanted to sketch in their car. 

"West End Salvage," wc/ink, 8x10

We went to an architectural salvage business that has a lot of interesting material indoors plus a coffee bar and tables on the ground floor. Most of us sat in the coffee bar and sketch. I did this watercolor while sipping a truly delicious latte.

Charcoal Study

"Study for portrait of LM," charcoal on newsprint

Some years ago I was accepting portrait commissions, generally for oil paintings. Like many others I often began a formal oil with a charcoal study to solve as many problems as possible before laying down any paint. Sometimes I began the portrait without any preliminaries (see The Sailor, one post back). And other times a charcoal could serve as an underdrawing for the portrait. Sometimes, though, I did the charcoal study as a stand alone work. This drawing is on newsprint and served as the basis for an eventual oil portrait. In this case I gridded up the drawing and transferred it to stretched canvas.

The Sailor

"The Sailor," oil on panel, 14x11

A casual portrait of a man at the tiller of a sailboat, from a decade or so ago. Many times portraits are made to cover the entire surface, but in casual work some of the image may be omitted.
 

Winter Watercolor

In winter, when green is no longer the dominant color of the landscape, colors that flashed brightly go mute. The trees that still cling to a few leaves are mostly rust-colored, or perhaps even dull brown. But as you look you begin to see faint color, muted to be sure, but color nonetheless. Many think winters are mostly black and white but for the serious observer there is abundant color.

"Sherman Hill, Winter," wc/ink on paper, about 3.5x5

Last Saturday all of us in the sketch group elected outdoor scenes. Like the rest, I sketched and painted in the warmth of my car. You can see that many different colors are there--even the distant, silhouetted trees have distant hues. This is the foot of the old neighborhood called Sherman Hill, where I often work outdoors.

Vista

"Vista," oil on panel 4x6

This little sketch took just thirty minutes or so one morning, as an exercise in paint handling and brush work. It is an imaginary mountain scene, based on many trips to the Rockies and other mountainous places. It was fun establishing the spatial perspective of distant pale blue mountains against a roseate sky.
 

Tropical Dome

Last Saturday was cold and grey, so half of the sketch group went indoors to the Des Moines Botanical Garden dome. Under their geodesic dome the air is warm, humid, and aromatic with plant life. While painting outdoors or in my car was an alternative, this environment was too luscious, too luxurious to pass up. I even renewed my membership.

"At the Botanical Center," wc/ink on paper 8x10

There is a balcony around maybe one third of the dome, with tables and a wonderful view of the entire terrarium-like interior. The staff has arranged potted plants of many kinds at each end of the balcony, near the stairs. I sat at one of the tables and sketched a partial view of potted palms, huge amaryllis blossoms, and other plants. To finish this I would add more of the darker blue-green tree foliage as a backdrop and complete the other palm.

Coffee Bar

Edouard Manet, "Bar at the Folies Bergere," 1882

Mirrored images is a fascinating subject for figurative works. There's a famous painting by Edouard Manet wherein a mirror is a major part of the compostion. In Manet's painting we see a barmaid front and center, with a marble-top bar between us covered with bottles and a bowl. At first the figure to the right seems to be another barmaid, but she is really the reflection of the woman facing us. And facing her is a man with a mustache, wearing a hat (presumably it is us). Behind the three figures is a vast crowd of people, lights, at least two chandeliers and much else indistinct. It's a masterful use of composition to suggest deep space. 

"Coffee Bar," oil on panel, 12x9, private collection

Years ago I adapted Manet's composition to my own work to explore how to show deep space. The result, "Coffee Bar," went to a collector years ago. But I discovered the photo above, showing a young woman in a coffee bar. behind her is a shelf with a mirror above it. The counter in front of the woman has a napkin holder, sugar container and salt. Beneath it are various coffee cups and glasses. On the shelf behind are two ketchup bottles, reflected in the mirror. We see her back, the backs of the seating, and in the far distance another counter with various items. All together, there are seven or eight layers of depth.