tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-213045632024-03-19T07:00:33.491-05:00The Studio JournalA site for rumblings and ruminations about traditional oil painting, art, aesthetics, and the wider world of art. And for posting examples of my current and past work too.
If you have an interest purchasing a work, or want to commission a portrait, or if you just want to talk about art, drop me an email at ghoff1946@gmail.com.
All writing and original art on this site is copyright Gary L. Hoff, all rights reserved. All other images are copyright their respective owners. Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.comBlogger907125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-53158891955635756012024-03-19T07:00:00.013-05:002024-03-19T07:00:00.137-05:00Silver Study<p>Here's a digital painting I recently retouched. The original work was done four or five years ago intended as a study of digital art programs. I used Sketchbook (a digital art program) and tried out a number of different tools it contains. The program can emulate actual paint pretty well, in my opinion, but will never take the place of real world paint. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEsG4h8bNx385mZlsPxu5J08X3xR6Ym2Q4-YIF0Nsz_rJUT_fUku_LeWLe_lPBVC-Al1b1yuQ0V58miisYTmtfIzi_I8ztb8zlrFS2gVQGNXigVO-FroshNIBgXh1_cZExaA0woZdMNID8DiFobzrghmoifvunVX6_f4GqlGWm2GmiAVbHFNn/s915/still%20life%20study_crop%2030820.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="915" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEsG4h8bNx385mZlsPxu5J08X3xR6Ym2Q4-YIF0Nsz_rJUT_fUku_LeWLe_lPBVC-Al1b1yuQ0V58miisYTmtfIzi_I8ztb8zlrFS2gVQGNXigVO-FroshNIBgXh1_cZExaA0woZdMNID8DiFobzrghmoifvunVX6_f4GqlGWm2GmiAVbHFNn/w640-h578/still%20life%20study_crop%2030820.tif" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-32062553201372545792024-03-15T07:00:00.018-05:002024-03-18T21:17:25.381-05:00The Yellow Umbrella<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-ekTlyOT04cwKDhrz45YP6LCgkpLSLwmfCI2z8NeAmesUWy53GvkifG_C8coBeIP-XNmF68aGjQTXPemq_mwdITo4I8w8LP2RGqEKeXX2kkJ3FwKKl5yFAPh-VQ2E71lH8_dJZqO7w6V9zSJpoU7Rkqil2uNuWoEykiEFn_hvPqEN40OSB7z/w640-h480/yellowumbrella601509.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Yellow Umbrella," oil on panel, 11x14, private collection<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-ekTlyOT04cwKDhrz45YP6LCgkpLSLwmfCI2z8NeAmesUWy53GvkifG_C8coBeIP-XNmF68aGjQTXPemq_mwdITo4I8w8LP2RGqEKeXX2kkJ3FwKKl5yFAPh-VQ2E71lH8_dJZqO7w6V9zSJpoU7Rkqil2uNuWoEykiEFn_hvPqEN40OSB7z/s1200/yellowumbrella601509.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">T</a></div>"The Yellow Umbrella" is a studio work exploring very limited use of color in a near-monotone painting. The street view is toward the New York Stock Exchange building. A vending cart stands in shadow but a ray of light from somewhere illuminates the yellow of one of its umbrellas. This was sold many years ago.<br /><p></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-78664775148732549382024-03-12T07:00:00.019-05:002024-03-12T07:00:00.141-05:00Winter Watercolor<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbVtPmhQZuV77qR2rCMt3WzRA5puWSvLEwL-ENPIKnjkclVdi4xxlrLnswJS2qJaJLXH2e1vVXkbeF0jfvI8eYx5hU0QnSVAddzQ6_2JhPBNV5u1UI6L0Ap_v5kxc3DZkAj6U19xljCNK-aNkbiAtJUTs81euRivNHWKyv9OEAEJq_IpW7hfa/s1756/13120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1188" data-original-width="1756" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbVtPmhQZuV77qR2rCMt3WzRA5puWSvLEwL-ENPIKnjkclVdi4xxlrLnswJS2qJaJLXH2e1vVXkbeF0jfvI8eYx5hU0QnSVAddzQ6_2JhPBNV5u1UI6L0Ap_v5kxc3DZkAj6U19xljCNK-aNkbiAtJUTs81euRivNHWKyv9OEAEJq_IpW7hfa/w640-h432/13120.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"January, Druid Hill Creek," wc/ink postcard<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>As anyone who reads these postings knows, most of my watercolors are small, relatively loose, and washy. A lot are enhanced with ink. And sometimes work that I'd forgotten surfaces after being misplaced. </p><p>This little watercolor was done from my studio window using a very limited palette--ochre and umber with touches here and there of cobalt blue. This painting is more realistic than many of my creek studies because more of the trees are included, even the very near huge cottonwood that I usually edit out of the picture. <br /> </p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-1107246277133997502024-03-08T06:00:00.019-06:002024-03-08T06:00:00.151-06:00Along the Bluff<p>Spring is coming very soon now, especially with the warming temperatures of climate change. Bigger studio works, based on references and experiences last fall, have come into being. This one is the largest of all at 18x36. It's the completion of a study started last October of changing foliage, land formations and the Middle Raccoon River. </p><p>A few months back I <a href="https://papillary.blogspot.com/2024/01/october-color.html">posted the study </a>of the same area, although that work is considerably smaller. This one shows the trees and undergrowth just as the autumn season was starting to produce bright, saturated color. The painting posted previously is about the left half of the scene you see below. This one will be available via my website in the next few days. <br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TmwbO2zdGkHC02Ab-XKaJobO6jvmPOJZVCUCA5T-o3jK1L9Rf3VoFmS0AsxSO1c8mAIz_iiwmUveEk4YJHY3g2aJ38vTHkUV_a7538-vROMskkmk06PwPGTKuTTW1Z_IZEmDbsYlZv7AmemTgewGGUNHcGclWOpzE6MKZMHzTnzXy8I1v6JG/s2297/Along%20the%20Bluff%20020524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1137" data-original-width="2297" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TmwbO2zdGkHC02Ab-XKaJobO6jvmPOJZVCUCA5T-o3jK1L9Rf3VoFmS0AsxSO1c8mAIz_iiwmUveEk4YJHY3g2aJ38vTHkUV_a7538-vROMskkmk06PwPGTKuTTW1Z_IZEmDbsYlZv7AmemTgewGGUNHcGclWOpzE6MKZMHzTnzXy8I1v6JG/w640-h316/Along%20the%20Bluff%20020524.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Along the Bluff," oil on canvas<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-30438853509513923202024-03-05T06:00:00.015-06:002024-03-05T20:54:24.583-06:00Winter Casein<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvHgKa28E6-N6cqa2hJmxu3bRd9NHWbJSFqAvwDzcRos9MRJw7-W68sKuhRrVcXetMh4DUDBHvA0dMs2iHPrQrdYKy4JGjw3Wi4J0R4O1wGi_P81KKvnGUTPo5tqCttKSbsPLnqqRSc84McjkaK-Dto66y_X4jtyasGf2d87_GfyrGsqEKZCkD/s2700/Winter%20on%20the%20Creek%20casein%20121519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2014" data-original-width="2700" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvHgKa28E6-N6cqa2hJmxu3bRd9NHWbJSFqAvwDzcRos9MRJw7-W68sKuhRrVcXetMh4DUDBHvA0dMs2iHPrQrdYKy4JGjw3Wi4J0R4O1wGi_P81KKvnGUTPo5tqCttKSbsPLnqqRSc84McjkaK-Dto66y_X4jtyasGf2d87_GfyrGsqEKZCkD/w640-h478/Winter%20on%20the%20Creek%20casein%20121519.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Winter on the Creek," casein on panel, 6x8<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Although I'm primarily an oil painter, I've done work in quite a few different media--digital, watercolor, pen an ink, and casein. Casein is actually a casein-oil emulsion paint that's available in tubes, like oils. It has a nice creamy consistency, dries like lightning and becomes waterproof afterward. For some illustrators it was an important tool before the advent of acrylic paint in the 1960s. </p><p>This particular painting is yet another of my views of Druid Hill Creek, looking north. I changed the point of view slightly, but this was finished in late winter when the skies had cleared after a light snow. <br /> </p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-20530120970944070252024-03-01T07:00:00.029-06:002024-03-01T16:43:16.401-06:00The Seasons Change<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAfa3xZ5KAUG1QgJ5GGyRuakRI40f0MtqWoZ3WBOeLHT7Tmfqc_5pHdaj4khRXItfoOLQ2rDwJfWR9IkimXcic8cLYDOJBLOMwGcVezXui_X9W3CpLnhF7qStXmqjvhh22zdIfaFQUNKRqjai3XGaE7F0lY9-U2yZnDUoOsZDZiCiMfPjNs8T/s1692/022722.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1692" data-original-width="728" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAfa3xZ5KAUG1QgJ5GGyRuakRI40f0MtqWoZ3WBOeLHT7Tmfqc_5pHdaj4khRXItfoOLQ2rDwJfWR9IkimXcic8cLYDOJBLOMwGcVezXui_X9W3CpLnhF7qStXmqjvhh22zdIfaFQUNKRqjai3XGaE7F0lY9-U2yZnDUoOsZDZiCiMfPjNs8T/w276-h640/022722.jpg" width="276" /></a></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPdQ_ilta9hZCqIxke0L6NW11HICGOpQA_AQyewO1YY5GpJz0Z5aySdmpDQUIMpEQkmSAEHlhLEcVXqg3Dtxj2Qs9Yb7zoWH-YmF737qJUpJAv3JyKZwBgvFFKDHTYgGUyRzsWaHqVhpSLhjyXhdwpNVym0NxWWktWl_LClD-5A87jObrQNAe/s1694/030722.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1694" data-original-width="752" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPdQ_ilta9hZCqIxke0L6NW11HICGOpQA_AQyewO1YY5GpJz0Z5aySdmpDQUIMpEQkmSAEHlhLEcVXqg3Dtxj2Qs9Yb7zoWH-YmF737qJUpJAv3JyKZwBgvFFKDHTYgGUyRzsWaHqVhpSLhjyXhdwpNVym0NxWWktWl_LClD-5A87jObrQNAe/w284-h640/030722.jpg" width="284" /> </a></p><p>These two watercolor sketches, done this time of year a while back, show how the advancing season used to look. There was snow but despite the cold weather the colors of the trees and undergrowth along the lake seemed to absorb sunlight, their colors becoming warmer, more golden. This year the snow fled weeks ago and the temperature today, March 1, is in the middle 50s F. (Click to enlarge each image.)<br /></p><p></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-20037458159570566572024-02-27T06:00:00.066-06:002024-02-28T14:14:00.423-06:00February Warmth<p>Early spring-like weather feels good in an ominous sort of way. The warmth of the past few days and actually, the whole winter, is disquieting--it is still February after all, but the weather is more like the end of March. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yl83p6LEWXSgwf6EwnfWL3shAZWY-yz2exMvJNmdz24-7YyX9NbZfbIfIUJRqdcQNuNIWNVGAWN6cN5IRkrvP725GSYrP1qOGNC7Hf6Un0pHq10FDEyHn8bt9m0TdxDDEy_6dHsT6KiFp4C-embvEjW4rz_1N87Bp5Ct3bunBQUghxZH1i0s/s2400/31719a.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1489" data-original-width="2400" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yl83p6LEWXSgwf6EwnfWL3shAZWY-yz2exMvJNmdz24-7YyX9NbZfbIfIUJRqdcQNuNIWNVGAWN6cN5IRkrvP725GSYrP1qOGNC7Hf6Un0pHq10FDEyHn8bt9m0TdxDDEy_6dHsT6KiFp4C-embvEjW4rz_1N87Bp5Ct3bunBQUghxZH1i0s/w640-h398/31719a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Last Scraps of Snow," wc/ink on paper<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>A few years ago March was still relatively cold, and snow persisted in the shadows, and the grasses and spring bulbs still slept below the frozen ground. A 2019 watercolor shows it above. But this year winter seems to have petered out, so that high temperatures have ranged in the 50s (F) and lows have been barely below freezing for the most part. My gardens have responded with bulbs reaching 3-3 inches in height and the grasses are going green already. </p><p>Global climate change has arrived.<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiGnS1ytGtJsIX6Gy-dO7iFvvuMlpu17wNGSEIFmHUveFmswE2TLPoCad-cx_FiXi5ja3Vsx80HqF3rikv3PiHrY3AxngSa6t2z9qj3N4wKnnzh_c6PTwBy5FPaqxdJ4RKGGnNigXTtVmR0DAMOvSq0oPQ_uMXtiEBadbeGXLu7JC0JUAkyF8/s2400/31719a.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><p></p><br />Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-29874847574733883472024-02-23T18:17:00.002-06:002024-02-24T12:19:05.227-06:00Relief for the Eyes<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2321" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGlqh16hzC0dkR2EA7PDe64I1tT3sxBc2A8D7zzSrmFbIzwV8f-huaCW41xnMpxbEjzqwG8BrQHUGh_c8DSHsXWVhNpwgGHMTTYGgep_9CaZQc7SfOW7qswyLfnZ9ay-H-6sbhNsHuLuxYD2EU3HNsO7UKeqyz7TdBqw6YYgP-V4Jmen6DSAf/w640-h506/Outside%20the%20River%20House%20Oct23%20021624.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Outside the River House," oil on panel, 11x14<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The thing about the winter months is how colors fade from dull to muted to nearly grey in some places. Trees become grey clouds against pewter skies. Water turns dark and coffee-like. Grasses become sallow yellow-greys. <p></p><p>So this oil, begun last fall and put aside for a few months might relieve some of the monotony of winter. It began as a study of a tree at Whiterock but eventually became somewhat different. <br /></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-50301272852689549982024-02-20T06:00:00.010-06:002024-02-20T06:00:00.161-06:00A Winter Watercolor<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReEEP3yBfjTpnIDjypZGb7Hq1DO4BIxYkUmuay9xICX99cmKBHeMkalHQhXcni4m3VgG1L5UCy8s2KqujssdzePScGHMihzZFeISHl4OFPZ520d0K9x0WpIV8qT1MVlPm2-LalTZ1hEMapsB7LbAYLhLoUdj-RIhyphenhyphenPP827TR7kR0C7er-nWH1/s2413/010624%20Roofline%20Sherman%20Hill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1541" data-original-width="2413" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReEEP3yBfjTpnIDjypZGb7Hq1DO4BIxYkUmuay9xICX99cmKBHeMkalHQhXcni4m3VgG1L5UCy8s2KqujssdzePScGHMihzZFeISHl4OFPZ520d0K9x0WpIV8qT1MVlPm2-LalTZ1hEMapsB7LbAYLhLoUdj-RIhyphenhyphenPP827TR7kR0C7er-nWH1/w640-h408/010624%20Roofline%20Sherman%20Hill.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Sherman Hill Roof," wc/ink 5x9<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>This sketchbook watercolor was done from my car last month. The complicated roof was interesting to sketch. I laid in the drawing lightly with graphite, added colors and then accented various passages with ink. <br /> </p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-80948973555755658152024-02-16T06:00:00.000-06:002024-02-16T09:24:32.605-06:00Last Saturday<p>This view of the Des Moines skyline is from the parking lot of the baseball team. This time of year of course it's deserted so the Saturday group spent a couple of hours sketching the skyline. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJyHi83q4sILvVz_xCf5RP11IxnS9V3WsAnzpWHzpZSarQhgjz6VLsamB0gzQaQBCjQKAYMqzM0gScxPNOfVm6QBx4hBdPpu-BBim4j66_KvoKa7gwkdo2NW2npvP8OF_czQHYg-5o4TSzuXGg8l0-uKXGuW-y5LVb_T4B_-WzG58MdGfwMzk/s3204/021024%20From%20Principal%20Park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2260" data-original-width="3204" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJyHi83q4sILvVz_xCf5RP11IxnS9V3WsAnzpWHzpZSarQhgjz6VLsamB0gzQaQBCjQKAYMqzM0gScxPNOfVm6QBx4hBdPpu-BBim4j66_KvoKa7gwkdo2NW2npvP8OF_czQHYg-5o4TSzuXGg8l0-uKXGuW-y5LVb_T4B_-WzG58MdGfwMzk/w640-h452/021024%20From%20Principal%20Park.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"From Principal Park," wc/ink on paper, 8x10<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-63066583307197302922024-02-13T06:00:00.016-06:002024-02-13T14:51:24.539-06:00February Scene<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Qv5HNQcQ9rFl-MMY1qvPqdxYlXZ4hFmDsn_jXqV8LIo3jybVd2REjOM5J-1XYXsvUvHLLxX_9bPPKOPYXRioOXGMkwVYxxw-Tfn1EvbGEHMZBSwKISe27x7d4DYJc9Yi_Nc3-Y9f_GkBM-SHOFzihCUEAtlBSKVOHXuqYcIjq3966i0RqQze/s1461/022523.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1461" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Qv5HNQcQ9rFl-MMY1qvPqdxYlXZ4hFmDsn_jXqV8LIo3jybVd2REjOM5J-1XYXsvUvHLLxX_9bPPKOPYXRioOXGMkwVYxxw-Tfn1EvbGEHMZBSwKISe27x7d4DYJc9Yi_Nc3-Y9f_GkBM-SHOFzihCUEAtlBSKVOHXuqYcIjq3966i0RqQze/w640-h450/022523.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Grays Lake," wc with ink ~8x10<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Once in a while it's interesting to see what the world looked like a year or two ago. This watercolor of Grays Lake is about a year old--there was no snow but the distant trees south of the lake (toward my studio) still kept their dull drays and pale colors. Rocks and grasses in the sandy near shore were the most colorful parts of the landscape. <br /><p></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-89005841109998387142024-02-09T06:00:00.012-06:002024-02-09T20:18:57.055-06:00Winter<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoX55AOjugZ4xbJlILOIa7Iy-RbSERRWcRnuZprBIDLAtFOrLWdEgrlb4UfWveQIBVZmAB-wKJXIKx1flepcS7HyYgaq1ycnlbLeAEqPquzRqRZtbs1sCkN4LrxPSF9WH9uwBHsUxhZOLyfXaa1AgxGrFMomPLWMakPkIsF3M6xwFFRuIQYGak/s2898/112622_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1302" data-original-width="2898" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoX55AOjugZ4xbJlILOIa7Iy-RbSERRWcRnuZprBIDLAtFOrLWdEgrlb4UfWveQIBVZmAB-wKJXIKx1flepcS7HyYgaq1ycnlbLeAEqPquzRqRZtbs1sCkN4LrxPSF9WH9uwBHsUxhZOLyfXaa1AgxGrFMomPLWMakPkIsF3M6xwFFRuIQYGak/w640-h288/112622_crop.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Winter on the Raccoon River," wc/ink, 5.5x11<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>A view of the Raccoon River flowing lazily through Waterworks Park one wintry day. <br /></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-8117742089845225102024-02-06T06:00:00.029-06:002024-02-06T06:00:00.142-06:00Homebound<p>Beginning last Thursday we've been homebound with light cases of covid. Neither of us has been very ill, but we've isolated from the world to avoid spreading the virus. No Saturday sketching, no lunches, no trips outside except to walk the dogs. The weather continues unseasonably warm, so that almost all of our record snow has melted. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEife5vFh_o5TEKmRQu3PNJGunzbYwO5CW4LkCx3_YSFLH5jpUvbnssr2ZCe3i00FhMRbqgEjo8DU4IEXR5goLpq9TQ_vJPFt6ZnQOqXD7PoEsRQbuHi47m7W7RqZ5aNPs3qMRRMpXCPdPLib-HvVSIClsMIb_WIE1mE1ZNxiiL1QMJGibYcsPLq/s1628/DruidHillCreek%20020224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1628" data-original-width="1053" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEife5vFh_o5TEKmRQu3PNJGunzbYwO5CW4LkCx3_YSFLH5jpUvbnssr2ZCe3i00FhMRbqgEjo8DU4IEXR5goLpq9TQ_vJPFt6ZnQOqXD7PoEsRQbuHi47m7W7RqZ5aNPs3qMRRMpXCPdPLib-HvVSIClsMIb_WIE1mE1ZNxiiL1QMJGibYcsPLq/w414-h640/DruidHillCreek%20020224.jpg" width="414" /></a></div>I stood in the studio window and did a minature (about 4x6) watercolor in a pocket sketchbook. One is a view directly north along the creek. The other is a view farther to the right of the first with a distant grassy slope barely indicated. <p></p><p>With luck I'll be back outdoors with my paint boxes some time this week. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ggI0hWW4PcKBs5WMlWHrZvxgKTBx8ROnffcpdOsCDdV-jKitFK-yl1r3bMSZxSoYsKzLrUC0g3xTrG12DpGwkWScfg8LgUP8KUC9YLVtRlvKGmj3HwEudL3XDCID4jkDnYCMgBapWg-fEFifP0C5iTsfiDf1e21fa7CjHHCRW-46A3qWK8I8/s1677/Tree%20Study%20020324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1677" data-original-width="1049" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ggI0hWW4PcKBs5WMlWHrZvxgKTBx8ROnffcpdOsCDdV-jKitFK-yl1r3bMSZxSoYsKzLrUC0g3xTrG12DpGwkWScfg8LgUP8KUC9YLVtRlvKGmj3HwEudL3XDCID4jkDnYCMgBapWg-fEFifP0C5iTsfiDf1e21fa7CjHHCRW-46A3qWK8I8/w400-h640/Tree%20Study%20020324.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-65009549681713219592024-02-02T06:00:00.025-06:002024-02-02T06:00:00.256-06:00Winter Woods<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2h1vpehyphenhyphen_7kia4SpwouuMyw3lFjHf6D2178HPmCwL0lBHlJsPnbEruKK_UVzZV5HxE5-xCMZWI1lJ7PhLEdkaG2_aSRColzUQPt6dSUNYWzLu7RQNFHpZaLXAEYtjM5mLKEPHWnD_f_CJ-h8JMxjySSTb0yoSuS_BfR7d8OJDVpkpXz45OqiF/s2970/41420%20The%20Other%20Bank%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2970" data-original-width="2234" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2h1vpehyphenhyphen_7kia4SpwouuMyw3lFjHf6D2178HPmCwL0lBHlJsPnbEruKK_UVzZV5HxE5-xCMZWI1lJ7PhLEdkaG2_aSRColzUQPt6dSUNYWzLu7RQNFHpZaLXAEYtjM5mLKEPHWnD_f_CJ-h8JMxjySSTb0yoSuS_BfR7d8OJDVpkpXz45OqiF/w482-h640/41420%20The%20Other%20Bank%20.jpg" width="482" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Other Bank," oil on panel, 8x6<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>As the days lengthen and all of our blizzard has finally melted, we can let ourselves think of the earliest days of springtime. Sometimes it's worth looking back at past seasons of warming and early flower. </p><p>This small plein air oil shows the woods on the opposite bank of Druid Hill Creek in late winter, when the grasses have turned faintly green and the first yellow spots of flower glow in the tangled undergrowth. </p><p><br /></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-17510506291930529872024-01-30T06:00:00.062-06:002024-01-30T06:00:00.303-06:00Snowy Saturday<p>The Saturday sketchers went to Waterworks Park last weekend. The day was grey and the light was very flat. And of course this time of year the colors of nature are muted. Besides that, several inches of snow persist except in high traffic spots or where it's been removed. Waterworks Park is less busy now, but warmer temperatures have brought out pedestrians and cyclist. The ponds are still frozen and surrounded by snow but the river is open, running dark as chocolate. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklTR7ddP9Ue-Pkv96vvHklKBLISzN9GM4vTycjdfIJ8qgFucNLSvGEHklUQxvJP-_FPYLxK1aV-IvMYOvQyF6Q5ZtRdn3ET3vFxKZ8kkgXoGdWwYNLvXUpdkkeOuc1izgauYRJOx7RWN_PSUZdwYhqJUJxvvR6-8NZPfRGrsGyD6M51ZkahNu/s3113/Waterworks%20Pumphouse,%20Snow%20012724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1469" data-original-width="3113" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklTR7ddP9Ue-Pkv96vvHklKBLISzN9GM4vTycjdfIJ8qgFucNLSvGEHklUQxvJP-_FPYLxK1aV-IvMYOvQyF6Q5ZtRdn3ET3vFxKZ8kkgXoGdWwYNLvXUpdkkeOuc1izgauYRJOx7RWN_PSUZdwYhqJUJxvvR6-8NZPfRGrsGyD6M51ZkahNu/w640-h302/Waterworks%20Pumphouse,%20Snow%20012724.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Waterworks Pump House, Snow," wc/ink on paper, <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I parked along the park road and sketched a brick building--a pump house I think--that sits on a curve by the river. It's red bricks and ochre doorway are always interesting, and it faces southeast so it gets good light, even on overcast days. As in nearly all of these sorts of sketches I began with a light graphite sketch, trying to understand the big shapes and masses. Then I painted the scene, trying to capture the muted trees in the distance, a tree or two in the middle ground and the pump house as the foreground main subject. Matching color and value until I was satisfied, I gave it a bit of time to dry then added accents and some fine branches on the middle ground trees. </p><p>That small work above (about 5x10) took a bit over an hour, so I dug out a bigger sketchbook and gave the subject another look. The new sketchbook is about 8x11. This time the pump house is in the middle ground but is still the main subject. In this case I washed in masses of colors to suggest distant trees, just as in the smaller sketch. But here the building and tree are middle ground and the road curves left in front of a big snowbank. Transparent washes of warms and cools help establish the snow.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfIDuuYCi7X59J8vpCentvqJyCHiexyfKSAEoirmumZO82Yf4Lv7OnJ7zG8Q1txGmuvDzkASbBPptne1gttEUJl560c9ukkuX6rkUJqzPkdQAZtnuEVu0fgUKVGZv4bflreX7aW2eM_ps3VoBKGwIiUqKN-we748WXXO9cPcGFG6ehVEup3lkD/s2162/Waterworks,%20Snow%20012724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1596" data-original-width="2162" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfIDuuYCi7X59J8vpCentvqJyCHiexyfKSAEoirmumZO82Yf4Lv7OnJ7zG8Q1txGmuvDzkASbBPptne1gttEUJl560c9ukkuX6rkUJqzPkdQAZtnuEVu0fgUKVGZv4bflreX7aW2eM_ps3VoBKGwIiUqKN-we748WXXO9cPcGFG6ehVEup3lkD/w640-h472/Waterworks,%20Snow%20012724.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Waterworks, Snow," wc/ink on paper, 7x11<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-83658892148628853482024-01-26T06:00:00.001-06:002024-01-26T15:40:10.456-06:00Frozen<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZszmBwJMfvucqc5gvKkl2MzP8PxC6LEefnTpozhvSz4vHff0yzf_M-ZLS_jO6eP6LACoEqlP4C5WsV79IbEoYmiIYaV39lhztC8Yej5qKMfavewQLdiRJZPft5l_B2JCWV8_cfdTYxuWC5qMp1Vm0Rii4UsYWf9J5NVP5mlIHuFUZR0pahxxa/s1489/30321%20Frozen%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1121" data-original-width="1489" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZszmBwJMfvucqc5gvKkl2MzP8PxC6LEefnTpozhvSz4vHff0yzf_M-ZLS_jO6eP6LACoEqlP4C5WsV79IbEoYmiIYaV39lhztC8Yej5qKMfavewQLdiRJZPft5l_B2JCWV8_cfdTYxuWC5qMp1Vm0Rii4UsYWf9J5NVP5mlIHuFUZR0pahxxa/w640-h482/30321%20Frozen%20.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Frozen (Grays Lake)," oil on panel, 9x12<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Although I painted this plein air oil a year or two ago, it could easily have been just a few days back when the deep freeze had Des Moines in its clutches. It was a very cold, painfully clear day in late winter but I stood in a sunny spot sheltered from the northeast wind.<br /></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-8291634306974468472024-01-23T07:00:00.013-06:002024-01-24T16:23:08.598-06:00Pei<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS99eXpwDYTov18Nw1MsihyTMt8EeJRVaPvWAEAsXTNrzdYj9SfvbizHhfkIp5pe2D-kt6uoPYJjXtli1Hvm6D5dlbqthao_l9VR8z2pCSnPboixv0pyX4fHXV4b2jOE9nVHkxm_xZgdT2OmAYfLESoPpR1HMVMr6iUXaH1wrGQoSwslzgnwLq/s2671/82419%20Behind%20the%20Pei%20Pavilion%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2027" data-original-width="2671" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS99eXpwDYTov18Nw1MsihyTMt8EeJRVaPvWAEAsXTNrzdYj9SfvbizHhfkIp5pe2D-kt6uoPYJjXtli1Hvm6D5dlbqthao_l9VR8z2pCSnPboixv0pyX4fHXV4b2jOE9nVHkxm_xZgdT2OmAYfLESoPpR1HMVMr6iUXaH1wrGQoSwslzgnwLq/w640-h486/82419%20Behind%20the%20Pei%20Pavilion%20.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Pei Wing," oil on panel, 9x12<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>This plein air work depicts the south side of the Des Moines Art Center, which has three wings by three renowned architects, including Eleil Saarinen, Richard Meyer, and I.M. Pei. The windows and framing of this wing seem to spell out the designer's name. <br /> </p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-52654360126761704192024-01-19T06:00:00.014-06:002024-01-21T11:56:26.244-06:00A Summer Sketch<p>It looks like the winter blast we've had here is going to moderate--temperatures will be in the 30s--but we're all weary of the snow, grey skies and below zeros temperatures here. </p><p>Here's a summer plein air oil sketch to warm us all a little. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVb8F7G5hHZUGPiSLHvG3OPWmxO1D6aFx9VtcXMw7e30Pq1qZnqRsfN_8-EtgTVYLN_4sPT0-iG3gnEZBfFMDtzAcdwY0XHLh_vvDOKCcFVDBCdSzY9uKjG5DH1LdRtHyXRDp_14dpnW0nlEyKMgHqlTXlpuGWLiUYOyiCkajSXbxhTP9irn9/s2305/North%20Shore2%20060122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1690" data-original-width="2305" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVb8F7G5hHZUGPiSLHvG3OPWmxO1D6aFx9VtcXMw7e30Pq1qZnqRsfN_8-EtgTVYLN_4sPT0-iG3gnEZBfFMDtzAcdwY0XHLh_vvDOKCcFVDBCdSzY9uKjG5DH1LdRtHyXRDp_14dpnW0nlEyKMgHqlTXlpuGWLiUYOyiCkajSXbxhTP9irn9/w640-h470/North%20Shore2%20060122.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"North Shore, Grays Lake," oil on panel, 9x12<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p><p><br /></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-22964160948394952462024-01-16T06:00:00.031-06:002024-01-17T14:43:33.500-06:00Longing for Outdoors <p>During the brutal cold, deep snow, and entirely necessary stay indoors, I found myself long for the chance to go outside and paint. Although I painted a couple of small watercolors from the window of the studio, they were no substitute for the chance to spend significant time outside. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQHM25HP4UsZb8JksZqJgtAL1T27RfUnVUBtLBqGKy3CPqcqS2MzSDVi2Zb2GzGD4EslycVzJC4EsensB19dzbVHruoCx3NB-c5zsv4NFXOw8L36emcHKFd1c0fnTaABPMTC9iq3AkpPjW20CAKrJuurfPe6EoRBd6shahEbDEMiXv2Uwt3l_M/s1601/Blizzard24%20011324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="1601" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQHM25HP4UsZb8JksZqJgtAL1T27RfUnVUBtLBqGKy3CPqcqS2MzSDVi2Zb2GzGD4EslycVzJC4EsensB19dzbVHruoCx3NB-c5zsv4NFXOw8L36emcHKFd1c0fnTaABPMTC9iq3AkpPjW20CAKrJuurfPe6EoRBd6shahEbDEMiXv2Uwt3l_M/w400-h256/Blizzard24%20011324.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Druid Hill Creek," wc on paper, 3.5x5.5<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>This little watercolor, done at the height of the recent blizzard, is an example of coping with severe winter weather. The creek that runs past my home was frozen and blue-grey, surrounded by big drifts. </p><p>Nevertheless, I long for the lushness of spring, the heat of summer, and even the cold winds of autumn when the weather closes in. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliuw7jsMeM4wAKF02UjQo95wYxM4wGxeoAJUVLBpBYOBdWJuk9tJWfxk-vDCxBddbYSwk7y1G3YHanv6TgOo0skgYRE9CvEfQz98-JUnms0af51KLU1lrvtSxJhnCcXhoRO49WhwCNTrxexu7gmi6hrIbb0TVbkGmaJrYQQBNCC2-ssl5wI9m/s1024/Pastureland%20Va%20071222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="1024" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliuw7jsMeM4wAKF02UjQo95wYxM4wGxeoAJUVLBpBYOBdWJuk9tJWfxk-vDCxBddbYSwk7y1G3YHanv6TgOo0skgYRE9CvEfQz98-JUnms0af51KLU1lrvtSxJhnCcXhoRO49WhwCNTrxexu7gmi6hrIbb0TVbkGmaJrYQQBNCC2-ssl5wI9m/w640-h476/Pastureland%20Va%20071222.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Pastureland, Virginia," oil on panel, 9x12<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>This oil was one outdoors in Virginia, a view of pastureland along a serene river. The initials to the right of the tree were scratched into the wet paint when I finished the sketch--a tradition that indicates it was a plein air work. <br /> <br /></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-5592540237170144292024-01-12T06:00:00.130-06:002024-01-12T14:08:03.670-06:00Master Copies<p>Through the ages, probably since people have been making images, new
artists have learned the craft in part by making copies of works by
their masters. Studios in the Renaissance (and probably earlier) kept
drawings and paintings for their apprentices to study and reproduce.
Although my own learning experiences are not based in the ancient
atelier system, I've spent time with many old paintings and drawings,
doing my best to emulate what I saw.</p><p>These are all my copies of originals by artists of the past. <br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdkZS6ByuW747gAQm6XkQ-EZGQHi1mfExc_6NhAhp8TGWrC3i93AcnX17Rhsy7PSXqN-fTg1DiX1eyyat_4p5PVt9S3d983nMSRS_1eM0wH69-sNqvCfjukXH4y2gzb1liuOajlsc767Ge2MDHADgHVz0R58KHmiGM0qFGVT0np4Zmm1tY5IS/s2282/Patton%20after%20JCL%2011x14%202010.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2282" data-original-width="1777" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdkZS6ByuW747gAQm6XkQ-EZGQHi1mfExc_6NhAhp8TGWrC3i93AcnX17Rhsy7PSXqN-fTg1DiX1eyyat_4p5PVt9S3d983nMSRS_1eM0wH69-sNqvCfjukXH4y2gzb1liuOajlsc767Ge2MDHADgHVz0R58KHmiGM0qFGVT0np4Zmm1tY5IS/w498-h640/Patton%20after%20JCL%2011x14%202010.jpg" width="498" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Patton (after JCL)," oil on panel, 11x14<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>This
painting is a copy of a work by the peerless J.C. Leyendecker, a gifted
illustrator whose works a century or so ago were the envy of many, even
Norman Rockwell. In this work my interest was in discovering how
Leyendecker managed to render the general's leather jacket. I think this
was a work supporting World War II war bonds.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWelXgEjOAsramo9AIT1WPft9XAAEf_Gc7Z_UPLSOYOVB88_sr4nt-Ep6VhxRPOVfoWCx4X1yQKMoh8VpH-j7vDTq1_MlTlKHWKdahkqFl1P65Jimfwcn4UHeEjPRnPcoWksp8mEU7D0abMobfyfg9M0hejfTYbVPC-XAX6OKhv6dIjrWmIKE/s1600/fragonard%20copy%20120217.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="607" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWelXgEjOAsramo9AIT1WPft9XAAEf_Gc7Z_UPLSOYOVB88_sr4nt-Ep6VhxRPOVfoWCx4X1yQKMoh8VpH-j7vDTq1_MlTlKHWKdahkqFl1P65Jimfwcn4UHeEjPRnPcoWksp8mEU7D0abMobfyfg9M0hejfTYbVPC-XAX6OKhv6dIjrWmIKE/w455-h607/fragonard%20copy%20120217.jpg" width="455" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"After Fragpmard." oil on panel, 11x14<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>This one, an 18th century work by the French rococo paint <span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Honoré
Fragonard, "A Young Girl Reading," is one of a famous series of tronies
he made--that is, studies of expression, body types, situations, and so
on that are not portraits in the traditional sense. In this particular
work, Fragonard's genius with color is clear. My interest was in the
beauty of the dress. </span></p><p><span class="mw-page-title-main"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRI1i6xlzniH_rJUk2lZ6u6PA_Jo_vjREDWlcSM4hDsNbPscmoi4UJNHd-lpdpcfZyVgPCMptCNf2NG1rIxVEqqC8fxqFUZB_CtHFHRkftzalujuJd3ADfHl04I4lnaoqtgSkyWtpBWrwo6fnD8LRFUfnjFm4PRSz86nf_WIgCfV7dwKaFQzT/s1600/Achilles&Chiron_fromHerculaneumfresco%202017.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRI1i6xlzniH_rJUk2lZ6u6PA_Jo_vjREDWlcSM4hDsNbPscmoi4UJNHd-lpdpcfZyVgPCMptCNf2NG1rIxVEqqC8fxqFUZB_CtHFHRkftzalujuJd3ADfHl04I4lnaoqtgSkyWtpBWrwo6fnD8LRFUfnjFm4PRSz86nf_WIgCfV7dwKaFQzT/w480-h640/Achilles&Chiron_fromHerculaneumfresco%202017.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Achilles and Chrion," (after Herculaneum mural), oil on panel<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span class="mw-page-title-main">This one was painted after a mural discovered in the ancient Roman town of Herculaneum, The image shows Chiron, the "wisest of the centaurs" teaching Achilles, the Greek hero of the Trojan War, how to play a lyre. Although damaged, the image was clear enough to copy. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvoiSmaCmg-vtY-Cko1NHp5ldGejIe8q87xHEb92pwWjB41o7HYNzO1UNr-Bln1LwW-XXxqwgfboq3kOjyYznc9bjs-mc7oWrNuMXc6kO8CpCPIDcJXXmSlOTRl9nWqPOz7EyJFzPRqPWxNJ6bJT6SEoNrhHNUJqqQxUneoAMxYrl-wpnjgbw/s550/charcoal%2020x16%20newsprint%20Mar2010.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="434" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvoiSmaCmg-vtY-Cko1NHp5ldGejIe8q87xHEb92pwWjB41o7HYNzO1UNr-Bln1LwW-XXxqwgfboq3kOjyYznc9bjs-mc7oWrNuMXc6kO8CpCPIDcJXXmSlOTRl9nWqPOz7EyJFzPRqPWxNJ6bJT6SEoNrhHNUJqqQxUneoAMxYrl-wpnjgbw/w506-h640/charcoal%2020x16%20newsprint%20Mar2010.jpg" width="506" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Rockwell," after NR, charcoal on paper 20x16<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Finally, here's a copy of a Norman Rockwell self portrait, done in charcoal on newsprint. It's a portion of a Saturday Evening Post cover the artist made of a visit to a newspaper office, published in 1946, My main interest was in Rockwell's self portrait, though he placed it to the very far right edge of the painting to give space to the staff of a country newspaper.</span><p></p><p><span class="mw-page-title-main">Making copies of other artists' work is an exceptionally useful way to study on one's own, In my case not only do I make copies of the images in question but I often also experiment with media that are different from that used for the originals. <br /><br /> </span></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-25033719308305320192024-01-09T06:00:00.068-06:002024-01-09T06:00:00.237-06:00Snow Days<p>We haven't had much snow this year, probably less than four inches, and almost none for several weeks. But there is a slow-moving cold front bringing snow for at least twelve hours or more. As I write it's coming down hard. Tomorrow I may have a chance to capture the results. Meantime, here are a few snow scenes from my files. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxMaMcA7x_VYTJLZMDGn4QkiOrTbPK0eVl5-g0DIJiIQfOXaNIvscwoaJRtTufGL3wBbVwRizF0J4TgXUUmbaNfSVF8rrcOKjDyRISuCRBCS05SJvjIkCB8R9k-0GgUwC3yaem23IJm3ZJnoXqUEwikYu7jChFrWQf3mJCfyF0Mf40dwEh1Xm/s2500/Sunup%20Light%20Snow%2032018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1972" data-original-width="2500" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxMaMcA7x_VYTJLZMDGn4QkiOrTbPK0eVl5-g0DIJiIQfOXaNIvscwoaJRtTufGL3wBbVwRizF0J4TgXUUmbaNfSVF8rrcOKjDyRISuCRBCS05SJvjIkCB8R9k-0GgUwC3yaem23IJm3ZJnoXqUEwikYu7jChFrWQf3mJCfyF0Mf40dwEh1Xm/w400-h315/Sunup%20Light%20Snow%2032018.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Sunup, Light Snow," oil on panel, 6x8<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiUQid9JAxj4K2aGy0sU9JKXeH8OWMjPY0qhTZ4MIwJS6GWWDffFiqrvAxH2T3rHp9k3k4pCc-JnF0KAX83wz10AsUQrT9aeZt1kAtSeDy-ZqPN9sgA9qmwqUlP2RINiCahGuMqLuprjR-0tQwstwISom_H5G4UZDpPSCzOjx8xyirQ8FTWDgO/s3782/-3866401318742716561_IMG_0267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3782" data-original-width="2536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiUQid9JAxj4K2aGy0sU9JKXeH8OWMjPY0qhTZ4MIwJS6GWWDffFiqrvAxH2T3rHp9k3k4pCc-JnF0KAX83wz10AsUQrT9aeZt1kAtSeDy-ZqPN9sgA9qmwqUlP2RINiCahGuMqLuprjR-0tQwstwISom_H5G4UZDpPSCzOjx8xyirQ8FTWDgO/w430-h640/-3866401318742716561_IMG_0267.JPG" width="430" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Winter Shadows," oil on panel, 4x6<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The first two are oil paintings, done as exercises while looking out the
west window of my studio. The third is a silverpoint, also done looking
in approximately the same direction. None of these were done at the
same sitting.</p><p>The final painting is a watercolor done in a 5x9 sketchbook. The view is north from another studio window, looking ice and snow along Druid Hill Creek. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQKS7nmQCytPqQycx5pKE_BP8kPLQjA3jfewxvgTEbPiEJUa2WpXKfcC3PyP3fweHsVmU6bo_H793qFj_NgfdVkK2gaAzgPMr0hbj9GRf2ENhnHbqCzjyxsrLsRDtiZ0w8aUgSMwgxglN4bj9mIKl1JTiAH57_9ULNqUMDJ8iiSUbes9NVr6R/s2358/13020_Spruce%20in%20Snow_4x6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2358" data-original-width="1558" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQKS7nmQCytPqQycx5pKE_BP8kPLQjA3jfewxvgTEbPiEJUa2WpXKfcC3PyP3fweHsVmU6bo_H793qFj_NgfdVkK2gaAzgPMr0hbj9GRf2ENhnHbqCzjyxsrLsRDtiZ0w8aUgSMwgxglN4bj9mIKl1JTiAH57_9ULNqUMDJ8iiSUbes9NVr6R/w422-h640/13020_Spruce%20in%20Snow_4x6.jpg" width="422" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Spruce in Snow," silverpoint on gesso panel, 6x8<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrbNxr9x8chSP3-JCt7KxSU6xA-JmPJXgviQhrSecE2sp8tvVUp5G-MCOZITjoZMQcpizd2K0k6aGDKeirF7b8eioWLpMqs-Gm41LD2tQNqpCSQp4gKlro2siGnb8qjS8uTcd8_q-72QTV9iUcaN8LmUg7UCJ6tfjENGNHtzCcEo0SY5mPXxE/s2435/30919_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2435" data-original-width="1495" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrbNxr9x8chSP3-JCt7KxSU6xA-JmPJXgviQhrSecE2sp8tvVUp5G-MCOZITjoZMQcpizd2K0k6aGDKeirF7b8eioWLpMqs-Gm41LD2tQNqpCSQp4gKlro2siGnb8qjS8uTcd8_q-72QTV9iUcaN8LmUg7UCJ6tfjENGNHtzCcEo0SY5mPXxE/w392-h640/30919_crop.jpg" width="392" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"March Snow, Druid Hill Creek," wc on paper, 5x9<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-18213068109771791422024-01-05T06:00:00.011-06:002024-01-06T09:27:55.437-06:00October Color<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQnFuhSrWTrX4hyphenhyphenrKcZBQBX058MIJboia_8FVsw_UuMtWzcMXjGZWsZ2hYW9VmR-EjYdGJtMAx_ZUk5_LW2XtmQjWIvR9zLV4NiTMrfskoduiOF_tFpEp4kfa7rJa1VLOU0t6O0idQJikK6pxaLNhUXrHkggK_gNZMKxTVo8gEIV6ejeYlOgw/s3375/Autumn,%20Whiterock%20103023.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2533" data-original-width="3375" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQnFuhSrWTrX4hyphenhyphenrKcZBQBX058MIJboia_8FVsw_UuMtWzcMXjGZWsZ2hYW9VmR-EjYdGJtMAx_ZUk5_LW2XtmQjWIvR9zLV4NiTMrfskoduiOF_tFpEp4kfa7rJa1VLOU0t6O0idQJikK6pxaLNhUXrHkggK_gNZMKxTVo8gEIV6ejeYlOgw/w640-h480/Autumn,%20Whiterock%20103023.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Along the Middle Raccoon," oil on panel, 9x12<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>This small studio landscape is a view of a bend in the Middle Raccoon River last October. Some of the trees and small scrubby growth along the water had begun to turn but full autumn colors were only a few days away. <br /> <p></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-31845014714499372092024-01-02T07:00:00.014-06:002024-01-02T17:48:20.955-06:00Dark Days<p>This painting always reminds me of the dark days of winter, when you turn on the living room lights at 4 p.m. and the wind mumbles through the trees. It's long since entered a private collection. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHF8yNbva7YmCyeRpwDWIWkX3GQNIFfDKIwceyl8hKWDRzDNBQ-imwYd6phqYWm8066sFxucC3YpNh3pcnmKLGq1dNKDo1SCmivei-VeFs0gaU4DkC1E1pfSlkfgzSU3QX9DTiQ2QgV4oIVOCsAX25XSv4znsNckDFHFNs6U7TQgy6e2tXsi1S/s2025/Nocturne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2025" data-original-width="2020" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHF8yNbva7YmCyeRpwDWIWkX3GQNIFfDKIwceyl8hKWDRzDNBQ-imwYd6phqYWm8066sFxucC3YpNh3pcnmKLGq1dNKDo1SCmivei-VeFs0gaU4DkC1E1pfSlkfgzSU3QX9DTiQ2QgV4oIVOCsAX25XSv4znsNckDFHFNs6U7TQgy6e2tXsi1S/w638-h640/Nocturne.jpg" width="638" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-6390802302032442012023-12-29T06:00:00.019-06:002023-12-29T14:33:06.524-06:00Raw Winter<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJTVQ9G1NmachCXnKTZE16qEmBXCCintKN2LyVQYIcslIYxYNFSswA0rAMsgu_cX90u7eukp9HTcYkjWp_pI0qzmdeeRKZPWfFbxYOCRdXugshpdoUj06Zy-D2HEsgGUUYP3t0Q3sblHpx701gVaAWP92ZotdxUAZPmF3-t2SHxFSQvZtsGyl/s1400/Pink%20Umbreslla_zapp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1171" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJTVQ9G1NmachCXnKTZE16qEmBXCCintKN2LyVQYIcslIYxYNFSswA0rAMsgu_cX90u7eukp9HTcYkjWp_pI0qzmdeeRKZPWfFbxYOCRdXugshpdoUj06Zy-D2HEsgGUUYP3t0Q3sblHpx701gVaAWP92ZotdxUAZPmF3-t2SHxFSQvZtsGyl/w536-h640/Pink%20Umbreslla_zapp.jpg" width="536" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Pink Umbrella," oil on panel, 8x10, private collection<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>The beginning of this winter has been raw and cold, with occasional sparse rain showers until a few days ago. Grey skies, cold winds, raw ground and bare trees these last days made me think of "Pink Umbrella," a small oil dating to a decade or so ago. Feels like that here.<br /> <p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21304563.post-17498765714885402282023-12-26T06:00:00.015-06:002023-12-26T11:41:10.159-06:00Visitor<p>I live alongside a spring-fed creek, surrounded by woods, despite being only five minutes from downtown. That means there is always a menagerie outside my home studio--songbirds, squirrels, a groundhog or two, deer in abundance, and the occasional surprise, even in winter.<br /></p><p>This is a graphite sketch from a few years ago of a stag heading into the woods across our creek. I drew him quickly with a soft pencil on toned paper, emphasizing a few darks, then added lights with chalk.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxZ9CIPmOi6bKTcretZSsuuP5rRIqDGCxMD-9VYFQhtDK5XE1nMFMr15VLvw7Kj-sUHVvRgKddNW485m6L1M3w89F0GerVVOQafsj5ioZz4Iws7WRHB7H_xGt96k3pyD1cRz0rPatXLzRposDcJJ9PQyo6W3S0G20V39YYRMm537cz0awijUc/s2610/8%20Pointer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2284" data-original-width="2610" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxZ9CIPmOi6bKTcretZSsuuP5rRIqDGCxMD-9VYFQhtDK5XE1nMFMr15VLvw7Kj-sUHVvRgKddNW485m6L1M3w89F0GerVVOQafsj5ioZz4Iws7WRHB7H_xGt96k3pyD1cRz0rPatXLzRposDcJJ9PQyo6W3S0G20V39YYRMm537cz0awijUc/w640-h560/8%20Pointer.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Garyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08118379944512743506noreply@blogger.com0