Grinding Away

The latest Marysville painting has been a good challenge.
I am having trouble figuring out how to paint the wires in the scene.
The first image is shows the overall progress.

This next one shows wehre I got into trouble.

The wet in wet technique is when you add paint to wet paint already on the painting.

It can be a great blending technique for different things.

However, the danager is a muddy mess like you see below.

After I botched the top half, I changed my thinking, knowing that I would have to come back again and work on it after it had dried.

Patience is the key sometimes...

Marysville 4 Under-painting

I keep wanting to get the Maarysville Series Finished.
While the need to finish is looming, I don't feel any less excited about the paintings.
Each one has it's own little story to tell.
This one, of a junction box has a mystery to it. To me the image says something about the complexity of things that lie beneath the skin. It is a deconstruction of sorts.
The majority of the painting will be grays and pay yellow browns, but the wires around the switch panel will be many colors. I hope to exagerate the subtle color that I see in the existing images.
While there is a story here, I also hope the painting has a graphic, patterened quality, with the potential for abstration and random geometries.
Or, it's just a grungy, funky painting of a messed up electrical panel, which would be ok too.

Number 5 is under construction and is in the pencil stage right now, so there is hope that I will finish the series within a month.

Portland Artists That I Like

First, let me say that I appreciate that Google has offered me this free blog space.
Second, the editor that is supplied with the blog is a pain.

Anyway, beggers can't be choosers, so here are some painters I like.


Melinda Hannigan

















Robin Siegl













Henk Pander















Roll Hardy


















Micheal Brophy
























Jolyn Fry

Working on Working River II

I had some time this weekend to add the sky. The painting has come together as I had hoped.

It is interesting to notice how my palette is becoming consistent from one painting to the next.

This painting is at the stage where it could be done, but I want some time to think about it.

My fear is to not have done enough but at the same time not wanting to over-work the thing.

I feel good about where this painting is at and it may very well be complete.

I purchased some old wood at the Rebuilding Center and will make a frame this weekend.

Little bits of something big

Here are some teasers of the current project

I think there is good texture here. The colors are close and the sky is really going to pull things together! I will let this dry for a few days and hit it again.