Blood Moon (but not exactly)

 Tualatin Moon (8x10) oil on linen SOLD

In anticipation of the Super/Blood Moon; a "super moon" (full moon closest to the earth) and a "blood moon" (lunar eclipse) combo a few days ago on September 27th, several artists friends set up our easels at the Tualatin Wildlife Refuge in Tualatin, Oregon where we would have a nice, long-range view. 

We waited and waited for the first glimpse of what was supposed to be a spectacular sight, but what happened was rather anticlimactic; the moon was already in lunar eclipse before anyone could make it out about three fingers above the horizon...

Pearl Moon (6x8) oil on linen

Apparently, there was just enough haze in the sky that the pink atmosphere of sundown melded with the orange shade of the eclipse and made the "Blood Moon" barely perceptible... Only the star gazers who also showed up with their telescopes and zoom lens cameras were able to get a nice close-up view. 

At any rate, the light was quickly fading and I had already sketched in everything but the moon in my two small paintings. The simple compositions were designed to focus on a prominent moon rise, but since no "prominent" moon was forth coming, I improvised and went with just the Super Moon look (much more dramatic than what we actually saw) but then only you who read this blog will know what really happened.

Still, fun was still had by all including my wife and daughter who came along with our neighbor from across the street -- it was a rare event to behold and a good memory was made as summer changed to autumn in the Pacific Northwest.

Goodbye Summer...

 Point of Departure (12x16) oil on linen

Wow! What weather we've had! I was at the beach this last week for a few days, and all of them were perfect, blue-sky and summer like (even though this is October!!). I found a new spot to paint on the central Oregon coast too that I never knew existed...

 Sunday Light & Sea Foam (8x10) oil on linen

I stumbled (literally) across it and almost didn't stop to investigate...sure glad I did though, and stayed the whole day painting these pieces there -- I could have done more, but spent some time hiking around and exploring the area...definitely coming back here!

 Fisherman's Rock (6x8) oil on linen

So grateful for the extended summer we have had... I know it all has to end at some point (especially here in the Northwest) but I'll gladly hold on to this last shot of warm sunshine as a reminder of what to look forward to for next year!

Goodbye Summer!

Landscape Variables:

 "Harmony in Silver" (12x16) oil on linen

This piece was painted in Spring near our home in Oregon just before a late afternoon rain storm hit (from behind me). Some of the best 'sky-drama' is right after or right before a storm; clouds are moving, colour is changing -- the design of the sky can determine your entire composition, and often become the focal point of it...I packed up and ran to the car just in time!

 "Sonoma Sunrise" (6x8) oil on panel

This little sketch was painted at dawn (and sold) during the Sonoma Plein Air show in California last October. I knew from the previous morning where the sun would hit first, so I was already set up before light. The intense blue is due to the moisture in the valley and made for a stark contrast of temperature as the sun hit the hilltop -- a very fast, but rewarding execution that I would never have captured with the same spontaneity from a photograph...

"Oak Cluster" (9x12) oil on canvas

This one was done on my way home from the beach in Oregon wine country (not sure what town it was closest to). Early in the evening, I was fortunate to find a spot to pull off the road where usually there is none (as local farmers like to plow every square foot of soil). This was last summer when the sun was low and colour was most intense. Setting sunlight on a subject can make for a more interesting composition with long-stretching shadow patterns like these...

Winter Studies...

 Winter Creek (9x12)

When it's sunny with clear skies here in Portland in the middle of January, it's usually COLD...however it wasn't too bad this month; I was able to get out and do a few plein air sketches as long as I bundled up... I'm used to doing sketches like these in the warmer months when the trees are covered with plenty of foliage, giving them more body and shape to work with...but this was a nice change of (brisk) pace...

January Sun (9x12)

I really enjoyed focusing on the movement of the trunks and branches, and the hues they produce when massed together; beautiful grey-violets and pink-sages that compliment one another. I hope to get out again soon, and gather more colour reference before Spring hits. Not often we have a dry winter like this, and I'm happy to take advantage of it! Hope to turn some of this raw material into some larger works too...

Fall Colour in Plein Air!

 

(9x12)

These are from earlier this Fall, painting with my friend, Anton Pavlenko in Washington state. It was actually a nice warm Autumn day and the colours were turning everywhere -- a great time to paint in the Pacific Northwest!

 

Unfinished (16x20)

This one I didn't get finished on site, but got a good start -- sometimes time and sun light are taskmasters that work in your favor, causing you to stop before you normally would in the controlled light of the studio... I'll finish it later (and with as few strokes as possible to not overwork this foundation done from life).