York Falls Series Begins

"York Falls, First Day"

Oil on Canvas
11" x 14"
$400 plus $25 S/H BUY NOW

Finally, the York Falls series is on the way. Twice before I have attempted this magical place, once with watercolor and once in oils, but for some reason, couldn't get the series off the ground. Now, I think, I'm on a roll. You have to be ready.

Here is one of my photos from next to the last week in September when the light was just right. I had been dodging showers and bad weather for nearly a week, but the wait paid off.

I spent a chunk of time gathering material because I knew by rush I was feeling that a series was stewing. I couldn't have been there at a more perfect time.

So prepare yourselves. There's more York coming.

Weekend Drawing: Virtual Sketch Date 1

"Tree Peonies" from photo by Sharon K.M.
Virtual Sketch Date project
9" x 9" White conte' on black paper NFS

I thought it might be fun to do something a bit different, and so here it is. It from a photo by Sharon at the wonderfully titled blog "Flat Sounds of Wooden Clogs." I'm participating in this month's draw-out sponsored by Virtual Sketch Date. This is my first time to join in on the monthly drawing and it was so much fun that I will probably be doing it often.

This morning I started a new painting which launches the York Falls series. I don't like to predict when a painting will be finished because I like for them to evolve slowly and naturally. There are so many exciting nuances from my York Falls references that I don't want to miss a thing. In fact, this morning while painting, I was thinking this could go on for a long time. But one never knows what the creative muse will do next.

In other news, to answer several of your inquiries, I was slowed down five weeks ago with a baby black widow spider bite on the top of my right foot. I've been functioning in slow mode and not attending to blog visits and wet canvas discussions at my usual pace. I did manage to keep up with the weekly Empty Easel column and to keep painting. Most of the poison is gone from the foot now and I'm getting back into my normal mode, though I expect it will take a while to catch up. Thanks for asking. It's all okay now.

Soque River at Pitts' Park

"Soque River at Pitts Park"
Oil on Canvas 10" x 14"
SOLD

The Soque River has some beautiful spots as it flows miles and miles parallel down Hwy. 197, but where it flows into Pitts Park is not one of them. Pitts is primarily a playground for kids of all ages, not a bad little park actually, so it's hard to understand why the river at its edge is so desolate. But it is.

The river has overflowed its banks at the park so many times it's created quite a large sand beach which is fun to stroll along. But from all the overflows, a few trees on the river bank have lost their rooting and either lean over or lie in the river. Debris has collected in little coves. It looks forsaken and forgotten. It's depressing.

But I couldn't paint it depressing. When I looked at what the light was doing to stuff, it called to be painted, but the character of the place itself couldn't channel through my paintbrush. And I'm mighty glad it couldn't. Life is too short and too full of wonders to give praise to the negatives around us.

Drawing on Sundays

I've decided that each Sunday I'll post a drawing. With all my emphasis on painting in this blog, I've neglected giving drawing adequate attention. Above is a little ink wash study from York Falls, a subject I'm about which I'm beginning a series. Last week I went to York and got a whole bunch of resource material, enough to keep me busy for awhile. So after the painting I'm finishing today, you'll be getting a real dose of York Falls.

And Sundays will be drawing days.

Catching Up and Light Games

"Light Games"
16" x 20" Oil on Canvas
  Do click on the image for a larger version; it doesn't fair as well smaller.

Yep, it's been an entire week. My cart got in a ditch and only today did I dig it out. To begin with, I ran out of small canvases which means I've got to order more (living in the boonies and all), but that was not the problem. The real problem was what I chose to paint. I zoomed in on a distant portion of the river. Didn't think it through, just started painting. Well into the painting I realized that it looked mighty odd, then it hit me: I had NO reference to anything being in front, nothing to show it as distance. I know better than that. Doesn't it just get you in the gut when you blunder like that?

So it's taken me three days and change to figure my way out of this one. And whether I did or not, I'm finished. What was fascinating me about that distant stuff? What got me in that ditch to begin with? I got fascinated with the games light was playing and didn't look for anything else.

And in other news...

I've got some real catching up to do and I'm going to take the liberty with the rules of the process. First, many thanks to Terry Rafferty for the Arte Y Pico Award and to Vicki Ross and Sue Smith each for the Brilliant Weblog. Each of these artists' blogs is worth a visit. Check them out; I promise you will return.

I'm suppose to pass this on to--let me count, it would be 19--other artists, a bit overwhelming right now. So rather than to pass these on in the traditional way, and in all due respect and with apologies to the founders of each of these, I'll come back to this post later in the week with some picks.

Chestatee Rapids

"Chestatee Rapids"

Oil on canvas 12" x 16"
$500 + $10 S/H
(For larger view, click on the image)

I don't know why but I'm easily captivated by the sound of a river's rapids. There's music there and if you listen closely you can hear it, not just splashing or roaring, but songs of ions. This is the Chestatee again, not long after a rain, just downstream a bit from "A Gray Day" and upstream from "Chestatee in a Hurry".