Riparian Environment

It is raining and we have moved our motor coach to the water's edge. I have been looking more than painting. These are mostly ones that have new beginnings. Just below us is a cormorant diving for small fish. I have a start of the cormorant on the one on the left. I am pleased with the freshness and simplicity of the painting. so then loking at the others I want to make them as direct and fresh so I painted fresh strokes of movement in them risking failure. Sometimes I think it would be better if I had the materials to just start fresh new ideas.

Crows' Flight at Full Moon and Seagull Paintings

At dawn two crows flew towards the east and the full moon. Then the fog thickened. I used some iridescent Golden gold acrylic to make atmosphere. The brightness of the moon needed impact achieved by pushing the sky to a darker shade with iridescent mists. Also finished a seagull started at Coyote Rock on the Siletz. The seagull was looking up at the fisherman waiting for scraps of salmon fins. My husband and I are staying in a motor coach for a few weeks so he can fish and I can paint. I found a good place to photograph in the felt lined storage cabinet in our motor coach basement. These two paintings stand up on their own because they are 5 by 7 inches and an inch and 7/8th deep. My husband and I crafted these deep cradled boxes so I can paint watercolor or acrylics. All of these boxes will be varnished with matte UV protective medium.

Siletz River and Birds Series

Here are 7" x 5" boxes about the Siletz River reflections and birds.

Siletz Riparian Marsh

Siletz Riparian Marsh is watercolor over textured absorbent ground on a gessoed board. The Siletz River Highway is busy with log trucks and motor homes and there is almost no shoulder and few turn outs. I parked temporarily in a drive way and sketched the marsh with watercolor pencil. Then I returned to our motor coach at coyote Rock and painted it with my Cotman semi moist watercolors. The fewer layers that I put on my absorbent ground the better. Here I have few layers and the colors sparkle.

Artist's way of speaking out

The Fish and Wildlife fish counter counted a total of 157 boats on the lower Siletz River today and only three fish were caught. My husband caught this one Just at slack tide about 11:45 AM near Fun River just below Coyote Rock. There was a big bite taken out of the back of this 30 pound fish. We heard that the seals were better at fishing than the boats today. As an artist who makes public my work, the conditions of the rivers where I paint cannot be ignored. I have several ideas on how I will approach the conditions here in my painting.

Coyote Rock on the Siletz

The morning sunshine back lights Coyote Rock. A mixture of Golden brand matte medium and half water cover thin almost dry applications of watercolor. The medium with a little aggitation from the brush makes the watercolor spread like a mist as in the upper right corner. The underlying texture of the absorbent ground helps create light. The Golden Matte medium attracts yellow jackets as did mineral spirits when I was painting with oils last week.

Watercolor on absorbent ground is intriguing. The light lights are either scratched or added on top. But what I don't like the dulling of the colors that occurs with the varnishing with matte medium.

Boat Trip up the Siletz River

The River Siletz brought us no fish today. We saw a twenty pound Fall Chinook caught at Chinook Bend. Up river from there I captured this blue heron on film. He was ruffling his feathers and strutting up and down the dock. Inspired by the stillness of the water I made some sketches of the grasses and their reflection. There must have been a half dozen different types of grass.

Two Dragons Beach Combing

"Two Dragons Beach Combing" is done in anger to some of the current political happenings. Also it reflects my frustration in this series. The first one didn't fit after I completed the other two. I don't know if I regained my initial spirit yet.

Sky Dragons Shape Shifting

I am enjoying oil again. I like going over with a new color over the previous day's tacky paint picking up a little color. These long 12" x 36" horizontal paintings are a series of three abstracts based on nature mixed with the whimsy of seeing dragon shapes every direction I look. This one is the third of the series. I will take a look at the first one of dragons surfing because I remember numerous legs and now have a notion of making the painting Dragons Beach Combing.

Number II painting of Dragons Surfing

"Number II Dragons Surfing" was done all in one session on a tinted ground. I am far happier with paintings that happen more or less painted all at once like this one. I must admit that I did take a rag to the brush strokes in the lower portions of the painting. This is done with oil paint and Liquin mixed with half mineral spirits.

Surfing Dragons in process

My third step in conclusion

second step first step

Painting outdoors was very pleasant today. I fitted in about an hour after taking down and exhibit in Corvallis and squeezing it into our house. Also went hiking and blueberry picking. Here I am doing a rare oil painting 12" x 36". It might be close to finished. I enjoy the iridescent white mixing into other colors.

Rainy Season Dragons at Battle

"Rainy Season Dragons at Battle" 24" x 18" is inspired by reading Donald A. Mackenzie's, CHINA AND JAPAN MYTHS AND LEGENDS. After a draught the Blue Dragon fights the Yellow Dragon and Lightening, thunder, and rain is on the way. The breeze was blowing at me today as I painted under the cool walnut tree. The odor of the oil paints did not bother me. My husband thought the yellow dragon needed to be as bold as the green but I am happy.