November 6, 2010 watercolor workshop

"Drift Creek Falls" (7 1/2" x 4 ")

In September I painted on a hike to a newly reopened trail. The falls was greatly changed from last year because the face of the cliff fell covering the pool below. The cliff is clean basalt columns and gone are the mossy sides with water seeping through.

the painting was made from under the suspension bridge. These falls are to be found off of Hwy 18 after the Van Duzer Forest Corridor, turn left onto Bear Creek Road part paved, part gravel for 8 miles to a newly paved parking lot. The picture is from my accordion folded watercolor journal, painted on location. This is a sample for my workshop next month at the Oregon Fall Creek Fish Hatchery and Research Center.

For specific information of the workshop not at the waterfalls but in a class room with a window looking out at a bubbling stream. See the next post below for more details.

Workshop at Fall Creek Fish Hatchery and Research Center

This will be the fourth year that I have taught watercolor at Fall Creek Fish Hatchery and Research Center. It is free but pre regestration is necessary. It is the first Saturday, November 6. To secure a place call Joseph O'neil at 1-541-487-5512. Below is a student's work from last year.

In the afternoon it was dark and rainy outdoors. I tried to find an activity that did not involve going outside to paint.


Here is one result " Fort Hood" rendered by a gentleman who took up my idea of expressing your emotions and the perception of all your senses. Looking through my collection of photographs he selected one as a starting point. It was a sunset over water with grass in the foreground. For his "Fort Hood Flag at Half Mast" he preferred to paint on pure white paper slightly sullied by the folded grid for a book. The paper had been folded into 16 square pages but not cut. I don't know if the gentleman was aware of the symbolic significance of his heart felt memorial painting. I see this as an expressive work.
As a teacher I don't feel I had much success in convincing my students that they really have so much art inside them.
For the most part I had some very appreciative students learning some basic possibilities for carrying watercolors outdoors. I heard some wonderful questions on techniques. In hind sight I have additional things I want to share at the Fall Creek Fish and Art Festival, 2010.






I received this question. What specifically can I do to improve my style in watercolor?

This was a great question and the class was almost over. I had spent so much time talking about how to be prepared for sun, and rain and hunger and thirst. I showed how to manage drying your work without a hairdryer. I fear especially for the beginning students, there is a need to know much more about getting the paint from the palette to the paper. What different possibilities does a round pointed brush have in contrast to a flat one? Where do you begin first with the forms or the spaces around?
The beginning point doesn't matter. Then proceed on the path of least resistance making what you do as simple as possible. To improve your sense of color and how you form and place your images there is nothing better than trial. Select what you like best. Keep painting and drawing into your paintings. I really like to tint the paper before I paint and then just a few lines on location makes for painting that tends to be tied together.
I wish all my students more exciting, memorable painting experiences.

Abstract from my Indian Summer Yard

This diptyic is oil on 12" square Masonite boards with supports 1 1/2" deep. Just enjoyed making one more oil painting day before trying to put them away for the season. I paint outdoors because none of my studio areas are well ventilated.

Water energy as seen in emotional symbols in abstract painting

Acrylic on Masonite blocks, 12" square.

At home touches to paintings made in Winnebago studio

I had a wonderful month painting in my outdoor Winnebago studio. I was on the bank of the Siletz River at the Coyote Rock RV Resort and Marina.
These canvases are 24" x 24". I will hang them up in my house to look at and think about. It was my intention to express my emotions in an abstraction departing from the objects in the picture until the subject was no longer important. But I just couldn't depart to the non-objective in these two paintings.

My touches to this first painting covered the entire canvas except the mountain in the back ground. The Sprightly Splash received some value changes in the splash itself. I do not like pure white from the jar.

Painting the kinetic feel of rock and waves

The self portrait is more finished than when I first posted it below.

From high above looking down painting the ocean at Rock Creek Wayside,
I hear power in waves roaring towards me like freight trains.
The joy in my heart is protected by the cozy cove of rock solid ribs and my gloved right hand.
The water energy slaps me in becoming a splash of energized droplets on canvas.

Munson Creek Falls on accordion folded watercolor paper

The most pleasing thing about this watercolor is immediacy and spontaneously. I didn't go back afterwards and make changes.the Munson Creek Falls are a true gem. a few years ago trees obscured the view. Now they are completely revealed.