February Overcast

5" x 7" Oil on Panel

Halfway through the month I finally went painting. It wasn't a very sunny day, but my paintbox wanted to go outdoors, so I went with it! After walking along the river trail for a while, I discovered it really was a nice day to be outside after all. A gray day spent outdoors is always better than a sunny day stuck indoors. 

This was painted west of town along the bike path that follows the river.

Utah 2014 Show

Tomorrow, February 21, 2014 is the opening of a new show at Evergreen Gallery, 3295 South 2000 East  in Salt Lake City. The show is called Utah 2014. It's a group show, and all of the painters featured in the exhibit have each painted a 20" x 14" cradle board for the show. The opening reception is tomorrow from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM. All of the paintings in the exhibit are for sale. Pictured above is my entry for the show, a plein air oil painting made a few weeks ago. Here is something Evergreen Gallery has published about the show:

"Utah 2014 is the first annual Evergreen Framing Co. & Gallery, Inc. artist reception and exhibition of the new year. This event presents unique and collectable artwork, created by 28 established and emerging local artists. All art is on 20 x 14 cradle boards, with each artist creating work in their recognizable style with everything from landscapes to modern, inspired by their journey and reflection of Utah. Please come and join us for a night of art, artists and conversations of how we are inspired by the very place we call home. Friday, February 21, 2014 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm."

While visiting the show, you can also tour the rest of the gallery and see a few other paintings I've recently delivered for sale.

For more information, you can click on the link, or contact Evergreen Gallery at 801-467-8770.

Charcoal Portrait Sketch on White Paper - Demonstration

12" x 9" Charcoal on Paper

This is a sketch from life I made at the weekly drawing sessions a few months ago. During breaks, or whenever I came to a point in the sketching process that seemed about right, I took photos of the sketch's progress. Later the photos were put together into a slide show video so anyone can see how I do a portrait sketch from life. Or at least how I did it that evening. Here's the video:

You can go directly to YouTube and watch the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw2uOMQbUN8

Or if you prefer Vimeo, you can watch it here:
http://vimeo.com/86560638

The video starts out showing how I begin by rubbing the side of a charcoal stick over the entire sheet of white paper. Then the charcoal is gently blended using one of those stiff paper towels you get from the paper towel dispensers in public restrooms. The sketch starts out with general shapes and without details so it goes through a sort of "ugly duckling" phase. Details and drawing corrections develop throughout the drawing process, but the large shapes need to be pretty darn close at the outset or no amount of details later will fix it. Except for a few touch-ups after time was up, the image at the top of this post shows my sketch at the end of that evening's drawing session.

Hope you enjoy the video!

For more about drawing sessions, go to "Labels" on the side bar and click on "sketching" or "drawing."

A January Landscape

14" x 20" Oil on Panel

January isn't my favorite month. February still brings winter storms, but the month begins to show a warming trend and a promise of relief from winter's tightest grip. It doesn't matter to me what Punxsutawney Phil and his top-hatted cronies predict, February is the downhill side of winter and is always welcome in my "Book of Months."

Bald Eagle by the Provo River - photo by J.G.

Still, there can be much to enjoy about the middle of winter. On days when the dreary gray takes a temporary leave of absence and sunshine reaches the valley floor - those days can be glorious indeed! That's when the brilliant azure dome of sky arches over a crystal landscape, and snow refracts diamond-like the slanting rays of la lumière du soleil.

Ice Ridge on Utah Lake - Photo by J.G.

Those are days I want to be out painting winter's finery en plein aire, no matter how deep the snow or cold the air. Sunshine makes all the difference. The painting starting off this post was painted mid-January on just such a day.

That painting, "A Winter Walk", will be part of a group show later this month (February) at Evergreen Gallery in Salt Lake City.