Happy Vernal Equinox 2015

12" x 16" Oil on Panel

Whatever the season, I enjoy spending time outdoors. But there have been some years, especially after a hard winter, when I've wandered around outside on the first day of spring hunting for promises of more pleasant weather ahead. A small flower, a sprig of new green, even a live insect could lift my spirits. This year, after a mild winter, spring seems to have sprung before I had much time to notice it coming. This week I headed out past the west side of town and made a painting of Mount Timpanogos (shown above). It feels like painting season is coming early, too!

Contrasting Portrait Sketches

13" x 10" Pastel on Gray Paper

Here's a couple from last weeks portrait sessions. The drawing directly above is from Thursday. I'm happy to be getting the colors out again after a long time of using only charcoal at the portrait sessions. 

I still see value in black and white sketches, though. (No pun intended!) That's why at Tuesdays session I used charcoal to make the following sketch:

12" x 9" Charcoal on Paper

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

A Couple Days in Redrock Country

9" x 12" Oil on Panel

Last weekend was another trip to Southern Utah for me. This time I went to the southwest corner of the state. I was lucky enough to find a camping spot at a state park campground, and spend a couple days hiking and painting.

9" x 12" Oil on Panel

The weather was great. Blue skies and 70° F. during the day. Lizards were out enjoying the sun, as were Gambel's quail, antelope squirrels, ravens, jays, and a red-tailed hawk. A little chilly at night, but not cold enough for a frost. I was even able to enjoy a short hike in the desert late at night under the light of a brilliant full moon. There was never any need to get the flashlight out of my pack on that hike.

9" x 12" Oil on Panel

There were three different pochade boxes, and a couple 11" x 14" panels packed in the car, but I ended up painting exclusively with a 9" x 12" pochade box. It just seemed to suit me for those two days. The paintings shown in this post were made on that trip.

Yesterday's Pastel Portrait Sketch

12" x 9" Pastel on Coated Paper

I've started attending another drawing/painting session at an artist's studio in Pleasant Grove. This is a sketch of the model that sat for us yesterday evening. It's been a while since I've gotten out the colors at the drawing sessions. I'd forgotten what I had in my pastel sketch box. It was good to rediscover my Conte pastel pencils and Faber-Castell pastels and put them to work yesterday. I'll have to do that more often.

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

Arches National Park

12" x 9" Oil on Panel

A trip to the four corners area of Southern Utah to visit relatives last weekend also provided a chance for hiking and painting in the desert. Arches National Park isn't a place I'm really familiar with, but last weekend the National Park Service was allowing visitors into the park for free. I didn't want to pass up that opportunity.

After exploring around Saturday, I settled on Balanced Rock for my subject. In spite of it being the middle of February, I can't imagine better weather to paint in! When the painting was finished I explored a little more around the park, finally leaving after sunset.

Monday I returned to Arches N.P. for more painting. Unfortunately, and in spite of weather forecasts of sunny weather, I found the Moab area socked in with rain and snow squalls. I wandered around downtown Moab until the weather began to break, then headed back into the park. By then it was late in the day and the weather remained unsettled, not really clearing until shortly before sunset. For those reasons I left my painting gear in the car when I hiked to Delicate Arch. 

Up on the slickrock rim where Delicate Arch sits, a cold wind blasted all those visiting the iconic rock formation that afternoon. Twice tourists' hats blew past me and off into the desert. The hats blew by too quickly to catch. People from all over the world were there visiting the sandstone celebrity. Several photographers with their expensive equipment sat waiting for just the right sunset moment to trip their shutters. Time and conditions weren't conducive to plein air painting, but there's always time to sketch. I sat on the slickrock, pulled out a little sketchbook and a no. 2 pencil, and made a quick sketch of Delicate Arch.

4" x 6" Graphite Pencil on Paper.

I don't think I'm done with Arches N.P.

Mt. Olympus, Wasatch Mountains

11" x 14" Oil on Panel

February is bringing us March-like days, so I headed up to Salt Lake Valley to paint. The day began with a clear blue sky, but by the time the painting was finished the day had become completely cloudy. 

A few things were changed for the painting. I got rid of a parking lot, tennis courts, and a few buildings in favor of a more natural image. Hope you like it!

Demonstration - Charcoal Drawing on Grey Paper

14" x 11" Charcoal on Paper

This is another drawing made from a live model at the drawing sessions I attend. It's charcoal and "white charcoal" on grey paper. During this session I took progress photos of the drawing. Later I combined those photos into a video showing how the drawing was made. You can find links to the video below.

Because of time constraints, my concern early on in the drawing is to put basic shapes down as quickly and accurately as possible, but not very neatly. At that point I'm not too concerned about details. About halfway through the video the drawing might not look quite right, but things are basically in the right places. Details and refinement come later.

It's a short video, roughly a minute and a half long. I hope you enjoy it and find it useful!

If the embedded player doesn't work for you, you can find the video on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmzPTso4i-U

Or on Vimeo here:

https://vimeo.com/118313403

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