Hidden Hollow II

 

Hidden Hollow II

8" x 10" oil on board

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My work buddies and I had been planning this trip to my favorite cabin spot in Highland County for several months. The week before the trip, however, we were hit with with 8 inches of what's being called "snowcrete" and freezing temperatures unlike anything we've seen in quite a while. The owner of the cabin had to hire a skid steer to clear the road so that we could make it up to the house, and I still needed 4wd. Iceskating might have been possible in the yard if we had tried. We did play a few highly entertaining rounds of ice chunk bocci ball. It's so difficult for five adults with kids to find an open date that rescheduling was not an option. 

I went up a day early with one friend and the rest came the following day. Of course, I had to get some painting in while I was there, so I braved the ice and went in search of a good scene. The property is mountainous, but I was able to make it up a gradual incline to the top of the ridge by stepping on patches of blown snow to give me some grip and to avoid the ice. I made it to my hidden hollow, which I have painted before and set up. With the help of the bright sun and a few sips of bourbon, I never felt that cold, despite the 20 degree temperature. The paint was so thick and sticky because of the cold that a palette knife was my only option for painting. 

After finishing this painting, I sidestepped to the top of the ridge to try another one, which is where things got hairy. At one point, my bottle of painting medium got away from me and slid, along with one of my paint brushes, all the way to the bottom of Hidden Hollow (see photo from the bottom below).  I had no choice but to leave my gear and go down after it. I made it down and back up the massive hill relatively unscathed. However, I was tired and getting cold and not enjoying my new painting, so I decided to pack it up and head back to the fire. The hill/mountain on the opposite side of Hidden Hollow is even more steep and massive and looks out over the entire Bullpasture River Valley. I wanted to get a look before I hiked back and this is where the nearly fatal step occurred.

I took off like a sled on an ice luge and swiped for a lone tree branch that broke off and caused me to spin uncontrollably. I tried to get my feet in front of me, but I was ripping through patches of thorns that kept me spinning. If not for a massive patch of thorns that finally stopped me, I might have hit the rocks at the bottom of the hollow and who knows...my jacket was ripped, my body was bruised and covered in scrapes, my painting supplies were crushed and so was my pride. My left wrist still hurts. Most of all, I felt foolish for making such a dumb mistake. And to top things off, my bottle of single barrel Knob Creek was never recovered, despite much searching. I need adventure in my life, but I thought I was done with this type of story. I guess we all slip up from time to time. I promise I'll be more careful. 

This is the view from the bottom of the hill where I recovered my painting medium and brush.  The other side is steeper!

Snowy Path

 

Snowy Path

12" x 12" oil on board

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Based on a 2010 snowstorm that dumped two feet of snow on Northern, VA., not the most recent storm that dumped 8 inches of ice pellets and took me 8 hours to shovel after it turned to concrete. 

On another note, I've had people tell me they have no idea how to buy one of my paintings. I know...I need a website, Etsy, Shopify, something.  But the idea of search engine optimization, maintaining a constant social media presence, and paying a monthly fee plus service charges in order to (hopefully) sell some paintings makes me feel nauseous. 

I should probably put this in the top banner of the blog, but every painting I post is for sale, unless I say otherwise. If you want to buy a painting, click the "Inquire by email" link that I add to every post, and email me.  I will tell you the price, and if you want it, I'll ship it to you.  I know it's not as easy as pressing a button, but it's the best I got.  Maybe I should go back to adding Paypal/Venmo links? I appreciate your suggestions. 

Cup of Tea, Etc.

 

Cup of Tea, Etc. 

8" x 8" oil on board

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I just wanted to paint and as usual, I couldn't find anything I wanted to paint. Luckily, Sarah had received a gift box from a work vendor with these exact items. At first, however, I painted only the cup, which I quickly realized was boring and not big enough to fill the board. The little gold stirring spoon was next - still too small for the board, so I threw in the leather-bound journal. The foreground was still too empty, so I added the pen, which was the most difficult item to paint. Then it seemed weird to have a mug and journal with no tea, so I brewed some tea and painted it in. Finally, I wondered if people would know that it was tea, so to clear that up, I added the tag from the tea bag. The tag also turned out to be a good indictor of the direction of light. A time-lapse video would have been interesting and a wonderful demonstration of how NOT to paint...

Here's the original, super-boring painting with just the cup and the spoon:

Tye River Barn

 

Tye River Barn

8" x 8" oil on board

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The family and I took a mini-vacation to Nelson County, VA, for a few days after Christmas, and I was able to sneak in a painting during the final afternoon. I've been painting mostly indoors lately, and it felt great to get back outside, despite the fact that it was FREEZING, and the paint was like spackle that I had to slap on with a palette knife. 

I took photos of the same barn, and it really drives home the difference between what your eyes can see and the camera's interpretation of a scene. In the photo, the shadows to the left and right of the barn are solid black masses but in person, I could see several variations of light and color within the shadows. When I'm painting from photos, I try to remember that and paint the way I know my eyes would see it, but it's still tough recreate the range of values and colors of nature when painting from photos. While this painting and my other plein air paintings may not be as finished as some of my "studio" paintings, I think I prefer the looseness and color of plein air. Last post of the year.  It has been a good year for painting!

Here's the photo:

Dirty Palette Knives, Liquin Container and Paper Towel

 

Dirty Palette Knives, Liquin Container and Paper Towel 

6" x 6" oil on 3/4" gesso board

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The irony of this painting is that I realized how much I needed those palette knives after I got started...

I was about to paint a boring, safe arrangement - an apple and a silver cup - when I saw my dirty palette knives and grimy container of Liquin (painting medium) sitting on a paper towel that I had used to clean brushes, lit by the cool winter light. I'm a sucker for an unarranged or unplanned still life, so I dropped the apple and silver cup.  

This was a tough subject - there is so much going on in that tiny scene. I always get sucked into thinking a painting is going to be easy, but I should know better by now. The more I learn about painting, the harder it gets. 

Table Mountain Pines

 

Table Mountain Pines

18" x 18" oil on canvas

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While I’ve done the Furnace Mountain hike near Harrisonburg, VA, and JMU, the photo this painting is based on was taken by a friend of mine. I hope he lets me use more of his photos—he’s great at capturing the places I love.

Subtlety is hard to achieve with oil paint. Straight out of the tube, the colors are extremely saturated, so I had to tone them down without letting the painting become chalky. It’s a tough balance, but I love the softness and simplicity that came from it. This painting gives me the same feeling I get when I look out over a mountain valley.

Green Vase with Glass Vile and Flower

 

Green Vase with Glass Vile and Flower

12" x 12" oil on board

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Great title, huh? I attended another weekend painting workshop with the great Jon Redmond, this time focussed on still life. Jon had us pick a simple setup just to practice the techniques he was showing us, so this is what I scavenged from the Wayne Art Center supply closet, which was packed full of old bottles, vases, cups, trays, fake flowers, fabrics, etc.. I'm not even sure what the little yellow glass is - maybe an old perfume bottle? 

I've heard this before, and Jon said it again, but painting is really about learning to see. Jon is one of the greatest painters alive today, and his vision is unreal. I WAS able to see most of what he saw, which was encouraging, but he can instantly spot a a value or temperature or perspective that's off while it takes me considerably more time if I see it at all. But, I guess that's what happens when you spend your entire life painting and working with other artists who are the best in the world.  The more I can do that, the better I'll see. Jon said my painting was, "well done."  I'll take it!

Berkshire Barn

 

Berkshire Barn

6" x 6" oil on board

SOLD

This is based on an image from a recent trip to Western Massachusetts for my great Aunt Jane's memorial service. Her ashes were spread in a beautiful hemlock forest not far from the barn. She was a great lady, and I'm glad I was present to help send her on her next adventure.  

Avalanche Creek

 

Avalanche Creek

12" x 16" oil on board

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This painting is based on an image from our trip out west last summer. The Hidden Lake trail is the most popular hike in Glacier National Park, and we woke at 5am in hopes of finding a spot in the tiny parking lot to no avail. Hidden Lake was the one and only time on our trip when crowds prevented us from doing what we wanted to do. We gave it our best shot but after circling the lot for an hour, hawking down people who might be leaving, and alternating breaks in the 15 minute line to the latrine, we cut our losses and drove the Going to the Sun Road in search of a consolation prize. Avalanche Lake was it.  We lucked into a parking spot, otherwise, it would have been a similar wait. 

We were disappointed to miss Hidden Lake, but Avalanche Lake was still spectacular. The painting is Avalanche Creek, which parallels the trail and narrows at points into tiny slot canyons of green glacial water. Our failure at Hidden Lake is now our excuse to go back.  I'm ready! 

Avalanche Lake: 

Some Not Permanently Framed Paintings

Below is a link to a Google album of some of my recent paintings in frames. As the title says, they are not permanently framed, just placed in the frames and photographed so you can see what they look like. Photographing paintings is difficult enough, but photographing them in a temporary frame is even more difficult! I promise they look even better in person. I need to get rid of some of these paintings! I’d love if someone would let me know if the link is working. 

Not Permanently Framed Paintings Google Album

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Hay Bales at Dickie Brothers Orchard

Hay Bales at Dickie Brothers Orchard

12" x 12" oil on board

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This is a scene from Dickie Brothers orchard down in Nelson County, VA. As a kid, my family made the drive over the mountain on route 56 from Staunton, VA each fall to Dickie Brothers for apple picking. Route 56 crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway in Shenandoah National Park and passes Crab Tree Falls on the way. The road is extremely windy and my mom always used to get car sick. Even so, apple picking was one of my favorite days of the year - picnicking by the Tye River and all the apples I could eat.  Sarah and I still make it to Dickie Brothers on occasion, usually for anniversary trips, and not a day passes that I don't eat my mid-morning apple...this painting looks great in a thick, gold plein air frame.  Let me know if you want it!

Trout Lake Trail (Yellowstone National Park)

 

Trout Lake Trail (Yellowstone National Park)

16" x 20" oil on canvas

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I haven't painted since July 4th. I got burned out on painting because I was painting to post on Instagram and it took the joy out of it.

My family took a trip to Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks shortly after my last painting on July 4th, and it put the joy back in my heart. I took something from those places, the Tetons in particular, that is still there. Mountains have always been a comforting, calming force in my life, but I experienced a connection with Grand Teton that gave me a vision of my highest self: an eternal, unchanging, presence. 

The vision is still strong.  There was a long gap between paintings, but I've been working on being that presence, and I painted this because I wanted to, and it was fun -not because I cared how it turned out. 

Another Shed Painting

Another Shed Painting

8" x 10" oil on board

A fitting subject for the 4th of July, I guess. Sheds, backyards, lawnmowers, etc. The week surrounding the 4th of July is my favorite time of year. The heart of summer. I love the heat and humidity, the long days, lightening bugs, fireworks, flowers, and summer vacation. It's the best. 

This is the last painting I posted on Instagram and the last painting I painted until today, September 27th. Instagram burned me out. It's a shame to have to put up with no much negativity to get your artwork out there. Or maybe I'm just too sensitive. 

Shed

6" x 6" oil on board

A little mysterious and loose and painted over another painting that had lived long enough. 

Yellow Pitcher and African Violet

Yellow Pitcher and African Violet

8" x 8" oil on board

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Painted on a rainy Sunday on the sun porch back in June. I don't have a good spot for the African violet during the winter, so it loses its flowers and usually recovers in the fall, just in time to go back inside for the winter.  I need to invest in a good plant light. 

Woodpile II

Woodpile II

12" x 12" oil on board

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I painted this en plein air (outdoors) over a two day span between the hours of 9:30am and 11am.  I got most of it down the first day and then focussed on details the second day.  One subtlety that drew me to the scene was the crisscrossing hills in the background.  

On another note...I've been on instagram for a little over a year, and I'm thinking of getting off of it. Throughout the past year, I've felt more distracted, less focussed and present as well as more anxious and down on my abilities as a painter and even as a person.  I am now completely addicted to my phone, and I hate it. I enjoyed my trip to Highland County less because of my obsession with posting and seeing how many likes my paintings were getting.  I'm thinking about posts and how the paintings will look online instead of just enjoying painting and being in nature. It is fantastic to be able to see the best painters in the world in one place and then scroll down for some rare footage of the Grateful Dead but for all the reasons mentioned, it's just not worth it.  I'm looking for ways to simplify my life and this seems like a no-brainer.  Just have to hit those buttons...

Little Switzerland

 

Little Switzerland

8" x 8" oil on board

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This might sound like excuses, but I think a lot of painters would agree that the most difficult thing to do, especially when painting outdoors, is to keep things simple.  There is a universe of things going on in front of you and you have to figure out how to represent it within a two hour window before everything changes.  And two hours is generous because, really, everything changes from minute to minute.  The impulse when painting a scene is to start right in on that one thing that draws you to the scene and paint it in great detail. But, when you get too fine too soon, everything else suffers and you wind up with mud.  I think this is true no matter what the artistic medium - paint, pencil, music, poetry.  The best seems simple, when in reality, the most difficult thing to do is just the right amount.  

Cattle Gate

Cattle Gate

12" x 16" oil on board

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Conditions went from bright sunshine to long periods of thick cumulus clouds and back to bright sunshine during the two or so hours I worked on this painting.  I think I started around 2pm...The blended lighting conditions might be noticeable if you look closely, which I'm pretty sure is some kind of plein air no-no.  But ya know what?  Don't care...

More and more, I prefer paintings that are not strait forward.  I want a little poetry, mystery and abstraction, and I actually get more of a response when I create that type of painting than I do for more realistic paintings. So I like this one - it's got a lot going on.  

Peonies

Peonies

12" x 12" oil on board

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Once peonies start to go bad, they go bad quickly.  So of course, I decided to paint these on the last day of shelf life after cutting them from my back yard.  Maybe they could have used another sitting, but at least it's not overdone!  

Below the High Meadow

 

Below the High Meadow

24" x 24" oil on canvas

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In real life, I'm an 8th grade special education teacher with two young kids that never stop moving.  So, while it may seem like I spend all of my time painting, in reality, a lot of the painting takes place at 5am on weekends, in short bursts while my kids are doing other things or in rare moments of freedom like my yearly solo trip to Highland County. That's also the reason why most of my paintings are small and completed in one sitting without a lot of touch up once the moment has passed. 

Over the winter, however, I decided to try having a larger painting going that I would visit here and there during spare moments.  I liked this approach at first, however, after the initial excitement, it became a little tedious, and I just wanted to finish the painting.  I may try it again this winter, but I do prefer to paint quickly, preferably outdoors.  

The painting is partly based on an image from a hike to Seneca Creek/High Meadows in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia and partly imagined. The imagined part is the top right quarter.  In the image, you can't see through the trees, but it felt a little claustrophobic, so I added the ridge in the background and the little spots of sky. 

The approach felt tedious, but I guess it paid off because the painting was accepted to the Prince William County Art Society's, "best of the region," art show for Fairfax, Loudon, and Prince William County.  I didn't realize what it meant to have a painting accepted into the show until I attended the reception and saw the other pieces.  Amazing! I didn't win, but it was a great experience and I received some great feedback.  A couple of the winners told me that my painting was one of their favorites and that they voted for it in the "people's choice" voting, which is still taking place. 

If you're interested in this one, I'll warn you that the price is a little higher than usual.  It's a big painting and, all in all, I spent over 50 hours on it.