When I was 15...

"Pine Creek Fall" 9 x 12 in.

It was my high school art teacher who really got me into painting.  He was a cool laid back kind of hippy guy who really let his students paint what they wanted.  He would provide instructional support as needed but he let us express ourselves and didn't try to guide us in any particular direction.

I was 15 at the time and all I wanted to do was paint landscapes and boats.  I remember one class period he had asked representatives from an art school in Seattle to come visit us.  I was very interested in attending art school and excited to learn about it.  However, the more I learned about the school the more weary I became.  Finally, I told the lady "Hey, all I really want to do is paint landscapes!" She looked at me with a kind smile and said, "I'm sorry dear, I don't think many art schools do that."  She went on to explain that they mostly focused on graphic design and such.  After she left,
I realized that perhaps art school wasn't a great idea for me.

I'm not sure why more art schools don't focus on the landscape.  Instead, they tend to push students into modern abstraction.  If that's what you like then that's cool but there should be an alternative for young kids like me who simply love the traditional art of landscape painting. 

Off to a Bad Start

"Cold Shadows" 12 x 16 in.

 

So one of the things I wanted to do more this year was blog more.  However, three weeks into 2014 I have nothing to show for it.  I coming to the realization that I may always be blogger delinquent.   

Anyhow, I spent some time last month outdoors doing some paintings.  I headed towards the Weiser River in western Idaho.  It was just a beautiful day with plenty of sunshine (this would have been when most of the country was in the polar vortex a few weeks back).  After the day with the high around 40 I decided to head back to my car when I saw this scene.  The sun had just gone behind a hill and created a strong sense of light.  As I painted, the temp dropped at least 20 degrees. My fingers were numb and I shivered for the last 45 minutes of the painting hence giving it the title "Cold Shadows".  

I will be posting some more works from this winter soon. Happy painting in 2014!