Gregg Russell Fine Art

Winter's Arrived....Finally!

2012-01-28T15:48:00.007-07:00

"Winter's Arrival" 12 x 24 in.

I have yet to see a winter like the winter of 2012. It has been one of the strangest winters I've ever experienced in Idaho. For a good six to eight weeks we had sunshine and no snow. It was absolutely perfect for a painter but horrible if you're a skier (in fact our local ski hill was losing something like a $100,000 dollars a day!).

When we did get some snow, I headed up to the mountains to try and capture some of it. I found Mores Creek half frozen and covered with the white stuff. So I pulled over and hiked down an embankment to paint this scene. It was surprisingly warm and comfortable for much of the morning. I stood right smack in the middle of the river while I painted this.....good thing there was a foot of ice beneath me.

Study to Studio Part 2

2012-01-16T08:54:00.004-07:00

"Teton Creek" 18 x 24 in.

"Teton Creek Study" 9 x 12 in

Earlier this fall I posted one of my studies that turned into a studio painting (see November 20th post). Here is another study to studio painting I have been working on. In this studio painting, the major adjusted I made was moving the focal point. In the study, I put it right smack in the middle (again!). In the studio version, I moved it over to left hand side of the painting. I also attempted to break up some of the lines in the painting like the willows and bank (thought they were way to straight across in the study). I put a little more color and contrast into the studio version as well.

I'm not sure if it's completely done as I may make a few adjustments but we're getting close.

Jimmy V?

2012-01-07T12:32:00.000-07:00

"Sedona Hillside" 9 x 12 in

Jimmy Vallvano, the late North Carolina State basketball coach who courageously passed away from cancer, once one said, "Don't give up, don’t ever give up!"

That may be the single most important saying when it comes to painting. Painting is simply about endurance and persistence. Take for instance this small study that I originally started when I visited Sedona, AZ last year.

I was fascinated by the red rock and foliage and thought it would make an interesting composition. After my plein air session, I wasn't impressed with it but didn't think it was bad enough to throw away. I decided to wait till I returned home to figure out what to do with it. Upon my arrival at home, I though it needed a repaint but after a second attempt it still didn't turn out. So six months or so went by and I tried for a third time and thought I finally got it.

That was until last Tuesday when I pulled it out of my studies pile and thought, "Boy, this still really sinks!" and almost chucked it. But then I remember good ole Jimmy V. and plugged away four a fourth attempt.
After the fourth attempt, I was a little more satisfied but it probably still isn't finished and that is o.k. As I have realized, painting isn't always about the end product sometimes it's simply about the process.

So Jimmy, your words of encouragement that you spoke so long ago still ring true......... in so many ways.

Sedona Study

2012-01-02T16:02:00.002-07:00

Red Rock Crossing 9 x 12 in.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all have had a safe and enjoyable holiday season. I have been painting a lot of Idaho winter scenes lately and needed a break from that so I busted out a small Arizona sketch. This study comes from the Sedona area.

Sedona is one of the coolest places on earth. It is particularly so during sunset when the rocks glow a brillant orange salmon red. It's almost impossible to capture the actually intesity of the color but boy is it fun to try!

I hope everyone has a successful and creative 2012.

Christmas Eve Demo!

2011-12-24T16:09:00.001-07:00

"December's End" 10 x 8 in

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

I have been a little behind my posts and so I decided to add a demo. This is a demo from my last outing up in the Idaho Mountains. Step 1) I am simply blocking in the base shapes and dark colors. Step 2) I am beginning to add in the local color and mass in shapes. Step 3) I am pretty much done by this stage. This stage is the fun part. I'm checking for values, edges, and brushwork. Then just a few details around my focal point to wrap it up.

Hey, I hope everyone has a great Christmas!

Snow Blind

2011-12-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

"Frozen Stream" 8 x 10 in.

We have had a great winter....at least from an artist point of view. Everyday has been cold with beautiful sunshine (typically we are cloudy with lots of rain and snow).

I took advantage of the clear skies and headed high into the mountains to find some snow. When I arrived it was 10 degrees and I nearly froze my toes off. However, that was not the most difficult part of the painting. It was the snow blindness. Snow is such a highly reflective surface light hits your eye from everywhere. After about 30 minutes or so I couldn't see a value or color for the life of me. My eyes were completely shot.

So I packed up, took some photos, and headed home to finish the study in the studio. Upon my return, I read a blog by John Hughes. He recommends buying some cheep sun-blocker sunglasses and popping the lenses out to give your eyes some protection from the glare. I think I might try that next time I'm out in the snow.

Here is a link to John's blog and website for those who are interested in his work. He is a fantastic painter: http://johnhughesstudio.com/blog/hints-tips-blog/.

In a Funk

2011-12-12T19:03:00.002-07:00

"Wind River" 11 x 14 in.

You could say I have been in a kind of funk. I haven't been out painting much lately and when I did they stunk! I hadn't really stunk up the joint in a while but my last time out was not good. In fact, I found no real value in either study I did and trashed them.

Sergie Bongart once said the best way to get rid of a bad painting was to throw it away so it would not remind you of your failure. I completely adhear to that. If I tank a painting and I don't think I can salvage it.....see ya!

Anyway, here is a study from the Wind River in Wyoming. It was painted a few years ago. Hope everyone is having better paintings then me!

Study to Studio Part 1

2011-11-20T16:07:00.001-07:00

"My 33rd Autumn" 24 x 20 in.

"33rd Autumn Study" 10 x 8 in.

I didn't get out to paint this week and the weather wasn't very nice. It's gotten cold and rainy. So I decided to begin turning some of my studies into studio paintings. Here is a verison of "My 33rd Autumn".

I always find it interesting how the larger painting always takes on a whole new feel then the study. Usually, I enjoy the studies more then the larger paintings. However, a larger work typically makes a more powerful impact on the viewer.

With this one I wanted to add a little more interest into the sky and down play the large tree on the left (there actually is more of the tree on the left but it was cropped out). I also played with the light and shadows a tad and down played some of the willow color to enhance the focal point (the main tree).

Pine Creek

2011-11-13T20:03:00.001-07:00

"Pine Creek" 8 x 10 in.

Once again I am posting a painting from Eastern Idaho. This is pine creek and it is located near Swan Valley on the way to the Teton Valley. It is a beautiful small creek lined with willows on either side. This would typically be a prime painting spot however, it is surrounded by so many other beautiful areas I think it is often over looked.

While driving to paint Teton Creek (See October 30 post) I had to pull over and paint this scene. The red willows, the bare aspen, and the blue reflections were to interesting not to paint. I hope to do a larger version of this one in the near future.

My 33rd Autumn

2011-11-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

"My 33rd Autumn" 10 x 8 in.

My Thirty-Third Autumn

On my thirty-third autumn all worry seems to cease;
Broken images pass the way water ripples;
Rays of sunlight broken like shards of glass
Dance over an endless mosaic of cobalt.

On my thirty-third autumn nothing is safe;
Buried memories of long ago rise;
Times when less care was needed and more
Riches were demanded.

When I was younger I used to think this way
And old habits die hard.

On my thirty-third autumn nothing has changed;
I still sit on this river bank; trout still work these waters
Leaving delicate kisses that loop; circular evidence that
Generations have not stopped. And will not stop.

On my thirty-third autumn all seasons seem to progress;
Whether I want them to or not; with as much control as
a cottonwood leaf; that drifts in the current
with a broken rudder that is unable to guide it.

Now I am alone and older.
Oh anxious waters don’t ever leave me.

Teton Creek

2011-10-30T15:35:00.001-06:00

"Teton Creek" 9 x 12 in.

This past week I had the fortune of traveling to eastern Idaho. On the very eastern edge of the state is the Teton Valley. While this valley is not as famous as the Teton Valley on the Wyoming side, in my opinion it is just as beautiful and with a lot less people. The locals call it the "quite side".

It is also home to Teton Creek which runs through the middle of the valley. Teton Creek eventually becomes the Teton River which is one of the best cutthroat trout rivers in the state. So naturally, I had to spend some time fly fishing.

I painted a few studies and fished the rest of the day. This one was painted early in the morning. The sun light was peeking in and out of some pretty heavy cloud cover and I tried capturing the two minutes of sunlight that I had.

Oh and for those who are interested I did catch a few really nice fish.

Weiser River

2011-10-22T16:21:00.003-06:00

"Weiser River" 10 x 8 in.

For anyone who follows my blog you probably know about half of my paintings come from the Weiser River and this week is no exception. I decided to head toward Tamarack, ID. Tamarack is not really a town it's actually a saw mill. However, it's on road signs and maps. Near the "town" of Tamarack is where the Weiser River begins. The river is much small up here but just as beautiful. Add in the fall color and it's a painters dream.

An added attraction is the Weiser River Trail System. It runs along the river for much of it's length and provides great access. I painted for much of the morning but in the afternoon I just walked along the trail. I listened to the birds chirp and watched as native Redband Trout lazily passed the time away in the deep pools.

For those who are interested, I posted a video of this painting on my youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJHZGpKFdYc&feature=feedu and if you are interested in the Weiser River Trail System here is their website too http://weiserrivertrail.org/.

Afternoon Sparkle

2011-10-16T16:41:00.000-06:00

This week the weather was great and the color is really starting to come on in the mountains and a little bit in the valley. I headed over to my old main stay the Weiser River and decided to see how the color was looking. While the main trees are still a couple of weeks off the underbrush was really starting to turn.

I was looking for something interesting to paint when I say the sunlight shimmering off the water. It nearly blinded me but I thought it would be a great challenge to see if I could pull off the "sparkle" effect. The challenge with this is to not go blind from the glare. I had to look at the subject and then look away for a while so my eyes could adjust.

In the end, it was another great fall afternoon on the river.

"Lazy Poets"

2011-10-07T08:12:00.000-06:00

I have heard many times from many artist about how they refuse to paint when the weather turns sour. I actually used to be one. If that golden ball in the sky was not shining just perfectly then I wouldn't bother leaving the cozy confines of my studio. Why would you? Who wants to paint in the clouds, cold, heat, rain, snow, and wind (actually I still hate the wind)?

Edgar Payne, the great California Impressionists, once wrote, “Nature does not capriciously scatter her secrets as golden gifts to lazy poets and luxurious darlings, but imposes tasks when she presents opportunities.” I believe what Payne is saying is that artist are going to have to overcome some of natures "tasks" to discover some of her intament beauty.

I believe today was one of those days. Fall lasted about 3 days this year. A cold winter blast hit southern Idaho hard droping temperatures some 30 degrees. I knew today I would face the rain, sleet, snow and a blasted 25 mph wind but I still decided to see what nature had in store and I wasn't disappointed.

I have never seen the warm golden hues of fall mixed with the icy cold snows of winter. It is a unique and amazing sight. The poor aspen trees were displaying their golden leaves while this winter blizzard blasted a fresh carpet of snow on the ground. The contrast between warm and cool was so drastic and yet suttle at the same time. This was a rare "opportunity" that nature revealed.

In the end, I could have played it safe and stayed in my warm, dry studio. I could have waited until the conditions were ideal. Yet, "lazy poets" never get "golden gifts".

Fall!

2011-10-01T10:55:00.003-06:00

After having been on the sidelines for the last few weeks it was nice to get outdoors and do some sketches. We are finally starting to get some color in the higher elevations. For this painting, I headed to central Idaho to the town of Ketchum. It's about a 2.5 hour drive from where I live and it's well worth the drive.

This painting is from Trail Creek just outside of the town. The world famous Sun Valley resort is about a mile down the road from here. It wasn't peak color but it was good enough. It was just a beautiful day in a beautiful area. Everything was perfect except for when I nearly nailed a 3 point buck with my truck on the way home.....Yikes!

Canyon Overlook

2011-09-10T12:46:00.000-06:00

Again, not much to say this week. I'm still down and out so I posted another piece that has been sitting around the studio a while. This is a studio painting done from a field sketch at the Grand Canyon. Sigh.....only a couple more weeks till fall.

Out of Commission....Bummer

2011-09-05T10:17:00.002-06:00

I have been out of commission a little bit. I had to go visit the doctor for a minor procedure and he said take it easy for a few days. Needless to say, I haven't gotten out much to paint. So I decided to post a painting I did earlier this year.

This was painted in late May near Council, ID. It was one of those days where I really couldn't find anything interesting until I passed over Mesa Hill and boom I saw a lot of wildflowers and the snow covered peaks. After further investigation the natural composition of the scrub brush, wildflowers, and pine trees leading your eye up to the snowy peak was what really excited me so I painted it.

I plan on painting this one in a 30 x 40 format except it probably won't be done for a couple of years. I'm really backed up on a lot of my studies going to final paintings. Anyway, thought you all might enjoy. Happy Labor Day everyone!

River Evening

2011-08-28T19:29:00.000-06:00

Not much to say here this week. I headed back up toward McCall, ID to pick up a painting I sold and wanted to personally deliver it to the client. While up there I decided to try out Lick Creek again and see what I could find for a painting. I painted around 7:00 pm and the sun was setting in the river canyon. It created some interesting shadows and made this otherwise boring scene interesting (oh and I got eaten alive by the mosquitos!).

Real vs. Abstract

2011-08-21T14:39:00.003-06:00

I was an art student for only a few semesters in art school. One of the reasons I dropped out was because I hated abstract modernism and I felt like our teachers wanted to push us towards expression rather then depiction. I remember sitting in a dark room for hours painting a crushed up paper bag with a Q-tip and being allowed to use only one color.......boring!!!! I thought to myself "If I have to sit through four years of this I'm out of here!"

Sure enough I was and I ended up majoring in a something else. However, something from art school must have stuck with me because I have never liked pure photo realism. Instead, I have always enjoyed just a little taste of the abstract. I like to have paintings within paintings. While the subject of this weeks post is obvious (black cows) there are many parts of the painting that are rather abstract (notice the other photos). I think this is why Impressionism became so popular. People love being able to tell what the subject is but amazed that "blobs of paint" can make them.

While I don't expect to ever become the next Jackson Pollock, I do purposely attempt to add a little of him in every now and then.

Wet Pants, Skinned Shin, and a Painting

2011-08-13T10:59:00.003-06:00

I'm sure you have heard of the saying "the grass is always greener on the other side". Well, for a painter that is almost always the case or at least for me it is. Anytime, I set up next to a stream, river, or pond I have this belief that the scene would be 100 times better if I could only get to the other bank (although it usually never is).

I share that because I recently was painting this unknown cascade near McCall, ID. I set up on the left side of the falls and was about to begin painting the scene. However, I had this little Gremlin calling me to the other side to see if the view would be better on the opposite bank. So sure enough I had to look......I just couldn't control myself.

So I scouted around for a crossing spot and sure enough I found a rock that was only slightly covered with water. I thought "if I could step right there I could leap to the other side". It seemed like a fool proof plan. I was 99% sure that it would be fine. I was confident because I used to fly fish. For years, I hoped in and around stream beds, over embankments, and around rocks trying to get to the best fishing spots.

So sure enough, with little concern, I took the leap of faith! Only to discover that I didn't have felt soled wading shoes instead I had rubber soled hiking boots. Now in case you wondering, rubber and water don't mix well. The rubber hit the wet rock and immediately my feet flew out from under me. I was sent into a four foot pool of ice cold mountain water. During the fall my shin pounded against a rock. I shamefully pulled myself to the bank where I had originally leaped from. I sat on a rock soaking wet from the thigh down. It was at that point I realized "that was not such a good idea". I also noticed my shin, which took the brunt of the fall, was bleeding.

Now, I could have said "forget it" and headed back to the truck. However, I'm a painter and painters are a different breed. We don't think straight. So soar, wet, and bleeding I decided to paint the scene anyway.

I still say it would have been better had I gotten to the other side.

Northfork Waters

2011-08-07T15:32:00.000-06:00

I have just recently been accepted into a new gallery called the Artizen Gallery in McCall, ID. I brought them some new work and decided to do some painting around the area since I rarely paint up there. I am not very familiar with the area which is surprising since I grew up only an hour and a half away.

I found a great spot behind Payette Lake where the river feeds into Payette Lake. The river widens and becomes really shallow. This is great for getting that awesome calico color. Anyway, the top is my study and the bottom are a few photos of the area. I hope to get some more paintings from the photos.

Charlie's Garden Show

2011-07-24T14:19:00.000-06:00

Going Blogger crazy with two post in one day but I want to say thank you to all those who came out and supported me last night at the Charlie's Garden Show. The show is a benefit to the McCall Arts and Humanities Council. It was a great night and an enthusiastic crowd. A special thank you to those who bid on my pieces and had so many encouraging words.

Here are a few photos from the event. It looks like I will be heading back next year if they will have me. If you haven't gone before I highly recommend it. There is lots of great art, food, and wine all in a beautiful botanical garden.

Logan Pass

2011-07-24T13:34:00.001-06:00

After being scared off by the bear (see July 18th post) I decided to head up the Going to the Sun Road and paint near Logan Pass. Surprisingly, this is a small pass (only about 6000 feet) but boy does it get snow. In fact, the day before I arrived, they just opened the road. I was told this was the latest opening on record. It still had a good 10 feet of snow on either side of the road.

This scene struck interest in me for two reasons. The first, was because of the interesting shape the mountain makes (I forget the name) and the second, was because of the contrast between the light and shadow of the snow. The only down side is I think the snow patter is right smack in the middle of the canvas "Bulls Eye!" Anyway, if I paint it larger, which I hope to do, I will have to some how adjust that. Any ideas?

"No Mas, No Mas".....Part Two!

2011-07-18T08:41:00.002-06:00

For those of you who read my blog you will know that I often say the Grand Canyon is the most difficult landscape there is to paint (see blog post April 1st). Well, I think I met the Grand Canyon's evil twin sister up in Glacier National Park. I just returned from this magnificent place and had a great time. One of the areas that I had to paint was the iconic view of St. Mary's lake from Wild Goose Island. After seeing several photos and a couple of other artists renditions I thought it would be pretty straight forward like any other subject.....boy was I wrong!

1st Attempt- Bad Light

When I first arrived in the park, I was just floored at how amazing the landscape is. I couldn't wait to drive over the Sun Road to get to St. Mary's lake. When I arrived, I bolted out of my car and headed to the view point only to be greatly disappointed by the poor lighting. Since I knew I had several days to paint, I figured I would paint something else and return when the light had improved (The picture above shows light conditions because the place is so beautiful it never looks bad but believe me there are better lighting conditions then others).

2nd Attempt- The Wind

Before I left on the trip I had read several books about Glacier. The all mentioned that it is "a windy place". To me a "windy place" is 15-20 mph winds with gust of 25+. At Glacier "a windy place" means winds of 40 mph with gust of 50+. To paint outdoors you got to be tough and brave the elements but 50 mph wind gust are ridiculous. I had my easel blown over numerous times, paint thinner fly back in my face, and I was chilled to the bone in 10 minutes so I gave up.....defeated again! (The picture above shows some of the waves but believe me it was so windy you couldn't even think straight)

3rd Attempt- The Bear

Glacier is world famous for it's bears. In fact, most of the guide books say seeing a bear is the "highlight of a trip" for most people. I was a little curious but after hearing about the mauling and death in Yellowstone a few weeks ago I was very weary. Since I was alone, I decided to play it safe the first day and stay where all the tourist stay which is near the roads. I thought, "heck, no bear is going to want to be by all these loud, noisy tourist taking photos". So on my third attempt, I pulled up to the popular overlook and saw perfect conditions....no wind and great light. I bolted out of my car, grabbed my gear, and was ready to get down to business that was until out of the bushes 20 feet away pops a black bear. Now in the guide books and on the brochures they say to never run from a bear but when you are face to face, alone, and scared to death you basically react. In an instant, I flew back in my car. It was a heart pumping, Yellowstone mauling flashing in my head, amazed that I didn't wet my paints experience......and no it was not the highlight of my trip. So scared to death and thankful that I was still alive, I drove off. (I had enough courage to take a photo of the bear as he walked a safe distance away)

4th Attempt- The Struggle

So after the bad light, the wind, and the bear, I mustered enough courage to attempt a 4th try to paint this iconic and now incredibly elusive view. On my fourth attempt, the conditions were perfect: good light, no wind, and no bear (that I could see). However, I stunk up the joint! I ended up "chasing the light". In painting terms "chasing the light" means you don't know what you're doing because the light is changing so fast and you're just slapping on paint hoping for the best. If you paint this way you are guaranteed to tank 9 out of every 10 paintings you do. This is something I try to avoid at all cost. I usually like to have a game plan and then execute that plan but of course not with this one. I wiped off, changed colors and values over and over and after 2 hours some how managed to pull something together.

I packed up and sat in my car. I looked out over this breath taking view and realized this was the Canyon's evil twin sister. As I pulled away I swore that lake was mocking me with an evil laugh.

Taggart Lake

2011-07-08T12:24:00.012-06:00

This past week my family and I ventured over to Jackson, Wyoming for the 4th of July holiday. I attended a barbecue hosted by my gallery there. We had a great time enjoying the sights of Jackson. We walked the galleries, attended the party, and hung out in Grand Teton National Park.

One of the places we went to in the park was Taggart Lake. It is a short 1.6 mile hike into a beautiful lake. What made it more special was my 3 year daughter joined my wife and I. She was a trooper and managed to walk the majority of the way. Since my family was there, I didn't get to do a lot of painting on the trip. The only one came from Taggert and it is a small 8 x 10 in study.

It was done rather quickly and I had a lot of distractions with my daughter, other hikers, and a muskrat. He was pretty angry that my family and I were on "his bridge" and he really wanted to cross to the other side of the lake. Eventually, he realized we weren't going to move and angrily just charged past. Apparently, he doesn't care for art much.

Teton View

2011-06-29T12:45:00.003-06:00

I've been getting tired of painting farm land and began to work on a piece to take to Jackson for my gallery there. This painting is of the Cathedral Group in Grand Teton Natinonal Park. It is an extremely tough subject because of the jaged angles of the mountain face. Also the mountains sit at about 12,ooo feet and the light is constantly changing.

It's not the most exciting composition but pretty much anyone who has ever painted the Tetons has painted this view. I thought I would throw my version in as well.

I Love June

2011-06-24T21:43:00.004-06:00

I love the month of June. It's days are long and there is so much to paint. Today, I painted an uncut hayfield near the Little Weiser River. It was a classic June day with the temperatures in the mid 70's. In fact, I think I got my first farmers tan of the season.

Hay Demo...Kind Of...

2011-06-18T10:52:00.008-06:00

Hay fields are every where now so I tried to do a demo. However, every time I try I end of getting involved in the painting and forget to take the photos. So this is kind of a demo with most of the steps left out.....sorry. However, it still shows the simple drawing and block in, massing the large shapes with a base color, beginning to refine the dark and light accents, and eventually plowing on the paint to make it feel like light is hitting the objects. All in all, this is pretty much the process. Oh and we are still in the 70's....in fact a storm came through and I shivered the last 20 minutes of this one. Will we ever have a summer?

"Take These Damn Rain Clouds Away!"

2011-06-10T16:27:00.010-06:00

Today, I decided to paint a freshly cut hay field. About an hour into my painting, I noticed some storm clouds brewing off in the distance. Not long after that a farmer pulled up in a white GMC truck. He walked out of his rig wearing a warn cowboy hat that matched his muddy rubber irregation boots. As he approached he said, "Hey, when you're done there you can call that 'Take these Damn Rain Clouds Away!'" We introduced each other and he proceeded to tell me how our cold, wet weather has ruined his crops and cost him a fortune. "This weather is killing me", he said. We talked a little while longer and before he jumped back in his truck he said, "I sure hope it don't rain today!" As he drove away, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy. A few minutes later, as I was placing my finishing touches on a canvas, I could feel the cool rain drops leaving nothing but drops of frustration on the mind of every farmer in the Treasure Valley.

"Hey, where is that?"

2011-06-04T09:00:00.012-06:00

A few months ago my wife and I arrived in Sedona, AZ. I had never been there before and realized it was one of the most beautiful places I had ever scene. For years, I had seen pictures of the area and in particular a certain rock formation that I did not know the name of. We spent most of our first day sight seeing and searching for these unknown rocks. After several hours of searching and sight seeing we decided to call it a day and head to our hotel to check in. My wife and I met a nice elderly man who was behind the desk and we struck up a conversation. In the middle of that conversation, I noticed a calendar hanging in the lobby that had these famous rock formations. So I pointed and said, "Hey, where is that?" He turned and said "Oh, you mean Cathedral Rock State Park." He went on to tell me that it used to be the most photographed place in Arizona but the Grand Canyon now holds that distinction. Then he said, "If you want some good photos you better leave now because the evening light is going to hit them."

So being the painter that I am and with only an hours worth of daylight left, I hugged my wife and flew out of the hotel lobby like a bullet. I raced through town driving like a mad man trying to find this place. Eventually, I made my way there just as the evening light was hitting these rocks. In my frenzy to set up I fell into a ditch and painted with a wet shoe. All in all though it was worth it. Wow, what a amazing place!

Being Simple

2011-05-28T13:32:00.008-06:00

Well, today I struggled. I found an interesting subject, but I couldn't figure out a composition format. I wanted to fit everything in that I saw. Meaning, all the areas of the landscape (like the mountains, the snow peaks, the grass, the tress, and the clouds) were intersting enough to paint. However, painting too many subjects usually leads to confusion and a poor painting.

So I decided to do something that I rarely do. Instead, of painting on a traditional format of 9 x 12 inches I decided to use a vertical format and force myself to paint the subject on a 12 x 9 inch canvas. What this did was eliminate a lot of the interesting things buying for my attention and it allowed me to focus more on a specific subject (that being the large tree). Everything else then just supported that subject.

I have found this technique helpful when there are to many interesting subjects. It's always better to be simple then extravagant.

Spring Baby!

2011-05-21T12:47:00.004-06:00

Spring is offically here! For the first time this year I painted in spring weather! The birds were singing and butterfies floated on by. A slight breeze sent my allergies wild. Wow! You really can't beat the feeling of being outdoors after a long and cold winter.

Anyway, I didn't have a lot of time today. I had to do some yard work but I was able to get out for a really quick sketch this morning. I'm looking forward to another outdoor season of painting. I hoping all my other artist friends are having this type of painting weather!

May Snow

2011-05-15T08:16:00.003-06:00

Last week, I took off into the Idaho mountains to find something to paint. We had one of the wettest winters in years and I found that out last week. Even though it was early May and I was only at 5,500 feet, there was still plenty of snow around. So instead of finding something "springy" to paint I decided to focus on some willows that were still displaying their winter colors.

While I was painting, a spring mountain rain storm came rolling in. It was an odd scene with temps in the 60's, a warm spring rain, and a winter landscape.

Finally!

2011-05-08T21:22:00.004-06:00

So I'm normally a little crazy and temperamental (my wife can attest to that). However, if I don't get outdoors, I really go crazy. So finally this weekend I couldn't take it anymore. I just had to get some fresh air and get out of the city. I grabbed my gear and through it in the back of my truck and just took off. I drove up into the mountains near Idaho City to see if I could find anything interesting to paint.

I found Mores Creek just raging! It usually is a small tranquil creek but right now it is running wild with the spring runoff. I decided to do a quick sketch of its muddy spring waters.

It wasn't the greatest picture I've ever painted but boy did it feel good to be outdoors. The smell of fresh pine and the sound of nature. You really can't beat that!

Desert Moon

2011-04-30T11:39:00.004-06:00

It has been one of the coldest April's on record here in Idaho. We even had a few days of snow! It's been rainy, windy, cold, and miserable most of this month. Do to our absolutely lousy weather, I haven't had a chance to get out and paint and even if I did, I haven't really wanted too because of this horrible weather.

Anyway, what I have been doing is some work indoors. This painting comes from a reference photo I took down in Arizona. It didn't have a strong center of interest and was rather boring so I decided I would give it a little "jazz" and add a moon as a center of interest. I darkened the values a tad and transformed this mid-day scene into a desert evening. This type of painting is what makes being an artist so interesting. You are only as limited as your imagination.

Crown King Star

2011-04-23T16:34:00.002-06:00

This week I did a sketch from my recent trip to Arizona. I never tire of painting the saguaro cactus. They dominate much of the landscape in the Sonoran Desert. I believe I enjoy painting them because there are never two that are the same. They are almost like people, they each have their own distinct shape and characteristics. I have several others that I will be posting in the weeks to come.

2011 Workshop

2011-04-09T22:15:00.007-06:00

I'm excited to announce I will be hosting my second annual workshop June 24, 25, & 26th in Eagle, ID. Once again, I am fortunate to have the privilege of hosting the event at Camille Beckmans. Camille Beckmans is situated on about 34 acres of land. It provides access to farm land, barns, a beautiful pond, the Boise River, and some lovely gardens. It is a great place to paint. For more information visit my website @ www.greggrussellart.com/workshop%20page.html

No Mas! No Mas!

2011-04-01T09:27:00.025-06:00

It has been a great week for me. I have been spending the last week in Arizona painting the Arizona landscape. I have been doing a lot of small 6 x 8 in. color studies and taking a ton reference photos. One of those places I visited was, of course, the Grand Canyon. The canyon is the most difficult landscape I have ever painted. My first attempt painting this breath taking vista was miserable. I was overwhelmed by the size, color, and complexity of the angles. My studies were terrible (so bad in fact, I threw most of them away upon my arrival home). I left thoroughly defeated. My painting ego was completely bruised and battered. Like a prized fighter, I vowed to come back for a rematch. Fast forward five years, and this time I was a little more prepared and knew what to expect.

My studies were more successful this time around. However, after finishing them, I felt like I had just completed 14 rounds of a heavy weight fight....swollen eye, split lip, sweat pooring down my face......No mas! No mas!

A Focal Point?

2011-03-26T15:35:00.007-06:00

One of the main things I struggled with early in my painting career was with focal points. In fact, to this day, I still tend to struggle with this topic. One of the keys to being successful with your focal point is to not make it so obvious. However, if you don't have a definite point of interest then there is really no point in looking at your picture.

Jay Moore, a great Colorado artist, gave a tip that I often use. He says that a focal point should have the most contrast, the most detail, and the sharpest edges. Simply put, the place where you want your eye to go should have the darkest dark and the lightest light. It should also have crisp edges and the most detail to capture your eyes attention.

In the example above, which is of the Cathedral Group in Grand Teton National Park, the mountain that is receiving the dramatic light is the focal point. It has the most contrast to capture your attention. The rest of the painting is very subdued. In fact, if you cover up that mountain, the rest of the painting is basically nothing but cool greys. However, even on that mountain not every highlight has the same intensity. Only one or two of the ridges have intense color while the others are simply temperature shifts.

Anyhow, focal points are often one of the most difficult things to paint. Either they are too obvious (which you could argue even this picture is) or they are under painted. I guess you just never can win.

The Beauty of String Lake

2011-03-13T15:42:00.005-06:00

I haven't done a lot of plein air work lately. It's March and in my mind that is the worst time of year for plein air work. It's still cold, windy, and everything is still brown and dead. Therefore, I have been doing studio work lately. One piece I have been working on is this larger 36 x 48 in. painting of String Lake in Grand Teton. I often repaint large paintings several times. I have painted this a couple times already and will still go over this again. I have found over the years that I tend to repaint pretty much everything I do in the studio. In his book, The Landscapes of James Reynolds , James Reynolds mentioned how he never finished a painting instead, he simply ran out of time. He used to repaint, repaint, and repaint. He would do this non-stop until it was time to ship the painting to a gallery. He felt like he never truly finished any of them. While this might be obsessive, sometimes I completely understand where he was coming from.

Good-Bye James...1926-2010

2011-03-11T21:19:00.016-07:00

Tonight I was going through some of my plein air studies that I did this summer. I came across this study from String Lake in Grand Teton National Park. It's a close up of a log jam in the lake. I call these "James's Logs" after the great painter James Reynolds.

I was first exposed to James's work several years ago while down in Scottsdale, AZ. I saw this painting of mountains and a green pasture and was amazed at how perfectly painted it was. I looked up the name of the artist when I got home. James began his career back in the golden ages of Hollywood. He illustrated movie posters and painted fine art on the side. Eventually, he moved to painting fine art full time and for most of his career painted the American Cowboy. However, later in his life, he concentrated on the landscape which, I feel truly demonstrate his genius.

James passed away last February. It's sad to think of such a great painter passing away because we will never see any new work from him again. He often painted String Lake and these logs were one of his favorite subjects. Last summer while I painted them, I couldn't help but think of James standing in that same location painting those same logs.

I highly recommend you purchase his book The Landscapes of James Reynolds. It describes his approach to painting and is worth it's weight in gold. Good-Bye James, you will be greatly missed.

p.s.

I'm way to embarrassed to show my paintings next to his so I didn't post any. You should look him up though.....simply awesome.

Spider Rock

2011-03-05T12:36:00.005-07:00

Spider Rock stands some 800 feet above the canyon floor of Canyon De Chelly. Navajo legend has it that the great spider women lived under the rock. According to their custom, she taught the Navajo how to weave which would become a staple 0f their culture. While I am far from a Navajo historian, I did enjoy seeing this magnificent sight.

It's about twenty some miles up the canyon. You can drive to an overlook which I attempted to do to catch the evening light hitting the rock. Unfortunately, I arrived to late and the sun had already set under the 1,000 foot canyon walls. I took some photos as was amazed at how these sandstone pillars just stand their slowly being weathered year after year.

This is a 24 x 20 in. studio painting. Since I missed the sunset, I added some sunset color into this painting. You can read a lot more about Spider Rock if you google it.

Does Size Matter?

2011-02-26T14:32:00.007-07:00

You have probably heard that size doesn't matter. Well, in painting size does matter or at least if your trying to paint something larger. One of the most difficult challenges painters face is painting something larger. I remember when I first stared painting larger canvases, I had a great deal of difficulty because one stroke on a small painting is six or sever strokes on a larger one.

The key is to think of each painting as a glass of water. An 8 oz. glass can hold only eight ounces. If you add more than 8 oz. it will over flow and you will have a mess. A 20 oz. glass can hold 20 oz. of water ( a lot more then a 8 oz. glass). The larger the glass the more "stuff" it can hold.

Paintings are very similar. A small study can hold only a certain amount of information or detail. A larger painting must have more passages or information (by passages, I mean playing with your midtones ) A larger painting can and should hold more information. However, even a large painting can be overloaded. Finding the right balance for the size is what makes painting larger a challenge.

The painting on the bottom is a 8 x 10 in. study I did outdoors several years ago.

The top is a 24 x 30 in. studio painting I recently finished. I'm thinking the larger studio painting could still hold a little more info (or be painted a little larger).

Does size matter? Well, only if you want the challenge of size. Some prefer to just paint small.....some prefer to just paint larger. I prefer both and the challenge that it brings.

A Deadhead?

2011-02-19T21:52:00.019-07:00

Many years ago I heard a song from The Grateful Dead called "Black Muddy River". It is off of their In The Dark album. Now I was never a "dead head" (even though I do like their music) but something about that song struck a cord in me.

It reminded me of the Snake River which runs by my old home town. I grew along it's banks and it is very black and muddy. When I was a kid, a teacher of mine used to tell me that when he was a kid he could see the rocks on the bottom of the river because it was so clear. Today, it's as black as coffee and it flows slowly from the many dams that block it's path. I don't paint it's waters often. However, as I drove over the river this morning, I couldn't help but think of that song and those muddy waters.

So I pulled over, hiked down an embankment and painted it....pollution and all.

An Idaho Classic

2011-02-12T20:09:00.007-07:00

Plein air painting is always an adventure. It usually deals with the actually painting but sometimes it's the people you meet. Today, while I painted I had an old rancher pull up behind me. He pulled over his flat bed truck, got out, and just kind of stared at me. After attempting to ignore him, I politely turned around and said, "howdy!" He was an Idaho classic. His face was long and worn and his overalls and Carthart jacket fit the bill. He of course replied with a "Whatcha doin' there?"

I politely answered the obvious and before I knew it I was immersed in a one way conversation. I painted while he began to tell me his life story. He mentioned how he had "lived around these parts for nearly 50 years" and had never seen a painter. He mentioned "how his uncle was a painter" and how he has some of his paintings hanging in his house. Then the conversation turned to a point that just made me smile from ear to ear.

If you have never seen the movie Napoleon Dynamite then you might not understand. However, in that movie (which is based and filmed in Idaho) there is a scene where two old ranchers are feeding a bunch of kids who just picked eggs on a chicken farm. One of the old ranchers points to the surrounding hills and mentions how he found some Shoshone arrow heads up in the hills.

Fast forward to my conversation with the old timer and about half way through the conversation he points to a bluff just beyond where I'm painting. He begins to tell me years ago, while he was rock hunting, he found some old Shoshone arrowheads up there. I couldn't help but think about that movie and it made me chuckle.

In the end, he eventually had to go run some errands and drove off. I finished the painting a few minutes later. As I drove away, I thought about our conversation, his life story, his uncle the painter, and those old Shoshone arrow heads. Yes, it was an Idaho classic indeed.

Canyon View

2011-02-05T13:22:00.007-07:00

So all week the weatherman has said that we where supposed to have rain today. Therefore, I figured I wouldn't get out and paint. However, it's simply beautiful outside and I'm kind of upset that I didn't get out. Instead, I finished up a few studio pieces.

Here is another piece from the Grand Canyon called "Canyon View". This came from a small study I did after my trip to the Grand Canyon several years ago. The study started out terribly. I gave up on it and let it sit in my studio for about two years. Several months ago, I pulled it out and repainted it. When I was finshed, I thought, "Hey, this isn't that bad." So I painted it a little larger (18 x 24 in). Now that it's a little larger, I'm thinking about going up one more size to maybe a 30 x 40 in.

Sometimes, it takes several steps to see if a painting can go larger. I'm not sure when I will do the larger version. Hopefully, it's not in another two years.

Monument Valley

2011-01-30T14:47:00.009-07:00

If you've never visited Monument Valley on the Utah/Arizona boarder you are missing out on one of the greatest landscapes in the world. It's not an easy place to get to. It's about a five or six hour drive from Salt Lake City. After driving many hours you begin to reach some "red rock" around Moab. Moab itself is an extraordinary place but you still have to travel a few more hours till you reach Mexican Hat. Not far after Mexican Hat, you will drive down a hill and Boom! The red earth hits you instantly. If you have never seen it before it kind of reminds you of Mars. The earth turns an astonishing deep red. Continue on a little further and you will soon see the silhouettes of the monuments taking shape on the distant horizon. There distinct shapes become apparent and you realize why it was called Monument Valley as the huge pillars do look like distant monuments of some ancient civilization.
For all it's beauty it is also a sad place. I was hugely disappointed to see the highway littered with garbage and broken beer bottles. I was saddened to see such an amazing sight so filthy!

Anyhow, here is a 12 x 16 study of one of the Monuments. This view is just off the main highway approaching from Utah. I parked near an old abandoned store front were the Navajo used to sell their hand made rugs. The cars and clouds zoomed by but the monuments stood forever still.

Arizona

2011-01-22T13:29:00.005-07:00

Mid January always wears on me. I actually hate winter. After the first initial weeks of snow when I paint a ton I tend to get tired of it rather quickly. The other thing that wears on me is the lack of sunshine in the winter. When this happens, I tend to dream of greener pastures. One of those places is Arizona. I'm pretty sure if I didn't live in Idaho I would live in Arizona. I have visited the state many times and never tire of it. I love to roam through the desert looking for interesting subjects. One of my favorite places is a small town outside of Phoenix called Bumble Bee, AZ. There are just tons of things to paint around there and not a lot of people.

Today, I posted a painting near Bumble Bee. I thought it would add a little warmth on an otherwise cold Mid-January day.

The Grand Canyon

2011-01-15T14:55:00.005-07:00

It is not often I post my studio paintings on my blog. I usually let my blog be more about my plein air adventures however, occasionally I like to break the monotony and add a few studio paintings. This is a recent studio painting titled "Rim Light".

I first visited the Grand Canyon several years ago. I was flabbergasted! It is the single most impressive sight I have ever seen. I had seen pictures, tv programs, and movies about the Grand Canyon but nothing compared me for the shear size and beauty of the place. I tried to paint there but was not very successful. It is one of the most complicated landscape I have ever incountered. To see more studio paintings check out my website: www.greggrussellart.com

January Along The Weiser River

2011-01-08T17:29:00.005-07:00

We had another cold spell not to long ago. I again decided to be "crazy" and head outdoors. It was 12 degrees when I left. I attempted to paint a couple of other places but the snow was so high all of my regular painting access spots were under a foot of snow. I decided to head just outside of Weiser to and old bridge. Next to the bridge, is a old weather plaque commemorating when the Oregon Trail used to cross the river from 1836-1864. I really don't know much else about the history except that Oregon Trail plaque has been there since I was a kid.

I hiked below the plaque and had to push through some chest high willows to get to this vantage point. The sun was gleaming off the water and the glare was blinding me. It made it very difficult to judge values and colors. Since I have painted outside so much I was able to make some adjustments in the field that I knew would translate to better color and value. Fortunately, all those adjustments paid off. I may paint this one larger in the studio...we'll have to see.

Mores Creek Summit

2010-12-30T16:53:00.007-07:00

So it's with this little 6 x 8 study from Mores Creek Summit that I end 2010 with. While I painted this a week ago it was my last plein air painting of the year and therefore it gets

the last plein air post of the year.

Mores Creek summit is kind of a sissy summit. It barely is above 6,000 feet but it still has some pretty views, especially in the winter. I had just been snowshoeing, painting near Whoop-Um-Up Creek, when I had to drive home because it was Christmas eve. However, as I approached the summit, I looked out over the vast frozen forest and just hand to paint it. I busted this one out quick probably no more then 45 minutes or so. Since I painted it so quickly, I think I will do a larger version in the studio.

You can see from the photos that is was a magnificent day (I didn't even need gloves) and yes, I did use a 5 foot snow bank to support my easel. Hey, best wishes for everyone in the new year! May you all get outdoors and experience a little bit of nature in the year to come.

Snow On Whoop-Um-Up Creek

2010-12-27T09:34:00.004-07:00

So my awesome wife hooked me up with some sweet snowshoes for Christmas. She actually gave them to me a day early so I could get up into the mountains to do a little painting! Wow, what a Christmas present: A day of painting and snowshoes! Anyhow, I headed up north above Idaho City to Whoop-Um-Up Creek and Gold Fork Creek. The roads weren't bad and the weather was simply gorgeous (upper 30's and sunny).

I strapped on the snowshoes and went hiking. I didn't make it far though because show shoeing can wear you out! I'm in pretty good shape and I could only go about a half mile or so before I was sweating and huffing and puffing (my 40 pounds of gear doesn't help much either).

There was a lot subject matter. I snowshoed up a hill and found this little tree weighed down by the snow. It kind of reminded me of Charley Brown's little Christmas tree so I painted it.

I ended up painting a few other scenes including Moores Creek Summit which I will be posting shortly. It was a great day. I'm hoping to get out if the weather clears up but we are due for another storm.

Small Gems

2010-12-22T16:45:00.005-07:00

I rarely paint smaller then 8 x 10 inches in the field. However, when I'm crunched for time I sometimes go smaller. This was the case the other day when I did this 6 x 8 in. of the Weiser River. I had a little less then an hour to finish another study so I busted out my small canvases. Small canvases have pros and cons.

The pros are they can be done quickly. This allows an artist to capture certain effects in nature like sunsets and sunrises with accuracy. They're easy to transport and don't weigh a lot. Often when I'm hiking into the high country, I pack 6 x 8's. They also allow you to improve your skills. Basically, you can paint a ton of them and really improve your abilities by simply painting a large numbers of canvases. Lastly, if you screw up you haven't wasted a lot of paint or materials so you don't have to feel bad if the painting didn't turn out right.

The cons are they don't allow for a lot of detail. To me, paintings are like a glass of water. The smaller the glass, the smaller the amount of liquid it can hold. This is true with a canvas. A small canvas can't handle as much information as a big canvas. So sometimes you are limited in what you can attempt to paint.

In the end, 6 x 8's are a fantastic way to capture information and do it quickly.

Winter's Peace

2010-12-11T14:00:00.005-07:00

Standing next to a frozen stream in a foot of snow can be one of the most peaceful places on earth. You can feel the snow touch your face and it's as if the snow acts like a noise buffer. Nothing but silence can be heard. I always forget about winter's peace until I actually go back up into the high country and experience it again. It makes me realize what a noisy world we live in.

This study was painted near the head waters of the Weiser River. I love scenes like this because the values are so close and there is so little saturation in the colors. I have posted a black and white of the painting as well. You can see what I'm talking about by looking at the actually color version on top and the black and white on the bottom. It really challenges your color sense.

Frozen River

2010-12-05T17:06:00.005-07:00

Again the Weiser River is the subject of this weeks post. I painted this when the river was frozen over from some of the extreme temperatures we have been having. The composition is what excited me about this subject. The frozen ice creates a nice lead in for the eye to move into the painting.

It didn't take me too long to paint. This was looking the other direction from my November 25th post 14 degrees. After I finished that study, I simple looked the other direction and saw this. So I said, "Hey, it's probably 17 degrees now why not?"

Since the composition is strong I'm thinking about making this one larger plus there was a whole lot more detail out there and I could create a real moody winter scene from it. So stay tuned.

14 Degrees!

2010-11-26T21:15:00.008-07:00

You could say that I'm crazy. This morning, as I got into my car and headed out to paint, the car's temperature thermometer read 14 degrees! I also passed up a great day to stay home and watch some key college football games. However, the morning light on the freshly fallen snow was so stunning there was no way I could stay inside despite the frigid temperatures.

Today, was one of those days were there was a painting around every corner. As I drove around the Weiser River Valley, I nearly broke my neck! In fact, there was too many choices! I drove around for nearly 45 minutes wanting to paint everything I saw. I hate days like these. It is so difficult to focus on one subject when there are 50 just begging to be immortalized (and that is no exaggeration).

Anyhow, after driving myself mad I decided to head to my old staple, the Weiser River. The river was half frozen over and as I painted I could hear the ice crack and pop as the temperature warmed to a balmy 18 degrees. Fallen leaves floated under the ice caps and the winter hues glowed as the sun popped in and out of a light cloud cover.

In the end, I never even got cold. When you're focused you don't even notice it.

Wind and Sea

2010-11-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

Well, the weather has turned for the worse. In fact, the last couple of days it has been snowing although it's been kind of a sissy snow. Meaning that it hasn't really stuck to the ground and when it has it's mealted with in a few hours.

So with that, I have posted a painting that I am sending to the minatures show at West Lives on Gallery. This is a painting done from my time at the Oregon Coast. My friends and I decided to go for a walk along the beach. We saw a point near a cape and estimated it was about a mile. In fact, it was almost two miles and took us a lot longer then we had originally thought. However, they got some nice photos and I got a painting out of it.

I hope to be getting outside this week to do some snow painting. It's been a while but hopefully I can find some.

Learning From Your Mistakes

2010-11-13T14:46:00.014-07:00

Learning from your mistakes is critical in life. The same goes for painting. A few weeks back I was painting the fall colors at Camille Beckman's pond. About half way through the painting I realized I had made a bone headed mistake! I had placed my focal point right smack in the middle of the canvas! AARGH! This is like breaking rule #1 of painting: Never place your focal point right smack in the middle of the canvas.

Right about when I realized I had done that I began to feel a little bit queasy in my stomach. So I packed up my materials and headed home to rest. Good thing I did. About an hour after I got home I started vomiting. I had contacted a bad case of the stomach flu. I threw up all night long and was wiped out the next day.

By the time I had recovered, my painting was dry. So I decided to repaint it. This time I moved my focal point (the brilliant tree) just to the right of center. I also gave the surrounding trees a little more form and added a few slight details. These adjustments create a more interesting composition.

The painting on the bottom is the original done before I puked my guts out. The top is done after with the slight correction. I think it makes a stronger connection but it still reminds me of the stomach flu.

Falls Intrigue

2010-11-06T20:52:00.006-06:00

It has been an absolutely amazing fall in south western Idaho. This week we have been having sunshine and highs in the mid to upper sixties. For the first week of November, this is unheard of! I have been amazed at how the warm days and cool nights have really kicked the fall color into full swing down here in the valley.

This time of year we are usually clouded in and getting some rain but so far it has been an amazing time to paint. I haven't had near as much time to paint as I would have liked but I really wanted to get out today before the color was gone. So once again, I headed to a place where I new I could find something to paint, the Weiser River Valley.

The clouds were heavy this morning and we had a slight haze hanging around the valley. I headed for the river to see how the color was looking there. I painted near Midvale and painted in a spot I had many times before. I then moved on to the Mann Creek area and found a little sunshine which made the whole valley glorious. They say the weather is to turn for the worst later this week. So it looks like falls about to end.....bummer.

Demo

2010-10-30T16:42:00.010-06:00

I have started working on a few pieces for a miniature show I have coming up in Jackson, WY. I decided to do a demonstration of my process. This scene is from a hike in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho. Step1) I usually just sketch in the main shapes using Cad red and thinner. I then begin blocking in the main color masses. Step 2) Here I block more main masses in. My main concern in this stage is to get a feeling of light in the painting. Step 3) I begin to apply heavier impasto to get the effects of details. The final painting with the sky painted in. This is usually the process I do for most of my pieces. This piece is called "Sawtooth Summer" 9 x 12 in. It will be available Dec. 28th @ West Lives On Gallery Miniature Show.

"Chicken Fly"

2010-10-16T19:34:00.005-06:00

I think everyone has a classic fishing story. You know the "whopper" that got away. I don't tell my story often because it sounds so cliche. However, it probably is my most favorite fishing trip ever. My brother and I didn't fish together much but when we did we usually ended up having a good story to tell and our Silver Creek story is no exception.

My brother and I drove a couple of hours one morning to Silver Creek in Central Idaho. It's about a two hour drive from where I live. We arrived and were suprised to find no one there fishing (it's usually very crowded). I had stopped at a fly shop the day before to ask an "expert" what to fish. He sold me a couple of mayfly patters and at the very end he tried selling my a huge steamer. Now Silver Creek is famous for its picky trout which usually requires extremely small flies. So I wasn't big on buying a huge streamer but I said what the heck and bought it anyway.

As soon as we got there my brother asked for my flies. I pulled out what I had bought and the first thing he grabs is the huge steamer. He ties it on and it litterly looks like a chicken hanging off his rod. He walks on up a few hundred yards onto an old irregation bridge that crosses the river. I laugh at him and tie on a size 20 mayfly pattern and get to work. My brother stands on top of this bridge and starts letting line out, trolling his "chicken" fly into the water. With in a minute I hear a "wham" sound on the surface and my brother begins yelling "I got one, I got one....and it's huge!"

I totally ignore him and instead just fish, silently steaming that my brother got so lucky. After a few minutes he begins to ask for help. He couldn't reel the fish in and needed some one to net it. So I reluctently reeled in my line and waded up the river to where his fish was holding. As I approached, I caught glimpse of what looked like a mini-alligator! This trout was HUGE! I had never seen a fish this big. When it saw me it swam into some weeds to hide. I grabbed the line, careful not to break it, and somehow managed to net a huge brown trout. It was probably about 24 inches long and had enormous teeth. I reached in to it's mouth with my forceps to release the fly and cut my hand on it's teeth (I really mean this thing was a mini-alligator). We looked around for someone who had a camera but of course there was no one. We were yelling and screaming at how lucky we were. We let our "aligator go" and watched as it slowly swam away. I knew then no one would ever believe us and this would be a "classic" fishng story.

I don't think my brother ever fished again after that. I fished thousands of times after but never caught a fish even close to it's size. To this day it is the largest live fish I have ever seen caught on a flyrod.

Today, I returned to the site of my story. Not to fish but to paint. I painted a few yards from the famous bridge. It again was a quite morning with no one around. I was alone this time but every time I looked up at the bridge I could see my brother standing their with his "chicken fly" smiling from ear to ear.

Wood River Fall

2010-10-10T15:37:00.004-06:00

For years I used to travel all over Idaho to fish. One of my favorite spots used to be the Big Wood River in central Idaho. My favorite time to fish it was the fall when the water was low and the days were warm. One of the main reasons I would fish, beside the fun of catching lots of fish, was to be alone with nature. When the fishing was slow I used to sit on the the banks and just soak in the peace and quite.

Today, after several years I returned to one of my favorite spots. Though it had been a while since my last visit, the river hadn't changed much. While I painted the clouds gave way to sunshine. The day warmed and the fish began to slowly rise to a small mayfly hatch. As the painting progressed so did my desire to grab my fly rod. Eventually, the hatch ended and the feeding fish subsided but my love for rivers and nature hadn't.

The Steelyard

2010-09-26T20:43:00.003-06:00

I remember when I first began painting how difficult it was for me to understand composition. I studied with several artist who helped me get the basics and then I read the book Composition Of Outdoor Painting by Edgar Payne. It was then, I began to realize virtually every painting is a version of only a handful of compositions. Once, I understood that, I then began to see these handful of compositions through out nature.

Today, I choose to use one such composition. It's called a steelyard, which uses the natural distribution of forms based on size. The large reflection and the smaller reflection created a natural inverted steelyard. My eye has been trained to notice such compositions and now I do it without much thought.

Painters often say, "paint what you see not what you know." I disagree, you must paint with a knowledge base first and then let the subject guide you.

Pocket Of Color

2010-09-18T22:41:00.004-06:00

Finding something you don't expect is always a nice surprise. So was the case this Saturday morning. I once again headed toward the Weiser River Valley looking for something of interest to paint. I was expecting to paint the same scenes I have all summer which really wouldn't have been a big disappointment. However, much to my surprise, I was able to find a pocket of fall color.

Hidden amongst a sea of green cottonwood trees was a lone tree displaying all it's glory. It's rather early to see color down here in the valley's. However, it's a gentle sign of the grandeur to come. Only a couple more weeks!

Here's To You Jim

2010-09-11T19:20:00.004-06:00

I grew up in a small town and I tend to like to paint the rural landscape. Today, I headed to another small town about 30 miles north of where I grew up. This is small town America at its finest with some of the nicest locals you will ever meet.

Today, I met one of those locals. I was painting along the Weiser River when a truck pulled up beside me. Typically, I don't mind if people are a little curious and want to watch but I don't like having to talk while I'm working. However, I think I might have met the nicest guy ever. We talked a short while and he drove off. He came back a while later to check on my progress and invited me to a local blue grass festival. A cold drink and some good old time music would have been the perfect ending to a long day.

However, I had to pick up my daughter so I declined. So Jim, if your reading, I'll take a rain check.

On Home Ground

2010-09-06T13:44:00.004-06:00

My wife and I recently watched and instructional video by one of my favorite plein air painters. At the end to the video, it showcased several of his completed paintings. We were surprised at the difference between landscapes painted around his home and landscapes painted abroad. His landscape that depicted his homeland were more rich and impressive. This got me thinking about artist and painting subjects that they are familiar with.

I have always thought that certain subjects are easier then others. For me, one of those subjects is the Weiser River. I grew up along this river and have a special connection to it. I also tend to paint it fairly well compared to other places and it has provided numerous subjects for my work.

Today, it was warm and I painted a 11 x 14 which is a rather large size for me these days. It took about two hours out in the hot sun. I wasn't sure about the color harmonies because it was so bright and I was getting a lot of glare. However, when I brought it back inside the studio it read correctly so I left it. Just a little piece of my home ground.

More Touch Up's

2010-08-07T15:29:00.005-06:00

Here are a couple more studies that have been sitting on the back burner. The top is from the Jackson, Wy area and the bottom is from McCall, ID. Both have been sitting around my studio for more then a year. Today felt like a good day to pull them out and see if they needed any touch ups. A few strokes here or there made all the difference.

Finally!

2010-08-05T21:14:00.004-06:00

There are times when I start a painting but never finish them. I think this happens to most artists. This painting was started about six or seven weeks ago. I wasn't able to finish it because I was teaching my workshop class and had to move on to other things. The start was good and I felt the heavy humid atmosphere of the piece was appealing. So I let it sit for a few weeks until I was able to devote some time to it. Eventually, I came around and began to finish this piece based on memory. Since the start was solid it was fairly easy to finish. The nice thing about being patient is sometimes you do your best work when your not overwhelmed by nature or other factors. Trying to finish everything in the field is usually a recipe for failure. This piece waited paitently and was completed on its own terms and at its own time....Finally.

Chumps

2010-08-02T22:06:00.006-06:00

I have recently returned from "the parks" or at least that's what the locals in Jackson, WY call Grand Teton and Yellowstone. I had dropped off some new work to my gallery there and was able to paint a few landscapes in "the parks" while I had a chance.

I also got to visit a few galleries. Jackson is loaded, I mean just loaded with quality artists. I feel blessed to even be hanging in the place but despite all the talent in the galleries in Jackson there are three artist that stand out head and shoulders above everyone else they are Scott Christensen, Clyde Aspevig, and Matt Smith. Everyone else is just a bunch of chumps. It is unbelievable that humans beings can paint that good. Their work literaly jumps off the wall and you forget that you are actually in a art gallery when you look at their pieces.

Anyway, after being completly inspired I, like every other chump, went out and tried to get better. I did a ton of studies some turned out, others will be good studio reference. Here's another attempt by a chump of Yellowstone painted near the Firehole River.

A Monumental Experience

2010-07-27T14:12:00.008-06:00

I'm not really big into momental events in life. Meaning I don't have a special event that I "just have to do" or a special celebrity that "I'm just dying to meet". I guess you could say I'm a rather boring person in that sense. Having said that, I have just had one of those monumental moments without even realizing it. Years ago, when I was getting my undergrad at Boise State University, I would often spend many late nights studying in the BSU library. The library has four floors and the top floor, the fourth, is the quietest and least visited part of the library. So naturally, I would go up there to get a quite study area free from distraction. I would spend hours studying up there and when my mind needed a break I would roam the shelves of books. One night, I discovered the work of Thomas Moran. I had never heard of him before but was completely amazed at his paintings. I loved his work so much I checked the book out and began to study his work. I soon realized that Moran was a self taught artist from a humble background. He was part of a expedition that explored the west in 1871. When I saw Moran's work of Yellowstone I knew I had to visit it some day. When I became and artist, I knew that I had to paint where Moran painted. Last week, I spent a morning painting the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone at "Artist's Point" named after Moran. Moran's painting of the Canyon was a driving force for Yellowstone becoming a national park. Since his depiction several other great painters have painted the canyon but none as great as Moran. It was a special moment to stand and paint where Moran did 150 years ago. Here is my plein air version of this iconic canyon.

Oregon Coast

2010-07-13T20:39:00.009-06:00

I have just recently returned from a trip to the Oregon Coast. The trip is about an 8 hour drive from where I live. I was fortunate enough to get a little time in for painting while my family and I did many of the various things tourists do. I spent one day painting in Ecola State Park just north of Cannon Beach and the second area was near Lincoln City. I love painting new landscapes and find it extemely difficult to do so. Mostly because of all the subject matter. I easly could have done 30-50 paintings if I had the time to do so. There is just so much! I also love the atmosphere and moisture that is in the air. A sharpe contrast from bone dry Idaho. Most of the time the coast was clouded in with a misty cloud cover. Ocassionally I got some sun but rarely and the wind! Wow! does it ever blow there! At times, I had to hold my easel from preventing it from being blown over. If you look close you might even see the sand still in some of them. Anyhow, I will be posting more of my Oregon trip paintings soon. Enjoy!

Blue with Lemons

2010-07-05T22:06:00.007-06:00

I believe it was Sergie Bongart who said, "if you can paint a still life you can paint anything!" While I'm not totally convinced of that a still life is an excellent tool to learn about drawing, light, color, composition, and edges. When I first began painting I used to do a lot of florals and still lives. I have recently cut back in the last few years to concentrate more on the landscape. However, I have an upcoming show that is featuring some still lives and so I thought I "ought to get back in the saddle" and do some. Today, I chose a simple blue vase and a couple of lemons. It was extremely fun to paint all the reflected light that is in a still life. I almost forgot how much fun they are. Any artist is a 100 times better off painting a still life live then painting from a photo. I hate painting from photos. Give me life!

Lower Falls Yellowstone

2010-07-02T14:13:00.002-06:00

In landscape painting it is essential to simplify. Nature is so complex with so much detail that a painter can often be overwhelmed by the amount of information presented by the natural landscape. Such is the case with the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. My wife and I visited this wonderful site several years ago. I was blown away at the color and complex rock formations that cover this area. It truly is an amazing creation. The wind howled and my wife and I could only stay for a few minutes. I never forgot though thinking how difficult it would be to paint such a scene. The key to successfully completing complex subjects like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is to simplify. Your focal point should have the most detail, contrast, and sharpest edges. In this piece titled "Lower Falls" I spent the most detail, contrast, and edges on the water fall itself. The other parts of the painting are then designed to support my focal point. This challenge of enhancing some parts while lessening others is what makes painting such a complex task.

Workshop

2010-06-27T08:44:00.009-06:00

I have just finished teaching a 3-day workshop at Camille Beckman's in Eagle, ID. I was blessed to have a couple of wonderful students who were open to learning and were not afraid to attempt new things. We spent much of the time studying the fundamentals of landscape painting like simplifying a complex landscape, the four value planes, composition, edges, the 5 types of light, color theory, and brushwork. I was amazed to see my students picked up some of these concepts and implement them immediately. It took me weeks and sometimes years to understand these! Anyway, we had a great time. Here are a couple of photos from the workshop. The bottom two are a demo I did on our last day. If you notice in the top photo it shows the canal that ran right by the road. I ended up eliminating that from my painting. I thought it was just to much information for such a small canvas.

New Blogger!

2010-06-25T13:21:00.006-06:00

So I'm trying out this new blog thing. It should allow me to be able to share with everyone my love and passion for painting. My plan is to update this frequently with the trials and tribulations of an artist. So this blog is for friends, art lovers, students, and anyone else who may be bored on the interent! Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Here is a recent study of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.