Daily Art West

2009-07-05T23:55:00.000-07:00

Streamside Cows

Oil on board, 6" x 6"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase

Cattle graze in luxuriant, belly-high grass along the Wallowa River.

2009-07-02T22:28:00.000-07:00

The Road Home

Oil on board, 5" x 7"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
SOLD

My Crow's Shadow residency at an end, I turned onto the old highway for the drive home. Dark clouds threatened rain over the mountains, but the foreground wheat fields were glowing in a strange and beautiful light.

2009-07-01T23:32:00.000-07:00

Above the Valley--Sundown

Oil on board, 5" x 7"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase

These are the foothills of the Blue Mountains, just a few miles above Crow's Shadow. I'm getting ready to begin an 8 x 16 foot mural of a view near here.

2009-06-30T02:01:00.001-07:00

I'm back from the two-week printmaking residency at Crow's Shadow Institute of the Arts--an absolutely wonderful experience. I worked with Tamarind Master Printer and artist Frank Janzen, who patiently guided and assisted me through the process of creating monotypes and lithographs. It was a pure gift to be able to do this, and I'm grateful to Frank and the staff of Crow's Shadow for making it happen. Click images to enlarge.

Here's Frank preparing a plate to go through the press. The monotype process involves painting with lithographic inks on a plexiglas surface. Next, a sheet of paper is layed over the painted plate. When the plate is run through the press, a one of a kind print is created. Another sheet can then be placed on the plate and passed through the press again with higher pressure, picking up residual ink from the plexiglas and creating what is called the "ghost," a softer version of the original print that is often quite beautiful in its own right. In this type of printmaking, all the prints are original, no two are exactly alike.

Frank and I were assisted by another artist and trained printmaker, Debby Sundbaum-Sommers, who generously drove seven hours from her home in western Oregon to volunteer for the two weeks--thanks, Debby! The two of them totally spoiled me--cleaning up all my messes, trimming paper to size, hand-cranking the beautiful Takach printing press, cheering me on and giving valuable technical and aesthetic advice. On top of that, they were just fun to be around!

Speaking of being spoiled--every morning Debby would set out a fresh palette of inks on the glass tabletop for me.

The final prints combine two themes that I have been working with lately: stones and shadows. The stones evolved out of a group of boulders that were placed around the edge of a gravel parking lot. Maybe it was the fact that these rocks were not rare gems, but ordinary basalt boulders put to such an ordinary use that got me to thinking how extraordinary they really were. It occurred to me that I was witnessing a moment in the infinitely long life of these stones, as representatives of the living earth, just as they mutely witnessed my own brief passage. So I started a series of paintings of them in my studio (see my April 21 post.)

While working on the stone paintings, I started noticing how the late afternoon sun came through the west windows of the studio and cast my shadow on the painting wall. I started doing charcoal drawings of the shadows. Somehow I felt the two things--the rocks and the shadows--were related.

The prints that have evolved at Crow's Shadow take the form of vertical pairings, or diptychs, the stones at the bottom coupled with portions of shadowy figures above. I tried to give the stones weight and solidity symbolic of the earth itself, while the figures are ephemeral records of our fleeting lives. I borrowed singer/poet Leonard Cohen's phrase: "We are so lightly here," as the title for the diptych series. The larger single stone series is titled "The Life of Stones."

There are 45 paired prints, one vertical triptych, and 11 larger prints of single stones. Email fjanzen@crowsshadow.org for images of the complete series.

We are so lightly here, #1
Monotype/monoprint diptych
Each image 7 7/8" x 8 7/8", each sheet 11 1/8" x 11 1/2"
$500, unframed, plus shipping.
Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase

We are so lightly here #3
Monotype/monoprint diptych
Each image 7 7/8" x 8 7/8", each sheet 11 1/8" x 11 1/2"
$500 unframed, plus shipping
Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase

We are so lightly here #6
Monotype/monoprint diptych
Each image 7 7/8" x 8 7/8", each sheet 11 1/8" x 11 1/2"
$500 unframed, plus shipping
Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase

The Life of Stones #1
Monotype
Image size 15" x 17 1/2," sheet size 22 1/2" x 23 1/2"
$500 unframed, plus shipping
Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase

2009-06-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

White Lilacs

Watercolor on archival rag paper, 5" x 7"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase

Last night I was almost finished setting up a post about my printmaking experience at Crow's Shadow when my internet connection failed, and all the pictures and words disappeared like smoke! Oh well, I'll try again tonight. Meanwhile, here's another lilac painting.

2009-06-21T21:47:00.000-07:00

The Old Place

Watercolor on archival rag paper

$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.

Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase

We're going back in time a bit, as I'm still getting the Wallowa County lilacs out of my system. This big old bush has probably seen a lot of seasons.

I returned home from the Crow's Shadow residency over the weekend, and was able to do this and another small painting. The second will post in a day or two. I return tomorrow for another week of printmaking. It has been a great time so far--I'll write about it all soon.

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-14T23:01:00.001-07:00

October Waters

Acrylic on board, 17 1/2" x 29 1/4"
Unframed: $1800 plus $18 shipping in U.S.
Framed: $2000 plus $40 shipping in U.S.
SOLD

I did a small daily of this subject last fall, and have worked on this larger version off and on since then. This piece was also framed for display at the festival last week, so I'm offering it framed or unframed. Click images to enlarge.

Busy busy...posts are going to be sporadic again for awhile. I'm beginning a two-week printmaking residency on Monday at Crow's Shadow Institute of the Arts. The wonderful painter Jim Lavadour founded Crow's Shadow. The Institute is his former studio, a gorgeous setting in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, near Pendleton, Oregon.

I'll be working with the Tamarind-trained Master Printer and artist Frank Janzen, collaborating to create (I hope) a suite of hand-pulled prints. No idea what will result, but I'm really looking forward to this voyage of discovery and learning more about an artform I know little about. I'll try to squeeze in a daily now and then and post from my laptop, if I can make it all work.

2009-06-13T04:07:00.001-07:00

Lake's Edge

Oil on board, 10 5/8" x 12 3/4"
Unframed: $350 plus $8 shipping in U.S.
Framed: $400 plus $14 shipping in U.S.
SOLD

I spent a delightful morning doing this plein air painting at the edge of beautiful Wallowa Lake last week, during the Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts. The painting was put in a frame and displayed in the exhibit as soon as it was completed. The frame width is 3 3/4."

If you'd like to purchase, please specify whether you would prefer it framed or unframed. Click images to enlarge.

2009-06-11T00:17:00.000-07:00

Blooming Season 2

Oil on board, 5" x 7"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
SOLD

Same place as yesterday's post, different angle.

2009-06-09T23:41:00.000-07:00

Blooming Season

Oil on board, 7" x 5"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
SOLD

A beautiful home in Joseph.

2009-06-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

Gone Shopping

Watercolor on archival rag paper, 5" x 7"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
SOLD

This little garage is on a small rise of ground called Barton Heights, in Joseph Oregon. My mother lived on the Heights in her childhood, and tells stories of growing up here in the early 1920's. One of her favorites was the time her older sister Lena, just learning to drive, tipped the Model T on its side while going down the hill. (Nobody hurt.)

2009-06-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

June Blooms

Oil on board, 6" x 6"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
SOLD

At last, another post! I have been away for several days, jurying the Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts, in Joseph, Oregon. Today (Sunday) is the last day of the exhibit, but if you can make it to the show, I urge you to go. It's huge--341 artworks by 131 artists! It was a challenge to jury such variety, basically comparing apples and oranges, but great fun too--like being a kid in a candy store. Fortunately, I didn't have to jury artists in or out of the exhibit, just select awards, which is much less stress-inducing.

The festival had a plein air component, so attending artists were scattered all over that beautiful region of green valleys and rugged peaks--painting away while dodging passing thunderstorms. I painted as well and came up with three works, two of which are hanging in the exhibit; I'll post them on the blog soon.

I thought I had missed the lilac season. By the time we returned from California a couple of weeks ago, the blooming was almost over here in our valley. But Wallowa County is higher in elevation and I was delighted to see the lilacs still in bloom. I painted this beautiful bush along a farm road near Joseph. I also took quite a few photos, so hopefully there will be more lilac paintings to follow.

2009-06-02T00:24:00.000-07:00

Flower Fields

Watercolor on archival rag paper, 5" x 7"

$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.

SOLD

This is painted on Strathmore plate bristol paper, a heavy and very smooth, hard-surfaced paper. I love painting on it because the washes stay up on the hard surface and can never be completely controlled. It lends itself to a spontaneous approach and a desire to explore, both of which are great fun

We were overwhelmed with the response to the posting of our new canine pal. Our deepest gratitude to all of you who weighed in on the message board or emailed us with well-wishes and great name suggestions. After much consideration, we've decided to call him Winslow...after Winslow Homer, of course. He just looks like a Winslow to us.

2009-05-30T22:53:00.000-07:00

Got to show off the newest addition to our family--a one year old beagle/dachshund cross that Brenda found online at a pet rescue center in Hermiston, about 75 miles from us. We drove over today and made it official, signing the adoption papers. He reminds us a little of our beloved old Pablo, who died almost two years ago.

We haven't decided on his name yet. All our dogs have been named after artists, writers or poets. Right now we're leaning toward Jasper (after Jasper Johns) or Leonardo (Leo for short.)
Any suggestions?

Flashing that winning smile.

Even though it's blurred, I like this photo because it expresses all the energy of our exuberant new pal, as he happily thanks Brenda for rescuing him from the pound!

2009-05-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

Bower

Watercolor on paper, 5" x 7"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
SOLD

This little Victorian style cottage in Union has this wonderful trimmed-hedge entry. I looked up the word "bower" in the dictionary and found it can mean a leafy shelter or arbor, as well as a rustic cottage, so the title seemed appropriate.

We just returned from a week-long trip to southern California, where we proudly watched our oldest daughter Heather receive her masters degree from the University of Redlands. We also took care of some unfinished business--finally closing out the storage building we've been renting down there for the year and a half since we moved to Oregon. We hauled our stuff back in a U Haul behind my truck...whew! Doesn't it feel good when you finally tie up some nagging loose end from your past?

Sorry these posts are so sporadic, but it's going to be that way for some time. I won't bore you with the list, but this spring/summer has grown hectic, with multiple projects that all seem to need doing at the same time. I'll try to check in with a new painting as often as possible. Thanks to all of you who so faithfully (and patiently) follow my postings--it means a lot!

2009-05-19T22:51:00.000-07:00

Clouds of May

Oil on board, 6" x 6"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
SOLD

I'll be traveling for several days and probably won't have a chance to paint or post for awhile. Enjoy these beautiful spring days and I'll be back ASAP.

2009-05-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

Spring Greens

Oil on board, 6" x 6"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase

It is stunning how beautiful it is this time of year. After recent cold spells, yesterday's 80 degrees seemed almost unreal.

2009-05-16T23:07:00.000-07:00

Threatening Rain

Watercolor on archival rag paper, 5" x 7"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase

When spring arrives doesn't it always seem like there are more things to do than there are hours in the day? Blog posts will be sporadic for awhile, as I work on commissions, a mural project and other obligations. I'll post a small painting as often as I can.

2009-05-14T00:50:00.000-07:00

Room With a View

Watercolor on archival rag paper, 6" x 6"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
SOLD

These old cabins haven't seen human habitation for a long time. They're for the birds now.

2009-05-12T00:24:00.000-07:00

Farm in the Swale

Watercolor on archival rag paper, 5" x 7"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
SOLD

Like many of the old farmhouses in this region, this one appears to have grown in parts and pieces over time, with additions built on to the original structure as need arose. The result is a kind of "practical architecture" that has its own charm.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T00:42:00.001-07:00

Here's my mom on her 99th birthday in January, being congratulated by our granddaughter, Arielle. They gave her a "queen for a day" tiara at the senior center where the party was held, but of course she's royalty every day in our family. The second photo is my wife Brenda's mom--aged 87. She's a sweet lady who--in my experience--puts the lie to all those bad mother-in-law jokes. We're looking forward to taking them both to a Mother's Day Brunch.

2009-05-09T02:04:00.001-07:00

Undercurrent

Watercolor on archival rag paper, 6" x 6"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase

Here's a bookend to yesterday's video post:

2009-05-08T02:45:00.001-07:00

No painting today, but I spent some time at one of my favorite places in the valley and shot some video:

2009-05-06T23:35:00.000-07:00

Backlit Cottonwoods

Watercolor on archival paper, 6" x 6"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
SOLD

This watercolor is based on the pencil study I posted April 17th.

2009-05-05T23:07:00.000-07:00

Springtime in the Foothills

Watercolor, 6.75" x 9"
$285 plus $8 shipping in U.S.
Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase

A larger painting today. I set out to convey a feeling of the full richness of spring, trying hard to keep the colors and values as fresh and intense as possible.