envelope for Columbia county Reader mag

Drawing on an envelope was not my favorite paper. It didn't take up the colors as well. I was encouraged to enter the envelope contest so I did. i don't know if I will do another one or not.

live among trees

I am still interested in these trees. I think this might be my fourth one of this area. I think I might wait till summer to do any more of them. 

subject to interpretations

We are given a picture to interpret. it was a dark gray picture so i wanted to add some brightness to it. I took some information from another beach.

fall trees near West union

Well this time of year I'm really fascinated with the warm fall colors. I thought maybe i put too much grass in it but it was fun to do. Pastels on Kitty wallis

Audubon bird project

Okay , I like birds. I had to do something. But I was really surprised to see my kestrel here let alone in the poster. That's what I get for self degrading . But some of the vendors floored me. How many thought they could of made more money by selling posters? 

I hate dump trucks with rocks. Can we find a cover people?

ridgewood elementary school bazaar

I participated in the Ridgewood Elementary school bazaar. I didn't bring all my stuff because i wasn't sure how much space I had but when I got there there was a lot more space than I thought. I could of brought more stuff. The school is kind of hard to find but the people were really nice so it was a good experience and another opportunity to see what people like.

fall grasslands

I loved the red grass this time of year. 

October trees

Here we are again. this is a 9 by 12 and I am happy that it is smaller than my other things. Most of the painters in the group have been there several years so it's easy to get frustrated and impatient with myself. i am learning all the time which is what is so fascinating about plein air. I think some of us are so hooked on going outside and being with nature we are getting more tolerate of the rain and the cold and the clouds. I know I am accepting the cloudy gray skies better now.  At first i just wanted to go out when it was sunny and warm and cozy. Now it's what can i get on the paper this time. What color will I find? who cares about the clouds. I agreee with Brenda Boylan I don't like frozen fingers but i don't have to wait for the sun all the time. 

fall tress

Well this is an 12 by 18. Smaller than i have been working. I worked somewhere on Sauvie island when the group was there near a fishing dock. I got pretty frustrated but looked at it at home and worked on it some more. It's still not perfect but i think i like it better. 

Here I went out with the idea  that i was going to try and work smaller so i could go faster with some of the studies because sometimes working big is not necessary. I find sometimes when I work big I'm done with the idea but I have to spend more time than necessary on it because of the size. I tried this outside and did most of it there and was happy to make that much progress on it because it was smaller. Now i can take it home and perhaps if i'm still interested in the subject can work on a larger piece.

Here's Rose painting out of the back of her car. A good idea. She did a pretty fast piece with pastel and then went on to another piece. I think they will go back tomorrow. 

Birds flew over as gun shots went off in the distance but the red grass and the scenery was great.

Went out to Rentenaar Road with some of the paint out group. Here's Mary Mccoy doing painting instead of pastel. She finished it in about 2 hours. I was trying to figure out how to do my work faster. We were talking about blocking in and painting smaller canvases. Bev drew Kindley was there with her puppy. Natalie was there with her dog and Rose was there working out of the end of her car. i enjoyed seeing her pastel. And another person but I can not remember her name but I will get it another day. 

fall trees near Trojan Park

I worked on a 9 by 12 pastel on Wallis paper of fall trees near trojan park. the leaves are beautiful this time of year.

Kestrel 6 by 6 for Audubon society

I tried to do this 6 by 6 in canvas project to raise money for  the Audubon society auction in November.  I had fun doing it. I'd like to try another. I 'm anxious to see the whole show. I don't know if it's about quality or just name recognition. 

This is my finished piece from Trojan Park. I think I enjoyed the fall colors. I want to make some more I think.

 I wasn't invited to the 

Aurora Gallery in Vancouver. I guess there's some special list or something. Gotta be with the in crowd. 

I thought Mitch Baird piece that sold was good. 

trojan park

Today I met up with the paint out group. They went near a boat ramp . I watched Brenda Boylan , Mary McCoy, and Gretha Linwood work on their pieces. Brenda had such a good system down that she was done in about 90 minutes. I learned quit a bit. Basically they get the shapes down first and few details in the end. I hope i can learn this approach soon. I think it would be good just for even studies when I go out with my sketchbook. I tried it later but got very depressed and discouraged. I left down in the mouth. No fault of them but was sad that I didn't know that approach. They say that's what don bishop does also. I would like to see him paint. I really like his paintings.

  Later I went to Trojan Park and did a sketch of a tree and then started a piece of a autumn tree that is an awesome Yellow. I only hope I can make a decent picture. The colors at the park this time of year are just unbelievable. 

quick sketch for a study

in sketchbook for a piece i did.pastel

oak island, pastels

Up on a hill looking into the murky water this summer.

sketch at crabapple creek

I sketched at crabapple creek. 

I just went crazy a scribbled this sketch in a road path. I kind of like the loosness. It was fun. 

I got tired of carrying around the wood box with pastels so i just decided to carry these lighter weight cardboard boxes. they won't last as long but they are not as heavy. I like laying them on the ground because I like the space. Ahhh in the shade.

This is my last piece at Crabapple Creek. There are so many trees there and fields. However today i discovered Oaks Island on Sauve Island. i was working on a piece and who should drive up but Brenda Boylan, Gretha Linewood , and Bev Drew Kinley on their way out. I said next time ask me to go. I'm just not popular. Oh well. keep on keeping on. The area is soon to be closed for the season anyway. I don't know if I'll get to finish the piece i started there. I guess I'll have to wing it. But next year....... I don't know if there is going to be a paint out day at Sauvie this Saturday or not. I have to go to NW Wine Bar to pick up one of my pieces but maybe i can get some time in the morning to get some work done.

wolf takes "People choice" at Sauerkraut Festival in Scappoose

Well what gets rejected in one place gets a first place peoples choice in another. I'd rather have the peoples choice than the one judge from Salem state fair. It's more opinions. Not just one. Thanks Scappoose.

Among the local famous people that stopped by were Rep. Brad Witt and his lovely wife. www.leg.state.or.us/witt/ He went around and talked to everyone. 

Also Pastor Josh Litton and his lovely girlfriend. This guys preaching is honest and educated. He'll give it to you straight. 

 The very successful Bart Miller shared his moving gallery with a cartoonist. 

And my friend teacher Laura Hamel showed her inovative photography . She is a natural story teller so some of her photos have a story to tell. 

crabapple creek preserve Oregon

With the warm weather last week I went back to Crabapple creek preserve and worked near the same area as before. The sun was straight up so the picture is turning out kind of flat but I like the surface so far. I still have some work to do on it but I am going to try and participate in the NPS paint out in Hood River. There are so many great artists there i hope to pick up some new things. They have organized locations with about 3 or 4 hours in one place. There are so many places to paint in Hood location and they have a gallery there I haven't seen yet so am looking forward to a few busy days. I hope I don't get too tired. On September 19th I will participate in the Scappoose Sauerkraut Festival and so will miss a few of the Hood paint out locations. Much much to learn. When the weather gets poor and my hands freeze from being cold I hope to work on a few still lives. 

 Accompanied Laura Hamel the photographer , at Hillsboro Orenco station farmers market. I would say it's not a place to sell art. Maybe the winter market because folks are looking for Christmas presents but I decided to stay away from farmers markets.

 Okay Later and God Bless.

salem state fair and other stuff

the state fair in Salem was a bummer. It seemed like a junk show and my pic was hung in bad light. Clearly the judges had an agenda . Just one of those things where people didn't have my tastes or the tastes of a lot of others. Not all shows are great I guess. Sooooo onto the next one. Sauerkraut Festival is coming up the 19th of September. Columbia Art Guild is going to have a show also at the same time. Northwest Pastel society is going to have a paint out pretty soon. Hopefully I'll get some work done. also started a new piece at crabapple area.

King tut exhibit

Went to see the King Tut Exhibit. They did not let u take photos. But it was interesting to see all the little figurines and the details in their artwork. I think the museum had a lot of stores. Maybe 5  just in case you missed the first one. this makes twice that I've seen it because I think it was in Portland but they had different things in the one in Portland so i was wondering if they showed different stuff in different places. Oh well. it was interesting.

Rembrandt painting

Went to the deYoung museum in Frisco and to the Legion of Honor and saw the masters and took a close look. Very educational and inspiring. (maybe)

It was nice they let us take photos and look at the pictures real close. I could see the layers and how they proceeded.

Sauvie Island

Sauvie Island that got accepted in state fair.

state fair rejection

Well Wolf got rejected by Salem state fair jurors. But then I had a look at some of the Jurors like Lori McLaughlin and decided their work was absolute crap and no wonder they rejected me. She does junk art. So she teaches. God help us.

She's not a good artist so she keeps getting more degrees.

Then she grabs onto the tail of Maurice Sendak and says her work is inspired by his stuff. choke. Her work can't speak for itself so she uses someone who is already famous to get recognition. Lord , please send down some decent judges.!!!!! and crappy junk artists please leave and find some other way to fake your way thru life. 

Pastel plein air at Sauvie Island.,

ready for the state fair.

I framed and entered my Sauvie Island piece in the State fair. Hope i get in.  

crabapple piece 2 still in the works

half way done. I had to change the clouds today because it was sunny. I think i have to work more on the grass. grasshoppers land on my pastels. my tape isn't holding. i'll have to find something else. But it was fun being out there today.

The Art Blog Of Michael Orwick: What is Plein Air Painting? Define: PLEIN AIR, en plein air, plein air painting, alfresco

The Art Blog Of Michael Orwick: What is Plein Air Painting? Define: PLEIN AIR, en plein air, plein air painting, alfresco

starting at crabapple

I started working on the piece from Crabapple Creek project. M friend Helen Grochowski went with me and she started an oil.  I liked the spot. can't wait until the trees start to turn in the fall. it will be overwhelming I'm sure. a few folks passed thru to go fishing. i saw a wild cat and lots of grasshoppers . There's no limit to studies here.

study of crabapple area for painting

Study for Crabapple area. take my messy sketchbook and go.

Critics are painters who flunked out.

lavender paint out Heron farm

Painting out in the lavender festival. fun fun fun. here I met Susan McKay and Mark Larsen.

dog portraits

Here is a colored pencil drawing i did of a dog that came by the tent. His name is Jester because he was born on April 1 2009. this is colored pencil.

Arts and Eats

Well I and Laura Hamel had a booth at the St. Helens Riverfest Arts and Eats. We and other artist decided it was poorly organized and not advertised.

We decided unless there were big changes we won't participate next year. This Saturday Farmers market will be a car show which some artists hope will bring more people thru. We'll see. but the cas should be interesting. 

Here is one of my pastel pieces I worked on for the Mt. Tabor Centennial sponsored by MUSE. It was a hot week but I managed to get two pieces done. i thought it was fun even tho i didn't sell anything like several others.

getting hooked up with Columbia county paint out group

I just discovered that Columbia county has a paint out group. I'm trying to join their guild and go to paint outs with them and also get together with the Portland Paint out group.  

last week I was going to Crabapple creek preserve that is being redirected by Greenpeace. Mostly i was trying to think of shapes and composition. It was warm. I learn something with every piece. I'm searching where I should go next. summer is short. I have to get an umbrella that hooks onto my easel . i have one you stick in the ground but sometimes the ground is too hard to stick into so that doesn't work unless your standing in sand or mud. So the umbrella will be my next purchase. 

Scappoose is having a car show this weekend near the farmers market but I'm going to Salem to turn in my pieces for the state fair. At least I hope . I might be at the market for a little bit. i will have a few prints there and my tent mate will be there selling her photos. Laura Hamel. She has some neat photos of local stuff and is getting better all the time. I like her old time photos. She is thinking of expanding .