In the Pine Woods

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


These Black Pines catch the last rays of a summer afternoon in the mountains. Speaking of mountains, we took a drive in the forest the other day and found a lot of nearly ripe huckleberries. We're going back this weekend to pick. I can already taste the huckleberry pie. The berries are at an undisclosed location...don't try to follow us.

Here's a photo of today's mural progress, laying in the sky:



It's a great pleasure to work with oils for this project. Many of my murals have been on exterior walls, where acrylic paint is best suited. Soft blends with acrylic are challenging on large scale, because of the rapid drying time. It feels like such a luxury to have the blending capabilities of oil. Notice my patented two-story taboret at the far left. I needed a way to get my palette and tools up higher while working on the scaffold, so I built another level on top of the existing tabletop. It all rolls around on wheels. Works like a charm.

My friend Katherine Treffinger has been painting in my studio the last couple of days, using one of my large painting walls to work on a canvas about 4 by 10 feet. It's fun to watch her method of working--a real process of discovery. Here she lays in calligraphic lines that will no doubt be layered over with more paint:

Rainy Day

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


A few people have asked me if I would document the process of the mural I'm working on in the studio, so I plan to post some progress photos from time to time. Click images to enlarge.

Here's the (very rough) sketch concept for the mural:



The 8' x 16' mural will be installed on a high wall inside the Pendleton, Oregon Convention Center, and will depict the landscape of that region.



The initial plan was to use 3/4" birch plywood. I spent over a week preparing the panels and making an elaborate system of hanging cleats. When I finally got them mounted on the wall it became clear that the cleat system would not eliminate warpage in the panels, so I had to bunch that whole idea (assorted curses!)

I ended up using 1/2" thick medium density fiberboard (MDF,) which laid up beautifully. The surface was primed and then rolled with two coats of highest grade 100% acrylic flat paint. Transparencies of the sketch were projected onto the mural wall, and using light colored paint I laid in the basic lines and rudimentary shadow patterns.

This mural will be painted in oil, so the rest of the day was spent squeezing tube oils into sealable containers and thinning them with mineral spirits to a flowing consistency. Now I'm ready to paint (I think!)

The Shallows

Oil on board, 7" x 5"

$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.

SOLD


Thank goodness for sharp-eyed readers to keep us bloggers honest.

You may have noticed I changed the title of my last post from "Mustard Field" to "Canola Field." My friends Tim and Jon separately informed me that the yellow fields around here are not mustard but the unfortunately named rapeseed plant, which is used to produce canola oil. I did, however, read that rapeseed was in the mustard family, so at least I was in the ballpark!

Today's painting is of a blue heron out at Ladd Marsh. These exotic looking birds are very wary and usually fly off before I can get anywhere near, but this one kindly posed long enough for me to zoom my camera lens and get a half-decent shot.

Canola Field

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


While searching for subjects for my upcoming mural, I roamed the rolling farmlands near Pendleton, Oregon. Deep green oceans of early summer wheat waved and rippled in the wind. Dust devils spiraled madly across brown fallow fields, whipping fine particles into the air like smoke. Topping a gentle rise, I was shocked to see the horizon suddenly filled by this field of brilliant yellow.

Neighbors

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


One of those crystalline summer evenings we get around here. This house near Cove, Oregon is not far from a piece of property we own. It's a beautiful spot, with views across the broad valley in one direction, and pine-covered mountains looming up behind. We hope to build a home on it before too long. In the meantime we drive over to visit the place and imagine ourselves being neighbors.

Streamside Cows 2

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

Another view of cattle along the Wallowa River, grazing under majestic cottonwoods. This is actually a quiet sidechannel of the main river, which is running high and fast with snowmelt from the mountains.

Streamside Cows

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


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