Daily Art West

2010-09-02T00:04:00.000-07:00

Rock Study 1

Charcoal and pencil on archival paper, 8" x 11"
$65 plus $6 shipping in U.S.

For check payment or other arrangements, email don@dailyartwest.com

I worked today on a couple of small drawings in the stone series--here's one of them.

2010-08-31T20:31:00.000-07:00

Stone Series (works in progress)

Charcoal on paper, each sheet approx. 22" x 30"
Click image to enlarge

No daily painting today. The day was spent with rocks in my head, working on these drawings that continue the "Heaven and Earth" theme. I begin with photos of actual stones which are then "re-invented," freely interpreted with paint or drawing media. The search is for more than just a picture of a rock. I struggle for a poetic equivalent...some kind of felt reality, I guess. It seems impossible to describe this intuitive process in words. It is often frustrating, not knowing what I want until I see it, but I do love working in this open-ended way.

Here are some links to previous posts related to this series:

http://www.dailyartwest.com/2009/04/nine-stones-progression-1-nine-stones.html

http://www.dailyartwest.com/2009/11/four-stones-studio-view-click-images-to.html

http://www.dailyartwest.com/2010/04/untitled-work-in-progress-oil-on-board.html

http://www.dailyartwest.com/2010/05/heaven-and-earth-1-2-3-4-charcoal-on.html

The "Heaven and Earth" exhibit continues through September 10th in the Memorial Building at Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington. If you go, use the back entrance--they have the front of the building blocked while doing construction/maintenance.

2010-08-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

Studio Wall with Painting

Oil on board, 6" x 7 1/8"
$140 plus $6 shipping in U.S.

SOLD

A painting within a painting. While casting about for a subject, I noticed the glowing light filtering across a studio wall, where I had recently hung one of my large shell paintings.

2010-08-26T22:42:00.000-07:00

Rockslide

Oil on canvas, 12" x 12"
$750 plus $12 shipping in U.S.

2010-08-24T23:52:00.000-07:00

Monumental Pepper

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

2010-08-23T22:16:00.000-07:00

Second Cutting

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

A rich green crop of alfalfa on a neighbor's farm. I couldn't resist the complementary red/green color scheme.

Uh oh...there's been a chill in the air the last couple of nights, a reminder that autumn is fast approaching. Are you ready?

2010-08-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

Once Upon a Time

Oil on canvas panel, 6" x 6"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
For check payment or other arrangements, email don@dailyartwest.com.

The idyllic looking place in this painting no longer exists. It was painted from a photo I took a couple of years ago. Today, the area looks like the photo below, taken yesterday.

Catherine Creek courses through this low-lying land, and if it weren't for the earthen dike you can just make out along the treeline in the photo, this farmland would be a marsh year round. Even with the dike, water finds it's way into low spots, and my painting shows one of those backwater channels. The farmer has graded out the channel and dozed the trees down, probably in an effort to reclaim agricultural ground and in hopes of reducing flooding.

I watched a program the other night on a photographer (forgive me, I don't recall his name) who took many photos of older buildings. He said "Every photographer is a historian." The simple truth of it struck me. Even painters, artistic license and all, work at freezing a moment of time...a fleeting impression...an historic instant. And we are constantly reminded that the only constant is change.

2010-08-19T11:18:00.000-07:00

Homage to Jena

Oil on board, 24" x 30"
Private commission

This is a recently completed commissioned work. Robert, a longtime family friend, wanted a painting of a barn he had renovated inside and out. The interior is certainly not your typical barn any longer. It has been outfitted with a concrete floor, kitchen, gallery lighting and much more. It is used for family gatherings, weddings, etc. Robert is part of a large and loving family of wonderful people who are highly respected and appreciated in our region. Brenda and I had the honor of attending their family gathering this year and unveiling the painting.

I was given complete freedom in my interpretation of the subject. Later I was thrilled to learn that the view I happened to choose held special significance for the family--Robert's father and neice are buried under the two large pines at the top of the hill. The neice, Jena, was a young aspiring artist who was working on a painting of this barn when she sadly passed away.

This was a commission that held special meaning for me--thank you, Robert!

2010-08-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

August Light

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

2010-08-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

Shaded Up

Oil on board, 8" x 8 3/4"
$250 plus $10 shipping in U.S.

2010-08-12T23:46:00.000-07:00

Cherries in a Metal Bowl

Oil on board, 6" x 8"
$150 plus $6 shipping in U.S.

2010-08-11T22:16:00.000-07:00

Tomato and Bowl

Oil on board, 5" x 7"

2010-08-10T23:40:00.000-07:00

Harvest Evening

Oil on board, 6" x 8"
$150 plus $6 shipping in U.S.

2010-08-09T22:27:00.000-07:00

Stilt Walker

Oil on board, 6" x 8"
$150 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
SOLD

A slightly larger painting today. This long-legged fellow is called, appropriately, a Black-necked Stilt. I watched him wade along in the shallows out at Ladd Marsh the other day. He moved pretty quickly through the water, spindly legs flexing in a curious rolling gait that reminded me of someone walking on snowshoes.

2010-08-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

White Shore 9

Mixed media on paper, 6" x 6"

$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.

To pay by check or make other payment arrangements, email don@dailyartwest.com

Sometimes the best thing you can do is ruin a painting. Why? Because the pressure's off. The work is already toast, why not mess around with it a little more and experiment--maybe try an approach or technique you haven't tried before?

This painting began as a watercolor on heavyweight Fabriano paper. I wasn't happy with it, so I sprayed it heavily with fixative to isolate the paper surface, then overpainted with oil. The watercolor acts as an underpainting and the oil allows a range of subtle color and value that better captures the beautiful porcelain-like quality of the shell. I'm much happier with it now. I just hope nobody heard the cussing earlier.

2010-08-04T23:19:00.000-07:00

Cherry Season 2

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

For convenience I'm going back to using purchase buttons. They allow fast and easy payment by credit or debit card, or by PayPal account. If you prefer to pay by check or make other arrangements, email don@dailyartwest.com.

2010-08-03T21:47:00.000-07:00

Cherry Season 1

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

Brenda came home yesterday with a sack of big, luscious cherries. These three survived just long enough to be painted. They were really tasty.

2010-08-03T00:35:00.000-07:00

White Shore 7

Pencil on archival paper, 11" x 8"
$65 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase

2010-08-01T23:36:00.000-07:00

White Shore 6

Pencil on archival paper, 8" x 11"
$65 plus $6 shipping in U.S.
SOLD

I thought I had retired the seashell theme for a while, but yesterday my artist friend Linda Peterson brought me a box of shells and rekindled my interest. Thanks, Linda.

Actually, one of the things I like best about doing these small paintings and drawings is their unplanned nature. I never know for sure what I'll be doing from day to day. The spur of the moment nature of the process is a large part of the fun of it.

2010-07-28T21:59:00.000-07:00

Functional Sculpture

Watercolor on archival paper, 7 1/4" x 10"
$160 plus $7 shipping in U.S.
Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase

OK class, time for another Gray tutorial on eastern Oregon fence building. Here's a variation on the rock jack (see my April 28th post.) This style of jack may have another name, but I don't know it. (some fencing instructor I am, huh?) Maybe some of you ranchers can help me out.

It's a pretty elegant, simple solution that looks almost sculptural, don't you agree?

This subject seemed to cry out to be painted in watercolor, at a bit larger scale than the usual daily.

2010-07-27T22:38:00.000-07:00

Whitewater

Oil on board, 5" x 7"

$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.

SOLD

2010-07-25T22:27:00.000-07:00

Streamside Perch

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

A grosbeak alights for a brief moment alongside the rushing water.

2010-07-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

Waterworn

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

Sun and shadow flicker across the clear waters, lighting up this eroded granite boulder.

2010-07-20T23:04:00.000-07:00

Roots

Oil on board, 7" x 5"

$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.

Email don@dailyartwest.com for purchase

Snowmelt from the Eagle Cap Wilderness finds it's way into the north fork of Catherine Creek, one of my favorite places.

2010-07-18T23:14:00.000-07:00

Ranch Gate

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

Back in April I posted a painting of a rock jack--a triangular wooden structure weighted with rocks. They are used in hard, rocky ground out west as deadweights for stretching wire fence. If they are built like this one, with a series of posts forming a square or circle with wire wrapped around to contain the rocks, they are called rock cribs. The cribs are heavier and are generally used to anchor corners, or breaks in the fence, such as this gate.

Just thought you'd want to know.