I started depending on Artist Mary to bring flowers for still life paintingfor Instructor Richard's Studio Class. She had other plans that night. I brought nothing to paint. Dilemma!

Instructor Richard quickly set up this cobalt pitcher on a low stand. My sunflowers at home would have been beautiful in the pitcher, but I mentioned that their highest good was to remain in the garden and serve as food for the many gold finches that were feasting on them. (There were a few editorial comments about that).

Light changed quickly and then the chair disappeared so a fellow student could sit and take in Instructor Richard's lecture.

Still life painting is not exactly what I would call "still." True to the laws of physics all light and matter is in constant motion. I just have to make faster marks for painting...

Yellow Swing

It's summer and time to go up Nort' to the lake cabin. This a charming lake cabin that has been in the Jones' Family for many years. My neighbors, Paul and Anne, asked me to paint it from photos as a birthday gift.

I See the Forest

For Instructor Richard's studio class Mary brought garden flowers and a lovely yellow vase to paint. While I have never gravitated to painting still life from unsuccessful attempts in the past, I am enjoying the speed and vitality of a 3 hour session. After about an hour and a half I looked at the other two painters work and discovered that they really were painting the flowers and vase as the main subject matter. Amazing! I looked at the same thing and saw the table cloth, vase, shadow composition (oh, yeah, there were flowers there, too!). I am truly a landscape painter. I see the forest and not the trees, as it seems. (Left room for lots of commentary here--be gentle).

Which brings us up to date on my painting struggles and triumphs. Based on the above composition, it is apparent that I am able to view a subject and pick out simplicity of shape and form. The next step, and this is the critical one to make an OK painting a great painting, is what to put back in. The exquisite dashes and dots and sparkles that speak to the light source and follow form. To be or not to be? Oh, what to leave in; what to leave out? That is the question.

I have to learn to see both--the forest... and the trees...

4th of July

I admit it. I was a slug. Here is the only painting that I completed in 3 vacation days. Work with me on this...

Note to KK. Found the doll clothes that you made for me. Why didn't you go into fashion design? I had the MOST STYLIN' outfits for Cisette & Betsy. Sisters--S&S and I had a wonderful time reminiscing. Wish you could have been there.

Barn Bluff

Artist Sharon and I took an early morning road trip and ended up in Red Wing. After a bit of deliberation we crossed over to the Wisconsin side of the river and discovered a Caribbean-like private marina and campgrounds. We set up easels on the rocks and acted like we belonged there and had a perfect morning believing that we were on vacation somewhere else...and we were. We were in Wisconsin and they not only allow themselves more fun. They have a better perspective of Barn Bluff than the folks in Red Wing. We will return. Perhaps with a tent.

Boat Trifecta

We live in the Land of 10,000 Lakes and it makes sense that we all own boats of various sizes and descriptions. Here are just three (actually 4) of them commemorated in paint. I really enjoyed painting them because each painting suggests a story rather than depicting a time and

place.

Thanks to Instructor Richard these paintings were all brought to completion despite rain, cold and biting insects. Part of his job is to cajole us into staying the course when paintings go wrong and the environment gets tough. Thanks again, Richard!

Grand Marais

It was glorious to spend four days thinking about nothing but painting. The spectacular inland coast of Lake Superior is quite a departure from Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary. Even though the overall effect is a series of big shapes (such as sky, lake, rocks) a successful painting depended on value relationships...or the value sandwich...as it came to be called thanks to Instructor Neil. The weather and lake was as "well behaved" as I have ever seen it, but the values were difficult to discern based on cloud shadows, glare, and special lake effects, such as white-out-fog. It was humbling to try to capture the light and beauty of this place, but most of all it was fun to experience four days of immersion with such accomplished painters.