"Spring Sky Over the Judiths"

"Spring Sky Over the Judiths" and "March Skies #3" (the post immediately below this one) each measure 9 x 7 inches. Both are on board panels and both were brought to their current state in one very short paint session. Both are also what I call "cold" (explained in the post appearing below this one.)
This painting was done "plein aire" outside my studio door. It's very intense painting session for about 15 minutes and then it is set aside as the sky has changed too much to continue. I enjoy working in this manner and am never disappointed with the results. Works like this are always about the paint as well as the subject.

"March Skies #3"

This small painting is based on an earlier larger work which I no longer own, but which still influences my stormy sky paintings. "March Skies #3" as it appears here is a work in-progress, but it may not change much (if at all), as it is now cold. The painting was started before I left for my most recent two-week residency in Oregon and now enough time has elapsed that the energy of the first session is cold. Is there energy still? Yes, absolutely! But it's not the same energy. Also, the paint has dried so additional brushwork will sit on top of this first layer rather than merge or flow with it. And that's an important consideration because this work is as much about the paint as it is about the subject.

"Spring Winds" (or, Gusty Skies Over the Judiths")

Painted on a gesso primed wood panel, this oil  painting started as a sketch that developed a mind of it's own, so to speak. Upon reaching a certain stage I determined that it be declared finished and then left alone. Sometimes talk is cheap and I might push a painting too far. This painting, however, works for me. The scratchy, hurried linear marks that make up this work give a feel for the crisp spring winds that pack a good bite for all who were fooled by the sun and so are unprepared for what spring is on the high prairie.

"Hmmm. . . . ."

This is a small work in-progress. It is oil on wood panel and measures 8 inches high by 4 inches wide. It's my impression of Neko when she's thinking: "Hmmm. . . what can I get into next?"

Often I paint on small panels to "warm up" before doing anything else. And just as often, I end up liking the spontaneous quality of these small works. Always, the warm up paintings are as much about paint as they are about subject. This particular work will, no doubt, lead to more and larger works based on Neko.

The eyes at this point are simply lifted out of the blackish/brownish paint but I may decide to leave them at this stage. For me, there seems to be enough "attitude" in the gesture of the tail, head and ears. And there is a sense that the cat is lifting itself slightly on it's toes, ready to spring into action.

Neko, by the way, is a small black kitten growing into a leggy long-tailed mischievous cat who needs to know absolutely everything about everything in the whole house! Neko's fur is black, but her attitude is pure sunshine!

"North Of Town"

"North Of Town" is a 5 x 7 inch oil painting. The town referred to is Lewistown and time of year is late winter, when the snow is getting yellowing thin. This is a memory work--i.e., I created it based on landscapes recalled from auto trips taken in the area. My initial intent was to create a study that would resolve some compositional thoughts leading to a larger work. When it reached this state, it felt "finished." Pinning it to the studio wall, I left it to dry for several weeks and then decided to sign and frame it.

Back Home (for a while)

I'm finally back home! The return road trip was long but uneventful. But I've hit the ground running here, as I have several new project applications to get into the postmail and email within the week or so.
The Redmond Proficiency Acadamy students got their mural project off to a good start the week I instructed there. The school set up a "moodle" access for me to stay in touch via the internet between now and when I return to Redmond in late April to facilitate the actual painting. Sometime over the next few days, I'll be posting some photos of all the residencies I conducted in Oregon since January.

Mid-week point - Artist Residency at RPA

Since the previous blog post, the first week of my artist residency at Redmond Proficiency Academy is at the mid-point and the mural is starting to form as an image with specific elements. Working with a small core group of students, I've taken them through the following steps since beginning on Monday:
Site Visit - After a brief introduction and overview of the mural project, we visited the site where the completed mural is to be installed. There are actually two sites involved; one is a temporary site in the City of Redmond Centennial Park and the other is the permanent location the mural will be moved to at the end of summer.
Brainstorm Ideas - Group discussion to generate ideas for subjects that may be included in the mural. Follow-up research for source images was begun after the brainstorming session.
Formal Meeting with the "Client" - Students met at City Hall with Economic Development Director and representatives from the RCAPP and the Centennial Committee. A pre-meeting group discussion generated questions the students determined they needed to ask at the meeting. The meeting ended with a visit to the mural installation sites led by the Economic Development Director; additional questions and concerns were discussed at each site.
Formulating the Basic Composition - Students discuss and map out what images go where in the mural. This process will continue through the end of the week.
Creating a Budget - Students create a budget, working with unit prices and then calculating total costs. I also introduce line items that are typical requirements in "real world" proposed budgets and discuss the purpose of each and why it is needed.

Final Residency begins Feb. 8th

My last artist residency in Oregon begins in a couple days. This will be the first time I've conducted my program for a proficiency acadamy. I'll be working with about 20 high-school-age students in the City of Redmond. For this residency, I've proposed to conduct one week of "real job" introduction for the students. Students will be required to perform all the tasks and steps that a working artist must successfully complete when applying for an opportunity to create specific public art.

Two Artist Residencies completed and two more to go

I'm about to begin the third Artist-In-Residence on my loop through eastern Oregon. This trip began with two weeks at the elementary school in the town of Irrigon. After that, it was on to Canyon City and now La Pine. The last residency will be in Redmond.

FIRST OF SEVERAL ARTIST RESIDENCIES . . .

My artist residencies in schools are off to an earlier start this year. I'm halfway through a two-week residency in Irrigon, Oregon already. The students will be creating a large mural of the Oregon Trail and Native Americans. Grades involved are K-3, so it should prove interesting and a challenge. But, judging by the first two days here, I'm sure they can handle it.
After Irrigon, I'm off to Canyon City for a week, then La Pine for a week followed by a residency in Redmond (all in Oregon).
My blog entries will be slim or absent until I return.

"Petrolia Reservoir Memory"

To create "Petrolia Reservoir Memory" paint was applied and removed several times. Each time some paint was left behind to interact with the subsequent layers. I enjoy working this way as the resulting art is as much or more about the paint as it is about anything that inspired it in the first place. Petrolia Reservoir, which shows up as "Lake" on some maps, is located southeast of Winnett (east of Lewistown.) This painting is 5 x 7 inch.

UPDATE: Benches completed and delivered!

All fourteen benches ready for delivery. The gold disk visible on each bench backrest is a cast metal replica  of the Rotary Club emblem. The local Lewistown Rotary contributed funding to the bench portion of the street amenities project. To see more photos of the the finished benches visit EastMontProductions.com