Time to Relax

Self Portrait, watercolor, 9x12, 2009

 Ah, Saturday.  A chance to put my feet up.  Not quite warm enough for bare feet today like it was when I painted this picture, but a beautiful sunny fall day.  I hope you also have some relaxation time today.

More Trees!

AEI trees 1, acrylic, 10x12, 2005

Patty was my very first patron.  I don't have a photo of the apple and banana picture she bought way back then, but she has this one also.  Very abstract, kinda stormy like yesterday and today!

Trees!

Side Lake in Purple, pastel, 11x14, 2004 (or so)

Jill chose this one when she came to my show a few years ago. Thanks Jill! The purple and white combination is reminding me of Atwater today.  My hometown has been on my mind lately.  Trees have been on my mind too, because I recently tripped and crashed into one.  I keep replaying the incident in my mind, trying to figure out why I could not avoid it.  I guess it is best to just try to heal and move on.

Side Lake Dock, watercolor, 9x12, 2009

I keep thinking I'm going to post more recent work, but I've been letting school take too much time lately.  I actually have been painting, so there should be new stuff here soon.

I chose this one for today because I've been hearing lots of people talk about having to go to their cabins to take in the docks.  Don't forget the hip waders!  It's cold!

A tree and a bridge

Island Lake Park, watercolor, 2008, 7x11

Another black and white watercolor.  I guess I was working on controlling the amount of pigment.  I like that bridge, not sure why.  It is 694 near Victoria St.  Years ago I did a series of bridges, about 40 or so of the same bridge.  Lots of metaphorical possibilities with bridges.

Nice day for a walk

Roseville Central Park, watercolor, 7x11, 2009

I went for a walk in Roseville today.  Beautiful Fall Day!  A stranger asked to see what I was doing.  I showed her.  She said "Hm" and kept going. I smiled to myself.

Ran a 5K in the rain today,

Jack-in-the-Pulpit, 7x11, watercolor, 2008

Jack-in-the-Pulpit 2, 7x11, watercolor, 2008

I made these two while sitting outside at Dad's house.  I wish it was not so far away!

For some reason, I was digging the indigo and raw umber that day.

Going for a walk

watercolor, 9x12, 2008

I made this at the women's retreat a couple years ago.  Rebecca needs the computer so that is all I can write right now.

Emphasis on the Circle

Split Rock Accident, watercolor, 9x12, 2007

This week I've been showing my 5th grade students the work of Andy Goldsworthy and there are a lot of circles.  So here is a circle. 

 I was at Split Rock State Park when I made this.  I dunked my paper in the lake (on purpose), painted the scene in a very abstract sort of way, waited a few minutes, and then set that paper aside and started a new one.  It was a bit windy so I used my water container to keep it from blowing away.  This is what happened.  I kind of like it.

Reminds me of Orange Crush

Exercise in Futility, watercolor and pastel, 22x28, 2007

Jay Cooke State Park.  The water does have a lot of iron in it, but obviously not this orange in real life.  I really enjoyed this one.  Each area has a different texture and shape type like in real life.  I drew with pastel over the top of a watercolor painting I did at the park.  I did a lot of pictures of that spot.  I'd like to go back there.

School is the black hole of time.

Wordless and Done, acrylic, 22x28, 2007

Time is not on my side.

Split Rock is one of my favorite places.

Split Rock Light, watercolor, 22x28, 2007

If you are ever out in some public place and see an artist working, I think it is fine to stand and watch for a few minutes without saying anything, and then move on.  Talk to your friend about it once you are out of earshot.  If the artist is creating things in different colors than they are in real life, it is most likely done on purpose.

Split Rock 07

Split Rock Dark, watercolor, 22x28, 2007

While I was painting this, someone said "Look kids, an artist!"

And now for something completely different

Sudoku, acrylic, 24x24, 2009

I worked on this sudoku so long, I had to create a response to the experience.  It was fun to just put whatever shapes I felt like and experiment with various methods for making the numbers.

Pics from the past

Island Lake Fishing Pier, watercolor, 9x12, 2008

I still have not painted since getting back from vacation.  I have been working on school stuff.  I'll be giving a presentation to staff about the art program on Tuesday.  I'm a bit nervous and when I am nervous I tend to use more words than necessary which causes the eyes of everyone in the audience to glaze over which just makes me more nervous.

Vacation Art

doodle on a paper tablecloth, 2010

I went on a 12 day vacation and this was all the drawing I was able to do.  Sigh.  It was a fun time, but I need to do some art now.

More Rocks and Water

Duluth Waterfall, pastel, 22"x28", 2009

Here's the one Jill liked.  Same park as the last post.

Rocks and Water

Lester Park 2, watercolor, 9"x12", 2009

Here is a sketch from last summer in Duluth.  The grounds at Fallingwater in Pennsylvania were similar.  I was wishing I could sit down and paint, but I don't think my family would have been that patient.

More Plants

Side Lake Up Close, watercolor, 9"x12", 2009

I like the purple/green combination, and painting the extra layer of purple to get the shadow and the far away.

Color Study

"Como Color Study", watercolor, 7"x11", 2009

I like these plants.  Does anyone know what they are called?  They grow in the ponds at Como Park.

A Nice Walk in the Woods

"New Life and Old Moss", watercolor, 9"x12", 2010

I painted this when I was at a retreat at St. Ben's about a month ago.  It strikes me as significant the way new sprouts thrive among old rotten stuff.  I tried to capture the interesting shadows, but they changed too fast.

Serenade

Bill at Rest, pastel, 11"x14" 2008

By request, here is a picture of Bill.  He is playing his uke with the Van Halen style finish.  It really is bright blue like that, but I doubt he was wearing bright red shorts and a bright yellow shirt that day.  I made the chair green so it would not stand out too much.

When everything else goes wrong, just go paint.

Grass Lake Shapes, watercolor, 9"x12"

Today while biking, the chain fell off and part of the gear broke apart.  I walked it home.  It was only about a mile, could have been worse, but still.  I almost left it by a dumpster, but it has brand new tires on it.

Anyway, I decided today to put up this picture of a random bunch of weeds.

Can you Canoe?

Patti's Canoe, watercolor, 9"x12"

I painted this a couple weeks ago at a friend's cabin (Thanks Patti!)  This is a little different for me to represent plants in solid shapes like this.  I was going for obnoxiously bright color and hard shadows.  What do you think?

REJECTED State Fair entry 2010

"The Final Duel", watercolor, 11"x14"

My son's friend set these Lego minifigures in this way.  It intrigued me and the shapes were interesting.  I just might do more pictures of Legos.  

Runner up

"Side Lake by Myself", watercolor, 9"x12"

I almost chose this one to enter, but I figured the judges probably see thousands of pretty little landscapes.  How many Lego paintings do you think they will see?