Deception Pass

I got a chance to go through Deception Pass in a boat last time I was up there just in time to see an amazing sunset. This is one of the paintings I did from that trip.

Old Art Class Work Vol. 1

I was going through old artwork today and found this old art class project from a while back. The teacher had just introduced a new medium to us: Gouache (which is basically opaque watercolor) and the assignment was to “paint something with gouache to get familiar with it.” The other students very diligently painted things like apples or their Starbucks cup that was sitting near by. I, on the other hand, apparently felt the need to paint something in the style of Film Noir, a scene from a drab apartment building where something very mysterious and sinister had just taken place. From the long shadow of the form coming through the doorway we can tell that the phantom villain will finally reveal himself as he walks through the door in this dark place we call . . . Chinatown. . . . . or so I was thinking as I happily painted away next to my classmate who was slurping her mocha and painting an apple.

Chinatown, by the way, is a classic Film Noir movie staring Jack Nicholson. I would highly recommend it.

Discussing the Meaning of Life on a Cannon Beach Roof Top

Seagulls gather on Cannon Beach roof tops to gossip about Oregon Coast politics and whether the recent storm caused the “10 year flood” or the “100 year flood”.

I painted this picture while giving painting demonstrations at Haystack Gallery during the Stormy Weather Arts Festival. It’s always enjoyable painting a “fun” picture in front of people because they then feel at liberty to offer ideas for what to put in a picture. If you’re painting a “serious” picture, people don’t tend to offer suggestions.

My thanks to the person that suggested adding Haystack Rock, the trademark giant monolith protruding out of the beach indicating that this picture is in fact of Cannon Beach. Also thanks to the youngster that pointed out where I should add a chimney that subsequently became a great item for a seagull to sit on. My apologies to the gentleman that suggested I add someone doing the “Saturday Night Fever” dance in the window of one of the houses. I couldn’t quite pull off a John Travolta impersonator through one of the little windows on this piece in such a way that one understood what kind of dance he was doing. Maybe next time. I do appreciate the gentleman’s willingness to pose the dance move for me, even though he only held the pose for 10 seconds. Next time someone suggests such a thing I’ll insist that I need them to hold the ridiculous dance pose for me for at least a half hour in the middle of the gallery in order for me to complete my piece of art. ;)

Stormy Weather in Oregon

This last weekend was the Stormy Weather Arts Festival in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Thanks to those of you that stopped by Haystack Gallery to say hi during the event.

True to the festival's name, it proved to be quite a stormy weekend complete with our signature Oregon "sideways falling" rain. The turbulent Pacific was quite entertaining to watch and no doubt would have been even more entertaining to watch through a window while one was eating clam chowder. There were lots of artists and festival-goers in town and overall it was a great weekend! =)

Pictured: Me participating in the Quick Draw event Friday night to kick off the festival.

Dogs and the Beach

Speaking of dogs chasing off seagulls. . .

"Chasing Away the Seagulls" 8" x 10" watercolor