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Updated 2/21/08
La Quinta Desert Plein Air Competition
Desert Paintings - Coachella Valley and Anza Borrego Area
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One of the last mornings on the Grapevine Canyon Ranch... tomorrow I head west for the familiar home territory. I set my alarm to wake before first light, and stepped outside the cabin with my gear and caught the first rays of sunlight looking through the mesquite bushes and across the fence. Although only a 5 x 7 oil, it sure captures the joy I have at being here on this ranch, and that clear Arizona light. Painted quickly using the Color System for making good color choices, this was done with filbert brushes. I love plein air! |
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I'm home now, long drive through some sere and desolate country between Tucson and Riverside. However, my mind is still on the vistas of the grasslands and mountains of Southern Arizona, so here's the first of two plein air paintings I did while there. This one is a 5 x 7 acrylic ($100), entitled "Through the Gate and Left--Horse Trail at Grapevine Canyon Ranch". Long title, but anyone who has stayed there will know this area! I still feel as if I'm there, not sitting here at my desk in my studio again. It will be a few days before I'm settled back in, but my first job was to water my recent plantings! Tomorrow I pick up my dog from the kennel, start shipping paintings and orders, and sort through the mail. And paint! |
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The second of the plein air paintings done on location at Grapevine Canyon Ranch, this is a 12 x 9 acrylic with loads of texture in the foliage, done both with palette knife and acrylic texture fibers (Golden product) put on before the glazing. The red manzanita is in the lower part, and the oaks and rocks of the distant peaks near the Cochise Stronghold convey the wonder and mystery of this amazing historic area. As I was working, I kept thinking "here is where Cochise and his Chiracahua Apaches rode". I almost expected one to ride out from behind a hill. I plan to return to this ranch and area, as every time I paint one of these (and also in the near future when I'm working from all my reference photos), I am filled with the simplicity and enjoyment of the experience. Available for $200 by contacting me. The rest of the blog is HERE. |
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This is the second painting started in my before-dawn painting session at Grapevine Canyon Ranch. After doing the dawn piece looking east, I spun the easel around and painted the clouds coming up over the Dragoon Mountains behind the ranch. I'm quite pleased with the design of this one, as it seems to hold one's eyes for a long time, enjoying the many vagaries of the edges of the clouds. I'd like to be there again, enjoying the morning light! This little gem is for sale for $100 as an item in my new ebay store. |
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Betty Billups arrived this afternoon, and I had my eye on the skies all day, looking at the clouds. I did this because her mural commission up at Mt. San Antonion College is supposed to be with clouds over the San Gabriel mountains. I guess I got a few of them in my head, because when I came in to paint tonight, this 7 x 5 acrylic just FELL off my brush. We've had a great time talking and going out to dinner, and I'm so looking forward to the next few days.
This little painting is available for $100 from my ebay store listing. |
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Heading into Arizona, I saw the full moon rising over the mountains still lit by the setting sun. Looking intensely at it while I drove, I tried my best to remember all the details and the juxtaposition of the light and values. The desert expanses of this area of Arizona allow the mind to expand as well. Driving was long, but now I'm at the ranch, and able to send on this 6 x 8 acrylic of the evening sky. I couldn't upload it last night since where I stayed no longer has Internet available. More painting tomorrow, after I get my horse for the week, and go on a three-hour trail ride. My friends from the East Coast are here, and the week ahead looks bright! The scenery is beautifully austere and LOADED with subtle grays and muted color. What fun to capture it this week! I'll have photos for you, too! |
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The final footage of the Acrylic Painting Lessons DVD was finished up this morning when I went on location with Vincent van Goat carrying the supplies up into the brush behind the studio. The end result is this 6 x 8 acrylic view of the riparian habitat where UCR students spend many hours researching. I shared how I work with acrylic paints when outdoors and on location with the camera running. It sure was a good trial--the weather was reaching up to the 90s, and dry winds buffeted the easel. The pill boxes of paint did just fine, and Vincent's goat bell clanged throughout as he munched the vegetation.
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This painting is an acrylic, 20 x 20 inches on 2" gallery wrap bars (no frame) and what you see on the left is the original that I painted on location some time ago. It has always lacked that "spark" that catches a viewer's eye, and so tonight I decided to work it over and bring a newer, more contrasted image to you.
One of the most powerful strengths of the Renaissance art world was the use of value as a design element--taking the range of values through their paces in works such as Nicolas Poussin's "Holy Family on the Steps". By taking the balance of value from a master work like this and applying it to one of my own works, I end up with the changes below:
I only changed the painting by the addition of a few layers of glazes, using acrylics' incredible versatility to accomplish the value changes necessary to help this painting come to life.
Although I did not follow Proussin's "diagonal of light/dark", I was brought to the thinking point of making these changes because of viewing his work.
Tomorrow, I head to San Diego and Balboa Park to lead a field trip with my Art Appreciation summer students! A day in museums! Wowza!
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Since I am still working on the capturing the subtle grays that are permeating our drought-stricken landscape, I headed out today with Vincent van (Pack) Goat for an afternoon of plein air painting. Going about a mile up the canyon behind my studio, I stopped, turned around and painted the view back toward the city. Hard to believe a city of over 150,000 people is just down beyond those trees. Original oil, 12 x 16 inches, complete with goat hair! $200
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We all wonder when a painting's finished, right? When can you stop? Well, in my case, I know when a painting ISN'T finished--it shows up without a signature. I ran across this acrylic, started while in the Arizona mountains at Grapevine Canyon, and decided that it needed to go the mile to the finish line tonight. So what did I do? I added the necessary contrast to perk it up--using layers of acrylic color to both bind and unify the design, creating the spiral wherein your eye traverses around the image, and finally finding a resting point somewhere in the middle of the cactus on the left--between the areas of yellow ochre and violet. Another artist might work an additional umpteen hours pulling out all sorts of details. I tend to stop when I get the visual feedback that the design is working. This original 8 x 10 acrylic will be going up on my ebay store in a couple of days for $120.
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On location this afternoon painting with Betty Billups, who will be leaving after a grand visit with me for the past month. I'll miss her humor and good friendship. We went up to my favorite places to paint, the Santa Rosa Ecological Preserve near Murrieta, hoping to meet up with other Plein Air Artists of Riverside (PAAR). A horseback rider said she'd seen one other, but we didn't find her. Now I've brought Raindance up here to ride myself, and know the area well. Thus I decided to paint the water trough where well water comes in and over flows to water the thirsty horses. This is a 10 x 8 oil, and will be up on my ebay store in a couple of days.
Interesting that using a new tripod had me standing to paint, and I can see the difference in my horizon lines in this piece. The horizon line is well up above the mid-point of the painting. (This is good.) |
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I'm up in Ventura County today, and yet I still have thoughts of the desert in my head. This 7 x 5 acrylic has a different palette from the lesson painting of the last three days, and you can see the variance of hue as well as intensity as you look at the various desert plants. The cholla, or "jumping" cactus is so named because the spines have little hooks at the end of them, and seem to jump to attach themselves to any passer-by. It is a nasty cactus to run into. Next to the cholla is what is called "Mexican Sage" or "Texas Ranger" depending upon which region you're in. It has grey-green leaves and bright yellow flowers in Spring.
$100
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November 30
Last painting for November--and since the weather has turned a tad cooler, I thought I'd finish up with this vista from the Southwest Desert areas--"Ocatillo Desert Cactus" in bloom. Original oil on board, 7 x 5 inches. Currently on ebay.
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"Morning Light from Monterey Street Bridge, Palm Desert" I awoke at 4 am on one morning during the Desert Plein Air Competition to be ready for the first light. I was in place by 5:45 a.m., when the light hit the top of Mount San Jacinto, shrouded in snow. "It's so dark I can't even see what I'm mixing!" Original Oil on Canvas, 12 x 16 inches, US $ 300 unframed Purchase from the artist |
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"Indio Polo Ground Morning" After the sun came above the horizon, I set up on a side street in Indio and spent the next hour or so painting this 16 x 20 canvas of the beautiully groomed and gorgeously side lit polo field near 52nd Street. The morning light on the distant mountains is so characteristic of the desert light. Original oil, US $ 500 Contact the artist.
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"Indio Desert Pasture" Out painting during the La Quinta Desert Plein Air Competition, I set up to paint in the early morning. The light and the color were gorgeous as it washed over this buckskin in a pasture near where I camped. Original oil on board, 12 x 16 inches, US $ 375 Contact the artist.
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"Sun Over the Santa Rosas" My artist buddy and friend Gwen and I were on location near Indio on Friday evening and captured this intense view toward the mountains behind the Coachella Valley. Original oil on board, 12 x 9 inches, US $ 350 Contact the artist.
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"At the Smoke Tree Stables" When I couldn't gain access to Indian Canyons in Palm Springs because of having my dog with me, I turned around and went to the stables at the head of the canyon and found this timeless scene of a rental horse waiting his turn. Called "Raven", this fellow shows the calm nature of rental horses. It was a great experience to paint, to again experience the wonderful handing of color and light. Original oil, 16 x 12 inches, US $450 (unframed). Contact me about it.
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"Sunrise" Up before dawn and with the light changing at the speed of light, I pulled off this magical moment just before the sun lifted above the distant hills by the Salton Sea. Original oil on board, 5 x 7 inches, US $ 100 from the artist.
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"Borrego Palm, Desert Beauty" in the desert of Anza Borrego. The Washingtonian Palms line the seams of moisture that percolate to the surface because of the geologic features of the desert, and this palm was captured forever on canvas in the morning light of the Borrego Springs area. Original oil on canvas, 16 x 20 inches US $550 Contact Elin.
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"San Andreas Fault Zone, Metate Ranch" At 12 x 12 inches, this little painting with the big title captures the color and light of the desert and the hot springs that are found along the San Andreas Fault south of Desert Hot Springs. I was driven well off the main roads in a Jeep to this location, and after painting it, carried the wet painting and hiked back out to the trailhead--about four miles of beautiful country. Original oil, US $295 unframed Email the artist
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"Morning at Lake Cahuilla" Painting during the week-long competition in the desert this January (LQAF Desert Plein Air), I captured the early morning light on the mountains that are across the man-made reservoir at Cahuilla County Park. Original oil on canvas, 12 x 12 inches US $295 unframed Email to purchase from the artist
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"Highway 74 Bighorn" On the day before the official start of the La Quinta Desert Plein Air Competition, Elin and another artist went up Highway 74 in the late afternoon and did a little on-location work to get the feel of the desert coloration. Here's Elin's result, a little gem of an 8 x 10 oil on canvas. US $295 unframed Contact the artist. |
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18th Hole, Indian Wells Country Club (also called "Ten Inches to a Birdie" Early on the last morning of the La Quinta Desert Plein Air competition in January, and before the Chrysler Bob Hope Classic Golf Championship started, Elin was bundled against the desert cold, painting the final hole on this exquisite golf course. Original acrylic on canvas, 18 x 24 inches. US $ 695 unframed Contact the artist. |
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"Murray Canyon Trailhead, Indian Canyon" After painting the cool creek, Elin moved her rig out into the overcast day to capture this view of one of the many trails in the area. Setting up her "stuff", she neglected to notice (a bad thing!) that she had set up on a red ant colony! The last moments of this piece were done while Elin danced around with her pants tucked in her socks! Her painting friend Gwen thoroughly laughed at the dancing artist! Original Oil on canvas, 16 x 12 inches, US$ 295 unframed Purchase from the artist |
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"From Within the Cancer Survivors Park" After the opening orientation for the artists of the Desert Plein Air Competition, Elin left with the intention of going to the polo grounds to paint her love of horses. But the sign "Cancer Survivors Park" redirected her to paint this site. Her father died from melanoma, and this painting resulted from the peaceful park, where she felt truly close to him while painting. Original oil on canvas 18 x 24 inches, US $ 400 unframed Purchase from the artist |
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"On the hill below the Tram" Elin traveled to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway during the Desert Plein Air Compeition, and painted this 18 x 24 oil while the sun was setting in the west. The painting was done before the light was gone, and you can almost feel the cold air. This painting was featured in the Idyllwild Community Calendar. Original Oil on Canvas, 18 x 24 inches US $ 575 unframed Purchase from the artist
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