The Crossing

A scene from last winter near Lostine, Oregon.  14x11", Oil on Linen. 

Spring Majesty

18x10", Oil on Linen. Available at Holton Studio Gallery.

Summer Splendor

18x10" Oil on Linen.  Available at Holton Studio Gallery . 

Smoky Reflections

The smoke was a little less thick this morning.  This view is a short distance from the last study I did, but in very different lighting conditions for the same time of day.  I really enjoyed the muted colors and soft reddish sunlight.  Study 10x8", Oil on Linen.  

River Bend

I'd like to try this view again because I think I could do a better job with it, but I might not get the chance.  Today the visibility due to smoke is down to about a mile and a half and it is difficult to be outside.  I would never know that there are mountains across the valley, because I can't even see a hint of them today.  Good day for being inside and cooking, and I also have a few unfinished studies to fiddle with.  Study 10x8", Oil on Linen.  

Mountain Stream

Another view of the Lostine River on a smoky autumn afternoon.  Study 8x10", Oil on Linen.  

Lostine Afternoon

I was attracted to a small rock island in the middle of the Lostine river, it reminded me of a sailing ship.  Study 12x9", Oil on Linen.  

Liquid Tranquility

I'm not wild about the composition of this one, but I like it as a lighting study and the fact that I'm starting to shake the rust off and feel more comfortable painting.  If only it didn't take so long for me to get into a groove.  I'm really excited about what I plan to paint next, I was hoping it would be today, but it is very overcast at the moment so it might have to wait for another day.  Study 10x8", Oil on Linen.  

Lodgepole & Aspen

Lodgepole pine and quaking aspen on a pond at the end of the day.  Lodgepole pines are challenging for me to paint because they seem to be more branches than needles, it is a lot of busy, fiddly stuff.  There was some nice early autumn color and the weather was serene.  Study 10x8", Oil on Linen.  

Kokanee Heaven

There were large numbers of Kokanee fish spawning in the river yesterday evening as I was painting this study. Kokanee are a landlocked type of sockeye salmon common to the inland Pacific Northwest lakes and streams; a favorite with the eagles and osprey, and of course the anglers. The fish have bright red bodies and are very beautiful swimming in the shallow water. Again, this was a bit ambitions to try to tackle as a study in a very limited time window, but it sure was fun to try to paint. The temperature is very chilly right now and the foliage is turning rapidly especially on the underbrush. This morning it didn't get above freezing until the sun was up for over an hour; meanwhile, the sunshine sparkled beautifully on all of the ice caused by frozen overnight irrigation sprinkling. Study 10x8", Oil on Linen.  

Lakehead Atmosphere

Another view of the lake and the mountains surrounding it in the late afternoon light.  This view is near the lake head.  Study 9.5x8 inches, Oil on Linen.  

Last Reach

The last reach of the day; the last reach of summer.  A beautiful evening at the lake and breezy enough for a light sail.  I did feel a little bit like a tourist painting the lake, but the sculptural forms of the mountains are so interesting to me in the last light of the day.  I wish there had been some clouds to break up the uniformity of the sky, but this way the slight shadow of the mountain on the atmosphere was visible.  Study 12x7", Oil on Linen.

Mountain Shadows

This subject was a bit ambitious considering how little time I had to try to capture it.  Gotta try though.  Study 12x8", Oil on Linen.

Indian Summer

This is the narrow sliver of time when the snow has all melted from the mountains before it starts snowing again.  Painting this study was a little bit frustrating because I was trying a new canvas surface and the paint did not want to stick to it.  It was like trying to spread peanut butter on the top of jelly.  I persevered anyway though.  Study 12x7", Oil on slippery linen.  

Late August Wheat Harvest

I went out to paint a different georgic scene, some hay rolls I spotted the night before, but they had already been picked up before I arrived.  A short distance farther along the road, they were harvesting wheat and the bright red trucks and harvester surrounded by the glowing chaff cloud, the golden field, and the blue mountains, were too tempting to pass up. I usually avoid painting Chief Joseph Mountain because it is such a difficult shape to compose around, and because of its imposing size, and the fact that it seems to have a personality of its own, but today I couldn't resist.  Looking at it from the western end, it doesn't look like such a big lump rising straight out of the flat valley floor.  The truck drivers were very patient and friendly as they drove by.  Study 10x6", Oil on Linen. 

Evening Pond

The smoke was pretty thick yesterday evening when I painted this study, however the winds last evening blew a lot of it away so it is clearer today.  The sun near sunset yesterday was brilliant red from the dense smoke.  It was pretty, but it is nice to not be breathing so much of it today.  We have had at least one night of freezing temperatures and the maple trees have started to bronze already; autumn feels early this year, it isn't even September yet.  Study, 10x7", Oil on Linen.  

Trees and Grass

As I was painting this little study, a tiny curious fawn, still with spots, wandered up to me a couple of times to see what I was doing.  I could hear a larger deer, perhaps the protective doe, just out of view, stomping and snorting.  Yesterday evening when I painted this study, it was clear despite the persistent nearby wildfires; today is quite smoky.  During the last few days there has been a constant drone of single and large double-rotor helicopters hauling buckets, flying to the fire from the heli-base in Joseph.  Study 8x10", Oil on Linen.

Afternoon Pond

The short hike into this location was through grass and thistle taller than my head, I was picking burrs out of my hair when I got home.  I haven't tackled the boot laces yet, they seem permanently welded together.  Study 10x8", Oil on Linen.  

Sheep Pasture

I rushed the composition of this study in an effort to have time to capture the quickly changing light.  I'm hoping that my photo reference will be adequate to help recompose it later if I decide to make a painting of the scene.  I was standing on the side of the road in some very tall grass; tall enough that the seed tops of the grass tried to repaint my painting for me in the wind.  I don't think they liked the composition either.  There is also a stream in this scene that I didn't work into it that may be the missing balancing element.  The wind last night blew away much of this smoky atmosphere, so it is somewhat clearer today if I decide to paint this evening.  Study 10x7", Oil on Linen.

Afternoon Clouds

The last couple of days I waited too late in the day to go out painting and the weather became overcast and flat.  So today when I noticed the clouds starting to form, I stopped my chores mid-stream and painted from my yard.  This is the view toward the south, looking across the valley at the Hurricane Creek drainage.  Study 8x10", Oil on Linen.