Elements #3: Seaweed, Stone, Shell, Wood

Elements #3: Seaweed, Stone, Shell, and Wood, 5"x6", Studio, oil on panel. © 2017 R.L. Delight

I wisely decided to stay warm in the studio today. We are simply not used to these bitter cold temps. We have a very damp freezing cold here, the kind that goes straight to the bones and makes them ache. The wind is coming from the east, the snowy coastal range behind us, and collides with the moist air coming off the sea. So it was a still life set up for me today. I have two other ongoing still life set ups in my studio at the moment so I set it up on the only space I have left. Unfortunately, I discovered the hard way that the monkey puzzle tree that all but obscures the south facing window does weird things to the light. I got a bit confused as the time went by. I have only been in my new studio for a month. I need a year of tracking the sun to learn the nuances of the natural light coming in the window. Lesson learned!

I enjoy collecting materials from the beach. I have always been attracted to rocks and bits of twigs, leaves, and pretty much anything else that nature provides. Those of you who are collectors of this type know what I mean. I was born that way. I don't remember a time when I didn't collect this stuff. Every place in the house I sit has a bowl of rocks or bits of driftwood by it. Now I get to do something even more enjoyable with the material, I get to paint it!

It is a fun challenge to portray the sensuous beauty that I see in each piece. The 30 in 30 challenge is a perfect excuse to focus on this, hence the "Elements" line. Here on the coast, the waves carve caves into the cliffs, and the water that runs to the sea cascades to the sand and rock of the beach and into the waves. When storm waves have scoured the sands out of the caves I often find these holey rocks. I love them and can't resist taking a few home. Bits of dried seaweed twist into interesting shapes where they are left behind on the high tides. I am fascinated with the organic curves and puzzles they contort into. Over the years I have found a lot of whole sand dollar shells here too. I limit my collection of those but they are fun to paint and I enjoy the way the smooth shells feel. I propped these up on two big pieces of driftwood and painting this composition. 

I need to get my digital SLR camera back up and running. Cell phones have amazing cameras these days but the subtle colors I painted in the shell and the textures are lost in the photo. I will have to work on that...

What is your favorite thing to collect?

Cheers!

-Renee

Day 2: Elements #2: Whale Bone

I have had a long wait to get back to my favorite spot to paint, Short Sands Beach, aka "Shorty", otherwise known as Smuggler's Cove. As I posted on my Facebook post, there is a golden piece of my heart that lives here. Several months ago a dead whale washed ashore. As it was toward the end of the tourist season, they decided to let the body remain for nature to do as it will. This is in Oswald West State Park after all.  From the time we bought our house last spring until now I have not been able to get there to paint. I knew I wanted to sketch and paint the whale skeleton. All that is left is this part of the skull.

It was bitterly cold on the beach today. Temps about 34 degrees with a wicked north wind coming off the water to bring the chill factor down to 25 degrees. I had several layers on but if you ever stood in one spot for a couple of hours you know how cold a person to get. In the end I was shivering so hard I could hardly hold the brush. My paints became stiff from the cold and gritty from wind blown sand. The oil sketch is a bit rough but I decided to call it good for the day. A few stray snow flakes began to fall as I hiked out. I got home, still shivering from the cold, and administered hot shower, hot food, and hot drink in that order. I am finally warm.

It has been a good painting day. I want to get back soon, when a tad bit warmer, and make a detailed drawing. Here is a final closeup on site of the painting:

"Elements#2: Whale Skull", 8"x10", plein air, oil on canvas, © 2017 R.L. Delight

What is the most unusual thing you have painted, drew, or otherwise experienced?

-Renee

Day 1: Elements #1: Clouds

"Elements #1: Clouds, plein air, 5"x7", oil on gessobord, © 2017, R.L. Delight

First plein air and first dropped painting of the new year!

First I would like to wish all a Happy New Year! 

I have neglected to post and share what I have been up to, both in and out of the studio, for quite a while. There are times when life takes off like a spooked horse and you have to drop everything to chase it down or coax it back. Without adding a long story to this post, I will just say that 2017 finds us settling into our new house. Emergencies are sleeping at the moment and progress is slowly being made to rectify the neglect the house had seen over the years.

This past year has taught me to be relentless. I have learned the painful lesson of being relentless about getting enough rest, eating a very specialized diet, without fail, and getting daily exercise. I am still on the path to good health but I have spent the past year battling to improve and can honestly say I have been successful. I will have to be relentless about it for the rest of my life but shouldn't we all be?

I am learning to be relentless in my art and music. Daily practice has become my lifestyle and a privilege. I am sure there will be interruptions but I am striving with every fiber of my being to get in a daily practice no matter what, even if the house decides to spring another emergency surprise or there seems to be no time!

I have big and little goals to strive for this year. The plein air painting will continue but there will also be more studio paintings and, finally, I am turning my attention to getting a body of work done for the year.  So, I will end with a painting I finished toward the tail end of 2016. I really enjoyed painting "Cara Cara" as Cara Cara oranges are my favorite snack. They are delicious and beautiful!

Where in life are you relentless?

-Renee

"Cara Cara", studio, 6"x6", oil on gessobord. © 2017, R.L. Delight

Day 4: A New Backyard: 10.20.30 Challenge

Labor Day weekend is always a busy time here on the coast. Not only are there a lot of visitors to the area but we are involved in a lot of activities. I spent an hour on Saturday doing a sketching demo for an event at our local art center. Sunday our band played a long, three hour gig at one of our annual local events. The band has a standing date to play there every year.

I will give a brief mention here, I play a 5-string electric cello in The Sedona Fire Band. My mate Bob plays trumpet, coronet, and flugelhorn. Click on the band name to get to the website. We will be recording our second band CD this winter. Playing music with my bandmates is one of the many joys in life.

It was a busy weekend. I did squeeze some painting in but did not have time to post. I will be playing catch-up this week. We still have a lot of work to do on our new house to get it ready for the winter as well as upgraded and renovated. We do have some beautiful views all around. We have a peek of the Nehalem river below us and of the river valley. The view from the front is framed with the beautiful coastal mountains. Behind us, we have a nice view of these trees. At least for now. The waning summer light was just beautiful this day. I didn't have a lot of time due to rehearsal schedules and celebrations and all but did my best to squeeze in a painting session. I was able to do the 10 and 20 minute part before I had to get going.

I am really enjoying the addition of focusing on values. It is really helping me to see how much I need to push them and spread out the different values in the composition. I still believe I need to push my darks and lights further apart.Here is the 10 and 20 minute paintings side by side:

The 10 minute painting looks very abstract but I am finding it really helpful to get me thinking about the design of the painting.

Here is a closer view of the 20 minute painting:

I know, none of these paintings look terribly exciting at this point. I am getting excited by how much I am learning!

Tomorrow I get to work on my studio. Currently it is stacked with boxes and needs the walls and floor painted, the switches and plugs repaired, and shelves and cupboards put up. We will be moving all of that out of the studio and I will work like crazy in the next couple of days to get all the painting done and what shelves and such I can get up. I can't wait to get all that done and get moved in!

I will probably not have time to post in the next few days but will catch up with the challenge soon.

Yours in paint,

-Renee

Oregon Dreaming: Day 3: 10.20.30 Challenge

Yesterday when I was painting at Alder Creek Farm, this view was directly behind me. I knew I would be back today to paint this view too! This is the back view of Lower Nehalem Community Trust barn and greenhouse. We use both for the community garden, which is off to the left and on the other side of the barn. The view is framed by the beautiful coastal mountains. I never get tired of watching the clouds, light and shadow on all the surrounding mountains. The mists and fogs of rainy days are equally enchanting.

I started my painting a bit later in the afternoon today. I spent an hour before hand doing a sketching demo at our local art center which is having a fundraiser weekend. Our area is rich in natural beauty, and wealthy with a wonderfully talented and skilled community, particularly in the arts. Personally I think our usual rainy weather is somewhat responsible. It gives us all something to do while waiting for the sun!

I had my painting pack and painting clothes to change into. Right after I finished the demo, I went to the farm and got started on the Day 3 painting. I decided to call this one "Oregon Dreaming." Homesteaders and the Oregon Trail is part of U.S. history. So many left their previous homes to chase the dream in the new Oregon territory. Farming in this area is alive and well today, many of them owned and operated by women. We are also part of Tillamook County, home of the famous Tillamook Cheese. I even happen to personally know the current Dairy Princess! (Hi Kalli!)

Standing out in the field with the peace and quiet and the sound of the birds, from eagles on down to tiny song birds, gave me a tiny taste of what it might have been like to live here in earlier years. Of course, I must also mention that before the farms, there were thriving Native American tribes living here. They also managed and lived off this abundant land. Today the land felt like a dream. I could almost sense it slipping between time. Did I capture that? Not even close! But the feeling was still there.

Here is today's 10,20,30 minute paintings starting at the top left and going clockwise. I actually liked the 20 minute painting the best. I struggled a bit with the 30 minute painting as I shifted a few things around and sort of lost control of the drawing. I am still using black and white paint to work on values too.

It is hard to see the detail that one can see in person but the general idea comes through. I am finding it very helpful to paint in black and white. The true test will be how it influences me when I work in color!

We shall see what the weather does tomorrow. I haven't decided on where to paint yet.

A final shot of today's painting spot:

Yours in paint,

-Renee

The Texture of Green: Day 2: 10.20.30

We had a very stormy morning this morning and I was thinking I would have to work inside on a still life. By the time I was ready to paint it started clearing up a bit. I decided to head outside but stay close to home. I went to Alder Creek Farm, which is part of the Lower Nehalem Community Trust, and about 1/4 mile away. It was an old dairy farm and now has been set aside in a land preserve. This is where I also go to participate in the community garden which shares two acres of the trust land. The community garden is worked in community rather than in individual plots. We also harvest for the local food bank and for senior meals. I love being part of it and I really love the good food that I get every week.

The last time I painted in this spot, I was chased away by the resident elk herd! There was plenty of fresh evidence that the elk had spent the night there but none were in sight at this time. I really like this view with its many layers of green. There is so much going on here that it was a struggle for me to get something coherent down. That is just fine as it is part of the process I am trying to experience.

Even though it is hard to tell in the photo, the layers of greens in this view are intense. I am working in black and white which forces me to look at the different values of all these greens. It was a good exercise in spite of the struggle.

Here is a close-up of the paintings. This time the 10 minute is at the top right, the 20 minute at the bottom right and the remaining 30 minute at the bottom left.

Of course, the sun is ever changing, even in such a short time. One of my goals is to fill the whole picture no matter what the time. I am looking forward to seeing what is happening with this at the end of the month. It doesn't look like much, I know, but I am learning a whole lot by doing this exercise and am putting aside the idea of making a perfect pretty painting at the moment. As I mentioned earlier, when I have the time I will paint a full color painting now and then after painting the timed sessions.

It will be a busy Labor Day weekend for me but I will still be putting in my painting time.

Yours in paint,

-Renee

Crossing the Sacred Between: Day 1: 10.20.30

Today a very special and beloved community member crossed over. She was a very special person and one of the first people I met, even before moving here. She was not only a supporter of the arts, but a wonderful artist herself. I met her when I showed up to our community's life drawing session on a visit here before we moved to the area. She, along with her husband, have been, and continue to be  huge supporters of our community and she will be very much missed. She leaves a wonderful legacy behind.

Hearing the news made me very sad and it was very fitting to honor her by going out to paint at the foot of Neahkahnie Mountain. I will miss this beautiful lady and will continue to be inspired by her art and life.

It was a warm but wet day. There was very little wind on the beach. I picked a spot where I would be alone and even had a bit of shelter to stow my gear. For this 30 day challenge, I will be painting at least three paintings a day, a 10 minute, a 20 minute,  and then a 30 minute painting. They will be of the same subject that I have chosen for the day. In this case, since I was painting waves, they aren't identical as the waves and tide continue to move.

I have three painting goals for this challenge and they are as follows:

          1. To get my painting habit and skills back up to speed after a long break.

          2. To work on improving my value relationships.

          3. To reflect and connect emotionally and spiritually to my subject.

Even though these are studies, I plan to give each day a title. Today, with its misty, flat gray colors, was very much an in between day. Neither dark or sunny but in between. There were no huge contrasts and the values were very subtle and close together. They were there though. I was in a very sad and serious mood as I searched for a title and idea to compose my painting around. The day felt sacred with our friend crossing over so my title is "Crossing the Sacred Between". The sea is eternal and is a fitting subject for today's painting.

Here are the paintings. Starting from top left and going counter-clockwise is the 10, 20, and 30 minute paintings. I set my timer and stopped when it went off. There was a gentle rain and things did get a bit damp but I hardly noticed. As each painting time got longer, I was able to add more information. I am a bit rusty but it felt like I was coming home, back to where I belong. What a relief...and a joy!

I made rare use of my easel umbrella. It kept some of the rain off. I rarely use it because it doesn't do well in the wind, and it is usually windy.

Finally, I am using black and white paint to study value. If I have time, I will paint a small painting in full color after the timed paintings. Here is a view of my palette at the end of the session.

That is all for today! Tomorrow, Day 2.

Yours in paint,

-Renee