Winery Art Auction

On saturday, Aug. 28th the Red Rooster Winery will present the 8th annual Bohemian Festival of the Arts. A number of artworks will be auctioned off with proceeds going to several fitness/arts programs serving financially challenged youth. My painting, "Early Porsche" is being offered. Its an oil on canvas, about 48X52" and is a compilation of a few different cars. I always loved the organic lines of the 356 models. The background was intuitive; I wanted a counterpoint to the metallic smooth lines of the old car. You'd have to see this in person to enjoy the scale of it. So if you think it might enhance your home or garage go bid on it. info at www.redroosterwinery.com under special events.

This is a large painting of my friends Harley Davidson. Here's my old 32 Ford street rod I called this "Two Little Birds", My nephews lovely little daughter and a neighbour's'56 T-BirdI have other automotive art I'll post some other time. Till next week.

Allendale Road

Here's my trusty Samarai on location south of Penticton at a popular painting site. It's an irresistable scene overlooking the vineyards and Vaseaux Lake.

My little truck gets me into any location I want; I don't often plant myself on pavement like here but this is an exceptional view. I think the finished piece turned out okay. You can enlarge the work station picture to see the painting at it's half way stage.

Any paintings I show here are available for purchase.

I'm presently consumed with a large studio piece that I need to complete in a three day stretch-getting it ready to enter into a juried show thursday. I'll post a picture of it next week

Letters of Vincent

I'm reading "The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh", written to the painter's brother Theo which spanned his entire adult life. Generally considered to be a mad genius his personal letters reveal an empathetic, thoughtful and articulate man, who was gracious right up until his tragic suicide.

Vincent's early years spent serving the poor miners in the Borinage as an evangelist (this word has been corrupted by all contemporary 'non-believers and men-stealers talking in the name of religion' - Dylan.) describe a humble man who truly lived a life of christian charity. He gave his money and clothes to his poor neighbors and shared their life as an equal.

Living in continual poverty Vincent never wavered from his search for truth and beauty through his art. His letters express his dream to bring joy to common people with his work and will inspire any reader. A recommended read.

Vincent made his first sale with "The Red Vineyard" for 400 francs in the year of his death, 1890.

His "Portrait of Dr Gachet" recently sold for $139,000,000.

I've included a third painting by an unknown and possibly mad painter.

Evolution of a Painting

Day 1


Day 2


Day 3


Day 4


Painting outdoors is exhilarating and challenging. To work from life develops into a relationship between the artist and his/her subject. Empathy increases in proportion to the duration of the project. Colours shift as the sun arcs across the sky, various animals impose themselves into the piece and breezes (or should I say gales) create modulating reflections on grasses, leaves and water.

I'm posting a series of stages that one painting has taken throughout four sessions outdoors on four different days.
Day 1 Initial block-in with thin paint, lots of observation
Day 2 Starting with far hills developed trees, grasses and sky.
Day 3 Building on with thicker paint, making stronger decisions, what stays and what goes. Wild winds came close to picking up my umbrella and dragging my whole painting station over the cliff. For now I'm learning to paint one handed using the other to secure my gear. Shall come up with a better plan later.
Day 4 Worked in the studio to escape the hot, dry conditions in the bush. Need to get the painting back out once more but I think it would be irresponsible to drive my truck out in the present high hazard conditions.

After investing so much concentration on this place I know that if ever I see this painting in the future I will clearly recall the heat, wind, bugs, scents and visual impressions of this particular time. Painting from photos in my studio never treats me to these re-collective bonus' .

Natures Tapestry

Worked in the Okanagan back country today. What an amazing world we live in. All these various flowers are growing just steps from each other and in abundance across the hillsides. The challenge of painting a landscape in this environment is deciding how to simplify this beautiful chaos of color into a pleasing composition that captures the spirit of the time and place without overloading our senses.
Hills that appear generally green when viewed casually transform into an explosion of color as your eyes adjust to the different values. You will observe artists squinting frequently as they try to reduce the visual noise down into a melody or ballad.
Squinting is a good way to simplify values too. Try it sometime, close down your eyes until your lashes create a veil that reduces a very busy scene into several simple shapes. This little excercise helps you to establish the framework or bones of your painting.
My buddy Cal worked on several small watercolours of trees that he's going to base an oil painting on. I started a 24X24 oil that I was able to block in today and will return to continue working on asap. I've posted this initial layin and will share this painting when its completed.

Enthusiasm and Despair

Creating art, like any other discipline, alternates between periods of happy labour and times of total discouragement. Sometimes my paintings mock me and with no little drama I am compelled to rip them off their stretcher bars and turf them in the garbage. I've leaned that it's during these psychological "root canals" that opportunity will usually present itself. It may be that when all I can paint is crap I am more willing to take risks or perhaps just persisting through the despair allows me to benefit from the creative cycle's natural rhythm.
I am currently reading "Faith &Doubt " by John Ortberg. He makes a great point when he says to allow doubt to sharpen your faith. Whatever your calling or passion is, when failure and despair rear their heads and threaten you with lies of futility keep pressing on and your vision will eventually clear.
I've posted one image of where my failures go and a couple of happier ones that were conceived in doubtful but tenacious persistence.

NOTE: I will be leading ten people through a two day plein air workshop September 18-19 . If you are interested in participating drop me an e-mail and I'll fill you in on particulars.

HandWorks Show

Friday the sun broke through, allowing Mike Jorden to demonstrate some live oil painting to the delight of many people passing by on the streets of Oliver. His painting of the Oliver Hotel did not seem to be jeopardized just because the subject burned to the ground a couple of weeks ago. He had started the piece prior to the disaster, and when I saw it, he was morphing it into a contrast between the old days and today. He is an accomodating man is Mike.
Inside the Handworks Gallery, Thea Haubrich introduced encaustic artmaking (melted beeswax and paint) to some very enthusiastic people. You can see Theas' work at www.encaustic.ca .
My painting "Orchard Rhythm" was selected for second place by the FCA jury, which was a treat. If you are in Oliver anytime over the next month, drop into Handworks Gallery to see the show. The Leir House show in Penticton runs for a month as well, and I think it has some excellent work in it well worth the visit.