Runnin' Free

"Runnin' Free", Oil on Canvas, 11x14, $125

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A good place to enjoy the morning is on the beach in Bandon.   

Tide Pooling

"Tide Pooling', Oil on Canvas, 11x14, $125

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It's fun watching people discovering the wonders of tide pools. It's also interesting to watch the constant change in water levels and all the sea life that it exposes and then hides again. This scene is of a spot just south of Bandon Oregon.

Sea Star Bistro

"Sea Star Bistro", Oil on Canvas, 11x14, Plein Air,
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I spent a weekend painting in Bandon Oregon and happened upon this great sidewalk café the Sea Star Bistro. It's just off 2nd Street and has a beautiful dining area surrounded by flowers and shrubs. It gets pretty busy at times. I caught the owner standing in the doorway checking on their patrons.

Path Through the Birch Trees

"Path Through the Birch Trees", Oil on Canvas Panel, 9x12, Plein Air, $75

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I went out painting at a friends house in Elkton, Oregon and really liked the way the path to their garden cut through this little grove of birch trees and other mixed conifers beyond. At the same time, a few rays of light marked the ground cover in the opposite direction. As the light was fleeting, I had to paint it quickly. I tried for 30 minutes and almost made it, running 5 minutes over.

Hillcrest Winery View

"Hillcrest Winery View", Oil on Panel, 8x10, plein air,

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Last weekend we went out to HillcrestVineyard to taste some wine. It is the oldest bonded winery in Oregon and believe me, they have some good wines. The people that work there are great and there is always an interesting crowd of visitors there. After a few tastes, I decided to set up my pochade and paint the view. Luckily I was able to still get more tastes brought outside! This is a view to the north from just outside the tasting room.

Feeding Time

"Feeding Time", Oil on Canvas, 8x10, $75

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I went to our friends house the other day and got to see the feeding of their chickens. Watch your toes. I think the chickens all had names.

Spring Bouquet

"Gladioli in Ceramic Vase", Oil on Canvas, 10x8, $75

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This as a painting from last month when we were getting a surplus of bulbs flowering. Setting was in indirect natural light, mid day, south facing window in handmade ceramic vase.

Before the Falls

"Before the Falls", Oil on Canvas, 9x12, $75

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The last painting of the group is again above Deadline Falls. Not only is the view great but the sound of the falls below is almost deafening. On top of that, the mist coming off the falls along with the steady breeze heading up the river both help to offset the summer heat. Add to that the continual parade of Steelhead jumping the falls and you have a day on the North Umpqua.

Overcast Morning

"Overcast Morning", Oil on Canvas, 9x12, $75

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The last day we painted together, we drove out North Bank Road and painted a view of the North Umpqua River about ten  miles from Roseburg. The light was cool and somewhat flat, but what a great view.

The Old Feed Store

"The Old Feed Store", Oil on Canvas, 11x14,

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After painting in Paul's back yard, we headed up to Oakland, Oregon. This old brick building used to be the old feed store in Oakland ages ago. I used it as a studio back in 1976 and I can't believe how good the Bull Durham sign still is. The building was vacant for a time and is now "Old Town Gardens" offering gifts, wines and vintage items. It's right on Highway 99 next to the Oakland Tavern.

Morning Reflections on the South Umpqua

"Morning Reflections on the South Umpqua", Oil on Wood Panel, 9x12, $75

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We started the next day painting by the river in Paul's back yard. My eye was caught by the deep shadows under the trees and shrubs on the opposite riverbank and the reflections on top of the transparent water.

Deadline Falls

"Deadline Falls", Oil on RayMar Panel, 8x10, $75

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After painting above the falls and the day rapidly passing by, Thomas Kitts challenges us to a 30 minute paintout! So we all clambor down closer to the river and then ultimately set up our pochade boxes right on top of deadline falls. Thomas gets out his phone and sets a timer for 30 minutes and says "30 minutes, that's all you get!". The heats on, well yes it is at least 95 degrees out, but as we're trying to paint, one steelhead after the other tries to jump the falls. It's really hard to concentrate on painting, then to make matters worse, a Heron flies in and lands on the rocks right in front of us (probably thinking it'll snag one of the fish). Everybody is freaking out and then we realize time is of the essence. Before we know it the timer goes off and Thomas shouts "TIME'S UP". We all step back and truthfully, we all admit you can't beat the freshness of a 30 minute plein air painting. After we pack it up and get back to the car, we decide that we need to eat. So off we go to Munchies in Glide for burgers and a cold beer.  

Paul Zegers Painting the North Umpqua

"Paul Zegers Painting the North Umpqua", Oil on Canvas Panel, 9x12

 

So after we left Steamboat Creek, we headed up the North Umpqua and then hiked about a half mile to a place above Deadline Falls. It was getting later in the day but the sun was still shining onto the river. We all were able to find a place to perch on the rocks. It turned out that I also had a good view of Paul painting. You can check out  Paul Zeger's great paintings on his Facebook page.

Steamboat Creek

"Steamboat Creek", Oil on Canvas Panel, 9x12, price $75

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The next morning we drove up the North Umpqua River and then along Steamboat Creek. First we stopped at a place where the Steelhead hold up until the water temperature cools down and the water flow increases, then they move upstream to spawn. Some of the fish spend up to seven months waiting in this pool. This day there were about 240 fish waiting. Then we moved on to this location where the creek cascaded downward in several steps until the rocks we were standing on were about 10 to 15 feet high. Before we finished painting, a group of people showed up and started jumping off of the rocks into the water. As it was approaching 90 degrees, I think THEY had the right idea.

Last Light on the South Umpqua River

"Last Light on the South Umpqua River", Oil on Canvas Panel, 8x10, price $75

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A couple of weeks ago I ran into Paul Zegers at an Art Reception here in Roseburg. He asked if I wanted to join him, Thomas Jefferson Kitts and Andrew Duclos at the river behind his house to knock out a painting before dark. It was 6:30, so I hustled home to get my gear and made it there by 7:30pm. I was able to get set up and paint this view of the river before dark set in. It was then that I found out that they had been painting all day and planned to paint for three more days and got invited along. Another bonus was getting to go through Kitts' portfolio of work he brought back from a workshop he taught in Tuscany, other work painted in the Cinque Terre along with a few others he just painted in Eastern Oregon. WOW

Morning Feeding

"Morning Feeding", Oil on Canvas, 12x16, $175

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This is the last in a series of three. I was really surprised that this Hummer kept fluttering about, from one flower to another, while I photographed it feeding off of nearly every Gladioli in the patch. It really wasn't bothered that I was standing just a few feet away.

Hummer on Gladiola

"Hummer on gladiola", Oil on Canvas, 12x12, $150

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So when I went down to the garden to water today, I took my camera to photograph the gladioli. To my surprise, a hummingbird flew up and proceeded to feed off of all the gladioli. it was just a few feet in front of me. It went from flower to flower and could have cared less if I was there.

Gladoli on Garden Path

"Gladioli on Garden Path", Oil on Canvas, 10x8, $50

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I can't believe a month has gone by since painting this! In July our garden was brimming with flowers. There is one patch of Gladioli with a Yarrow in the middle of it. Here is what it looked like on the 3rd of July. Much better that fireworks.