"Where the Heart is"  11" x 15"
$295    watercolor and charcoal

My heart tugs toward for country life, since I was raised on a ranch in Montana.  Whenever I paint a country scene, I want to go home to my family ranch.  This painting started as a charcoal pour.  This is a fun process where you prepare the paper using charcoal powder, and you actually throw a big bucket of water on the paper to make the charcoal powder do it's magic.  Below is the beginning of this painting.  I'm teaching Abstract Landscapes at Dillman's Resort, (4 day workshop in June 20 -- 23, 2016.) I will be demonstrating abstract landscapes on this Sunday, April 17th, at 3:30 at the Hopkins Center for the Arts, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins, MN 55343 (Suburb of Minneapolis). There will be many other demonstrations starting at 1:00. Come early and spend the day! This is a FREE event! 

Painting like Gustav Klimt

"Tribute to Gustav Klimt-2"  Acrylic on paper, $295, 11" x 14"

Gustav Klimt has been one of my favorite artists for many years.  I just completed teaching a 3 day workshop in my home studio.  There were 12 eager students who really did fantastic jobs with their paintings, which are pictured below.  We start these paintings by dropping acrylic paint on the surface and then spreading it with a credit card.  They liked that part the best!  This abstract beginning is perfect for us to use as an underpainting for the busy patterns in the outfits. I love teaching in my home studio, because I'm able to give lots more individual attention than in other workshops.  We all get to be such good friends by the end of the 3 days!

 

Say What?

"Say What?"    Watercolor     $295
Image:  11" x 14"

Hope your summer is going well.  I've been so busy this year, but I still manage to take lots of walks at nearby parks, just to appreciate the warm weather.  I LOVE summer!  I've been preparing for a chicken/rooster workshop that I'm teaching in Yakima, WA next week. Rarely have a finished a painting that I honestly felt like this chicken was talking to me.  Her eyes turned out so expressive!  This is basically a watercolor, with the addition of some acrylic for the neat effect in the background.  I saw this process on a video by Carrie Burns Brown.  I cut up a piece of matboard and mount the pieces onto another piece of matboard, and then use it for a stamp.  I have made at least 25 of them.  They are so much better than ones that you purchase! Well, off on another trip in only 2 days!  While in Seattle, I'm going to the big 75th anniversary celebration of the Northwest Watercolor Society.  There will be many demonstrations by nationally acclaimed artists.  I'm so excited!!! I have entered their show for many years, and sadly, missed the deadline for this year's show.  Too much going on!!!  Lesson learned.....maybe.... Anyway, it's a great watercolor society and I'm excited to meet many of the artists whom I have gotten acquainted with on Facebook. It's a small world after all!