Heart Beets

 

Heart Beets

8” x 10”

Reduction Linoleum Block Print

Beautiful beets from the garden! They were very small this year, and I harvested and ate more beet greens than beet roots.

 

This piece was my first effort at the reduction printing process. As I embark on this new technique, I am terrified. It takes careful planning and carving! 

 

How it Works
First, I cut away the areas I want to be white and then print a light base color, which in this case, was a pale yellow. Next, I cut away the portions I want to leave as the base color. This is repeated with each subsequent color. There were six color passes in the final image. The scary part is how easily you can accidentally cut away a chunk that was supposed to be a color you have not yet printed. I speak from experience. Fortunately, I was able to touch it up.

 

Ultimately, with this process you destroy all but your last color plate by the time you finish (in this case, black). So, it results in a limited run of prints. I started with 14 sheets and ended up with 10 prints of this image.

 

Not bad for a first try.

Across the Meadow

 

Across the Meadow
14” x 11”
Acrylic on canvas

We got an early start on this plein air adventure, returning to Echo Basin, just outside of Mancos. Finding a wide place along the road near a house with an interesting old outbuilding—and an even more interesting barn across the road—we parked and set up our easels. My plein air partner chose the old barn as her subject. While I was intrigued with the outbuilding, logistics were against me. I would have had to set up my gear right next to the fence and peer over it to view my subject. That might not have gone well had the property owner come out to find some stranger looking over their fence into their side yard.

So, I opted to stay out of trouble and moved closer to the road. I turned my attention to the south where there was a ridge deep in shadow. Only the eastern-most flank and the jutting folds were lit, glowing a brilliant green with grass that had sprouted thanks to a recent summer shower. After a hot, dry summer and the rain was a welcome gift. That was my warm-up painting.

Then, I broke out another canvas and turned my attention to the meadow below the ridge, rimmed with trees, the foreground thick with golden grasses. I took a more traditional approach with this piece, starting with transparent layers of paint and gradually working toward more opaque layers. I finished off with a bit of iridescent gold (which doesn’t really show in the photo), but added a nice, subtle flair to the piece. (Interestingly, the many transparent layers of paint made this piece difficult to photograph due to reflected light off the texture of the underlying canvas. It shows much better in person.)

We worked until the sun was high and the cool of the morning was long gone. Another delightful day outdoors doing what we love.

Plein Air II

Weber Lake
6” x 6”
Acrylic on Canvas

I met a painting buddy at a plein air event, and she took me out to this great spot just outside of Mancos, Colorado. We set up our gear to paint on property owned by friends of hers near Rimrock Outfitters. I felt lucky to have met someone who had permission to paint in such a gorgeous valley!

Behind us, the La Plata Mountains; to the north, the dramatic Rimrocks, and to the west, the serenity of Weber Lake. It was full-on fire season, with several blazes marking the sky with ribbons of red brown. But early that morning, the smoke was high and distant, giving us a reprieve from the dense smoke that had invaded the Four Corners for several days.

The lake was sapphire in the sun, rimmed with pines. As we happily painted, a string of riders rode west to explore the San Juan Mountains. We were still there when they later made their way back to the stable.

We both were determined to “loosen up” as we painted (a constant challenge for many artists). Our aim was to lay down the paint quickly and intuitively. The rimrock ridge caught my attention, so I started with that. Again, it turned out to be my warm-up painting. It’s still sitting in my studio, likely to be painted over with something new.

I then turned to the lake. By then, it was getting a bit toasty, the ice in my water bottle was long gone, leaving the contents bathwater warm. My painting partner was starting to get sunburned. I knew we wouldn’t be painting too much longer. It was just the motivation I needed to work quickly and loosely. Also, working on a very small canvas helped! This painting was about 90% finished when we both decided we’d had enough sun and heat for the day. I later added the finishing touches in my studio.

 

Plein Air, Part 1

 

Stinking Springs Canyon

 16” X 20”

 Acrylic on Canvas

Over the July 4^th weekend I went to a plein air event at Mesa Verde Lavender Farm in Mancos, Colorado.

What a beautiful place! It sits on the shoulder of a ridge that (predictably) offers a view of Mesa Verde in the distance. The fields of lavender were in full bloom, perfect mounds of dense blooms in neat rows nestled between charming outbuildings. A pond, surrounded by trees and flowers provided a serene place for several of the artists to paint.

The farm is somewhat remote, a hidden gem at the end of many turns along dirt roads. It sits alongside a deep canyon, rimmed (and filled) with sage, piñon pine, grasses, rabbitbrush, and more. And that’s what drew my attention. The lavender and outbuildings were delightful, but the canyon was what I wanted to paint.

I arrived early, eager to get in as much time painting as possible before the day warmed up. I hadn’t been out plein air painting since the fall. Despite the bugs, wind, dust, and sometimes rain and snow, I LOVE getting outdoors and painting on site.

I found a great spot under a large piñon pine and began to set up my easel and paints. I hadn’t been out painting with my French easel in a while, so the set up took a bit longer than expected.

I started with a small canvas capturing the distant view of Mesa Verde. It began well but quickly things went wrong. I considered it my warm-up painting. Then I moved on to the larger canvas, which was a bit ambitious, and went to work on painting the canyon. I kept at it until I lost my shade. By then it was 90 degrees, so I called it a day. This delicate magnolia was definitely wilting 😊.

The next afternoon, the participating artists gathered to display their work at a charming little bar in Mancos. It was fun to see everyone’s work—all so very different from one another. As I was leaving, a group complemented me on my painting, saying it looked just like that canyon.

“By the way,” someone said, “do you know the name of that canyon?”

“Oh, no! I’d love to know!” I replied.

“Stinking Springs Canyon.”

Ha! Well of course that would have to be the name of this piece.

P.S. My studio show is coming up soon—October 18. You'll see this painting and many others as well! Contact me if you are interested in attending!