The Galloping Goose

Day Three, at Mt. Evans

2010-11-15T14:13:00.005-07:00

The final day of Don Sahli's plein air class was west of Evergreen, with a fine view of Mt. Evans.

Mt. Evans, oil 20" x 24":

This was the warmest day and we just enjoyed ourselves, painting in the sun. I didn't set up on purpose to get Diane and Weatherly in the picture, but there they were, and remembering Don Sahli's painting of me yesterday I just proceeded.

Between our first and second pictures Don showed us how he carries canvases in his car, on custom plywood racks. He had a 30" x 40" canvas handy, to show us how large a canvas the French easel will take, and even larger.

He likes big oil paintings, and doesn't limit himself to small canvases to begin with.

I used a cool blue turpentine wash to begin my first painting, and learned how much that initial wash affects the temperature of your entire painting. After this I'm sticking with warm washes, although on my second painting I used a green wash that I won't use again.

Red Barn near Evergreen, oil 20" x 24":

I thank Don Sahli for the great painting experience. I'm pleased with all I learned, and happy with what I produced. And I'm looking forward to producing more on my (not-so-new-now) French easel.

Lair o' the Bear Day Two

2010-11-12T16:17:00.014-07:00

Day two of Don Sahli's plein air oil painting class was also in the Lair o' the Bear, where beautiful views along Bear Creek abounded. We went a little ways downstream from yesterday. I finished my first painting, with Don's help, by noon.

Lair o' the Bear 3, oil 20" x 24":

As I was painting in the upper left area Don said, "Make that darker, I know you're going to put white on top of that. Look at that fallen tree." He took my brush and produced a deep purple, which he quickly used to draw in the fallen tree and the area around it, and repeated that color on the water to the lower left. Finally he quickly pointed to the sky and painted that color in two wavy spots on the water in the middle of the painting. I complimented him on not referring to those as reflections, but only as colors and values.

Don gave a class to begin this day, where he showed how to lay out the major views of the scene before us on his canvas.

He counted about 5-7 major areas, with the sky and the water clearly defined, and particular trees, fields, groups of foliage and the hills all had clear places in his initial sketched layout.

Then he went straight for the darkest darks.

He gave brief critiques of everyone's work from the day before. He complimented me on "how loose" I was with oils. "You obviously know what you're doing." he said. "But your problem--we all have problems--is that you pixelate, on and on." He said to make more contrasting areas, smooth as well as pixelated, horizontal and well as vertical. He compared me with Seurat.

My vest was a gift from Judy that I'd seldom worn, but now it was handy for warmth, and for keeping my paper towels and trash bags handy. To keep the trash bag from flapping around in the wind I literally tied it to myself, and was prepared to stuff it into one big pocket. Don made me keep a role of paper towels handy.

I set up for my second picture directly in Don's view. So he put me in his painting, answering my earlier question about if he put people in his paintings.

He said, "Jack saved my painting."

Lair o' the Bear by Don Sahli, oil 20" x 24":

When I completed my second painting, drawing some trees red as is my wont, he commented "Kinda red, white and blue, but it works."

Lair o' the Bear 4, oil 20" x 24":

Next post: Day Three

Plein Air Oil Painting Class

2010-11-12T14:37:00.027-07:00

My Late Fall Plein Air Oil Painting class taught by Don Sahli was Nov. 3-6, three gorgeous days in the foothills west of Denver. Don lives in Evergreen, and he took us to 2 different favorite locations near his home.

Lair o' the Bear

The first two days were at Lair o' the Bear county park, in Bear Creek Canyon. There were five of us total, and Don had us set our French easels near his.

Don Sahli:

It was a treat to get to watch him paint. I like the way he draws the major parts of his picture on top of a turpentine wash, going for the darkest darks at the very first.

He averaged three paintings a day, and while all of us were really trying to crank these oil sketches out, the best I could manage was two paintings a day. It was watching him that helped me produce my first painting.

Lair o' the Bear 1, oil 20" x 24":

The first day started out cold, but Don said that plein air painters have to be ready for all kinds of weather in Colorado. The sun finally came out and that's all you need in Colorado, most days are sunny in fact.

Don began each day with a class. His instruction was succinct: "Train your eye to see the pieces of nature, of form, color and shape."

His three stages of painting are:
80% abstract -- Block in related color spots.
15% modeling - describe the forms.
5% detail - find the darkest darks and the lightest lights.

Among the students in Don Sahli's class was Weatherly Stroh:

If I had the idea that plein air painters were all impressionists, I was wrong. I complimented Sahli on his abstract approach, emphasizing color, value and temperature.

His three rules are:
ALWAYS start in the darkest dark.
Warm light has cool shadows.
Cool light has warm shadows.

As I was completing my second picture, he took my paint brush and showed me what he actually wanted me to do on the canvas, which was to flatten some of the pixelating I was doing. "Make more contrast in your areas of paint," he said. And he put a quick flash of yellow oil in the right side of the picture, next to the tree, which he liked.

Lair o' the Bear 2, oil 20" x 24":

The two other students in Don's class were Shellie Dunham:

And Diane Spickert:

I helped Diane set up on the second day, and on the third day we painted next to each other in the afternoon. She missed the first day of class, but Don has invited her to spend a day in his studio class in Evergreen. She is a retired geologist, and the author of a children's book: Earthsteps: A Rock's Journey through Time - Paperback (Mar. 1, 2010) by Diane Nelson Spickert and Marianne D. Wallace, available through Amazon.com.

Next post: Day Two

One More Hour of Painting

2010-11-01T21:50:00.006-06:00

I've finished my practice 3-day class in preparation for my real 3-day plein air painting class that begins in just a couple days in Denver. I wanted to be sure to be able to set my easel up at 9 a.m. all 3 mornings. Here's how it went:
The first morning it rained, and the next 2 mornings was below freezing at 9 a.m. It has not hardly rained here in the past 2 1/2 months, and had not yet frozen, until my practice class. I can only hope my real class will be better. I showed you the painting I started that first day. All I needed was one more hour of painting to get it to where I liked it. In the next couple days I did get one more hour in, and here's the result.

Garden of the Gods, oil sketch, 20" x 24":
It took me 2 1/2 hours total. If I can just get 2 or 3 pictures like that a day in my class then I'll be happy.
I didn't go outside to paint again after the first hour and a half before it rained the first day. By that afternoon the rain had turned to sleet and then snow. The mountains had 2 feet of snow that day.
The second day at least was sunny, but it stayed below freezing til 10 a.m. and had a hard, cold wind. I could not have got out that day to paint, since I needed a winter jacket and I was unwilling to trash my good ones. So instead of painting I went to ARC to get a jacket for $6. That made it possible for me to get out the 3rd morning, even though it was so cold. That day was sunny and warmed up nicely.
But I have to admit, on that first day I set up my French easel in my studio to dry out, and I proceeded to actually make a Garden of the Gods still life, and that's where I painted one more hour.

My new studio:
My new easel and pallette got well broken in by the time I was done:

I love how the new easel fits so well into my old studio, with the bright light flooding in on my painting. I can see that I'll still have lots of fun in my studio this winter as we're waiting to put our home on the market in the spring.
I'll keep you informed about my class.

Adventures in the Plein Air

2010-10-25T20:41:00.011-06:00

I want to keep you informed of my progress toward my plein air oil painting class that is next week, starting the day after the election.
I have to document my adventures, beginning today. I took my new French easel to the Garden of the Gods, pretending that my class was starting today. That's a great place to paint, I've hauled a number of large canvases there to paint. Today was dramatic:

A rainbow in the west greeted me.
My goal was to get one 20" x 24" canvas as finished as I could in 2 hours. As it turned out I had to quit because of wind and rain after an hour and a half; it hasn't hardly rained here in the past 2 months. I just want to show what I got done, not only as a point to compare my class canvases with, but also to show that I am actually getting some oil painting done.
Oil sketch of the Garden of the Gods, 20" x 24", Oct 25 2010:

I know it's pathetic, it's easy to see I need to learn a lot. I was determined not to draw it first in oil, as is my wont, but instead just to paint the colors I was seeing. I was just starting to add blues and greens, and was having to hold my cap and the easel at the same time, and when I discovered my wind breaker was not waterproof, I folded the easel and got it back to my truck, which conveniently was nearby. The painting and I were soaked, but the water didn't affect the oils.

Here's what the scene I wanted to paint looked like when I began it:

The scribbled gray blue at the middle top of my painting was where I had been hoping to place Pikes Peak, which is ordinarily spectacular at that spot. But I left it alone, thinking I could add Pikes Peak the next time I go.
Here's that scene as I painted it in 1990. This took me considerably longer than an hour and a half.
Garden of the Gods, 1980, oil 24" x 36":

The Palette
I was using my new palette, which Don Sahli specified:

There are just 16 colors, from lower left: carbon black, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, cerulean blue, viridian green, cadmium yellow light, cadmium yellow medium, cadmium yellow deep, cadmium orange, cadmium red light, alizarin crimson, burnt sienna, burnt umber, English red light, yellow ochre and titanium white.
Sahli said in his Youtube instruction video that a new palette should be prepared ahead of time, using a lot of oil that will become hard, so new oils won't run out of the box. I ended up scooting those first oils to the edges of the plexiglass, and had to spread them and lower the height of the oils so I could get the easel closed without getting oils on it.

I'm excited that my class is so near. I'll let you know how it goes.

Art Show Photos

2010-10-01T21:44:00.013-06:00

I'm glad to show the photos of my art show, Aug. 13. They were taken by Dave Hughes Jr., a professional photographer associated with the Old Colorado City History Center.
Dave is like me, he too loves the images on the High Road, and pointedly showed me his photo of St. Francis De Asi in Ranchos de Taos because it was a different, more uncommon view of the mission than the two views I had shown in my blog:
This view from the southeast corner is more familiar, and of course the view from the back was made famous by Georgia Okeefe and was the inspiration for my High Road pictures:

I warn you about the rest of these photos, there are several pictures of myself. There could have been a lot more, but I want to show you pictures of some of my friends.
The first people to walk into my art show were Ron and Juli Hinkle, from Florence but formerly from just down the street from us in Old Colorado City:

Ron and I worked and carpooled together at the Air Force Academy for several years.
I was especially amuzed with my son-in-law Rick Munoz, who was recording mly artshow on Utube, and sending it out on emails from his new iphone 4. Judy Wise replied in the middle of the evening:

Don't you love it when friends show up to see your show? Among my longest friends here in Colorado Springs are Todd and Kathleen Ryan:

Todd has "8 more years" to go in his graphic art job in the marketing office at the Academy where I worked. He is an incredible aviation artist, just waiting to draw and paint more.
And my oldest and longest friends here came to my show, Fred and Beryl Clark, who live in Black Forest:

I met the Clarks in 1978 when I went to work at the Staff Artist at the National Carvers Museum in Monument, and Fred moved here because he made carving tools, and was President of Warren Tools.
And I want to show you Nate and Orion Kiser, who now live just a few blocks from us. Thanks Nate, for purchasing a High Road painting:

I could show lots more photos, Dave Hughes Jr. outdid himself. I offered to pay him for his good work, but he said, "I'd only like one of your pictures, Jack, maybe just a little sketch that you might otherwise throw away."
I gave him a drawing I made of our home, which is just a few blocks from where he and his family live, and only a few blocks more from his parents' home, where he grew up "surrounded by your artwork that Dad always had around":

Thankyou to everyone who was at my art show.

Don Sahli, Oil Painter

2010-09-20T16:45:00.041-06:00

I don't have a picture of any new oil painting to show, but that's not going to keep me from showing you photos I took at the Vail Fine Art Gallery last week of works by an exciting thick oil painter, Don Sahli.

Autumn Glory by Don Sahli, oil 54" x 54", amateur photo by Jack Ekstrom, with apologies to the artist.
I hope it's ok to use my photo, which truly does not do justice to his painting. His paintings must be seen up close, they're absorbing presentations of vibrant colors, with extremely thick oils that are more alive than any I've seen. In one of the two Vail Fine Art Galleries, Alex, working in the gallery, showed us one of Sahli's large paintings under 6 controlled spotlights with variable luminosity, and the oranges, especially one extremely thick stroke that resembled tree foliage, had by far the most glow, when it was too dark to see the other colors.

Here's Judy with Richard Munoz between two of Sahli's paintings. We were all very taken by Sahli, whose works were on display with many astonishing oil landscapes by 20th century Russian impressionists. Don Sahli is known as the last apprentice to Russian master Sergei Bongart.

Here's Christine Tilson looking at Sahli's Autumn Glory, next to two other Sahli paintings including the triptych Elisabeth's Cathedral, 45" x 58", which is three deep oil panels with no frames. Those especially appeal to me in their presentation.

Plein Air Painting

Sahli lives near Denver, and paints plein air all over Colorado. Since I'm looking for new mountain scenes to paint, I'm especially drawn to his paintings. I must have mentioned to Rick how I started a number of my large oils outdoors in the plein air, which I thought were my best paintings, and I'd like to learn how to start them better than I started those. I never used a French plein air easel, I just hauled my large canvases in my truck or Judy's van, and the resultant outdoor experiences were like katzenjammer cartoons with the wind and furious thunderstorms.
While we were looking at Sahli's paintings, Rick found Sahli's website on his iphone and emailed it to me. When I got home Rick had learned that not only did Sahli live near Denver, but that he was offering painting classes through the Denver Art Students League. And Rick offered to give me a gift of Sahli's next class, which I very gratefully accepted.
So my news this post is that I'm enrolled in a class by Don Sahli: Late Fall Plein Air Painting, Nov. 3-4-5. I've already bought a new French easle, an Italian version of a full-sized Julian, and I've set it up in my basement and am gleefully dismantling my old oil table, to replace it with my easel which I can take anywhere!
I'll keep you more informed about my class.
Next Post: I've finally got photos of my Aug. 13 artshow.

St. Elmo is Sold

2010-09-03T21:54:00.036-06:00

No, not the ghost town in the Colorado mountains above Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, but my diptych oil painting of East and West St. Elmo. This is my absolute last chance to show this on my blog (did I hear sighs of relief?), especially since I've vowed to start each post with a view of an oil painting (and I confess I have no new oils to show):

The Long Sale

I would have reported on my art show and this sale sooner, but I had to wait for the entire sale of St. Elmo to be completed, which it was only yesterday. Did you ever sell a picture that took over 3 weeks to conclude? Thank you to Dr. Joe and Barbara Vuillemin of Tucson, AZ, our summer neighbors, who bought East St. Elmo during my art show, Aug. 13 at the Old Colorado City History Center.
Barbara assured me that "I'll buy West St. Elmo next year, I can only buy one painting a year!" Then they went to St. Elmo and stayed overnight at Mt. Princeton Hot Springs. They enjoyed it so much that Barbara had me bring West St. Elmo over and hang it on the wall in their master bedroom, along with East St. Elmo.
"This is our new St. Elmo room!" she exclaimed happily. "Look at how the colors of your oils come out!"
I'm headlining this post with this sale because I feel great, and am encouraged to paint more Colorado mountain paintings. I have many started and many more in my head.

Judy Wise's Comment

Judy Wise made a comment on my last post, about my art show: "And that HUGE painting (Holy Taos Mountain)- congratulations o fearless leader. You inspire me. I am curious if it is acrylic or oil and which you are loving the most right nnow. I keep thinking I will switch to oil but my impatient nature stays my hand."
Thanks Judy. It's an oil painting, I love oils most of all because of the deep, changing colors that literally are alive. I do still love acrylics and I start all my paintings with them, and finish in thick oils. You certainly do need patience waiting for the oil to dry, and I don't recommend thick oil painting to anyone who can't wait.
And I didn't receive any encouragement at all in my desire to paint two more parts to Holy Taos Mountain. At this point I'm not planning on continuing with those new paintings.

At Last My Report on my Art Show

I was hoping to show photos of my art show last month, but I've given up waiting on them. Time passes in an odd, slow way in Old Colorado City, because I only learned a few days ago how successful the show was. Everyone at the center is pleased with the money they made, and of course so am I.
I did sell one High Road painting, of San Jose de Gracia Church at Trampas. Thank you to Marni and Nate Kiser. At this time I'm not planning on painting any more High Road scenes.

Woe Begone

Because nothing moves very fast in Old Colorado City, I want to show this picture of Garrison Keiler which I took just last week, when we attended a Prairie Home Companion concert with Chris and Rick in the gorgeous surrounds of the Chatfield Botanic Gardens, near where we want to move in the next year (more about that):
Life here is like life in Lake Woebegon, laid-back, easy-going, folksy. And slow, very slow. I think I even look like Garrison, and I'm infected by his ambling pace and rambling story telling, which makes me think of life in Old Colorado City and the characters I met at Founders Day, the day after my art show. Here are a Victorian dancing couple:

Some people like to appear old, and yet young and stylish at the same time. There is a nostalgia for olden days:

And some people just like to appear old. These folks may not appear to be having fun, but they are, they're Victorian dancers and are trying to appear proper and distinguised.

It's fun to imagine what these folks may be, bankers, politicians, hat salesmen, teachers, singers, madams, merchants, gamblers, snake oil salesmen, they were all here in Old Colorado City's early days.

Our Big Move

And now we're going through a big change in our lives, which is one big reason I've been trying to move my paintings. We've decided to put our house up for sale and try to move to Littleton, in south Denver, much nearer our family. Our home is too big for us now. We've been planning this move for decades, and were just waiting for us to be retired.
All of my unsold paintings are now back in our home, and will help sell it. I will continue to produce art, in fact I have a commission now I am working on, and I will show my artwork on this blog as I get it done, and I'll certainly keep you up to date on our progress. Thank you for your patience.

My Art Show is UP!

2010-08-12T21:39:00.004-06:00

At least it's not the last minute, I do have my art show up with a day to spare, at the Old Colorado City History Center.
The exhibit space is a big old church, and my show is Friday, Aug. 13, 6-8 p.m. I had a show here at this time last year, I featured my Old Colorado City pictures, and they were received very well. This exhibit has been much easier to prepare, since I didn't have to rush around renting and assembling display panels as last year.
Thanks to Johnie Johnson, for letting me use his display panels and light stands. And thanks to all the volunteers, who are going to help with a wine and cheese reception. I'm using the single spot light that belongs to the center, and I've purchased 4 clamp lights and good bulbs, spots and floods, and I'll give all the lights to the History Center for future exhibits. Everyone agrees it's a great art gallery. And everyone's pleased to have this art show because last year's was a great success.
I'll keep you informed.

My Triptych.
In my blogs this summer I've mainly been showing this particular collection of artwork, and I've been showing various pairs of pictures, including my one diptych, of St. Elmo. One of my paintings was planned at the beginning to be a triptych, of "Holy Taos Mountain". Here it is, with sketches of the other two panels, each 30"x60".
The views are to the left, looking toward the Sangre de Cristo range that extends north of Taos into Colorado, and to the right, showing the rest of the location extending toward the Taos Mountains, that extend south to Santa Fe.
The finished painting itself is my largest painting, and while I do have the other two canvases ready to paint, I've never had the room to paint, much less hang, such a large finished work.
I'll see what kind of reception I get at the art show, as to whether I want to continue with this diptych.
Next post I'll have photos of my show.

My Art Show is Confirmed!

2010-07-19T21:27:00.016-06:00

Whew, I thought it would never happen, but the planning for Founders Day weekend has finally been completed, with my art show on Fri. Aug. 13 at the Old Colorado City History Center scheduled to begin a weekend of activities:
Thanks to all the volunteers at the center, we all know it was like herding cats, but now my show is all ready to be put on display, helping to commemorate the 151st anniversary of Old Town. We're not done herding cats yet, but already it's fun.

My brochure is 2-pages:

My apologies for taking so long to get this posted, I'm not showing any new paintings for now in my blog, and I kept thinking this was all going to come together any time, but it took a lot longer than I'd hoped for, and now I'm rushing to print and distribute flyers and invitations. I'm excited about having this show. Once it's done, hopefully I will have accomplished one big objective of my blog: to sell all my accumulated artwork, so I'll have room to produce more!

My Diptych
I especially wanted to show another of my pairs of pictures, my only true diptych:
East and West St. Elmo, oils, each 20" x 30":

I now have a collection of 6 St. Elmo pictures. I want to show 4 drawings, which I've completed with my relatively new watercolor pencils and--voila!--better paper.
Here's the original view of St. Elmo I painted both halves of the diptych from:

You can see that St. Elmo actually is a long town, which I had to break in half to get all of. And I "scrinched" all the buildings together to make the compositions I wanted. My view of the steeple came from this scene, and I blatantly put it into the middle of the second half of the diptych, West St. Elmo:

The drawings of the 2 landscapes seem rather innocuous compared to the paintings themselves. The oils are very thick and rich, they're the most vibrant colors I've ever used; I let people touch them.
You may be able to see why I paint few landscapes, but instead primarily use buildings to give me forms, colors and shapes that I can "weave" together. Here's one scene I know would make a good painting, Judy in St. Elmo in the middle of the old town:

These two buildings survived the fire. Four buildings were burned, including the court house (that I depicted as a church). These buildings also remain:

Art in Denver
I also want to show you some great artwork that we've scene lately in Denver, notably the outdoor exhibit of at least 20 huge sculptures by Henry Moore. Most of them are at the main Botanic Gardens, where I forgot my camera. Don't you hate it when that haopens? At least I can show you a picture from their website:
However, two Henry Moore sculptures are also on display at the Chatfield Botanic Gardens, which we went to see with Rick and Chris:

Each is a reclining figure, as are nearly all of the Moore sculptures. This is a woman with a child, and is nearly the smallest of all the sculptures on display:
This past weekend we went to the Denver Biennial of the Americas with Chris and saw their art show in the newly remodeled McNichols Bldg., which now is a vast cement, steel and brick edifice, empty except for the artwork. Two pieces are shown here:
Cardboard box interior, by Lucia Koch, Porto Alegra, Brazil:
This uses the old visual trick of making you think you're walking into a room. Judy is just seeing the flat surface, you have to get close. Then you can read the lable which tells you you're looking at a 2"x3" cardboard box photographed with a super megapixel camera and enlarged to 15'x15'. Astonishing printing job.
350,000 pennies, by Sandra Nakamura, Lima, Peru:
Basically what she did was buy $35,000 of pennies, which she then paid installers to arrange altogether on the floor. Judy and Chris are talking with the guard, who was a volunteer, who said his job mainly was putting pennies back together after they get kicked out of place by kids. He wasn't amused by my joking around, pretending to trip. What the 350,000 pennies represent, of course, is what its all about, but I don't remember what that was.
Next blog, and will show you my years-old scheme to paint a large TRIPTYCH, one painting of which is completed. It's my largest painting. Can you guess which one it is? (You should be pretty familiar with all my paintings by now, since I'm currently just showing the same old pictures.)

Pairs of Pictures

2010-06-12T14:46:00.017-06:00

I've got several pairs of pictures in my current SW Collection. Since I've got a show and sale planned Aug. 13 at the Old Colorado City History Center, although it hasn't been confirmed yet by the board, I am directing people to my blog to see my current artwork, and this gives me a chance to feature my other pairs of pictures.
Question: What do these 3 pairs of paintings have in common?:
I showed one pair in my last post, of old and new Mazatlan:

I showed my two views of Mission San Miguel in Santa Fe, earlier this year:

And I presented my views of San Jose at Las Trampas last year:
The answer to my question: These 3 pairs of pictures all present one scene from two different views, giving the view an extra dimension, doubling the pleasure so to speak. They hang especially well together, but they're usually sold separately.
I have a new picture to show of one of the Las Trampas drawings, my most recent one which is also the most prosaic, or traditionally scenic, view of Las Trampas:
I drew this with my new colored watercolor pencils, which include Austrian round paint sticks which sharpen like pencils, Cretacolor AquaMonolith, on watercolor paper. Although the paper is much better quality than the sketchbook paper I've been using for my drawings in this blog, I frankly don't like the textured look to the colors.
Questions: What do you think of my using this better quality paper? What is a better notebook paper to both draw and paint on? Compare them with the last two drawings I presented of the mission at Las Trampas, the front view:

And the back view:

I'm glad to get all of my pictures of Las Trampas assembled in one spot. The pair of oil pictures is actually part of a total of 6 pictures that I have of Las Trampas, 3 oils, and 3 drawings--which often are precursers to new oils.
In the past year I've thought of mainly using this blog for so-called business purposes, and not as a personal blog; it's an address I can give on my prints and ads (along with etsy). I've tried mostly to maintain the format of featuring a new oil at the first of the blog, and new drawings featured in the rest of it. Because I don't currently have a large oil painting output, my new blogs take a while for me to start. I'm glad to have some chances over the next few blogs to highlight my current artwork collection.
Also, reflecting upon the first year of this blog, I realize I can also add more personal information in it, as I did my last blog with photos.
OUR SECRET GARDEN
I want to share with you how our back yard looks right now, as the iris are just ending and the lillies starting. This is the peaceful view from my studio window, I'm in the basement with a southern exposure and large windows that fill with grand light every afternoon:
In the far corner is our memorial to Mother Justine and Father Hubert, near St Francis behind the Siberian Iris:
Only yesterday we had a picnic between the rain storms, with daughter Emli, Paul, Thorin and William, on their way back to Farmington NM. Here's Paul, Emli and Judy standing next to Mother Virginia's memorial, marked by Gabriel:
And last week, after a cold, indoor May, we finally managed to get outdoors into Old Town, with daughter Chris and Rick. Territory Days was the largest ever and the least stormy, with over 150,000 people. We found a great new Italian Pizzeria, that we can easily take people to when they come to see us:

My next posting will present another of my pairs of picture, this one a true diptych, the two views that complete one scene.

A Year Old

2010-05-21T20:05:00.036-06:00

This blog is now one year old, and a new appearance is appropriate, with a colorful header and a white background, to make reading easier. To celebrate the new appearance is my latest oil painting, something a little different for me, in which I got away from my usual rendering mode:

New Town Mazatlan, 2010, oil 16" x 20" Did you ever have a picture you couldn't stop working on, no matter how hard you tried? I tried several times to stop on this, but it was just too intriguing, all those little related spots of color, the doodler's delight. There was some perspective, but I only used it to make depth.I learned from this that you can only quit a painting by finishing it.
Now I've already had to revise my SW Collection, that I revealed last post:
Both Old Town and New Town Mazatlan were begun together, and my scheme was to have two Mazatlan paintings to present together. My objective was to make an orange oil painting that would complement the red one of old town. I needed to work on my oil palette, and I got a half dozen new orange oils to play with, so I now have 11 different oranges, as many oils as I have in each of my other colors:
I was working from the top down, so as to avoid getting oils on my wrists and cuffs, since I was using my new small brushes. And this painting simply was not done until I reached the bottom. This is the type of painting that can't be left alone, whenever it's near I'll be compelled to play on it some more. I can not at all guarantee that what is presented now will be exactly the same as it will look a year from now.
I'm glad to tell you about these paintings, as I actually got them on a trip to Mazatlan in 2008, my retirement cruise to the Mexican Pacific Riviera, the only cruise we've taken. Now I get to show you some drawings from my notebook:
The MS Oosterdam was our ship, and the week-long trip was a sketcher's delight. We had a great little stateroom with veranda, and I just spent my time out there.
Here's our view of Cabo San Lucas, the second night's destination:
Both views of Mazatlan were presented to us from our veranda on our third morning, with the new town of Mazatlan to the east, aglow in orange morning sunlight, and the old town of Mazatlan to the north, which I painted shining red in evening sunlight. Here's the sketch I made of the old cathedral:
At this time last year, leading into the summer, my blog had a lot of content. With my art show in August at the Old Colorado City History Center, this summer is already looking busy. I'll keep you posted.
A Personal Note
I've rarely allowed myself to add anything personal in my blog, prefering to stick to the journalistic standard of making it as brief and comprehensive as possible. My favorite blog is Judy Wise, who encouraged me to start my blog. She is such a complete art teacher in everything that she does, that I can only hope to emulate her in some way. She is professionaly brief and to the point, but she always includes personal insights and feelings that leave one astounded.
Just for instance, she currently mentioned and illustrated the potent symbolism of images from world religions, and also she shows a drawing of a kalakus tapping her on the shoulder. Both of those produced strong responses in me. I love how her artwork reflects what's truly within her and what she's experiencing.
When I saw her last she enthusiastically asked me, "Don't you just want to engage?"
I love engaging, we need other people very much, but I don't seek to engage the way Judy does. She always amazes me.
Anyhow, this is to let Judy know that her inspirational blog teaches me a lot, including how to see, and I thank her and encourage her.
Both Judy E and I will love her forever, as sung by Leon Russell.
Here's Judy planting tomatoes today: Here's our first Iris, Immortality, it just keeps on going on: And here's what the crabapple in our backyard just looked like:

Southwest Collection

2010-05-05T21:09:00.016-06:00

Today's Cinco de Mayo, and usually we can expect a snow storm. But today's the hottest day of the year so far. Anyhow, here's my oil painting of one of our recent blizzards on this date:
Cinco de Mayo, oil 20" x 30"
This is one of the paintings in my current Southwest Collection. I've now got my collection posted on Etsy (EkstromArt.Etsy.com), and I've scheduled an exhibit and sale on Friday, Aug. 13 at the Old Colorado City History Center. Here's the brochure of my entire collection:

I've handed out many of these brochures at the history center, and am printing more to give to people I know. The back page of the brochure is the oil from last year of Old Town Mazatlan:

On the inside I'm featuring my oils from along the High Road between Taos and Santa Fe:

* The backside of San Miguel Mission in Santa Fe, 20" x 24";
* 3 Incarnations of St. Anthony's in Dixon, 20" x 30";
* Sacred Heart at Nambe Pueblo, 16" x 20";
* Mission San Lorenzo at Picuris Pueblo, 16" x 20"

Page 3 of the brochure features 3 more High Road views:

* Mission San Jose at Las Trampas, 20" x 24";
* Mission of Holy Rosary at Truchas, 20" x 24";
* Holy Taos Mountain, 30" x 48"

And page 4 shows the remaining pictures I have for sale:

These include my diptych of the Colorado ghost town St. Elmo, which I completed only a year before the fire that destroyed much of the center part of the town:
* East St. Elmo, 24" x 30";
* West St. Elmo, 24" x 30";
* Cinco de Mayo, 20" x 30";
and * San Jose de Gracia at Las Trampas, 20" x 24".

The Back Sides

2010-04-01T12:21:00.012-06:00

I'm assembling my Southwestern Collection of paintings for sale, and this view of the back side of San Miguel Mission in Santa Fe is my last High Road contribution for awhile:
San Miguel Mission Santa Fe, 2010, oil 20" x 24"

The back sides of these old buildings are often as interesting as their fronts, if not more so. San Miguel is in the center of Santa Fe on the Santa Fe Trail, and there's always lots of people around. The handsome Indian woman in the painting actually was standing across the street from the church:

The back side of San Miguel is another painting that I started from only the briefest sketch, laying it out in big brush strokes instead of drawing it, concentrating on the forms, textures and colors, the way I would do if I were actually painting in plein air. I made the drawing of the church later, which helped me in finishing the painting:

Just next to the church, on De Vargas St on the east side of the Santa Fe Trail, is the oldest house in Santa Fe, c. 1646:

When I painted the back side of San Miguel I was thinking of a famous painting by Georgia O'Keefe, "St. Francis of Assisi Missionary at Ranchos de Taos, 1929," my favorite High Road painting. She painted the back side of that mission, and her stunning iconic image has always been in my head since first seeing it. It's my inspiration for my High Road paintings. Ranchos de Taos is at the other end of the High Road from Santa Fe, and with Georgia on my mind I made a drawing of the back side of that mission:

I'd love to make a large oil of this, the forms, textures and colors are truly classic. This also is a classic example of how interesting the back side of the building is compared to the front side:

I admit that my Southwestern Collection, which I'll show all of in the next blog, is way overloaded with New Mexico missions. I started these when we had plans after retirement to move to New Mexico, and I wanted to have a collection of New Mexican scenes ready for sale when we made the move. But now that we're staying where we are, I'm eager to paint lots of new classic Colorado views, which also have their own colors, forms and textures.

Thanks to rudraksh for the comment on my last blog. Yes, these paintings do provide a simple connectivity between you and me, and that's entirely what I'm seeking.

Santa Fe, Painters' Paradise

2010-03-02T07:56:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm not actually in Santa Fe right now, but I am still making a lot of artwork from our trips there. I've just finished an oil painting of Mission San Miguel near downtown Santa Fe, one of the oldest structures in the U.S., dating to c. 1601:
Mission San Miguel, Santa Fe 2010, oil 20" x 24"

This is another painting I began a year or so ago, underpainting in very thick oils that took a long time to dry, a technique I don't plan on using any more. But those thick oils are sure fun to paint on.

I have several sketches of this iconic building, which has at least four good views, one from every direction. It's a very recognizable landmark. I'm attracted to the character of older buildings, and this one's as old as they get here abouts. I'm getting a collection of these landmark buildings, not only for what I learn as I work on them but because I know that they're attractive to lots of people.

I started with this traditional classic view from the north, but it was clear as I sketched it that I had to have someone in the picture. The place was very busy, and three guys came by, laughing, on their way to the Indian Market. The view of the three of them together seemed quite appealing.

I prefer to put people in my pictures, but I'd like them to be people who were there when I was. I like these guys a lot just by themselves, and I've resolved to draw more people. People are like buildings, in that they have critical proportions and details that are so important in the final view.

I finally settled on this view, because of the light and colors as well as the couple who were there.

I liked their quiet demeanor in comparison to the building, not so attention-drawing as those first three guys. Her tatoos got my attention, I didn't show them to their beauty. Now there's an idea for portraits. I'm going to stay in Santa Fe for awhile longer, I have a lot of pictures of people from several Indian Markets.

My next post is my oil of the fourth view of San Miguel, from the back. I was thinking of Georgia O'Keefe when I started it, but it's very removed from her painting.

Great Places to Paint: Dixon, NM

2010-02-05T21:58:00.001-07:00

I'm still on the High Road between Taos and Santa Fe, where I'm getting a collection of pictures. My latest oil painting is of Dixon, where three incarnations of St. Anthony's Church are on proud display:
The 3 Incarnations of St. Anthony's, Dixon NM, 2010 oil, 20" x 30"

That's John Prescott with Judy Ekstrom in the picture. I originally underpainted it very thickly with oils, which took such a long time to dry I set it aside and forgot about it, but as I was compiling these High Road pictures I found it and finished it in a few weeks.

The painting was started after only the briefest sketch. This drawing of St. Anthony's at Dixon wasn't done til a few weeks ago, which helped me greatly get the painting finished. I also made several other drawings of Dixon and views along the High Road. I'm using the High Road as my current school, my training ground as I play with all my oils and my new large set of Derwent watercolor pencils. I view all my drawings as potential paintings, I won't make a painting that I haven't sketched first on the spot.

Now I'm trying to put these classical iconic images into more of a scenic context like my new view of San Jose de Garcia Church at Las Trampas, instead of continuing to make the bold, in-your face thick oils that have been my mode.

I love the colors, textures, patterns and light all along the High Road. No wonder those early Taos artists painted the way they did, the sunlight is incredible and comes in through my basement studio windows every afternoon.

The oil of St. Anthony's was lots of fun. I started by just boldly laying those shapes out, not trying to draw details at all. The underpainting of the biggest church was bright red. I found myself actually rubbing in some of my new oils with a rag, to bring out the underlying textures and colors.

I doubt I'll ever do another oil like this one, I just can't wait long enough for thick underpainting to dry, and I don't want to try to oil paint on top of thick acrylics.

My next posts will be paintings and drawings in Santa Fe, and everything will be new.

Happy Noo Year

2010-01-16T07:42:00.000-07:00

It's not too late for one last hoopee, even though it is in the middle of January already. I've resolved to blog, draw and paint more in the new year. Also I want to show my remaining artwork from last year, including a painting that I used for my holiday card:
Old Town Mazatlan, Catedral Basilica de la Purisima Concepcion, oil 16" x 20"

I showed this picture six months ago, when I began this blog. Even though this is a blog about oil painting, I do make lots more drawings than paintings. My first drawing of the year is from the window of our hotel room in Denver on Jan. 1, after waking from the New Year's party our daughter Chris took us to:
Coors Field, ink and watercolor pencil, 9" x 12"

The party was appropriately wild, with dancers on stilts:
The White Rose Gala, watercolor marker, 9" x 12"

STILL ON THE HIGH ROAD

I love the living drum I got in Santa Fe on our second trip last year, by Elk Good Water, Taos Pueblo. I wish you could hear it:

Having more leisurely time on this trip, I made new sketches along the High Road from Santa Fe to Taos:
Judy on the High Road

The High Road is my favorite sketching route. I've always drawn in my notebooks wherever I've travelled, and this is how I've filled up a notebook a year. I was looking for different views in our old favorite locations:
A scene in Chimayo

Three scenes in Truchas:

And a scene in Las Trampas, the back side of San Jose de Gracia Church:

Even though I'm done showing old pictures from the High Road, in this new year I still have lots of fond images that I'm compelled to turn into more pictures, which I'll continue to post as I make them.

Doll Doctor Antiques

2009-11-23T14:13:00.001-07:00

I finished and delivered a new oil painting:
Doll Doctor Antiques, 24"x 30".

Marilyn and Ariel Baylen were very pleased, and I was too because frankly I didn't know how it would turn out. This was the first complete oil rendering I've ever done. It took me two months because I was very methodical and deliberate about it. Since it was a commission I wanted to do the best job I could. Oil paintings have always taken me a long time to complete, but I want to look at the reasons the Doll Doctor took so long.

RENDERING AS AN INCOME
A rendering is essentially a portrait of a building, and the more accurate the better.

I started rendering for an income when I won an art contest illustrating the Pioneers Museum.
I made my living for several years by rendering for developers and builders. They'd give me the blueprints for unbuilt houses and I'd draw an ink picture on milar of what the house would look like after completed, including landscaping. They have software to do that now. I'd get paid maybe as much as $150 per rendering, and they would sell their houses for $250,000 or so based simply on my drawing. I'd do two renderings a day or more if I could, but it was certainly a feast or famine business. I'd paint renderings in acrylics, watercolors or guache, but not often.

I freelanced lots of individual framed renderings of people's homes and businesses, that I'd sit in my car and usually do on the spot. I drew the Margarita at Pine Creek because it was such a good place to eat at, and I sold the drawing to the owner the next time we ate there.

I was always an oil painter at heart but never imagined actually making a rendering in oil until the Baylens commissioned me. They liked my paintings of Old Colorado City they'd seen in the history center, and they are located in the heart of old town. The first thing I did was to make a full-sized rendering for the painting.

You can see how I even cut it apart to make the perspective more dramatic. I traced the rendering onto the canvas after drawing it in charcoal on the back side.

I had to reorganize my studio and purchased a new portable oil palette, one with a lid to help keep the oil paints wet (I also covered the palette with Glad press and seal wrap at night).

I had to buy new smaller brushes that I'd never used to oil paint with before. In fact the whole idea of drawing the oil painting first is not what I learned in school, where my teachers would say, "Paint, don't draw! That's why they call these paintings!" And they wanted me to develop the painting as I went along, emphasizing layout and color balance and working all over the canvas. It quickly became clear to me that for this picture I was going to have to work from the top down so as not to smear anything below, and that I had to try to do as much of the picture on my drawing table instead of my easle. For one thing, sitting on my stool at that easle made my back sore.

After I traced the rendering onto the canvas I then used acrylics to completely cover the white of the canvas, and to make bright underpainting for the oils.

The edges of the canvas are taped, because Judy Wise taught me to paint my own frames. I then took the canvas outside to start the painting on site, paying lots of attention to layout, actual color and details.

This was where I learned that trying to paint all over the canvas was not such a good idea, because I had to wait for these oils to dry before I could continue to paint, or else I'd end up getting them all over my hands and arms. Waiting for the oils to dry so I could paint over them has always been the big slowdown in completing paintings, but even though I was trying to be very efficient I did end of having to repaint a lot. For one thing I had to redraw the windows, making them wider to appear more in proportion, and making the right color for those bricks was time-consuming. I finally had to end up shopping for more oils at Meiningers Art Supply in Denver.

At least now that I'm finished I'll be able to do it better and faster next time. It helps that time management is no longer that important for me, nor is making an income from my art.

Old Town History Center Wrap Up

2009-09-11T20:51:00.000-06:00

Dave Hughes, the Treasurer of the Old Colorado City Historical Society and the person responsible for the revitalization of the old town, printed last month's expenses and income in September's monthly West Word newsletter.
"We got a windfall from the Art and Print Show Sales in our Center of Jack Ekstrom's work that dates back to 1976, when Old Colorado City first emerged as a visually historic part of town. He sold $1,872 worth on the evening of August 7th, and generously offered us 60% of that, or $1,123. He also drafted up, free, several of our advertising posters for Founders Day and the Cemetery Crawl."
There are five pictures left from the 13 in the show, and those will be put up for sale in the Silent Auction at the OCCHS Membership Dinner, Oct. 1 at the Ghost Town Wild West Museum.
You ought to be pretty familiar with those pictures by now:

1. An Act of God, oil, 20" x 28". Showing the effects of the lightning blast in 1995 that sent Sacred Heart Church's east steeple into the middle of Colorado Ave. We remember that strike, it was like an explosion. This picture, painted in October several months later, shows a Latino family Quinceanera celebration.

2. Mattress Factory, pen and watercolor, 12" x 14". The old firehouse, where Old Town Bed and Breakfast is now, just before the fire that ended it. The gentleman in the picture was a long-term resident of Norton's Home, across the street, who many people saw everyday striding in his distinguished gait.

3. Mrs. Morrison and General Palmer, pen and ink, 18" x 24" matted. In 1917 General Palmer, the founder of Colorado Springs, was riding from his home in Glen Eyrie to the Antlers Hotel when Mrs. Morrison came running out of her burning home at 2217 W. Colorado Ave., which is still there. She'd set her laundry on fire through using naptha. The general took her to the Antlers with him and provided her with a room until her home was repaired.

4. Pikes Peak from Bancroft Park, oil, 24" x 36". That's Michael Garman's truck. When I tried selling this to Michael, he exclaimed, "Why in *!!* would I want to buy that? The gentleman in the painting isn't Michael, but a familiar neighborhood figure at that time walking his dog.

5. Sacred Heart Church, oil, 18" x 24". This classic view was made from the end of our alley not long after we moved here, when beehive incinerator ovens were still in use.

I had put two other of my older renderings in the art show too, but those are not going to be auctioned.

Cliff House, pen and ink, 24" x 36"

Barker House, pen and ink, 20" x 28"

These are both buildings in Manitou Springs just to the west of us. When people asked me why I put them in my Old Colorado City show I replied, "Those are what I really like doing. I've always regretted that Old Colorado City doesn't have buildings like those."

El Camino Real

2009-09-09T14:50:00.000-06:00

So long to Santa Fe, for another year. There were several scenic drives we could have taken out of Santa Fe to get back home to Colorado Springs including the freeway, which is the least scenic but fastest. But Hiway 285 takes you north from Santa Fe toward Espanola, and there are many scenic drives to get sidetracked on.

One junction to the left takes you past San Ildefonso Pueblo, a fascinating place that we'll get back to sometime.
You can't miss the Catholic mission at San Idelfonso, it's right in the middle of the Pueblo.

Instead we took the next intersection to the right, toward Nambe Pueblo. It's our most favorite drive, that follows the El Camino Real to Taos. It has provided me with much subject matter for paintings and drawings.

Sacred Heart Church at Nambe, oil 16" x 20"

That's John Prescott standing in front of Nambe Mission. The old Catholic missions on the Indian pueblos are all classic Southwestern scenes, and I'm as big a sucker for them as any artist.
The next stop on the El Camino Real is Chimayo, one of the most scenic historic stops, with the famous El Santuario. That place also calls for us to stop for awhile, so we'll certainly go back there too.

Continuing on the El Camino Real, we always stop at Truchas. How could anyone not? The site of Robert Redford's movie "The Milagro Beanfield War," Truchas is a town of galleries, and in the center of it is another venerable mission. You have to admire adobe construction that's lasted over 300 years.

Old Truchas Mission of Holy Rosary, 1764, oil 18" x 24"

Las Trampas, the next stop on the El Camino Real, features a famous Catholic church that I've painted a few times.

San Jose de Gracia Church 1760, oil 18" x 24"

I couldn't keep from painting the church at Las Trampas from two different views.

Las Trampas San Jose de Gracia, oil 18" x 24"

Continuing once more on the El Camino Real north toward Taos is Picuris Pueblo, with the mission having been restored by the people at Picuris.

San Lorenzo de Picuris, oil 16" x 20"

And finally you come to Taos. There is indeed a famous Catholic church painted by Georgia Okeefe south of town, as well as a mission at Taos Pueblo. But I love the pueblo itself, and its location.

Holy Taos Mountain, oil 30" x 48"

Do you see the face of the holy mountain, looking straight upward? I don't know where he came from, but appeared as I was painting it. To me he seems to have a headdress flowing down his left shoulder. When we were at Taos Pueblo in one of the shops we met Carol Suina, who said the name of the holy Taos mountain was "A-che-yats" (my spelling).
Again looking forward to coming back to this magical place, and all the others I've shown you, we continued home, going through San Luis, Ft. Garland and Walsenberg, a beautiful drive with continuously changing epic vistas. San Luis is one of our favorite stops, it's back in Colorado but still very much Hispanic, in fact it's the oldest town in Colorado.
And now that I have such good space in my basement studio, thanks to this blog and to all you gracious people who helped me with your comments, I can begin to paint again -- I must have a dozen paintings that need finishing, most from the El Camino Real!

Santa Fe Indian Market

2009-09-01T15:02:00.000-06:00

Our trip to Santa Fe last week was the best one yet. We've gone there several times in August with our family, the best time of the year to leave our gardens and to drive through gorgeous Colorado and New Mexico scenery. We've always loved the Indian Market itself, and all the associated art openings at the many excellent Santa Fe galleries, as well as the many great scenic drives in every direction from Santa Fe.
The highlight of our trip was on Saturday before noon on the first day of the market, when we met Vernida Polacca Nampeyo, a Tewa/Hopi potter, at her booth on Palace Ave. beside the Plaza.

Judy spotted the Hopi pot from a ways off. You could say it pulled us to it, and as with all wonderful works of art it just kept pulling on us, becoming more and more attractive, even now. It was small, 3 1/2" by 5 1/2", with a beautiful, simple polychrome design and was very reasonably priced. She graciously accepted a check from us, carefully perusing my Colorado driver's license. It was very busy and we didn't stay to talk with her, but I got her address and promised to send her a picture of her pot.

It was a thrill to meet the actual creator of a Hopi pot. Vernida is a Tewa and lives in Polacca, a village near in Arizona on the Hopi reservation, and is a great granddaughter of Nampeyo herself, the most honored of Tewa/Hopi potters.
In the excellent book "Hopi-Tewa Pottery, 500 Artist Biographies" by Gregory Schaaf (yes, they had super book booths in the market, and we got a few--mostly cookbooks) is a photograph of a 1906 seed jar by Nampeyo that is very similar to ours, with an "Eagle Tail Feather Skirt" design and "fine line migration patterns featuring curling wave-like designs with parrot tail tips." These, plus "negative stars," are Vernida's favorite designs.
The book tells about the great migrations of the Tewa clans from southern Colorado into New Mexico following the Rio Grande, establishing pueblos at Nambe, Picuris, Taos and many more locations. The route of the Tewa led to the Hopi where the Tewa warriors protected the Hopi from attacks by the Spanish, Utes, Navajos and many others. The earliest pottery in this area dates to 300 B.C.
Our family in Farmington, Arizona, Emli and Paul Jaeger, who located between Mesa Verde and the Hopi reservation will love this story about the Tewa and Hopi. We've spent much time together in Mesa Verde and other locations in the Southwest, wondering where the people who lived there went to, and why they left. Maybe if they migrated, it may not be such a great mystery. Frank Waters in "The Book of the Hopi" emphasized the moral imperative for Indian people to complete their migrations as the Hopi did.
Next: The El Camino Real, featuring all the rest (almost) of my extant paintings!

To Santa Fe

2009-08-25T22:11:00.000-06:00

Judy Wise and John Prescott left for home this afternoon, after a wonderful 5-day trip to Santa Fe. We're full of great memories, and we feel both refreshed and inspired.

Colorado Springs is 6 hours from Santa Fe. We went the scenic route, via San Luis where we had lunch in the convenient Coffee House Cafe. From left is John, Judy, our daughter Christine, Judy Ekstrom and son-in-law Rick Munoz.
Last weekend was the Indian Market, and our aim was to see as much artwork as possible.

Judy Wise is a treasure to view art with, she has an eye for finding great works and then can tell you easily what makes them so good. One high point of our trip was the first day, on Canyon Road in the Winterowd Fine Art Gallery. She led us to three works by Don Quade, large, colorful mixed media panels based on journaling. Above, Judy Ekstrom and Judy Wise view "Journal of the Butterfly," 48" x 72".

Here they're viewing two 48" x 48" panels by Don Quade, "Journaling July" and "Meadow."

She led us into another room with works by Michelle William from Houston, not the gorgeous large yellow paintings but the two smaller plexi-framed paintings.

She was very taken with those works by Michelle.

We got another look at one of Michelle's works on our way out.

And when we got back to our motel we discovered that Judy had purchased one of Michelle's mixed media on metal paintings.
Be sure to see Judy Wise's blog for more information.

The next day we went straight to the Plaza to view the Indian Market booths. More about this later.
I want to thank Judy and John, as well as Chris and Rick and Judy Ekstrom, for a marvelous, unforgettable time.

The Big Show was a Success!

2009-08-11T11:17:00.000-06:00

I'm pleased to report that my art show and special one-time sale last Friday at the Old Colorado City History Center was a great success, with a fine turnout and excellent sales.

I did make the entrance to the center more obvious, with 4 homemade posters that at least let people know what was going on inside. I nailed another poster on the tree down on the corner, directing people in this direction (and I did take down all the posters afterwards). Since the history center was one block off the avenue where all the other artwalk galleries were located, we were concerned that people might not know where we were. Joanne Karlson even had a volunteer standing down there handing out flyers part of the time. Those were all efforts that paid off.

I cleaned up the main display and put a large spotlight on it, which made a pretty dramatic entrance to the display that got everyone's attention. Four of these five paintings sold.

It was a beautiful evening and people came from all over. The interior of the history center was quite attractive, and the evening sun coming in through the old church windows was gorgeous.

There was lots of room for people to mill around and to look at the history exhibits as well as the art.

The old church pews were set around the edge of the space and lots of people spent their time just sitting and socializing on the comfortable seats. In the photo I'm picking out another red dot from my folder so that one of the super volunteers, Jan deChadenades, could affix it to another sold picture, to the amusement of our neighbors, Jane and Kurt Weiss from Texas, and Barbara and Joe Vuillemin from Arizona. Jane and Barbara purchased the two views of Sacred Heart in the winter and in the summer, both of which had the back yard of their home just down the street in them.

The displays were easy to look at and even the pictures on the back display were well lit. Here's Paul Jaeger, my son-in-law from New Mexico, deciding which picture to buy.

Judy Ekstrom and I stand with Ann Washburn in front of the picture she purchased. Ann lives just down the street from us, and was very happy to have the scene of Pikes Peak from Old Colorado City on her wall.

Nearly everyone I invited showed up. Here's Judy with Kaye Grant, the Marketing Director for Services at the Air Force Academy. Kaye was my boss for nearly 20 years. She was pleased to purchase a picture. Serving wine was volunteer Werner Karlson, who also helped clean up afterwards.

Kaye and I were happy to see each other. She's still working at the Academy, from which I retired over a year ago.

My old friend and fellow painter Warren Schroeder came with his girlfriend Jeannie. He'd long waited for me to have a show, now I'm waiting on him to have one.

Long-time friend Betsy Evans goes through the box of prints I had made, while Jan watches. I produced 60 prints, 5 of each picture, and put them in clear plastic envelopes. They were very popular and 35 sold.

Here I am talking with another long-time friend, Fred Clark, the President of Warren Tool Co. and a long-time sponsor of the old National Carvers Museum.
I give my sincere thanks to everyone for helping me with this show, it's gone a long way to accomplishing one of my goals in this blog: to figure out how to sell my old paintings so that I can have room on my walls for new ones. I especially want to thank my long-time friend and co-worker Todd Ryan, who took most of these pictures.

The Final Show

2009-08-06T22:18:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is the day of my big show and special one-time sale at the Old Colorado City History Center, Friday, Aug. 7, 5-8 p.m. I took all of my paintings and drawings to the center to set up on Tuesday.

As I look at this photo of the entrance to the center I immediately see I need some posters out there, but because of my lack of foresight and planning it's now too late to make anything of any size. I'll see what I can do tomorrow (famous last words) to at least put up some signs. I have printed and distributed several hundred flyers, all in color, but nothing big.
Setting up this exhibit has been all-consuming. When I first started on Tuesday I used the history center's big 8' square heavy display that was designed to be kept erect by two 18" panels on each end which turned opposite 90 degree directions. But when I had two pictures on it, held by "invisible" plastic line, the entire display simply fell over with a tremendous crash, totally shattering one frame and glass (but not hurting the picture, which I reframed that evening). A few people were inside the center viewing the history exhibits and volunteering help. Luckily no one got mooshed (colloquial term for smashed flat).
So I rushed to Bruno's Rentals and managed to put up another 8' x 10' display by the next day.

Hanging the pictures on that metal frame on both sides of black drapes was not easy, they wouldn't hang straight and I finally had to string extra plastic lines horizontally to help hold the pictures steady. At least the lighting isn't too bad, with a good spotlight to shine on the front display.

As I look at this photo I see I've got to clean that display up by removing those two silly signs with arrows, as well as that flyer display. The back side of the draped display panel is problematical, but I don't see what more I can do to make it look better. I'm embarrassed by how sloppy this all appears. Two pictures are on tripods and lack good light.

I did add one more painting, a picture of Sacred Heart Church I found in my cellar, showing the effect of the terrrific lightning blast in a 1995 summer storm, which threw the east cupola and cross into the middle of Colorado Ave.

I finally got over there in October to make an illustration of how it still looked, and while I was there a latino family was having a celebration. They even posed for me. I only saved this picture because it was my first effort to make a rendering in oil, it's another picture I'm very eager to get rid of.
I'll let you know how the show and sale goes.

Art Show Countdown

2009-08-03T16:11:00.000-06:00

This is the first day of a very busy last week until my art show, this Friday Aug. 7, 5-8 p.m. at the Old Colorado City History Center. This is my first actual scheme to accomplish the one main goal that was the reason I started this blog: to get rid of all the old pictures I've had on my walls for years.
I've now got my first 12 pictures completely ready (I am working on a few more, but more about that next blog) and I've actually moved them out of my basement studio and have them (once again) displayed on our living room walls.

We invited our next door neighbors over a couple days ago to see the art, since I'd sent them an invitation and they replied by apologizing for being unable to make the art show, but that since their back yard was in four of those paintings, they did want to have "first choice" of the pictures. I want to thank Barbara Vuillemin, who will return after the show to take Sacred Heart in the Summer '77 (lower right corner in the photo) back home to Tucson Arizona with them.
I love finding good homes for my pictures.

The Flyer Brigade

2009-07-24T12:22:00.000-06:00

I've made my living in part by producing flyers, you know, those pesky 8 1/2" x 11" sheets of paper that end up even lying around in gutters. I was hoping I was done doing that, but no, I'm now producing flyers for the Old Colorado City Historical Society, because that's what I can do in return for their helping me with my art show on Friday, Aug. 7, 5-8 p.m. Here's the flyer about it:

Flyers are one of the main ways of advertising for OCCHS. Many of its members also volunteer their time and so these flyers have presumably been going to all the local merchants and to people on the mailing list.
The price on the flyer for my painting says $800, but I'm actually going to sell it for less than that. This is, after all, a sale.
That weekend of Aug. 7 & 8 is a big weekend here, since it's the Sesquicentennial Celebration of Old Colorado City. Here's the flyer:

It's black and white because that way anybody can produce these flyers on their home printers.

I also made another flyer for the other August event for OCCHS, the annual Cemetery Crawl:

The Cemetery Crawl is a lot of fun and is popular. It raises funds for OCCHS, which I'm doing as well. These funds help pay the mortgage and big monthly utility bill for the center, just to start with. And the activities of the history center help attract lots of people to the area. Their operating budget allows them to accomplish a lot in historical documentation and preservation.

The illustration for the Cemetery Crawl is from a photo of Dave Hughes as Anthony Bott. Dave is the Treasurer of OCCHS and he asked me for a caricature of Anthony Bott. This is the best I could come up with.

New Photos of Old Art

2009-07-13T17:16:00.000-06:00

I'm getting 12 paintings and drawings ready to sell on Aug. 7, 5-8 p.m. at the Old Colorado City History Center, and it's been keeping me busy every day for the past two weeks. Only the 2 oils have escaped being taken out of their frames. I've taken each picture outdoors on our western patio in the bright southern sun and photographed it with my Minolta DiMage S414. I photoshop each picture in Corel 9, and am currently printing sets of 12 on my Canon Pixma pi4200 photo printer. Most of the new photos I've already posted among the 12 following pictures, but here are the two I finally just got done.
Sacred Heart in the Summer, 77, acrylic 18" x 24" matted

This is a startling improvement over the past photo I've posted (which I've left for comparison's sake in the June 24th post, to my embarrassment).

Sacred Heart in the Winter, 76, acrylic 18" x 24" matted

This is my favorite picture, and although I once sold cards of both of these paintings, I've never had the paintings up for sale before. I guess I just thought I'd keep them on my wall forever.
One big thing I've learned from this blog is how important it is to have good photos to post, especially of art. Now because my printer is so good I'm getting carried away making prints of all 12 pictures, which I'm signing in pencil and putting in clear plastic envelopes which I got from clearenvelopesonline.com. Each print, on 45# Canon matte photo paper, is ready for an 8" x 10" frame.
The thing about printing on a home printer is that the ink is not archival, and no matter how good the paper is the pictures may not seem so sharp after a few years or so. And besides, toner is darned expensive. I just like the control I have, but I'm too cheap to buy a printer that uses better ink.
So I have a question, please:
Should I instead pay to have these painting photos printed for me (from the UPS Store for example), or is home printing ok on a good printer?

My Art Sale

2009-07-13T15:36:00.000-06:00

I'm working full speed on my art sale at the Old Colorado City History Center, Fri. Aug. 7, 5-8 p.m.

I've printed a few hundred of these two-page flyer/brochures and with the history center's help I'm getting them distributed.

Please excuse my current lack of frequent posts, I've made myself quite busy with this art sale -- which was one of the objectives that started this blog: "What am I gonna do with all my old art on my walls?" And since I don't have a website I'm directing people to this blog, and am trying to keep the 12 following pictures at the top of the queue.
I've finally got the details about how the show will be set up, with wine and cheese, and a volunteer to run the desk and take credit cards. Judy Ekstrom and daughter Chris Tilson will help. If things aren't too busy they can see some of the other galleries on the Artwalk. There are at least 12 galleries up and down the avenue, and I have to get to them with my brochures.
Figuring out how to display my art has taken awhile, I'm going to use 5 tripods and the large display panels that the history center has. What's kept me the busiest is getting the 12 pictures themselves ready, with clean glass, good mattes and frames; only the two oils are not under glass. And I've been making new photos of them all, for good prints and better display on this blog. I'll have two to show next post, to compare with the old photos.

Views from our Windows

2009-06-24T16:24:00.000-06:00

My mantra in this blog has been "What am I gonna do with all my old pictures?"
I'm putting a collection of 12 old Old Colorado City paintings and drawings in a special one-time art sale to benefit the Old Colorado City History Center, the Friday of Founders' Weekend, Aug. 7, 5-8 p.m. at the center. I really appreciate this opportunity to get that number of pictures actually possibly moved.
The final 4 pictures (I think) I've chosen to put in that sale are my favorites, the last of the views of Sacred Heart Church I've painted from our upstairs bedroom windows since '76. It's great having a good view.

Cinco de Mayo '98, oil 30" x 40"

Sacred Heart and Cheyenne Mountain, acrylics 20" x 28", 1987

Sacred Heart in Winter, acrylics 18" x 24", 1976

Sacred Heart in Summer, acrylics 18" x 24", 1977

And then no sooner did I get these pictures ready for sale, I discovered about 8-12 more old drawings of Colorado Springs that are from this same era, just sitting in an old folder in our crawl space waiting to be matted and framed. I wonder if I can get them ready for this sale at the history center?
Is there no end to this?

Old Colorado City Pictures

2009-06-21T15:51:00.000-06:00

I am going to exhibit and have a special one-time sale of as many as 12 of my Old Colorado City pictures, on Friday, Aug. 7, 5 - 8 p.m. at the History Center, One South 24th St., Colorado Springs, 80904 (719) 636-1225. You're all invited to enjoy an Open House at the center, with wine and cheese, as part of the first friday Old Colorado City Artwalk. The next day are the Founders' Day events and the Sesquicentennial Celebration of Old Colorado City, 1859-2009. Sales of my artwork will benefit the history center. Prices will range from $95 to $795. Art includes:

Pikes Peak from Old Colorado City, oil 24" x 36", 1998

Pikes Peak from Bancroft Park, acrylic 24" x 36", 1980

Sacred Heart Church, oil 18" x 24", 1996

Two Old Twins, guache 18" x 24", 1987

Mattress Factory, ink & watercolor 14" x 15", 1996

Old Town Rehabs, Ink 18" x 24", 1985

General Palmer & Mrs. Garrison, Ink 18" x 24", 1981

Party Table, Ink 9" x 12", 2009

I'll have four more pictures to add in my next post.

Free Art

2009-06-18T16:47:00.000-06:00

In my quest to get my old art off my walls I've gone to two places in Old Colorado City where I already have artwork on display: the local Carnegie Library, and the Old Colorado City History Center. This old part of Colorado Springs is a National Historic area, and the business district, which is only a few blocks from where we live, is gradually becoming more art-oriented. In addition to my giving art to my family, in the past few years I've given an oil painting to each of those places.
The Carnegie Library, where all our family (and Judy's Chickadee Child Care kids) have always walked to, had its centennial celebration recently, and as they had an old illustration of mine already hanging in the library, I was asked to make a picture for them to use for the celebration and to raise funds for its renovation, which is now done. I was happy to paint a picture for them, in return for all they've done for my family.

The Red Balloon, 18" x 24" acrylic/oil

The Old Colorado City History Center is on one side of Bancroft Park, while the Carnegie Library is on another side. I knew that the library might be scheduling exhibits for 2010, which entailed submitting artwork to be juried, but instead I walked across the park to the history center. Local icon Dave Hughes secured the old church years ago for the history center, and has turned the Historical Society (OCCHS) into an active part of the local community.
I started my art career in the 1970s making posters, maps and illustrations for Dave. He used one of my ink illustrations as the logo for OCCHS, and a few years ago I painted a large oil of the church in order to give them a color logo and help usher them into the modern world of color advertising.

Old Town Holy Day, 30" x 40" oil

The weekend of August 7-8 is the Sesquicentennial Celebration of Old Colorado City, and Dave Hughes and OCCHS have been instrumental in making that into a big Founders' Day weekend that will draw lots of people to Bancroft Park. I produced a flyer for them to use for the Arts and Crafts event in Bancroft Park this Saturday, June 20, and I will help them with flyers for Founders' Day.

A couple weeks ago I mentioned to Dave that I've got a dozen old paintings and drawings of Old Colorado City, and I asked him if OCCHS could help me sell those, that I would even be willing to give OCCHS the majority of the sales. I would advertise such a sale with "Proceeds to Benefit the Old Colorado City History Center." Dave and the society president Joanne Karlson have taken my proposal under consideration.

Included in the sale I want to include the cartoon that I featured in another flyer I've done for OCCHS for their July Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social.

So now as I wait to hear from Dave and Joanne, I'm wondering if I've done the right thing. I've actually offered to give them a commission of 60% or higher. Is this just another form of giving away my art? Am I nuts? What do you think I should do?

Thick Oil Painting

2009-06-17T17:59:00.000-06:00

My mission is to do something with my old pictures that are just hanging around. Since starting this blog I've had no success, but I'm certainly working on it.
We just got back from a great driving trip to see our family in Farmington NM. No, they have no more room on their walls for more artwork--Emli is an artist herself, and so are her boys; Paul's a poet. I've always given artwork to all our family, it's been "cheap man's gifts" for me to give.

I did hang in their hallway the last two ink and watercolor portraits of their boys, that I gave them for Christmas: William Jaeger, above, and Thorin Jaeger, right.

And I had time to study the Christmas present I gave them the Christmas before that, a large thick oil of Shiprock, where they took us on a trip a couple years ago.
Shiprock (shown below) was an experiment, I always wanted to goosh onto on my pallette all my reds (14), purples (14), yellows (11) and oranges (7), and use them all as fast as I could, slapping them on with all my brushes, not mixing them, getting them as thick as possible while still letting the underlying acrylic colors show through, not worrying about drawing. So that's what I did, it was a frantic painting frenzy that was lots of fun.

I was trying to emulate the style of our favorite artist, Darren Vigil Grey, a New Mexico painter who uses thick acrylics to create myth-like scenes of pure, frantic color.
I always loved Kandinsky and those wild expressionists, I bummed my way to galleries around Europe, in Germany, Belgium, Spain, England and France to see original thick paintings. I even got kicked out of the Louvre for touching a thick Rembrandt (that oil was definitely dry). My bad!
As I studied the oils on Shiprock in my daughter's living room, I discovered that lots of them were still wet, the thicker layers were firm on top but soft when you gently pushed them. I love the sculptural quality of oils, I don't use any medium and don't varnish or protect the finished canvases. The paintings are literally alive and vibrant, and subtly change over the years.
Next post I want to talk about some other art I gave away in the past couple years, especially since I may find a way to move a dozen more of my old pictures.

The Ubiquitous Waiting List

2009-06-08T16:24:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I took 5 works into Arati Artist's Gallery, a co-op of 19 artists who had their monthly meeting this morning.
In addition to my new Old Town Mazatlan painting and West St. Elmo, I took:

Holy Taos Mountain, oil 30" x 48"

San Jose de Gracia church at Las Trampas, NM, oil 20" x 30"

Geronimo, walnut carving, 10" x 20"

I took the carving in mainly as an amusement, it was my least expensive item, they have good 3-d displays at Arati but no carvings, and I've got a few old carved Indian heads just sitting around, waiting for me to do something with them. They're a little bit like puppets, I find myself talking to them, and even talking for them like a ventriloquist when I'm holding them.
Anyhow, before noon I got a pleasant phone call from Janet Oyler, an excellent scenic watercolorist whom I talked with a few times over the past week, and she explained I'd not been chosen but it was "very close", that there were 5 artists vying for the one opening and that others had been on their waiting list. She asked if I would like to be added to their waiting list, and I said by all means.
The ubiquitous waiting list. "It could be a month or a year," Jan said.
I felt relief because then I could continue goofing off, but then as I returned those pictures to their walls and the carving to its empty spot I realized that once again I was faced with my same old question:
What am I gonna do with all these pictures (and carvings)?

What am I gonna do with my new paintings?

2009-06-06T22:09:00.000-06:00

Do painters even have logos? I'm gonna quit worrying about my header.
In the past several wet, cold months I've put my basement studio back in shape and I've finally started painting again.

I went back to work on the two Mazatlan pictures I started in acrylics last year after we got back from Mexico. I oil paint on top of acrylics and use acrylics like gesso.

I finally made a place for my oils and have got them organized, including putting up a 4-bulb fluorescent light above my pallette so I can actually see what I'm doing.

And I've started a 3' x 4' canvas of Arches National Monument, where we just went a couple months ago.

When Judy Ekstrom saw the mess I'd made down there she asked the 2 pertinent questions that are the drivers for this blog:
"What are you gonna do with those new paintings? What are your plans to move the paintings you've got?"
I had to admit I had no plans at all, but it's clear that if I'm gonna keep painting I do have to make space to hang em.
And to hang em I'm gonna have to do something about all the pictures already on my walls.
So my immediate plan is to take my most recent picture and try to get it into a gallery. It's a view of Old Town Mazatlan.

Luckily, there is a local gallery only a few blocks away that has an opening for an artist. I'm going to try to join Arati Artists Gallery. They're going to look at five of my works, which I have to take over there tomorrow afternoon.
Arati Artists (http://www.aratiartists.com/) is well known to me, they're just a few blocks away on Colorado Ave, a pretty good location for them. They started in 1977 just as I was starting selling art, it was a recession and my heavy equipment operating job had ended, I was substituting in schools and scrambling for work. I joined them for a few months in '78 until I went to work for the National Carvers Museum. The fact that they've been open all this time is impressive.
Their commission is 25% and they charge $50 a month membership, in effect renting me about a 10' x 10' spot on their wall. In return they want me to man the gallery at least 5 half-days a month. For a fee they'll add me to their website. I'll find out after tomorrow if I can join.

Plein Air Painting

2009-06-05T07:25:00.000-06:00

For my new Galloping Goose header I found the only picture of me actually oil painting plein air at St Elmo, Colorado, an old ghost town that burned in 2003. My good friend and sister-in-law Judy Wise took that photo in 2002, when we were all on a big hiking trip (okay, I wasn't even planning on hiking). I had two 30' x 40" canvases attached to a 6' cedar garden pyramid as an easle, which I hauled in the back of my pickup with my oil palette and a big tarp in case of rain. Judy Wise was stranded, wondering where John had gone in their car with her drawing book, they'd gone to hike way above treeline, when a huge rain/hail/wind storm hit. That's where I learned that plein air painting really can suck. With Judy's help I got the easle into the back of my truck and tied down the tarp over the wet oil and then we just sat in the cab during that storm, wondering how anyone out there was ever gonna survive. When John et. al finally returned they were in a lot better shape than we were.

I still have those two paintings framed nicely on my basement wall, which brings me to ask a third question to the two I started this blog with:

3. Where and how do you sell old paintings?

Often galleries such as the Business of Art Center in Manitou Springs only want you to hang new work, no older than two years. I think those two old paintings must have some value, at least historically as these views no longer exist as they did.

Here are those paintings, East and West St. Elmo, oil, 30" x 40".

As I continue, I hope to answer my three questions:

1. What are you gonna do with all those old pictures you have?

2. Where are you gonna put those new pictures you're starting?

3. How do you sell old paintings and drawings?

Please don't call me Galloping Goose

2009-06-03T16:43:00.000-06:00

It's not my Handle, it's my Logo. My device, or hook. I just thought of it as I was making this blog on bogspot -- er, blogspot, and it asked me for the name of this blog.

I use that because of the old narrow gauge Galloping Goose that daily roared and clacked through the back acreage of the silver fox farm I was born on in Ridgway, Colorado, in the lee of Mt. Sneffels. My brother and I played on those tracks, it was all very formative.

I'm starting this blog because my good friend and sister-in-law Judy Wise urged me to. I asked her -- and I ask you, the so-called reader -- two pertinent questions:

1. What do you do with all those old framed paintings and drawings that you just found in your attic/cellar?

2. Where are you gonna put those new paintings/drawings you're starting?

Those are certainly my questions, which I'm going to attempt to answer through this blog.

Thanks for bearing with me, I have to see my thoughts in print so that I know what my thoughts are.

Here's one of those pesky old paintings that I simply have to get rid of so I have a place to hang the new paintings I've already started. Pikes Peak from Old Colorado City, '98 (actually started years before), 24" x 36", oil.