Guy and I drove to the Washington coast June 16 for two days of painting. The first day we hiked down Rialto Beach to paint the sea stacks that jut out of the ocean. The hike, in soft sand, was tiring, but the views were worth it. I’m still learning how to paint in this environment.
The Coast Guard station in La Push harbor
In the afternoon, we found a good subject in the Coast Guard boats at their moorings. These boats are designed to cross the bar into the open ocean during high seas, and many dramatic rescues have been made by the Coasties. I like the way the boat inside the boat shed echoes the one outside.
Second Beach
On our second day, we hiked to Second Beach. This secluded beach can only be reached by hiking a strenuous trail through the woods. The rocky outcroppings and islands are amazing. There were quite a few hikers on the beach, taking in the magnificent scenery.
Guy painting at Second Beach
Guy is taking up watercolors, so he was painting alongside me. It’s much more fun to have a painting buddy who’s cheerful and a good support.
We found a convenient log to sit on while painting at Rialto Beach.
Guy and I spent a couple of the days at Lake Crescent with artists from Plein Air Washington Artists. We camped at Fairholme Campground near Lake Crescent, one of our favorites. We painted at Log Cabin Resort, Salmon Cascades, the Elwha River and Lake Crescent Lodge, but this painting was the only really successful one.
Guy at Fairholme CampgroundPainting along the Elwha River.
I’m delighted to say that I’ve been accepted into two major art exhibitions recently. As an artist, it’s especially rewarding to have your work recognized by national art societies, and I’m grateful to be successful at this level.
Nahcotta boat
I made this painting on a late afternoon in March when I was attending a watercolor workshop in Long Beach, WA, with my teacher, Eric Wiegardt. After our workshop for the day was over, I drove to Nahcotta harbor, where there’s a gritty collection of docks, dredging gear, and old boats. This abandoned boat resting in the grass caught my eye and I painted it as the light began to fade.
This painting was accepted into the 57th Watercolor West International Juried Exhibition. The juror was Ratindra Das, an internationally famous watercolor artist. My painting will be shown in the exhibition that runs from August 23 to November 9 at the Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University in Orange, California. Four of my art friends in the Seattle area were also selected to be in the show. What a thrill! I plan to fly to California to attend the reception on August 30 and visit friends in the area.
Kingston farm
This is a painting of a farm just West of Kingston, WA, that I painted several times earlier this year. I first made a plein air painting while standing by the fence in the foreground. Afterward, I painted this version in the studio. I especially like the way the barn is tucked into the trees above a long, sloped pasture.
This painting was accepted by the Spokane Watercolor Society for their National Show, and it received an Honorable Mention Award. I’m very proud of these paintings.
My teacher, Eric Wiegardt, says that he chooses his colors “intuitively” when he’s painting. What he means is he picks his colors out of the palette by what feels right emotionally. He doesn’t get all hung up on what’s the right color to match the scene he’s painting, but he just grabs the paint that feels right. The result is paintings that sing with color.
Last Wednesday I drove to the mouth of the Hamma Hamma River on Hood Canal and made this painting. I tried to be a little more intuitive about my color choices, and the vivid blue of the water is the result. The color is thalo blue, which I rarely use because it’s so strong. It seemed garish at first, but after I moved it around a little bit, I decided that it was a good choice because it adds energy to the painting.
I made this painting on the way to a church meeting in Hoodsport. It took me awhile to find a good location, but finally I found a place to park on the side of the highway and clambered down a short path to the tide flat where I could paint in peace. I finished just in time to get back to the car and make it to my meeting.
I traveled to Colorado last week to visit my family, but this week I’m back to painting. On Tuesday I drove to the Chimacum area (near Port Townsend) and found this barn that just begged to be painted. Its sagging eaves, weathered siding, and rusted roofing make a good subject. I tried to introduce lots of color into the painting to make it more attractive to the eye.
When I showed the painting to Katy, she said, “It looks whimsical.” That’s probably about right.
Today I joined about 15 other artists from Northwest Watercolor Society at Volunteer Park in Seattle. I chose a subject that I don’t normally try — the reflection of the historical water tower in a pond. I was happy with the soft edges (where one color bleeds into another), and the reflections are basically right. But I think the water tower should have been darker.
At noon all the painters shared their paintings by standing them up against a wall. It’s a very supportive group and I think everyone felt good about it.
This week I spent two days painting in Seattle. On Monday I traveled to Magnuson Park Gallery to turn in two paintings for the SPACE Magnuson show. While I was there, I painted a watercolor of a picnic shelter by Lake Washington at Magnuson Park. It was a balmy spring afternoon with families strolling through the park and having picnics. Three young Hispanic guys stopped by and admired my painting. At least, that’s what their smiles and gestures communicated.
Gasworks Park
Today I joined members of Northwest Watercolor Society at Gasworks Park for their Wednesday plein air outing. Probably twenty painters were there spread out through the park. The gasworks are ancient relics of the days when a huge steam plant was located here. The rsuting mass of tanks, pipes and tubes make a great subject for a painting.
There happened to be a city crew making a new cement pad, so I included them in the painting. There was a cold breeze when I started, and it began to mist for a little while, but I persevered and finished my painting.
As is the custom, all the painters gathered at noon for the “throwdown”, a display of all our paintings. I’m always amazed at the creative ways other painters choose to portray a subject. It’s a great learning experience. I know a few of the painters, and met more painting friends today.
My slump is over. I just spent four days at Pacific Northwest Plein Air 2025, a plein air event in Columbia River Gorge. I painted seven watercolors over four days and entered three of them in the exhibition at Maryhill Museum near The Dalles, Oregon. I’m glad to say that my painting skills and enthusiasm returned. My brush is alive again!
My son, Guy, joined me as my driver and support team. He’s been a great companion and lots of help. We’re very fortunate to be able to stay with Katy’s sister, Margo, who lives in Stevenson, WA, in the Gorge.
On Monday, I met with the other artists, about 40 of us, to get our information packets, then we all spread out to paint the Gorge. Guy and I happened to find a scenic meadow underneath a looming mountain, where I made a painting. There was a herd of several dozen goats grazing the pasture. Afterwards I met the owner, who said the property has been in his wife’s family for over 60 years, and their daughter is preparing to take over the operation. Here’s the painting I made:
Afterward we drove to the Portland Women’s Forum Scenic Viewpoint near Trout Lake. From here you can see the iconic view of the Columbia River stretching out to the east. Unfortunately, my painting was too labored and tight.
On Tuesday, I attempted two paintings near Hood River, but both were clunkers. In the evening we attended a potluck with the other artists which was great fun, but I was exhausted afterward.
On Wednesday, I found an abandoned sawmill and made a painting, but the subject was too complicated and I lost my focus. After lunch we found a lovely farm above the Gorge with three red barns at interesting angles. This is a familiar subject for me, and I felt comfortable enough to loosen up, and I was happy with the result. Here it is:
it was late in the afternoon, but I was on a roll, so I painted a farm on Columbia Crest with Mt. Hood in the background. Score! Here it is:
I was happy with these three paintings, so I signed them and put them into the frames that I had brought with me.
On Thursday we drove to The Dalles Mountain Ranch, a historic ranch east of the Dalles that is now a state park. When I tried to paint a hillside of yellow flowers in front of the old ranch buildings, my powers failed me. Too complicated.
Later in the afternoon we drove to Maryhill Museum, the sponsor of the event, and turned in my three paintings along with all the other artists. It was great to visit with them and see some of their beautiful paintings. There are some very good artists here, and it’s quite humbling to be among them.
Friday was a day off, which I badly needed. Tomorrow (Saturday) is the opening reception for the show which will stay up for a month. I’m excited to see all the paintings and talk with the other artists. It’s been a great week!
I’ve been in a slump since I returned from the Eric Wiegardt workshop a couple of weeks ago. My brush seems to have died. Nothing I paint seems any good to me, and I’m discouraged. My paintings look clumsy and awkward. I’ve lost my confidence.
I’m not sure why I’m in such a low place. Maybe it’s just part of the ups and downs of the creative process. Or maybe the workshop raised my expectations too high. Maybe I need a break from painting, although I don’t feel burned out. Possibly it’s my anxiety about an upcoming plein air competition in the Columbia RIver Gorge. Or it may be, as Eric suggested, that I’m going through a change in my painting style that will take some time to result in better paintings.
I’m grateful that I have a good support system. Katy has given me lots of support and encouragement, and Eric even called me to offer moral support and suggestions. And I appreciate your support, too! I plan to keep plugging away, believing that this, too, shall pass.
“Paint your mid-tones first, combining shapes and mixing colors. Then add your darks and lastly your lights.”
“Paint big shapes to catch the viewer’s eye, with no more than five values.”
“Catch the viewer’s eye at a distance, Lead the eye throughout the painting, and bring the eye to the area of dominance and hold it there as long as possible.”
Those are some of the things I learned last week when I attended a four-day workshop with Eric Wiegardt, my watercolor teacher, in Long Beach, WA. Each morning we watched Eric paint a demo painting, and then we tried to paint it ourselves. After a lunch break, we repeated this sequence.
It was an intense four days, but I think all eight of us students learned a lot. We also went out to lunch and dinner together several times, and enjoyed our time together. Everyone was very supportive. Eric’s a very good teacher, patiently repeating the fundamentals so we could grasp them.
I used the workshop to experiment with new techniques and subjects, and take some risks I don’t usually take. Here are some paintings I made in the workshop, in addition to the vase of roses above.
