Barrister Winery and Fine Art Room Dividers

Painting away........getting ready for a show in Spokane, WA at Barrister Wynery. 1213 W Railroad Ave, Spokane, WA 99201

Lots of wall space so I will have all my big paintings from this past year and lots of un-framed little paintings at a very affordable price point ($45+). I'd rather offer originals at a print price than prints. I don't have much good to say about computer printouts or giclee's. Computers have ruined the value of prints.

I also will be displaying this unique new idea. Working with a local finish carpenter I've come up with this 'fine art room divider'. This is a model "6"x18" which will be 5'x5' room divider available in custom hardwoods and paintings.

Coos Art Museum 'Expressions West' Exhibit

This painting "Man In His Garden", was juried into the Coos Art Museum, "Expressions West" show, http://coosart.org/expressions/ew9/EXW09-Slideshow/index.html. It didn't win an award which is somewhat disapointing but then, from the ones that were selected my work isn't the style that has been in vogue the last couple years.
I'm leaning more to a unique presentation technique wise and the show seems to be favoring the 'old school' paradigm of realism. I'm not critisizing at all, I like every type of art. I do appreciate getting juried in as that is a measure of acknowledgment. Sitting out here in the expanse of the reservation it's difficult to measure my progress so getting into these shows is a way to do that.
Personally I'm jazzed about what's going on with this piece. It's solid in many ways, composition, color key but most of all I've developed my own way of painting that has lots of potential for development.
I'm already onto the next level that came out of this effort. 3, 20x60, panels that are a landscape tryptic that has gone well. Like this painting, lots of paint, carved with a pallet knife. The type of style suited to an ex horse logger.
"Man In His Garden", is available during this show for $1500.

Blues of the North for Red of the South.

We left the warm southwest for home and 2" of snow on the 3rd day of April. Folks say and I agree that this is the longest winter we've ever known, in contrast to the Southwest that had a dry year. I wonder how it will go for the folks in L.A. who depend on this watershed for water.

I went a little farther north to my friend and fellow artist and horselogger, Rod Gould's. I thought we had it bad until I got across the line and found even more snow although the sun came out for us as we stood in the mud and painted Canadian skies. My pallet went from a warm, high key Burnt Sienna to a cool Ultramarine/umber pallet that took more energy if only because it was Colder!

Santuario Rancho de Taos, 11x14, oil, pleinair

From Sante Fe to Taos a backroad winds through the mountains. There are lots of paintings I missed but we managed to find time to stop at this extraordinary adobe church built because of the vision of a farmer and is a sacred healing place that many come to pray and take some of the dirt of the place away with them. I saw folks on crutches and wheel chairs, young and old.

We stayed in Taos which was NOT Sante Fe. I found the Church of St. Francis Assisi in Rancho De Taos, made famous by so many artists, including Georgia O'Keefe.

Real Adobe is so human. It is workman toiling, it is native material, it is a grand vision with deep roots. Betts prayed, I painted. Both our efforts payed off.

Canyon de Chilly, oil, 11x14, plein air

Stayed at the Cameron Trading Post near the notorious Lee's Ferry, NM. Wonderful stonework gardens. We got on the Trading Post road through the High Colorado Plateau, marveling at the red rock dinosaur eggs, stopping at a couple pueblos for a gander at pottery, jewelry and horse blankets. We stopped at the Hopi First Mesa and got the opportunity to talk with Hopi artist, Lawrence Namoki and wife Lucida, traded for one of his pots, decorated with Hopi Katchina, the One Horn God, Two Horned God, Sun God and Warrior. Lawrence explained as much as he could about his work in the 4 hours we had. Lawrence pushes the envelope of Hopi tradition with his art but stays true to the craft and world view of his people.

We got the deep fried Chinle, in time to view the sun setting on the red rock Canyon de Chelly, a place I could spend the rest of my life painting. I couldn't help but feel it is one of the sacred places of the planet. What a wonderful place to be now and in the past, a sacred place to the People of the southwest.

As I was painting Spider Woman Rock, the sun was coming up, smoke from a hogan rose from the roof. A person came out and threw their blanket over a horse and rounded up sheep and goats. It felt surreal to witness such a moment, as if time stood still.

Legend says that the white color on the top of Spider Woman Rock is the bones of bad little children. Pretty convincing.